Counting

Chapter 21

by Tux

This is all fantasy fiction. None of the events are real.

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Edited by Andrew Thomas

This story is an original work of fiction ©Copyright 2022 Tux - Please do not copy or post without permission.

Hey guys it's Tux and I can't express the joy that I have that you all love reading my story. I wasn't really sure in the beginning but working with Andrew, he built my confidence and I wrote my story down. I'm so excited to keep writing the story and bringing you more emotional connection, drama, and victories for young AJ and Zack. After writing so far into the story, I've become very attached to AJ and Zack, more than I thought I was going to be able to, and I look forward to sharing the rest of his story with you.

I appreciate all the emails, suggestions, offers, and support that I get and for those who haven't emailed yet and are waiting or don't feel comfortable or safe emailing let me, let me express my gratitude for reading my story and tell you a little bit about my story. I've been reading nifty for many years about two months ago I just decided to start emailing people and let them know how much I appreciate their stories. I got replies almost instantly. The responses were supportive, encouraging, and some even held spoilers. I struck up a friendship with Andrew and it grew with my confidence and now Andrew is my most trusted editor. I cannot do this without him. Other authors like Lucas and Eric Murphy offer advice and support with my stories and it means the world to me. So, take a leap email an author and tell them how you feel, did you like the story did you not like it, all opinions matter to the author. Do you have suggestions on where you think the story could go, all suggestions interest the author. So take that leap and email your favorite author, you can change his day for the better, and might even influence or change the story. Thank you to all those that were supportive to me and I can't wait to show you the rest of... Counting.

Chapter 21 - Birthday Cock

AJ

"You've ruined my life, AJ; it's time I return the favor," and then the line goes dead.

I blankly look around and see my parents coming from one direction and Zeke running up to me from the other. He wraps me up in his arms and holds me tight, and the phone drops from my hand to the parking lot. I manage to say, through my sobbing, "Bobby took Zack, he's taken... Zack."

Zeke holds me at arm's length and says, through his tears, "What? AJ, I'm Zack."

Couldn't it be? Could this really be my boyfriend? Could this be my twin? I launch myself into his arms and lose myself in relief, followed by the guilt of said relief.

5 Hours Later

Mom sits with Zack and me on the couch, and dad paces the floor. The Cut Bank zombie police officers, still in their costumes, that oversee "our kidnapping case" linger around the living room, asking questions if they come up with any. They haven't asked yet as they wait to see if a random call will take place. The scariness of the whole situation has turned into a slow, steady cry. Zack holds me in his arms, and mom holds us both, rocking us gently.

"Okay, AJ," asks Captain Lee, "Is there anything you can think of that you haven't told us?"

I look at him and then avert my eyes. Zack takes my head in his hands and pulls it to his shoulder. "Look, he's pretty tired, maybe I should get him to bed."

The captain stares at Zack, trying to read his face, then nods his head and suggests, "Maybe that's best for everyone. I'll keep two deputies here for a few hours, and then I'll come back and stay till morning." Taking a business card out of his wallet, he hands it to AJ, saying, "If you remember anything, call me. Don't worry about the time."

I take it and read it over: Captain Luke Lee, Cut Bank Police Department, 555-863-4343. I commit it to memory and place the card on the coffee table.

Dad was reluctant to leave the phone but agreed that he could use some rest. He picks me up and holds me tight to his chest as we climb the stairs.

Upstairs, dad helps me get ready for bed, and Zack strips down to his boxers. Then he tucks us both into bed and kisses our foreheads. I don't think he's ever kissed my forehead; it was nice.

Dad sat there in the dark on our bed, rubbing Zack's belly in small circles, and watching his silhouette in the moonlight, I could tell he was crying. Soon, dad stands up and leaves the room.

We lay there, not as boyfriends, not as lovers, in some way not even as brothers. A stranger lies next to me, and he is frightened. I'm anxious that my touch is unwanted. Afraid of saying the wrong thing. I'm afraid that he blames me. So, we keep our hands to ourselves and stare up at the glow-in-the-dark stars on my ceiling in silence.

Zack

One more minute of staring at the blank ceiling is more than I can bear. There's a buzz coming from across the room. AJ and I rush to sit up as the screen on the cell phone shines through AJ's pocket from his jeans lying on the floor. I scramble off the bed and pick up his jeans. Retrieving his phone, I unlock it with his face and click on `New Message.'

"It's just a location and a text saying 2 a.m.," I say, knowing that is going to be almost impossible to get to in time without asking for a ride.

