Paul was sitting against the cell wall when commander Four paid them a visit. Amanda didn't even register that Four was there.
"Have you heard of Stacie's Tattoo shop?"
Paul got to his feet, frowning. "Can't say that I have. Does this have something to do with my son?"
"Yes." Four opened the cell door. "I've scheduled a meeting with the store owner. You and Amanda are coming with me, so hurry along and get cleaned up."
Paul reached for Amanda but she scooted back in the corner. Her eyes were wide, wet with tears.
"Amanda, they have a lead on Elias," Paul whispered.
Amanda blinked. "I want Elias. I want my son back."
"Your wife is unwell." Four muttered. "Let's go, I'll be sure she's well taken care of while we're away." Paul sighed and made his way toward the open cell door. He looked back at his wife and made a promise to himself.
'I will come back and I will bring our son home, no matter how dangerous or long the journey will be; I'll bring Elias back.'
.....
Levi gawped as Elias and Toby were escorted outside. He whirled toward Ranger.
"Shouldn't we do something?" he hissed. "They're taking away our friends to kill them!"
Ranger glowered at him. "You brats were never my friends. Everything is going according to plan."
Levi stumbled back in surprise, dumbfounded. Did Ranger betray them? Of course, he did. In anger, Levi whipped out a silver ball, someone shouted about a bomb, and several people got up and ran for the exits.
He pressed a button before throwing it at Ranger's chest. Ranger barely had time to dodge it before smoke started emitting.
Levi took off running, pulling his mask over his face. He wasn't sure how he didn't notice earlier. All the muttering Ranger was doing, he had sold them out. And now he had to figure out a way to save his friends alone.
When he finally caught up to the solders who had dragged Elias and Toby off, they were trying to shove them inside a carriage. Elias had his foot on the step struggling against the solder.
Toby was being held down on the ground, his mask had been torn from his face and his cheek was bleeding.
Levi reached into his bag and pulled out another smoke bomb. It rolled until it hit Toby in the knee. Toby looked up at him and his eyes widened. The bomb exploded just as Levi felt something pierce his leg.
....
Toby took advantage of the solders confusion when the bomb went off. The guards released him, shouting orders in bewilderment.
Toby took down the two that had been holding him down, then raced towards Levi. Levi was on the ground gripping his thigh, blood was everywhere.
On his hands, the ground, his clothes.
Toby crouched next to him and helped him sit up. Levi blinked up at him and looked around. "E..Elias? Where is..?"
Toby scooped him up and looked around at the crowd of people that had formed.
"Help, please." Toby rasped. "He needs help."
The crowd slowly dispersed and Toby bit his lip, he couldn't let Levi die. Though he hardly knew him, Elias would be devastated to hear his friend had been killed.
"Someone please!!"
An older woman wearing tatter clothes slowly approached him. Her hair was silver and tied back in a tight bun. She looked down at Levi then opened his mouth and dropped something inside.
Levi shuddered and sighed. Eyes closed.
"Toby exploded. "What did you do you...you hag!"
"I did as you asked." the woman whispered. "Your friend isn't dead. He's sleeping and needs time to rest."
"But we don't have time!" Toby snapped. "One of my friends-"
"Were captured, I know." the woman pointed to a hut in the distance. "You can leave him with me while you go rescue your other friend."
The woman turned and started walking away. Toby gritted his teeth and followed, realizing that there was no other option. The woman pushed open the door to her hut and motioned for Toby to put Levi on the only bed in the home.
Toby took a shaky breath.
"That day changed you. You were determined not to make friends or get into any relationship. But then you left and came back...different." the woman ran a finger along Levi's wound.
Toby watched, mesmerized as the wound started closing on its own.
"That other boy changed you. And you care for him, more than you'd like to." Toby and the woman lock eyes. "Now go get him."