An Eye for the Future (Part Three)

[dugindeep]

They each spend the evening decompressing from their revelations. Jared had transferred much of his materials to the J-pad he’d previously given to Jensen to keep him busy, now a fountain of information. Jensen has always been about statistics and facts, not much for technology or anatomy, so some of this is taking a while to make sense.

Jared, meanwhile, had retired to his own room after hearing Jensen’s history of the past ten years. In a shocking development, he was nowhere near as disbelieving as Jensen had been about their history. Jared had listened intently, brows lowered as he tried to understand all that Jensen had to share. It wasn’t until the end of Jensen’s story that Jared appeared disturbed—once Jensen explained what brought him to the theater to save Jared.

It seemed he was more shaken up at the memory of being shot at, and more importantly at the thought that it was well intended, given Jensen’s visions of it.

In between Jensen’s shock and confusion over all that the J-pad now contains, he’s also feeling a wave of guilt over bringing that information to Jared’s doorstep.

Then another type of wave comes over him, the known creep of dizziness and warmth, of his vision narrowing down to a fuzzy scene of he and Jared together. Like the images he saw back in Jared’s communications room, Jensen witnesses a burst of energy from the both of them as they fight through kisses and hurry to remove each other’s clothes. He can hear the heavy panting between them and the slick slide of their kisses.

It’s conflicting, really. On one hand, Jensen surely is attracted to Jared, and Jared has certainly shown interest in return on occasion. But there’s the confusion of seeing a scene so non-threatening as them having sex. Jensen’s visions have always led him to save people, to minimize pain, and make the future a bit easier for the victims to swallow.

He doesn’t know what to do with this on his brain. Doesn’t know what to think of the scene. Should he tell Jared for the sake of full disclosure as they try to sort out if that optical procedure is what caused Jensen’s visions? Or should he just ignore all that has happened in this cabin and survive awkward silences until they’re free to leave?

And when would that be? Jensen wants nothing more than to no longer be holed up in the middle of nowhere, absent of fresh air and sunlight, while the rest of the world carries on. He’d love to talk to his parents about this whole debacle. Yearns to share the details with Danneel, for comfort and venting. For the first time in probably ever, he wishes he were back at work with none of this weighing him down.

The J-pad’s screen turns black, shaking Jensen out of his thoughts. Maybe he just needs to bury himself in all this information to truly understand the situation. To have a better grasp on the questions flying around, and be armed to fire them all at Jared in the morning.

He decides that’s the only feasible course of action at this time and burrows in for a long night of reading.






In the morning, Jensen is awoken to familiar sound of soul music floating around beyond the door. He also swears he smells something sweet in the air, which makes him think of breakfast, which also brings coffee to mind.

He’d been up most of the night reading and rereading all of Jared’s materials; coffee is definitely a requirement to function at this point. Just as he opens the bedroom door, it occurs to him that his leg no longer hurts, that he’s made it up and across the room without a single slice of pain or cry in aggravation.

When he steps onto the balcony, he catches Jared flipping pancakes then a whole pan of sausage links. He also notices that Jared is singing along with the music and it’s the same song from the first day Jensen was fully conscious here.

That same infections slip-slide rhythm makes Jensen itch at the back of his head. He rubs at the spot as he watches Jared scoop up a pancake and turn it over with flair. His head bops around to the beat and he goes along with the lyrics belted from the speakers.

I want a love I can see
That's the only kind that means a thing to me
Don't want a love you have to tell me about
That kind of loving I can sure do without

Jensen can’t help the smile creeping on his face, or the fact that his feet move him to the stairs and down each step. One of the last ones creak and Jared spins around with the spatula raised like a weapon. Now Jensen has to laugh at the ridiculous scene, especially the drippings of pancake batter down the front of Jared’s San Antonio Spurs shirt.

“If you’re not careful, you could do a lot of damage with that thing,” Jensen jokes as he approaches the counter to help himself to a cup of coffee.

“Sorry,” Jared replies with a flush. He looks down at the pan with wisps of hair falling into his face, and Jensen does all he can to not tuck them back.

Maybe his visions mean more than he wants to admit.

“I’m used to being here along. I’m still jumpy whenever I hear you doing something.”

“So that’s how you came to rescue me so easily? Whenever I was helpless on the floor?”

Jared nods while tending to the sausages in the grease popping all around as they heat up. “Yeah, I’d heard one little noise or you swearing your face off, and I felt like I couldn’t ignore it.”

