by Jack Parker
Kurt's eyes snapped to Ludkov.
"…that leaves only you. This means that you will be bearing the brunt of the punishment on your lonesome, eh? Is very bad luck…"
* * *
Emery's mind was racing. The trek from one end of the airfield to the other was the longest walk of his life, riddled with terror that at any moment he would hear the gunshot ring out that would signify the end of Kurt's life. It couldn't end that way. He had to make good on his promise. He had to protect him. He had to do something. His stride hastened as much as his escort would allow.
Emery stepped into the door that was opened for him and made his way down a corridor of the building. If Hunter was here, he was unguarded. He must have deployed every available man to search for him. At the end of the hall was a metal door leading to the control room. The man following him knocked on it with a closed fist before thrusting it open and pulling Emery inside along with him. Hunter was there, hunched over a desk as he looked out the window. He looked different. Haggard. An untrimmed beard was beginning to grow on his face. He turned when they walked in.
"Emery!" he gasped, turning a glare on the man beside him. "Don't manhandle him like that, let him go."
The man released him and the next thing Emery knew he was wrapped in his stepfather's embrace. Lips pressed into the top of his head.
"My god, Emery, I thought I might never see you again…"
His body silently screamed with revulsion, stiffening as he tried not to shove the man away. "I'm fine," he said rigidly.
"Are you?" Hunter pulled back to look at him, stroking a hand down the side of his face. "My poor sweet boy, you're covered in blood."
Remain calm. He had to remain calm. "It's not mine."
"Thank god for that. I've been so worried. I haven't eaten, haven't slept. Just thinking of what you must have been going through, I…" Hunter shook his head and pulled Emery into another hug. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't find you sooner. I did everything I could think of, please believe me."
Emery couldn't help it. He pulled away roughly. "I don't care about that. Listen, there's something you've got to—"
"You're out of danger now. Come along. Sit, you look so tired, sit down here."
"I-I don't want to sit. Hunter—"
"Hush now, it's alright. It's all fine. I'm here." Hunter put a hand on his back and Emery struggled to pretend it didn't burn like hellfire.
He stared at Hunter for a long moment, giving a sidelong glance to the Russian guard that was still in the room with them. "What are you going to do to the man who brought me here?"
Hunter blinked at him in surprise for a moment before shaking his head and walking over to some files that were strewn about a desk to look down at them. "Never mind about that for now, son. Suffice it to say he'll get what's coming to him."
Emery swallowed. He took a few steps towards Hunter, shadowed with uncomfortable closeness by the guard. On the desk he could see photographs. He recognized Scott, Sterling and Sheridan's faces. "No, listen to me. The man your people apprehended isn't a threat."
"You don't know what you're saying," Hunter dismissed. "Emery, you've been through so much. I'm taking you to a doctor. We're going to get you looked at and get you something for the pain. Maybe something to help you calm down."
"You aren't listening to me. I'm telling you, the man you've captured is innocent!"
"Come now, no more nonsense."
"It's not nonsense. He helped me. He isn't like the others; he's a good man."
Hunter gave him a hard look before reaching down into a folder. He produced a picture and held it in front of Emery's face. It was Kurt, taken from a distance, standing on a street somewhere. "This man?"
Emery said nothing, but he met Hunter's eyes with obvious fear.
"Alexander Garrett," Hunter said. "A quiet London resident with a suspiciously clean record who didn't seem to exist until a few years ago. After a little digging," he produced another photograph, this one a mug shot. Kurt was younger there, perhaps Emery's age, looking as cold and defiant as ever. "We find Kurt Gabler. His charges include grand larceny, assault, and murder. This is not an innocent man, Emery. He's a liar."
"He isn't," Emery insisted.
"This is a violent criminal. He kidnapped you. Tortured you. Threatened to kill you. You asked me what I'm going to do to him? I'm going to make him bloody well sorry." Hunter tossed the pictures aside. "I understand that you must be in shock. Please, sit down."
