Frenemies [boyxboy]

Part Four

When James came to, he was free of his restraints, but now found himself locked in a concrete four-by-eight cell guarded by the person who had been water-boarding him. James' head was foggy and his lungs burned, but he was able to deduce that the guard was a henchwoman, not a man like he had originally thought.

"Good. You are awake." The woman spoke in a clipped tone of voice. "The boss wishes to speak to you again."

"How long...?" James coughed almost as soon as he started to talk.

"Not long. A few hours at most. Come." She unlocked the cell and hoisted James up effortlessly by his arm. He was in no condition to fight back.

She led him through the room. James realized the entire place was decked out as a full-on torture chamber. He shuddered to think of the things that had happened down there.

The woman led him up the stairs, through a secret doorway concealed with an automatic bookcase activated by a code.

James couldn't believe his eyes. He knew where he was.

"Morris Hasley kidnapped me?"

"I kidnapped you," the woman said. "It was painfully simple. No, Mr. Hasley simply hired me to do so."

James couldn't believe it. "Why?"

"That is why I summoned you here," Morris Hasley's voice broke in. James hadn't even noticed they had arrived at the man's office.

"Summoned me?" James raised an eyebrow, trying to ignore his pounding headache and sore chest.

"I knew as soon as you stepped foot into the main part of the house you would recognize it." Hasley smiled wickedly. James glared. "Now do you understand?"

"Sebastian wants nothing to do with you."

"Ah, but you know where he is." Hasley stood up from his desk. The woman still hadn't released James' arm.

"Like I would ever tell you. You're a monster! You don't deserve to be Sebastian's father, you never did!"

Hasley glared. "Is that so, boy?"

James held his ground. "Did you ever stop and think about why Sebastian ran away from home? Why you never heard from him again? Why he put so much effort into forging a new identity for himself?"

"He used his mother's maiden name, as if that would keep me from finding him." Hasley chuckled darkly. "And I already know why he did all of those things."

The woman backed away from the pair, walking out the door and locking it behind her. James knew that couldn't be good. Hasley opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out a gun, pointing it at James' chest. The detective's eyes widened and he held up his hands.

"You," Hasley snarled. "You took my son away from me!"

"Mr. Hasley..." James swallowed thickly. If his head hadn't hurt before, it sure as hell did now. "Come on, think about what you're doing."

"I have! For over twelve years, I've thought about this monent, but it never felt this good." Hasley's eyes glinted with anger and sick joy.

"Do you really think this will make everything better?" James took a step forward, but Hasley just cocked the pistol. "Do you really think if you kill me, it'll make any difference?"

"Sebastian will see sense!" Hasley shouted.

"Because you killed me?" James countered yet again. Hasley glared.

"Enough talking." He steadied the gun. "This ends now."

"NYPD, hands in the air!" Sebastian's voice yelled. The door crashed open, James' friends charging in.