Chapter Twelve
Sawyer
“I’m going to go and try to get you those clothes,” he paused, “and maybe a blanket.” It would probably be really risky trying to bring that downstairs but he could always lie and say it was for himself.
But his uncle wasn’t that stupid. If Sawyer hadn’t butted in to try and stop what was happening, it would have been far easier.
But he couldn’t just stand back and watch.
Not anymore. His conscience wouldn’t let him.
He really didn’t care if everyone thought the people they kidnapped were the bad guys.
Sawyer knew better. Those poor people were never the problem. They were. “I won’t be gone long.”
Andi just nodded his head before it dropped back. “I-I’ll be here.”
Sawyer let out a puff of air then quickly made his way up the stairs, locking the door behind him once he was up there. Immediately, he was greeted with the faces of the several different people who worked there. They were all just staring at him. His brow furrowed. “What?”
“Did you really try to stop bossman?” A tall, burly, tattooed man named Chuck asked.
“I mean–”
“That’s a fucking stupid thing to do.” Another chimed in but Sawyer couldn’t see who it was.
He shrugged. “It’s the right thing to do.”
“Don’t know about that. Sounds like some traitor shit.” Chuck mentioned.
“Sure does.” Said another.
“I always had a feeling about you.”
Sawyer just shook his head. He began to walk through the dining area so he could do what he was up there to do when he felt something hot pelt him in the back.
A bowl clattered to the ground beside him along with the remnants of what looked like chili plopped on the ground.
Sawyer didn’t look behind him but he could hear the chorus of laughter coming from where Chuck was sitting.
He wasn’t going to engage. He just kept walking further into the bunker.
They could think whatever they wanted. Sawyer didn’t get a single shit about them.
He quickly moved past his uncle’s office and into the living quarters, heading right to his room.
The first thing Sawyer did was change his shirt.
At least, that was his intention. He heard some loud footsteps approaching behind him and right as he turned around, a hand wrapped around his neck.
Fucking Chuck. Sawyer should have known.
Chuck lifted him from the ground with ease.
Sawyer kicked him in the stomach. His hand tightened around his throat.
Another kick from Sawyer, but it didn’t help.
Chuck reeled his head back and beamed him right in the face with the top of his forehead.
Sawyer was dropped to the ground. His hand covered his now bleeding nose.
“We don’t like fucking traitors around here. ”
“I’m not a traitor,” he spat. As soon as those words left his mouth, he was kicked in the gut. Sawyer wheezed softly. Chuck wound up to do it again but this time he was ready for it. Sawyer grabbed his foot before it connected. “I don’t want to fight you, Chuck.”
“Too bad, you little bitch.” He yanked his foot back and stomped on Sawyer’s hand.
He couldn’t help but yelp. And that was enough to gather a crowd in the doorway of his room.
Front and center was his uncle. Sawyer’s gaze connected with Milo and he expected him to speak up about it.
But from the look on his face, he clearly was interested in what was going to happen.
Milo just leaned his shoulder against the doorframe and folded his arms across his chest.
That bastard.
However Sawyer meant what he said. He didn’t want to fight Chuck.
It wasn’t in his best interest. He didn’t want to make enemies there, even if he didn’t care for much of anyone there in the first place.
Sawyer really just wanted to be left alone to do the job that he was assigned.
The sooner Chuck was satisfied with himself, he could go back downstairs and tend to Andi.
The brute stepped harder on his hand. He could feel his bones wanting to snap beneath the pressure.
Chuck let up and kneed him underneath his chin.
His teeth pierced his tongue and the familiar taste of blood entered his mouth.
Sawyer collapsed backwards onto the ground.
Chuck straddled his waist and sent fist after fist into his face and body.
Still, Sawyer didn’t fight. He just put his arms up to attempt to block some of the shots.
“Fucking fight me!” Chuck roared in his face while the fists came harder.
He barely noticed the other footsteps enter the room. All he noticed was that Chuck was pulled off of him. “He’s had enough,” someone said. The man just grunted and cocked his foot back, nailing Sawyer directly in the temple.
And that was the last thing he remembered until he woke up again, strewn out on the floor of his room.
Beside him was a small puddle of blood that had apparently gathered from both his nose and mouth.
Sawyer couldn’t help but groan loudly as he pushed himself up.
He leaned back against the side of his bed and ran his hand under his nose.
The blood was almost dry there. “Fuck…” he groaned. How long was I out?
“Welcome back, space cadet,” the unfortunately familiar voice of Clay said with a giggle, “That was awesome.”
Sawyer groaned. “What do you want?”
“Just wanted to see when you were gonna wake up. We had a betting pool going,” he tiptoed way too quickly into his room and leaned over to whisper in his ear, “I won.” Clay stood up straight again while patting Sawyer on the head. “Took you two minutes and fifteen seconds to wake back up.”
