Hidden and Silent (SpyxFamily)

Ch. 22: Part Three

Demetrius' tired eyes blinked lazily up from his breakfast that he couldn't stomach touching and to his brother across the table. Damian didn't want to be here either. To leave Anya in her room where she apparently still hadn't really moved. Damian was worried about her, sure, but he had wanted to stay just as much for himself. Hidden away where his father couldn't see him and where he could bunker down with one of his friends until this all passed over.

Demetrius would have liked for him to do that, too. But honestly? It might be easier to rescue him when he'll be staying at the dorms again.

Damian's not going to like leaving both him and Anya behind. Especially Anya. Demetrius wasn't in much of a better situation than she was, but he's older. Anya is just a kid. Like Damian.

Demetrius clenched his teeth so hard, he could feel the light pressure on his cheekbones.

He still didn't know what to do. Sneaking the kids out undetected would be difficult. Demetrius could steal a car, but he didn't want to risk driving with the kids. It was a miracle he had made it to the lab and that was without anyone chasing after him. He imagined the agents would be notified he was escaping by car and roads would be blocked off before he could reach them. They'd shoot the tires, they'd do whatever they could to stop him. Going by foot was even less recommended. Donovan's agents were all over the place and they could have tranquilizers to take them out before they even got two blocks.

If Demetrius could even get them out at all.

How did Demetrius get them to a crowded area where Donovan wouldn't risk trying anything? How did he even get out of their subdivision with both Anya and Damian? Demetrius was going to be sent back to school—also under "supervision"—because it would be weird if he suddenly stopped attending(and while his father could procure excuses, it was easiest to just avoid unwanted attention when his father believed Demetrius was stuck between a rock and a hard place anyway[which he was]), but it's not like he could bring Anya with him and pick up Damian at his dorm later and leave just like that. If Donovan had any say—and he had a lot— Anya wouldn't be leaving until he said so.

The estate was crawling with Donovan's agents, so fleeing in the middle of the night through a window was out. (Demetrius had taught himself how to picks locks awhile ago, he could escape his room to get to Anya's if he wanted.) Besides. He had no idea how he'd get a six and four year old down from a third-floor window.

"Eat." His father commanded and Demetrius suppressed a grumble, leaning over his plate and picking up his fork. He poked at the food, trying to stall. He was hungry, his stomach was a big, gaping, hole, but the thought of eating, of lifting a bite to his mouth, was unthinkable. Made him sick. The thought of eating disgusted him. He had a very strong desire to throw it across the room.

Or maybe at his father.

Yes. Definitely at his father.

And then there was the tracker to consider. Demetrius would have to dig it out. Going to the hospitable to have it done was definitely not an option as there would be questions and Donovan would absolutely be notified. Demetrius had to remove it at the right time. Right before whatever plan he would come up with and leave it somewhere that his father would believe he would stay for a while.

And then, he'd have to find a way to lose whoever would be monitoring him without them realizing he had left, leaving them to think he was where the tracker was.

Oh, ****.

Dread washed over him once more, sinking tiredly into him with one more thing to think about.

Did Damian have a tracker, too?

Demetrius clenched his teeth again while his fisted grip tightened on his fork that he held upside-down in his food like he had been quietly stabbing at it. Which he had.

Everything was falling apart. Every avenue he searched came to a dead end.

After breakfast as the boys were being guided to the car, despair settled heavily on his shoulders as he struggled over and over to think of something. Anything. He only had a couple days and then Anya would be gone. It was likely he and Damian would never see her again and he couldn't tell him because then his little brother would be even more of a mess than he was right now.

Demetrius needed the perfect plan and he had to do it right the first time because he wouldn't have a second chance.

His father cared about his public image, but he had leverage now and would find some way to explain away any disturbance that might be caused if he had to use force on his sons.

There wouldn't be another chance. The Desmonds only had some modicum of freedom because they were stuck. Because Donovan did care of his image and of what kind of attention they got, but he would lock them up if he had to, under even heavier surveillance, and the public may have questions, but Donovan would undoubtedly come up with some flawless story or excuse. He might even say his kid's were mentally ill if his agents had to physically subdue them in public, because while his father wanted his family to seem "perfect", his plans came first. Demetrius wouldn't put it past him.

Or maybe he would just announce that the boys had been kidnapped. Yeah. Probably that.

Actually, that was worse. No one would wonder at the physical violence used on the Desmond boys—if the agents had to use it—if the public thought the agents were regular kidnappers.

By the time Demetrius had reached his class, he was more exhausted than he thought he had ever been in his life. Somehow this was worse than before.

Before, he was resigned. He had accepted that he'd never get out and it had only been him. Damian had been safe. Demetrius hadn't had to protect Anya. Knowing that two very young lives depended heavily on him when he wasn't sure he could do anything, scared and exhausted him more than he thought possible.