Five Beautiful Boys

Frank Explains

Gerard paled and his breathing hitched as a thousand and one thoughts raced through his mind without any of them waiting long enough to be spoken out loud. Confused and scared, he merely continued to stare; occasionally turning is eyes between the photo of Mikey and the man who had taken him. Slowly, anger replaced shock and his breathing became loud and shallow as his jaw clenched along with his fists.

"If you're thinking what I think you are," Iero warned, "remember I have a gun on you."
Gerard's eyes closed as he took in the words and he released his anger in a frustrated sigh.
"How...? Why...?" Gerard stammered. "He's... how did you...?"
"Pull it together, Way!" Frank snapped harshly. "We need you to behave normally from now on. Business as usual. Got that?"
Gerard forcefully calmed himself. There were so many questions he needed to ask and the only way he would get answers would be by Iero's rules.
"Why Mikey?"
Frank rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"How else could we force you?"
"But... this meeting... you wouldn't normally be speaking to me. It would be..."
"The manager?" Frank smiled slyly, feeling the corners of his mouth turn up once more as he again sensed the power he exerted over the dumbstruck assistant manager. "He had... an accident. Not entirely coincidental."
"You nearly killed him!" Gerard gasped.
Frank's expression hardened.
"He got off lightly," he narrowed his eyes as he leaned forward menacingly. "Do as you're told and you and your brother will live."
Gerard inhaled deeply as he took in the words. Glancing at the photograph, he nodded bleakly, unable now to even look Iero in the eyes.
"I'll be in touch," Frank snatched the photo from Gerard's hands and shoved it back into his briefcase with the gun as he rose from his seat. "Remember, Way, we have your brother, and of course, we know where you live. Do as you're told and you'll both live."
"Wait!" Gerard cried as Frank rose from his seat. "What do I do?"
"Nothing until you're told to," Frank growled, "understand? You wait to hear from me again and you give nothing away to anyone. If you do, you know what'll happen to your brother."
"Don't hurt him," Gerard pleaded.
"That's up to you, isn't it?" Frank replied with a smirk.

This had gone better than he had hoped for. His information had told him that Gerard and his brother, Mikey, were close, but Gerard's reaction had more than confirmed this. He seemed genuinely terrified. It was exactly what he wanted. The only possible drawback was that he wouldn't be able to pretend that everything was normal. Questions couldn't be asked. Frank decided he would have to keep a very close watch on him.

"Business as usual, Way," Frank warned as he reached the door. "I'm having you watched, so don't try anything heroic or Mikey'll pay for it. Got it?"

Gerard stared at the mountain of paperwork in the cabinet behind his desk, at the screen full of e-mails building up as each minute passed. None of it was important any more. Not one single damn thing in that room was important! He wanted to scream, to push his desk over, to pick up his computer and throw it out the window. This job, this damn job that he had always hated was now instrumental in his brother's life being threatened. But he could do nothing, say nothing, he could only act as if everything were perfectly normal. It was going to kill him.

*

The room was lit just well enough to see. With no natural light and little ventilation, the basement room was musty and warm.From the years of dust gathered in the corners and the boxes piles up against the walls, it seemed as though it had never been used for anything other than storage. Today was no different, but the room now held something it had probably never had before – a hostage.
Mikey opened his eyes slowly, but only his left eye cooperated. The slightest of movements in his eyes or cheek caused an explosion of pain and he quickly closed them again. He felt the cloth pulled tight behind his neck and the heavily knotted section sunk deep into his mouth, drying his tongue and making him feel nauseous. It wasn't long before he realised that both his hands and bare feet were handcuffed and whatever he was lying on offered little comfort. The flashback from only a few hours earlier flooded his mind.