Misanthropy - [ryden]

18.Saving Grace

**WARNINGS: BODY DISMEMBERMENT & DISPOSAL. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION**

September 30, 2021-- 7:36 AM

Brendon spent the next few days cleaning his home and bullshitting his way out of whatever his fellow detectives were trying to accuse him of. Kidnapping Ryan? Sure, Brendon kidnapped him; he definitely didn't save him from a world that seemed like it didn't want him. After having to explain that he got his tires changed because he had a flat - thankfully, he still had his old flat in the trunk - he then asked them why in the hell they would assume that he would do something like that. It was enough to throw off Betts and Barker for at least two days so he could go home and finally dispose of Ashley's body; it was beginning to smell very badly.

Upon descending into the basement, he could see his boy laying almost unnervingly still on the table he was on. He walked over to the boy and placed his fingers against his neck to check for a pulse, causing Ryan to jump as soon as his fingers made contact with his skin. Brendon had taken a couple of steps back, watching as Ryan eyed him wearily, holding his hands up in defense. "I was just making sure you were still alive," the older male spoke softly, walking over to his work table and slipping on a pair of black latex gloves.

Ryan gulped as best as he could with his dry throat before speaking softly. "W-What are you doing," he questioned fearfully, already expecting the worst. Brendon turned to him, looking him up and down briefly before sighing and walking over to him with a strip of black fabric in his hands. When he made his way over to him, he lifted Ryan's head and tied the fabric over his eyes and behind his head. The younger man began to cry softly, afraid of what could be happening that would cause Brendon to have to cover his eyes.

As if reading his mind, Brendon leaned down to Ryan's ear. "Consider this an act of kindness," he whispered softly. "I'm not going to make you watch this."

Ryan could hear Brendon's footsteps walking away from him, but his tears failed to cease. He could only imagine that Brendon was going to do whatever he had done to those other men to him, and as much as he told himself that he was prepared to die, he was still terrified.

Brendon walked over to Ashley, whispering apologies into her ear before cutting the duct tape that bound her to her chair before lifting her and carrying her body to the small closet where he kept his barrel of acid. Setting her on the ground on a previously laid out sheet of plastic, he pulled the barrel out and pulled off the lid, setting it to the side. He sighed softly before walking back to his work table and grabbing his hacksaw, eyeing it carefully before walking back over to Ashley.

**EXPLICIT DESCRIPTIONS OF BODY DISMEMBERMENT & DISPOSAL, AND MENTIONS OF BLOOD. PLEASE SKIP IF NEEDED**

Brendon knelt down next to Ashley's body, using his knife to cut through her clothes before throwing them into a pile beside them. He'd done body dismemberment for so long that he knew all of the angles to saw at in order to miss major veins to avoid too much blood being spilled. However, in Ashley's case, she was already drained of all of her blood, so there wouldn't be a mess at all from this. He knew he should clean the pool of blood beneath the chair she was strapped to, but he couldn't find it in himself to be bothered with that.

Brendon started off by detaching Ashley's legs at mid-thigh, careful to not make so much noise for Ryan's sake. Yes, Ryan may have understood that he had taken those men's lives, but that doesn't mean he needed to know all that that entailed. Next, he moved up removing her arms at the shoulders, the saw blade going through her flesh and bone almost effortlessly. He stood from his current position and picked up both of Ashley's detached legs, straightening them out completely before sliding them into the barrel side by side, watching them disappear inside the acid before retrieving her arms and copying the actions.

After watching all of the limbs slowly sink into the yellow acid, dissolving away piece by piece, he bent back down next to what was left of Ashley, picking her up and easing her torso and head into the acid as well. He felt himself feel slightly remorseful for a moment before taking a deep breath, setting the top back on the barrel and placing it back into the closet, locking the door and walking back over to Ryan. As soon as Brendon lifted Ryan's head, the younger male flinched but allowed the blindfold to be removed carefully from his eyes.

Once his eyes readjusted to the light, he immediately directed them to where Ashley had formerly been sat, more tears springing to his eyes upon noticing her absence. "W-What did you do with her," he sobbed out softly, feeling Brendon's hand on his shoulder but ignoring it. "What did you do with Ashley?"

Brendon looked at his boy, remorse completely fleeing him at seeing how Ryan was reacting. "I had to dispose of her," he said, emotionless as he placed his hacksaw back on his work table. "The smell was becoming too much to handle, I'm sure you agree."

Ryan didn't answer, though, he just continued sobbing. "I never intended to hurt you, Ryan," the older man said as he headed to the stairs. "I never intended for it to be this way, but I guess it happens. Don't worry though, my love. It'll all be over soon." Brendon left the basement after speaking to Ryan, locking the door behind him as he grabbed the cardboard box from the floor. Making sure his keys were in his pocket, he left the apartment and locked the door securely behind him. He walked over to his car, placing the box in the backseat before settling himself in the driver's seat and pulling the car away from the house and toward to interstate.

Passing the city limits, he didn't even give Mt. Arlington another glance.

* * *

September 30, 2021 -- 10:42 AM

"Remember, men," Hurley said as his team exited the van, guns ready and protective helmets securely placed atop their heads, "we don't know if he's in there, but he could be very dangerous. You are to search every room in the house, kick down locked doors if needed. He's either leaving here in handcuffs or a body bag, I don't care which."

The team nodded, following Hurley's signal as they stormed up the concrete steps to the front door of the home. Hurley pounded his fists on the door, screaming for it to be opened before stepping back and kicking the door in. Immediately, the SWAT team filed into the building, stopping short when noticing the entire room was empty. There was no couch, no coffee table, no cupboards, no furniture of any kind; all that preceded them was a spotless room that looked as though no one had ever lived here.

Hurley looked around in confusion before signaling his team to spread out over the apartment. The team check the bedrooms, the bathroom, and the hall closet and still they found absolutely nothing. Upon turning the light on in the hall closet, Officer Jake Bundrick noticed a door on the far wall of the closet and called to his captain. He kicked the door open, noticing the wooden stairs as he called back to Hurley again. "We've got a basement, Captain!"

The men stormed down the steps, the pitch blackness of the of the room disabling them, and the smell of rotting flesh hitting their nostrils harshly. Officer Bundrick flipped on his flashlight, pointed to the wall and flipped on the light switch beside him. When the basement became illuminated, the soft, fluorescent glow covered a body lying atop a metal table in the center of the room. Bundrick made his way over to the boy, placing his two fingers beneath his jaw, eyes widening before he turned back to the set of stairs where Hurley was descending.

"Call a medic!" he called out desperately.

"I've got a pulse!"