Chapter Text
This job was supposed to be safer. That was what Carlos kept teasing him over and over again…that he wouldn’t be walking through fire and facing down the same dangers. That he maybe wouldn’t be the danger magnet. That things would be calmer.
Oh how wrong he’d been…
“You’re going to save his life.”
He heard the click of the gun behind him. Tommy’s eyes grew wide. Nancy shifted anxiously. The gun was shoved into his back, causing him to tense. Nancy took a step toward him.
“TK—“
“Don’t move!” The very not pregnant woman stepped forward and pressed her gun into Nancy’s back, trying to get her to stop moving.
“Easy,” Tommy said softly, trying to get some control. “We’re paramedics. It’s our job to help. Just let me get my gear and—“
“No!” The guy behind TK pressed the gun further into his back. He flinched at the feeling, earning worried looks from Tommy and Nancy alike. “We can’t have cops here! No! You have to save him. No back up! No hospital!” The gun was removed from his back and pointed at Tommy.
“We took oaths to help the sick and—“
“And you will do that, won’t you?” The guy’s voice took on a harder edge. The gun didn’t shake as it was pointed at Tommy. The guy’s focused remained on her. The woman had her attention on Nancy still, her eyes occasionally shifting up to Tommy.
TK took a deep breath and shifted ever so slightly, trying to move away. To find a way to get to his phone in his pocket. To subtly click on his radio. Anything.
Too bad he was never good at subtle…
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
TK froze. The guy had seen him reaching for his pocket. And he was pissed.
“Nothing. I just moved my arm and—“
“Don’t lie to me! Give me your phone? Now! All of you. Give it over.”
The woman reached into Tommy and Nancy’s pockets for their devices. The guy rounded on TK and stared him down. TK moved slowly, trying to formulate a plan on the spot. He pulled his phone out as slow as he could. Once it was in the open, he made a show of revealing it. His thumb and index finger were on the power and volume buttons. He moved just enough so that the guy couldn’t see and clicked them on so his emergency SOS icon showed. He slid his hand slowly, trying to tap the icon. To get help.
The guy wasn’t as dumb as he looked.
He saw TK shift and didn’t like it. He grabbed TK’s arm roughly, sending his phone crashing to the ground. TK tried to use the movement to his advantage, to find a way to knock the guy over, but it was no use. The guy pulled the gun up again, stopping TK in his tracks. He held up both his hands in surrender. HIs breathes came in quick gasps as the anxiety coursed through him.
They weren’t getting out of this…
“Nice try, asshole,” the guy snarled. “Don’t even think of doing that again!” He kept the gun in place and roughly grabbed TK by the collar of his uniform. TK felt his chain underneath nearly choke him in the process, cutting into his neck. The guy had managed to grab it along with his uniform, pulling it tightly as he hauled TK back up and against him. The chain snapped under his fingers. The guy didn’t notice, too busy keeping his attention on TK instead.
TK felt his chain slip. His uniform had come undone from his pants in the scuffle and he felt the chain fall. He let it. The guy had already picked up TK’s now broken cell and pocketed it in the scuffle. He didn’t notice TK’s necklace on the ground now. TK shuffled his feet and kicked it so that it wasn’t in direct sight.
He just hoped someone else would find it. Would connect the dots.
“You two,” the gunman pointed at Tommy and Nancy. “Get in and start on him.”
Tommy looked nervously at TK and started to comply. “We’ll need equipment. And really would be better for it to be somewhere cleaner than the van.”
The gunman shifted. “No,” he urged.
“Your friend would have a better chance in the ambulance,” TK slowly said. He saw anger flash in the man’s eyes.
Nancy jumped to his rescue before the man could do anything more. “He’s right.” Everyone looked at her, prompting her to take a deep breath. “He’s right. We have equipment and things that we can use on him.”
“You have radios and shit in there.”
“We can smash then, Jake,” the woman said.