Jensen takes a satisfying sip of the steaming coffee then mumbles, “What a hero.” Jared playfully glares at him and Jensen considers sticking his tongue out in retaliation. However he can’t manage to instigate more that could lead to the scene he’s been witnessing over the last twenty-four hours. Something tells him it’d be compromising the situation if he went ahead with it, like he was preying on Jared.

“Hey! You’re standing by yourself!” Jared suddenly exclaims.

“Oh yeah,” Jensen laughs. He reaches down to pull at the end of his pajama pant leg. “I was gonna tell you. I didn’t feel a thing getting up or walking.”

“That’s great! And incredibly ahead of schedule. Wow.”

Jensen bites the side of his mouth. There’s the sneaking reminder of how he’s never been seriously injured in any of his previous incidents. He’d assumed getting shot was a much different matter, but maybe there’s something else to this whole visions thing. “How long should it have taken?”

“Maybe a week and half or so?” Jared busies himself by plating up their food and Jensen wishes he could see more of the man’s face to judge if he’s just hiding from the conversation or just really hungry. “But that’s amazing that the fuse worked so well.”

Jensen follows Jared to the table to eat, but avoids pushing the conversation. Instead, he starts up another awkward one. “This song,” he asks, even as it’s dying down and quickly transitioning to the next, “who is it?”

“The Temptations,” Jared replies idly, quickly turning back to the kitchen. “You want syrup? Jam? Oh, what about maple syrup?”

“Syrup’s good. Whatever is easy to grab.” He settles into his seat and stares at the pancakes and he considers how to bring up the fact that the song is too familiar to him. Almost uncomfortably so. “I feel like I’ve heard it before.”

“It’s an old one, so you’ve probably heard it before.”

“No, it’s just … I don’t know.” He sighs and preps his pancakes with butter and syrup then cuts them up in equal pieces in a grid format. He punches his fork into a few pieces, frustration growing over how much that song is impacting him despite having any sort of reason.

They fall into silence and it’s not entirely awkward, but Jensen keeps stressing over finding something to talk about. To start a conversation given how easy they’d been talking so far this morning. He feels like the cloud of all that was discovered the night before has returned, clouding up what are really fantastic pancakes.

When Jensen plows through his breakfast, Jared is left smiling at him and Jensen wonders if there’s something on his face. Maybe dribbles of syrup in the corner of his mouth. Or even coffee stains down his shirt. He inspects himself then looks at Jared. “What?”

“It’s just …” Jared smiles to himself, shaking his head, and focusing back on his own plate. “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to share a meal with someone.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’m just always so busy, eating stuff on the run. Or stuck in my office for hours at a time without talking to anyone.”

Jensen chuckles. “I find that hard to believe. You not talking?”

Now Jared leans forward with excitable energy in his eyes. “I know! I’m totally a talker and love being around people. I miss that most from the early days. All the teamwork and working with folks as you build a great product. These days it’s just a lot of programmers presenting things and me giving a thumbs up.”

“Sounds intimidating for the programmers.”

“I’m still nice!” Jared laughs and nudges Jensen away. “It’s just a lot of me listening and giving quick feedback before I move onto the next thing. Gets a little boring after a while. No. It’s a lot boring.” He sighs with a goofy frown. “My life is a lot boring.”

“Well, it could certainly be worse,” Jensen points out. He leans back in his seat and sets his napkin on the table, meeting Jared’s interested gaze. “I live in Excel all day long. Just numbers and formulas. I actually kind of hate dealing with my coworkers and sitting in meetings.”

“Maybe it’s the coworkers.”

He smirks. “Yeah, maybe.” After a moment of shared looks, Jensen clears his throat and starts rambling, thinking fondly of Danneel. “I have a great roommate though. We’ve lived together for a few years and she fulfills all the excitement I need of conversation.”

Jared’s face slowly freezes before he carefully sits back. “That’s all we need sometimes. Just one person to meet all our needs.”

It’s a shocking change of demeanor, even when Jensen has witnessed it a number of times on dates. “She’s just a roommate,” he clarifies. “We’re both gay, actually. Met when we were dating a brother and sister duo. I know it sounds like the start of porno or something, but neither relationship lasted long. Our friendship has.” Suddenly, he feels sad and stops talking even when he usually can go on and on about how he and Danneel wound up talking to each other more on double dates than they did with their significant others. He has plenty of hilarious stories that dot their history together, but he’s now just missing her like a hole in his stomach.

