And Then There Were Nine-Nine

Part 6: Just 2 Guyz

Charles and Holt slowly went down the stairs and sat on the sofa in the living room. Just two guys who knew that they had no future. Just two guys who had nothing left to do but wait for death to come take them away. The only thing that kept them fighting was the hope that they would see their family and their friends again. Unfortunately, that hope was barely there. Why would someone kidnap all of them just to release them afterwards? Freedom was an impossible wish, but there was nothing wrong with wishing. 

They knew that they were being watched like lab rats, the criminal laughing at their panic, at their sadness, at their pain. How could someone be so evil? The two detectives felt as though they were in a horror movie, where the only thing you can hope for is a happy ending. Sadly, those happy endings are rare. After all, what would be the point of a story if the ending were joyful? 

A tear went down Charles' cheek as he thought of Nikolaj. His son who was waiting for him to come home. The young boy had no idea that he would never see his father again. Charles realized that he had taken his whole life for granted. He had an amazing wife, child, extended family and work family. What more could he have asked for? He had so many years of joy in his life, but now he only had a few days to finally appreciate it. All of those beautiful things were being taken away from him. 

Holt stared at the empty wall across from him as he thought about what he had done with his life. He had worked so hard to become captain, that he never took the chance to think about anything else. He spent his whole life proving to others that being black and gay did not mean that he was inferior to anyone else, so that he could achieve his dream of becoming captain and helping his community. Although he knew that all that work was worth it, he wished that he had done more. He wished that he could have learned how to appreciate life and not be so focused on all the details. He had spent his whole life trying to make a better world for himself and for others, and when he finally achieved it, his beautiful life was taken away before he had time to see how truly extraordinary it was. He had an amazing husband who made the simple things in life more exciting, and he had an amazing squad that always brightened up his day. Nevertheless, he had never really told those people how much they meant to him.

The fog outside covered the buildings far away, making it impossible to see them. This was a sign: They were never going to go back home. All the realizations they had made during this trip had come too late. If the next few days were all Holt had left, he wanted to make the best of them.

"Teach me how to cook something." Holt suddenly said, startling Charles.

"Really? The last time I taught you how to make food, it did no go very well..." Charles replied.

"I am more open-minded now. I'll do anything to stop thinking about what's going on in our lives." Holt responded.

"Okay... Oh! What if we made a pie?" Charles said, excited.

"Sure. As long as you don't yell at me if I do something wrong." Holt said, getting up from the sofa.

"I'll try my best!" Charles responded.

During the next few hours, the two detectives worked on the pie. "Charles was right." Holt thought to himself. Cooking really does clear your mind.

"You know." Charles started. "We should call this island The Lonely Island, because every day, as the squad disappears, we get more lonely."

"I think you're right." Captain Holt replied. Somehow, that name seemed familiar.

He felt so great, finally letting himself enjoy the things that were out of his comfort zone. Holt realized that Charles was actually a pretty great guy. Suddenly, the mansion felt a little less lonely.

That evening, the detectives went up the staircase leading to the bedrooms in silence. The next day, they would wake up, and one of them would be gone while one of them would be alone in this mansion, left with the terrible thoughts going through their mind. They said goodnight to each other, certain that it would be the last time.

3 AM

Charles was abruptly awakened by a crackling noise. Quickly, the awful sound was replaced by a voice. "Hello, Charles Boyle." It started.

When Charles received the message from the recording, he quietly left his room. He hoped that he would be reunited with Jake, and then his beautiful family. As he walked by Holt's room, he was taken over by immense sadness. He felt horrible abandoning the man who had cared for him and the rest of the squad for so many years. However, he knew he had to go. When he finally reached the doorway leading outside, he took a deep breath before walking outside. After a few steps into the dark night, he discovered a boat at the shore and walked towards it, following the instructions given to him. When his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he started to make out a figure sitting in the small boat...

When Holt woke up the next morning, he knew that he was the last one standing. Although it seemed as though he had "won", he felt miserable and scared. None of his police training could have prepared him for this. He was all alone. And then there was one.