Homecoming - 28. Chapter 28

When Patrick awakened, he saw only darkness. A stench of metallic filled his nose and something heavy was laying half on him. Unable to move his left arm, he reached over with his right to push whatever it was off him. Then he felt an arm. Patrick’s memory of seeing the cab driver shot flashed in his mind.

Panic gripped him as he fought to get away from the dead body, but having nowhere to go. He reached up and banged on the ceiling and remembered he was in the trunk. The killer put the dead driver in with him. “Help me!” he screeched at the top of his lungs. Over and over he shouted and prayed someone would hear him, but it seemed hopeless.

“Adam, please—help me.” His final cry was answered, but, it wasn’t Adam. The lid opened and light poured in blinding Patrick at first. He covered his eyes and adjusted to the brightness seeing someone reaching for him. Patrick reached out towards the person when a cloth covered his mouth and nose. A sweet scent filled his head and just as he saw Ricky everything went black.

It took Ricky some negotiation, but he managed to convince Patrick to cooperate—with the help of Chloroform. Ricky carried the limp, unconscious body over his shoulder to his grandmother’s pickup truck. After his grandmother’s passing Ricky did some routine maintenance, and it ran like new.

He laid Patrick down in the truck’s bed. His clothes were stained with blood from the dead cab driver that was next to him in the trunk. Ricky covered him from head to toe with a blanket, then closed the rolling door locking it. Ricky returned to the shed and grabbed a wheel barrel and headed for the house.

The back door, still opened, and Adam on his stomach on the kitchen floor still out cold. Rick turned, his once friend, over and grabbed him under his arms and dragged him out the back door loading him onto the wheel barrel.

“You know Adam, all of this could have been different,” said Ricky, pushing the wheel barrel back to the shed. “You could have joined in with me and Eric. We would have had a lot of fun. He wasn’t that bad. Sure, we were under age, but he took good care of me. Really good care of me. I mean, if it wasn’t for Eric I would have never been able to keep my grandmother’s house.” Ricky glanced down at Adam. Besides the cut on his head, he looked as if he was sleeping peacefully. Ricky jerked the wagon causing Adam’s head to bob up and bang down on the metal cart.

“Sorry about that, old buddy. Sorry about everything.”

***********

Anton walked into his home a free man. Even if it might be temporary. The house was his masterpiece he made for his family. But when he entered it was as if the glue that held it together had unsealed leaving everything in shambles.

Anton scanned the mess and a sharp pain of guilt squeezed his heart as tears slid down his face. Troy came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him.

“It’ll be alright. We’ll get it all back to normal,” said Troy.

“But it will never be the same,” said Anton.

“Anton, you’ve been through a lot these past years and I won’t lie that I don’t feel guilty for it.”

“Troy, you don’t need to feel guilty…”

“You were repeatedly raped by Perkins and had to hold all that emotion inside for my sake and the boys. How you held it together for so long is a mystery to me.”

“I turned my head off and pretend it was all a nightmare. A few valiums after a long shower and I made myself believe it was not real. I did that once a month for fifteen years.” Anton turned to Troy. “I did it so I could come back to all of you.”

“I’m going to get you help and I’m going to be there with you if you want.”

“I do.” Troy sealed the deal with a kiss holding Anton close.

Tina appeared from the kitchen holding the cordless house phone. She was surprised to see Troy holding Anton in his arms kissing him.

Anton?” Tina said, stunned. The lovers parted as Anton turned to Tina.

“Tina,” said Anton, walking over and hugging her. Tina was a bit hesitant, but recovered knowing Troy was watching. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back.

“Anton, it’s so good to have you home.”

“It’s only because I had to put on this,” he said, raising his pants leg and showing Tina his tracking ankle bracelet.

“Oh, how dreadful.”

“It’s fine. I mean at least I can be home.”

The front door opened and the familiar voices lift Anton’s heart.

“Mom,” said Paul and Kyle, rushing into the room.

“I’m here,” said Anton, who was taken by surprise when Paul embraced him lifting him off his feet.

“Are you alright?” he asked, sitting his mother down.

“I’m fine.” Anton glanced around. “It looks like a twister hit this place.”

