Ruckus could be heard down the echoing halls of the prison. A guard wheeled a cart of meals down towards the last hall, to solitary confinement where they kept the most evil of inmates. He stopped in front of a steel door and slid the small hatch open, sliding the tray through.
" Clayborn, grub time," said the guard.
The young man didn't look up from his book. Jace had been deep into this book since the guard had seen him last. He had never heard of the book, but it had an interesting name. Paradise Island. An anonymous fan had sent Jace a copy and he couldn't put it down. The guard angrily banged on the door with his baton.
" You hear me boy?!" said the guard angrily. " Come get it before I take it back and starve ya."
Jace snapped the book shut and set it down beside him. He didn't say a word as he grabbed the tray of food. The guard listened as the boy whistled and walked back to his bed, humming the familiar tune of Skin by Colby Brock. To say that Jace was obsessed was an understatement.
It was late into the night as several guards were on patrol around the various halls of the prison. Two guards made their way down the solitary confinement hall, shining their flashlights into the small hatches, checking to see that the inmates were asleep, but also behaving. Another guard slid open the hatch to Jace's cell and couldn't see the boy. The guard had seen this trick before, they would hide on the side, press themselves against the wall in hopes that a guard would come in and check on them. This however, wasn't their first rodeo.The guard made his way back to the security room and stepped up beside the guard at the computer.
" Pull up Clayborn's cell, see where he's hiding," said the guard. "Cell 8345."
" You got it boss," said the security guard.
The guard watched as he pulled up the cameras and zoomed in on Jace's cell. He was nowhere to be found.
" No, that's impossible," yelled the guard. " Code red! We have a Code red!"
The place went frantic as the guards searched for the escaped inmate, in disbelief that he had even escaped at all. Suddenly, the lights of the prison were cut and all of the cells were opened, and so began the riots. Inmates and guards were fighting left and right and it had given Jace the chance he needed to slip by unseen.
" Pleasure doing business with you," said Jace, to the security guard.
He had blackmailed this guard long ago, he had his ways. Jace however had help this time, he didn't know from whom, but he was glad he also had fans.
Jace strolled through the courtyard. Several guards had tried to detain him but were too occupied trying to fight off other inmates. One guard spoke into his walkie talkie, alerting them to Jace's escape.
However, Jace had planned ahead. No one knew how. Jace had a reputation and for that he was feared. He also had a knack and a passion for blackmail. I guess you could say it runs in the family. Jace happily strolled out of the prison gates, whistling his favorite tune. Just as he had planned, the escape car was waiting for him. He slid into the driver's seat and started the engine, smirking.
"Let the games begin," said Jace, as he drove off into the distance.
A few days later...
Colby Brock panted heavily as he stepped into the foyer of their Vegas home. He had just gone for a hike and he was feeling better than ever. It had taken months for him and Sam to get back to their normal lives after Jace's incident, but luckily everything had worked out. Colby was also super excited because he and Sam were having a huge party at their house that night. Sam and Colby had invited several of their friends, and some even drove down from LA to attend.
They were celebrating the success of their Explanation series. The fans were going crazy over it and Sam and Colby were overwhelmed with all the positive feedback they were getting. Surprisingly, Colby being a Dark Prince hadn't been a huge surprise to many fans. They were able to see how weird he had been acting in some of their videos, and were just glad that everything made sense now and that both of them were okay.
" Hey dude," said Sam, as Colby walked into the kitchen.
"Hey," said Colby, panting heavily.
"How are you doing?" asked Sam, as he was busy setting things up for their party that was in a couple of hours.
" Feeling better than ever," said Colby.
" Glad to hear it," said Sam. " I guess that means you can help me set up?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," laughed Colby.
The party was in full swing. Sam and Colby could barely even move in their own house with the amount of people that were there. Sam and Colby were off talking to different people, catching up. The music was so loud however, they could barely even hear themselves. A commotion caught everyone's attention as several cops and SWAT Team members came bursting into the house. Their guns were pointed at everyone. The music was turned off and several people took cover on the ground. Suddenly, a younger guy, who people assumed was the chief, stepped up to the center of the circle.
" Sam Golbach and Colby Brock?" asked the officer.
A group of people stepped aside, revealing Sam and Colby. The cop looked them up and down.
" We need this place cleared out now," said the officer. " Anyone who doesn't want to be arrested, you have 5 minutes to leave."
Sam and Colby's guests began rushing out the house as carefully and as quickly as they could. Once the place was cleared, it was just Sam and Colby left with the cops. The SWAT team searched their house up and down, while other officers patrolled the outside. Sam and Colby didn't understand, they had been so careful. They had let the local cops in the area know that they were having a party. They had been given the go ahead. They even told the officers that if there were any complaints, they would shut it down, no questions asked. The officer listened as one of his partners spoke through the radio.
" Ok, roger that," said the officer. He then turned to face the boys.
" I'm Chief Castle," said the officer. "Ethan Castle."
The boys nervously shook his hand and then Colby spoke up.
" I'm confused, are we in trouble?" asked Colby.
" No," said Chief Castle. " It's Jace Clayborn. He's escaped."
Sam and Colby looked at each other in horror. Their stomachs dropped.
" We have reason to believe he's gonna try and come after you," explained Chief Castle. "We got here as fast as we could. We've made the necessary arrangements to get your loved ones to a safe place and we're gonna stay here for as long as it takes. He won't get near you."
Sam and Colby didn't know what to say. Their house had basically been turned into a homebase for the police. They knew these officers were just trying to protect them, but it was starting to get a little too crowded. These officers wanted to follow them everywhere and advised them to not even go out at all. Sam came out of his room just as Colby was finishing up a phone conversation with his mother.