“You okay?”

Jensen blinks away the gloomy feelings and tries to smile. “Yeah. Just kinda miss her. She’s like a sister. And I’m sure she’s scared about where I’m at.”

Jared frowns in sympathy and reaches forward to cover Jensen’s hand with his own.

“You sure there isn’t some way I can contact her? Send a text or email, anything? I can’t imagine anyone is after her,” Jensen jokes just before a new round of dread comes over him. What if whoever was after Jared has figured out how Jensen is and follows Danneel for information? What if they do more than that? “There isn’t anyone after her, right?” he demands.

“No, she’s being watched after.” Jared takes in a deep breath and squeezes Jensen’s hand. “I made sure everything was okay with her while we’re here.”

“So she knows I’m here?”

“No, but she’s taken care of.”

Jensen nods as he tries to force down that bit of comfort. He thinks about what all she could be up to without him there to keep him company, and he imagines Dr. Cortese filling Danneel’s days and nights as their relationship grows. Then an idea hits him. “Genevieve. Surely they wouldn’t know to go after her? I could talk to her and she passes on a message to Danni.”

Jared appears to not be interested in that scenario, taking a while to just look at Jensen. “It’s important to you,” he says softly and Jensen wonders if it was supposed to be a question.

“Yeah, it is,” he replies just as quietly.

“Okay,” Jared says woodenly. “We can get a message to her.”

Smiling, Jensen turns his hand over to hold Jared’s and grips tightly. “Thank you so much.”

Jared watches their hands together and eventually squeezes back. He meets Jensen’s eyes with a soft gaze. “Of course.”






Later that day, they head back to the communications room where uses one of the keyboards and connecting monitor to open a few programs that mean absolutely nothing to Jensen. Jared obviously knows his way around the screens as his fingers fly over the keys to enter a number of inputs while Jensen silently stands by.

This gives Jensen the time to inspect the room again. He was far too focused on the large touch screens and all of the information that was dumped on him earlier to really pay attention. One of the tables on the other side of the room has a number of odds and ends that represent a number of items in the Tri-Labs catalogue. Opened phones and laptops without their shells. He wonders if it’s a graveyard or more like a garden where Jared works with new technology. He now pictures Jared sitting at the table as he does his best to resuscitate the old models, taking care with each item like they were fragile flowers waiting to bloom.

“Okay, I think I have enough traps up.”

Jensen turns to Jared then looks at the monitor, which now features them as they are right now. He waves and watches himself wave in return. In their reflection, Jared purses his lips and puts Jensen’s hand down between them. “Sorry, I was curious.”

Jared smiles while tapping out a few more commands on the keyboard and instructs Jensen to record his message.

“Like a hostage video?” Jensen jokes.

“You still think I’m holding you here against your will?” Jared takes his time watching Jensen react to the question, and he does.

Jensen immediately frowns and thinks over the situation. His leg feels good, as does the rest of him, so he could certainly just walk out the front door, right? And yet he hasn’t attempted to do that once over the course of their days here.

“You can leave if and whenever you want. I’m not holding you here.”

Before he can stop himself, he asks, “What are we doing here?”

Jared appears pained to answer. He licks his lips and heaves his shoulders in a tired sigh. “Staying under the radar. And making sure you’ve recovered.”

And he seems to be recovered, given his strength and ability to walk without the cane. But when he truly considers it, he’s not so sure he wants to leave this bubble where Jared Padalecki lives. Where a friendship is blooming. Maybe something more, because Jensen wants to yank Jared into his arms and hug away the disappointment shrouding him now.

“I’m sorry,” Jensen murmurs.

“For what?”

“For acting like you haven’t helped me. You surely have. Thank you.”

Jared nods then hits a few keys to start the recording. “Go ahead.”

Jensen keeps Jared’s gaze for a few more minutes, ensuring that Jared relaxes before he turns to the camera. When he’s comfortable to speak, he tries on a smile and waves. “Hey, Danni. It’s me. Obviously. And you’re probably calling me an idiot right now. But I’m an idiot who is alive and well.” He feels his smile grow stronger at the thought of Danneel receiving this good news and no longer worrying over him. So he assures her of just that when he tugs Jared into the frame and points at him. “And this guy is alive and well, too. He’s taking care of things right now. And we’re doing fine. Keeping each other company and all that.”

