[Chapter 29] Bad People
🐾🐶
Zyon
The sound of the water raining down and splashing on the glass of the shower is relaxing, especially when Axel is gently kneading his fingers through my hair to get the good smelling shampoo lathered and bubbly on my head. He had me tilt my head back so it wouldn't flow down and get in my eyes, he said it would sting and my eye would be red for a little while.
It reminds me of when Seán washed me, Axel is even in his underwear and he had given the same reason Seán had, that he didn't think I was ready and that he didn't want to make me uncomfortable. I don't think he'd make me uneasy, he'd be naked like me and he isn't bothered. I'd only see what's on me, on him, right? I don't think it's any different.
Axel wanted to take a shower while Robert is at the store and the FBI people are away today, Tommy is still asleep on the couch as he had been up most of the days and nights since we saw Seán and Lewis- he's been worse in his worry and panic.
He fell asleep on the floor when he attempted to stay in the position, even though it doesn't seem to work anymore, he had been weeping and pulling at his hair with his eyes tightly shut. Trying to force himself to do whatever he did when he did go into the position on his knees, usually, it seemed to calm him down. Now, it makes him worse and it's scary to see him like that.
Robert and Axel are trying their best to calm him down and make him stop, nothing has worked so far. We're grateful he's actually sleeping.
With all this happening, Axel mentioned that a shower would be calming and relaxing. When he got up from the kitchen table where he sat with me while I drank the rest of his smoothie, I followed him through the hall to the bathroom, wanting to be with him. He only laughed and helped me undress after he started the water and checked the temperature.
The pressure of the water and his hands calm me as I've also been scared and worried for Seán and Lewis like Tommy, I just have Axel here to keep me from thinking about all the bad and reassure me that they're okay. I've been spending more time suckling on his nipples and with my nose on his body to smell him, it relaxes me.
I'm standing with my chest against his and my arms wrapped tightly around his waist, my head tilted back towards the water. Axel is leaning against the sidewall of the shower, his arms around me to run through my soapy hair. He's lightly humming, the vibration going through his chest to mine.
"Okay, sweetheart, let's get this washed out. Then we can clean you up and get changed before Bert comes back, he'll need help with groceries."
His hands slide down my neck and spine to rest on my hips and softly push me back under the stream of water, "Close your eyes while I rinse this out."
I obey his gentle command and close my eyes, enjoying the pleasant feeling of his hands running through and lightly pulling my hair as the water rinses all the bubbles away. A small content sigh leaves me and I hear Axel chuckle, I do feel guilty though because Seán was in pain and he isn't home to bask in this feeling with us.
"You like this, baby? More than a bath?" Axel's voice is quiet, as if not to disturb the calming atmosphere.
I have to think for a few seconds, baths are pleasant because Axel washes me and showers are pleasant because Axel washes me and the pressure of the water, also because Seán gave me my first shower. "Yes."
When I peek my eyes open to see his reaction, unsure if he likes giving me bathes more. I only see a smile on his lips as he nods slightly, "Then we'll take them more than bathes from now on if you like this better."
He slicks my hair back and I feel his fingers massage my neck before tilting my head straight. "Which is probably for the best, Seán likely won't fit in the tub and I imagine he'll need a very good cleaning when we find him. Knowing him, he'll want to hold you forever and I wouldn't put it past him to do so while bathing."
I giggle as the picture of Seán sitting in the tub with me in his arms, refusing to let go when Axel tries to wash him enters my mind. Axel grins and laughs along like he knows what I'm thinking.
Thinking of Seán reminds me of how he was in pain last time and I have to bite my lip to keep from frowning, Axel notices anyway. His hands appear on my cheeks and his thumb rub over my cheek while he smiles calmly.
"Honey, Seán is fine. He's probably better than when we saw him, he likely only got into another fight and was hurting because of it. He wouldn't want you to worry, let's focus on finding him and Lewis."
His words are one thing and his eyes are another. I can recognize worry in his blue eyes, Seán often had it while I was on the street, and I also notice slight uncertainty. He doesn't believe his own words, he's reassuring both of us.
It hurts knowing he doesn't because then it makes everything more real, makes all the reassuring unless. We don't know anything and it's scary. I appreciate his efforts though and for continuing to reassure me without hesitation when I need it even knowing he doesn't believe himself.
