Disclaimers: QAF characters don't belong to me. This is fanfic and just for fun. Most, if all are OOC. Set in Canada because guess what!!? I'm Canadian!

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A MOUNTIE ALWAYS GETS HIS MAN!

Part 2:   Chapter 3

The Mine

Justin groaned as he awoke. It was dark and his head was pounding again. That damn ether!

His hands were tied behind his back. His chest was tied up again. His legs were tight together. It was dark. He couldn't see a thing. At least...at least he felt like he was right side up...He thought.

He struggled a bit. He wiggled his legs. That was strange... He moved them back and forth. He realized he was starting to swing.

Justin began to scream. He was trapped, tied up in the dark. And it could have been a foot...or many stories high...but it was clear he was suspended in the air.

BJBJBJBJBJBJ

Tick...tick...tick...tick...tick...went the metronome.

Swing...slice...swing...slice...swing...slice....went the razor.

"HELLLLPP!!" screamed Emmett and Ted.

The rope was nearly half way cut. Was halfway cut....Swing...slice...swing...There went a few more strands.

"HEEELLLLLPPPP!!" screamed the two men

CRRRAASSSHHHHH!!! The door to Ted's office smashed open and in the opening was framed the biggest most magnificent man Ted had seen since the Caribbean. It was a "pec"cy Mountie with huge thick arms that could hold a man in the morning and open a stubborn jar of pickles at night. His scarlet tunic was so red it hurt his eyes and his eyes flashed a magnificent holy....

Ted shook his head. What the hell was he doing???

"Help!!" he yelled, "Just get us out of the way of the gun! It's rigged to fire any second!!"

Brian took in the situation in a second. The ticking metronome, the spear gun, the legs of the chair tied so they couldn't tip over...

That was it!! Brian rushed over, drew his Bowie knife and sliced away the ropes on the right side of the chair.

Swing...slice...swing...slice....the rope was starting to fray....unravel....

Brian shoved the two men over to the left and hurled himself over and to the right.

SNAP!!! WHIZZZZ!! CHUNK!!! The spear fired and buried itself into the wall.

Ted and Emmett were tipped heavily over, sideways. They both landed painfully on their shoulders.

"OOOOOWWWWWW!!!" they yelled.

"Oh, just be glad of the pain you twats! It means you're still alive! And...Honeycutt!!? What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Oh, didn't you know? Being a tied-up hostage was at the top of my to-do list this morning! Just get me the hell out of here!!"

Brian just rolled his eyes and got to work, sawing at the ropes tying Ted's wrists to the armrests.

"Be careful, Bri!" Emmett warned. "That whacko told us that we were bait for a big Mountie! He wanted us to scream for help! Which maybe makes me think that this is..."

"A TRAP!! Brian!! LOOK OUT!!!" yelled Ted who was facing the right direction. But it was too late.

UUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!

Have you ever been whacked from behind with a sack full of nickels? Well, neither have I...but Brian just was and even for that fine figure of a man that had been carefully molded and made in the image of the police academy, it was a stunning blow. Brian was knocked forward and flat on his face. The wind was knocked out of him. His knife went skittering across the floor out of reach.

The thug who had been hiding in the vault and waiting this entire time, jumped onto Brian. He turned him over onto his back and straddled him. Brian continued to gasp for breath.

Ted and Emmett struggled mightily. They were still mostly immobilized. Brian had only managed to cut through two of Ted's wrist ropes. But maybe...Ted struggled and twisted his hands.

Finally, Brian‘s lungs regulated and he sucked in a huuuuge breath. Then another. God....not breathing...really took the strength out of a guy!

"Got your breath back?" the masked thug in black asked.

Brian nodded and started to tense to struggle out of his predicament.

The thug only laughed and then grabbed him by the throat with one leather gloved hand. Brian started to choke again. He grabbed that arm with both of his Mountie gauntlets but he was still weakened from his encounter with the sack of nickels. Hey he was still strong, don't get him wrong, just not...100 percent.

