A STUDY IN BLACK ✓

XIX

The man held out his hand for Josh to shake it, but Josh already knew while he was.

"You're Gerard Way," Josh growled, feeling the handcuffs that the rifle man had placed on him digging into his wrists as he pulled against them.

They sat on the steps of Debby's house, their confrontation still unknown by the others. Josh prayed that they somehow escaped as more masked people filtered in and out of the front door.

Gerard grinned, retracting his hand and pulling a pistol out of the belt of his pants. He propped it on his knee and grabbed Josh's chin, who tried and failed to pull out his tight grip.

"Words gets around, I see. I assume you still don't recognize me?"

"Why would I want to?" Josh spat out. "You're a monster."

Tilting his head to the side, Gerard examined him like he was some sort of lab rat. "I always knew you were sentimental, but Tyler? I thought you'd have higher standards."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Gerard snorted. "His affection for you, and your undoubtedly strong sense of loyalty for him. I assume someone like you doesn't have a lot of friends to run to. And yet you choose the man surrounded by danger. Why is that?"

"If you think we're a thing, you've got it all wrong," Josh sneered. "He asked me for help, and that's what I'm here to do."

"Doesn't look like you're doing much to help when you're the one in handcuffs, and he just knocked his five senses out for you. Riddle me this, Soldier. Why would he do that- take away the thing he cherishes most, albeit temporarily- unless he truly cared about you?"

Josh leaned forward. "When I get out of these handcuffs, I'm going to make you pay for what you did to him and to all those girls you kidnapped."

"You have courage. I admire that. But save your breath, your threats won't change anything."

One of the men walked out with Debby flung over his shoulder. She kicked and scratched at the man, screaming for her daughters, who Josh assumed she hadn't been able to reach.

Gerard tapped his gun toting hand against his knee, watching the scene unfold with such glee it might as well have been a move trailer.

"You might think sentimentality is one of your strengths, but you're wrong. Emotion is a weakness. It makes you vulnerable. Like now."

He dropped her on the grass and tied rope around her wrists, yanking her head back to expose her neck. When he pulled out a knife and put it to her throat, Josh yelled.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Josh lurched forward, but Gerard grabbed him by his shoulder and pushed him back down.

"See what I mean? Weakness. You're pliable because you care. Disgusting. I'll make you a deal, Joshua," Gerard said. "You come with us, and I'll leave the Ryan's alone. You refuse, and I hunt down everyone you know and they'll end up with a fate worse than death."

"I'll kill you with my bare hands if you touch a hair on her head," Josh crowed.

Gerard's smile turned wicked. "Feisty. I like it. Fine. If you don't want play by the rules, then let me raise the stakes a bit."

At that moment, as if on cue, Tyler stumbled out of the house, blood running down his left temple. His eyes were glazed over and his legs were wobbly underneath his weight. He fell down the stairs to the sidewalk, shaking and swaying.

"Tyler?"

Josh wanted to reach for him, but with Gerard's iron grip on him and the handcuffs keeping his arms behind his back, he could only watch helplessly as Tyler sat on the ground, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

"Don't- don't hurt him," he begged. "Don't."

Gerard waved at one of the masked women, who put her gun to the back of Tyler's head. Tyler perked up in the slightest but then frowned, his hands grasping at air.

"Josh? Josh, what's happening?"

He had to swallow the lump growing in his throat to stop him from screaming, squeezing his eyes shut as Tyler continued to call out his name. Gerard's hand lifted off his shoulder, only to be placed on the back of his head. His fingers dug into his scalp, lifting Josh to his feet by yanking his hair.

"Time to decide, Lieutenant," Gerard said in a mocking tone.

Josh opened his eyes, seeing Debby thrashing against the masked people's grip. Tears rolled down her face, a bruise blooming on her forehead. Their eyes locked, and Debby shook her head.

She threw her head back, knocking person behind her on their ass, and stood only for someone else to stab a needle into her neck. Debby's eyes rolled back and she collapsed.

Gerard hummed in approval. "I like her. I'm sure some of my clients might enjoy her ferocity in bed, don't you think?"

The men began to pull her to a black van.

"Wait," Josh trembled. His limbs were turning to jello as he began to see there was only one option that ended up with all of them alive.

Tyler's eyes began to clear, and Josh could see him analyzing the scene around him in his mind before his gaze landing on Josh.

"I'll go with you if you promise not to touch any of them," Josh said. "Let them go, and I won't put up a fight."

"Oh, I'll let her go, but Tyler's not going anywhere."

Realization dawned on Tyler's face, but the end of the woman's gun cracked against the back of his head, and he fell unconscious onto the concrete.

"No!"

Josh tried to stand, but a sharp stinging in his neck stopped him. His legs buckled, and Gerard hovered above him with a needle in hand. He slowly pulled it out of Josh's neck, his malicious expression turning blurry as Josh's vision went black with one thought in the front of his mind.

I really should've stayed in bed.