“We said no names, Ally!” The gunman, Jake, didn’t realize he’d done the same thing in return to Ally. Not at first. Once he did, he grew angrier.
TK swallowed thickly. The gun was still pointed at him, but he had to try. “She’s right, Jake. Ally’s right.” He wanted to remember their names. He needed to. “You can get rid of the radios. Dispatch can’t track us without them.” TK tried to keep himself calm, but he felt his heart hammering in his chest.
Jake approached him a moment later. TK expected the worst. Instead, Jake ripped his radio off his uniform and smashed it against the ground. He did the same to Nancy’s and Tommy’s. He threw the remnants into the back of the van so they’d be out of sight too. Only then did he nudge them to move. He kicked at TK, catching him in the calf and nearly pushing him to the ground. “You stay with me.”
“I can help move your friend. I can—“
“Stay right with me. The ladies can move him just fine. You’re going to show me all the radios. Give me the keys.” TK reached toward his pocket. “Be slow. Don’t do anything stupid this time.”
TK just nodded and tried to comply. He handed over the keys, keeping his hands in sight and trying to do what Jake wanted. Jake unlocked the bus and waved his gun at TK yet again.
“Open the back for them.”
TK joined Tommy and Nancy where they were lifting on the guy. He got closer to Nancy as they moved and did the job. Her hand came up and tugged at his collar, noticing the red marks on his neck where his chain had dug in. She gave him a look before leaning close. She managed to make it look like they were just moving their patient.
“Don’t. Just do what they want. Please.” She sounded afraid. For him. For them. He couldn’t tell.
TK bit his lip. He didn’t respond.
“Okay, girls in the back. Pretty boy, up with me.” Nancy’s face paled as TK was pulled toward the passenger seat. “Get in.”
They all got inside the ambulance and followed his orders. TK leg started bouncing as soon as he sat down, the anxiety already building. Jake was inside and pulling out of the garage before he could do much of anything.
“Get to it back there!”
TK saw Tommy and Nancy startle at the gruff voice. The two started getting to work on the guy. It was slow and hard. Jake drove erratically and hit potholes and things, making their job in the back worse. TK kept looking back and saw Tommy’s expression grow more worried each time. He took a deep breath and hoped for the best.
“This isn’t going to work.” Jake sent him a quick glare and shifted slightly so the gun was once again pointed at TK. “They can’t help your friend like this. We need…they need somewhere that isn’t moving.”
“I think he’s right, Jake,” Ally called from the back. “They’re trying but he really doesn’t look good back here.”
“We don’t got anywhere to take him,” Jake huffed. “Home is gone. Everything is gone.” He hit his hand against the steering wheel.
“What about that old restaurant of my mom’s?” Ally continued. “I still have the keys. It’s been closed for a couple months. With the pandemic. No one will be there. Mom’s not even in Texas anymore. We can go there.”
Jake was agitated but glanced up at her in the mirror. “I don’t like it.”
“An abandoned restaurant would be better,” TK asserted. He earned a harsh glare from Jake for speaking up.
“They’re right,” Tommy called up from the back. “There’d be tables we can lay him out on. He needs surgery really. But—“
“You could do that if we got you a table.” Jake sighed loudly. “I don’t like this…”
“Mom lost the lease months ago,” Ally assured. “No one would connect it. I just forgot to give the key back.”
“It’d be better than nothing,” Tommy added. Her face remained calm, but TK could see she was worried. They all were.
This wasn’t going to end well…
“Fine. We go there,” Jake consented. “Just, keep him alive.”
TK took a deep breath, stealing himself. “What restaurant did your mom own?” He wanted information. Information could help. Could save them. He needed to keep them talking. He had to try.
Ally furrowed her brow at him from the back.
“Kind of a foodie. Well, my boyfriend is. I just get drug along to the restaurants he loves. Just curious if I went to your mom’s.” Jake turned down onto another road. They were heading toward a rougher section of town. TK knew a lot of things had been shut down in this side of town as the pandemic grew.