"Miss him."
He kisses my head, "I do too, baby. How about we get dried off and change? Bert should be back pretty soon."
🐾🐶
I'm sitting on the bed watching Axel get dressed when we hear the scream from the living room, sounding like Tommy.
Axel is instantly on alert, tensing up, even more, when we hear loud footsteps and voices that yell out orders. I jump off the bed and run to him, hiding behind him and gripping his shirt as I wait for something to happen.
Axel grabs at my hand and rushes us to the closet that he just came from, once we're in he looks down at me and sternly commands, "Do not leave this room. No matter what you hear, do not come out. Hide in this corner, and stay there."
He urges me to sit down in the farthest and darkest corner of the closet where the light on the ceiling is mostly blocked by shelves and hanging clothes, I'm shaking as I sit with my knees to my chest and stare up at Axel.
He presses a kiss to my head right before he quickly throws clothes that were in the Landry basket on me, making sure to pile them so I'm, hopefully, hidden.
"Stay put, Zyon. I'll be right back." He whispers, even as I can hear the bedroom door get banged on and voices yelling outside.
A door shuts quietly, the tiny clicking noise all that tells me Axel has closed the closet and left me in here. My breathing is heavy and my heart is beating as fast as it ever has, I'm shaking more than when I had those strange crying sessions in the alley.
I don't know what to do but I trust Axel and he's kept me safe, he is keeping me safe.
The bedroom door slams open and heavy footsteps run in, I jump from the sound and try to force myself to calm down. I can feel tears rain down my cheeks and drip onto my knees, yet I ignore it and listen carefully.
"Where's the other boy?!" That's a voice I don't recognize.
"He isn't here. Who are you?!" Axel's voice is defensive, hostile.
"He won't be any help. He's subject twos partner, he won't give up the other one." Another strange voice.
"Order is for both. Take him." Yet another different person.
Then I hear a grunt and someone is slammed against the door, Axel is shouting for them to leave and that the FBI will be here soon. He's interrupted at times by a growl and grunts of pain, the footsteps are everywhere now and the voices are louder as they try to order people to hurt Axel.
There are a few thumps on the floor and the fights last only a while longer until I hear a bang, then only one thump lands on the floor.
I can't hear Axel anymore. I'm shaking worse with the fear that he's gone gone, that he won't be able to save me or Tommy or even Seán and Lewis. I cry silently and flinch when the closet door is opened, I force myself to keep quiet and still. Covering my mouth and squeezing my eyes shut.
Footsteps are slow to walk through the long yet small closet, getting closer every second.
Something slim nudges some of the clothes around and cold metal touching my foot makes me jerk away in surprise, for a second nothing happens. Then I'm grabbed roughly and jerked up with a whimper, the person is a short man with half his face covered with a black mask.
I'm forced from the room into the bedroom where more people are standing and I quickly look for Axel, the sight makes me cry even more. He's laying face down in front of the bed, hands chained behind his back and his face is slightly bruised like his hands. A man is standing above him, holding what I recognize as a gun from the red-bearded man on the cartoon.
He looks like he's sleeping.
I move to run to him but I'm shoved on the floor and kept there, struggling to get to Axel as they chain my hands together. I whimper when something enters my neck, and I blink a few times when my eyes get blurry.
🐾🐶
A whine leaves my throat at the uncomfortable, cold, and sharp floor under me. Slowly lifting myself up, I feel the damp wall behind my back and a harsh edge dig into my skin.
"Zyon! Are you okay?!"
My head is quick to snap to the voice of Axel as he appears at my side, expression relieved and worry while he hugs me tightly. I cling to him, looking around in the dim lighting. We're in a room that looks similar to the one Seán and Lewis were in, the walls dark and damp with irregular bumps or edges. There's a cage-like wall were some yellow light comes from, trapping us.
Tommy stands behind Axel, red cheeks and hugging himself but when he notices I'm looking, he quickly goes around Axel to hug my other side.
"Where we at?" My voice is quiet and cracks at times from disuse, and sleep.
Axel sighs, hand rubbing my thigh reassuringly. "A cave system. A very well used one from the look of it."
"You think we're close to Lewis and Seán? This looks like what they were in." Tommy asks, whispering as if someone will come and hurt us.
"I don't know, Tom. It's most likely a different part if we are, they wouldn't put us next to them." Axel answers, watching the cage closely for any movement.
