They had been driving for hours, with Brian at the wheel of a secretly known about sedan that he bought to take Gus places. Gus had been the only one to know about it, and he was good at keeping the secret. Not that he cared about any of that now, he didn’t care how anyone saw him. He just wanted Justin back…happy and whole. The thought of what Sapperstein could be doing to him, just at this moment turned his stomach.

“Brian, slow down,” Mikey said, gripping the overhead bar, over his door.

“Mikey, I can pull the fuck over and you can get the fuck out, if you want.”

“Geez, Brian. I just want to arrive to help Justin while I’m alive.”

“Over five hours, Mikey. It’s been over five hours since we left the Pitts. Justin has been in Sapperstein’s hands for almost a month. I can’t slow down.”

“Ok, I get it.”

Michael leaned over and turned the radio on. They had lost reception a while back.

“We have a small update on the little girl found by the Fire Chief Russ Rio. If you are just joining us, three hours ago, while Chief Rio was checking the area of after a small wildfire broke out earlier in the week. He found a child approximately two-years-old. The police have told us that the girl is speaking now. Hopefully her parents will come forward soon. If anyone has any information on the child, please contact Cheap Hill Police Department.”

“Turn that shit off, Mikey. I have to concentrate on where I’m going. We’re getting close.”

Michael shut the radio off. “How do you even know where we are going?”

“After I bought Babylon a few of his former dancers wanted to work for me. They had left because of the Sap’s parties.” Brian shuttered, trying not to think of Justin being at one. “Anyway, one of the guys said that Sapperstein had a cabin out here in North Carolina. It’s in the Alleghany Mountains. I called him when waiting for you to get more of directions. He gave me crude directions but I’m confident I’ll be able to find it.”

“What if he’s not there?”

“He will be, I can feel it.”

Michael was quiet for a moment. “What if it’s too late?”

“Then he’s still coming home, this will not be his last resting place. But I can still feel him, it’s hard to explain. I think I would know if he wasn’t alive anymore.”

Michael had the good sense to be quiet after that. Finally, Brian saw the long driveway to the cabin. Pete said that it had a broken down mailbox with a red rose painted on the side. This had to be the right one, the number was faded out but Brian knew it was right.

“Fucking kid,” Gary cursed.

He had been looking for the brat for hours. The woods were kind of creepy now, even to Gary. He had hoped he found Lee’s brat fast, he had plans for Justin. When the twink got away from him years ago, he thought his shot was gone. He knew he was lucky to escape Kinney talking the kid into going to the police. That made him just leave the whole situation alone. But now, Justin Taylor was his.

A branch scraped his arm as he passed by a fallen tree. The further and further he looked, the further he got from Justin. He couldn’t remember the brat’s name so he couldn’t call her. She probably wouldn’t come to him anyway. The few times he saw her, Lee shoved her in a closet and locked it.

The woods were kind of creepy, even to Gary. He hoped he found Lee’s brat fast, he had plans for Justin. When the twink got away from him years ago he thought his shot was gone. He knew he was lucky to escape Kinney talking the kid into going to the police. That made him just leave the whole situation alone. But now, Justin Taylor was his.

A branch scraped his arm as he passed by a fallen tree. The further and further he looked, the further he got from Justin. He couldn’t remember the brat’s name so he couldn’t call her. She probably wouldn’t come to him anyway. The few times he saw her, Lee shoved her in a closet and locked it.

“Fuck it,” he said. The twink and Lee would just have to get over it. He did what he could do to find the brat. He headed back to the cabin, ready to finally enjoy the blonde. It didn’t even matter if the fucker fought, in fact Gary was in such a pissed off mood he hoped the twink did. He wanted him to hurt and beg for mercy. Mercy that wouldn’t come.

“Cheap Hill Police Department,” a cheery voice answered.

“Yes, this is Detective Carl Horvath with the Pittsburgh Police, I was hoping to talk to your chief of police.”

“One second, Detective.”

Carl was put on hold, he hated that he was stuck in Pittsburgh. He would have rushed down there if he thought they had time. Lee finally cracked with the threat of the death penalty hanging over him. The DA told him that if he gave up the location of Justin, Barbara Jo and a list with the woman he killed with their location. He refused on the women but said he would give them Justin and Barbara Jo. He had told them about taking Justin to his friend’s cabin and chaining him to a beam in the cabin. That he left his daughter there with Justin while he was unable to leave the cabin. If anything happened in that place he would be a sitting duck.