“She owned the Polo Bar and Grill.”
TK nodded. “I think we went there once. Wasn’t that the place that was known for their awesome vegan burgers?”
“Yeah,” Ally smiled slightly. It fell once Jake sent her a look from the front. “It was. We closed a few months ago. Couldn’t get enough take out revenue.”
“Had the same problem,” Tommy stated. TK could only hope she was following his thoughts. His plan. He was trying to humanize them. Them to their kidnappers. And vice versa in a sense. He hoped it would work. “My husband owned a place across town. We didn’t make it either.”
“It’s been really hard on people,” TK added. “I’m sorry you lost it. It sounds like it was important. That it meant a lot to your mom.”
“It did,” Ally sadly replied. “It—“
“Stop!” Jake yelled. He pulled the ambulance off to the side of the road. TK recognized the block. He knew the restaurant Ally was referring to was just up and around the corner. Jake had parked just right. So that the ambulance would be left at an intersection. No one would know which way they were going.
They needed a way to show where they were going…
“Hey, man,” TK started, shocked at himself for keeping his voice strong. “She’s just talking. We aren’t doing anything. Lay off.” He schooled his features and waited. He just hoped it would get the right reaction.
He was rewarded a moment later when Jake’s fist collided with his face, hitting his mouth and part of his nose. The hit was hard, drawing blood from his nose. His mouth crashed painfully into his teeth, drawing more blood. He fought the urge to spit it out in the ambulance.
He needed the blood.
“Shut up!” Jake yelled in his face. “Stop talking. Just get out. Come on!” The gun was pointed at him again. He held up his hands, trying to put on the facade of calm and collected. Once out of the ambulance, he spat a little of the blood from his mouth.
He wanted to leave a trail.
Jake ushered them to the back of the ambulance. He made them all gather up the poor bastard in the back. They kept him on the gurney and started pushing him off toward the restaurant. TK made sure to spit out blood as discreetly as he could every few yards. It wasn’t perfect. But he just had to hope.
Had to hope someone would notice. Anyone.
He couldn’t help but hope Carlos would notice. As irrational as it was. He couldn’t help it.
He wanted his boyfriend.
He wanted Carlos.
“Move it,” Jake pushed TK roughly. He managed to just barely stay on his feet as he was moved along the sidewalk. The block looked deserted but he couldn’t help but hope someone would see them. There were a few businesses that looked somewhat open, but no one was out or in the front. He sighed and just kept walking.
He had to think of something.
Before he could do much else, they were being pushed to the back of an old, kind of rundown restaurant. Ally pulled out a key and opened the back door for them. Jake urged them in, once again kicking out at TK.
TK bit his lip. He knew he’d angered the man. He could use that. He needed that. It would protect Tommy. Nancy. He had to do it. He could do it. It would be fine.
Nancy shot him another look, all but pleading with him to stop whatever his silent plan was. He tried to reassure her, but there wasn’t much he could do without talking.
“Put him up here,” Ally spoke up once they were inside. “No one’s been here for months. It should be cleaner.”
Tommy looked skeptical but relented. “Okay. Okay. Let’s get him on the table and go from there.” She let her medical bag drop from her shoulder and onto the floor there. Nancy followed suit.
TK helped Nancy transfer their patient to the counter, knocking a few leftover bowls and plates to the ground. It clattered and echoed throughout the kitchen, earning a startle from everyone but Jake. Jake kept his focus on them instead, waving the gun and making them continue on. Ally ran over and turned on lights for them.
“Save him! Stop wasting time! Just do it! Fix him!” Jake looked even more angry somehow.
TK saw Tommy swallow thickly. It had become increasingly obvious that there was not going to be any ‘saving’ of this guy. He had been shot in the stomach. Who knows how long ago. And had been bleeding steadily for more time than was recommended.
They were screwed….