"My friends took the ether to use on your school buddy so the Boss left me this to help you to sleepytime!" The thug laughed unkindly and still pushing Brian's head into the floor, he pinched his cheeks with a thumb and finger. Brian's mouth was forced open. With his other hand he took a bottle out of a pocket and dumped in the contents: a single pill.

The thug released Brian's throat but before he could spit it out, his hand smacked down over Brian's mouth in a tight glove gag.

Brian struggled mightily and shook his head desperately, trying to dislodge the glove. The heady smell of the leather filled his nostrils and it reminded him of Justin. Conflicting sensations rushed through him. He loved it. He hated it. He couldn't...get...free.

And then the thug was stroking his throat with his other leather glove and whispering in his ear. "That's it...swallow...swallow.... relax boy...swallow and sleeeeep...."

"MMMMMPPPHHH!!!"

SHIT!! But it was no use. Brian responded reflexively to the gentle massaging to his throat and he swallowed. And then...everything was getting hazy...the thug had released him and was laughing...but it was all long and drawn out and distorted... HAWWWWWW ....HAWWWWWW... HAWWWWWW...HAWWWWWWWWWW!!! Things were blurry. Things were heavy. His eyes were heavy...so heavy...everything was slowing down...everything was stopping...everything went black.

Still tied up to each other, Ted and Emmett could only watch as the burly thug got up and slung the now unconscious Brian over his shoulder.

"If you were thinking of following me...you should keep this in mind," the thug said menacingly. He strode over and smashed a powerful leg through Ted's window and part of the wall as well. Guffawing loudly, he made his escape, kidnapping the hunky Mountie as he did so. With his other hand he picked up and stole the last bag of nickels to boot!

Ted and Emmett were left tied up in the ruined and ransacked office.

BJBJBJBJBJBJB

The first thing he was aware of was flickering lights.

The second that he was feet weren't touching the ground.

This jolted him awake in a hurry. His eyes flew open and he sucked in a huge breath. The air was stale and his throat was dry.

"Welcome back!" said an unpleasant voice that didn't sound welcoming at all.

"So, what fresh hell is this?" croaked Brian.

He looked down and saw that he was suspended over a black void. His legs were tied up haphazardly but with enough rope to practically mummify him. His arms were tied behind his back and his arms to his chest. Rope was coiled at least 10 times around his chest. More rope was tied off in a big knot and went up and over a pulley attached overhead...somehow above in this dank cave. This rope was then attached to mine tracks. Brian could see a second rope tied there and followed it till he saw Justin dangling beside him, tied up in a similar manner. The two ropes were holding back a mine cart filled with dynamite. Brian could see the track was on a slight incline and the only thing holding it back was the ropes that held them up. Another rope was tied to them and attached to the cart itself

"Funny you should use the expression! For hell is where I am going to send you!" Came Stockwell's chilling voice

"Oh cut the crap, Stockwell! Where the hell, are we? And will you let Justin go!? He has nothing to do with this! If you want to punish me for my efforts to bring you to justice, that's one thing but he knows nothing about that! We don't talk about work! So you have no reason to kill him!"

"Actually, I do! First of all, if you think I believe that, you crazier than I am!"

"I don't think that's possible," Brian quipped.

Stockwell reddened. His mask was off so it was a safe bet that it was just the three of them. He looked extra greasy in the torchlight. He held two torches aloft and in the light it was evident that they were in some sort of mine shaft.

"And secondly..." he continued, sounding even more evil if that were possible, "I DO have a reason for wanting him dead! He knows who I am! Who I really am! And we can't have that now, can we?" He twirled his moustache and swooped closer. "Bet you wish you never pulled my mask off now, do you boy!?"

Justin whimpered and struggled away from Stockwell's repulsive fingers as they stroked a cheek.

"Don't you TOUCH him!" yelled Brian in a terrible voice.

"I'm straight, actually," Stockwell said conversationally, "However....if I wasn't...or even inclined, I could totally see where you're coming from. You really know how to pick ‘em Bri. Young. Skin as soft as cream...Mmmmm.... Pray I never see you again. If I do...I might find myself... inclined... just for the hell of it!"

