Kapitel 7: Chapter Seven
Ivan drove like a maniac, his car weaving in and out of traffic down Interstate 45 toward downtown to the address Sam had given to him on the phone. "Hang on, baby, I'm coming for you."
Corbin got into the car Devon indicated without protest. Not a word was spoken until they pulled out onto the freeway.
"You're a hard one to find, little brother."
"You seemed to have done a well enough job."
Devon looked over at him before looking back at the road. "Dad wanted you back. I was responsible for tracking you down."
"Did you ever think I never wanted to be fucking found?" Corbin's voice was tight, restrained.
"Don't you get it, Sean? Our lives are not our own. They never have been. It doesn't matter what you want. What we want. You think I want to do this?"
"Then let me go, Dev. Please, Devon, let me go. I was happy. I found someone who loves me."
"I can't. I'm sorry, Sean. I protected you as long as I could."
Twenty minutes later they arrived at their destination. "Come on. We can't keep him waiting."
Corbin's legs were so shaky he could barely stand. His heart was pounding as they walked into the strange residence. He felt himself fall easily into old habits. He didn't look around. His head pointed at his feet. Hands submissively collapsed in the front. Corbin followed his sister into a living room where he sat waiting for them both. He stood, as if on display, in front of his father.
"Sean. It's been some time, son." He stood and came slowly closer. He was every bit as terrifying as he'd always been. They stood face to face. "Kneel, boy. It's been too long since your mouth has been wrapped around me." When he didn't respond, Corbin was knocked off his feet by a backhand across his eye. With a yelp of surprise he went down. "I. Said. Knees, boy." He was on his knees. He knew the dreadful task at which he was about to be forced into performing. When he was finished, his father, Alister Martin, picked him up to his feet before delivering a hard fist to the diaphragm. The beating continued. Corbin dare not fight back.
When he woke up he was naked. His hands were tied. He was on his stomach on a bed. He kept his eyes closed. They knew he was awake. He knew they knew. And he kept quite like he was supposed to. Suddenly he felt hands along his body and fought every instinct to recoil away from that touch. He knew well the penalty for that act of insubordination. He didn't cry as he felt someone enter him, though he couldn't defeat the shame at his body's reactions, his mind screaming his betrayal of Ivan.
Ivan pulled up to the house, a swat team on the ready waiting his command to enter.
They did.
The shoot out was almost immediate. Ivan ignored the haze of bullets as he turned down a hallway heading to the west end of the house. When he looked behind him, Sam was right there.
They heard many sounds coming from behind a closed door on the right hand side. They burst through, announcing themselves. Ivan stopped short, his heart sinking down to his toes. He spared little time to look at his unconscious lover on the bed, concentrating instead on the man who held a gun to his daughter's head.
"Let her go," Ivan told him, both his and Sam's guns pointed at him.
"What kind of a fool do you think I am?" He fired. Sam and Ivan immediately opened fire. Alister Martin was dead before he hit the ground. As Sam went to check both Alister and Devon Martin, Ivan fell at Corbin's side. Quickly and with as much gentleness as he could, began unbinding Corbin's wrists.
"Cory?" He checked for a pulse. He panicked. Wait. There it is. "Corbin, come on, love, open your eyes for me." Ivan found Corbin's clothes in the corner of the bedroom and began to dress him. "Sam, keep everyone out of here for a few. They don't need to see him like this." Sam nodded and slipped out the door without a word. Corbin had not responded to Ivan, though his eyes were open. When he got him dressed, Ivan lifted Corbin into his arms, making sure he could not see the bodies of his father and sister, and carried him outside where the ambulance had just arrived. Ivan climbed into the back of the ambulance once they gotten Corbin safely outside. The EMTs attempted to protest, claiming he needed to ride in the front with the driver, but they quickly stopped arguing. Sam met Ivan soon in the waiting room at St. Joseph's Hospital.
"Ivan," Sam said upon seeing him. Ivan turned and was taken into his friend's arms. Ivan could no longer hold back the flood of wracking sobs that bellowed up and out of his bowels. "He's okay, Ivan. He's alive. A bit worse for wear, but he's alive. The rest you can get through together."
Ivan gained control of himself and stepped back from Sam's embrace. He nodded. "I know. I'm just...did you see him, Sammy? I was too late, Sam."
Sam frowned. "What do you mean? We got there before-"
Ivan cut him off. "Before they sold him. Before they killed him. Not before they raped him, Sam." He sat down, his legs giving out under the weight of him. "I promised him I wouldn't let them hurt him again. And I failed him, Sammy."
"When are they releasing him?" Sam asked as he took a seat beside his friend.
"Tonight. They're cleaning him up. Dressing...wounds."
"Get him to talk about this. Not tonight, but soon. He's kept this to himself for almost thirty years. He doesn't have to worry about it anymore. He needs to let it go. You want me to stay with you?"
Ivan shook his head and scrubbed his hands over his face. "No. It won't be long until I can take him home. You can go home to Lynn and the kids."
Sam chuckled to himself. "Ivan." Ivan looked at him, his dark eyes pleading what he couldn't say. "How about I stay with you until they release him."
Ivan smiled and nodded. "I'd really appreciate it, thanks, Sam." His smile slipped away again suddenly. "How do I deal with this, Sammy? The aftermath of this, I mean."
Sam sighed lightly before looking at his dearest friend. "You just love him, man. Do what you've always done. Now that you know...maybe he'll be able to tell you. I know you always wanted him to."
"Yeah. It won't be so easy. You know why he never told me?" Sam shook his head. "He thinks I'm going to leave him. That it'll change how I see and feel about him. And he's scared."
"Hopefully it'll be different now. Just love him, Ivan. Be there. That's all you can do."
"I'm scared, Sam."
Sam looked at his friend and slipped a comforting arm around his shoulder. "I know. I'm here for both of you. If you need me, Ivan, call me."
"Don't I always?" Ivan smiled a bit as he looked at his best friend.
Sam smiled. "That you do."
Two hours later, nearing eleven o'clock, Ivan helped Corbin into the house. Neither had spoken much on the drive home, though Ivan wanted to say plenty.
"You want to go lie down?"
Corbin shook his head, not looking at him. "Sh-sh-shower. I need...I can still..." He drew himself closer to Ivan, seeking his protection. He was shaking. Ivan picked him up bridal style and carried him into their master bath. Corbin shucked his clothing, turned on the water as hot as he could, and stepped inside. Ivan stepped into the bedroom to gather him some clothes. As he reapproached the bathroom he heard quiet sobs, and reached in to shut the water. Corbin's skin was red from scalding water and scrubbing. Ivan grabbed a towel and, draping it over Corbin, lifted him from the tub. Corbin did not protest. He did not say a word when Ivan laid him down on the bed. "Corbin, come on, baby, let's get you dressed. It's been...I don't know what it's been..." Ivan picked up a T-shirt and once he got the shirt on him, he moved to the pants. "Cory, I'm gonna put on your pajama pants, alright." Ivan touched his arm. Corbin looked at him briefly before his eyes flickered away again. Ivan sighed slightly, trying his best to hold himself together. Carefully and while talking to him the whole time, Ivan got the pants on him without incident. He took a deep breath. Awkwardly he stood by the bed. He didn't know what he should do. He didn't want to frighten him further by crawling in next to him. He wasn't about to leave him alone either.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein