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Risk & Rescue

A JSE Fanfic

After missing last month’s chapter, we’re back with an extra-long part! Seriously, it’s 11k words, which is about twice as long as my usual. But it’s a big moment. Chase, Marvin, and the others are finally ready to rescue JJ and Schneep from Anti once and for all. They set up a plan, figure out where they’re being held for sure, and spring into action. But of course, Anti’s going to be an asshole about it. (Fair warning, there is a part where a past suicide attempt is implied, so stay safe.) Will they succeed? Or will things crash and burn? Read to find out.

You can find the other stories under the pw timeline tag!

Calling a second meeting was easy. Chase simply texted Marvin—still waiting at his house—to start another video call with Jackie and Jack in the hospital, with the explanation that they needed to talk about this in person. By the time they arrived back at Chase’s house, everything was up again. Though there had been a slight detour on the way back, as they had to drop Newson off at her house. Laurens had offered to let her join in the meeting, but Newson declined. She said, “I think my part in this adventure is done,” but really Chase thought she didn’t feel welcomed. Which was fair. Marvin would have chewed her out the moment he saw her.

Which left Chase, Laurens, and Mina. Chase parked his car on the street and the three of them headed inside the house. Marvin was waiting, pacing back and forth across the living room. The moment the front door opened, he spun around and said, “What happened?! Why were you gone so long?!”

Chase didn’t answer immediately. He glanced around his living room, finding it unchanged. Because of course it was. Nothing major happened in the time they were gone. But that phone call had really put him on edge. He walked over to the coffee table, checking the laptop. “Hey guys,” he said, waving at the screen.

“Hey Chase. Um, is everything alright?” Jackie asked. “You look...worried.” Jack nodded in agreement.

“I—I mean, yeah? I guess I am,” Chase muttered.

“What happened?” Marvin repeated, now directing this question specifically at Chase. When he didn’t get an immediate response, he turned to Mina and Laurens. “Well? Was your idea right?”

Mina closed the front door with a soft click. She didn’t say anything, looking shaken. So Laurens answered, “Well, yes. But also...something more.”

Chase sat down heavily on the sofa. “We...we found them.”

“What?!” The video call was momentarily overcome by motion blur as Jackie dropped the iPad on their end. “Shit. Sorry! Jack, can you—yeah. Thanks.” The video steadied. Jackie and Jack were a bit closer to the screen now, listening intently.

“I—you—how?” Marvin stammered. “I thought you were just going to talk to that doctor lady and check out a building or something.”

Mina and Laurens rejoined the group. Laurens sat down in a chair, but Mina continued standing, her face drawn and worried.

“Yeah, they...I think they’re there. In that building,” Chase said slowly. “Or at least, Anti is.”

There was a moment of silence as everyone processed this fact. Then Marvin said, “Well, what are we waiting for?! We said we were gonna call the police, right?! Let’s call them!”

“N-no, I...I don’t think we can,” Chase said quietly.

Marvin paused, taken aback by the unexpected response. “Um...what?”

Chase quickly explained what happened. How they talked with Newson, then realized the possible connection between Anti’s symbol and the ‘graffiti’ her brother used to complain about. How they checked out the apartment building he lived in before his death at Anti’s hands and found the symbol right there. And finally, how Chase almost called the police, but was stopped by a call from an unknown number that turned out to be Anti himself.

“He said he...would hurt them if we called them,” Chase finished, his voice quiet. “I...we can’t let that happen.”

Another moment of silence. This time, Jackie broke it. “He could have been bluffing. I mean, I don’t think he’d really want to hurt Jameson...like, physically.”

Marvin nodded. “Yeah, and besides, how will he know if we call the police? He’s not gonna know they’re coming for him until they’re outside the building, and by then it’ll be too late.”

“They are on the third floor,” Mina said. “That is long enough for him to see them outside and follow through on what he threatened. Especially since he has a camera in the stairs.”

“But what’s the point in hurting them at that point?” Marvin argued. “He might as well use that time to try and get out of there.”

“There would be enough time to see them coming, I don’t know if it’d be long enough to get away entirely,” Chase said. “And by then, he might just decide to...do it anyway. To prove a point. I mean...” He looked at the laptop. “Jackie. You remember what happened with you, right?”

Jackie nodded slowly, reaching up to rub his upper arm. The ‘WARNING’ cut into his skin had almost healed by now, but it was certainly going to leave a scar.

Marvin fell silent. Then he let out a frustrated grunt. “Well we can’t just leave them there! We know where they are! We’re so close!”

“I don’t like it either!” Chase burst out. “But I don’t want to get them killed or worse by trying to help! We don’t even know if they’re in there or if it’s just another hideout for him! That camera in the stairwell could be streaming to any location, maybe he’s not even there and when he sees the cops coming he doesn’t even have to try and escape! We—we can’t risk it!”

“I know, I know, but being stuck there isn’t any better for them!” Marvin countered. “If he’s willing to—to fucking punish you by hurting them, then who knows what he’s doing to them on his own!”

Chase stared at Marvin. Marvin stared right back. Neither said anything, knowing the other was right. Then, after a moment, Laurens cleared her throat. “Um...well, do you remember what you said when you brought up this investigation idea to me?”

Marvin looked at her. “Actually, no. What?”

“You said something like, we’re not going to break into anywhere,” Laurens said. “I mean...maybe you...reconsider that?”

Jackie burst out laughing. “Oh my god, Rya! I had no idea you were such a rebel!”

“W-w-well I mean—it’s not a good idea,” she stammered. “I’m just trying to say there has to be something else we can do.”

Chase nodded, slowly at first, then gaining speed. “Right. Right. I—heh, I mean, the whole reason we started investigating was because we wanted to finally do something. We can’t give up now.”

“Of course!” Marvin smacked his hand with his fist. “His only condition was us calling the police! What if we do it ourselves?”

Jackie abruptly stopped laughing. “Are you guys serious?”

“Wait, yeah, I-I didn’t mean it literally,” Laurens said. “I just meant—I wanted to be inspiring, you know? I didn’t mean we should actually try and get them out.”

“And why not?” Marvin asked. “We can’t let them stay there, but we can’t call the police. It’s the perfect solution!”

“I agree with Marvin,” Mina said. “We will get nowhere without some drastic action.” She pressed a hand to her side, where her wallet full of photos was hidden in her pocket.

“...Marvin.” Jackie pressed his lips together. “In case you haven’t noticed, I am in the hospital. I am here because I decided to search for Schneep on my own, found him, and then proceeded to get fucking kidnapped. Anti is dangerous.”

“I know. And I-I don’t mean to...undermine what you went through,” Marvin said softly. “But he’s still just one guy, right? There’s six of us—well, you two are in the hospital, but we still outnumber him four to one.”

“I...you’re not wrong, but...” Jackie shifted uncomfortably.

“I...” Jack spoke up for the first time. His voice cracked, so he stopped, then started again. “I think...you sh-should...do it. We h-have to...to...finisshh this.”