“Great.”
“How do you feel?”
“Why do you care?”
“Because I care about everyone here.” Sawyer simply snorted at that and pushed himself to stand up. “I do!”
“Right,” he muttered. “Get out of my room, Clay.”
The little man huffed and folded his arms across his chest before he walked out of the room. “Clean yourself up. You look like shit.”
Sawyer attempted to ignore that comment but he was probably right.
He could use another shower to help loosen his now extremely sore body.
Grabbing himself a change of clothes and a towel, he wandered back over to the showers for the second time that day and took himself a well deserved, hot shower.
It felt so good. So good that it made him feel extremely guilty for leaving Andi downstairs freezing. That was enough to get Sawyer hustling.
After drying off, he made it back to his room and he got dressed as quickly as possible before he gathered a change of clothes for Andi.
The whole reason he had come upstairs. He balled the clothes up as small as he possibly could and tucked it into the crook of his arm.
Sawyer moved quickly through the hall, hoping to go unnoticed so he could get back downstairs.
However, he heard someone call his name.
“Sawyer.” It was Milo. Of course it was. “Get in here.”
Sawyer sighed and turned around. His uncle wasn’t looking up from his paperwork so he took the opportunity to toss the ball of clothes off to the side before he entered his office. “Yeah?”
“Sit.”
“I really should get back downstairs…”
“Sit. Down.”
Sawyer did what was asked of him and immediately sagged in the chair. Even though the shower had done him wonders, his head was killing him. He really didn’t want to be scolded by his uncle at that juncture but it seemed like there was no way around it.
“What’s gotten into you lately?” He didn’t say anything but he didn’t think he was supposed to. “That altercation with Chuck…why didn’t you fight back?”
“I didn’t want to.”
“Why not?”
“It was stupid.”
“I think getting your ass beaten in front of the team was stupider.”
“To each their own, Milo.”
His eyes narrowed a bit. “What the fuck has gotten into you? You’re not willing to fight Chuck but you’re willing to fight me?”
“I’m not fighting–”
“I’m not done speaking,” Milo seethed. Sawyer took a soft breath in and adjusted his position in the chair. “You’re fighting me at every turn. Your insubordination is extremely worrisome.”
That was a bit of an extreme thing to say. Sawyer didn’t necessarily think he was being an insubordinate. He was just sick of the bullshit.
“You do remember that I am the one that pays you, right?”
Sawyer didn’t say anything. But from the look on his uncle’s face, now he wanted a response.
It was difficult to respond to because, yes, he did pay him, but Sawyer didn’t see the money.
It just went into a bank account somewhere that he barely had access to.
The only money he could really call his own was the actual dollar bills he kept hidden in his dresser. Still, he answered, “Yes.”
“I’m the one that houses you?”
“Yes.”
“I’m the one that took you in when your parents tragically passed?”
Sawyer swallowed a lump that had suddenly grown in his throat. There were plenty of times in his life when he thought he’d be better off alone or in the foster system. But even then, he said, “Yes.”
“Then why are you acting like I’m the bad guy?”
He lifted his gaze up to his uncle and he just shrugged. “I-I’m not. Sorry.”
“What was that?”
“I’m sorry. I know you’re not the bad guy.”
Milo nodded. “Good. Because if we’re going to get this information out of Andi, then we all need to be on the same page. If I can’t trust you with him, then what can I trust you with?”
“You can trust me.”
“Can I?”
“Yes.”
“Then you need to act like it. One more misstep and I’ll have to take corrective action.
I don’t want to do that to my sweet little nephew.
” Sawyer could feel his blood beginning to boil from irritation.
As much as he wanted to yell and scream that he didn’t give a shit, he ran his tongue along his teeth and nodded.
“You’re dismissed.” Sawyer stood up from his chair and turned to leave when his uncle said, “Don't forget the clothes for Andi.”
He stilled and turned around to look at Milo. “I-I wasn’t–”
“I’m not stupid, Sawyer. I’m offended you think I wouldn’t notice you tossing them before you walked in here.”
He swallowed once again. “I didn’t think you were. I just–”
“Didn’t want me to know.” He didn’t answer that statement. “If you feel so inclined, do change his clothes.” A smile crossed his uncle’s face that sent a chill up his spine. “I might think otherwise though.”
Sawyer didn’t respond to that. He just stepped out of the office and grabbed the clothes so he could re-ball them up.
He knew that it wasn’t necessarily wise for him to do it, but he couldn’t just let Andi suffer further down there.
He didn’t look back to the office once he had grabbed the clothes.
He just hurried down the hall without a second thought.