Walker: Surrender

Chapter 24

Cordell and Liam slowly made their way through the deserted hospital, making their way to the second floor of the building where they had been held captive with Maddie. Police tape still decorated the doors and corridors here and there, the two of them making their way underneath the tape to get to their destination.

Standing at the closed door of the room they had been held in, Cordell hesitated for a moment before he pushed it open. Liam walked in ahead of him and he followed slowly behind, swallowing the lump in his throat as he looked at the cage in front of him. 'Got to say, kind of figured that, uh, "confronting our trauma" would be a little more...' He took a deep breath, rubbing his hands together nervously. 'woo-woo meditation and a little less stepping back here.'

'No, it's about...' Liam paused, standing in front of the iron barred cell. 'Physically coming back to the space so that you can finally free yourself from it.'

Cordell nodded, looking around the room. 'Okay.'

Stepping forward to the closed cell door, Liam hesitated as the flashbacks of what had happened in there to him came back. Being beaten. Being electrocuted. Maddie. Maddie getting hurt while trying to help him... He jumped when he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder, looking up to see his older brother standing there beside him.

'Hey. We got this. Tell you what...' Cordell took a deep breath, taking hold of the door. 'why don't we do it together.'

After a moment, Liam nodded and also took hold of the door, the two of them opening it together. With a loud grating squeak, the door was opened and they both slowly walked into the cell.

One of the men unlocked the door and opened it, Cordell only being able to stand helplessly and watch as they dragged Liam into the cell with him and dumped his brother unceremoniously onto the concrete floor, Maddie being tossed down beside him a moment later. 'Liam. Liam-'

'Dad.' Maddie's voice broke as she reached up for him, Cordell kneeling down beside her as the men locked the cage again. 'Dad...'

Cordell took her in his arms, holding onto her tight as he looked down at his brother lying motionless just out of his reach. 'It's okay... It's okay... Ssshhh...' He glared at the backs of the retreating men as he held his daughter tight, the door being slammed shut and darkness falling in the room as the light was turned off once more. How dare they touch his brother or daughter... 'Liam...'

~

'What? What aren't you telling me?' Liam questioned, Cordell shaking his head as he held onto Maddie. 'Hey, you tell me. You tell me right now. We are gonna get out of this together. The three of us. That you're not gonna pull some Walker Lone Ranger and risk yourself for Maddie and I.'

'Liam...'

'Hey.' Liam grabbed him, making him look at him. 'Listen to me. Promise me.' He held a hand out to him for him to shake. 'Promise me.'

Cordell looked down at his brother's hand then after a moment, took it in his own and held it tight. 'I promise.'

~

The blindfold was replaced and Cordell was taken back to the cell. As the blindfold was removed again he could see Liam and Maddie, his daughter holding his brother. The floor was soaked in water as saw his brother and before Sean's thugs had even locked the door he'd hurried over, kneeling down with them. 'Liam, hey...' Liam flinched at his touch, his brother looking up at him. 'What did they do to you? It's all right. Shh. Take it easy. Take it easy.'

'I'm fine. I'm fine.' Liam finally managed to get out, holding his side protectively as Maddie moved aside to let Cordell closer. 'All right.'

'I need to take a look at this, okay? Just... easy. Just...'