"But…can't you…turn him in to the police or something?"
"I could," Hunter said. "But I won't. Emery, I don't want you to worry about this. I know you have a kind heart, but you'll need to leave this to me. Moreover you won't ever have to worry about things like this again. I promise you that I'll keep you safe from now on."
"…Keep me safe?"
Hunter nodded and reached out a hand to stroke his face. Emery was too numb to flinch. "I forgive everything, Emery. It's forgotten. I know you've been going through a period of confusion these past few years, but you had to know I'd always be here for you. Just like I always knew you'd come back around. I was your age once too, you know." He turned walking back to the desk and gathering up the strewn files.
Emery's eyes widened.
"I know what you're feeling, Emery. I was your age once too. You want to be touched but you're not sure how to go about asking. Let me help you…that's it…come here…"
Emery flung himself at the guard standing next to him, snatching his gun from his belt and firing a shot off point blank into the man's head. He immediately turned the gun on Hunter, who had whipped around and was leaning back against the desk, slack-jawed as he stared at the body. "Emery!"
Emery bit down on his tongue, shaking with anger. "Where did you take him?" he growled.
Hunter was still too stunned to register the question. "You just killed that man! What are you doing? Put the gun down, Emery!"
"Answer me!" Emery demanded. "Where did you take Kurt Gabler?"
"Emery…Emery, come now, there's no need for this…" Hunter shook his head, holding up his hands. "You're confused. You don't know what you're doing."
"This is exactly the problem!" Emery snarled. "You don't listen to me! You never have! If you could have just left me alone, none of this would have ever happened!"
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"I told you, Hunter. I told you I didn't want this, but you wouldn't accept it. Do you think I don't know I'm being followed? Watched? You don't think I wonder why I can't get a job or have friends or live a single bloody day without looking over my shoulder?"
"I don't…"
"Don't you dare deny it."
Hunter closed his eyes. "…Emery listen, I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. I'm only looking out for you. The world is a cruel place and you know that better than most. How could I stand by and let you struggle through life the way I did? I love you too much for that."
"Don't say that. You had me watched to make sure no one was putting their hands on your property. To make sure I stayed yours. How fucking stupid do you think I am?"
Hunter looked down at the ground desperately. "If that's what this is about, I…it doesn't matter to me, Emery. If a job would really make you happy, we'll find you one. I should have known you were bored. I was so busy trying to keep you safe that I suppose I never thought about how dull it must be…"
"I don't want a job. I want a life. Where is Kurt?"
"What's he got to do with this?"
"Stop stalling and answer me!"
Hunter glanced down with confusion at the picture of Kurt sitting on his desk. "Why…? Why do you care what happens to that brute? He did terrible things to you, and if not by his own hands then he was certainly content to stand by and watch."
"He saved me."
Hunter huffed out a breath. "My god, Emery. You don't know what you're saying. That's Stockholm syndrome. Just listen to me, sweetheart, you're sick."
"I'm sick?" Emery took a step closer, aiming the gun at Hunter's face. "Sick is having an affair with your dying wife's teenage son!"
"Emery, that's not…" Hunter gaped at him before getting a hold of himself. "How can you say that to me? You know I loved your mother. Cynthia and I w—"
"Don't talk about her!" Emery barked. "Don't you fucking say her name!"
Hunter held his hands a little higher in apology. "I promised her I would look after you. That I would do anything for you. I meant it. I still mean it. But you…you make it sound as though I took advantage of you. Emery, I never did anything you didn't want. You—you told me you loved me."
"How could you think I meant it? I was fifteen years old!" Emery reminded. "I was just a boy! How can you live with yourself knowing the things you did to me? To a child?"
"A child? No, no, you were always…you're so mature for your age. You make it sound so…listen, we've always had a connection. You know that. I didn't see it right away, but soon after I met you I knew that you were my other half. Love doesn't know any age. What you and I have, it's…unconventional, I admit, but I'm no bloody pedophile. It's you I love. Only you."