"Four-wheeler?" AJ asks with hope in his eyes.

"Not enough gas," I shoot down his idea.

"Can you drive Lana's car?" He asks, and I look at him to make sure he's serious and just give him a flat `no.'

I sit down on the bed, and AJ stands next to me, holding his pants, waiting for a great idea. But I have nothing... I can't think of anything; it's like I can't get my brain to work. AJ soon can't take it any longer and wraps me up in a hug. "Owe!' I say sharply, and he leans back, exposing dad's rodeo belt buckle that he borrowed for trick or treating. The buckle is outlined in diamonds that are surrounded by gold. There are three rings, and on top of the rings is a man riding a horse... "That's it! Get dressed!"

"What's it?" He asks, confused by my sudden change in attitude.

"Dress warm and hurry. For this to work, we will need every minute Bobby gave us."

AJ digs his and my long johns out of the underwear drawer, while I get a couple of warm flannel shirts. "I don't understand, how are we getting there?" He asks, still in the dark.

"The horses, we'll ride there!"

Out in the barn

I heave Stepper's saddle upon his back and ask, "You got the rest?" AJ knows we don't have a lot of time for talking, so he immediately gets to work and begins working on his horse, allowing me to concentrate on getting mine ready. It might not be the best saddle job we've done, but it will work. I pull myself up and swing my leg over as AJ opens the barn door. I lead both horses out, and then he closes it

AJ hurries to Stepper and pulls a lead rope that dad altered to have two nice-sized loops on either end out of his saddle bag. He loops one over the saddle horn, and with the other one, he puts his boot in it. He pulls himself up with the rope so he can get his other boot into the stirrup and swing his leg over. He packs away his rope and gives me a nod telling me he's good.

The ride was long and hard. We need every minute, and our horses gave us their all. We arrive at our destination with only a few minutes to spare... The Cut Bank Public School.

AJ

We tie up our horses to the handrail by the front door. Sliding off Stepper, I dig my cell phone out of my pocket. The location was sent by Zeke's phone, and it led us to the playground. Being a few feet ahead of Zack, I round the corner of the school and can see Zeke. He is hanging from the monkey bars by a rope tied to his hands.

"There!" I yell, and Zack pulls me down by my shoulders to my butt behind the bushes.

"Wait! Shhhh. Something's not right." He studies the playground intently and then closes his eyes. His head moves back and forth as if he's listening to something I can't hear.

"What's wrong? He's right there!"

"That's not him," Zack adds with a whisper. "Come on, follow me."

He turns and heads towards the boy's locker room door. Once we get there, he holds his finger to his lips and `shhh' me, then points to the padlock that is broken and laying on the ground. He pulls the door open slowly and pokes his head in. I wait and hop up and down a little, causing my nylon washer rope to bounce under my jacket as my nerves begin to get to me. Reaching into my front pocket, I feel the black beads I cut from Max's chest. I knew I would need support from him, but this is no place for a teddy bear. This rescue mission is for brave boys. I need to be brave. Looking back at the hanging figure swinging in the winter wind from the monkey bars, the playground lights turn on with a loud click, making me jump and grab Zack by the waist.

Zack pulls his head back out and harshly says under his breath, "Damn, AJ, you about gave me a heart attack!" He pulls my hands apart and holds them to his chest. "Do you feel my heart beating?" He asks, then continues, "I'm scared too. We'll figure this out, but I need you to stay quiet and behind me, okay?"

I nod and begin to count his heartbeat. His breathing starts to slow down, and he gives me a little nod. He pulls the door open once more and looks around. Going in, I follow behind him as close as I can without running into him. We work our way past the showers and the lockers to the door to the gym. The door swings back and forth just a small amount, causing a sliver of light to enter the room, showing me a flash of dark gray lockers, a dirty floor, and the random teenage sock.

Zack looks back at me, and the sliver of light flashes across his face. I can see his worry and that he is second-guessing bringing me here. We stand there for a few seconds, which feels like hours, and I bring his hand to my chest to feel my heartbeat. His hand covers half of it, and I follow his arm up to his eyes. I sign `I love you' and he leans in and kisses me.

We break the kiss, and Zack takes a deep breath before he opens the door to the gym. Voices can be heard, and my heart begins to race.

"That little shit has ten minutes. You two better go check on the tackling dummy," orders Bobby Ton.