He grins when he spots the flush spreading over Jared’s cheeks then continues on with his message.






Despite the improvements in his leg, Jensen notes that his energy is still low. Maybe being up and around on his own two feet have worn him out. Or maybe it’s just the stress of the last few days in general. Soon after Jared had passed the video along to one of his friends to let it slip it through a few different channels and finally onto Genevieve, Jensen went back to his room to rest.

He takes a shower, the first in a few days now that he can use his leg and Jared has okayed getting the fuse wet. The warm water from the waterfall shower head is heavenly to wash away the grime that’s accumulated. He also feels like the stress of all that’s happening runs off his body and into the drain along with the water.

Back in the bedroom, he spends some time rereading his medical files on the tablet, yet barely lasts for half an hour when his eyes begin to strain and he feels a headache growing. Setting the tablet down, Jensen closes his eyes and gets some relief with the darkness behind his eyelids.

Jensen rests back against the pillows and prepares to fall asleep, but he never does. His brain starts playing tricks on him instead – weaving in and out of memories and visions, with many of the ones from long ago popping back up like a montage. Mrs. Whitley crossing the street, the landscaper in the tree at work, Little Abby next door almost falling off their deck, all replaying as the more painful versions of what Jensen was able to stop. Then suddenly it’s Jared, young like in the picture of them together, messy hair and playful eyes. Only it’s Jensen watching from the sidelines, not witnessing it from his own place at Jared’s side.

Are you excited?

What if it doesn’t work? What if I can’t see again?

You’ll be safe and good. It’s going to work. Trust me.

Promise?

Of course. You can believe in me.

Jared sets his hand over Jensen’s and squeezes, then Jensen moves his hand to hold on tightly. The way Jared looks at Jensen for that movement is unreal. Jensen, in the here and now, feels his chest clench with emotion at the pure adoration in Jared’s eyes, how intently he’s watching him.

What are you most excited for when this is done?

To see … everything. It sounds so stupid, but it’s the little things. Like people’s facial expressions to match what they’re saying. I wish I could see your face when you talk.

I am pretty much smiling all the time.

When you’re not laughing.

That, too.

Jensen reaches out to touch Jared’s face, fingers tracing his cheekbones and over to the corners of his eyes, down the edge of his nose, and over the lines of his lips. The thought burns into him that Jared has a very nice smile, that it feels happy when his mouth is upturned, and yet he also knows it, has it witnessed for himself here in the cabin.

The wistfulness of these thoughts are broken with the opening notes of the song … that song that he keeps hearing from Jared’s playlist yet can never pinpoint for its familiarity. In his memory, Jared and Jensen are comfortably quiet until the first verse has been sung and Jensen talks again, though nervously and slow.

I kind of want that. In the song. A love I can see.

You’ll have that soon for sure.

I can’t wait to see you.

Jensen’s fingers drag along the edges of Jared’s lip like he’s determining where they are before surging forward to kiss him. The alignment isn’t perfect, but pretty damn close, and Jared immediately moves into place so their lips match up. Jensen slips his tongue into Jared’s mouth with a mixture of excitement and nerves, reaching deep inside then pulling back just enough to be sure Jared is on the same page. He is, and the kiss continues on even as it slows down so they relish each touch.

Suddenly Jensen pulls back, licks his lips, and smiles.

I can’t wait to see you.

Jensen opens his eyes and is grateful he can see the wood walls of this bedroom, that he isn’t back in that memory where blackness surrounds him. His heart beats wildly with his chest rising and falling with his deep breaths. It felt so real, all of it, and suddenly he wants, it to be real. Thinks it has to be with his strong reactions to the song all week.

Without further thought, he whips back to the comforter and surges out of bed, tosses the door open, and looks around the lower level.

When he sees to no signs of Jared, he calls his name and waits for a response. There is none.

Jensen heads downstairs but finds the spaces empty. With one sliver of excitement and a whole host of worry over where Jared is, he tests the front door. It unlocks, lacking the high-end security of Jared’s communications office, and Jensen steps out onto a wrap-around porch that allows him to see the vast farmland surrounding the cabin. Trees and other foliage as far as he can see, keeping the place tucked back and away from plain sight. He glances around the side and spots a path that opens up the flat acreage Jared must’ve camped on as a kid. Jensen smiles softly at the thought of a couple dozen Padalecki’s spreading out on the lawn for a summer of fun.