" I love you too," said Colby. " Let me know when you get there. Bye."
" How are they?" asked Sam.
" They're fine," said Colby. " I think they're just tired of all this."
" They're not the only ones," said Sam.
He and Colby looked over at the several cops inside their house.
" How much longer do you think they'll be here?" asked Colby.
" Who knows," said Sam.
The officers had all taken shifts to watch the boys. They didn't find it necessary for all of them to be at the house at all times, so a few of them stayed behind to guard the outside of the house, so others could go home or respond to other calls. Chief Castle stayed inside with the boys. Sam and Colby sat on the couch, scrolling through their phones and trying to pass the time while Chief Castle sat on a chair beside them. Colby glanced up at him and could see he was looking around, almost as if he was anxious.
" Are you nervous, chief?" asked Colby.
Colby had practically startled the young officer. He jumped as he looked over at Colby and laughed.
" No, I'm just on alert, that's all," said the chief.
Colby looked at him curiously. " Hey Sam, why don't you go grab Chief Castle a cup of coffee," said Colby, turning to his best friend sitting beside him.
" I can do that," said Sam.
" And some cinnamon rolls," said Colby.
Sam eyed Colby. His heart began racing as he looked over at his best friend, trying to stay calm so as to not tip anyone off at the codeword Colby had just used. Colby nodded to Sam, acknowledging that he was okay to leave the room. Assuring Sam that he would be fine. Sam smiled as he stood up and made his way into the kitchen. Colby settled back against the couch.
" Do you have a family, chief?" asked Colby.
The officer looked over at him. " Uh yeah," said Chief Castle. " A husband and two daughters."
Colby nodded in response and noticed the shift in the Chiefs composure. Colby eyed him once again.
" Where are they now?" asked Colby.
The officer shot his gaze towards Colby. " They're at home," he said.
" Are they?" asked Colby.
Both Colby and Chief Castle stared at each other. Luckily, Colby had caught on and was able to flip a table to shield himself as a bullet came flying towards him. He ducked behind several pieces of furniture as Chief Castle continuously shot at him. He made his way towards the entrance to the kitchen and reached it just as Sam rounded the corner. Colby quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him behind the wall.
Chief Castle shot at the ceiling, busting out the several lights around the house. They were all in complete darkness as the rest of the cops rushed into the house, and filed in around Castle. All of their guns were raised. One officer walked quietly over to the entrance of the kitchen with his gun raised and he rounded the corner, ready to shoot, but there was no sign of the boys.
Sam and Colby realized this had all been a plan. These officers had spent the last couple of days getting to know their house, so that even in complete darkness, they could find them. These officers however, had underestimated Sam and Colby.
Sam and Colby stayed low as several cops began ransacking their house looking for them. They could hear the chief as he spoke.
" He has my family, Colby," said the chief with tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice."
Sam and Colby sighed. They knew that feeling all too well. They also knew that they couldn't stay here. Their house had been compromised and they needed to get out. They hurriedly made their way towards the front door of their home. Several cops stepped in front of them with their guns raised. Sam and Colby fought them off one by one, all while pushing their way towards the door. They punched, kicked and did whatever they could to escape, until they finally reached the door and threw it open.
Sam and Colby quickly and quietly evaded the cops and made their way outside. They bolted across their yard on foot and heard as several bullets rang out behind him. Luckily, they had made it. They didn't know where to go, all they knew was they needed to get far away from their house, so they just kept running.
Sam and Colby had got out in the nick of time. Jace Clayborn strolled into their Vegas home a few minutes later. He had expected to walk in and see Colby Brock's body at his feet, but instead, he didn't see any bodies, except the ones of his men knocked out on the floor. Jace looked around, and cackled as he held his gun in his hands. Seeing the aftermath of the struggle that had taken place. He looked towards Chief Castle who was on his knees, his hands cuffed behind his back.
" I'm sorry sir," said Chief Castle. " He knew, he was onto me, you have to believe me."
Jace leaned down to face him, looking him in the eye.
" I do," said Jace.
The officer sent him a small smile and Jace smiled back before taking his gun and firing a bullet into the Chief's head, killing him instantly. The rest of the cops watched in horror as their captain fell to the ground and bled out.
Clayborn and his men filed out of the house, along with the rest of the cops. Jace's right hand, a guy known as Slicer, stepped up beside him. Before Jace had been moved to solitary confinement, the New Zealand native had been his cellmate and became a close friend. Jace and Colby were similar in that way. They had both found one of their closest allies in prison. Slicer had a big scar down the right side of his face.
" What now sir?" Slicer asked.
" I wanna make sure they have nowhere to run," said Jace. " I don't want them to have a place to come back to." He then glanced behind him at the rest of his men. " Light it up boys."
Jace's men emptied several gas cans around their house and then threw several matches on to the liquid. Jace and his men walked away as Sam and Colby's Vegas home went up in flames.
Slicer spoke up again. " Their families should've just arrived at the safehouse," he said.
" Excellent, let's move," yelled Jace.
Jace and men walked up the driveway of the safehouse where his officers had instructed the Brock's and Golbach's to go. It was late and he figured they were all asleep due to the lights being off. Jace gestured towards the house and all of his men raised their guns, shooting up the house. They fired several rounds. The sound of windows shattering and bullets flying off the walls could be heard from outside. Once they had all run out of bullets, Jace stepped onto the porch of the safehouse and turned the knob of the door. He stepped in and looked around, confused. The place was empty. No one was there and no one ever had been. Slicer stepped in behind Jace.
" I don't understand," said Slicer. " They should be here, the officers told them to come here."