Zack reaches back and grabs the front of my shirt and heads toward the darkest corner. I pick up a hockey stick on the way there. Holding it to my chest, I get to the corner, and Zack forces me to sit down. He covers me with a dirty towel and reminds me to be quiet. The anticipation of something happening is terrifying, and the reality that it could happen any second is almost too much to bear. I hear the sound of the door opening and two men walking into the room. I grip my mouth with both hands to hold my scream in. I stop my breathing in hopes of not drawing attention.

"Come on, let's just grab the kids, and then I'm done. I don't care how much he pays us," Franklin says. "This kid is driving me nuts. If he wasn't so ugly, I'd fuck him and leave him somewhere."

Rick laughs and says, "Yeah, I know he's a little obsessed, but the money is good, and it's better than being a gun for hire."

"Shhh... did you hear that?" Clutching my mouth even tighter, fear grips me. My lungs are burning like I'm about to suffocate, but I don't dare... don't dare... dare make a sound.

"What? I didn't hear anything. You probably just heard Bobby punching that Zack kid again," Rick concludes, and the winter wind whips through the locker room just before the door slams shut.

I allow myself to breathe short breaths, and when the towel moves, I take a huge breath to scream. A hand covers my mouth, and Zack's eyes plead for me to stay quiet. I swallow hard and force myself to breathe normally. I give him a little nod to let him know I'm not going to scream, and he pulls his hand away.

Zack looks over his shoulder and then pulls me to my feet. I have a death grip on the hockey stick as Zack and I sneak into the gym. We get settled, hidden behind the bleachers, and watch as Bobby walks around a wounded Zeke hanging from the basketball hoop in only his boxers.

"Damn! Punching you is a lot of fun," Bobby says as he lands two more punches on Zeke's ribs. Zeke grunts with each shot and then spits blood on Bobby's face. "Fuck you!" Bobby shouts, and he wipes his face with his sleeve.

Zeke laughs a little till the pain overtakes him and he winces. Bobby gets close and grabs Zeke's chin to force him to look him in the eyes. "Laugh it up! Because the best part is yet to come. When I get my hands on your sexy little fuck-toy, you get to watch. His screams will hurt you way worse than anything I could do."

I look at Zack, and tears stream down his face. I have to do something. This is all my fault. If I had listened to Zeke and left Maxwell at home, Bobby wouldn't have targeted me. Maybe I can make this right.

Bobby Ton

Cranking up the basketball hoop, I lift Zack off the gym floor. I reach for his leg, give him a little spin, and smile as he winces in pain.

From behind me, I hear, "Hey!" and a smile crawls across my face. "Are you out of your mind!?"

"Wow, I didn't think you had the balls to show up," I playfully say as I walk around the hanging body of Zack. I give him another spin, and he grunts in pain. AJ stands at the door leading to the hallway with a hockey stick in his hand. "You, umm, plan on attacking me with that?"

His legs are visibly shaking, and he looks like he could, at any time, pee his pants. I catch his eyes shift to his lover hanging from the basketball hoop, then unexpectedly he turns and darts into the school.

"Well, Zacky, I guess the hunt is on. If I want that ass, I'm going to have to work for it."

I spin him again, and a painful scream comes from the depths of his chest that ends with, "...run AJ, run!"

The hallway is dark and quiet--creepy almost doesn't describe it. I casually walk to the strangest item to find in an empty school... a boot. It's small and childlike, with some mud caked on the side. Just farther yet is its match, lying near the hallway intersection next to the school trophy case. I head to it, and stand waiting for a sign. A noise. Anything to give away where my prey has fled to.

I hear nothing and decide that I'm going to have to rile him up. "You know, I was incredibly shocked when I saw you walk into that classroom. I mean, I have been jacking off and fucking third graders for months while watching that video. I found `Birthday Cock,' that's what it's called, on the dark web, where I found the rest of your videos. You're kind of a movie star to me. The way you suck daddy's long cock, damn, it's making me hard just thinking about it." Sticking my hand in my pocket, I grab my monster cock and move it somewhere a little more comfortable.

"The best part was your face. The look on your face when he popped that big mushroom head in your ass was the best, I'll never forget it. I always make the boy I'm fucking look at me to see that look and no one does it as you do. Does Zack get to see that look? Will you give me that look when I pop my monster in your creamy ass?" Then I stop and listen to the silence, and right before I pick a direction, I hear a... clink. The noise comes from the hall that leads to the front door. I bet he doesn't know that they chain and padlock it at night. He has nowhere to go, and he's all mine.

