Before There Was You, There Was You

Chapter 66

“The people who have crippled you
You want to see them burn
The gates of life have closed on you
And now there's just no return
You're wishing that the hands of doom
Could take your mind away
And you don't care if you don't see again
The light of day”

~Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, by Black Sabbath


***

Justin walked into the old warehouse with a determined stride. His mind was calm, his breathing steady. Odd he thought. He should be frantic, scared, desperate… at the very least, apprehensive. But he was none of those things.

He was numb.

That alone should scare him.

He felt a sticky wetness oozing down from his forehead. He surmised it was a cut from one of the impacts. He hit his forehead several times on the steering wheel from his reckless driving. The roads were so bad that he had side swiped several cars, a pole, and a mailbox on the way over. His car was wrecked, but it made it here, that was all that mattered.

He wondered briefly if he had a concussion. That would surely explain his lack of fear. Or maybe, his inner voice said, it was just simply that he was tired of being afraid.

Truth was, he’d been looking over his shoulder for some time now. Brian knew it, he confronted Justin with that truth in the alley that night he told him what he and James had planned. His words now hung heavy in his mind….

“The Justin I know would never let a punk like that get away with hurting him. The Justin I know tells his father to go to Hell and walks out at seventeen years old because his father won’t accept him for who he is. The Justin I know faces bullies in schoolyards and stands and fights. The Justin I know fights for other people when he feels they’re being treated unfairly. So why is it when it’s YOU who have been treated badly, you don’t fight back? The courts failed us, and you quietly accepted it. You didn’t go to the DA demanding new charges be brought. You didn’t march on city hall with Deb and Mikey. You simply let him get away with it. Why?”

Why indeed. The simple answer was, fear. Fear of Hobbs and fear of his own hatred towards Hobbs. It was a lose-lose situation. On one hand, he was afraid of what Hobbs would do to him given the chance again, but on the other hand, and more frightening, was what HE would do to Hobbs, given the chance.

He spent the past two and a half years avoiding Hobbs for precisely that reason. Now, however, that option was gone, taken away by Hobbs himself.

Justin’s failure to confront Hobbs and his fears has resulted in one of his dearest friends being injured, or perhaps worse.

No more, Justin thought. Tonight, one way or the other, Justin would put his fears to rest.

It took a few seconds for Justin’s’ eyes to adjust to the dimly lit interior. There appeared to be a light of some kind coming from the far end.

He quickly scanned the room, looking for signs of Hobbs or another exit. The walls were planked wood, with gaping holes every three feet or so. A hoe, a spade, an old rusty chain and a sickle hung from a low beam. He looked up and saw the roof was half gone. It had stopped snowing, and the stars were shining bright.

He advanced cautiously toward the source of the light, which turned out to be a lantern that was sitting on top of a wooden barrel.

He walked over to it and put his hand over it. Extreme heat scorched his palm. He breathed a sigh of relief at the burning feeling. Good. It was confirmation that he could still feel.

He looked around again. No Emmett, no Hobbs.

He picked up an overturned stool he spotted and sat on it near the lantern with his back against the wall. His last encounter with Hobbs taught him never to turn his back on him.

He knew Chris would show up sooner or later. It was their fate.

He didn’t have to wait long.

Justin watched as the door to the warehouse slowly opened. Chris walked in with a cocky confidence that made Justin’s stomach churn. Even from this distance he could see the smirk on his evil face.

Justin never let his eyes leave Hobbs. He watched as he approached him, the smile never leaving his face.

“Well surprise, surprise. You actually showed up. Didn’t think a punk coward like you would have the guts. But here you are,” Chris taunted. He stepped forward, his eyes going to the dried blood on Justin’s forehead. He smiled. “A little worse for wear I see, but here nonetheless. What happened, another run in with a bat?”

Justin didn’t go for the bait. He tipped his stool back a bit and studied Chris.

Hobbs had no idea how much his actions had cost him and Brian, nor did he care. In fact, the look in Hobbs eyes told Justin that the only thing that Hobbs regretted was not killing Justin when he had the chance.

Somehow, that revelation was very liberating. It surprised him to know that deep inside, he’d been carrying around a small inkling of guilt over his role in his bashing.

Justin had been provoking Hobbs leading up to the attack. He taunted Chris on Liberty Avenue in front of his friends, flaunted his sexuality in his face, and even made him doubt his own sexuality in the gym supply room.

