Second Chance

Chapter 44

"Maria," I whispered. "go. Now."

She took a step forward, but before she could get anywhere, one of the Descouche brothers shouted down to us. "Don't move!" He was the one holding the blade to DK's throat, and he pressed it harder against his throat, causing a trail of blood to trickle down his neck.

I looked between Maria and DK, unsure of what to do. If Riley was here, he wouldn't let DK die. He would try and talk his way out of this. But if I did what Riley would do, then I would be risking Maria's life. I've known her longer than I've known DK, and I love Maria. If I had to choose between DK and Maria, I would choose Maria, right?

"Justin, we have to listen to them. I don't want to be responsible for a death." She whispered back. "Plus, they might catch up to us in the tunnel. I don't want to risk it."

I exhaled through my nose slowly, clenching my fists. I glared up at the brothers, as the one holding Alex said. "Step away from the hole."

Maria and I reluctantly stepped forward, towards the staircase. To my surprise, the brother who just spoke abruptly shoved Alex forward. She let out a cry of terror as she tumbled down the staircase.

"Alex!" DK cried, trying to break free of the other brother's grasp, but it didn't work in the slightest.

Out of instinct, I jumped forward to catch Alex. For a horrible second, I thought she was already dead, since she laid limply in my arms, but I soon realized she was just knocked out, due to the cut on her forehead that she must have gotten as she fell.

"Out of the way." The brother who pushed her ordered, starting down the stairs as well.

Maria and I scrambled back towards the cage, dragging Alex with us. Nick or Shawn or whatever the hell his name was strode towards the hole, ripped his knife out of the wall behind him, then stood in front of it like a bodyguard with his arms crossed. The brother holding DK staggered down next, still holding the knife to DK's throat.

He shoved DK towards us, and I caught him, holding him up by his shoulders. Now that I had a better look at him, it looked as if the brothers already had beaten him up a bit. He had a few scratches and cuts on his face, and one of his eyes was a little red and swollen, like he got punched there.

"All of you, in the cage. Now." The brother that had DK ordered, pointing his knife towards the rusty cell beside us. I hesitated, looking between DK and Maria again. "Now!" He yelled, stepping towards us.

Maria flinched, then opened the door to the cell and dragged Alex in with her. DK followed shortly after, while I glared at the brothers but didn't move at first. The one brother took another step towards me, and I quickly made my way into the cell.

The brother slammed the door behind me, and used a rope nearby to tie it closed. "We'll be going now. The guards should be here in a few minutes, after they do a cell check and realize you two are missing." He smirked at DK and I, then sauntered over to his brother.

They jumped down the hole, and the moment they were out of sight, I whirled towards DK. "What the fuck, DK?! I trusted you!" I yelled, slamming him hard against the bars of the cell.

"It wasn't my fault, I swear! They found us. I don't know how, but they found Alex and I while we were on our way to you." DK explained hurriedly, staring at me with wide and scared eyes.

"Well, what the hell are we supposed to do now?!" I demanded, stepping back from him.

"I don't know, dude." DK admitted, clutching his head. "They're right though. The guards are going to find us eventually."

"No, they'll find our dead bodies." I laughed bitterly. "Since that hole in the pipe is only big enough for us. Those two can't get through. So what do you think they'll do to us? We'll be lucky if we get a quick death, right?"

DK gave me a grim look. "It's hard to say, they kill people in many different ways. I doubt they'll just stab us in the head or chest and be done with it though. It is possible to bargain with them though."

"We don't have anything to give away." I pointed out.

"Well...." He glanced over at Maria and Alex, and I knew what he was thinking.

"No. There's no way I'm handing Maria over to those perverts." I said firmly.

DK gave me an uncertain look, but before he could suggest anything else, an alarm started going off from outside. "We're out of luck, Justin." He said, looking thoroughly worried and nervous. "The search for us has begun."