Slowly, I plan on checking every shadow and every door to make sure my little boy-toy isn't hiding. The first two doors are locked tight, so I move on down the hall. "Imagine my surprise when my favorite movie star walks into that classroom. I must have stared at you the whole time. I just couldn't believe it was you until I made you yell. Then I knew it was you. I want you so bad, and you ruined it! It was only a blowjob! Damn you and your twin faggots! I had plans. I was going to move you to the top of my boy list. I was going to fuck you at least three times a week, and we were going to have weekend sleepovers where I would fuck that sweet ass all night, but you messed it up, and with it, my life!" Stopping halfway down the hall, I punch a locker to let off some steam and realize all I hear is the beating of my own heart. So, I do my best to calm down.

The stillness returns, and my thoughts switch to once I have him home and chained up in the fishing shed. Man, I can't wait to have him all to myself. "I can't believe that Missy was so willing to do what I asked of her. She was getting this monster dick twice a week at school, and now she isn't. That made her all too willing to fuck with you and the faggot twins. You should have seen her face light up when I emailed her, `Birthday Cock'. I'd never seen her laugh so hard when she saw the pain in your face as your dad jabbed his cock deep inside you..." Suddenly, a small, thin shadow appears in the moonlight in front of me. How did he get behind me?! I spin around, ready for anything.

AJ

Leaving my footprints in the dust on top of the locker, I fly through the stillness over my prey. Aged old wood that has been held by countless students before me is in my death grip. Cocking my weapon of choice over my head, my shadowless form arches at the peak of my leap. As I begin to descend, I enter the moonlight, and my sudden shadow startles Bobby. His body begins to turn, and the confusion on his face that no one is behind him assures me of my surprise attack. Rage blinds me from my normal, careful precautions. The thought of how badly this could end flashes in the back of my mind, but the need for vengeance drives me. He's seen the video! He has been getting off watching me go through that pain, and now he wants to reenact it! He gave it to Missy! Missy has seen me raped by daddy!

Crack!

Years of slapsticking, being checked into the corner, and rough hockey has weakened the stick just enough to explode across Bobby's back. He arches his back in pain and collapses on his knees. Splinters embed themselves into Bobby's back and my hands and face, but the pain doesn't shock me out of my rage. My sneak attack leaves me with a much smaller piece, and I raise it over my head in an attempt to end my embarrassment, my shame, my pain, when...

A tiny flash of moonlight twinkles from the middle of my chest on my reflection in a glass display case across the hall. The promise ring glitters in the moonlight as it hangs from the silver chain around my neck. Rageful wrinkles on my face are replaced with tears of what I am about to do, and that moment of emotional change is all Bobby needs to push me harder than I ever have been pushed.

My feet leave the floor as I fly uncontrollably backward until the abrupt stop. A thumping pain from the back of my head sends stars and little floating shapes into my field of vision. Before I realize the danger I'm in, a steel grip engulfs my neck, and Bobby comes into my view. He lifts me to my feet by my neck.

Struggling to pry off the hands of my attacker, he yells in my face, "Why do you always have to make it so hard on me?! You'll feel good too, you know! I'll treat you so much better than your dad did! It only hurts a little, why can't you just accept it!"

I begin to kick and reach out to my surroundings for help. I can't breathe, and the burning need for air is beginning to overtake me. If I black out, he'll kidnap me. He'll beat me. He'll kill me.

Bobby Ton

AJ's little body slams against the wall so hard he looks like a rag doll, and for a split second, I think I've killed him. He moves sluggishly and feels the back of his head. Anger swells up inside me as my arms reach out for his little neck.

"Why do you always have to make it so hard on me," I yell in his face! "You'll feel good too, you know! I'll treat you so much better than your dad did! It only hurts a little, why can't you just accept it?"

AJ's arms flail out, reaching for anything that will help him get me off of him. My cock is so hard that I can't wait for him to black out. I think I will have to have a quickie. I brace him up against the wall with one hand and slide my hand down his little chest, over his tight, cute abs, and then my fingers slip between his belt and his skin. My fingers curl around his little dick. AJ is so scared, it's shrunken up to just a knob and is so soft, my cock throbs.

He squirms in my grip and mutters, "I'veg...t -he fir... exting...sher."

He's enjoying it! I knew he would, "You like that, don't you? See? This will be great. You won't have to worry about anything but servicing me, I'll take care of everything. Just tell me what you want?" I loosen the grip I have on his neck and listen to him struggle with breathing.

"I've-," AJ begins as his chest heaves to breathe again. "-got the...," he squeaks out as his eyes frantically search for the words. "Fire extinguisher!"