Brian was so mad his face was as red as his tunic. "We WILL get out of this, you monster! And if you ever threatened Justin like that...I'd cut off your cock in the middle of main street! And be damned if anyone cared about it! You may have everyone else in this burg snowed but not us! And we will stop at nothing to expose you once and for all!"

"Brave words! But I don't think so! My bank trap worked out perfectly and now I have you both! So there'll be no one saving the other nonsense! There's no one to save you this time! Bwa hahahahaha!!!"

BJBJBJBJBJBJ

Emmy Lou Gold sat in front of her dressing table mirror. A tear ran down her face. An open letter sat beside her on the dressing table.

It was getting worse. And she was running out. Her gaze turned regretfully to the letter and then to the mint box also hinged open. There was about 10 or so left, enough for another 2 days or so and then...oh hell, what was she going to do?

She had told Ethan that she wasn't feeling well, which had then progressed into a full on head cold that had left her bedridden. She refused to come out of the bedroom. Ethan brought her meals but he only managed soup and sandwiches. Ethan, poor dear, was a dullard in the kitchen. So she'd also sneak out for something decent at night. But only when she was sure Ethan was asleep.

Well, of course, Emmy Lou wasn't sick at all. She was healthy as a horse and proud of it. But she couldn't go out...couldn't show her face...not when it looked...like this.

She would have to leave again. Just for another trip to "her mother's". But Ethan was hovering so close, it looked like she might have to leave under darkness again. And where to? She'd run out of favors and she was so far along at this point, none of her girlfriends would take her in. Why, they'd hardly recognize her! And the ones who did...Emmy shuddered to think what would happen. Scandal!

No, the only solution was to hide...until this was over. Her gaze turned distastefully to the letter she had received yesterday. Why?? Why must she deal with such incompetents?

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Honey!? Sweetie? Are you feeling any better? It's lunch time!"

Emmy Lou brushed her cheeks frantically. "Just a minnnnn-nnnute!" she trilled.

She snapped the mint case shut, grabbed it and the letter, and hotfooted it over to the bed. She jumped in and buried both items deep under the bedcovers. She hurriedly wrapped a scarf around her neck and jammed the wig of blond ringlets on her head, unaware that it was slightly askew. She covered up to her nose and then warbled out weakly, "Come in..."

Ethan entered with the homogenous soup and sandwich that made Emmy Lou want to scream in boredom. But she dared not do so; instead she smiled tightly, coughed and thanked her husband gently. He kissed her gently and tried to feel her forehead but she shied away from his touch. Ethan tried to squelch down the disappointment and wondered what had happened to them. Emmy Lou had always been so affectionate with him and now she would barely let him take care of her in her hour of need.

"I hope you don't mind...I was thinking about going to Kip's this evening...Shouldn't wait up...Will you be all right if I do?" he asked.

"Oh yes...that'll be fine! You have a good time...don't worry about me....just enjoy yourself." At last...some time to herself in the house to get something decent to eat and have a run around!

"OK...well, call me if you need anything...anything at all," Ethan finally said and left.

"Oh yeah. She had to leave and soon. But where? Who would help her?

And then an image filled her mind, a memory that was so quick, yet so, so profound.

She had been sitting on her window seat, staring out the window, trying not to die of boredom when that new Mountie and Justin had galloped into town. The schoolmaster rode in front as he always did, with the Mountie's huge arms, bumpy with muscles, wrapped protectively around him. And then....and then Brian had cupped Justin's chin in on sexy smooth gauntlet and bent to give him a quick but searingly hot kiss before lifting him bodily off the horse.

Emmy Lou's eyes had bugged out of her head like eggs and her mouth dropped open to her chin. Constable Brian!!? Justin!!? That way?? Really?? Oh my God!!! But then...that would explain Brian's feverish wondering as to Justin's whereabouts the other day.

