THE RUN AND GO : JOSHLER

18 : DAMNED

He tried desperately to climb upwards, away from the Green Gentleman, but it was no use. His body was so broken and damaged from his torture, he was surprised he even survived this long.

Josh squeezed his eyes shut, pictures and memories of him and Tyler flooding back all once. He thought back to the first day he met the notorious Mad Gear.

Josh had never mentioned it to Tyler before, but damn. The first time he saw Mad Gear, despite the fact that he had just witnessed him brutally murder two people and he was absolutely petrified, he was instantly attracted to him. More than attracted, if that was possible.

Was it considered insane to be turned on by a murderer?

The blood running down the side of his face. The way he slowly licked his lips and bit down on the bottom one, the way his bloody shirt stuck to his chest as it rose and fell with his heavy breathing. His hoarse, throaty voice. The heated feeling Josh felt in his chest when Tyler shoved him against the wall, knife against his throat.

Josh concluded that yes, it was insane to be turned on by a murderer.

He shook his head, opened his eyes, and snapped back into reality.

His silent thoughts were instantly replaced by the loud, chaotic battle of the Sinners once again.

He suddenly felt his left pinky finger slowly slip off of the ladder. Then his ring finger. Then his middle finger.

No.

No.

Josh set his jaw and grit his teeth. Dying at the hands of somebody else, especially the Green Gentleman, was not how Josh wanted to die. He couldn't just let this life go so easily. The life with his Clique, the people he loved.

The life with his Tyler, the person he loved.

Dying with the easy way out.

Josh had to fight. Now more than ever. Even though Dallon and Brendon and the entire body of Sinners may had taken most of it, he still had some fight left in him. He couldn't let someone else control him, when he lives, when he dies. He still had a purpose.

And his name was Tyler.

✗✗✗✗✗

Youngblood, Mr. Benzedrine, Donnie, and Horseshoe moved stealthily along, up the metal staircase on the outside of the warehouse. Tyler followed them, Josh's gun in hand. His favorite knife was burning a hole at his side. He wanted desperately to use it, but not yet.

The four Clique members suddenly stopped when they reached the door at the top of the staircase. They both looked back expectantly at Tyler, who rolled his eyes.

"Get the fuck in there," he snapped, pushing past them. He aimed his gun at the lock on the door and fired. The door slowly swung open, and Tyler wasted no time in stepping inside.

The rest of them followed Tyler into the building. There was a single metal catwalk, leading through a tunnel into the main warehouse.

It was almost completely dark. Had it not been for Blurry's glowing eyes, Tyler wouldn't have been able to see at all.

The five of them walked quickly down the catwalk, toward the dim light at the end of the tunnel. The main warehouse.