Empty Spaces - Chapter Fourteen
May. 22nd, 2007 10:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
missmara13Title: Empty Spaces - Chapter Fourteen
Author: Mara
Rating: R
Warning: AU, some Violence and Language. Sex in later chapters (Not much worse than on the show)
Summary: Kirsten Nichols and her son Ryan have always been fine on their own, so have Sandy Cohen and his son Seth. But now everything's starting to change for both families, some of it for the better, some of it for the worse.
Notes: Was that a long enough wait? lol
Empty Spaces - Chapter Fourteen
5 days without any contact, not even ransom demands.
Kirsten felt sick every morning when she woke up and realized that Ryan was still missing. Sandy and Seth had practically moved into the mansion, as had Summer and Alex, all of them wanting to be close when news finally came.
Sandy was a lifesaver, holding her hand all day, making sure she ate and telling her to go to bed when it got late. Kirsten could almost hear Ryan laughing and telling her that Sandy's a keeper, she should marry him before one of the Newpsies tries to steal him.
Kirsten felt a shiver of fear run down her spin, and she knew, just knew, that there was something horribly wrong with Ryan.
~~~
"Wake the fuck up!"
Ryan jerked away as a hand smacked across his face, and he lifted his gaze to glare at Anthony. "Fuck off," he growled.
"Brave considering you're all tied up," Anthony replied. "And your little bodyguard isn't here," he added, grinning at the 'joke'.
"Fuck. Off," Ryan repeated, earning himself a punch to the stomach that knocked the air out of his lungs. Before he could recover, Anthony wrapped a dirty bandanna around his head as a makeshift gag.
"We're gonna make a nice little call," Anthony said, holding up Ryan's cellphone, which had 'mom' highlighted. He hit dial and put it on speaker.
"Ryan?" Kirsten's voice came, hesitant and scared.
"Not exactly," Anthony replied.
"Who is this?" Kirsten asked, her voice going hard.
"Put it on speaker and ask the son of a bitch you call 'dad'," Anthony said. "I'm sure he'll recognize my voice."
"Anthony, you let my grandson go right now," Caleb said, his voice almost shaking with rage.
"Uh... no," Anthony said. "But you can get the runner-up prize," he added, yanking the gag down so Ryan could talk. "Say hello, Ryan."
"Go to hell you fucking asshole," Ryan said instead, carefully enunciating each word.
Anthony backhanded him again. "Try again," he said.
"I'm okay," Ryan said, looking at the phone. "Mom, I'm okay, don't worry."
"Oh, baby," Kirsten said, relief clear in her voice.
"Caleb knows what I want in return," Anthony said, yanking the gag back up to muffle Ryan's voice. "And he has the account number. Once I know it's done, you'll see your 'baby' again."
"Why don't you just release the boy?" Detective Worth said.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Anthony said, laughing. "I will give you a gesture of goodwill, though. My partner, Andrew Miller? His real name is Trey Atwood, so Caleb can tell you why he's pissed, too." With that, he hung up the phone and smirked at Ryan. "Grandpa's just pissing off everybody, kiddo," he said.
"Fuck you," Ryan repeated, this time with it muffled by the gag.
~~~
Kirsten folded into Sandy's waiting arms as the phone call was disconnected. "Oh god..."
"What did he mean you know what he wants and the account number?" Malcolm asked Caleb.
"Anthony's been harassing me for the last few months about money owed to his family," Caleb said. "His father was a business partner of mine, but Tony was embezzling and I threatened to go to the police if he didn't sell me his half of The Newport Group for a fraction of what it was worth. Anthony's been trying to get me to pay his family what Tony's half was really worth."
"Why didn't you go to the cops?" Malcolm asked. "You could have prevented this!"
"I didn't think he'd go that far! Anthony was friends with Hailey growing up, I thought... I never thought he'd hurt Ryan..." Caleb said, sinking down to sit in a chair, his head in his hands.
"This isn't helping anyone, especially Ryan," Sandy said. "Just transfer the damn money so they'll let him go."
"It might not work out that easy," Malcolm said. "We know who both of them are, they might not be so eager to let go of the one thing they can use for leverage. No until they're away from Newport, anyway. But I think giving them the money will definitely make a difference."
"Do it," Kirsten said to her father. "Now, dad."
Caleb nodded, but got it. "The piece of paper with the account number is in my office," he said.
