Part Sixteen
“What happened to you two?” asked Giles when Xander and Iam walked into the library.
“These guys cornered us,” said Xander. “And well, obviously, we got beat up.”
“Yeah, but so did they,” grinned Iam.
“Iam!”
“Uncle Giles,” said Iam, opening his eyes all the way, tears welling up in his eyes, “we couldn’t just let them hurt us.”
Xander turned on his whipped-puppy-anime-eyes, “They deserved it.”
Giles looked between the two boys and sighed, “Oh, dear Lord, let me survive the next few years.”
“My homework is finished. May I call Xander now?” asked Jesse.
“Do you think you really need to speak with him? You spoke yesterday,” said Vincent evenly.
“He’s worried about me,” said Jesse, glaring at the floor. “He misses me, and I miss him.”
“I don’t like your tone, young man. You can go to your room, while I devise a punishment.”
Jesse sulked, but did as he was told. Vincent watched the boy leave the room, then picked up the phone. “Rever, it’s Nathaniel. Listen, I need a favor. Here’s the instructions…”
“Iam!” called Giles from the kitchen. “Can you get the door?”
Iam got up from the couch where he and Xander were doing their homework. “Hello, can I… Oh, gods, no…”
Iam was pulled out the door and gagged. Xander watched with wide eyes, too scared to move. He knew he should run, but he was recalling every encounter with his father and knew running made it worse. But screaming, “Giles! Help-mph!” He was punched in the gut, gagged, and taken out the door.
Giles ran into the living room and froze. Papers were scattered everywhere, the door was hanging open, and Iam and Xander were nowhere to be seen. He raced to the phone.
“Xander?”
“Iam? Where are we going?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who are these guys?”
“I know one of them. His name’s Rever. H-he used to work for my da.”
“That’s not good.”
“Shut yer holes! Boss said ya got ta be awake. Didn’t say nuthin’ ‘bout bein’ bruised!”
“Now, Jesse. I warned you to behave and do as I say,” said Vincent, leading Jesse into a deserted warehouse. He quickly took them into a small room, with a viewing window and two chairs. “The guests of honor should be arriving soon.”
Feeling very uneasy, Jesse sat in one of the chairs facing the window. Vincent sat in the other. Several minutes later, two thugs brought in two boys. “No! You said you wouldn’t hurt them!”
“Only if you obeyed the rules, Jesse. And I’m afraid you haven’t,” said Vincent smugly.
“All I wanted to do was call Xander,” said Jesse, frightened for his two friends.
“Ah, and I said no. Then you talked back. Very disrespectful. Now,” he gestured to the window, “you’re missing the show.”
Xander and Iam were dragged into a building and shoved into a room with a mirror, similar to those in police interrogation rooms. “W-why are we here?” asked Xander.
“Shaddup!” said Rever.
“Why don’t you make us?” snapped Iam.
“Iam! Don’t encourage them,” hissed Xander.
“Listen to yer little friend there, brat!” Rever stepped closer to the boys. “Yer a pretty one, ain’cha?” Rever grabbed Xander by the hair and pulled him away from Iam. “Not as mouthy, neither.”
“I like the little blond one,” said the other thug, . “He may have a mouth on ‘im, but that just makes it more fun later.”
“The quiet ones are usually the screamers,” said Rever. He looked at Xander. “If I let go, ya’re gonna’ stay still. Got it? Or it’ll go twice as worse fer ya, and twice that fer yer friend there.”
Xander gulped and nodded. He looked over to where Iam was backed against the wall. “I’ll do whatever you say, but don’t touch Iam.”
Rever backhanded the boy. “Did I say ya could talk? I said don’t move!”
“He’s trying to protect his friend. How pathetic,” sneered the man cornering Iam.
“Please, make them stop,” sobbed Jesse. “I’ll do whatever you want! Just make them stop! Don’t hurt my friends!”
Vincent looked over at the boy. “Come now, they haven’t even gotten started yet.”
“Don’t let them get hurt!”
“You’ll do whatever I want? You do realize that if you ever disobey again, for whatever reason, I will bring you and them back here. Oh, and next time, I won’t tell them to stop.” Vincent stood and hit a button on the wall. It sounded a buzzer in the other room.
“Okay, Jesse. Here’s the deal, I’ve let your friends go, but I can get them again at any time. There are only a few things I’m going to add to your list of rules. First, you are no longer allowed to call or speak with your old friends. Second, you be a good boy for Lindsey. Let him be your friend. And third…” Vincent eyed Jesse carefully. “Well, you did say ‘anything’.”
Jesse gulped nervously, “I mean it. Whatever it takes to keep you away from Xander and Iam.”
Vincent laughed. “You are perfect. You’re going to go far, my boy. Very far indeed.”
Rever heard the buzzer, “Looks like we’re done with ya fer now. Damn, we was just getting’ to the best part, too.”
Rever and the other thug grabbed the boys and pushed them out of the room and back into the back of their van. “Let’s get ‘em back.”
Iam heaved a sigh of relief. “I thought we were dead.”
“Close call, though. I wonder what that was all about.”
Iam glanced in the general vicinity of Xander, since there was not enough light to actually see. “Maybe m-my da was playing a prank.”
“Not a very fun father/son activity choice,” said Xander. “Beatings and rape do not a fun afternoon make.”
Giles was absolutely frantic. The police could do nothing. There were no clues as to who took the boys, and Giles hadn’t seen the vehicle that was used. “Why did I let him answer the door?”
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. “Mr. Rupert Giles? We found your boys. They were discovered at a rest stop between Sunnydale and LA. If you follow us, you can pick them up at the station. They’re giving their statements right now.”
“Thank God,” said Giles fervently. He silently vowed nothing like this would ever happen again.