Chase took a deep breath. “Jack is right. This keeps going on and on and on. Anti kidnaps someone, we get someone back. Anti kidnaps someone, we get them back. We’re going in fucking circles, and we have to break out of it. The only way to do that—or, the only way that ends up good for everyone—is to get everyone away from him. A-and if we can’t call the police...we have to find some other way to do that. I know it’s dangerous, but...I think it’s worth it.”

After a moment, Jackie sighed. “I guess you’re right,” he said slowly. “I can’t...I can’t stand to think of what Hen is going through, stuck there again. And Jameson, too. Just because Anti likes him doesn’t mean he’s having a good time. I know that.”

Laurens reluctantly nodded. “Well...if we’re safe about it, a-and if we call the police right after we’re sure they’re safe, then...I guess it’ll be fine.”

Marvin nodded. “Okay. Good. Glad we’re doing this.” He paused. “Now we just need to figure out how we’re doing this.”

“To start, we need to know what flat it is,” Mina said. “We know it is third floor, but not the number. We cannot rescue them if we do not know where they are.”

“Or if they’re even there,” Chase muttered. “But how do we find that out? I mean, Anti has at least one camera in that building. And he knows all of us. Even you, Mina. So we can’t exactly scout out the area without him knowing something’s up.”

“Maybe we ask that...Newson lady again?” Marvin’s expression was sour at the thought of it, but he offered the suggestion up anyway.

“I guess we can try, but I doubt it’ll work,” Laurens said. “We were lucky she remembered that one random detail about the building. I don’t think she’ll have any clue which apartment Anti would be in.” She paused. “Though...maybe I could ask someone else for help.”

——————

Someone was knocking at the door. This had never happened before. Or if it had, it hadn’t happened during the moments Jameson was out of the bedroom. The someone at the door was very persistent, knocking every thirty seconds or so. Jameson kept staring towards it, eyes locked on the old wood of the door. He wanted so badly to run towards the door, throw it open, and beg for help from whoever was on the other side. There was just one thing stopping him.

The moment the knocking had started, Anti had run from the kitchen into the living room where Jameson was. In seconds, he’d grabbed Jameson’s arm in a vice-like grip, hissing, “Don’t you dare say anything.” In his other hand, he held a knife—not a kitchen knife, but not a pocket knife either. This one looked somewhat...professional, if that was the right word. Six inches long and sharp on both sides.

Jameson didn’t think Anti would stab him. But he wasn’t so sure about Anti stabbing Schneep. He could very clearly picture the sequence of events in his mind. Jameson screamed for help, Anti hurried to open the door and persuaded the stranger that everything was fine, perhaps saying that his younger brother had some sort of disorder—that sounded like an excuse that would come from his shitty attitude. Once the stranger was satisfied, Anti would lock the door again, head to the bedroom, and—

He didn’t want that to happen. So, for now, the two of them were sitting on the apartment’s sofa, with Anti holding Jameson’s arm tight enough to hurt. The knocking had gone on for a solid two minutes, and Anti kept getting more annoyed. “Persistent fucker,” he muttered.

Jameson glanced at him, then down at the knife. He wouldn’t kill some random person who came to the door, would he? No, that didn’t seem like a smart idea. Even with Anti’s temper, everything he did was ultimately calculated.

There was another series of knocking, and Anti suddenly shot to his feet. “Stay,” he ordered, and headed over to the door, holding the knife behind his back. He took out a key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and...opened it.

For a moment, Jameson wanted to run. It was agony to just sit there when he could make a break for it. But it wasn’t safe. Not for him, and not for Schneep.

The window of opportunity didn’t last long enough, anyway. Anti opened the door, briefly glanced over the man who was standing there, then snapped, “Fuck off already!” and slammed the door again, locking it immediately after.

Jameson slumped. He’d tried to catch the visitor’s eye, but the man had only looked at him for a split second right before the door slammed again. Not enough time to get a silent message across.

Anti waited, standing at the door. But there wasn’t any more knocking. He let out a breath of relief, then turned back to look at Jameson. “You actually didn’t move?” he said, surprised.

Jameson didn’t say anything back. He kept looking at him, hoping that he was conveying the appropriate answer of You have a knife and a hostage and are much stronger than me, what the fuck did you think would happen?

Anti laughed. The sound was surprisingly lighthearted. “Thanks,” he said, his voice softer. “Hey. What about having dessert tonight? For your friend, too.”

Was that a bribe? No. Wait. It was a reward. For doing the ‘good’ thing. Jameson balls his fists, bundling up the fabric of his pants. Still, he nodded. Once. Had to choose which battles to pick, and all that.

“Great.” Anti brightened. “Why don’t you go tell him?” Then he turned and headed back into the kitchen.

As he passed, Jameson glanced down, remembering which pocket he put the front door key in and trying to seal it in his memory. Choose which battles. He had to save his energy for the definitive one, his opportunity to get himself and Schneep out of there once and for all. Anti always put the key in the same pocket. Maybe that could be useful.

Later. This wasn’t that battle.

——————

Later that night, Laurens was sitting at home, trying to relax with a book, when her phone started to ring. Immediately she lunged across the sofa and scooped it up from the end table. “Hello?”

“Hey doc, it’s me.” The voice on the other end belonged to Oliver. “I just got back from checking out those flats you told me to.”

“Oh good.” Laurens didn’t dare relax. “Did everything go okay? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “And, more importantly, I saw that guy you were looking for.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah. Scars all over the left side of his face, one green eye that looked kinda fake. Hard to mistake him for anyone else. Even if I did only see him for, like, a second. He was in flat 309. I think the window had brown shutters.”

“And you’re okay?” Laurens asked again.

“Rya, I’m fine,” Oliver said seriously. “I know you said this was supposed to be dangerous, but nothing happened. I didn’t say anything to him, I doubt he even paid attention to what I looked like. Although...”

Laurens inhaled sharply. “‘Although’ what?”

“Well, there was one thing that happened. The flat door was only open for a second, like I said, but I think I saw some other guy inside. He looked a lot like...like Schneep.” Oliver paused. “I know you said to just trust you, and that this was to help find Schneep, but I gotta ask...are you trying to find him?”

Laurens paused. “Yeah,” she admitted, then hurriedly added, “But don’t call the police! I don’t want to distract them with things until we’re sure.”

“Alright, alright,” Oliver conceded. “Is there anything else I can do to help? I’m worried about the guy.”

“Thanks for the offer, Oliver, but—”

“Yeah, I know. It’s dangerous, and the less I know the better,” Oliver said, repeating the very thing she’d told him when first asking him for this favor. “But I’ll be on standby. Just call me, okay?”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks so much, Oliver.”

“No problem. Again, call me whenever.”

The call ended, and Laurens was immediately dialing another number. She had to tell the others they figured it out.

——————

Unfortunately, Jackie and Jack couldn’t make it this time. By the time the others were able to meet up that night—at Chase’s house for a third time—visiting hours at the hospital were over, and that apparently included video calls. Chase suggested they wait until tomorrow, but Marvin insisted they at least figure out a plan right now.

“Do I need to offer you guys, like, tea or something?” Chase said, looking around at the three others in his living room. “Since you keep showing up. Seems polite.”