~~~
When Trey returned from getting some food and drinks, he found Ryan still gagged and slumped in the chair, woozy, while Anthony watched in amusement from across the room. "You're a real asshole, you know that?" Trey said to Anthony as he crouched down to remove the gag.
"He told them your real name," Ryan said the second the gag was clear.
"What?"
"I made the ransom call," Anthony said. "Needed a gesture of good will."
"So you told them my real name?!" Trey said, getting up.
"We'll be gone the second I've got confirmation of the money transfer, Trey," Anthony said. "Tijuana awaits us."
"And now he can tell them where we're going!" Trey replied.
"No, he won't," Anthony said, getting up as the phone rang, and answering it and putting it on speaker again. "Is my money transferred?" he asked.
"Yes," came Caleb's voice. "Now where is my grandson?"
Anthony picked a needle up from the table and looked it over. "You know, Caleb, my dad died because of what you did. And you took Trey's dad away from him. I think it's only fair that since we can't get our dads back, you shouldn't get your grandson back."
"What are you talking about?" Trey said. "That wasn't part of the plan! You said he wasn't gonna get hurt!"
"Grow up, Trey!" Anthony yelled. "Caleb fucked us over, it's time we fucked him over!"
"The Franklin Housing project on Wilder!" Trey yelled. "Apartment 27!"
~~~
The cops were writing down the address and racing out, Malcolm a step ahead of them, when the gunshot rang out over the line, along with Ryan's yell, followed closely by the sound of flesh hitting flesh, then silence.
"Any last words for Mommy?" Anthony's voice said coldly, and for a second there was only the sounds of Ryan's strangled sobs.
"I love you," Ryan finally said.
There was a clattering sound, then the sounds of struggling and yelling, and then, again, silence.
"Ryan!" Kirsten screamed, her legs giving out as they heard echoing footsteps walking away from the phone, along with harsh breathing.
"Mom..." Ryan whispered, his voice slurring.
~~~
Malcolm beat the cops to the project by seconds, and took off up the stairs to the second floor, then down the hall to the right apartment, finding the door wide up. He ran in, spotting Trey's body in the living room, surrounded by a pool of blood, but running right past him to the bedrooms. Ryan was in the second one, his head down against his chest and his eyes closed, completely still.
"Ryan?" Malcolm said, dropping to his knees and pressing a hand against Ryan's throat, feeling his chest constrict as he realized there was no pulse and the boy wasn't breathing. "Get an ambulance!" he yelled as he heard the cops entering. He yanked out his pocket knife, slicing through the ropes and pulling Ryan to lay him flat on the floor before he started CPR. "Come on, Ryan, come on," he pleaded.
A cop came in to join him, taking over the chest compressions so Malcolm could focus on mouth-to-mouth, still pleading in between breaths for Ryan to just take a breath on his own. "You can do this, kid," he said, catching sight of the used needles and feeling his chest constrict further as he mentally went over the drugs that could have been used and what their effects could be.
"Why would anyone do this to a kid?" Detective Worth asked from the doorway, his face pale.
"Because they're damn psychopaths," Malcolm replied through a clenched jaw. "Come on, Ryan," he said, relieved to hear the ambulance sirens screeching to a stop outside.
To Be Continued...
I almost ended it with Ryan saying "Mom...", and I actually wavered back and forth between which was the better ending: The soft and frightened "Mom..."? Or Malcolm doing CPR on a non-breathing Ryan? lol... I decided on the latter... don't worry, the next chapter is about half done, so it should be done within a week, no long waits on this one... lol
Author: Mara
Rating: R
Warning: AU, some Violence and Language. Sex in later chapters (Not much worse than on the show)
Summary: Kirsten Nichols and her son Ryan have always been fine on their own, so have Sandy Cohen and his son Seth. But now everything's starting to change for both families, some of it for the better, some of it for the worse.
Notes: Was that a long enough wait? lol
Empty Spaces - Chapter Fourteen
5 days without any contact, not even ransom demands.
Kirsten felt sick every morning when she woke up and realized that Ryan was still missing. Sandy and Seth had practically moved into the mansion, as had Summer and Alex, all of them wanting to be close when news finally came.
Sandy was a lifesaver, holding her hand all day, making sure she ate and telling her to go to bed when it got late. Kirsten could almost hear Ryan laughing and telling her that Sandy's a keeper, she should marry him before one of the Newpsies tries to steal him.
