Chapter 32

Casey stilled long enough for Martin to look at his sliced wrist.

"Damn it. Your boyfriend's arrival made me cut more than I'd planned."

"Maybe if you hadn't fucking cut me in the first place..." Casey griped.

Martin shrugged as he wiped away blood harshly, eliciting a hiss of pain before slapping gauze down on it and wrapping it with medical tape.

"You could use the skin glue, you know," Casey muttered.

Martin dropped Casey's arm back down, and even Shawn winced when Casey hissed, clenching his fist. "I could, but your suicide attempt here needs to look pretty gruesome to convince Dr. Buratha that a helicopter is necessary to get you some psychiatric help."

"Suicide? What are you talking about?" Shawn's eyes narrowed.

"All part of my travel plans," Martin teased as he strapped Casey's arm back down. "Casey's 'suicide' here will get us quick transportation to the hospital in Iranamadu where we can then fly out to Columbo and then to England. Much less driving."

"You're insane," Shawn hissed. His wrists were raw with all the friction he was creating with the leather, but he could already feel it stretching just a bit.

"That's what I told him," Casey murmured lethargically.

"Don't worry, as soon as I take care of your boyfriend here, we'll be on our way to England, you'll shift and have lots of admirers, and I'll get my kudos and make lots of money. Win-win. Well, at least a win for me. But hey, I'm sure we can manage to get you a good size tank, make an exhibit out of it even."

Fuck the man is nuts, Shawn thought as he fought back images of his beautiful man wasting away, caged in an aquarium like a fish, never to be free again. Tears burned at the corners of his eyes. God, no, please... no.

"You'll look like an idiot because I'll never shift for you," Casey muttered listlessly. And Shawn was certain that Casey would keep his mer half locked away before he let Martin use him like that.

Shawn smirked at the stunned look on Martin's face at Casey's statement. Obviously, the man hadn't figured that into his 'plans'. But then the man's dark eyes narrowed. "You won't have a choice," Martin bit out. "At least not on the full moon."

Shawn's eyes widened in horror. He was right. Casey had said he had to shift on the nights of the full moon. The fucking lunatic would win, and Casey would be trapped and studied like a lab rat.

"No, you can't do that to him." Shawn struggled violently, wishing he could stop these insane plans somehow. If he could just get the fucking belt off his hands... "Think about what you're doing! You're sentencing your nephew to--"

"I'll be dead by the next full moon anyway," Casey's soft voice startled both Shawn and Martin into staring at him in shock.

Casey's head was turned away from both of them, staring at the wall, but Shawn could see the trails of tears slipping down his temples and dampening his sandy blond hair. Oh, god, he's given up.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Martin growled down at Casey, yanking Casey's chin to face him.

A sad, resigned smile graced Casey's lips. "I won't let you do this to me. I'll find a way."

"Casey," Shawn whimpered at the thought of losing his love that way. "Don't. I'll help--"

Martin rounded on him angrily, obviously upset by Casey's determination to thwart his plans. Shawn could see the manic thoughts racing through the man's head, trying to figure out what to do about Casey's proclamation.

"You won't be doing anything," he sneered, as he turned to rummage through a cabinet. "That's at least one thing I won't have to worry about later--you showing up and causing problems."

"You know," Shawn started, hoping to rattle the man. Maybe if he got Martin really angry he'd make a mistake. "I wonder what Thomas would think about what you are doing."

He knew he'd struck a chord with the man when he saw Martin freeze momentarily in his search.

"What would the man you say you loved think about what you are doing now?"

Martin turned, his face etched in anger. "Don't you ever talk about Thomas!"

"Why the hell not? You're destroying everything he ever cared about!" Shawn snapped. He may not have known Thomas personally, but he'd learned enough about the man to know that he'd be devastated at what his partner was doing now. "You've become a madman, and you're killing Casey!"

"Thomas isn't here because of him!" Martin shot back.

"You know that's not true!"

"I didn't kill him!" Casey yelled at the same time as Shawn.

Martin appeared with a large syringe and a vial. He leaned over Casey. "Yeah, well, we'll see how you feel about losing someone you love."

Casey's eyes widened in horror. "No!"

Shawn tensed as Martin stalked over to him, filling the syringe with the liquid. "You didn't think I'd leave him here alive to chase after us, did you?"

"Please," Casey begged, sobs tearing from his throat, his chest heaving against the strap holding him down. "Please, don't. I'll do anything you want, just don't--"

"You think I believe you," Martin sneered. "I'll just have to keep you sedated or restrained so you can't do anything stupid. After this 'suicide' attempt, I'm sure keeping you restrained for your own good, so you can't hurt yourself again, will be more than believable."

Shawn squirmed, wrenching at his bonds now as he tried to back away from the approaching needle. He didn't know what the hell was in it, but he was certain it wasn't anything good.

Martin squatted next to his head. "This is potassium chloride," he announced, holding up the syringe. "Normally, potassium is good for you. However, a large, concentrated dose injected into muscle tissue will induce a heart attack within fifteen minutes--most likely much less, and it'll be absorbed into your system so no one can tell it wasn't a natural occurrence."

Shawn could vaguely hear Casey screaming at his uncle as his own panic rose. Shawn jerked back away from Martin's attempt to grab his arm, twisting to keep out of the man's reach. When Martin yanked at his bicep, Shawn felt the belt give, sweat and heat slicking the leather enough for his hand to finally slide free.

Martin looked back over his shoulder at Casey. "Now you'll get to watch someone you care about die in front of you."

"You son-of-a bitch!" Casey screamed himself hoarse. "Stop it! Please!"