AJ

Outstretching fingers search for help. Anything... anything... then something metallic and heavy. Bobby is crazy, and I've got to do something or I'm not going to make it out of this alive. My broken warning falls on deaf ears, and he leans in closer so I can try and tell him again. The noise of the fire extinguisher upside Bobby's head is a sickening bong, and we both fall to the floor.

Gasping for air, I roll over and swing the extinguisher again. It slams into his knee at an odd angle, and the extinguisher breaks free from my grip and spins out of control. Clanging on the floor, it crashes into the wall, breaking the nozzle and causing it to spray CO2 all around us in a white cloud. It spins across the hallway, smashing through the display case and glass scatters on the floor, then... it comes back at us. I roll up in the fetal position and Bobby comes out of the white fog at me. The damaged extinguisher strikes him in his shoulder, flipping him over me and into the fog.

I hear the extinguisher banging down the hall, covering it in a dense fog. Bobby's moaning and grunting bring me back to my goal, but I must admit, I might have taken this too far. Getting up, I head to Mrs. Simons' classroom. A hand bursts from the fog, grabbing my pant leg, and I come crashing to the floor.

Rolling over, I see Bobby rise out of the cloud with a look of pure rage. His left arm hangs limply at his side, and he is having problems holding on to me. The 539-nylon washer rope slips off my neck and over my head. The rope is securely gripped in my right hand, and I swirl the rope, leaving the washers tightly against my knuckles. When Bobby lurches at me, I sit up and connect with his face. Blood smears across his cheek and nose as the washers cut deeply into him like a large animal's claw. His body falls limp on me, and I feverishly kick him off.

Bobby Ton

Lunging at that little shit, I see the fog beginning to stir on his right side. Without warning of the danger, his fist emerges with something wrapped around it, hitting my cheek. It feels like claws on the whole side of my face, and he rocks my jaw so hard that I think I lost a few teeth. Blood pools on the floor beneath my face as I push myself off the floor..."I'm going to kill that little shit!" I meant to say, but it is inaudible.

Sitting up, I see the fog moving toward the third-grade class. "You can't hide from me," I say with a garble like when one's mouth is numb. With my good leg, I force myself to my feet and use the wall to make my way into the classroom. "I've got you now. You'll never get past me!"

The sound of the flagpole slapping on the floor behind me spins me around, and I catch a glimpse of AJ running through the door with a wooden wedge in his hand. "No," I scream and limp as fast as I can to the door, but he slams it in my face and kicks in the wedge at the bottom of the door.

Standing slowly, AJ stares at me with equal anger as I have for him right now through the door's window. You can clearly make out the bruising in the shape of my hands on his neck. Banging on the door, I curse at him while he glares at me. "Hey!" he yells and holds up his phone. Its screen says one word that almost stops my heart- `Recording.' "That's right, my phone has been recording you this whole time, and now, I'm going outside to get bars so I can call the cops." He gives his phone a little shake and gives me a little quick smile that says he has me right where he wants me. He thinks he's won.

No-no-no... it can't end like this! Watching him head to the front door, I begin to slam all my weight into the door. It moves a little, so I repeat it over and over. My rage masks the pain in my face and leg, as I semi-run into the door. The glass shatters as the door moves just enough for me to squeeze through. Making my way to the front door, I open them with the full intention of killing that little shit.

Zack

Twenty Minutes Ago

Under the bleachers, I go over the facts of the situation. 'It has to be me,' AJ signs to me, and I slowly turn to face him, knowing exactly what he means.

'No. That isn't even an option. No-,' I start to sign, but AJ interrupts me by slapping my hands away.

'-I can't get Zeke out of here, I'm too small, and we have to do something before Bobby kills him. You can't beat him in a fair fight, and we both know he won't fight fair. If I try to help, I'll just be in the way. He takes a deep breath and then takes my hand. I shake my head because I know what he's thinking. 'I have to lead him away, so you can get Zeke out of here.'

I look over my shoulder as Bobby takes a few more swings at my brother's ribs before he begins to crank him off the floor. I reach for AJ to bring him close to tell him, `No,' once more, and he's gone. Frantically, I look around to see him at the end of the bleachers. He drops his coat and pushes the send message button on a text from his phone. Then he starts a recording app, signs 'I love you,' and then steps out from under the bleachers.

"Oh my gosh... oh my gosh... oh my gosh!" I panic to myself through clenched teeth as AJ and Bobby talk back and forth. Okay, I must get Zeke out of here as fast as I can, so I can come back and rescue AJ.