He heads back towards the front of the house and suddenly, he hears his voice … his own voice, along with Jared’s, back inside. He rushes back in and now sees the communications room door is cracked open with light coming out. He goes there immediately and expects to give Jared the third degree, yet he’s stopped when at the video playing on the screen.

It’s them, back when. They’re joined by a number of others in Air Foundation lab coats, a few clipboards among the group with folks scribbling quickly. Jensen is being examined with a number of lights and other tools being held up near his eyes. From the small bits of conversation Jensen can pick up, this is after the procedure and the staff are debriefing on his condition.

Jared stands nearby silently. He holds Jensen’s hand and watches him closely with a mixture of nervousness and care.

The punctum caecum has been significantly reduced, a young woman with fiery red hair says in a strong Scottish accent.

Dr. Connell is right, a short bearded man confirms.

They share glances and Jared worriedly asks, What does that mean?

Nothing significant. The vision should still be accurate.

The redhead steps closer to Jensen and reaches out to touch the side of his face. Jensen rightfully flinches and blinks, unaware of what’s happening.

Apparently his vision is not yet fully restored. Jensen today, his stomach swoops with the thought, even when he knows with hard facts that he can see this very day.

Dr. Connell draws a finger along the skin just below Jensen’s eye. Yes, the vision should be very accurate. Perhaps a bit too much. She turns to the group with a wondrous smile. Without the blind spot, the opportunities for vision are endless. We shall continue our research. Jensen will be a most wonderful guinea pig.

Jensen makes a noise, on screen and in the doorway. The latter draws Jared’s attention and he quickly turns off the video. “I didn’t know you were there,” Jared hurries to say as he stands to face Jensen.

“What was that?” Jensen demands.

It takes a few quiet moments for the answer, as Jared seems to wager what – and how much – to say. “It was your post-op video. We did it with all of the patients.”

“I was a guinea pig?”

“No!” Jared brings his hands up and repeats no a number of times. “You most definitely were not. I made sure of that.”

Jensen narrows his eyes. “What does that mean?”

Jared bites on his lower lip then sighs like he’s letting all of his tension, so much stored up energy, just … go. “Many of the doctors wanted to look into your … condition. But I couldn’t let them do that without knowing the real impacts.”

Following a deep raspy sigh, Jensen frowns. “What did you do?”

“I worked with one of the Air Foundation neurologists. He inserted a splint into your limbic system to temporarily block the hippocampus from transferring to spatial memory.”

With another sigh, Jensen asks, “In English, Jared.”

Again, biting his lower lip, Jared fights with the answer and ends up admitting rather pathetically, “I made sure you didn’t remember any of it.”

He’s angry, surely, but also riddled with sadness. A direct complication of developing feelings for Jared and trying so hard to understand where the man stands in all of this. Jensen’s not the only one with skin in the game; Jared obviously has his own set of complications in this scenario.

Staying in place, Jensen watches Jared and compares it so the youthful version he’d just experienced. So much has changed over the last decade, while Jensen read that same depth of care in those hazel eyes and the strain of his lips when he bites into the bottom one.

“Back then,” Jensen begins, “Back when I couldn’t see, something happened between us, didn’t it?”

Jared opens and closes his mouth without a sound.

The stare off is uncomfortable, for sure. Still, Jensen needs to hear it. Needs to match up his visions with the facts.

Under the intense look, Jared glances at the floor between them. Every few moments, he picks his gaze up to meet Jensen’s before focusing on another spot around them.

“I need to hear it,” Jensen pleads. “From you.”

“I … look,” Jared tries without finishing that thought.

“I just saw something. From back then. And I’m absolutely confused as to why I’m suddenly having memories this clear. Ones I never knew before. But I saw something.” Jensen clenches his fists and anchors his feet to the ground to steady himself. “I need you to tell me what it was.”

Opening his mouth a few times, Jared struggles to answer, stuttering out various versions of I that chip away at Jensen’s heart.

“You what?” Jensen asks as softly as possible.

“I fell in love with you.” After a hefty sigh, Jared rattles on to fill in the blanks. “I was young and stupid, and it was that kind of stupid, young love you have when you’re twenty, twenty-one. You were just so beautiful, inside, too. And you were so kind, and funny, and you trusted me with your life. I kind of worshiped you for how much grace you had under that kind of pressure. To trust yourself to a kid like me.”

It’s too much at once, yet not nearly enough. Jensen can’t get a handle on his emotions from the revelation … confusion, sympathy, pain, happiness, emptiness. They’re all swirling together within and Jensen doesn’t know what he’s supposed to say to Jared’s earnest confession.