" Unless Brock was onto us first," explained Jace, " and told them to go somewhere else."
"We'll never find them now," said Slicer.
" Forget it," said Jace. " There's more than one way to get these two to cooperate. Trust me."
Slicer ordered everyone out and back the way came as Jace still stood in the living room of the safehouse, looking around as he smirked and giggled to himself.
" Well played boys," Jace laughed.
" So what happens now?" asked Slicer.
" We've got one more thing to do," said Jace. " Before the hunt begins."
Jace took a small grenade looking sphere out of his pocket and tossed it up in the air, then catching it again. Jace and his men walked to the hatch in the road. To any normal person, it looked like a normal manhole cover, but Jace knew the truth.
Tiny and the rest of the crew were all frantic in their underground safe house, having heard of Jace's return. They were preparing for Sam and Colby's arrival. Colby had called him as soon as everything went down. Tiny and his crew stopped as they listened to what sounded like the hatch to their safehouse opening. Tiny quickly went over to greet the boys, but instead of Sam and Colby, the small handheld sphere rolled into their safehouse. Tiny looked at it curiously.
" Get down!" shouted Tiny, but it was too late. The entire safehouse filled with gas. Tiny and his crew were coughing uncontrollably before they all fell unconscious.
Jace put the cover back over the entrance and sealed it shut, before adding a lock of his own. Preventing them from escaping.
" That should incapacitate them for a while," said Jace. " Now, we wait."
Sam and Colby had their hoods up as they strolled quickly through the darkness to the underground safe house. The boys had left with nothing, all they had were their phones, a little bit of cash and the clothes on their backs. When they finally reached the entrance, Colby looked at the lock curiously, it hadn't been there before. He tried to pull it loose, but it was no use.
"We're too late," said Colby.
" How is he always one step ahead of us?" asked Sam.
" I don't know," said Colby. "C'mon, we need to go."
" Where?" asked Sam.
" Somewhere he won't find us," said Colby. " I think I know where."
Sam followed Colby as he led Sam through the desert. Sam was confused but continued to follow. Colby suddenly stopped in front of a rocky wall in one of the desert canyons.
" There's nothing here," said Sam.
" To the untrained eye maybe," said Colby.
He suddenly leaned on a small rock and Sam could've sworn he heard something click. Colby gestured for Sam to follow him into the small cave. Once they entered, Colby slid a giant boulder out of the way and it opened up to what looked like a house. Sam was in awe. Colby slid the boulder back over the entrance.
" What is this place?" asked Sam.
" It's an abandoned Army Base," said Colby. " I found it last year while on the run from Davorolof. I've been saving it for the right time. Think of it as our own personal bunker."
" This is incredible," said Sam.
Once both of them settled in, they sat down to talk things over.
" He's gonna find a way to draw us out," said Sam.
" Don't worry," asked Colby. " We've made sure all of our loved ones and friends are protected. He's got nothing over us."
" We're gonna run out of food eventually," said Sam.
" We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said Colby.
" I'm just glad we're here together," said Sam. " That we both got out."
" Me too," said Colby.
That night, Colby came out into the main area of the bunker and caught Sam on the phone.
"Still no word from Sam and Dean?" asked Colby.
" Or Castiel, it's complete radio silence," said Sam.
" That's not good," said Colby.
" That's it," said Sam. " We've got no one left. We're on our own."
" We've got each other," said Colby.
Sam smiled at his best friend. " I suppose that's an upside," he said.
Sam went over and hugged Colby, who hugged him back tightly. Sam pulled away and rested a hand on Colby's shoulder.
" We'll get through this together," said Sam.
" Always,' said Colby.
Sam then made his way to the kitchen and Colby frowned as he got a pit in his stomach. Colby knew that Jace wanted him and only him. He also knew that Jace would stop at nothing until he got Colby, even if that meant hurting Sam. So, at that moment, Colby made a vow. A silent vow, to protect Sam at all costs, even if it meant giving his own life. He knew Sam would never agree with this plan, which is why he thought it best to not say it out loud.
The next morning Sam woke up and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. He watched as Colby came out of his room but he looked terrible.
"Are you okay?" asked Sam.
" Yeah, I just came down with something and I didn't sleep very well," said Colby. " I'll be fine though."
" Are you sure?" asked Sam.
"Yeah, I've had a cold before," said Colby.
" That was before your good health was taken away," said Sam.
" I promise, I'll be fine," said Colby.
" Okay, if you're sure" said Sam, he then smiled at Colby and turned back to what he was doing.
Colby didn't want to worry Sam, but he knew this was more than a cold. He had never felt this terrible in his life. He had been nauseous and vomiting all night. He wasn't sure what it was, but he must've come down with something along the way.
Sam and Colby had just been sitting on the couch and scrolling through their phones. The TV was playing in the background. They were lucky they had wifi in this place or they would probably die of boredom. Sam had been keeping a close eye on Colby the entire day and he seemed fine, other than the fact that he didn't seem to want to eat very much because he had said there was a small pain in his stomach. Colby set his phone down on the couch and got up to get some water. That's when Sam heard the giant thud and looked behind him to see Colby had collapsed to his knees. Sam jumped up and raced over to him.
" Colby, what's wrong, what happened?" asked Sam.
" My side," said Colby. "It feels like it's on fire."
"Which side?" asked Sam.
" The right side," said Colby. "Why does that matter?"
Sam quickly rushed to his phone and a quick Google search told him everything he needed to know.
" I'm an idiot, how did I not see it?" said Sam.
" What?" asked Colby.
" You have appendicitis," said Sam.
" Well, that's just great," said Colby.
" We need to get you to a hospital, now," said Sam.
