Chain Reaction 2.75: Low-bred Mongrels

Emily

     I look at my abductor, annoyed. My head is killing me so badly that I can't even stand up straight. I have no idea where I am, having awakened on the cot next to me.

     "Good morning, princess. I trust there weren't any peas under your mattress?" he says to my look.

     "What do you want?" I growl.

     He laughs. "Very direct. Just like my oldest sister. Awesome." He clears his throat. "What do we always want? Hm? I've heard you're brilliant. You tell me."

     Money. "Whatever it is. He'll pay it. Only if I'm not hurt, though." Truth be told, I'm terrified. I have no idea what to do in these situations, and I hate feeling stupid.

      His grin is familiar, but I can't place it. "Let me assure you, as long as you cooperate, we won't harm a hair on your head."

      As long as I cooperate? What exactly does that entail? "We?"

     "Oh! She's awake!" an older man asks as he walks in and sits down across from me. From the looks of things, he'd descended from a staircase behind a far wall. The room is set up almost like a wide corridor, and they only use the far half. I'll have a ways to go to get to the staircase when I make a break for it. Best to stall them until my head clears. There are two men, but I'm only worried about the one that abducted me. I hope there aren't more upstairs--wherever that is.

       "Hi! I trust you slept well?"

       I watch the older man suspiciously. Like the one next to me, there's something eerily familiar about him. The smile. Almost goofy.

       "You look like a blend of your mother and that sick bastard," he tells me, chuckling.

       Probably a dumb idea, but I argue with him. "My father isn't a sick bastard, and how do you know who I am?" Of course, they might know all about me, but I want them to talk.
      The older man laughs, and I'm seriously getting weirded out. "I wanna tell her who we are!"
      "No. Cool it."
      "But I wanna see her face!"

      "I don't want to know who you are!" Ow. My head! "Call Alexander Goth. He'll pay it, I promise." Please.
      The older man's countenance changes immediately. "You watch your tone, young lady! And that's another thing! Alexander Goth is much too old for you!"
      My headache makes me lose my temper. "What's it to you about our age difference? You two are nothing but a couple of low-bred mongrels."
      The old man stands up. "That's it! Just like your mother! Always sassing and not listening to those who know more than she does!" He starts reaching for his waistline, pulling at a belt.
      "Dad! We said we'd not harm her."
      I get up, ready to defend myself against this lunatic. Somehow. I will not be beat with a belt. I reach for the potted plant. Adrenaline must be what's driving away my headache.
      "Whoa, there, missy. Let's calm down. I won't let him touch you." The younger one pulls me away from the pot. Turning to the older man, he says, "Dad! Calm down! Don't forget she's also collateral."
      I don't like the younger one touching me. I feel sick, remembering when he snatched me off the sidewalk. After Alex... I can't think of what Alex had just done before that. One thing at a time.

     "Don't touch me!"

     "But you wanna know who we are, right?"
     "No. I don't care." I miss Alex. I want to go home. So what if Violet Franco threw herself at him. It's not like Alex was kissing her back or even enjoying her being all over him. I should've walked up and slapped her. I was foolish.
     "But now I've decided I agree with Dad. You should know who we are."

     He tugs me closer to him and says quietly into my ear, "He's your grandfather."

     I'm going to be sick. I know why the smile is familiar now. It's the same as Ethan's.

     I try to step away, but his grip on my shoulders tightens.

     He keeps talking. "And this low-bred mongrel holding your shoulders, I'm your Uncle Logan, Mommy's little brother."
     "No." I try to push him away.
     "Yeah! Nice little family reunion, huh? And why shouldn't we cash in on my niece's gold digging? Not one but both Goth men. Nice work."
      The older man chimes in. "Chip off the ol' block, just like your mom. Though you're smarter than her, even if he is too old for you. Go for the younger one, I say."
      "You're both crazy. Leave me alone!" I successfully shove off the younger one...my uncle...and make a break for it.

      This--grandfather--of mine may be old, but he's quick. It doesn't help I'm in a dress and heels. When he grabs my arm, I'm surprised by his strong grip. Logan sighs wearily and sits down in a chair behind me, trusting his father won't let me leave.
      "Let me go!" I say predictably.

      "I don't think so, princess. You see, you're our meal ticket."
      "If you needed help, why didn't you just come and ask for it? Why pull this stunt?"
      He laughs. "Why would you help me? Why would Brielle help me? She ran away from home and, like I'd guessed, never told you about me."
      "Oh, I heard about you alright! And I know why she ran away!"
      "Because I'm a strict parent?"
      His grip of my arms hurts, but I don't stop fighting him. "Because you'd beat her!"
      "No! That was discipline! Your mother couldn't take it! Nothing but a spineless, whining, self-centered, fairy princess!"

      I'm so scared! I'm being held captive by my uncle and grandfather. I don't want to be here! Why doesn't someone find me? Why don't they just demand money from Alex? He'd pay it. Wouldn't he? Surely he would. Oh, Maker, I miss him!
     The old man tells the younger one, "I think our little princess needs her medicine. She's had enough talking and is feeling overwhelmed."
      Medicine? "No!" I start fighting again. How is it that he's so strong?
      "Hurry up!"
      I scream when I see my uncle get a syringe and start filling it with something. The old man presses me hard against the wall, panting from the effort of keeping me still.
      The younger one doesn't sound worried while he says, "Aw, don't worry, princess. It's just a little prick. You're not scared of needles, are you?"
      "You bastards! Let me go." I hate that my crying makes me sound weak.
      I break free! The younger one curses, and I hear him immediately running after me.
      I see the stairwell in front of me before I get tackled by a locomotive, landing hard on the packed dirt floor. Daylight streams through a crack under the door, I notice, while I struggle to get free again.
      Holding me down with his body, he stabs my back and injects the 'medicine.'
      I'm crying again. "No-o-o-o-o-o." Too quickly, I'm incredibly sleepy.
      "I think I liked you better when you were sleeping," he says, continuing to hold me down even though I doubt I could rise.
      "As*hole," I mumble, and the last sound I hear before falling asleep is his chuckling.

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A/N: I realize that Jett should be an elder, but every time I tried to age him up, he'd die immediately. So, I did the best I could with making him look older in other ways.

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