Emotions

All three guys are also ready and waiting in the kitchen when Katie joins them. Ryder quirks an eyebrow and gives her a once over. "Daughter of Rambo comes to Australia. Look out world."

Carson chuckles, unable to help but toss Katie a wink.

Ryder ambles past Katie, then comes back with a khaki t-shirt. "Sorry, mate, but we're not gonna surrender yet. Waving a white flag around won't do any of us any good."

Jason had already been warned that the lookout point was out in the open, so he and Carson and Ryder were already in green or khaki colored clothes. He grins at Katie. "Nothing like wearing another guy's shirt," he teases.


"Axel?"

Axel turns around in the shop office to see Darrel. "Yeah?"

Darrel's face showed tension. "Listen, um... I don't know how to say this..."

A chill runs down Axel's spine. "What is it?"

"I just got a call back about some employment paperwork we were filing. I'm sorry, but... I didn't know about your past conviction."

Axel sets down the papers on the desk, his jaw tightening. "What are you saying?"

Darrel clears his throat awkwardly. "We have women here all the time, Axel. And... if any of them knew about this... we'd be running on a fine line. I can't afford to lose business."

Axel purses his lips and gives a defeated nod. "I understand. I'll go pack my things."

"Look, don't do anything yet." Darrel stops him from leaving. "I'll have to talk to some others. You're a good mechanic and I don't want to lose you if I don't have to. Just... I'll have to request a mandatory leave until a decision is made. If you decide to quit during that time, it's up to you. I can't guarantee what the outcome will be."

"Yeah." Axel forces a short laugh. He knew how this worked. "Sure. You talk to the important guys, figure out if keeping me is worth the losses." He takes a deep breath to let it out slowly. "I'll think about it."

"I'm sorry, I just..."

"No," Axel cuts him off. "It's not your fault. Just, um... call me, I guess."

"Okay." Darrel watches, helpless as Axel walks away.

Axel leaves the shop, not bothering to tell the other guys, and trudges slowly up the steps to his apartment. Getting inside, he eases down in his chair to put his face in his hands. He'd known this might happen. But why did it have to be here and now?

Finally finding himself again, he fishes his cell phone out of his pocket, checking to see who had called while he'd been talking to Darrel. Listening to the message, he hesitates calling Jess back. No... he needed to. He needed to just move on as if everything were fine. Even if he lost his job, his friends needn't know why. It was better that way. As long as he didn't put up a fight or make a stink about the whole thing, no one else would ever find out the details.

Dialing, he closes his eyes and sinks back in the chair, forcing his voice to be as light as always. "Hey, Stormy. Yeah, I'm going tonight." He grins, even tho Jess can't see him. "You can always tag along, you know that. I'm planning to get there about six-thirty to see if JetStream needs a hand before it starts. Feel free to come on down then too."


Scott keeps his eyes out the window, hearing Hope's words, but afraid to digest them. He felt sick just considering the thought of talking about what had happened. But a part of him longed to rid himself of those emotions and blocked memories. Part of him longed to be free of the prison they were holding them in.

Hope didn't usually prompt him like this. It was uncomfortable. But he knew she knew what she was doing, and if she didn't think he could do it, she wouldn't have asked him to.

Finally he turns to look at her, and he just studies her eyes for a long moment. She was like a sponge, there to absorb anything, no matter how disturbing or emotionally shocking it was. She was willing to help unburden those who came to see her and try to help them live again.

Scott swallows hard and moves away from the window, putting his hands back in his hoodie pockets. He goes and sits down in one of the chairs, sliding down to slouch and just think. In less than a minute though, he's back on his feet again, pacing. He takes his glasses off and rubs his blind eye, not realizing it had become a nervous tell. Sitting back down, he fidgets with his glasses in his hand, not caring if things were a bit blurry. He stands again and returns to the window. Sighing, he just takes several minutes to ponder some more, the tension evident as his jaw muscles tightened and relaxed over and over.

Returning to the chair again, he picks up his camera and fidgets with it until he finds the setting he wants. Seeing Hope is back at her desk, he lifts the camera to his eye and brings her face into focus. "They wanted information."

Click

"They thought if they tortured me enough that they'd find out the master passwords into TJY's system."

The camera turns to take an upright shot. Click

"They took me into the chamber and chained me to a chair."

Click

Scott's voice wavers as a bead of sweat trickles down the side of his face. But he continues to look at Hope through the camera. "I passed out after the first beating."

Click

"When I woke up, I'd been patched up. Their physicians had looked at my eye, and gotten me cleaned up from the explosion and the first torture session."

Click

"They wanted to win my trust. Wanted to make me feel good. They promised they would let me go if I just gave them what they wanted." He swallows hard, lowering the camera to see the pictures he'd just taken. "I didn't talk."

He raises the camera again. "Mornings I spent in the torture chamber. Afternoons I spent behind a desk in front of a computer with two men behind me, beating me until I couldn't think anymore. Nights were spent in the dungeon."

Click

A tear runs down Scott's face. "They fed me rice, water, and once in a while some bread."

Click

"When I wouldn't budge, they showed me what happened to people who didn't talk." Scott's finger hovered on the button, but he lets go, lowering the camera again, his emotion-filled eyes remaining downcast. "I never knew her name. One of the thugs held me... while the other one started beating her. I... I screamed... I fought.. but I couldn't...."

All of a sudden, Scott's face pales and he sets the camera down on Hope's desk. "I'm sorry," he whispers. Turning quickly, it's a fast aim to the door and out. But it's not the exit he's headed for this time - it's the bathroom. Barely making it, he throws up, the emotional strain too much for his body to handle.