Chapter Text
"WILLIAM!"
Jackson's attention snapped away from the two strangers he and his brother had kidnapped and straight toward William.
A moment earlier the pair had been tied up securely. The next, Mama had lashed out and shoved William into the barn wall then unintentionally set the two free.
The impact echoed through the building.
A loud thud.
Then a crunch.
The sound made Jackson's stomach drop.
The captives were still shouting over one another downstairs, their voices frantic as they scrambled around the first floor while Mama chased after them.
Jackson didn't care.
Not right now.
Normally he would've been the first one downstairs, knife in hand and ready to make them regret trying to run. But all he could focus on was William.
William wasn't supposed to go down that easily.
He was strong.
Tough.
Practically impossible to knock over.
Yet there he was, crumpled against the wall and completely still.
A cold knot of fear twisted in Jackson's chest.
"William!?"
He dropped to his knees so quickly they slammed against the wooden floor.
"William! William!"
His hands hovered over his brother, unsure where to touch. There wasn't any obvious wound, but that somehow made it worse.
Why wasn't he moving?
Why wasn't he getting up?
"William, get up! They're getting away!"
His voice cracked.
"What if they hurt Mama? What if they—"
A deafening bang exploded through the barn.
The floor seemed to shake beneath him.
Then came a scream.
Not a human scream.
Something animalistic.
Something agonized.
"MAMA!"
Jackson whipped around so fast his neck hurt.
His heart nearly stopped.
Fire.
Bright orange flames were spreading across the first floor, crawling hungrily over old wood and dry hay. A gas canister they had stored away had exploded, feeding the blaze.
And right in the middle of it-
Mama was rolling across the dirt floor, shrieking and clawing at herself as flames consumed her body.
Jackson had seen people burn before.
It never looked like that.
The smell hit him next.
Smoke.
Burning flesh.
His stomach churned.
Not far away stood the two they'd kidnapped.
The woman with the long black hair looked horrified.
Absolutely horrified.
Her eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open as though she couldn't process what she'd just witnessed.
Beside her stood the other survivor.
The one with the green bangs.
They looked far less shaken.
Their expression was cold.
Focused.
Like they were already thinking about what came next.
Rage surged through Jackson so suddenly it almost made him dizzy.
They did this.
They hurt William.
They hurt Mama.
His grip tightened around the handle of his butcher knife until his knuckles ached.
Without thinking, he shot to his feet.
The stairs were already beginning to catch fire.
He didn't care.
His boots pounded against the wood as he rushed downward.
The woman was closer.
She was going to pay first.
Jackson lunged.
The knife sliced through the air with enough force to kill.
But she was faster than he expected.
She ducked away.
The blade missed by inches.
"No!"
The shout tore from his throat.
The woman sprinted away, circling around the stolen car they'd dragged into the barn. Every time Jackson tried to close the distance, she slipped away again, using the vehicle as a shield.
His frustration mounted with every failed attempt.
He couldn't catch her.
Couldn't corner her.
Couldn't make her stop moving.
And in his anger, he failed to notice the second survivor slipping away.
By the time he realized they were gone, Aspen was already halfway up the stairs.
Aspen took the steps two at a time.
Their lungs burned.
Smoke was already gathering near the ceiling, turning the air thick and difficult to breathe.
Every instinct screamed at them to hurry.
Glitz was still downstairs.
The fire was spreading.
They needed those keys.
Now.
The moment Aspen reached the second floor, they spotted them.
Relief washed through them.
There.
The keys.
They rushed forward and snatched them from the shelf.
For a brief moment, their shoulders sagged.
They had them.
They could leave.
They could get Glitz and run.
Then their eyes drifted across the room.
And landed on William.
Aspen froze.
William sat slumped against the wall where Mama had thrown him.
Smoke curled around him.
He coughed harshly, his broad shoulders shaking with the effort.
His eyes were only half open.
But they were still locked onto Aspen.
Watching.
The look in them made Aspen's stomach tighten.
There was no fear there.
No panic.
Only hatred.
William's fingers remained wrapped around the handle of his red wrench.
Even now.
Even injured.
Even half-conscious.
He still looked dangerous.
William huffed through clenched teeth and forced himself upward.
The effort made him shake.