"No. It isn't special. It isn't above the definition. You're a pervert." He came another step closer. "Yes, I know that the world is a cruel place. It's a place where a man feels perfectly justified in taking an already devastated child and ruining him beyond repair for his own selfish pleasure. I lost both of my parents, but you didn't make me feel any better. Instead you just made me wish I'd died with along them."
"Emery…"
"You made me hate myself every waking moment. You estranged me from my own mother in her dying days. You cut me off from the world—you made me forget everything that I am!"
"But that's ridiculous… You're Emery Eaton. You're my son, and I love you."
"I'm Emery Fletcher. And I am not your son. Or your lover." He moved one last time so that the barrel of the gun was pressed up against Hunter's forehead. "I'm not going to ask you again. Where is he?"
Hunter could only stare back in desolation. Emery was filled up with desperate rage and ready to pull the trigger when a phone suddenly went off.
Emery looked down, seeing a flash of light from Hunter's pants pocket. He roughly reached into it and snatched the mobile phone, flipping it open and holding it to his ear as he fixed Hunter with a warning glare.
"Eaton, we have your man," said another accented voice. "What do you want us to do with him?"
Emery's heart began pounding. "Leave him."
"What?"
"Leave him be. He's part of my service."
"No, he is part of Sheridan's crew. I am sure."
"Well then you've made a mistake, haven't you? If he's harmed, our deal is off."
"…I see…"
"Where are you holding him?"
"Hangar one."
Emery hung up the phone and threw it against the wall with all his might, where it shattered into pieces.
"I won't let you do this," Hunter said.
"Your money will be returned to you. Once your men find my kidnappers' hideout, it's bound to all be there."
"I don't care about the money!"
"Well it's all you're getting. Don't follow me, Hunter. I mean that in every sense. …If you ever loved me even the smallest ounce, for even the briefest of moments, just let me be." He held his gun up and slowly backed away towards the door.
"Emery, don't leave me like this…"
"I could leave you like him if you prefer," Emery glanced down at the dead Russian at his feet.
Hunter didn't reply, staring at him with a mixture of anger and sadness. Emery carefully backed out the door, then ran.
* * *
Kurt watched as three men picked up Sterling by the arms and legs, dragging his great dead body towards the door to deposit him outside while Ludkov hung up the phone he was talking on. Kurt didn't hear the conversation, but he imagined that Hunter Eaton had just decreed his fate. Ludkov was narrowing his eyes down at him in a peculiar way.
"Is it true that you work for Eaton?"
Kurt looked up inquisitively.
"Because this is what he says, however it seems…farfetched. You are what? His private investigator? Bodyguard?"
Kurt looked back to the wall. "I'm not at liberty to say."
"It seems to me you would have mentioned this earlier to save yourself, if such was being the case…"
"I'm on a very private payroll. Eaton doesn't want it known that we affiliate."
Ludkov was intrigued, but clearly not convinced. "Hm. And why is this?"
"I imagine it's for the same reason he isn't broadcasting his association with the likes of you. I'm a criminal."
"And what is it you are thinking you offer to him that we are incapable of providing?"
"I knew Sheridan," Kurt said. "I infiltrated his operation. Obviously things didn't go according to plan." He looked at the long smear of Sterling's blood.
"And yet you tried, and succeeded, to kill my men."
"I was fired upon first. My priority was to protect the boy."
Ludkov studied him warily for a long moment before wandering off a few steps. "It does not bother you that we killed Sheridan?"
"No."
"You have no loyalty?"
"I must be paid for loyalty. Eaton's bribe was more substantial."
Ludkov smirked. "I think I like this one. He is very hard. I like this." He gestured and muttered something in Russian to his one remaining man, who laughed.