" No, we can't go out there, it's too dangerous," said Colby.
" I'm not gonna let you die Colby," said Sam. " Not in here or out there."
Sam quickly grabbed some essentials and put them into a backpack before helping Colby out of the bunker. He wanted to be as far away as he could be from the bunker before he called 911, so that it didn't reveal their location.
Sam helped Colby a little ways down the road and then called. Luckily, they weren't too far outside of town and the ambulance reached them in no time. Sam and Colby didn't know if they could trust these paramedics, but they didn't have a choice. They arrived at the hospital a couple minutes later and Colby screamed in pain as the paramedics and doctors quickly led him into the hospital. Sam tried to follow but the doctors held him back. Sam felt Colby's hand reluctantly slip out of his.
" I need to go with him," said Sam.
"I'm sorry, you can't," said the nurse. " He's in good hands, I promise."
Colby locked eyes with Sam as two doctors led him to the emergency room. Sam sat nervously in the waiting room, worried about Colby, but also worried about being out in the open.
Sam sat patiently waiting. He watched several people come in and out of the hospital. He then saw a man walk in. Sam wasn't one to judge but he had to admit, this man looked a little scary, especially with the giant scar going down the right side of his face. Sam turned his gaze away, not wanting to be caught staring. He instead took out his phone and pretended to be scrolling. He noticed the man sitting down in a chair a couple feet away from him. Sam kept a close eye. The only ones that knew they were here were their families and their close friends, and Sam knew that none of them would've put it out on social media or told anyone else about it. These people know what they've been through. Sam didn't know how Jace had found out they were here, but he had that gut feeling as soon as this man walked in. This man worked for Jace. He didn't know how he knew, he just did.
"What room is Colby Brock in?" asked Slicer.
Sam's head shot towards the man beside him. He looked at Sam with a blank stare.
" I don't know," said Sam.
"Are you sure about that?" asked Slicer, discreetly grabbing the gun hidden under his jacket and resting it where Sam could see.
"You're gonna have to go through me," said Sam. " Trust me, you don't wanna do that!"
Slicer simply laughed and Sam looked at him curiously, wondering if he would actually make a move. This man wouldn't dare do anything to him in a public place, right? Sam never got to find out, he suddenly jumped when a nurse called his name. Slicer quickly hid the gun once again. Sam wasn't sure whether or not to say anything to the nurse. He didn't want this guy to hurt anyone else, so instead, he got up to follow the nurse. He noticed that the man didn't follow him, but watched him as he walked away. Sam followed the nurse all the way down to the hospital room and stepped in. He was glad to see that Colby was awake and conscious.
"How are you feeling?" asked Sam.
" I'm fine, thanks to you," said Colby. " A few more hours and my appendix would've burst. You saved my life, again."
" Hey, it's what I do," said Sam, smiling proudly.
"Thanks," laughed Colby.
"Anytime," said Sam.
The nurse came back in and explained that they would need to keep Colby overnight and probably another day just to monitor him. Sam and Colby knew it was risky, but what choice did they have? So, they stayed in the hospital room together. Thankfully, the nurse didn't ask for any details when Sam and Colby had asked for security to be posted outside their hospital room for the night. The nurse said she was aware of their situation and she instructed them to open the door to no one except her or the doctor, who she said would be in shortly. The doctor came in a little later and then left again, leaving Sam and Colby alone. Colby's eyes were shut as he attempted to sleep. Sam was exhausted, but refused to sleep in fear of something happening while they were asleep.
" You can go to sleep, you know," said Colby.
" Nah, you go," said Sam. " You need it more than I do."
Sam and Colby had spent so much time bickering over who was going to sleep first that they wore themselves out and ended up falling asleep anyway. Colby's eyes fluttered open to the darkness of the hospital room. It took him a second for his eyes to adjust, and that's when he saw it. The silhouette of a man standing over his bed. Was he dreaming? Was this one of those crazy experiences that he had heard about where someone who is usually an angel appears to people in a hospital room before they die? Was Colby dead?
Before Colby could ask any questions a pillow was thrown over his face. He was smothered and his monitors began beeping rapidly. This man had made sure to lock the door to prevent anyone from coming in, but he had underestimated Sam. Sam had taken one of the racks in the hospital room and knocked this man over the head. He dropped the pillow as he stumbled back and Sam quickly took it off of Colby, who was panting heavily as he caught his breath again. Sam smiled at him but then he was suddenly pulled off of Colby and thrown into the wall of the hospital room. Sam recognized the man by the scar on his face. It was the same man he had seen in the lobby of the hospital. Sam wrestled to get free but this man had a tight hold on him. He then grabbed Sam by the neck and squeezed tightly. Slicer brought Sam close as he spoke.
" Don't worry Sammy boy, I'm not gonna kill you," laughed Slicer. "Jace said he wants you alive."
Sam struggled in this man's grasp. He refused to be taken again. He was done being used as liability to anyone.
Colby was still in a little bit of pain but he had managed to get out of his bed and rip out all of the IV's attached to him. He stumbled over to Sam and quickly pounced on the guy. Slicer let go of Sam and stumbled back against the wall in an attempt to get Colby off of him and he succeeded. Colby fell to the ground as Slicer came at him and Colby dodged him. Colby hunched over in pain as he made his way towards Sam and they held onto each other. They then saw security attempting to break the door down and heard them scream that the police were on their way. The boys saw the panicked look on Slicer's face as he took out a gun and fired at the boys. The boys quickly ducked as a bullet flew towards them.
Sam looked towards the window and then looked at Colby. They both nodded to each other, knowing what the other was thinking. Sam helped Colby towards the window as a bullet came flying and they ducked once again. Their plan had worked perfectly, the window partly shattered due to the bullet. He fired another bullet and Sam and Colby dodged one last time, and that second bullet gave them the opening they needed and they jumped out the window. Luckily, Colby hadn't been placed on a high floor. They both landed on the grass below and they were both groaning in pain, especially Colby. Sam quickly got up and made his way over to Colby, helping up and guiding him towards a car as Slicer shot several bullets out the window towards them.
Sam found a rock and broke open the window of a car and unlocked it. He secured Colby in and then made his way to the driver's seat. Sam began to hot wire the car as Slicer jumped out the window next and began running towards them. Sam started the car in the nick of time and sped out of the hospital parking lot and down the street as several bullets were fired towards their car. Sam could see Slicer getting further and further away. Both of the boys were panting heavily as they made their way back to their bunker.
When the boys arrived back at the bunker, Sam quickly helped Colby to his bed and he settled under the covers. Colby settled back into the pillows and shut his eyes as he let out a deep breath. He then opened his eyes again and looked towards Sam, scanning him all over, seeing the bloody cuts and scrapes all over him. Sam noticed the look on Colby's face.
" Hey, I'm fine," said Sam. " I've had worse than this."
" I knew we shouldn't have gone out there," said Colby.
" You needed help," replied Sam. " I won't apologize for protecting you."
" I didn't mean it like that," said Colby.
"Just forget it," said Sam.
Colby gently grabbed Sam's hand as he walked away. Sam then looked down at Colby's hand and then looked up into his eyes and smiled.
" It's okay," said Sam. " Get some rest."
" I love you," said Colby.
"Love you too," Sam replied.
Colby smiled back at Sam as he let go of his hand. Colby couldn't argue, he knew if the situation had been reversed, he would've done the same. Colby had finally managed to get some sleep after everything and he woke up the next morning. He was feeling better, he wasn't nearly in as much pain.
Colby came out into the kitchen to make some breakfast. He saw Sam watching the news and saw the charred remains of their Vegas residence. Both of them stared in silence. They realized quickly that Jace wasn't gonna stop and that he was prepared to do anything to get to Colby. They listened as the news anchor spoke. Stating that if anyone had any information on the whereabouts of Jace Clayborn to immediately call the number on the screen. 051-220-1514
The police hadn't caught Slicer but they had been given a description of the man by several witnesses on the scene and they were looking for him as well. Jace knew that Colby was wounded and vulnerable now. Which put both of them in a difficult position. Sam had several bandages on his arms and the scrapes on his face were already looking better. He set the remote down beside him.
"He's tearing this city apart," said Colby.
" Maybe we should get out of the city," said Sam. " He can't catch us if we keep running. We can find allies in other places."
" We tried that last time and it didn't exactly turn out well for us," said Colby. " Besides, the last thing we need is him burning down another city to find us. No, we stay put for now."
Sam sighed in defeat. " You're right," said Sam.
Sam's gaze shot towards his pocket as he phone buzzed out of control. Sam took out his phone as several notifications were coming through. Sam and Colby had been tagged in a post on Twitter and all of their fans had sent it to them. Colby sat down beside Sam as he clicked the link. It brought them to their duo YouTube channel and there was a recent video that had been uploaded. It was called A Message To Sam and Colby. Sam clicked on the video and they watched it closely as Jace appeared on the screen.
"What's up guys, it's Sam and Colby," started Jace. " Well, not really but I'm sure that got your attention. I'm Jace Clayborn and well I'm taking over this channel. That's right, you heard me, this channel is mine now. Sam and Colby have abandoned you, left you all in the dust and yet, you all still choose to follow them." Jace laughed. " However, I'm a reasonable man, always have been. If Sam and Colby come out of hiding, I'll give them their channel back, but if not, you'll be getting your daily dose of me, every Sunday at 1:14."
Sam and Colby looked at each other. Their channel was important to them, but they couldn't risk coming out of hiding. They figured it was smarter to just let Jace have their channel, afterall maybe he'd slip up and that would lead the cops right to him. They turned back to the video as Jace explored an old cave in a secret location. He suddenly stopped as he heard a noise further into the cave.
" Wow, guys listen," said Jace. Sam and Colby knew they were being mocked. " Unlike Sam and Colby, I'm gonna get closer."
Jace ventured deeper into the cave and came across the twitching body of a police officer.
" Oh ho, look what we found guys, a traitor," said Jace. " Say Hello to this officer, he helped Sam and Colby's loved ones get to a secret location and he refused to tell me where. I think we should turn him into a ghost, make this video a little more haunted."
The police officer was gagged and tied up as Jace brought a weapon closer to him.
"This here is my Khopesh," said Jace, as he showed the curved sword to the viewers. " A friend got this for me in Egypt. Viewer discretion is advised."
The khopesh vanished for a quick second before it came down on the officer and Sam and Colby couldn't finish the video as blood splattered the camera. Sam looked like he was about to be sick to his stomach. Their fans had already reported the video to YouTube, but not before it went viral. Sam and Colby's channel had been immediately flagged and was given a warning that if any more videos like that were posted, they would need to completely delete the channel. Jace had found yet another way to ruin their lives.
Colby's fists balled at his side. " He's not gonna stop is he?" said Colby.
Sam knew immediately what he was thinking when he saw the look on his best friend's face.
" Colby, don't even say it," said Sam. " You're not turning yourself over to him."
" Maybe you should go," said Colby.
"What?" asked Sam, whipping his head towards Colby.
" You'll be safer if you're away from me," said Colby. " I'm the one he wants. If you get out now, maybe you can get away."
" No Colby! No," said Sam, standing to face Colby. He walked around the couch to join Colby. "I'm not leaving you. Never."
" We're running out of options, Sam," said Colby. "Sooner or later, he's gonna find a way to draw me out. They already got you once Sam, what if they get you again? You're all I have left. I can't lose you."
" You won't Colby. He's not getting me," said Sam. " Not this time. I promise you, okay?"
Colby nodded as the tears formed in his eyes. Sam hugged him tightly and the two of them stayed like that, grasping and holding each other tighter than they ever had before. Sam then pulled away.
"Look at me," said Sam. Colby looked up to meet Sam's gaze. " I love you."
Colby smiled as the tears flowed. " I love you too," said Colby.
Colby had felt good as new over the next couple of days. There had been nothing about Jace since that night at the hospital. Sam had Colby wondered if he had given up and just disappeared. He no longer had access to their channel, so hadn't been able to contact them that way. There was nothing about him in the news or on social media. Sam and Colby figured he ran out of ideas, but decided to wait it out a couple more days, just to be safe.
Colby wasn't convinced however. He knew Jace, and he knew the second they let their guard down, that's when he would strike. He knew they couldn't get too comfortable. Jace had said it himself; Clayborns are always just lying in the shadows, waiting to strike. Colby suddenly jumped as his phone began to ring and he took it out of his pocket. He didn't recognize the number that popped up. It was from an Unknown Caller. Colby put it on speaker when Sam came up next to him so both of them could hear.
" Hello, Colby," said Jace. " I'm sure this message will find you one way or another. I think this little game of hide and seek has gone on long enough. I'm all for a chase but it's getting a little exhausting and I don't have a lot of time, so I'm gonna give you a little extra motivation."
Jace continued. " I'm giving you 24 hours to turn yourself over to me," said Jace, " and for every hour you don't, I'm going to slaughter one of your fans." Sam and Colby immediately looked at each other in horror.
" You thought I had no more leverage over you, well think again," laughed Jace. " They'll never see me coming Colby, so unless you want 24 innocent lives on your conscience, I'd make a decision, and make it soon. Your move, Brock!"
Suddenly the call ended. Colby looked down at the phone and then looked at Sam.
Colby was pacing back and forth. Sam watched him patiently as he was deep in thought.
" I have to turn myself over," said Colby.
" Not an option," said Sam.
" These are our fans' lives we're talking about," said Colby. " I'm sorry, I can't risk that."
" I don't wanna risk it either, Colby," said Sam, " but I'm not losing you. We'll find another way. We always do."
" Okay," said Colby.
Sam and Colby had been deep in thought when Colby suddenly heard light snoring beside him. Sam had fallen asleep on the couch. Colby smiled and found a blanket, gently putting it over Sam as he retreated back to his room. Colby knew what he needed to do. He made sure to shut his bedroom door tightly and then pulled out his phone. He recalled the number from before. It rang for a while before Colby heard an all too familiar voice.
" Hello Brock," said Jace. " I figured I'd be hearing from you soon."
" If I turn myself over to you, you promise that you won't hurt our fans?" asked Colby.
" I give you my word," said Jace. " I want you, Colby. All I've ever wanted was you."
" You need to promise one more thing," said Colby, " before I do this."
" I'm listening," said Jace.
Colby paused as a tear rolled down his cheek. " You won't lay a finger on Sam," he said. "Ever."
Jace didn't respond for a second when suddenly, Colby heard him laugh.
" You've got yourself a deal, Brock," said Jace.
Jace then hung up the phone and a text message came through. It had a location and a time.
Rooftop of Circa Resort & Casino. 11pm. Come alone. -J
Several tears streamed down Colby's face and he took a deep breath in. Colby texted his family and the tears streamed down faster as they all replied the same thing. I love you. He didn't have the heart to tell them what was going to happen so he had just texted them saying he loved them. He had needed to hear it from them all, one last time.
Colby stood alone in the darkness of the bunker, looking at Sam on the couch. He smiled through the tears. He knew that there was no other way. He also knew that if Sam had known what he was about to do, Sam would stop him or even worse, try to go with him, so it was better he didn't know. So instead, Colby slipped the Gucci Lion Head Ring off of his finger and set it down on the small coffee table, knowing that when Sam woke up, he would find it.
" I love you," Colby whispered.
He took one last look at the bunker before moving the boulder and quietly stepping out.
Colby had been walking for a while before a mysterious black van pulled up next to him. Colby stopped in his tracks and watched as someone rolled down the window. It was Slicer. Colby recognized him from that night at the hospital.
" Get in!" said Slicer.
Colby knew what was happening and he quickly but carefully pulled open the door to the van and hopped in. That hadn't been driving long before the man stopped outside the Circa Hotel and Casino. No one except a few security guards were around, but they didn't seem to pay any attention to Colby, which gave him a feeling that they most likely weren't legit. Colby took an elevator all the way to the rooftop. Colby stepped out onto the roof into the cold darkness. There were a few small lights around, enough that Colby could see. He saw Jace, reading. The boy was deep into their Paradise Island book. He then looked up when he saw Colby staring.
" I'm impressed," said Jace. " This book is quite riveting actually. I especially like the part towards the end, you know, where they cut out your hearts."
" I'm here," said Colby. "Let's get this over with. Hurry up and put me out of misery."
" Colby, I'm disappointed," said Jace. " Wasn't it you who always said to live in the moment? I wanna savor this." Jace circled him like prey. Colby watched him closely.
"Besides, I'm not a total monster," said Jace. " I wanna give you a fighting chance."
Jace suddenly stepped away from Colby, back to where he was standing before.