Tommy pulled the guy’s shirt back. It only revealed more blood and problems. “Nancy, can you grab some gauze and maybe the forceps from the bag? TK, help her. I may need you to check if there is any ice in that freezer. Looks like they’ve left the power on in here. We may need ice to get his temp down. I think he already has a fever.”
“Sure thing, Cap.”
“Of course,” Nancy added. She grabbed TK’s arm and pulled him over to their bags. “Help me first.” Their kidnappers kept their focus on Tommy as she started working on their partner. Nancy used that opportunity to round on TK. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What?” He whispered. “What are you talking about?”
“Stop pissing him off.” Nancy reached in their bags for the necessary items. She shoved some into his hands. “You’ve already been choked and punched. Stop it.”
“I’m fine,” he assured. “Neither of those were bad. I wouldn’t say I was choked.”
Nancy flicked his collar. “Those marks say otherwise.” Her eyes looked tearier than he had first noticed. “Just stop with the chivalrous bullshit.”
“I’m not doing any chivalrous bullshit.” He started to stand to walk back to Tommy with the supplies. Nancy stopped him, placing her hand on his knee. “What?”
“Please.” A tear slid down her cheeks. “I’ve already buried one partner.”
“Nancy—“
“And I’ve had to see you shot once before. Can we not make it twice?”
“Nancy—“
“Hurry up!” Jake yelled, interrupting their moment. “He’s bleeding worse!”
TK tried to give Nancy a reassuring smile. He knew it fell flat, but there wasn’t much else he could do. The pair stood and rejoined Tommy. TK couldn’t help but pale at the amount of blood coating her hands.
“TK, can you get some ice for me? Something. I think we need to work on the bleeding but worried about a fever too.”
“Got it, Cap.” TK handed over the supplies and turned toward the freezers. As soon as he turned, he honed in on the bright red fire alarm just off to the side of the freezers.
He could do this.
He took a deep breath and slowly made his way to the freezer. He kept his breathing as steady as he could. He was so close. All he had to do was take a few more steps and pull that alarm. That was all. That would alert them to their location. That would help.
It would save them.
He was so close.
He could do this.
He was just within reach of it. He was so close. But…
Jake grabbed him before he could. Before he could pull the alarm. Before he could get help.
Jake grabbed him roughly by the shoulder, pulling him away from the wall. He nearly lost his balance at the rough tugs. Jake’s angry face came into view. TK opened his mouth, a lie ready on the tip of his tongue, ready to explain himself.
He never got the chance.
Jake took the gun and bashed it against the side of TK’s head. He saw starts and fell to the ground.
“TK!”
He couldn’t tell who yelled. Tommy. Nancy. He couldn’t follow. He lost track of things for a moment. He couldn’t follow what Jake was yelling. What the others were saying.
All he felt was pain.
Pain at the bruises and cuts forming on his head.
Pain as Jake grabbed him roughly by the arm.
Pain as his shoulder was practically ripped out of socket with the force of Jake’s grip.
So much pain…
“Please!” TK could just make out Tommy pleading with Jake. “Please. Let him go. I—“
“Shut up! Shut up!” Jake pulled on TK even harder. He gasped as he felt his shoulder dislocate. Pain shot through his arm and down his back at the action. Jake didn’t notice. He kept tugging on TK until he was at Nancy and Tommy’s feet. “Help him! Save my friend!”
Tommy held up her hands. “Okay. Just calm down. I—“
“I am calm!” Jake kicked out, his foot colliding with TK’s ribs. “Save my friend.”
“We will. Just stop hurting TK,” Nancy said, her voice wavering at his name.
Jake looked down at TK again. He grabbed him roughly by the hair and pulled him up. “You save my friend and I will consider letting yours go.” He clicked the safety off of the gun and pressed it against TK’s head.
Tommy and Nancy gasped.
Hell, even Ally seemed anxious.
TK…he could barely follow what was happening. The pain in his head only doubled with being forced upright by Jake.
His vision blurred.
He felt sick.
He was dizzy.
He closed his eyes.
They didn’t open again…