A FRACTURE IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS ✓

JOSH

"I wish our meeting had been under circumstances," Brendon said, tapping the barrel of his glock to his chin. "But I'm honored nonetheless to begin the presence of someone so... extraordinary."

"Ty, you need to leave," Josh said weakly, trying to push him away. Tyler was swaying, struggling to keep his eyes open. He held himself up with only his arms; his legs were limp on either side of Josh's waist. "Baby, you gotta go. He's not here for me."

"Josh, I can't," he gasped, pressing two fingers to his neck. "I can't- I can't feel my legs-"

Brendon picked up the same pipe from beside the now-unconscious Officer Smith and swung down against Tyler's back. He must've known he was behind him, but was unrelenting as he planted himself above Josh, gritting his teeth.

Tyler was protecting him, even though it was evident he was who Brendon was here for. "Ah..." he whimpered softly, his arms giving way from a moment before he picked himself back up.

Brendon laughed. "You're stronger than I thought."

"It's going to be okay," Josh whispered. He managed to turn on his walkie with his bad arm, ignoring the twinges of pain as he moved his shoulder. "Back up, we need back up!"

"Dun, what's going on?" Brad asked. "Josh? Tyler? Someone fucking answer me or I'll-"

The feed cut off, and Josh let out a dry groan. He slid his good arm down to Tyler's holster, grabbing his gun with a blood slick hand. Brendon tilted his head to the side, smiling amusingly, and fired, hitting his hip this time. The air left his lungs and he strained to suck in a breath.

"You don't want to get your other friends killed too, do you?" He asked.

His vision went black temporarily, but he forced himself to stay conscious, pointing blindly and firing. Tyler made a choking sound as another solid thunk made its home on the right side of his head, and Josh felt more than saw his weight collapse on top of him. He immediately wrapped his arms around Tyler, locking his hands behind his back.

"If you want Tyler, you're going to have to pry him out of my dead hands," he growled, his bravado dissipating as quickly as the energy from his body.

Brendon's came into focus, hovering near his face with a wicked grin. Josh's whole body convulsed, partially from the pure evil radiating from the killer standing above him. Brendon's foot came down on his hip, pressing hard where the bullet hit home.

"Nothing would make me happier than to watch the life drain from you," he said, kneeling. He flicked a switchblade out, slicing the back of Josh's hand open. "But you're not my concern."

Josh, trying to keep his grip on Tyler, gritted his teeth. Brendon made a small noise of surprise and traced the blade across Josh's other hand. He kept holding on.

"Just let him go already," Brendon scowled, jamming the knife into Josh's collarbone.

This time, he had to let go, the pain becoming too unbearable. For good measure, Brendon kicked Josh's chin, his head bursting with white blasts of pain. Ringing took over his hearing, and Josh struggled to breath.

Brendon grabbed his wrists, and Josh felt him take the handcuffs from his waistband and attach them to the piping in the walls.

He was helpless do anything as he watched through fading vision Brendon pull Tyler off of him and drag his unconscious body away. Josh was bleeding too much, his whole body seemed to be turned into stone, and his sight was blurry. Somehow, he managed to aim and fire in the directions Brendon left in, hoping he hit his target.

Barely conscious, he pressed the alarm button of his walkie, his body finally giving up the ghost. Josh's vision went in and out focus, his adrenaline pouring out of him like his blood on the concrete.

The blurry figure of Brendon disappeared with Tyler into the shadows. Officer Smith assigned to them sat up a couple minutes later, cradling his head.

"What the hell just happened?" He asked, right before Josh's eyes rolled into the back of his head.

He wished he'd dreamed, but he knew if he had, all he would see was Tyler being dragged away and Brendon's grin of psychotic glee.

Josh came to in a hospital room, his entire left side painfully numb. He grunted as he tried to sit up, his head spinning as he did so. A full cast covered his whole arm up to his shoulder, and both of his hands were wrapped in bandages. Wires and tubes connected him to an IV and machines.

Jenna has pulled up a chair to the foot of the bed, arms acting as a pillow for her head. She snored slightly, mumbling in her sleep.

Brad and Dallon sat in plastic chairs against the wall, both staring sleepily at half-eaten plates of Olive Garden takeout. Josh could hear Mark talking in the hallways. Sarah was asleep on the floor, propped up against the wall with a suit jacket draped over her like a blanket.

"Is that pasta?"

Brad looked up and smiled stiffly. "You look like crap," He whispered, his voice hoarse. He looked like he'd been crying.

"You sound like crap, Heaton," Josh shot back, lying down.

He shifted to get more comfortable and Jenna's head shot up, hands scrambling for purchase.

"Tyler?" She gasped, her chest heaving. Her eyes landed on Josh, and she settled down, quickly composing herself.

Josh's heart stopped as memories of the mission flooded back. "Nah, it's just me, Black. Sorry."

"You're awake." Jenna stood up. "How're you feeling? You took quite a beating."

"Hungry. Did you bring me spaghetti?"

She pointed at the takeout bag beside Sarah. "We have breadsticks and everything."

"Hmm. Maybe I should get the shit kicked out of me more often. What about Tyler? Did you find him?"

Jenna's face fell, and she exchanged a look with Brad, who stared at the floor. Josh gingerly touched the back of his neck, seeing the ring of bruises around his wrists.

"He- he has him?"

"I'm sorry,," Brad said, not meeting his eyes. "But they were both gone long before we made it to you."

A mix of anxiety shot through him, but Josh stayed still. He took a deep breath.

"Are you looking for him?"

Dallon pulled out a thick tan file from his bag, tossing it to Jenna. His face was red, and he had his fists and jaw clenched. "I put on a BOLO on all of his known cell numbers, credit cards, and license plates. Nicole Row from Counter-Terrorsim is putting all of the video feed in the Los Angeles and Sacramento I have access through a facial recognition software I designed to track him and Tyler down. This fucker so much as coughs in public, I will know about it."

"You're going to be here for a while, so get comfortable," Jenna said, patting Josh's leg. "We'll keep you updated."

She straightened her suit jacket and walked to the side of the bed, kissing Josh's forehead. Brad followed her out, leaving Sarah asleep on the floor and Dallon flipping through the channels of Josh's hospital TV.