“I’m fine, thanks,” Laurens said. Mina nodded. Marvin didn’t say anything, but he kept bouncing his leg while sitting, so clearly he was anxious to get on with it.

“Right. Okay then.” Chase cleared his throat. “So, doc. That guy you called managed to find them?”

“Oliver,” Marvin recalled. “I ran into him once. Good guy.”

“Are they in that building?” Mina asked, anxiously playing with the zipper on her jacket.

“Yeah. Room 309,” Laurens said. “A-Anti opened the door.”

“Is Oliver...okay?” Chase asked. “Did Anti think he was suspicious?”

“I don’t think so. Apparently he just opened the door long enough to tell him to go away. But, uh, Oliver did manage to catch a glimpse inside in that time, and he...he’s pretty sure he saw someone else in there. Someone who looked like Schneep.” Laurens goes quiet.

“That can be either of them,” Marvin said. “They look surprisingly alike. So at the very least, one of them is there now. JJ or Schneep.” He lets out a breath. “Okay. We gotta move quick, what if—what if he moves them?”

“I don’t think he’d do that,” Laurens said doubtfully.

“Still, just in case!”

“Marvin is right,” Mina jumped in. “We know what is happening now, we do not know what will happen in two days. Though, I will say, we should not move right in. If this Anti is as dangerous as everyone is saying—and I do not doubt he is—we would be out of our class in a fight.”

“We don’t have to fight,” Marvin pointed out. “I want to fucking kill Anti, but even if I could take him, we shouldn’t draw attention to ourselves. I also don’t want to go to jail for...I don’t know, whatever. Can they put you in jail for a beating? I feel like they can.”

“I think so?” Laurens said. “But that’s not really important right now. Do we need...do we need weapons?” She asked that last part in a hush.

Chase hesitated for a moment. “I...if we’re looking for something in case of a fight, I think I have something that can help. Wait a minute.” He turned around and disappeared down the hallway before anyone could ask him what he meant.

“Okay, so he’s getting that,” Marvin said. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea to walk up to the apartment and try to get in while Anti’s still in there. Those things aren’t exactly big, we’d definitely run into him.”

“So we need to get him out,” Mina said. “How do we do that?”

At that moment, Chase returned. He was now holding a black rectangular box made of metal. A safe box. Setting it down on the coffee table, he looked at the others nervously. “Okay, so...promise you won’t say anything?”

“What do you mean?” Marvin asked.

“I...nevermind. I’ll just show you.” Chase was also holding a small key. He slid it into the safe box’s lock and twisted it. For a second, he paused, taking a deep breath. Then he opened the box and turned it around so the others could see inside.

If he was hoping for a discreet reaction, he didn’t get it. Marvin immediately jumped to his feet and shouted, “Why the fuck do you have a gun?!”

“Marvin, shh!” Chase hushed him. “You’re loud, the neighbors could probably hear you.”

“What the fuck?” Mina gasped. “I thought that was illegal here! Did they change the laws?”

“No, they didn’t.” Laurens glanced up at Chase. “How...how’d you get that? And why?”

“Oh my god, next thing you know, you’re gonna say you bought it from the boutique.” Marvin rubbed the sides of his head like a headache was beginning to form. “Chase, I swear to god, if you knew that place was a smuggling front before I did and you said nothing—”

“No no no, I didn’t know about that,” Chase hurried to say. “I—I do have a license, you know. Haven’t used it in a couple years, and it’s probably only valid in the US—”

“American,” Mina muttered.

“—but it’s totally legal. I got the gun on a trip there, too, a bit before the kids were born. I—I got scared for a while there,” Chase said. “That something might happen to them, like, someone could break in or something. I realized pretty soon that owning a gun in this country would probably cause more trouble than it was worth, but not soon enough, because I was already back here and I didn’t want to risk getting it through the airport again and—i-it was a whole mess. So it’s just been...locked in a box.”

Though Marvin and Mina seemed to accept this explanation—more or less—Laurens stared at Chase, the gears working in her mind. Chase avoided looking at her. This wasn’t the time to talk about it. After a while, Laurens also came to that conclusion, and said nothing.

“Well I guess that’ll be a great line of defense!” Marvin said, throwing his hands in the air. “Now it’s even more important that nobody calls the police! Chase, I swear to god, you better get rid of this afterward.”

“Y-yeah, I was planning on doing that for a while,” Chase said. “I just...don’t know how.”

“Drop it off in a bag somewhere and call the police anonymously,” Mina suggested, half-jokingly.

“Do you think we could get Anti out of the apartment if we threaten to shoot him?” Marvin asked.

“No, that wouldn’t work,” Laurens answered immediately. “He’d probably shout something like ‘oh my god this guy has a gun!’ and we’d have to deal with that.”

“We need to keep it secret,” Mina said. “Only take it out if we need to fight Anti.”

“Okay. Yeah. Um.” Chase closed the safe box lid again, making sure the lock clicked. “Let’s put that away for now, a-and sit down and actually figure this out. We have to get to business.”

They discussed plans of action for two hours, throwing around ideas trying to get one that was guaranteed success. Ultimately, they couldn’t come up with a guarantee, but they had an idea that was pretty good. It still made Chase nervous to think about, though. Still, it was their best shot. And they couldn’t wait much longer. As Marvin pointed out, Anti could move JJ and Schneep somewhere else at any moment.

In the end, they decided to talk the plan over with Jackie and Jack tomorrow, early in the morning. The two of them could help refine it. Then, immediately after that, they’d go over to the apartment building and...actually attempt a rescue. It was insane to think about. But it didn’t feel like they had any other options. So tomorrow it would be. Tomorrow, they would get their friends back.

——————

The fateful day dawned cold, with a lid of gray clouds stretched over the sky. As soon as visiting hours at the hospital opened up, Chase drove around, picking up the others, and they all went over to talk to Jackie and Jack in person. Jackie was still uneasy about the idea of direct confrontation, but he agreed that their plan was probably their best shot. He and Jack gave their own suggestions, and the group quickly disbanded. They didn’t want to risk a doctor walking in and hearing what they were talking about.

From there, the group headed back to the apartment building. Chase gripped the steering wheel tight as he drove down the streets, eyes constantly glancing around, lingering on the spaces where someone might hide. For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Anti was watching them, even though there was no reason he would.

When they were about half a block away from the apartment building, Chase momentarily pulled to the side of the road, letting Laurens and Marvin climb out. “Okay, good luck,” he whispered. “Remember, he has to be out before—”

“We got it, Chase, don’t worry.” Marvin flashed a smile. He certainly seemed confident, which was more than could be said for Laurens, who looked more like she was jumping into the tiger exhibit at the zoo.

“Alright.” Chase let out a long breath. He turned around to face Mina, sitting in the passenger seat next to him. “You can still go with them, you know. O-or go back.”

Mina shook her head. “I know my part in this is not so big, but I need to be here.”

Chase nodded silently, understanding.

“We’ll meet you later,” Marvin said. “Good luck on your part.” Then he closed the car door, and he and Laurens headed off.

