As Jonah pushed against the animal bust the doors around them burst open, the male pushing the couch with his leg around to hide Jonah and his efforts. He turned and lifted his gun, eyes ablaze with anxiety and a pit forming in the center of his stomach. "This cannot be happening." He muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing as he watched the first guy step inside and freeze at the mere sight of the male. Unable to speak as his mouth opened and closed, similar to a fish out of water. He shifts on his feet and puts a bullet between the mans eyes as Jonah flinched from the sound, still pushing on the bust. Though closer to having it moved out of the way of the door, the young boy lifted his head over the back of the couch as another agent stepped inside with their gun trained on the other man.
"It doesn't need to go this way." She said, adjusting the side of her uniform with her gun unwavering. "You can come with us quietly and they can go live in peace."
"In peace until you squeeze the rest of the life from this town." The male replied, Jonah lowering his head slowly and continuing to push against the heavy animal head. He could see brief light flickering under the door, urging him to move faster. Chris' heart raced from behind the basement door, an unknown guilt welling up in his belly like a plague. The only thing he could think of was losing him, like he lost Jill. He tightly closed his eyes and pushed against the basement door. After a few tries it pushed open, only for the two of them to find Jonah in the clutches of the male's father. The two men were staring each other down as Jonah's father felt his heart drop to his stomach. "Let him go."
"Then come with me."
"I will, but you have to let him go and leave this place alone." His eyes were narrowed down on his father as he circled him in a cat-like fashion, eyes never leaving his form. His father threw Jonah towards the ground and the male dove to break the fall. A gunshot briefly filling the air as the two bodies collided and fell to the ground. Chris' eyes widened with horror as Jonah's father raced up and into the room.
"Jonah!"
"Collect him." The man said, turning swiftly on his heel. Three men came up from behind Jonah's father and hooked their arms around him to hold him back.
"Jonah!" The young boy began to slowly stir as Chris ran forward to check on him, having several men rush him and drag him backwards with a swift kick to his abdomen.
"No!" His eyes widened as the little boy got up and turned to face his father, unharmed. Both men's eyes traveled to the lingering pool of blood beginning to seep into Jonah's pants knees. The woman from before stood over the little boy, looking down on him like an owl with its prey. "Leave that boy alone.." Chris called out.
"Move." She ordered, seeing the little boy lift his head to look at her scared. Her eyes narrow and she lifts her hand to smack him aside, almost making contact when her wrist is grabbed. The male previously laying on the ground now lay propped up on his right elbow, woman's wrist in his left hand.
"Don't you touch him." His eyes were narrowed, vision blurring rapidly as he forced himself up to his feet. He could faintly see Jonah cower behind him, body leaned pressed against the couch as he watched them both. "Your problem is with me, not any of them."
"I'll take you in and kill these men." She spoke, lifting her chin with pride.
"And you think that makes you better than what your mother was?" The woman's entire being shook to its core as she looked at him with horror. "What about your little girl? Don't want mommy being scary now, do you?" His vision began to clear as he lifted his arms, grappling onto her as she yelled out.
"Let me go!" He took her to the floor and pressed his hand tightly over her neck, watching her struggle and gasp under his hand.
"Don't you want to go home?" He asked, seeing the utter horror in her eyes. They softened once she realized the pressure wasn't enough to cut off the circulation of blood, nor stop her from breathing. "I don't want to kill you. I don't even like killing people. I. Want. To. Go. Home." He spoke, staring down into her eyes like an animal. "And you're in my way."
"I want to go home..." Her voice softened as she stared up at him.
"Don't you, though? But you can't. Neither can I. Because we're in each others way." The woman reached up and tried to wrap her own hands around his throat, the other men letting the guys go as they cautiously stalked towards the man and woman. "Sorry, but that trick doesn't work on someone who isn't alive." He lifted her slightly and slammed his head against hers, knocking her unconscious. There was a pain searing in his head, but he ignored it as he lifted himself up once again to face off with the others. "And what do you people want?"
"To be free." One of them muttered, lowering their hood. "I can't go home because he won't let us. I haven't seen my mom in three years because he's been hunting you down."
"I don't see why that's my problem. Why don't you just kill him?" The male crossed his arms over his chest and the male shook his head.
"It's not that simple, you of all people should know that's true."
"Just run away from him then. Use now to leave." He turned at the sound of footsteps entering the home again, turning to make eye contact with his father.
"I won't let that happen."
"Why not? You have what you want! Leave these poor people alone!" He turned fully towards him, eyes narrowing more as he stalked towards his father. "Is the father who raised me not in that thick head of yours!" His eyes sharped more as he stopped mere feet away. "Can't you see what you're doing? This is crazy, literally fucking crazy. You are insane!"
"No child, you simply cannot fathom my plans. I'm doing this for us." He grabbed the male by his shoulders. "For you. Everything I have been doing I have done for you. Because I want you to have everything you want."
"This isn't what I want." He answered, seeing conflict in his father's eyes as he let him go. He turned away from his son and considered his words carefully before turning to him once again.
"You have no idea what you want."
"Not a clue. But this? I don't want this. I don't want people suffering over some fuck head plan to take over the world." He saw the pain flash in his father's eyes as the man recoiled, hands clutching tightly to his head. "What's wrong with you?"
"Go."
"W-What?"
"Go! Get out of here!"
"What's happening?!" He snapped, holding his father by the shoulders carefully. He is shoved off and backwards, stumbling backwards into a sharp corner.
"I can't..." His eyes flash with color as he falls to his knees. "I'm not..."
"Let me help you."
"Leave."
"Dad?" His eyes softened as he tried to step forward, flinching backwards when his father leapt at him. This caused him to fall backwards onto the ground.
"I said leave!"
He scrambled backwards to his feet and stumbled towards the door, running outside without sparing the family a second. He felt the cold air hitting his face as he ran, right hand hovering over the injury on his side while the crimson leaked out from between his fingers. Landing into the snow as he tripped and fell, rolling down the side of the hill. His body landed against the tree, causing him to gasp out with audible pain. He felt himself weakly trying to lift himself back up before collapsing into the snow. He could feel brief pain as the skin and muscles pulled themselves together, gasping out as the blood slowly stopped seeping into the snow. He felt pain searing the rest of his body, burning hotter than lava as he used the tree to stand up. He looked around himself as he felt the cold air bite at his skin, water logged clothes freezing to his skin as he began stumbling through the snow. The white clouds falling over his skin delicately, getting stuck in his eye lashes as he continued down the hill.
-
His father groaned as he held his head, the other people in the building scrambling to get away from him. Jonah's father grabbed the little boy and rushed down into the basement with Chris. Though he desperately wished to follow suit to find the male before his father, he also understood that he needed to get help before he could do anything else. The man slowly stood back up, adjusting the collar of his shirt as he turned on his heel and left the building. His eyes settling on the first drops of crimson red blood and following it carefully down the hillside.