Kirsten felt a shiver of fear run down her spin, and she knew, just knew, that there was something horribly wrong with Ryan.
~~~
"Wake the fuck up!"
Ryan jerked away as a hand smacked across his face, and he lifted his gaze to glare at Anthony. "Fuck off," he growled.
"Brave considering you're all tied up," Anthony replied. "And your little bodyguard isn't here," he added, grinning at the 'joke'.
"Fuck. Off," Ryan repeated, earning himself a punch to the stomach that knocked the air out of his lungs. Before he could recover, Anthony wrapped a dirty bandanna around his head as a makeshift gag.
"We're gonna make a nice little call," Anthony said, holding up Ryan's cellphone, which had 'mom' highlighted. He hit dial and put it on speaker.
"Ryan?" Kirsten's voice came, hesitant and scared.
"Not exactly," Anthony replied.
"Who is this?" Kirsten asked, her voice going hard.
"Put it on speaker and ask the son of a bitch you call 'dad'," Anthony said. "I'm sure he'll recognize my voice."
"Anthony, you let my grandson go right now," Caleb said, his voice almost shaking with rage.
"Uh... no," Anthony said. "But you can get the runner-up prize," he added, yanking the gag down so Ryan could talk. "Say hello, Ryan."
"Go to hell you fucking asshole," Ryan said instead, carefully enunciating each word.
Anthony backhanded him again. "Try again," he said.
"I'm okay," Ryan said, looking at the phone. "Mom, I'm okay, don't worry."
"Oh, baby," Kirsten said, relief clear in her voice.
"Caleb knows what I want in return," Anthony said, yanking the gag back up to muffle Ryan's voice. "And he has the account number. Once I know it's done, you'll see your 'baby' again."
"Why don't you just release the boy?" Detective Worth said.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Anthony said, laughing. "I will give you a gesture of goodwill, though. My partner, Andrew Miller? His real name is Trey Atwood, so Caleb can tell you why he's pissed, too." With that, he hung up the phone and smirked at Ryan. "Grandpa's just pissing off everybody, kiddo," he said.
"Fuck you," Ryan repeated, this time with it muffled by the gag.
~~~
Kirsten folded into Sandy's waiting arms as the phone call was disconnected. "Oh god..."
"What did he mean you know what he wants and the account number?" Malcolm asked Caleb.
"Anthony's been harassing me for the last few months about money owed to his family," Caleb said. "His father was a business partner of mine, but Tony was embezzling and I threatened to go to the police if he didn't sell me his half of The Newport Group for a fraction of what it was worth. Anthony's been trying to get me to pay his family what Tony's half was really worth."
"Why didn't you go to the cops?" Malcolm asked. "You could have prevented this!"
"I didn't think he'd go that far! Anthony was friends with Hailey growing up, I thought... I never thought he'd hurt Ryan..." Caleb said, sinking down to sit in a chair, his head in his hands.
"This isn't helping anyone, especially Ryan," Sandy said. "Just transfer the damn money so they'll let him go."
"It might not work out that easy," Malcolm said. "We know who both of them are, they might not be so eager to let go of the one thing they can use for leverage. No until they're away from Newport, anyway. But I think giving them the money will definitely make a difference."
"Do it," Kirsten said to her father. "Now, dad."
Caleb nodded, but got it. "The piece of paper with the account number is in my office," he said.
~~~
When Trey returned from getting some food and drinks, he found Ryan still gagged and slumped in the chair, woozy, while Anthony watched in amusement from across the room. "You're a real asshole, you know that?" Trey said to Anthony as he crouched down to remove the gag.
"He told them your real name," Ryan said the second the gag was clear.
"What?"
"I made the ransom call," Anthony said. "Needed a gesture of good will."
"So you told them my real name?!" Trey said, getting up.
"We'll be gone the second I've got confirmation of the money transfer, Trey," Anthony said. "Tijuana awaits us."
"And now he can tell them where we're going!" Trey replied.
"No, he won't," Anthony said, getting up as the phone rang, and answering it and putting it on speaker again. "Is my money transferred?" he asked.
"Yes," came Caleb's voice. "Now where is my grandson?"
Anthony picked a needle up from the table and looked it over. "You know, Caleb, my dad died because of what you did. And you took Trey's dad away from him. I think it's only fair that since we can't get our dads back, you shouldn't get your grandson back."
"What are you talking about?" Trey said. "That wasn't part of the plan! You said he wasn't gonna get hurt!"