I cuddle into Axel to keep the chill away and to feel safer, the cave is chilly and I have bumps on my arms and legs as I'm merely in shorts and one of Seáns shirts. Axel tightens his arms around me, Tommy does the same.
We can't hear anything besides water drip down and muffled voices that echo down the small path, Tommy and I are shaking in fear of our situation. Axel is rigid and apprehensive, eyes focused on whatever makes a noise.
After a while, we hear two sets of footsteps coming our way. Tommy and I quickly jump up to hide behind Axel when he stands up, he calmly holds my hand and grips Tommy's wrist. Two men walk stop in front of the cell wall and I gasp when I recognize them from the store they scared us at.
I pull at Axel's shirt to tell him but he quietly nods while watching them, Tommy makes a noise that sounded like the noise Seán makes when he's angry - a growl. Axel pulls him back when he goes to stomp toward them in anger.
The chubby man smiles widely at us, the big man behind him only glares at us. "Mr. Addams! I'm terribly sorry for any inconvenience."
"Them being here is an inconvenience." The bigger man growls lowly, crossing his arms.
The shorter huff's, "I knew bringing you was a mistake, Ethan. Behave in front of our guest, please. It's awfully rude."
"Taking our partners and us is rude, you made our life recently a huge inconvenience. It'd be helpful to fix that. Who are you? And where are Seán and Lewis?" Axel demands, voice as furious as I ever heard.
The large man, Ethan, growls again while his friend only grins. "Oh! Of course, excuse my manners. I'm Dr. West, this is my loyal guard, Ethan. Mr. MacManus and Mr. Murray are in a secure part of this cave system, no worries."
Tommy is fast as he storms past Axel in an attempt to get to the bars, Axel holds him back, even as my friends snaps. His face is red in rage, voice loud, and echoing. "I'll have no worries as soon you and your dog are dead! I'll kill you!! Your head is gone, hear me!! GONE!"
Axel pushes him back behind him next to me when Ethan snarls and steps forward to the door, "You'll regret that, chew toy."
Dr. West seems irritated, eyebrows furrowed and his smile is now a deep scowl and his hands fisted as he shouts, "Ethan!"
The man stops and looks down at him with a glare and a snarl, lowly growling continuously in his chest. "He threatened you."
Tommy scoffs, "Correction, I threatened both of you. Bitch."
Ethan snaps his attention back to us and I really wish Tommy would shut up because this man scares me, he acts like an animal on that channel that shows wild cats.
"Tom, shut it. Now." Axel orders sternly, and Tommy looks away from him but keeps his mouth shut.
"I told you to behave. If you're not going to stay quiet, go wait for me in the RV." Dr. West commands, glaring up at Ethan. The taller hardly moves, only tenses but continues to glare at us. "Fine. No hunting tonight."
I blink in shock when the man whines quietly and steps back behind West, his gaze on the ground. Tommy mumbles in my ear, "Dog house, much?"
"Why are we here?" Axel demands, ignoring the whole scene.
Dr. West turns back to us and suddenly smiles cheerfully again. "Well, you took advantage of my generosity for allowing communication, that is not acceptable. From now on, you'll simply speak with Mr. MacManus and Mr. Murray through a series of microphones and speakers installed in the room."
Axel shouts the next demand, "Let us see them!"
"I'm afraid that isn't possible as they're currently...-"He's not even done speaking when a loud howl of pain echo down the caves, and he grimaces as a woman runs past them. She had blood on her and I saw only four fingers on her hand. "- busy."
"Doing what?" Tommy's voice is quiet now, shaken by what just happened.
"No worries, young man. It's part of my plan." Dr. West assures us, then turns to Ethan, "Go check on them."
Ethan smirks and winks at us before calmly walking back down the path they came from, and West adds. "No provoking them."
When Ethan is gone, West ignores any questions Axel or Tommy try to ask by interrupting them. "If you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."
Then he goes the way the lady ran, following the red trail she left behind. Leaving us in the cage to wonder what's happening with our Seán and Tommy's Lewis.
"I don't like this, we need to find Seán and Lewis" Axel states, holding me close when he turns around.
Tom nods, "Something is fishy about them and fish is never nice."
I never had fish before, but if this is fishy, I'll stay away from fish.
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