Funny how the victim blames themselves, he thought. And that was exactly what he had been doing all this time. But now, facing his attacker, he realized there was nothing he could have done to justify what Hobbs did to him. What Hobbs wanted to do, again, to him.

“Where’s Emmett?” Justin asked coolly.

“You’re really not in a position to ask questions now are you, fag?”

Justin got up slowly from his stool and approached him.

The movement startled Chris and he subconsciously stepped back. Justin wasn’t a seventeen year old kid anymore, he was a man, and upon closer inspection, bigger than he remembered.

Justin stopped in front of him, his eyes burned into Hobbs’. He leaned in closer and narrowed his eyes.

“It’s me you want, Hobbs, not Emmett. We both know that. But now that you have me, I wonder, do you want to kill me…or fuck me?”

***


 

Brian sucked his breath in at Justin’s words.

One day he swore Justin would learn to think before he acted! That fucking impulsive nature of his was going to get him hurt, or worse.

Brian had gotten to the warehouse just a few minutes ago. He parked the car three blocks away and walked, staying in the shadows. He spotted the hummer about a block away from the warehouse and surmised it was Hobbs, or one of his cronies. The motor was running.

He made his way to the back of the decrepit building and crouched by one of the broken windows. His heart calmed when he saw Justin sitting at the far end alone. He was tempted to make his presence known but knew Justin was the target, and he wouldn’t be any help to him if he made his presence known. So he waited and willed himself not to jump through the window and beat Hobbs with the tire iron he took from the Vette when he saw him enter the warehouse.

He watched Justin approach Hobbs, and then heard him taunt him.

Brian feared for him. Justin had years of pent up anger going on and he couldn’t afford to unleash it now, especially when they had yet to know where Emmett was.

“You fucking pathetic little prick! You’re lucky I don’t kill you right now!” Hobbs fumed, his fists clenched by his side.

“Try it,” Justin challenged.

Mother fucker! Brian was going to kill Justin himself if they got out of this alive! Chris was obviously not working alone. There was someone in that Hummer and Justin had to know this. He was letting his emotions rule his actions.

Chris took a step back from Justin. “When the time comes, you won’t be so arrogant. Of course, you can take a shot at me now if you want. But then, your fairy friend won’t see the light of day if you do.”

Brian watched as Justin reigned in his temper. Good. He needed to think smart, for Emmett’s sake. James should be here any minute.

The sound of snow crunching under boots, and gargled resistance brought Brian’s head around. He slipped around to the back so not to be seen. He heard the door to the warehouse as it opened and then closed again. He took up his position by the window once again.

It took all of Brian’s will power not to jump through that window and kill Hobbs and his pal when he saw the condition Emmett was in.

 

***

Justin gasped as he saw his friend being carted like an animal into the warehouse.

“Throw him over there by his lover,” Chris ordered.

Hal threw Emmett to the floor at Justin’s feet.

Justin knelt down beside him and cradled Emmett’s head in his lap.

His face was badly battered and bluish. His right eye was completely swollen shut. He was barely conscious.

‘Oh my God, what have I done…?’

“Ahhh, isn’t that touching?” Hal cackled.

Justin shot the man a deadly look. “You’re going to pay for this,” he said in a voice so threatening, the man stopped laughing.

“Be careful, Hal, Justin here has a death wish and we don’t want to rush it. Mac will be here soon enough. These two are going to be my present to him,” Chris said, as if Justin and Emmett weren’t even in the room.

“I say we kill them now. Fuck Mac,” Hal said.

Justin’s face went white, then red. He stood up and walked right over to Hal. “Word of advice…don’t fuck up. You’ll regret it,” he warned.

Hal spit in his face.

Justin lost it. He attacked Hal.

Chris pulled what looked like a hunting knife out of his jacket and went after Justin.

Brian sprang through the window, tire iron in hand and swung it at Chris hitting his arm. The knife went flying across the dirt floor.

The sound of bone cracking reverberated through the warehouse. Chris went down, grabbing his arm, screaming.

Brian then pulled Justin off of Hal and swung again, aiming low this time, smashing both of Hal’s knees.

“That’s for Emmett,” Brian said then spat on the screaming man who was lying in the dirt, holding his knees.

He turned to Justin and pulled him in and hugged him tight. He’d never been so frightened.

“Bri…” Justin croaked.

“Don’t,” Brian said. He was relieved, but furious with Justin. That was too fucking close. Flashes of Hobbs wielding that knife were painfully fresh in his brain. He was angry with Justin for putting himself in that position.