Chase pulled back onto the streets, slowly approaching the apartment building. Now here came one of the uncertain points in their plan. They needed to find the window for Room 309. Apparently it had brown shutters, but that wasn’t too descriptive. There was a chance there could be more than one window that fit that description.

As Chase drove past the building, Mina scanned the windows for brown shutters. She shook her head. “None of the ones in front have shutters, only curtains,” she said. Chase nodded, and turned at the next street corner, circling around the block so they could look at the back of the building.

The street behind the building was small, barely one lane. If they wanted to park here, they would completely block the road. Luckily, it didn’t seem like people came down here that often. The only sign that anyone had ever been here were piles of trash bags next to the occasional dumpster.

“Wait.” Mina tapped Chase’s arm. “I see one. Brown shutters on the third floor, yes?”

“Yeah,” Chase said.

“Right. Look up there.” Mina pointed, and Chase followed her gesture. There were two windows with brown shutters next to each other, right in the middle of what should be the third floor. “That pair must be part of one flat.”

Chase nodded, and parked the car. He took a deep breath. His stomach was doing backflips inside him, filled with nerves. Yet somehow, he still wasn’t as scared as he thought he would be. “Great. Let’s get started, then. Can you hand me the bearings?”

Mina nodded, and opened up the car’s glove compartment. Nestled among loose napkins and empty plastic bottles was a brown paper bag. She grabbed it and handed it to Chase. It made metallic clacking sounds as he took it. “You be careful. Try not to hit any other windows.”

“Ha. Well, luckily, my aim is slightly better than average,” Chase said with a faint grin. “Keep an eye out.” Then he opened the car door and stepped outside. Soon after he’d left, Mina awkwardly climbed over into the newly vacated driver’s seat. She then ducked so she was out of sight of the windows and grabbed a small bedsheet: gray, like the rest of the car’s interior. She carefully draped it over her, providing a rudimentary disguise that would stand up at a distance, if not up close. And she waited.

Chase stood on the cracked asphalt outside, looking upwards. He picked out the windows that Mina had pointed out. Indeed, they were the only ones on the back with brown shutters. But did that mean they were the right ones? They couldn’t drive around the sides of the apartment building since it was so close to its neighbors, what if there were ones there? He shook his head. No, this had to be right. If it wasn’t, they could check the sides later.

He reached into the bag and pulled out a small, metallic ball—one of many inside. Supposedly, these were ball bearings Mina had, but he wasn’t sure if that was the correct term for the one-inch diameter steel ball. Well, it didn’t matter. What mattered was they could be thrown.

Chase adjusted his grip on the ball. He looked up at the windows again. Raising his hand, he took a deep breath, aimed...and let it go.

——————

CRACK!

“What the fuck?!”

Jameson jumped, surprised both by the sudden sound and Anti’s reaction to it. Anti had dragged him out into the living room again, apparently wanting to ‘have a talk.’ But he hadn’t had the opportunity to say much before that sound interrupted him.

Anti glanced around, then looked back at Jameson. “Do you know what that was?”

Jameson shook his head. It sounded...sounded somewhat metallic, but not quite.

“Hmm.” Anti narrowed his eyes, giving Jameson a hard look. But Jameson’s confusion was just as real as his own. “Well. I guess it doesn’t matter. I wanted to—”

THUNK!

That one was a bit different. More solid, like stone. Anti stopped talking and immediately turned towards the sound. “It’s coming from here,” he muttered, vaguely indicating the back of the room. “Be quiet for a minute.”

Jameson folded his arms. What, exactly, was Anti expecting him to do that wouldn’t be quiet? Scream? Why? He knew Anti wouldn’t react well to that, so there was no real reason to.

CRACK!

Anti walked towards the back of the room for a few steps, then stopped. “What is it?” he said under his breath, more to himself than anything. “There was that guy at the door yesterday...and now this. Is it him?”

That was a good point. After weeks passing without much changing, there had been an interruption in the routine yesterday, and now one today as well. Maybe they were connected? If they were...was this the opportunity he’d been waiting for? Jameson felt a lightness rise up in his chest, but he put a lid on it. There was no guarantee. Still, he walked to the back of the room as well, stopping by Anti’s side. They waited.

Then...

CRASH! The sound of glass breaking filled the room. The closed wooden shutters jolted, the way something does when it was just hit by something small moving at great speeds. Jameson immediately ran to the window and threw them open.

Broken glass fell to the floor with a clatter, accompanied by a small metal ball. There was a hole in the window now. Just about an inch big. Jameson glanced outside, first looking at the sky and then directing his attention down to the street below. A car was parked there. And standing outside the car was a man wearing a jacket and snapback cap. Jameson’s eyes widened.

“What are you doing?!” Anti grabbed the back of Jameson’s shirt and pulled him away from the window, shoving him to the side. “What if someone sees you?!” he hissed. “I swear, if you—” Then he glanced down at the street. And stopped. His face twisted into some harsh expression as he also recognized the man standing outside. “That little—” He slammed the shutters closed, then turned on Jameson. “Looks like I have to take care of something.”

Before Jameson could react, Anti grabbed his arm and dragged him across the room. He stopped outside the bedroom door, unlocked it, then pushed Jameson inside with enough force to knock him to the ground. “Stay,” Anti ordered shortly, then slammed the bedroom door closed again, locking it behind him. Jameson heard his footsteps retreat, then the apartment’s front door open and close.

“Um...Jamie?” Schneep was sitting on the side of the bed. He’d been asleep when Anti had pulled Jameson into the living room for a talk, but apparently the noise had woken him up. “What was all that?”

Jameson stood up, staggered for a moment, then regained his balance and immediately started signing. Chase is outside. I think he knows we’re here. Anti went outside, he’s going to confront him.

“Wha—Chase?! Chase Brody?” Schneep gaped. “Am I understanding that correctly?”

Jameson nodded, then turned back around to look at the closed bedroom door. He tried to turn the knob. But, as expected, nothing happened.

“How did he get here?! H-how does he know where we are?” Schneep gasped sharply. “Jameson? Is—is Anti going to kill him?”

That thought froze Jameson to his core. He shook his head vehemently. No, he wouldn’t, he signed, even though he didn’t know that for sure. Let’s not wonder how Chase got here for the moment. He’s here, let’s accept that and move on. If we can get out of this place, we can meet up with him, and finally escape.

“Get—get out?” Schneep asked hesitantly. “I—no. No, what if Anti finds us? What if he realizes what we were trying?” His breath rose and fell quickly, accompanied by a frantic look in his eyes. “What if—what would he do to you? I-I cannot—I cannot let—again—not—” He pressed his hand to his chest.

Jameson had been looking over the bedroom door, trying to figure out a way to open it, but when he noticed Schneep’s panic he stopped and walked over to the bed, stopping in front of Schneep. He knelt so they could be eye level. Henrik, I understand. It’s a risk. But we will never get a better chance to get out of here. I’m going to take it. And I’d like for you to come with me.

“I-I cannot walk,” Schneep said, gesturing down at his ankles still bound together. “I-I cannot—cannot leave.”