For a second Aspen thought he might actually manage it.
Then his legs gave out.
He stumbled sideways and slammed a hand against the wall to keep himself upright.
Still, his gaze never left them.
Not for a second.
"I'll kill you both for this."
The words came out rough.
Broken.
Yet somehow no less threatening.
His grip tightened around the wrench.
"I knew we should've fed you to the pig when we had the chance."
Aspen scoffed.
Honestly, they were about done with these two brothers.
The pair had spent the entire day trying to kill them and Glitz. Pretty faces only got you so far, and both Jackson and William had blown past that limit hours ago.
Still, Aspen wasn't surprised when William suddenly tried to lunge forward.
With a grunt, he threw his weight toward them and swung the wrench.
Or at least, he tried to.
The moment he moved, pain seemed to tear through him.
His body gave out beneath him.
Instead of landing a hit, William stumbled forward and crashed face-first onto the floor with a pained grunt.
Smoke burned his lungs with every inhale, making his chest ache. His head throbbed. His back screamed in protest every time he tried to move.
Yet none of it compared to the fury boiling inside him.
Everything had gone wrong today.
The captives had escaped.
Mama was burning.
The barn was on fire.
Jackson was downstairs alone.
And these two were responsible for all of it.
William dug his fingers into the floorboards.
He wanted to kill them.
Wanted to wipe the looks of judgment off their faces and make them pay for everything they'd done.
But no matter how hard he tried, his body refused to cooperate.
His arms felt heavy.
His legs wouldn't listen.
Even lifting his head felt like a challenge.
The room spun as he forced himself to look up.
His eyes widened slightly.
Aspen was walking toward him.
Without hesitation, they kicked the wrench from his hand.
The metal clattered loudly across the floor.
William's stomach dropped.
Then Aspen crouched down in front of him.
Instinct took over.
He swung a fist.
Aspen caught it.
William blinked.
Before he could react, Aspen had grabbed both of his wrists and pinned them with surprising ease.
For a moment, William simply stared.
He hadn't really noticed before.
The black-haired woman was lean. Quick.
This one wasn't.
They had broader shoulders, stronger arms, rough hands covered in calluses. The kind of hands that came from hard work.
The woman was faster.
This one was stronger.
A duo.
Suddenly it made a lot more sense how the two had survived this long.
William gritted his teeth and prepared to fight back.
Then Aspen's fist slammed into the side of his face.
The impact burst through his skull like lightning.
The world went black.
Aspen hissed and immediately shook out their hand.
"Oww..."
They blew on their knuckles.
That had been a little harder than intended.
Then again...
The guy had tried to murder them several times.
They couldn't bring themself to feel too guilty about it.
Their amusement faded as they glanced around.
The fire was spreading fast.
Far too fast.
Heat rolled through the upper floor in suffocating waves. Smoke crawled along the ceiling and drifted lower by the second.
Aspen looked down at William.
Then immediately looked away.
No.
Absolutely not.
That was a terrible idea.
A horrible idea.
An unbelievably stupid idea.
They should leave.
Grab Glitz.
Get in the car.
Drive away.
That was the smart thing to do.
The reasonable thing to do.
Unfortunately, Aspen had never been particularly good at doing reasonable things.
"God, I'm an idiot..."
They muttered the words under their breath.
One final curse at themself.
One final opportunity to change their mind.
Then they sighed.
With a strained grunt, Aspen hauled William over their shoulder.
The extra weight nearly made them stumble.
Heat from the fire pressed against their skin.
Their muscles screamed in protest.
The wound in their shoulder flared painfully.
Still, they forced themself forward.
Step after step.
By the time they reached the broken railing overlooking the first floor, sweat was running down their face.
Below them, Jackson was still chasing Glitz around the stolen car like a rabid animal.
"HEY!"
Aspen's voice echoed through the burning barn.
"Drop the knife or I drop your brother."
The words came without hesitation.
A complete bluff.
They had no intention of dropping William.
But if a lie got everyone out alive, then a lie it was.
For a moment, the entire barn seemed to freeze.
Both Jackson and Glitz looked up.
Shock flashed across their faces.
Jackson's eyes locked onto William.
For a second, he simply stared.
Then the shock vanished.