He released him and rushed over to Emmett and picked his head up. He was slipping in and out of consciousness. He looked really bad.

“Fuck,” Brian said.

“Em, come on, stay with me. James will be here soon,” he said, trying to keep Emmett conscious. He had no idea how bad his injuries were.

Justin stood by them, tears in his eyes.

Emmett opened his good eye and looked at Brian.

“Sorry,” he croaked out. Then he looked up at Justin, with apologetic eyes.

“Sorry’s bullshit,” Brian said.

Emmett tried to laugh but then panic fell over his face. His one good eye was fixated on something behind Brian.

“NOOOO…” he yelled in a voice so strong, Brian wondered where he got the strength.

He followed Emmett’s gaze.

His heart stopped.

Hal had a gun in his hand and was pointing it at Justin. Justin didn’t see him, he was looking at Emmett.

“JUSTIN!” Brian screamed then sprang to his feet and pushed Justin away with all his might.

A shot rang out.

Justin screamed as he watched Brian go down.

Hal lifted his gun again and pointed it at Justin.

“Ping. Ping.”

Two shots from a silencer whisked through the air and landed dead center in the middle of Hal’s forehead.

The gun fell from his hands as he went down. His lifeless body sprawled out on the dirt floor.

James walked over to where Chris laid, in shock, holding his arm. He pointed his silencer at him.

“No, please…” Chris begged.

James turned the gun around and slammed the butt into Chris’ head, rendering him unconscious.

He walked over to where Justin kneeled by Brian. He was covered in blood, trying to find where Brian was hit.

“Move!” he commanded, pushing Justin away roughly.

Justin went flying backwards from the force of James’s shove. He landed hard on his ass, but then quickly scrambled back to Brian’s side. He wisely held back from touching him as James inspected the damage.

“About time you fucking got here,” Brian rasped out. The burning in his side was unbearable.

James took his jacket off and removed his shirt. He then pressed it to Brian’s’ side.

“You promised me you wouldn’t make a move until I got here,” James said reproachfully.

“It’s my fault. I attacked Hal,” Justin said as he laid his hands over James’, applying pressure to Brian’s wound.

James looked over at Justin, compassion in his eyes. Justin was in shock. He was acting on autopilot. The hysterics, he was sure, would come later.

“Justin, just keep applying pressure. Help is on its way,” he instructed in a calm voice as he pulled his hands away.

Justin held the shirt tightly against Brian’s wound. His lips were moving slightly, but no words were coming out. James suspected he was praying.

“The bullet went straight through his side. Clean. I don’t know if it hit any vital organs, but I don’t think so. Not from this angle. I have a swat team on its way as we speak. Just keep applying pressure.”

“Check Em,” Brian said sweat breaking out on his forehead.

James nodded, and went over to Emmett. There was nothing more he could do for Brian.

“Stop fucking praying and snap the fuck out of it. I’m not going to die,” Brian said through gritted teeth.

Justin laughed, and then started crying. Hard.

“Don’t talk, please. Help is coming. Save your strength,” Justin said, through his tears. He was beyond frightened. He couldn’t think past keeping the pressure on Brian’s wound. The only thing that was keeping him from completely losing his fucking mind was the fact that Brian was angry, and voicing it.

It was a good sign.

What Justin didn’t know, was that Brain was trying to keep him calm by feigning anger. Truth was, he felt the blood draining from his body and he was getting weaker by the minute. His body was getting cold; a cold that he didn’t like. He didn’t want Justin freaking out, but he felt something was very wrong.

His head lolled back. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep it up.

“BRIAN!” Justin screamed.

Brian opened his eyes. “Sunshine…” he said.

His vision was getting cloudy. His mind was drifting; he could feel himself drifting off into unconsciousness.

He heard Justin’s voice in the distance, panicked and fearful. He wanted to hold him, to comfort him, but he couldn’t. He was slipping fast.

No, not yet… his mind rebelled. He opened his eyes and stared into his love’s tear filled ones. He smiled and then closed them again. His mind drifted back to the morning of Justin’s birthday…

“You’re it for me, Justin. You always have been. And always will be. The last face I’d like to see before I close my eyes for the last time is yours.” Brian’s voice cracked a bit with his emotion.

“Promise me that and I might let you celebrate another birthday.

“I promise…” Justin said.

‘He kept his promise’ he thought happily.

Justin’s face was the last thing he saw before he slipped away.

 

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