Detective

Chapter 12

The van skidded to a stop, the tires screeching across the gravel road.

Jason was suddenly alert, and moved to the far corner of the van, his arms wrapped around his brother's waist protectively.

"W-what's happening?" Tim mumbled. He had been in and out of conciseness for the past few minutes, and can barely part his droopy eyes.

"We're stopping," Jason whispered to his brother, glancing around the van nervously. "Try to stay awake."

Tim nodded and took in a shaky breath. "I-I don't know how long I can do this," he wheezed. "I-it hurts so much..."

Jason held his brother closer, fear making him shake and guilt overriding his emotions until he felt nauseous and the need to throw up. "It's ok. It'll be over soon." he lied, but sometimes someone has to lie to themselves more than others in order for it to come true.

Heavy footsteps crunched on the gravel outside. The sound of them got louder and louder until they stopped outside the van's back doors.

Jason held his breath as the doors were slowly but harshly opened with a loud squeak. A man dressed in black met his gaze. Jason shivered and pressed himself as far back against the wall as he could. The man stepped into the van, his dark brown eyes dead.

Jason felt Tim's nails scratching into his thy, trying to stay still as his fear and instincts told him to run. As the man crouched down next to Jason, Jason shifted away, not wanting him to get too close.

Jason had a pain in his chest as fear began to take control of him. He didn't take his eyes off the man, he wouldn't even blink.

The man smiled sickly. "Boy, does the boss have some plans for you," He sneered. He crept closer until he was an inch away from Jason's red face. "I'd be surprised if any of you survive." The man grinned, and then stood.

He whistled loudly, and almost instantly three men entered the back of the van. The man in black nodded, and his followers began to approach Jason and Tim.

The first one pulled Tim from Jason's tired arms. "Don't touch him!" he screamed, being grabbed at by the other two men. "Let him go!"

The man carried Tim harshly out of the van. The two other men dragged Jason to his feet, and then pulled him out of the back.

The first thing Jason could smell was seawater and smoke. The clouds were dark and filled with polluted water, almost about to let the first drop fall.

Jason could feel tears entering his eyes as the men pulled him, yanking his hurt arm. They entered a big, shadowy building. Jason's breathing quickened as he was engulfed by the darkness, losing his sense of direction.

He could hear water dripping somewhere.

Something then scratched against the floor, and Jason was thrown into a cell, landing hard on the moist concrete floor. The doors screeched as they closed, and the men walked off.

"You can't leave me here!" he shouted, panicked. "Where is my brother? I swear to god, that if you touch him-."

Laughs came from the men.

"Trust us when we say that we don't need to touch your brother to hurt him." One of them said, their footsteps now fading.

Jason was left in suffocating silence.

The dripping seemed to grow louder, and louder as Jason listened as hard as he could for any sign of movement. He waited there quietly, hugging his knees to his chest, and swaying back and forth.

He thought that he was beginning to hear things, strange things.

A woman's voice entered his head. "Why don't you eat your greens, Jason." She said in a scratchy voice, almost as if she was dead. He was sure he was hallucinating.

He heard screaming. He wasn't sure if the screaming was real or not, but he thought he could feel it vibrate through the walls.

He was cold. So cold.

He couldn't think straight anymore, and he wondered if it was the loss of blood, or the fear and cold.

He pressed himself against the wall, and let his body slide down it until he was lying on the floor. He closed his eyes, letting the cold darkness take him.

He felt lost.

And he wasn't sure if he was ever going to find his way back.

***

Footsteps echoed through the prison, causing Tim's head to pound.

He tried to open his eyes, but he was too weak. He could feel his blood still flowing slowly from his knee, making him shudder.

He tried to speak. "J-Jaso-." He coughed dryly, scratching his throat. He could taste blood pooling in his mouth, and dripping from the sides of his lips.

He managed to move his shaking hand to his waist and saw fresh blood on it as he pulled it away.

He coughed. "Help..." he whimpered. "Please..."

He coughed more, his whole body shaking, and his chest hurting.

He was scared.

He wished he never looked into this in the first place. Jason must hate him for pulling him into this. He probably wishes that Tim was never born after all he has done.

Tim sniffed, beginning to tear up. What if Jason had left him here, all alone?

Tim tried to wipe the thoughts from his mind, knowing that his brother would never think or do such a thing. But the thoughts kept flowing in, breaking Tim down even more.

Leaving him close to broken.

He was too tired to cry. He couldn't feel or move multiple parts of his body, and his head was foggy.

He was scared. Really scared.

He was sure that he might die there, inside a cold, lonely cell, bleeding to death. 

He had never felt more alone in his life.

He tried to cry out one more time, but his voice caught in his throat. He tried to take in a breath, but all he sucked into his lungs was blood. He tried to cough it out, but it was choking him.

He could feel the numbness drawing closer and closer, until there was only darkness.

He felt his body go limp, almost everything starting to shut down as his body turned numb. He couldn't move nor see.

But he could hear.

As he listened more and more, everything else seemed to grow quiet.

Well, except for a water leak somewhere.

He could hear water droplets hitting the ground.

Drip, drip, drip.

Until he couldn't hear anything at all.