“Murray,” a gruff voice said, interrupting the list of numbers being read off while the phone call was on hold.

“Yes, my name is Detective Carl Horvath with the Pittsburgh Police. We have a suspect here that told us he left a man he abducted and the suspect’s daughter in a cabin in your area. The man was chained to a beam unable to leave the cabin. I’m worried that something has happened in the month that the suspect has been gone.”

“A daughter, eh? How old?”

“Three, her name is Barbara Jo.”

There was shuffling noise on the other side of the phone. He could hear talking but not any words. Finally, he heard the man speak again.

“Ask her if her name is Barbara Jo.”

Carl held his breath, it sounded like they may have her. Did that mean they had Justin too?

“Well, looks like we may have Barbara Jo. Our fire chief found her wandering the woods, chasing his dog Roxie.”

“Was a man with her?”

“Nope, just the girl.” That meant Justin hadn’t gotten out of the house. Was he dead? Was that why the girl left him?

Carl told the chief all the information he had, address included. The chief said he would head out there himself with some of his people. For the first time in almost a month it felt like he could breathe. The girl was safe and sound, and soon he would know whether they were having a wedding or a funeral.

Night had fallen quickly as they drove up the winding dirt driveway. His heart was in his throat, he knew one way or the other he would have his answer. There were lights on in the cabin in the distance. A car in front of the cabin, he shut off his lights and turned off his car before getting too close to the cabin.

“Why are we stopped down here?” Michael asked.

“Because I don’t want the Sap to know we are here.”

They trudged up to the cabin, he could hear blood rushing in his ears. His hands were clinched, ready for a fight. As quietly as they could they stepped up on the porch.

“I thought you were going to find her?” Justin cried.

Sapperstein had come back a few minutes ago, without Bobbie Jo. All the man said was there was a lot of ponds around, she probably found one. Justin had run into the kitchen and grabbed his carving knife. He would kill Gary before he let him touch him.

“How about this, pretty. You put down the knife and spend a little time with me.” He paused and pulled something out of his pants pocket. It was a small key. “And I let you go, then you can look for her all you want. Of course, you might be a little sore.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because I can.”

Justin looked down at the knife in his hands. He could fight Gary and maybe could even win. Get the key and go and find Bobbie Jo, he didn’t care the sun was setting.

Gary must have read his mind. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep this key nice and safe.” He walked back to the bedroom and put the key in the closet. It was the only place Justin’s chain couldn’t reach, too many corners. “There, safe and sound.” He turned to Justin who had followed him.

There was only one choice now, he dropped the knife just outside the bedroom door. Walking in he stood in front of Gary, sucking in a breath he dropped to his knees.

“I can’t hear anything,” Michael said, ear to the front door. Brian was peeking in the front window. He saw an almost empty cabin but a thick chain was on the floor, leading into a hallway.

Brian started going around the medium sized cabin, looking in windows. He hit the jackpot with the third window. He saw the grimy back and hair of the Sap. Angling his body a little to see past the creep. It was then he saw Justin, on his knees in front of Sapperstein, who was holding out his measly cock, rubbing it on Justin’s face.

The window was too high to quickly break and get in before Sap could hurt Justin. Instead, he ran back to front door, just as he was about to kick it open, Michael tried the knob. The door opened without incident. Quietly, he walked down the hallway following the chain. He picked up a dropped knife on his way.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Sapperstein yelled, looking at him in front to the doorway.

Before Brian could move, the Sap grabbed Justin by the hair and pulled a pocket knife out of his pants. The man’s dick was still hanging out of the unzipped zipper. One second Brian had the upper hand, the next Sap was holding the knife to Justin’s throat.

“I wouldn’t move any closer if I were you, Kinney. It’ll be hard for Justin here to blow you without a head.”

Brian looked in Justin’s eyes. He saw how relieved Justin was, here he was at knifepoint and he was fucking relieved. Justin had that much trust in him. How had it taken this long for him to see it? He had been so close so many times just to say fuck it and let him go. It was only mercy of a god he didn’t believe in that Justin was still here. He would be damned if Sapperstein took that away from him.

“Why have Justin, when you could have me. You’ve been after me since I stepped foot in Babylon. Now you get your chance.”