Shawn only had a moment of shocked relief when his hands slipped free. And he took advantage of Martin's distraction to whip his hand up just as the needle started to prick his skin. He grabbed at Martin's wrist. Cursing shouts echoed from both of them as they grappled for control of the syringe. Martin's fury and bigger muscle mass made him a lot stronger than Shawn, but Shawn's worry for Casey and his own life gave him the strength to endure Martin's overwhelming power.

Martin continued to try to drive the needle into whatever body part he could aim at, and Shawn found himself unable to wrest the syringe from the man. Sweat dripped in his eyes, blurring his vision, as he fought to keep Casey's uncle from killing him, from eventually killing Casey.

Martin ranted obscenities at him and he could hear Casey struggling on the table, but he refused to lose focus. As his strength ebbed, Shawn knew he'd never get the syringe away from the man, his grip on it was too tight, too determined. He abruptly twisted his hand over Martin's wrist, driving it down, hoping to break the needle off rather than trying to keep it out of his own skin.

The needle drove down into Martin's thigh instead. Without thinking, Shawn smashed his hand down on the plunger, emptying the liquid into Martin's leg.

"Fuck!" Martin screamed, pain and horror blazing in his eyes as he yanked the needle free.

Shawn took advantage of the man's momentary shock to jump up and race over to Casey. He grabbed hold of the bloody scalpel and whipped around to face the raging madman, keeping himself protectively in front of Casey.

He watched warily as Martin lurched to his feet. The man stared at him with wide, horrified eyes. It was rapidly sinking in what had just happened.

"You... You..." Martin stammered, panting heavily.

"You did it to yourself when you tried to kill me!" Shawn snapped.

Shawn was glad to see that Martin's fury morphed quickly to self-preservation, his mind obviously racing with what he needed to do to save himself. Shawn could see the color drain from Martin's face as he broke out in a sweat. The pulse at his throat already throbbing irratically.

""Sodium... sodium bi...c-carbonate," the man whispered almost to himself, "I need..." He stared at the cabinets behind Shawn. "Fuck, I don't have anything here..."

With clenched teeth, he glared at both Shawn and Casey, obviously considering what to do. Abruptly, he whirled and stormed to the front door. Shawn didn't move, barely breathing, even as he heard keys rattling, until he heard the roar of the SUV's engine tearing off down the road toward the village.

"Shit." Shawn sagged back against the table in relief. He spun around, dropping the scalpel before running his hands over Casey's torso and abs, scanning for injuries. He found that his hands were shaking as they moved up to Casey's jaw.

Those watery gray eyes gazed up at him, searching. "It's over," Shawn whispered. "He's gone, for now."

Casey broke down, his eyes clenching shut, his bottom lip quivering. "Fuck, Shawn, I thought he was going to kill you." Casey's voice was raspy with screaming at his uncle. "I couldn't--"

"Shhh." Shawn soothed his hand over Casey's head, wiping at the tears, ignoring his own dripping off his chin. He pulled himself together long enough to yank the straps free, and Casey tumbled off the table into his arms.

@@@@

Casey clutched at Shawn as soon as he was free from the damn table. "I can't... believe he... " Casey started, his words jumbled as they tumbled from his mouth. "He tried... he wanted to..." He gripped Shawn's face in his hands. "He almost--"

"I know, I know." Shawn tried to calm him down, but Casey was shaking, his eyes wide with the horror of what his uncle had tried to do to him... to Shawn.

"Let's just go. Get you to a doctor for that arm. Did he do... anything else?" Shawn asked, obviously worried about what the answer might be, his eyes still scanning Casey's body for any indication of other injuries.

"No." Casey pulled back. "But we can't go to Dr. Buratha in the village; that's where he went. To the clinic." Casey stopped, eyes wide and dilated. "Do you think he--"

Shawn shook his head. "I don't know. But I know you aren't staying here in case he comes back. And you're still bleeding, Case." Shawn held Casey's wrist reverently, almost like it would break if he let it move. Blood was soaking through the gauze. "Hell, I'll drive you all the way to the hospital in Iranamadu if I have to, but--"

"No, wait." Casey pulled out of Shawn's arms, turning to rummage through his uncle's cabinets. He found the first aid cabinet and turned with a grin, holding up a small vial.

"What's that?" Shawn stared at it skeptically.

"Dermabond," Casey announced, grabbing some extra gauze and medical tape as well.

"What?" Shawn stared at him in confusion.

"It's like superglue for the skin," Casey explained. "Unc- ...Martin kept it for when I got cuts and stuff."

Shawn frowned at him but finally huffed his agreement. "Fine, but if this stuff doesn't work, or if it looks like it might be getting infected, or if--"

"I get it," Casey cut him off, "you'll drag my ass to the hospital. Let's--let's just get out of here."

He cast one last shuddering glance at the table stained with his blood and grabbed Shawn's arm. Shawn was staring at the table as well, the straps hanging limply, the bright smear of red. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"Shawn." Casey jerked on Shawn's arm, snapping his love from the horrible image. "I'm fine. Let's go."

Shawn tripped as he turned but righted himself, drawing in a deep breath. Casey smiled hesitantly, leaning in to kiss the man he loved, the man who had stormed in to his rescue, nearly getting killed in the process.

Shawn hungrily devoured him, clinging to him as if he was going to disappear. Casey could feel Shawn shaking just as much as he was, but they had to get out of here. He couldn't stand to face Martin again.

"Do you want to grab some clothes?" Shawn asked as they reached the front door.

Casting a wary eye back into the house, Casey shook his head. Irrationally, he felt like Martin might jump out at him at any moment. "Hell no. I'd rather go naked than spend another minute in this place right now."

Shawn chuckled, and they both felt relief sweep over them as they stepped into the fresh air. "I could deal with that."