I will carry you if I have to, Jameson said, determined. We can escape, Henrik. We can leave Anti and all the pain he causes. We can see the others again. Please...please come with me.

Schneep was silent for a few seconds, breathing heavily. Then he nodded. “Yes. Yes, you are right. We cannot live like this.”

Jameson smiled. Thank you, Henrik. He gave the other man a quick, tight hug before turning to look back at the bedroom door. Now. How do we get this open?

——————

“Ow!”

“Shhh!”

Something had hit the back of Marvin’s head. He couldn’t see what it was in the darkness, but he assumed it was a mop. That’s what it felt like, and it would make sense given he and Laurens were hiding in a janitor’s closet. He made a face at Laurens’ hushing, but didn’t blame her. It would be very inconvenient for someone to find them now.

Laurens had her face pressed to the crack of the door, scanning the hallway. The closet was right next to the building’s only stairwell and across from the elevator; anyone on the upper floors who wanted to get down to the first would show up here eventually. Which made it an ideal place to hide.

Speaking of people passing by...

The door to the stairwell opened. Laurens tensed.

And an unmistakable figure in a green jacket passed by the closet. Anti. His scarred right half was visible as he walked by, the green-irised glass eye blind to the way the door was slightly ajar. He didn’t look happy. Laurens reached back and squeezed Marvin’s arm. He stiffened.

They waited for a few more moments, making sure that Anti was well past them before Laurens eased the door open and the two of them stepped out. Laurens turned back to Marvin and pointed at the stairwell. He nodded, and the two of them headed over, climbing upwards as quickly and quietly as possible.

——————

Chase hadn’t expected the ball bearing to go through the window. Apparently, though his aim was only slightly better than average, the force of his throw was stronger than he thought. But breaking the window turned out to be a stroke of luck. He watched the shutters open, and caught a glimpse of—Jameson. Unmistakably him, though with a few minor differences. He was wearing different clothes than his usual style, and Chase could’ve sworn his hair and mustache were shorter, for some reason? But it was definitely him. They had the right window.

And then Jameson disappeared from view, and another man appeared. Chase had never seen him before, but he knew this man was Anti from the scars on his face. He saw Anti scowl, then slam the shutters closed.

Chase swallowed nervously. Though he was prepared to play his part, the thought of actually coming face to face with a killer was terrifying—for obvious reasons. He reached inside his jacket and felt the grip hidden against his side. He glanced back at the car, with Mina still semi-hidden in the driver’s seat. It would be fine. Then, slowly, he set the bag of ball bearings down on the street next to him and stood up straight and tense, ready for action. It would be fine. He could do this.

——————

“We are getting nowhere this way,” Schneep said. “We need to try something else.”

Jameson gritted his teeth. He threw his weight against the bedroom door one more time, but just like his previous attempts, it didn’t budge. He’d hoped it was flimsier than it looked, a lot of internal doors were like that. But nope. That wasn’t the case this time. He stepped back, giving it one more look over. I should’ve tried to take the key from him, he lamented. I knew he had it on him.

“Let’s not think on that. We should—we should go fast. He could come back a-at any time.” Schneep looked pale at the thought of it. “Can we unscrew the hinges, maybe?”

With what? Jameson asked. We don’t have any tools.

“We do not need a tool, we simply need something that can get a grip on them,” Schneep figured.

In unison, the two of them scanned the room. There wasn’t much that looked useful. Clothes in the wardrobe, pillows and blankets on the bed. The only thing of note was a small table lamp on the dresser, which Anti had given them after about a week of ‘good behavior.’ Otherwise, the bedroom got pretty dark with its dim overhead light.

“What type of screws are they?” Schneep asked.

Jameson looked at the hinges. The cross-shaped kind. There’s not much room for something to get purchase, he said. Then he paused. And instead of looking at the hinges, he looked at the doorknob. But these are flathead, he noticed. With a wide...indent, or whatever. If we can find something flat but sturdy, we might be able to take the handle off.

Schneep pointed at the lamp. “That.” When Jameson just gave him a confused look, he pointed again, more emphatically. “Not the lamp itself. It has a plug, yes? What do the prongs look like?”

Uncertain, but desperate to give anything a try, Jameson walked over to the table lamp and pulled the plug out of the socket. Though it had the typical three-prong design of the area, it looked a bit cheap, with the prongs being thinner and flimsier than usual. In fact...maybe they would fit?

Jameson nodded to himself. He stood up, grabbed the whole lamp, and took it back over to the doorway. The plug prongs almost fit into the indent of the flathead screws. Almost. They were just a bit too big. But if he held the plug at an angle, the corners could catch. And if he carefully applied enough force to get it to move without slipping—

“Can I help?” Schneep asked.

It took a few seconds for Jameson to respond, as he kept trying to twist the screw. He could feel it giving, but the prongs jumped out after a few seconds every time. Sighing, he looked back at Schneep and nodded.

“Help me get over there, then,” Schneep said.

Jameson dropped the plug, went back to the bedside, and half-carried, half dragged Schneep over to the door. Once there, Schneep managed to find his footing. The cuffs on his legs didn’t stop him from standing, only walking. He looked at what Jameson was trying to do with the prongs and the screws, and he nodded. “Okay. You twist it, I will apply pressure so it does not slip.”

Got it, Jameson said, angling the prong back into the screw.

It took longer than either of them wanted. Even with one of them steadying it, the prongs still wanted to slip out of the indent. But after a few solid moments of work, they managed to unscrew both of the bolts holding the doorknob in place. It fell to the ground, metallic parts clattering, and a soft thunk noise indicated that the knob on the other side of the door fell to the ground as well. Jameson looked at Schneep and grinned triumphantly. Schneep returned the look. Here we go, Jameson signed, and pushed open the door.

It opened easily, and they were out of the bedroom. Jameson immediately bent over and picked Schneep up, carrying him with both arms, running towards the front door. It was also going to be locked, but if they could get out of there, they could figure out what to do now—

Knock knock knock.

Jameson froze. Schneep instinctively grabbed him as someone knocked on the door. They looked at each other, both thinking Anti had returned. But then...why would he knock?

Knock knock knock. “Hello?” a voice called, familiar to both of them.

Schneep inhaled sharply. “M-M-Marvin?” he whispered. Then called, more confidently, “Marvin?!”

“Schneep!” Marvin cried. “Oh my god, you’re really in there!”

Jameson melted with relief, almost dropping Schneep. He tightened his grip on him, and stumbled towards the front door.

“It’s him!” Another voice on the other side gasped. A woman’s.

“What the—Dr. Laurens, is that you?” Schneep asked.

“Yes, it’s me,” she said. “And Marvin. We, uh, we came here with Chase, we’re here to get you out.”

Schneep glanced at Jameson, uncertainty in his eyes. Jameson nodded. He heard them too.

“Is JJ there?” Marvin asked.

“He is right here,” Schneep said. Jameson made a small noise to testify to this fact, nothing more than a simple ‘ah!’ “He—he saw Chase outside, a-and we broke out of our room. Is it...is it true? Are you here to...to help us?” His voice cracked.

