My best friend's brother and my brother's best friend (2016)

You won't do it

"Jeremy!"

I barely manage to call out his name, when I'm struck to the ground by Caleb. Stop fucking doing that! I hear strong footsteps hitting the floor as I struggle with all my might to get back up.

"Hey!"

I hear Jeremy yell out as I finally find my feet, only to be slammed hard against the wall by Caleb. I claw and scratch at his fist as he holds his grip firmly around my neck, completely choking me of air. Without a further thought and my survival instinct kicking in, I throw my hands onto his face and press my thumbs hard against his eyes. I only manage to hold them down for a second or so when he's suddenly yanked off me and I'm free of his deathly grip. My hands fly to my neck as if I'm only just breathing for the first time like a baby straight out of the womb. I look down to find my brother on top of Caleb, beating him senseless and into a bloody pulp.

"Jeremy! Stop!" I shout hoarsely and bend down to pull him off. He fights me at first but once he takes a proper look at me, instead he wraps his arms tightly around me.

"Shit Dani! We've been so worried about you!"

"What are you doing here you idiot?" I ask, pulling away and staring desperately at his comfortingly familiar face.

"You're the idiot if you didn't think we'd come and get you, Mason told us the places you might be," he stops suddenly looking around our surroundings and at Caleb pathetically groaning on the floor like a coward. "Come on, we need to go."

He grabs my hand in his and pulls me along as he races down the corridor. Something shiny and silver on his belt catches my attention as I glance down.

"Jeremy! Where the hell did you get a gun?!"

"Ask no questions get no lies," he replies, unusually tight-lipped and serious as he tries to brush me off. "Now keep quiet!"

He opens a big double door that leads to a wide echoing room, surrounded by rows and rows of shelves and random pieces of equipment. Water drips from the ceiling like fat drops of rain, adding to the chilling dampness that the room already exerts.

"Wait! Have you found Josh?"

"Josh is here too?" He replies in a surprised expression.

"Yes and we need to get him out too," I insist tugging at his sleeve the way I remember doing when I was just a toddler.

"Well, where is he?" He demands and I can now see the fear in his eyes.

"I ... I don't know," I reply helplessly, looking around desperately as if he'll just pop up out of nowhere. "We were together but then they ... they took him ... I don't know where."

"Well come on then, we said once we got you out and confirmed where you were that Eli'd call the police. I need to give the signal."

With that he runs to he side of the warehouse and flashes his torch through the window, obviously indicating something.

"Eli's here too?" I respond hopefully.

"Of course he is."

We're interrupted by another crash that sounds loudly from behind us.

"Hate to break the chat but we need to go ... NOW!"

He grabs my arm tightly this time and takes off towards the other side of the warehouse. I hold onto my skirts as I chase after my brother, praying that he doesn't go so fast that he'll lose grip of me. I glance down anxiously at my right arm that I've now decided is definitely broken as it hangs painfully by my side. I can hear the footsteps behind gaining on us at a worrying pace though I don't dare turn around. Just as I don't dare look down at the limp bodies that we pass over on our way out. Did Jeremy do that? Are they ... dead?