I Can Hear Your Strength (A Heartstopper FanFic -- BOOK 3)

16. Something

The knife in Nick's hand fell limply to his side. He was still very aware of the blood dripping down Charlie's cheek. But the man standing in the doorway, sweating and pale, did not look as surprised to see Nick and Charlie as they were to see him.

"Sir?" Nick gasped. What the fuck? Of all the people Nick had imagined might come to save them, their form tutor had not even crossed his mind. Why would he?

Nick looked at Charlie and saw his own shock reflected back. But at Nick's look, Charlie gave a small shake of his head. No. Don't trust him.

Nick swallowed. Charlie was right. Why exactly was Mr Lange here?

"What on earth is going on?" Felicity demanded. Finally, she stepped away from Charlie and faced Mr Lange head-on.

"Y-you called for my assistance," said Mr Lange, his eyes darting between Felicity and his own feet. "I — I got here as quickly as I could, but it's so far and there was traffic —"

"Shut up, you stupid man," Felicity spat. "I told you to come here, meaning to this building. Not to waltz right down here. It's a good job I was here or else the chickens would undoubtedly gotten out under your negligence."

"I'm sorry, Felicity. There was no one about and so I —"

She fixed him with such a glare that it stopped his blundering in its tracks. For a fraction of a second, Mr Lange's eyes flicked up and met Nick's. Nick watched the man take in his sorry appearance, saw him take in his torn, bloody jeans. Mr Lange turned paler still. It looked like he was going to be sick.

"I thought I made it clear when I recruited you, Mr Lange, exactly what Vincent meant when he told us to feed the chickens."

"R-revenge," stuttered Mr Lange. "He said he wanted revenge on... on those who wronged him."

"Wronged him?" Felicity was perhaps half Mr Lange's height, yet he still cowered before her. "These chickens — these boys — are the reason Vince and the rest of my family have been locked away. The reason Vince will only get to father his child from behind a screen."

The remaining colour drained from Mr Lange's face and he froze. He swallowed. "You're — you're right. I'm sorry for interrupting. I'll just — I'll just wait upstairs."

Felicity watched, unmoving as Mr Lange turned to leave. He reached for the door handle — and paused. He turned back, gaze still cast downwards. "You're not going to hurt them too badly, are you?" He chanced a glance up and met Charlie's eye this time — and saw the bruises and the blood.

"Sir," Charlie gasped. "Please... help us..."

Felicity huffed a dramatic sigh. "You were aware of the cost when you agreed to help us, Mr Lange. Now get out."

Mr Lange turned once again, dragged the heavy metal door closed behind him and took his glimmer of hope with him.

Tommy's grip around Nick had not loosened the whole time. Nick watched as Alf reaffirmed his grip on Charlie — who was still caught in shock, hanging limply in his captor's arms. Nick didn't know what was worse, watching him struggle or watching him freeze.

Felicity stood there, pure, genuine anger written in the tension of her slight frame. For a moment there she had lost control. And that infuriated her.

Nick swallowed. He wondered how long he had been shivering. The heat from the man behind him was doing little to thaw his own bone-deep chill.

And then Felicity moved. Slow, casual, she pocketed her knife — the knife spotted with Charlie's blood — then took out something else, something Nick could not see. She studied the item in her hands for a second, her back to them, before she turned around and Nick saw what it was.