“Of course we are, Schneep,” Laurens reassured him. “It’s all going to be fine.”

“I’m going to pick the lock,” Marvin announced.

“What?!” Schneep gasped. “Since when can you do that?” Jameson also raised an eyebrow at this idea.

“I’ve been practicing ever since I got into Silver Hills to see you,” Marvin explained. “I mean, that place used keycards, but the idea of breaking in inspired me. I’m not too good, but this looks like an easy enough lock.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Schneep asked.

“Just stay tight,” Marvin said. A few metallic noises started to come from the front door’s handle. “And try not to distract me.”

“Right.” Schneep nodded. He looked at Jameson and smiled, a mixture of relief and excitement. With nothing else to do, he hugged him tight. Jameson, in turn, held him closer, while also letting him down to stand on his own two feet. He had to save his strength for carrying him out of here. They were so close. Almost out. Just a couple more minutes.

——————

Not much time passed before Chase heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He stiffened, and spun around towards the noise. And there...was Anti. Anti himself had just rounded the corner of the building and had his eyes fixed on Chase as he walked closer. Immediately, Chase felt all his muscles lock up. Though Anti wasn’t running at him, he was overcome by an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, like he was losing ground in a race against him.

Anti glanced around the street, taking note of how small and empty it was. He put his hands in the pockets of his green jacket, almost casually, and slowly got closer. Chase didn’t look away from him. He kept his hand inside his jacket, on the handle inside.

After what seemed like ages, Anti was standing only a few feet in front of him. He stopped walking. His mismatched eyes quickly flicked up, down, and up again. Then around the area once more. And finally, he asked, “What are you trying to do?”

“I-I-I...” Chase stammered, his throat suddenly closing up.

“I told you not to call the police.” Anti’s voice was steady.

“I didn’t!” Chase protested. “I—there are no police here, are they?”

“You’re right. There aren’t. I would have noticed them if there were. You know, most police are surprisingly bad at hiding. They always choose the same type of car.” Anti glanced at Chase’s car, but luckily, not long enough to notice Mina ducked beneath the windows. “And that’s not it. Not to mention there’s nowhere to hide here. Unless they’re in the dumpsters.” He chuckled.

Chase swallowed nervously. Not only was his throat closing up, it was also suddenly dry.

“So what are you trying to do? If you didn’t come here without any backup, what’s your plan?”

“I...I-I’m going to get my friends back,” Chase said weakly.

A smile twisted Anti’s face. “Really? All by yourself?” he asked condescendingly. His hand in his pocket shifted. “Are you brave, desperate, or just a fool?”

“I’m not...not any of those,” Chase said. “Im...armed.” His grip tightened on the handle inside his jacket as he pulled it out, revealing the hidden handgun. He pointed it directly at Anti. “So...so you’re going to cooperate. Or I’ll shoot you.”

For a split second, Anti looked surprised. But then it faded, and he nodded, like something had finally clicked into place in his mind. “You’ll shoot me,” he repeated.

“Yeah!” Chase said, trying not to glance around the street. If anyone walked up on them at this moment, the whole plan would be ruined. He didn’t have to stall for that long, but even a few minutes was a substantial amount of time to be face-to-face with a murderer and a kidnapper.

Anti tilted his head, completely unconcerned. “Will you, though?”

Chase didn’t say anything. He was afraid his voice would tremble in the same way his hands were shaking.

“How’d you get that, anyway?” Anti asked. “It couldn’t have been easy to order it from America, lie about your current address, then pick it up when going there for a video convention. Or, maybe it was. But how’d you get it into the country? Airports there are a mess for a reason.”

“I—i-it’s not important,” Chase stuttered. How did Anti manage to guess his method of getting the gun in the first place? All that he said about ordering it and picking it up during a video con...that was all true. How did he know that? Lucky guess?

Anti grinned. “You’re wondering how I figured it out, huh? It wasn’t too hard. No records online are completely hidden—especially when you’re a big shot content creator on the biggest online video platform in the world. Your whole life is a book, for those who want to find it. And I did want to find it, Chase. Call it curiosity. You’re friends with my brother, after all.”

“Shut up about JJ!” Chase shouted, steadying his aim. “You don’t get to talk about him! He hates you!”

Anti’s expression darkened. “No. He doesn’t. He can’t.”

Chase blinked. ‘He can’t’? What was that supposed to mean?

“You want to know something else I found, Chase?” Anti asked, taking a few steps forward. Chase jumped, but kept his aim steady and stood his ground. “Something strange I noticed. After you got back from that convention, you made a video thanking all your fans for their support. Then you went quiet for exactly one day. And once you came back online, you deleted that video. Strange, huh? Why would you do that? It was a really touching message.”

Chase’s eyes widened. How did he know about that?! He’d gone to great lengths to make sure all copies of the video had been erased, using every possible measure available from reporting any ones he saw to personally asking—nicely and not-so-nicely—anyone who reuploaded it to delete it.

“Nothing is deleted online forever, Chase,” Anti said, smiling. “But it’s weird, isn’t it? That you made a thank-you video directly after purchasing a gun.” He took a few more steps forward. “A really strange video. A few people thought you were quitting your video career.”

“D-don’t,” Chase said, his voice strangled.

“Don’t what? Don’t get closer? Or don’t say anything?” Smirking, Anti got closer. “You’re not going to shoot me for it. You were never planning on shooting anyone. Well...anyone else.” And he got closer. He walked right past Chase’s outstretched arms, holding the gun in shivering hands. “They were right, weren’t they? You were going to stop making videos. Though they didn’t guess the real reason.”

Chase’s vision grew blurry. It took him a few seconds to realize there were tears in his eyes. He screamed at his body to do something about this. He couldn’t let Anti say this. Speaking it out loud...It made it real.

“Poor Chase Brody. Running two YouTube channels while his best friend was in a coma.” Anti sighed exaggeratedly. “One of his friends disappeared in August, another in December, and just recently, one of the last two left without any warning. Not to mention the first year anniversary of your divorce was coming up. It was a terrible March, wasn’t it? Nobody would have blamed you. Which is why you thought about it. What made you change your mind? I doubt it was because you found your way. There would have been psychiatric records.” Anti leaned close. His face was inches from Chase’s own. “No. You were scared. You couldn’t quite go through with it. You never had the nerve, and you never will.” Anti’s voice was soft and quiet as he smiled. “Which is why I know you won’t shoot me now.”

Chase blinked. He couldn’t look away from Anti’s mismatched eyes.

A moment passed in silence. The wind howled.

“But I’m not the same,” Anti said. And his hand shot out and grabbed the gun in Chase’s hands.

“No!” Chase gasped. The gun almost slipped from his fingers, but he tightened his grip at the last moment, pulling it back towards him.

Anti scowled. “Coward,” he muttered, grabbing one of Chase’s wrists with his other hands. He twisted, trying to wrench it away.

