Chapter Thirty
Ash
Ethan was a fucking liability, so we told Blaze to keep him away from the uncle while Cal did what he needed to. Seeing the kid had really fired up his anger against his uncle. The poor kid looked about twelve, if that, and the idea of him being forced by that bitch was too much to take.
“He made me,” she hissed for about the twentieth time, so I nodded at Blaze, and he and Ethan went over to deal with her.
“How many times has he ‘made you’?” Blaze demanded, but we tuned them out and put our focus back on uncle cunt.
“Are you sorry for what you do to these poor kids?” Cal asked him, his fists clenching in front of him as he stepped closer to the bastard who facilitated his rape.
“They need help. They’re confused. They’re being led down a path of satanism, and they need to be saved.”
Dammit, I knew I should have dressed like the devil for this. It would have been perfect. Talk about a missed opportunity.
“You’re a fucking demon, you know. Talking like you’re the fucking golden boy for your god, but you treat people like this? You need to be put down, and hey, lucky you… that’s why we’re here.”
Cal groaned, shoving my shoulder, probably to shut me up, since I wasn’t doing anything except mouthing off at him.
“How many times have you done this to kids like him? It was bad enough for me, but he’s a fucking child, you sick monster!”
The kid suddenly screamed, and tried to scramble off the bed, awake again at least for the moment, but I couldn’t make it over there before Cal ran back to his side, speaking softly to him, trying to coax him into calming down and not freaking out.
He kept telling him we’d keep him safe, and I had no idea how he thought we’d do that, but for now, this fucker was trying to sneak away, and an exhilarated yell from Ethan had me spinning to see what he and Blaze were up to.
There was so much fucking blood. I actually gagged at the sight of it, because Ethan was covered in it, while Blaze was just laughing.
“I said back up, you stupid fucker. It’s an artery, that’s what they do.”
“It’s still warm, fucking hell… did you see her eyes go dull? That was awesome. Can I do him now?” He suddenly turned to look at me, and cursed, and I turned to realise the fucker had legged it while I’d been distracted by them.
“Fuck!”
We all legged it out of the large room, spreading out in the hallway to search the many rooms that seemed to sprout from it, like fucking twisted branches.
“Find him!” I didn’t really need to yell that, but I wanted him to hear that we were coming for him. I wanted his fear to be so fucking intense that he froze on the spot, too terrified to move.
“He dies tonight… or ya know, sometime in the next twenty-four hours, if Ethan doesn’t get carried away,” Blaze yelled back, slamming open a door and disappearing inside.
Shit, if we lost this fucker now, I had no idea what’d happen, but it wouldn’t be good. I hesitated in the first empty room I found. Should I call my dads? Wouldn’t they know what to do? Was I too dependent on them for shit like this? Shouldn’t I be able to hunt down and kill a guy without them?
I stepped back into the hallway, running my hand over the wooden door, as inspiration struck. What would my dads do in this instance? Well, that was easy.
Burn. Shit. Up.
Cal
The poor kid was a mess, and who could blame him? He’d been drugged so he could be raped, and even now, while he was still dopey and confused, he had no idea what was going on here, or who the hell we were, so why wouldn’t he be freaking out?
I lifted my hands as he ran from me, curling against the wall, one palm over his eyes as he sobbed.
“Please. I promise we’re not going to hurt you. We’re here to… well, to rescue you, I guess. They won’t hurt you again. They won’t hurt anyone again.”
“I’m dirty,” he sobbed, crumpling onto the floor, tucking himself into the corner, like he wanted to disappear from my sight, or shit, I don’t know, from everywhere? From the world?
I dropped down to my knees beside him, but I made sure no part of me was close enough to touch him. He deserved to feel safe now, because he would be.
“What’s your name, kid?” The boy suddenly froze, peering over his fingers at me, my voice obviously revealing how close I’d come.
“Don’t touch me,” he hissed, and I shook my head, my heart breaking again for how damaged he was, because of them, because of god knows who else. Fuckers. Why couldn’t they just fucking leave people alone to be who they want to be, who they are inside? How the fuck is that hurting anyone?
“I’m Cal… well, Callum, but I guess Ash has me fucking answering to Cal now. Bastard.”
The kid eyed me curiously, and I jabbed a thumb behind me.
“Ash is… he’s back there, looking for… he’s my…” Jesus, why was this shit so hard? Why was it that being back in this place was making me doubt absolutely fucking everything? I knew I was gay and I knew I wanted Ash, that I was with him, so why couldn’t I just fucking say it.
“Fuck this place, I swear to god, it’s fucking evil!”
The kid had flinched, and it wasn’t at my swearing, or the word ‘evil’. He flinched at the fucking G word. I had no idea what the hell he’d gone through before tonight, but nothing bad would ever happen to him again. I’d make sure of it.
“I’m sorry. I’m struggling with being here again, because what almost happened to you happened to me, a few years ago. He tried to fix me too.”
The boy lowered his hand, revealing his whole face again at last, and his blotchy tear stained skin made me clench my fists, as I tried to force the anger down so I wouldn’t scare him.
“You were here?”
I nodded, swallowing hard as bile started to rise in my throat when those memories assaulted me once more.
“He… he’s my uncle-”
“NO!”
“I promise I’m not like him. I hate him. He’s a fucking monster! We’re here to…” I glanced behind me, hearing the occasional yell from Ash or his crazy family, as they searched for uncle fucker.
“What?”
“Here to kill him,” I said resolutely, turning back to face the kid, “yeah, we’re here to end his evil once and for all, but I promise you’re safe. You’ll never have to be afraid or ashamed again.”
The kid chewed his lip warily.
“Tell me your name, you know mine, and Ash. The blonde guy is Blaze, and the really crazy one is Ethan.”
“Ren.”
I blinked at him for a moment, wondering if that was his name, or something else entirely.
“Like the bird?”
“What bird?” Jesus.
“Is it your name?” He nodded, and I figured that was enough for now.
“R.E.N. Ren.”
“Hi Ren. I’m Cal, and we’re here to rescue you.”
This time the kid reacted, and it wasn’t with words.
He threw himself at me, his arms tight around my neck, as he intermittently sobbed, and thanked me.
It was like a gut punch and validation all at once.
The feeling of doing the right thing, maybe for the first time ever.
I hugged him tightly as he let out all of his sorrow and horror, while I wondered where the hell he’d go after this.