“You fellas always were adorable,” rings out from behind Jensen. Standing in the hallway is the same redhead from the video, the Scottish doctor who barely comes up to Jensen’s shoulders. Her size doesn’t matter; the gun in her hand does.

Jared joins Jensen in the hallway, shutting the door and moving to Jensen’s side. His shoulders rise in defense though his voice is low and confused. “Ruthie? What’re you … How did you—”

“Find you?” she says slowly with a smirk. “That part was easy once this one bothered to say hello to his pretty little friend back home.”

Jensen steps forward. “If you hurt Danneel, I swear—”

“No, no hurting,” Ruth insists. “Didn’t need to go anywhere near the little hairs on her head. Just had to follow the trail of morsels left by the message you sent.”

“Shit,” Jared whispers.

Jensen’s chest clenches with the fear on Jared’s face, along with the dread filling his own body. “You’re the one trying to kill Jared.”

“Oh darling, not kill. Just hurt a tad.” She nods enthusiastically, though it’s obvious she’s mocking them anyway. “A little maiming bothered me. But murder. Well that’s just too … final, eh Jared?”

Jared shakes his head. “I don’t understand.”

“Oof,” she sighs. “You were always too dumb for being so smart. Your fancy little gadgets make the world go round, but you know all your other studies were much more impressive.” Ruth lazily waves the gun towards them, perhaps implying it’s just for show. “And now the homeland is looking forward to all the work you can help us complete.”

“How many times have I told you?” Jared argues, drumming up the nerve to not just stand there and take it. “My research, the foundation, it’s not for sale.”

In between their bickering, Jensen wants to slink away unnoticed. This is certainly an argument he has nothing to do with, and he could go without being shot at again. No matter how many fibrous fuses Jared has stocked up.

Once Jensen shifts back, Ruth aims her gun right at his head. “Don’t you move another step there, darling. It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Jared’s little pet project has much to share as well.”

“I don’t know anything,” Jensen insists.

“Oh dear.” She fake pouts at them then focuses on Jared. “How do we tell the bloke that we don’t need him for his brains.”

“What?” he snaps, his heart beating wildly, pulse pumping against his throat.

Ruth taps the gun’s muzzle near her cheek. “It’s ye eyes, dear. They’s magic.”

Jared steps forward to put himself between Jensen and Ruth, and inhales deep enough his chest puffs out with intimidation. “This is ridiculous, Ruthie. You kill us? Everything is lost. You’ll have no access to anything without me.”

“Oh, I know, darling.” With a scarily happy smile, Ruth aims the gun at Jared’s thigh and fires.

He cries out in pain as Jensen yells his name, then Jared slumps to the floor. “Jared!” Jensen drops to the ground to help him. Blood immediately soaks into Jared’s light grey pants, blossoming red at the front and back of his leg. Jensen considers it a blessing the bullet went in and out, but still … the blood stain is spreading quickly and Jared’s breathing comes out in labored gasps.

Jensen tugs Jared back across the floor to put more space between them and the mad woman, though she continues to hold the gun on them. In a flash, her face twists in a grimace and she snaps, “Now give me the files!”

It occurs to Jensen that his visions weren’t really growing darker. The image of Jared being shot wasn’t going to be deadly. It would just be something to slow Jared down so Ruth could get to him and have access to whatever top secret research Jared has compiled over the years.

The only comfort here is that he doesn’t imagine Ruth will kill them.

Not until she gets what she wants, at least.

“Where … are … the files!” she screams, leaning down to within inches of Jared’s face.

He barely looks at her, eyes wet with painful tears and cheeks ashen. Jensen doesn’t grant her any attention as she continues to berate Jared into handing over what she wants; he yanks off his shirt and ties it just above the gunshot around Jared thigh. Jared winces as Jensen yanks on the ties to secure the knot as tightly as he can, all while Ruth stomps her high-heeled boot on the wood floor.

“You give me the files now … or I’ll shoot the other leg.”

“Don’t you dare,” Jensen growls at her.

“Okay, deary,” she purrs, “then I’ll shoot your leg.”

Jensen huffs as he frantically looks around for something to defend them or attack her with. His eyes land on the red buttons beneath the touch screen on the wall, the one that lets Jared in and out of the communications room, and he knows they have an out.