Rage took its place.
Pure, furious rage.
His grip tightened around the butcher knife.
Aspen could practically see the conflict happening inside his head.
Attack.
Or.
Save William.
His jaw clenched.
At last, he made his choice.
The knife slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the floor.
William was the only family he had left.
That wasn't a risk he was willing to take.
The second the knife hit the ground, Glitz rushed forward.
She snatched it up before Jackson could change his mind.
Every movement was cautious.
Careful.
Like she fully expected him to attack anyway.
Instead, Jackson stood frozen.
Breathing hard.
Watching William.
Watching Aspen.
Watching the fire.
Glitz raised the knife toward him.
Only then did Jackson slowly lift his hands above his head.
"Fine."
The word came through gritted teeth.
"You win."
His glare burned holes into Aspen.
"Put him down and just go."
Aspen narrowed their eyes.
There was no way they trusted that.
Not even a little.
Still carrying William, they quickly started down the burning staircase.
The steps creaked beneath their weight.
Flames licked along the railing.
Smoke stung their eyes.
The moment Aspen reached the bottom, Jackson instinctively stepped forward.
Glitz immediately cut him off.
Now it was his own butcher knife pointed straight back at him.
Her eyes narrowed, never leaving his as she spoke, her voice calm but laced with caution.
"Get in the car."
Jackson stood frozen for a heartbeat.
His gaze flickered between the knife, Aspen, William hanging limply over their shoulder, and the flames steadily consuming the barn around them.
His jaw tightened.
He hated every second of this.
But William came first.
Always.
Slowly, he lifted his hands a little higher and did as he was told, climbing into the passenger seat without another word.
Only once Jackson was inside did Aspen make their way over to Glitz, still carrying William.
They let out a tired sigh.
"So... what's the game plan?"
Aspen adjusted William's weight with a strained grunt.
"I kind of just started winging it and felt bad for them, but in reality these guys are crazy." They glanced toward Jackson before lowering their voice just a little. "I don't put it past them to kill us once we're all in the car together."
Glitz blinked at them.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then she rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand, letting out an awkward little chuckle.
"Uhh..." She smiled sheepishly. "We can fix them?"
Aspen stared at her.
Completely expressionless.
A long, painful silence stretched between them.
Then Aspen barked out a tiny laugh despite themself.
"We're doomed."
They shook their head, still smiling faintly.
"Just come on and drive. I grabbed the keys earlier and put them in my pocket. Just grab them really quickly."
Glitz nodded.
"Got it."
She carefully grabbed the car keys out of Aspen's pants pocket before jogging over to the driver's side.
At the same time, Aspen climbed into the backseat.
Jackson was already sitting rigidly on one side, every muscle in his body tense.
His eyes never left Aspen.
Never left William.
With a grunt, Aspen eased William into the middle seat between them.
Even unconscious, the man was heavier than he looked.
Aspen rolled their sore shoulder once before glancing at Jackson.
"Me and Glitz have a small place we hang out around here."
They paused for a moment.
"We'll fix up your brother, then figure out what to do with you after."
Jackson's expression darkened.
He clearly didn't like the sound of that.
Not one bit.
But what choice did he have?
His knife was gone.
William was unconscious.
The barn was burning to the ground.
For the first time in a long while...
Jackson was completely out of options.
He opened his mouth, intending to ask Aspen where they were taking them.
Before a single word could leave his lips—
The engine roared to life.
"What the—"
The car lurched forward so violently it shoved everyone back into their seats.
It burst through the burning barn doors, splintering charred wood as flames flashed past the windows.
"GLITZ!"
Aspen shouted, grabbing onto the seat in front of them.
Jackson let out a startled yell at the exact same time, instinctively throwing an arm across William to keep him from rolling off the seat.
Meanwhile...
Glitz was laughing.
Not just laughing.
Absolutely cracking up.
She gripped the steering wheel with a grin stretching from ear to ear as the car sped down the dirt road, smoke disappearing behind them.
Aspen pinched the bridge of their nose.
Jackson slowly looked between the two of them.
These people...
These absolute weirdos...
Jackson had thought they were the dangerous ones.
Now he wasn't so sure anymore.
What in the world had he just gotten himself and William into?