" You're gonna fight me," said Jace. "Hell, you can even kill me if you want to. Doesn't matter to me."
" I'm not gonna kill you," said Colby.
" Why the sudden change of heart?" asked Jace. " You didn't show my mother mercy."
" You made me a promise," said Colby. " I made one too, and this time, I don't plan on breaking it. No matter what happens."
"Awwww," said Jace sarcastically. " That's the type of attitude that's gonna get you killed Brock."
" If that's how it has to go," said Colby.
" So noble," said Jace, cracking his knuckles.
Colby then charged towards Jace, but he quickly dodged Colby.
" You're gonna need to do better than that, Brock," Jace started. However, he didn't get to finish his sentence because Colby's fist collided with his face.
Jace stumbled back and brought his hand up to his lip, laughing when he saw the blood. He then charged towards Colby, who narrowly dodged him, but not before Jace swifty kicked him in the back of the leg, knocking him to the ground. Colby stood up as Jace came at him, trying to hold him back as he leaned over the edge of the hotel rooftop, trying to push Jace off of him.
Sam's eyes instantly shot open. He must've been dreaming or something. He suddenly sat up and rubbed his eyes, forgetting for a moment where he was until he looked around the room, then it all came rushing back. Sam stretched before getting off the couch and walking to the main living room of the bunker. He flipped on a switch and went over to grab a glass from the cupboard, filling it with water and taking a drink. He set down the glass and then his gaze went to Colby's room. He noticed that the door was still open. He looked in and he was confused when he didn't see Colby. Sam frantically looked around the bunker and his eyes locked onto something shiny, sitting on the table, it was Colby's Gucci Ring. Sam was confused. He quickly grabbed the ring and then returned to Colby's room, seeing his phone on his bedside table. He saw the last text sent from an unknown number with a location and time.
"Colby, what have you done?" asked Sam.
Sam quickly slipped on the ring and rushed out of the bunker, quickly looking for any way to get to the hotel as fast as possible.
Punches were being thrown left and right as Jace and Colby were both covered in blood, neither one of them refusing to give up. Colby went to punch him again when Jace suddenly grabbed his arm and twisted it around. Colby screamed as he heard the crack. Jace took this opportunity to kick Colby in the side, where he knew Colby just had surgery, and Colby went flying back into the glass panels of the rooftop and fell to the ground, groaning in pain as Jace walked over and kicked him again. Colby screamed in pain. When Jace went to kick Colby a third time, he grabbed Jace's leg and pulled him to the ground. Colby stood up and stomped on Jace's leg, he screamed as he heard his leg crack. Colby slowly stood up, steadying himself against the wall of the rooftop. He wiped the blood from his mouth and limped back towards the door. Colby suddenly fell to the ground, screaming in pain as a bullet lodged into his leg. Colby looked behind him as he fell, seeing the smoking gun in Jace's hand.
Sam jumped out of his Uber but stopped in his tracks as he heard what sounded like a gunshot and then heard a scream. He quickly looked up to the roof of the hotel, knowing that's where they must be. Sam quickly raced into the entrance of the hotel as he took out his phone. Luckily, Tiny had given Sam and Colby a number to cops in the Vegas police department that he knew they could trust. Big J had even said so. If anyone could alert the proper authorities, these guys would.
" This is Sam Golbach, I need as many Vegas police as you can get me, I've got a location on Jace Clayborn. Circa Hotel and Casino. Tell them to get down here, quickly."
" Roger that Sam, but whatever happens, do not go near that area," said the officer.
" I have to," said Sam. " Just get them down here as fast as you can." He then hung up the phone before the officer could respond.
Sam ran towards the elevator. Slicer, as well as several of the security guards had seen him and raced over trying to stop him, but with the way Sam was feeling right now, he wasn't holding anything back. Not when it came to Colby. Slicer tried to grab Sam but he got away, throwing punch after punch. Slicer then fired a bullet from the ground towards the elevator, and it began to spark as it malfunctioned due to the bullet. Sam sent a swift kick to Slicer's face and hurried to the stairs, racing up as fast as he could. Putting his marathon training to good use.
Colby tried to crawl towards the door but not before Jace had crawled over to him and pulled him back by his legs. He then grabbed Colby and put him in a chokehold. Colby was gasping for air as he tried to get free from Jace's grip.
" This is it, Brock," said Jace. " You and me, until the end."
Both of them heard the sirens in the distance as they got closer. Jace laughed as he squeezed harder around Colby's neck. Jace stood up, not even phased by his injured leg. He still had Colby in a chokehold.
Sam quickly busted through the door to the rooftop and stopped in his tracks. He locked eyes with Jace and then with Colby as his best friend's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Both Jace and Colby's face were covered in blood. Colby had tried to mouth something to Sam, but couldn't get it out in time. The last thing Colby heard was Jace whisper in his ear.
"You didn't keep your promise, so why should I?" whispered Jace.
Colby's eyes went wide. He fought as hard as he could, but it wasn't enough. Soon after, everything went black. Sam saw Colby go limp in Jace's arms. Jace roughly threw Colby to the side, and the brunette fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Colby!" shouted Sam. Tears were starting to form in his eyes.
Colby had thought he had fallen unconscious but he could still hear everything around him. He tried so hard to push through. Every inch of his body was telling him to stay down, but his mind and his heart were telling him differently. He wanted to fight through the pain but his fight or flight mode wanted to keep him down, but his love for Sam was strong. Stronger than anything, any pain.
Jace looked over at Sam, and the blond locked eyes with him. Jace let out a small laugh and smiled evilly at Sam. He then marched over and pushed Sam back against the wall. He took Sam's face in his bloody hand and squeezed tightly. Sam tried to fight back but Jace held him firmly in place.