Ruth has no tolerance for him taking his time and clocks Jensen across the face with the butt of her gun. Pain spikes through his head and his eyes fill with tears. His eyesight is even more blurry with the hit and he falls against the wall with dizziness.

The cold steel of the gun presses against his chin, forcing his gaze on Ruth. “I’d hate to lose you, but it wouldn’t hurt me too much.”

“Okay, okay, fine, you can have it. It’s all in here.” He scoots back then tugs Jared’s heavy, weak body closer to the door.

“No, no, no,” Jared rattles on with heavy wheezes. “No one goes in there.”

“C’mon Jared, you gotta help a little,” he coddles before looking at Ruth, who waves gun towards the door.

“Tick tock, deary!”

Jensen lifts Jared’s arm up and helps him set his palm on the screen. It takes a few tries to get it rightly aligned, then the screen glows green and they hear the click-clack of the lock opening.

Ruth kicks the door open then hurries over their legs to get inside the room. Jensen sees how stunned she is by the set-up, especially the wall of servers piled high. He’s certain a number of valuable files are stored on those stations, and that Ruth could do much harm back in Scotland with them all, but he’s also confident she’s not getting very far with any of it.

He reaches for the handle and snaps the door shut. Fights again with Jared’s hand to get the scan just right, then smacks the red button. The screen glares red then rings out a low ding before the computerized voice announces lock engaged.

From inside, Ruth’s shouts are muffled along with her banging on the door. Jensen slumps back against it, thankful that the threat and all of Ruth’s excessive shouting are subdued. That’s when he realizes he can no longer hear Jared gasping for air.

“No, no, Jared, c’mon, buddy.” He tries to shuffle Jared about the shoulders, even taps his cheeks and chest to wake him up, but there’s no movement from his pale and fragile body.

The gun pops on the other side of the door with metal ricocheting about. A stray shot flies through the wall just a foot from Jensen’s shoulder and he hurries to get away from the door while she tries shooting the lock. The screen flashes a few colors with the next shot and another one fries the electronics. That little automated voice announces lock engaged, lock engaged, lock engaged over and over again. There’s a louder thump and Ruth’s continued cursing; Jensen imagines she’s run out of bullets and now throwing the gun at the door. Nothing helps as the lock seems to have malfunctioned, refusing to disengage.

Jared’s tall frame is dead weight and Jensen can only drag him as far as the living room. His head throbs again from his injury and blood drips down his brow and into his eyes. He wipes it away and leaves Jared by the couch to search through the lower level for a way to get them out of here or even call for help. He runs out the front door again, cursing himself that it had remained open from when he went outside and gave Ruth her way in.

He spots her car is parked diagonally to the front porch. Stumbling downthe porch steps, he manages to get across the gravel drive to reach Ruth’s car. The driver’s side door is open and he hops into the front seat to start it, but is left staring at the push-button ignition of this luxury sedan. “Damnit! Damn, damn, shit!” he yells while pounding on the steering wheel. Hanging onto it, Jensen knocks his head against it as he feels their chance to escape slip away. He continues to swear as a new round of pain rings through his head.

Tears fill his eyes as he breaths heavily, feeling the emotion build up and carry itself out of his mouth in stuttered sobs.

Events from the past week fly by like a picture book. Being shot at the product launch, waking up in Jared’s guestroom, falling to the ground before he could walk, Jared making them breakfast, sharing warm smiles, Jared telling him the truth, all of it, as long-kept memories flash in between and he remembers the way his stomach lurched whenever he saw young Jared smile with bright red lips and even brighter eyes.

He hears a number of noises from their recent time together—sausage sizzling, the solitaire game shuffling cards in Jared’s tablet, laughter, the soft rain of the shower, the ding of the security system that keeps Ruth locked up, followed by a quick succession of louder dings. High pitched and close. Very close. Like inside this car close, and Jensen checks the cup holders and the tiny hideaway hole beneath the radio. That’s when he finds the cell phone. A number of messages pop up on the lock screen. He hits the home button a few times in quick succession then sees Emergency in the bottom left corner.

Finally, relief is found when he can dial 9-1-1 and frantically beg for them to send an ambulance ASAP. All he can offer them for location are the big white numbers nailed into the awning on the cabin.

It’s a long bout of waiting with Jensen back to keep Jared company on the floor as the dispatcher tracks the phone.

One more surprise comes in the words, “Krause Springs.” A meager hour’s drive from Austin, where this whole debacle started.