And maybe if they were...that way...they'd be more inclined to help her out. If worse came to worse, she could turn the screw a little...Emmy Lou hated to use the word blackmail...it was so ugly. But if worse came to worse...well, Emmy Lou was desperate. There was no other word for it.

BJBJBJBJBJBJB

"Bwa-hahahahahaaa!!!!" cackled Stockwell maniacally.

"Curse you villain!" Brian intoned heroically. He struggled experimentally. DAMN! The ropes were tight as a drum. He could barely squirm. "You'll never get away with this!"

"Oh? I disagree! You see, I already HAVE gotten away with it! Not only do I have you both in my clutches, but now I have enough funds to pay off my underlings for a year at least! And I have all the deeds I need to steal any gold mine I want, whenever I want....with a little...creative persuasion that is." He twirled his moustache thoughtfully...and evilly.

"So...you're planning to torture more innocents or even threaten their lives...to feed your insatiable greed! You fiend! I won't let you succeed!" cried Brian.

"Well, look who became a poet....and didn't know it," mocked Stockwell.

"It sounded cooler in my head," muttered Brian.

"Oh whatever! You'll prevent nothing! As you can see, I've really gone all out on this one! Let me talk you through it!"

"Do we have a choice?" asked Brian.

"No! So just hang there and enjoy it!"

Both Brian and Justin sighed long-sufferingly.

"As you can see, these ropes are the only thing holding back this cart. They are also the only things holding you up! So..."

He twisted the two torches around each of their ropes so that eventually the torches would burn through and burn the rope. This would set them free to plummet down the mine shaft and at the same time set the mine car free to roll down after them. For good measure, he wrapped a string of small dynamite sticks around one of the ropes that would be on fire. This would set everything else on fire and blow whatever was left of them to smithereens.

"As you can see the mine shaft is the black void. It's about 100 feet deep give or take. The mine cart will set whatever's left of you on fire. As I said, nice choice of words Constable! However you look at it, I'm sending you to Hell!"

"So, it looks like we can add a God complex to the list of crazy on you!" piped up Justin bravely and for maybe the first time. "But you are hardly God and you will not succeed!"

"Save your bravado for the angels! Or the demons, I don't really care! Rot in Hell! I'm done with you...and there's no one to save you now!!!" Stockwell turned and swooped out of the mine like a mangy, flea ridden bat, laughing maniacally.

"I'm afraid he's right Sunshine! Damn! Can't get loose...of these ropes!"

"There must be a way! Must be someone who would hear!" Justin also struggled without any result and they both yelled until they were hoarse. Of course no one came.

The torches continued to burn torturously slow until they were halfway used up and halfway to the rope.

"So...you had to out me to that, did you?" Justin said resentfully.

"Justin! Do you really want to go through this in our last minutes? Maybe moments?"

"Sorry...I just...don't know what else to say right now."

There was a moment of silence.

Keeping an eye on the flames which were burning closer...and closer......and closer.....he finally said, "I thought he already knew. I asked him if it was part of a hate crime, him coming after you. I'm sorry Justin. It was an accident."

"I guess it doesn't matter," Justin said dully, "It looks like he really got us over a barrel this time. He knew exactly how to play us Brian! And he could do it again, at any time, even if we did find a way out of this."

The flames burned slowly closer.

"Oh, Sunshine, I lo - I mean, I love the way your hair glows in the firelight. Just want you to know...been the best couple of weeks of my life."

The flames burned closer. They were almost there.

But Justin understood. "Love you too, Brian. Oh God! What if I fall in first!?"

"Then...no matter what...I'll be right after you!"

There were two soft whumps as the ropes caught fire.

Both men yelled again for help in renewed fear. The rope quickly burned up and down. The string of dynamite started and lit up in a chain reaction that led to the entire cart getting lit up just as Stockwell had fantasized.

"HELLLLLP! HEEEELLLLLLLP!!!

The rope quickly unravelled. And then....SNAP! SNAP!

Together....The two men plunged into the void!

TBC