All heads turned as another figure approached the hangar door, staggering in. He was a little frazzled, hand to his head, blood leaking down his neck and with furious eyes that locked onto Kurt. Kurt's scheme instantly evaporated and he readied himself to act.
"Ah," Ludkov said. "Mr. Barnum. We have your associate here."
Barnum's lip twitched up, looking between Kurt and Ludkov incredulously. "Is that what he told you?"
"That is what Eaton told me."
Barnum shook his head in confusion and stared back at Kurt balefully. "Did he?"
"Yes. This is not true?"
There was a long moment of silence as the situation rolled around in Barnum's head. His posture relaxed, pushing himself through the door and checking the back of his bleeding head again. "…Come to think of it…I do recognize him. I'm fairly certain he is one of ours."
Kurt did not like where this was heading.
Ludkov nodded, tucking his gun away. "Well then it seems I did indeed make a mistake. The boy has been returned, his kidnappers are dead. I suppose Eaton has no more need of us, yes?"
"That's right," Barnum answered, his eyes never leaving Kurt. "Leave this one to me. I'll see that he gets sorted."
Ludkov gave an order to his remaining man, who relinquished the handcuff key over to Barnum before heading towards the exit. Ludkov spared one last look down at Kurt. "Do svidaniya, friend."
Kurt watched as the two Russians left and Barnum began to circle him. "Very clever, Mr. Gabler."
So Hunter Eaton knew his identity. It stood to reason that a man with that much money had good sources.
"Getting Emery to vouch for you." He wandered around for a bit longer before he reached down and picked up Sterling's gun, which was still lying on the ground. "It's not going to work, though. Hunter won't have you live after what you've done, regardless of what he tells that boy. Perhaps he'll even wise up and let him see your corpse. That's sure to teach him about playing these kinds of games…"
Kurt watched him check to see if the gun was loaded. It was, of course. He'd nearly been killed by it not thirty minutes ago.
"I can't say I'm surprised about this. It crossed my mind, in the beginning. Emery's always been a bit of a black sheep. Just between you and me, I don't know what sort of potential Hunter sees in that boy. He's amounted to nothing thus far. He barely keeps his grades up, has no ambitions, spends gobs of money freely at the pubs watering the local drunks. If I had a son as errant and fooli
sh as him I'd disown the brat, never mind a stepson." He stepped in front of him and held the gun down on Kurt's head. "But he is a smart one. I wonder if he was in on this from the start or if he just managed to manipulate you bloody idiots into doing his bidding."
"Perhaps he was just desperate. Living in a cage will do that to a man."
Barnum snorted. "Desperate for what? That boy and his damned mother were a charity case from the start. Hunter waited on them hand and foot. Took them in, bought them nice things, and when she got sick, he paid all of her medical expenses. Gave her the best care money could buy. Does he even get so much as a thank you from Emery? Everything he could ever want is provided to him free of charge for life. He stands to inherit an obscene fortune without having to ever work a day in his whole pampered little life." He leaned down slightly, giving Kurt a disdainful look. "…And all he's got to do in return is just bend over and take it every once in a while."
Kurt met his eyes with white hot fire.
Barnum huffed out a breath. "Small price to pay if you ask me."
Kurt lunged forward off of his knees, hurtling Barnum to the ground in a sudden burst of motion. Barnum fell back with a curse and Kurt rolled back to his legs with his arms still bound behind him. Before he could get up, Barnum was getting back to his feet, kicking him swiftly in the side to stop his next attempt. Kurt sucked the pain down as best he could but couldn't get back up off his knees.
"You piece of shit!" Barnum spat. "Do you fancy yourself a hero or something? Is that it?" He kicked Kurt again in the stomach, making him double over.
Kurt wheezed quietly, looking back up at Barnum with a rebellious stare.
Barnum put the gun back to his head. "Well you're not. You're just the dregs of a plan gone wrong. A mess that needs mopping up. I know Eaton wanted to save this task for himself, but I think killing you will be well worth the trouble."