"Grow up, Trey!" Anthony yelled. "Caleb fucked us over, it's time we fucked him over!"
"The Franklin Housing project on Wilder!" Trey yelled. "Apartment 27!"
~~~
The cops were writing down the address and racing out, Malcolm a step ahead of them, when the gunshot rang out over the line, along with Ryan's yell, followed closely by the sound of flesh hitting flesh, then silence.
"Any last words for Mommy?" Anthony's voice said coldly, and for a second there was only the sounds of Ryan's strangled sobs.
"I love you," Ryan finally said.
There was a clattering sound, then the sounds of struggling and yelling, and then, again, silence.
"Ryan!" Kirsten screamed, her legs giving out as they heard echoing footsteps walking away from the phone, along with harsh breathing.
"Mom..." Ryan whispered, his voice slurring.
~~~
Malcolm beat the cops to the project by seconds, and took off up the stairs to the second floor, then down the hall to the right apartment, finding the door wide up. He ran in, spotting Trey's body in the living room, surrounded by a pool of blood, but running right past him to the bedrooms. Ryan was in the second one, his head down against his chest and his eyes closed, completely still.
"Ryan?" Malcolm said, dropping to his knees and pressing a hand against Ryan's throat, feeling his chest constrict as he realized there was no pulse and the boy wasn't breathing. "Get an ambulance!" he yelled as he heard the cops entering. He yanked out his pocket knife, slicing through the ropes and pulling Ryan to lay him flat on the floor before he started CPR. "Come on, Ryan, come on," he pleaded.
A cop came in to join him, taking over the chest compressions so Malcolm could focus on mouth-to-mouth, still pleading in between breaths for Ryan to just take a breath on his own. "You can do this, kid," he said, catching sight of the used needles and feeling his chest constrict further as he mentally went over the drugs that could have been used and what their effects could be.
"Why would anyone do this to a kid?" Detective Worth asked from the doorway, his face pale.
"Because they're damn psychopaths," Malcolm replied through a clenched jaw. "Come on, Ryan," he said, relieved to hear the ambulance sirens screeching to a stop outside.
To Be Continued...
I almost ended it with Ryan saying "Mom...", and I actually wavered back and forth between which was the better ending: The soft and frightened "Mom..."? Or Malcolm doing CPR on a non-breathing Ryan? lol... I decided on the latter... don't worry, the next chapter is about half done, so it should be done within a week, no long waits on this one... lol
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 04:46 am (UTC)Definitely worse going with this ending. And mean...did I mention mean?
no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 05:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 05:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 05:15 am (UTC)No problem! I love getting friended! To think that last August I had like 5 people on my flist... lol
no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:13 am (UTC)Well, the next chapter is about half done, so you shall see once I finish it... lol
no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 07:14 pm (UTC)Nope, killing Ryan doesn't make a good story.
Torturing Ryan and having him survive all the mean things done to him and giving him the comfort after the hurt and letting him coming out even stronger in the end then he was before - THAT makes for a good story.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 07:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 07:36 pm (UTC)Not for me.
I know it's stupid since I have no problem with putting him through hell in any way, but killing or permanently damaging him squicks me out.
I simply can't handle it. I need a happy end for him to keep my sanity.
But I trust you to find a way to make it right again.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 08:37 am (UTC)You killed Ryan. (Good pick on where to end it. You can never go wrong with a good cliffie.)
Lots of action. I love this AU. Can't wait to read the next part.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:20 pm (UTC)I kinda enjoy this AU myself... lol
no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 09:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 10:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 07:16 pm (UTC)I hope you write fast, so that the IF can move into a WHEN.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 07:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:12 pm (UTC)This is so exciting. I'm glad we won't have to wait so long...
And BTW, who still listens to Barbie Girl? That song is sooo old... :P
no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 06:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 08:41 pm (UTC)You actually give us levity and hope with Kirsten's introspection about Sandy at the beginning and Rayn's take on it, but then? Abuse, violence, cold-hearted lack of conscience and one charming scorned Anthony. I hope his end is painful and slow.
Should I even ask how quickly Malcolm and the calvary got there? More than two minutes won't help too much even if they're able to resuscitate. And they WILL, right? Poor kid faces so much even if he lives...
Trey went for human at the end, but too maybe too little too late- or at least too little.
WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Date: 2007-06-02 07:17 pm (UTC)