This is a series. Start here. Previous chapter here.
We’re finally meeting the rest of the team! I’ve never been one for sicfics but…I can feel one coming on. I’m gonna do it my way ;)
The front door slammed against the wall as Finn nearly kicked it open. Vera jumped and crossed the room in three strides, throwing her arms around them. “Finn. Thank god.” Ellis was right behind them. She turned to them and pulled them into her arms. “How you two holding up? You ok?”
“Yeah.” Finn’s voice was low and grave. “Yeah, we’re fine. Glad you’re ok.”
Gray poked their head in from the other room at the sound of voices and heaved a sigh of relief, crossing to them. “Oh thank god.” They put a hand on each of the others’ shoulders, their gaze flicking between them. “We were worried we lost you, too.”
“So…how’s Sam? They ok?” Ellis shuffled anxiously, their hands in their pockets.
“Yeah,” said Finn, twisting their hands together. “I need to go check them out. They doing ok?” No one would meet their gaze. They pressed their lips into a line. “…as expected?”
Gray nodded. “They’re in the bedroom. Asleep, finally. They’ve been through…”
A grave silence fell on the team. Finn ran a hand over their face, stress etching deep lines around their eyes. “Ok. I’ll let them sleep for a bit. I want to take a look at them as soon as they wake up. I want a good idea of what I’m dealing with, what…Gavin…did to them.”
Ellis ground their teeth, hate seething out of their eyes. “I can’t believe he took Isaac. I cannot…fucking believe he took Isaac.” They leaned their elbows on the counter, hands pulling through their hair. They turned their eyes to Vera and Gray, desperate. “How did this happen?”
Gray did their best to keep their voice steady. “While Gavin was…when he had Sam, he forced them to swallow a tracker. He told them it was poison. Sounds like some mind game because he told them he’d give them the antidote if they gave up more information about us.” Finn paled. “We’d only been here for a few hours when Gavin called Isaac and demanded he give Sam back. Sounds like he…” Gray swallowed their disgust. “…he wanted Sam back because they were…fun.”
“Son of a bitch,” Ellis whispered.
“Isaac said he would go in their place. He sacrificed himself. I don’t know what Gavin threatened. It must have been something terrible for Isaac to have gone to him.”
“Isaac’s never been one to avoid pain for our sake,” interjected Vera. “It doesn’t matter what Gavin threatened. Isaac knew he would take Sam back.”
Gray pushed out a slow breath. “You’re right.” They looked around at the team and saw they all wore the same horrified expression. “Isaac took the car and went up to the main road to meet Gavin.”
“We saw it as we came in.” Finn had their arms hugged tight to their chest.
“After that, we figured Gavin headed east if you almost ran into his people coming from where you were staged. It gives us a good starting point to start going after Isaac.”
“Is that the plan now?” Ellis looked from Gray to Vera and back. “Going after Isaac?”
Vera spoke up. “The tracker Gavin placed is still in Sam. We don’t go anywhere until it’s out of their system.”
“And then after that, yes, the plan is to go after Isaac,” Gray finished.
Finn nodded. “Well, you know I’m in. But we have nothing to go on. Where do we even start?”
Gray was staring at the floor. “We start with ‘east.’ It’s the only think we have to go on for now.” They raised their eyes to the group.
“What about Sam?” Finn’s voice was low. “Can they travel? How badly hurt are they? Can they walk? What do they remember about being with Gavin?”
“I remember everything.” The team jumped at Sam’s voice and all turned to see them leaning against the wall, pale and trembling.
Finn rushed to their side, their hands on them in an instant. Feeling for injuries. “Hey, Sam. Hey buddy. You doing ok? You need to sit down?”
“No, no, I…” They swayed on their feet. “I’m ok…”
“No, you’re not.” Finn’s voice became gentle and steady. “Let’s get you to the couch.”
“I’m…fine…” A thin sheen of sweat appeared on Sam’s face from their effort to stay standing.
“No, you’re not. Couch. Now.” Finn grasped Sam under one arm and began to guide them to the couch. Sam sank into it. Finn knelt in front of them, brushing sweaty hair away from their forehead. “You’ve got a little bit of a temperature.”
Sam shook their head, whimpering. “No… No I’m ok… I have to be ok… We have to get Isaac…” They bit down on their lip. Gray and Vera appeared over the back of the couch, and Ellis took a seat beside Sam. “We have to focus on Isaac.”
“We don’t have to focus on anything but you right now,” Finn insisted gently. “Until that tracker’s out of you, we can’t do anything for him. Right now I need to make sure you’re going to be ok.”
Tears of shame ran down Sam’s face. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I tried to make him stay…” They looked back at Gray and Vera. “I tried to wake you…” They sobbed weakly.
Ellis jerked their hands towards Sam and then pulled back, uncertain how to touch them.
“We know you did, sweetheart.” Vera’s voice cracked. “We know. But don’t focus on that right now, ok? Focus on getting better. Focus on the next steps.” She squeezed Sam’s shoulders over the back of the couch.
Sam took a hiccoughing inhale and coughed wetly. They gasped as their chest heaved with each spasm. Finn looked worriedly at Gray. “Waterboarding,” they whispered. Finn looked back to Sam, eyes wide with concern.
“Sam.” They rubbed their back in soothing circles as Sam took deep, shuddering breaths. “Can you tell me what Gavin did to you? Or do you want to go back to bed?”
“I can tell you,” Sam said miserably, folding in on themselves. “I’ll tell you everything.”
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