“Shut up!” Chase pulled the gun back towards him. Anti pulled it back the other way. They struggled in a warped game of tug-of-war for a few seconds as they each tried to take the gun from the other. Then Chase stomped on one of Anti’s feet. He gasped, and his grip loosened. Chase jumped backwards.

But he wasn’t fast enough. Anti recovered quickly and leapt forward, catching the barrel of the gun in one hand and pushing it to point towards the sky. His other hand shot out and grabbed Chase’s throat, starting to squeeze. Chase immediately choked, his windpipe beginning to close in. He looked at Anti’s face and saw it devoid of emotion. In that moment, he couldn’t tell which eye was glass.

His own eyes darted around. There was nobody in the street. One hand uncoiled from the gun, instinctively reaching for his throat. Anti pulled the gun further out of his grip, and Chase barely managed to hold onto it by the tips of his fingers. But as Anti’s hold on his throat grew tighter, his energy started to fade. Little by little, the gun was slipping out of his grasp. Black shapes swam across his vision. Finally, he lost his grip, and the gun was in Anti’s hand—

Then the car’s driver side door opened. There was a flash of brown paper, and the loud sound of metal hitting something hard. Anti gasped, and let go of Chase’s throat.

Immediately, Chase staggered backward, almost falling. But a hand caught his arm and pulled him forward, shoving him through the open car door, across the driver’s seat and into the passenger’s. Mina dove in after him, slamming the car door shut. She unparked the car and hit the gas, sending them roaring down the street and into the distance.

It took Chase a moment to realize what happened. “Did you...hit him?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

Mina nodded curtly. “You left the bag of bearings on the ground, i-it was the only thing even a little heavy. Not much, but with enough force—are you okay?” She looked at him with concern clear in her face.

“Eyes on the road,” he rasped. “I’m...I’m fine. Just...sore.” He rubbed his neck. Honestly, the physical pain was a mere shadow compared to how shaken he felt. He...he’d never told anyone about any of the stuff with the gun...why he really bought it. Anti figuring it out, and taunting him with that knowledge...it left him feeling exposed. Like his mind had been read by a computer and his thoughts displayed on a monitor for all to see.

Mina nodded, and reluctantly looked away. “We are going to have to circle around the block, to make him think we left. I do not want to come back and see him waiting to shoot us.”

“Good idea,” Chase said, nodding. “How...how much of that did you hear?”

“How much of what?” Mina asked.

“We were...talking,” Chase said carefully.

“Oh. Then none. I just barely saw the edge of you two standing across from each other. Then he got closer, and lunged, and when he grabbed your neck I-I knew I had to do something—” Mina stopped, taking a deep breath. “You are sure you are okay?”

“Fine,” Chase repeated.

Mina nodded again. “I...We should go fast around the block. I hope the others are having better luck.”

——————

This was taking too long. Marvin was pretty sure his practice lockpicking had gone much better. But now that the stakes were high, his skills were slipping. Laurens hovered anxiously nearby, trying not to look directly at him so he didn’t get distracted. Unfortunately, her very presence was a distraction that he couldn’t currently get rid of. Occasionally, he could hear shuffling movement from the other side of the door. Schneep had gone silent, and Jameson hadn’t said anything to begin with. They must have known how important this was.

Click. Click. Click. Click. Clack.

Marvin inhaled sharply. His face was so close to the door that his nose was practically touching the wood, so he leaned back for this last step. Slowly—slowly—he turned the pins he’d brought, acting as a key for the lock. And there came the unmistakable thunk of a latch pulling back.

He wasted no time, grabbing the doorknob, pulling it outward, realizing he was in the way and standing up straight and walking to the side to allow a clear path, then finally flinging the door open.

The room beyond was nothing impressive. Kind of run-down actually. There was furniture, but Marvin didn’t spare the surroundings any more than a cursory glance. His attention was immediately caught by the pair standing just beyond the door. “JJ! Henrik!” he shouted, voice catching on a sob in his throat. “You—you’re—” He was too overwhelmed to form any words beyond that.

Jameson waved with one hand. The gesture was a bit awkward, but the tears welling in his eyes and relieved slump of his shoulders more than made up for it. Schneep also started crying immediately. “Marvin...?” he asked. His tone was uncertain but hopeful.

Marvin rushed forward and flung both his arms around the two of them. Silently, he squeezed them tight, shaking his head in disbelief. “I-I was...I was...so worried,” he choked out. ”I...I missed you.”

For a moment, the three of them just stood there, embracing each other and enjoying the feeling of seeing someone you loved after so long.

But then Laurens coughed awkwardly, and Marvin pulled away. “Uh, right,” he said, wiping his eyes.

“I’m sorry if I'm interrupting,” she said, “but, uh, opening the lock took a few minutes, a-and I don’t think Chase can distract Anti for too long.”

“Laurens!” Schneep said, smiling softly at her. “You came all the way here? You...you did not have to.”

“No, I did,” Laurens said firmly. “I-I needed to know you were alright. And Marvin needed a lookout while he concentrated on opening the door, so...”

“You are the best therapist,” Schneep laughed.

“Okay, but seriously, we should go,” Marvin said. At that moment, he glanced down. And frowned. “Um, Schneep? What’s that?” He pointed at the cuffs.

Anti did that, Jameson explained. For obvious reasons, he didn’t want us getting away.

“But...you don’t have anything,” Marvin said, confused.

Technically. But I couldn’t leave Henrik behind, could I? Jameson shook his head. It’s okay, I can carry him.

Marvin glanced at Schneep. “You’re okay with that?”

“Well we do not have much else choice, do we?” Schneep said, a bit dryly. “Now...” He glanced around the room, on edge once again. “...can we leave? Please?”

“Right.” Marvin nodded. “Let’s go.”

Jameson scooped Schneep up again and followed Marvin and Laurens out into the third floor hallway. He looked around as they hurried towards the stairwell. So this is what the building looked like outside of that little room. Somehow, it fit perfectly. Though, for a moment, he wondered if Anti really wanted to be in a place like this. Somehow, he doubted it. Anti had always wanted more.

They took the stairs a bit slower than they wanted to, as Jameson carrying Schneep meant he couldn’t quite see the steps beneath his feet. Laurens lent her arm as support, helping to steady him. But a couple minutes later, they left the stairwell behind and started down the next corridor.

As soon as they did, Marvin heard the distant sound of footsteps. He looked down the hall, which ended in a turn to the left, and saw a figure starting to turn the corner. A figure in a green jacket.

Marvin inhaled sharply. Thinking quickly, he glanced around to find the closet door they’d hidden in before. Once he saw it, he grabbed Jameson’s arm and Laurens’ hand and ran towards it, pulling open the door. Without explaining a thing, he shoved them inside before hiding there himself and shutting the door behind them.

The whole thing took about thirty seconds, and luckily, Anti had not been paying too much attention to the hallway. He seemed more concerned with something he was holding in his hands. But at the sound of the door closing, he glanced up, pausing.

“What was—” Laurens started to say.

Marvin shushed her, pointing over his shoulder at the closet door. “It’s him,” he whispered.

Though it was dark in the closet, Marvin could feel the others all tense up in unison. Someone—maybe Schneep—gasped before falling silent.