Colby's vow he had made to himself was racing through his head. Protect Sam. At all costs.
" You're mine, Golbach!" Jace said.
Colby's eyes suddenly shot open and he took in a huge breath and weakly stood up. Jace and Sam looked over at him in disbelief. Colby turned to look at Jace and he saw the look in Colby's eye that sent a few shivers down his spine. Colby shifted his gaze to Sam, meeting his eyes and then looked back to Jace.
Colby yelled in rage as he raced towards Jace, pulling him off of Sam and pushing him back as hard as he could. Colby couldn't stop himself, he had to hold Jace back as Jace tried to push him away as well. Both of them were attempting to hold each other back, when suddenly Jace smirked and pulled them both over the edge.
" Nooo! Colby!" Sam yelled.
Sam's knees gave out as he dropped to the ground. Sam covered his mouth with his hand as he began to cry, taking deep breaths. Suddenly a hand reached up, grabbing onto the edge of the roof and Sam stopped. He stood up and grabbed anything he could find to use as a weapon. Sam slowly approached and that's when he saw it. The small swallow tattoo on Colby's hand. Sam quickly dropped his weapon and rushed over, helping Colby over the edge and back onto the rooftop. Sam pulled as hard as he could and hoisted Colby onto the roof. Both of them fell to the ground to catch their breath. Colby then looked up and locked eyes with Sam, both of them had tears in their eyes as they weakly stood up and raced to each other as fast as they could. They jumped into each other's arms, hugging each other tightly.
" I thought I lost you," said Sam.
" Never," said Colby.
They then pulled away from each other and looked over the edge, seeing Jace's body surrounded by blood on the ground below them. Several cop cars skidded to a stop and the officers jumped out of their cars surrounding Jace.
Colby looked at Sam beside him, and pulled him in for a hug again. Leaning his chin into Sam's shoulder and grasping the back of Sam's jacket tightly in his hand, never wanting to let go.
The next few days had been hard, Colby was recovering physically from everything and the guilt from what had happened to Jace was still eating him alive. Sam tried to assure him that this time, it hadn't been his fault. Jace was the one that pulled them over the edge. That had never been Colby's intention. Once they had got all the legal stuff taken care of, their lives were somewhat back to normal, whatever normal was. This time, they had done their research, and they had multiple sources and pieces of evidence to confirm. Jace was the last of the Clayborn bloodline. Finally, they were done. After everything they had been through with these people, Colby was just happy he would never have to hear their names again.
Sam had decided to take Colby out to the beach. It was one of Colby's favorite places, and besides hiking, it was one thing that brought him comfort. Both of them were walking along the edge of the water, barefoot, just talking about it all.
" Do you ever wish you could go back?" asked Sam.
" Back where?" asked Colby.
" To Florida, to that day where we picked up the flashdrive," said Sam. " Do you ever wish you could go back and not pick it up?"
" Yes actually I do," said Colby. " I know that's shocking coming from me, I know I say everything happens for a reason but in the end, it did more harm than good."
" I know what you mean," said Sam. " Nice to know the story is finally over. Well, their story anyway."
" Yea, I guess you're right," said Colby. " But in a way, their story was ours too."
" I guess that makes sense," said Sam. " Even if the story wasn't a good one, they were still part of it."
" The most important things to take away are the lessons learned," said Colby.
" Like don't pick up a flashdrive in an abandoned place in the middle of nowhere," said Sam, laughing.
Colby laughed back at him. " Seriously?" said Colby. " That's the life lesson you're taking away?"
" No, of course not," said Sam as he smiled at Colby. He then spoke up again. " What would you have said?"
" Never take anything or anyone for granted," said Colby, " and at the end of the day, remember what truly matters."
" I like that," said Sam.
" Anyway, I don't wanna talk about this right now," said Colby. " I know we'll have to eventually, but for now, I just wanna enjoy this moment. Here and now. With you."
" Love you too," said Sam.
Colby smiled at him as he patted Sam on the shoulder, both of them walking together along the beach.
Unbeknownst to them, was the woman standing a few meters away, watching them closely. She smiled as she watched the two boys and then retreated. She slid into the driver's seat of her car and pulled up to a mansion not far from the beach where she had just been. She quickly stepped onto the porch, and did the secret knock, alerting her boss that it was her. When she heard the click of the door unlocking, she entered the house and hung up her coat before walking down to the living room. There was a man in a chair facing away from her. He sat quietly in front of several screens and waited for her to speak. He stole a small glance behind him and spoke up.
" So, they're both still alive I presume?" asked the man.
" Yes sir, and not only that, your hunch was correct, they're back in LA," said the woman. " From what I can gather, they're gonna be here for a while too, but I wouldn't worry, they don't seem to suspect anything."
" We need to keep it that way," said the man. " If they find out that I hired Jace, that I'm the one that broke him out and that I sent him after them, our whole operation is blown. If I'm gonna get revenge, we need to make sure they continue to trust me, at all costs."
" I'll do everything I can," said the woman.
" Thank you, Monica," said the man.
" It's my pleasure, Mr. Castee," said Monica.
The woman then retreated to her quarters as Elton sat in his chair smirking. His plan was working perfectly. The plan that he's had for months, to get revenge on Sam and Colby for ruining his name and practically his career. They may have won the battle, but they were about to lose the war.
The End.
AN: Just wanted to come on here and say no hate to Elton, I just needed a new villain and thought this would be an interesting twist. Also fun fact: There were hints hidden in this story about who the mastermind was all along. Let me know if you picked up on any of them. Until next time my friends! Peace <3.