25. Chapter 25 Freddy
Chapter 25: Freddy
F reddy took the punches without flinching, knowing Josh couldn’t really hurt him. Years of being Gabe’s punching bag had taught him how to take a hit. Josh’s form was sloppy, his fists connecting with more of a thud than a crack. It was almost laughable, really. If Freddy weren’t strapped to a chair in the middle of God knows where, he might have even offered the kid a few pointers.
But as it was, Freddy just sat there, letting Josh wear himself out. He could see the frustration building in the younger man’s eyes with each failed attempt to break him. Ellie watched from the sidelines, her lips pressed into a thin line of disapproval.
“You’re not gonna get what you want this way,” Freddy said, his voice steady despite the ache in his jaw. “I already told you, I don’t have access to the code.”
Josh paused, his chest heaving with exertion. He looked to his mother for guidance, but she just shook her head.
“He’s lying,” she said, her tone sharp. “Keep going.”
Josh hesitated for a moment before drawing back his fist once more.
Freddy’s head snapped back as Josh’s fist connected with his jaw. The pain blossomed, sharp and immediate, but he refused to give them the satisfaction of crying out. Instead, he worked his tongue around his mouth, checking for loose teeth.
“You know, Nathan always thought he was better than everyone else,” Ellie spat, her voice dripping with venom. She paced behind Josh, her eyes never leaving Freddy’s face. “Your father ruined everything we worked for.”
Josh paused, his arm cocked back for another swing. Freddy used the moment to catch his breath, tasting copper in his mouth.
“He stole our company,” Ellie continued, her words punctuated by Josh’s renewed assault. “Left us with nothing while he built his empire.”
Freddy’s mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of history he knew. His father had never mentioned any of this. Was there truth to Ellie’s accusations, or was this all a deranged fantasy?
“And then,” Ellie’s voice dropped to a near whisper, “he had Joshua killed.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Freddy’s eyes widened in disbelief. Murder? That couldn’t be right. His father was many things, but a murderer?
“You’re wrong,” Freddy managed to croak out between punches. “Dad would never—“
“Shut up!” Ellie screamed, her face contorting with rage. “You don’t know anything!”
Josh’s fist slammed into Freddy’s stomach, driving the air from his lungs. As he gasped for breath, Freddy tried to make sense of it all. The accusation of murder seemed far-fetched, but the raw pain in Ellie’s voice was undeniable.
Still, murder or not, it didn’t change his current predicament. Freddy knew he needed to focus on finding a way out, not unraveling decades-old grievances. He steeled himself for the next blow, his mind racing for any possible escape.
“Keep going,” Ellie snarled at Josh while pointing at Freddy.
Freddy braced himself for the next impact, but it never came. Instead, Josh let out a frustrated growl and turned away, running his hands through his hair.
“No, this is useless,” he muttered. “We need a new plan.” He glared back at Ellie.
Ellie’s eyes narrowed as she considered their options. Freddy could practically see the gears turning in her head, calculating their next move. He knew he needed to find a way out of this before they resorted to more drastic measures.
But for now, all he could do was sit there and wait, hoping that someone would realize he was missing before it was too late.
Freddy’s head throbbed as he tried to focus on the conversation happening in front of him. Ellie and Josh were arguing again, their voices rising and falling in a dizzying cacophony. He strained to make out their words, hoping to glean some insight into their plans.
“I’m telling you,” Freddy said, his voice hoarse from dehydration, “I don’t have access to the code. I’m not a developer.”
Ellie’s eyes snapped to him, her gaze sharp and assessing. For a moment, Freddy thought she might lash out again, but instead, she turned back to Josh.
“He’s useless,” she said, her tone dripping with disdain. “We’re wasting our time.”
Josh looked uncertain, his eyes darting between Freddy and his mother. “But what about the guy you’re working with? We need that code. Didn’t you say he already sold it?”
Ellie waved her hand dismissively. “Forget the code. We’ll just demand money instead. It’ll be faster and easier that way.”
Freddy’s heart leaped in his chest. Money? They were going to ransom him? The thought of his family receiving a demand for his life made his stomach churn.
“But won’t whoever bought the code get mad and come after us?” Josh asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Ellie shook her head. “That’s why I used a middleman. They’ll go after him, but even he doesn’t know who we really are, so we’re in no danger. We just need to focus on getting the money.”
As they discussed their new plan, Freddy’s mind raced. They hadn’t mentioned Wils once, which meant they probably didn’t know he was the head developer. That was a small relief, at least. If they didn’t know about Wils, then maybe he was still safe.
But the thought of being ransomed off like some kind of commodity made Freddy’s skin crawl. Even worse, he knew it was doomed to fail.
Patrick, for all his faults, was a shrewd businessman. He’d never cave to ransom demands, no matter who the victim was. It would set a dangerous precedent, opening the floodgates for future attacks on the company and its employees.
A bitter laugh threatened to escape Freddy’s lips as he remembered Holly’s recent concerns about the company’s finances. She’d been puzzled by discrepancies in the books, insisting they should have more money than the records showed. Patrick had brushed off her worries, but Freddy had seen the flicker of doubt in his brother’s eyes. Even if Patrick wanted to pay, he might not have the means to do so.
The reality of his situation began to settle over Freddy like a heavy blanket. This warehouse, with its musty air and flickering fluorescent lights, might very well be the last place he’d ever see. The chair beneath him, once a source of discomfort, now felt like a final resting place.
His thoughts drifted to Sabrina, and a wave of regret washed over him. One night. That’s all they’d had together. One beautiful, perfect night that now felt like a cruel tease of what could have been. He’d never get to tell her how much she meant to him, how she’d brought light and laughter into his life when he’d felt invisible to the world.
Freddy closed his eyes, trying to conjure Sabrina’s face in his mind. He wanted to remember every detail - the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed, the slight furrow in her brow when she concentrated on a particularly tricky bit of code. He clung to these memories, letting them wash away the fear and despair that threatened to overwhelm him.
As Ellie and Josh continued their plotting, their voices faded into background noise. Freddy retreated into himself, resigned to whatever fate awaited him. He only hoped that somehow, someday, Sabrina would know how much he had loved her.