Anti scanned the hallway. Nobody was in sight. But doors did line the walls—it was an apartment building, after all. After a solid few seconds, he started walking again. Probably one of the neighbors. But that almost made it worse. Quickly, he hid the object he’d grabbed outside under his jacket, tucked in between his arm and torso. It would do no good for someone to catch him with a gun out in the open.

Marvin pressed his face to the gap in the door. It was really hard to see out of when the door wasn’t ajar, but he could make out light. And shadow. And they could all still hear the heavy footsteps slowly coming closer.

And closer.

Someone grabbed Marvin’s arm, and he barely bit back a surprised shout. He did jump, though, and someone else gasped.

A shadow passed in front of the light from the gap. The footsteps stalled right outside the door.

But for only a split second. They continued quickly. The door to the stairwell opened and closed. All traces of the footsteps faded away.

As soon as he was sure Anti was gone, Marvin opened the door. Glancing back, he was a bit surprised to see Jameson had been the one to grab him, almost dropping Schneep in the process. But honestly, Marvin didn’t blame him. He was as pale as a lost ghost, shaking with dread at the thought of this long-awaited escape attempt being foiled. Schneep didn’t look much better, clutching tightly to Jameson. And Laurens was in the same boat, long-forgotten shadows haunting her face as she held her arm where it had once broken.

Marvin made eye contact with each of them. “Fucking. Run.”

Instantly, every single one of them bolted.

Anti would know that something was off as soon as he got upstairs and noticed his door unlocked. He might take a moment to glance around the inside, but it wasn’t a big apartment, and it would be obvious what happened to Jameson and Schneep. Then he would go searching for them.

So they ran. Down the hallway in a dead sprint, only slowing for a moment to turn the corners, then picking up speed again once it straightened out. They burst out of the building’s front doors, out onto the empty street. Wind had picked up, giving the already cold winter air a sharper chill. The gray clouds overhead hung oppressively low.

Laurens glanced left and right, taking in the complete lack of anyone outside. “Where the hell are they?!”

“No time!” Marvin said. “Go go go go!”

They turned left and started running down the street. But as they did, Schneep glanced back, looking for any sign of Anti pursuing them. Instead, he shrieked, “Wait wait wait! Behind us! Car!”

Marvin looked back as well, and saw Chase’s car turning onto the street. “Nevermind, other way!” he shouted, and in almost comical unison, they all skidded to a halt and spun around, heading back the other way.

The car picked up speed the moment it saw them. Quickly, the distance closed, and the car pulled to the side of the street just as the group arrived to meet it. Laurens opened the back door. “Inside!” she said, gesturing. Marvin pushed Jameson a little to help him and Schneep get inside quickly, then hopped in himself. Laurens got in last, and the car peeled away before she had even fully closed the door.

They drove past the front entrance to the apartment building just as Anti slammed through the double doors, an expression of absolute fury on his face. “Duck!” shouted a voice from the passenger seat—Chase. The others saw Anti raise something in his hands and aim it. A gun. Then they all ducked.

But the shot they were anticipating never came. Instead, Anti continued to aim, following the car as it turned the opposite corner. And even after it had disappeared from sight, he kept the gun pointing in that direction, lowering it a solid minute after the car was long gone.

——————

The car ride was silent for a good while after they fled the apartment building. As they planned, they took unexpected, random twists and turns, just in case. Only once they were on the completely opposite side of the city—which took about ten minutes—did someone speak up.

“Okay...now we call the police,” Laurens breathed.

Marvin burst out laughing. He doubled over, hitting his head on the back of the car seat in front of him. His shoulders shook with the uncontrollable mirth created by utter relief.

“Yeah, I-I can do that now, if we want,” Chase said, pulling out his phone. “Though...I mean, what do I say? Just tell them where the location is? Say that we went there knowing how dangerous it was? Definitely shouldn’t mention how there are four of you in the three-person backseat of my car, none of you wearing seatbelts, haha.” He chuckled a bit, turning around to look at the others. But the laughter faded quickly, turning into soft crying as tears fell down his face.

Jameson, previously looking out the window, turned around and leaned forward. Chase? He asked, using his name sign of ‘C-friend.’ Are you okay?

“Am I okay? Am I okay?! Am I—” Chase shook his head, but kept his eyes fixed on Jameson and Schneep. “I-I can’t believe you two are here. That we...we actually did it. A-and you’re safe, a-and you’re not hurt—I m-mean, I mean relatively—a-a-and I just—I j-just...” He shook his head again. “You’re...you’re here.”

After a moment, Jameson smiled. Yes. We’re here. All thanks to you guys. Thank you so, so much. I...I can hardly believe it. It’s finally over. He turned to look at Schneep, smiling. But Schneep wasn’t looking at him. Or at Chase. Is everything alright, Henrik?

“Um.” Schneep pointed at the driver’s seat. “What the fuck?”

Mina glanced back at him, giving him a small smile. “H-hallo, Schneep.”

Schneep stared at her. He blinked. Then he slapped himself.

“Schneep!” Laurens sat up straight. “Don’t—”

“This is a dream. This is a fucking dream, there is no way you are all here, and her?” Schneep muttered, shaking his head. He raised his hand to slap himself again, but Laurens’s hand darted out and grabbed his wrist before he could.

“It’s not a dream,” she said gently. “Mina is here. She helped us make the plan.”

“Hah. I-I-I—” Schneep glanced around the crowded car again. He twitched a bit, flinching as if expecting a blow to come that never did. His other hand started scratching his neck. “It just—seems unbelievable.”

“I know. But...try using something else,” Laurens suggested. “Do you remember what else you can do?”

Schneep went quiet for a moment. Then he nodded slowly. He leaned back against the car seat and crossed his arms: right hand on left upper arm, and left doing the same on right. Pulling his arms in, he muttered something under his breath. “Einhundert, dreiundneunzig...sechsundachtzig...neunundsiebzig...”

Mina shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and turned her eyes back to the road. “We...can talk more later, yes? Back at the house.”

Schneep didn’t stop mumbling, but he did nod.

Meanwhile, Marvin had stopped laughing. There was a hard light in his eyes, and he dug his phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to call nine nine nine on that fucker,” he said.

Oh, please do, Jameson said.

Chase grinned, though there were still tears in his eyes. “Y-yeah...we should do that now. And...and I’ll call Detective Nix once we get back home, too, so he knows what really went on.”

Marvin gave him a thumbs-up, then started dialing. “We’re gonna take him down. Once and for all.”

Though Chase, Laurens, and Mina all made sounds of agreement, Jameson hesitated. He rested a reassuring hand on Schneep’s shoulder and looked out the car window again. He knew Anti wouldn’t go down that easily. He’d probably started packing up the moment they got away, in anticipation of a police raid of some sort.

But for now...for now, he was out. Jameson and Schneep had finally left that apartment behind. And for once in over a year, Anti no longer had a hostage or any other form of leverage. He had no power over them.

The battle was won. The war would continue, but this was a decisive victory. It should be enjoyed.

And finally, JJ smiled.

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