“Come on Paul,” said Kyle. “Let me in.” Paul stepped aside as Kyle embraced his mother.

“It’s alright baby, I’m home.”

“Is it for good?” asked Kyle. Anton looked to Troy worried.

“He’s home, and that’s what we should be grateful for,” said Troy. Kyle stepped away and placed his hands in his pockets.

“Mom, why don’t you relax while we clean up,” Paul said.

“That’s a good idea,” said Troy.”

“And I’ll go make coffee,” said Tina, leaving the room.”

Anton watched as Troy, Paul and Kyle went to work cleaning up the living room.

“I’m not going to sit around and be useless,” said Anton, walking over to the bookcase grabbing some books to shelve.

“Anton, why don’t you go in and help Tina with the coffee,” suggested Troy.

“She doesn’t need help with the coffee.”

“Well—I’m pretty hungry,” said Paul.

“You are?”

“Yeah, me too mom,” said Kyle.

“There, why don’t you go make something for us to snack on,” said Troy.

“I can go warm up leftovers,” said Anton.

“And cake?” asked Kyle.

“Fine and cake.”

“Thanks, mom,” said Kyle, taking the books from him.

Anton went to the kitchen and saw Tina filling a pitcher with beer.

“I thought they would want something more refreshing to drink instead of coffee,” said Tina.

“Good idea. They want to eat now so I'm going to start warming up leftovers.”

“Wonderful I’ll be back to help you.”

“Thanks, Tina.”

“Stop thanking me,” smiled Tina carrying the full pitcher with three glasses into the living room.

************

Ricky closed the shed door and walked to the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat. He sat and watched through his rear-view mirror smoke rising from the ceiling of the shed with the cab, it’s driver and Adam inside unconscious. He started the motor and drove off towards the Potter ghost town.

Ricky had shackled Adam’s wrist to the car’s door handle and poured flammable liquid inside the car. He didn’t have the heart to pour any on Adam. He figured Adam would die from smoke inhalation before the fire got to him.

Adam started coming too, and heard ringing in his head. He wanted it to go away when the ringing turned to yelling and banging. He cracked open his eyes and saw he was looking at his wrist handcuffed to something. Taking a deep breath, he gagged on smoke. Coughing it out, his lungs burned from the inhale. He looked around more and saw he was inside a shed.

“Adam!” a voice called out as the banging continued. “Adam, answer me!”

“Justin?” he said, through gasp.

“Adam!”

“Justin,” he called out a bit louder. His skull compressing on his brain. “In here, Justin.”

“Adam, can you get out. The sheds on fire!”

Adam looked around then at his shackled wrist. He tugged at it and tried to pull his wrist from it but neither budged.

“No, I’m handcuffed to a car!” His coughing erupted again.

Justin looked around the shed and saw a large bolt cutter laying in the weeds. He grabbed it and raced back fastening it to the padlock bearing down on it until it snapped through.

“Yes,” Justin said, pulling the door open. Smoke poured out as he covered his nose and mouth looking for Adam.

“Here Justin,” Adam called. Justin went in and saw the trunk opened and a man lying inside. He started to check for a pulse, then saw the part of his head missing. He went around and saw Adam on the ground coughing. The inside of the car was on fire and his wrist shackled. He brought the bolt cutters up and cut through the cuffs. Tossing the tool aside, he helped Adam to his feet and walked him out of the shed.

“Hang on Adam.” Justin walked him to a safe distance and sat him down on the ground. Adam took in clean air and started to focus again.

“Ricky did this,” said Adam.

“I know. I called the sheriff.” Justin reached into his pocket and removed a clean tissue and pressed it to the cut on Adam’s forehead. “Adam, he has Patrick.”

“What?”

“I saw Ricky put him in a pickup truck and drove off.”

“I have to go get him. Do you know which way he went?”

“Yeah, he has Patrick’s phone. I'm tracking them.”

“Show me.” Justin hands Adam his phone. Adam saw the direction Ricky was going.

“I know where he’s taking him. I need to get to my jeep." Justin helped Adam to his feet and to his jeep.

“I’ll drive,” said Justin.

“Fine.”