“You think I believe that, once I move the knife you’re going to run at me. Sorry, no ass is worth that.” Brian’s attention was drawn behind the Sap when he was talking. As the guy rambled, the bedroom window slid up in silence.

“Why don’t you want me, think I’m too old?” he said trying to keep all attention on him.

“Listen Kinney, you are older than I go for, but if I thought for one moment that it was possible I would be fucking the living hell out of you. You wouldn’t walk for a fucking month. But I do have that chance with Justin here.”

As slyly as he could he glanced behind them, trying not to move his eyes. What the fuck? Climbing through the window like a fucking pro cat burglar was Michael. Michael who could trip over his on fucking feet. How the hell did his short ass get through the window without making a noise.

“You don’t want Justin, he’s not great in bed. He just lays there really.” If looks could kill Brian would be six feet under. Because Justin was glaring at him…like there wasn’t a knife to his throat.

“Hey, asshole,” Michael said from behind Sapperstein.

The Sap’s hand jerked away from Justin, causing the knife to nick Justin’s throat. Brian took the moment of surprise to grab Justin and pull him away from the Sap. The man turned towards Michael, plunging the knife into Michael’s shoulder.

Michael went down just as the cabin seemed to crash in on itself. Cops came out of everywhere. One was climbing through the window Michael had and four came up from behind Brian. The cop through the window tackled Sap and cuffed him. Another following the man through the window.  

“Mikey,” Brian called to his best friend. There was blood pouring out from his shoulder.

The cops wouldn’t let Justin or Brian get close to him. Before Brian could piss off the cops he heard Michael speak.

“I’m ok, Brian. Just take care of Justin. By the way, that was a pretty Zephyr move, wasn’t it?”

Justin laughed a little weakly. “Sounds like we have our next issue written already.”

“Yeah, Zephyr, the dumbass who gets his self stabbed,” Brian snapped.

Michael laughed, even weaker than Justin, though Brian suspected it was because of blood loss not shock like Justin’s. Well, maybe Mikey had both. “Knew you’d see it my way,” Michael murmured.

“I knew you’d come for me,” Justin said in his ear.

Brian turned to him. “Sorry, I took so long.”

“I guess I can forgive you. It’s not like we had anything planned this month.”

“I’m going to get my wedding and honeymoon,” Brian said firmly. After fighting it for so long, he wanted it more than anything.

“I had my doubts before this, but now I can’t think of anything I want more than to marry you. Just because you’ve changed doesn’t mean anything. If when we are finally married, you don’t hide your true self from me, we’ll be fine.”

“Couldn’t agree more, Sunshine.”

Suddenly, Justin gasped. “Bobbie Jo, I have to find her. She ran away hours ago, chasing some dog.”

“Don’t worry, son. Our fire chief found her in the woods a couple hours ago, She’s safe. I talked to your Detective Horvath and got the full story. He’s on his way down right now. Probably won’t be here until morning,” a big-bellied cop said. He looked in charge, so Brian assumed he was.

“Can someone get the key on the board in the closet over there. It will unlock my shackle.”

A petite blonde cop, who had come through the window second, walked over to the closet, grabbing the key.

“This?” she said holding it up.

“He said it was,” Justin said, pointing at Sap.

“Murray, we’re going to take this one to the main road. The ambulance will meet us there. The drive is too rocky for them to get up here,” another cop said, this one was putting pressure on Michael’s wound.

“You better not let anything happen to him. He’s mother scared God once, trust me, that’s her baby, you don’t want to be on her bad side,” he said, trying not to let his worry overtake him. He couldn’t lose Mikey after all of this.

The petite blonde unlocked the shackle. Justin sagged a little when it fell away. His ankle was blistered and there was skin rubbed off, also some blood.

“Why don’t you both come with us. We’ll take your statement at the hospital. Then we can find out about your friend.”

“Bobbie Jo, can I see her?” Justin begged.

“Well, all this is crazy anyway. She’s been crying for her daddy though.”

“That’s what she calls me. She didn’t think of Lee as her father, he was too mean to her. Please, I have to see her.”

“I’ll case Rosa, she’s the social worker. She’ll bring her for a little visit but at the hospital. Come on,” the petite cop said.

Brian grabbed Justin’s hand, swearing to never let go again.