I can do this.

AJ runs out of the gym with Bobby walking after him like he knows something AJ doesn't. Once he clears the room, I head towards Zeke as he yells for AJ to run. "What are you doing here?" He asks in a weak voice.

"Shhh, saving you, now shut up, and I'll get you out of here."

I crank the basketball hoop rope that raises and lowers the hoop, dropping my brother to the floor. Using the rope to balance himself, I pull out my pocketknife to cut him free. He's dead weight when I sling Zeke's arm around my neck. AJ's right; he could have never gotten Zeke out. He's wincing and grunting in pain with every step as we work ourselves toward the door. I plan to get him to the horses and then come in through the front door to help AJ, but my plan goes to shit once we get into the boy's locker room.

"What do we have here?" The large black man says.

I do my best to backpedal, but it's hard to walk backward while supporting someone else's weight. "Come on, guys. It's over, Bobby ran off with AJ. You don't need us anymore," I plead to the two men that work for Bobby.

The black guy pats the tall blonde man on the chest before walking towards us saying, "Looks like a bonus for us." The blonde man stares at me, and for some reason, I get the feeling that he's not going to hurt us.

"Rick, let them go," the tall man says softly.

"No way, unless they can outbid that brat," says Rick as he goes for us. I trip over Zeke's legs, and we fall to the floor as the blonde man grabs Rick's shoulder, pulling him away from us. "Franklin, what are you doing," he yells and then does some kind of martial arts move that grabs Franklin's arm, swinging him into the lockers.

I grab a baseball bat that was under a bench and crack Rick across the back. Rick quickly swings his arm out and backhands me to the floor. Pushing off the lockers, Franklin gets Rick off balance and pulls him headfirst into a set of lockers next to me. When he gets his footing, he goes to lunge at Franklin, but I connect the bat to one of his knees and hear a crack that was unmistakably bad for Rick. He screams and grabs at his knee, giving Franklin enough time to wrap his grossly large arms around Rick's neck, putting him into a choke hold.

I go for Zeke and manage, with almost no help from him, to get his arm on my shoulder and begin our way toward the door. He clutches the bat I used in his other hand, dragging it behind us, making a scraping noise. Getting to the door I hike my brother up on the wall so I can check if the coast is clear. When I come back, Franklin is standing next to my brother with the baseball bat pointed at him.

"Why'd you help us?" I ask.

"I'm done kidnapping kids for that brat," he says as a matter of fact. Taking out his phone, he adds it to the other phone in his other hand and then hands them to me. "This is all the proof you need on Mr. Ton to keep him in jail for a while. I've even got some information on the other kidnapped boys he's had us do to use as leverage."

"What do you want from us?" I ask while taking the phones.

He takes a moment to collect his thoughts and says, "A head start." Then he slips past us and out the door. When I got Zeke back up and out the door, he was gone.

AJ

Bobby pushes the doors open and almost falls over when the floodlights from the police cars blind him. "Freeze! Get those hands up!" Shouts the officer that came with Captain Lee. I stop and watch Bobby shield his eyes and go ghost pale when it dawns on him what is going on.

"I lied," I shout to him. "I texted Captain Lee over twenty minutes ago," I say as I hand the captain my phone. "It's all on here. He's been raping third graders before I even moved here. He also told me what he planned on doing with me once he had kidnapped me." The captain takes the phone and nods to the paramedics. They wrap me up in a blanket. The bigger of the two medics scoops me up and takes me to the ambulance.

"I bet you don't remember me?" The medic asks. I give him a long look and shrug. "We'll let's just say this isn't the first time I've helped you into my rig, it's not even the second."

The twins are soon led to the other ambulance, with Zeke on a gurney. Zack rushes over to me about the time I hear mom yelling out my name. He hugs me tightly and tells me how proud he is of me and how brave I am. Mom and dad do the same, then scold us for being so dumb to do this alone.

"This isn't the movies or some video game. You two are so grounded! I'm so proud of you and mad at you at the same time." That's all mom can say before she wraps us both in huge hugs. Dad rides with Zeke to the hospital, and after we talk with Captain Lee for like a half hour, mom leads us to the truck.

On the way to the truck, I stop. Pulling mom's and Zack's hands to get their attention. "I want to go to the hospital to see Zeke, but what are we going to do with the horses?"

My mother's face goes blank, and then she is mad again, yelling, "You rode the horses here!"

"Well, you don't think we walked, do you? It's freezing out here."

End of Counting - Chapter 21 - Tux

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