‘thoughts’

It was dark outside. Jared had timed things to go with the new moon so that it was completely pitch black. He crept out of his bed and went over to George’s bed, shaking his friend awake gently and smiling at him when the redhead opened his eyes. He put a finger to his lips and nodded with George before they both stood and started to creep out of their room to the hall. Most of the kids had been taken with the mayor and his wife, so the security was less than usual. It was the perfect time to escape since all they had to deal with was James and a half dozen guards and dogs. They just had to get outside without getting caught.

Silently, they went down the stairs, avoiding the third and eighth steps that always squeaked as they looked around warily. Once at the bottom of the stairs, they looked around carefully and ducked down when they saw a shadow and pressed as close as possible to the wall. Shuffling along silently, they headed for the back patio that connected to the gardens. Once they got there, thankfully without running into anyone, Jared picked the lock for the patio door and looked around frantically with George when it squeaked open slowly. They held their breaths as their hearts pounded, trying to hear if they’d been caught. When there was no sign of the alarm being sounded, they both heaved a sigh of relief before sneaking out of the door and making sure to close the door silently. They both crouched down low and scuttled forward to the edge of the patio deck, avoiding furniture and lights as they went.

Furtively, they looked around before going down the stairs and skirting along the edge of the hedges that bordered the garden. They pushed through the hedge as quietly as they could and flinched as branches snapped, echoing in the silent night. As quickly as they could, they started going through the labyrinthine garden, avoiding the lights as much as possible. Suddenly the whole garden lit up as the alarms went off and they knew that they’d been discovered. Ducking down as a spotlight swept over the garden, they looked at each other and panted in both fear and adrenaline.

“We canna get caught and we will if we stick togetha,” George whispered roughly and Jared bit his lip before nodding. They leaned in and crushed their lips together in a hungry kiss before parting and going in opposite directions. They both knew where to go and could get to it through several different routes.

Jared dodged around bushes and lights as he ran for the pathway, feeling his panic rise as he heard the dogs barking in the distance. He had put a scent dampening substance behind the compost pile in the bushes, but if he didn’t get there, it wouldn’t do them any good. A cry and the increased barking of the dogs shot through the air and he felt his chest constrict. ‘Oh god....George...’ he thought in rising panic as he stopped and gasped for air, his heart hammering. He heard shouts and bit his lip as he tried to think. He shook his head and went as silently as he could to where the noise was loudest and saw his friend being pinned on the ground.

“Well well, George...so you thought to escape, hmm?” James’ voice was snide as he came over and put his foot roughly on the redhead. “Where’s Jared, you stupid brat. Tell me and your punishment will be less....severe,” he ordered and sneered as the guards chuckled wickedly.

George pushed his head up and spit at James. “I’ll not be tellin’ you nothin’! You can fuck yerself!” he snarled and groaned as James kicked him hard in the ribs.

Leaning down, James sneered and Jared swallowed down the bile that rose up at the lust that was in the usually cold face. “Oh no, I think I’ll be fucking you until you talk,” he growled out and the guards chuckled again as he straightened. “Find that southern brat and bring him in. Take this new fuck toy to the play room,” he ordered as he stepped back.

Jared didn’t wait to see what would happen. George had covered for him and, while it hurt him deeply, he had to make a break for it so that he could come back and save his friend with help. He turned and swiftly made his way back to the compost heap and put the scent dampening on him before burying the container in the heap. He found the path after a few tense seconds as he heard the dogs and searchers get a bit closer to his spot and dashed down the path as carefully as he could considering that it was pitch black out. He had a small flashlight that he’d managed to smuggle out, but he didn’t dare bring it out while he was still so close to the compound.

The path wound in and out of the large forest that backed the mayor’s illustrious mansion and Jared tripped a couple of times over roots. He was exhausted and grief stricken, but he kept going even as dawn arrived. He looked around and found that he was near the highway and swiftly ducked back into the woods, continuing his flight within the thick foliage. As the day dawned, he heard helicopters and knew they were looking for him, but he kept running. He wasn’t gonna let them get him!

Finally, he came upon a remote gas station and snuck in the back. He stared as he found lockers in the back and found some clothes to change into. He ditched his old clothes, then went through the inventory, stealing snacks and drinks and stuffing them into a knapsack he’d found. He swung the pack onto his back and, after saluting the oblivious owner, snuck back out and into the woods. He dodged through the trees and ate some of the sandwiches he’d stolen and guzzled down a bottle of Gatorade as he ran. He stopped though around midday as he came upon a small stream and a cave. He looked around as he panted and relaxed a bit before stepping over the rocks and into the cave. He let his pack drop and all but crumpled to the ground, falling asleep immediately as exhaustion swamped him.

When he woke up later, he didn’t know how much time had passed, but he knew he had to get moving again. He first took the time to eat again and drink some water and Gatorade before repacking his bag and heading out. If he could stay parallel to the highway, he would be able to get out of New York soon. He just had to stay out of sight. He thought of George and stopped as he started crying softly, grieving for his lost friend. He had a small hope he could save his friend with help, but most of him was filled with guilt for having left him for dead to save his own hide. ‘George...forgive me for abandoning you. I’ll avenge you and your brothers...I swear,’ he thought to himself as he remembered the last bit of quiet time they’d spent together two nights before. Curled up together in bed after making sure that everyone had been asleep, they had just held each other. It had been the day after the mayor’s forced sex, but they had admitted that what they had shared, while unwanted at the time, had not been completely forced. And they had promised to get out no matter what happened.

George though must have known that they might get separated for, after finalizing their plans, he had made Jared promise that, if they did get separated, they escape and get help to bring down the mayor. Jared had protested, not wanting to think of them getting separated and the consequences. But he had agreed eventually and had promised to keep going no matter what. While he wished that he hadn’t made the promise and left George behind, he knew that the reasoning was sound. With a sniffle, he wiped his face and straightened up in determination. He would bring down that sick son of a bitch Welling and pay him back for everything he’d done. He swore it as he started his running again through the woods towards the state line.

Welling would pay.

TBC