Prison Island Ch. 40

Dawn was breaking over the camp when Francesco woke up with a groan. He pressed his fingers against his temples, trying to fight off the grogginess. Sure enough, he regretted drinking so much of that concoction made by Mouse. It was true what the redhead had said about it knocking you hard because his headache was something of epic proportions.

He turned slowly, aware of not waking up Karl, but the place by his side was empty. So, somebody either woke up to take a leak, or Karl hadn't been that badly knocked off as he had been in the end. With some difficulty, Francesco pushed himself to his feet and wobbled outside.

The entire camp was still sleeping, and not one single soul was in sight. For a moment, Francesco took his time to breathe in the morning air. Soon, they would be out of here. They would be free.

But hadn't they been the freest here? Away from everyone they knew, they had found each other and as a group. Francesco realized that he loved everyone, not only Karl and Mouse. He loved Leon and Ollie, Ty and Anya, too. They had been the best friends he had ever had. Of course, once back, each of them would see about their business and they'd probably prefer to forget that this place ever existed in their lives.

Except for he and Mouse. They would be together. Francesco couldn't deny that he felt a heart squeeze. Karl, he would have to forget about him, and that no longer seemed as simple as he had felt before. No, he would remember him forever. Karl didn't have to worry about Francesco ever forgetting him because that wasn't going to happen.

He walked out of the camp for a bit of stroll that would clear his head and maybe find Karl and Mouse while at it. He wanted to hold them again before they got into that chopper and went back home.

***

He had been walking for a while, taking in the beauty of the place, as wild and unforgiving as it was. When he stopped by a large bush, decided to take a leak, the sound of faraway voices drew his attention. He put his dick back into his pants and walked slowly, hoping that he could see who was there without getting noticed.

Not as far as he had thought, but at a distance, Mouse and Karl seemed to be caught in a heated argument. Both of them held their fists tightly closed, and Mouse appeared to be up for a beating, the way he pushed himself into Karl's face, lips pursed and saying something through his teeth.

Francesco tensed but something inside him told him not to intervene. He couldn't get too close or he would be seen. The scene in front of him made him tremble for the future he had imagined, for reasons he couldn't name.

Mouse turned on his heels and flipped the bird at Karl. For a moment, Francesco thought that Karl would hit Mouse when he grabbed him by a shoulder and forced him to face him. But no, Karl only held him and put one finger in front of his face, as he seemed to explain something.

Their voices, however, were only low murmurs, and Francesco couldn't make out any distinct words. Whatever that was about, it seemed fucking serious and intense. They couldn't be fighting over him again, could they? Francesco didn't think so. This was something deeper, something much more important than a dude they enjoyed fucking.

Mouse pushed Karl's arm away and then pressed his hands against the other's chest, making him stumble a few steps back. If they got into a fight, Francesco was determined to intervene. Yet, nothing of the kind happened. Instead, Mouse stormed off, and Karl didn't follow.

"It's all on you now, you fucking asshole!" Karl's voice was strangely loud after all that whispered angry conversation. "Don't expect me to come searching for you!"

Francesco froze. What the fuck? Was Mouse running away? It seemed like it. But why? They were so close to going back home. It wasn't possible that he preferred to be stranded on the island forever to a life together. Francesco couldn't, wouldn't believe such a thing.

Karl walked away, too, and Francesco remained hidden, barely waiting to go rushing after Mouse and find out what the hell that was all about.

***

If someone knew how to disappear without a trace, that had to be Mouse. Francesco wasn't even sure where he was anymore. Damn, he had waited far too long for Karl to be at a fair distance to move, and now he had no idea if he could find Mouse. The worst thing was that he was kind of lost. As much as he had moved around to explore their surroundings, he had walked too far, farther than usual, and now that the sun was starting to set, he realized that he had walked for an entire day, without break.

The only fuel he had relied on was his own desire to find Mouse, but now he felt the toll of not having anything to eat or drink all day long. In retrospect, it had been completely stupid of him to just go after Mouse without a plan. He would have been better talking to Karl and finding from him what had happened between him and Mouse, but he had sensed that Karl was mad at Mouse, so he hadn't wanted to complicate things.

Things were complicated enough now. Francesco perked his ears, in hope that the sound of water would reach him. He needed a drop of water so badly. How much he had depended on Mouse and his skills to keep everyone fed and taken care of, and on Karl for protection, he felt it all the more acutely now that he had neither.

What he needed was to rest a little, so he sat on the ground, his back against a tree.

***

When he woke up again, he realized that it was because of a loud sound. At first, he didn't understand what he was hearing. But as the sand of sleep cleared from his eyes, he recognized the sound for what it was.

The chopper. It was coming to take them home, and he had somehow slept through the night like a log, and now it was dawn again. But he couldn't reach that chopper, and Mouse wouldn't be on it, either, so he stood and took only mere seconds to shake off the night stiffness from his bones. Fuck, he needed to find Mouse and fast.

"What the hell are you doing, Kekko?"

He started at the sound of Mouse's voice. The redhead was holding a small wooden cup to his lips, pushing water into his mouth. Francesco drank greedily.

"The chopper is coming. We need to go back," he said with determination and grabbed a hold of Mouse's hand.

"You need to go back," Mouse hissed at him. "I'm not coming." He shook off Francesco's grip on his hand.

"What? Are you fucking mental? Why? Just because you don't like Karl?"

Mouse snorted. "Really? You think that's it?"

"I don't know what to think. Why don't you tell me? Karl promised --"

"That I'll come with you, right?" Mouse stood and crossed his arms after stashing the wooden cup in an improvised bag made from vines.

Francesco blinked hard. "He promised," he said through his teeth. "He wouldn't lie to me."

Mouse scoffed. "He wouldn't and he didn't. But I guess he left out some details, didn't he?"

"What?" The chopper above them was louder and louder. "What details?"

Mouse looked up and pursed his lips. "Shit. I need to get out of here. Kekko, don't follow me. I mean it."

"How the fuck am I supposed to do that? If you're not going, I'm not going either."

"Goddamnit, Kekko, stop being such a fucking nice guy," Mouse threw at him and began to walk.

His body hurt all over from sleeping on the ground all night, but Francesco didn't care. He jumped to his feet and hurried after Mouse. "I told you I wouldn't leave you behind, didn't I?" he shouted.

"Just stop following me, Kekko, I fucking mean it," Mouse yelled back and started to run.

Francesco knew he wouldn't be able to keep up with the other, but he wouldn't give up on him. He had no idea what details Karl had left out or whatever, but he wouldn't leave Mouse, ever.

***

Mouse ran fast, heading for the thickest brush, but Francesco didn't intend to let go. The sound of the chopper signaled that the steel bird was landing somewhere, and somehow that noise appeared ominous to his ears.

"Mouse, stop, Mouse!" he shouted, but the redhead showed no signs that he wanted to slow down.

His lungs were burning, and his breathing was raspy, hurting his throat, but Francesco didn't plan on letting go, as long as his legs held him. He had yet to feel any cramps, so he could still go on for a while.

He yelled in surprise when he was suddenly grabbed. The pounding of his blood in his ears had probably made him deaf to the sound of another person getting close. He struggled. "Let me go! Karl --"

"Not Karl, boy."

Francesco was held in such a fashion that he couldn't turn and see the stranger, but his voice was deep and rough, and he didn't sound like Morgan, either. Just as he wanted to protest some more, a man in military fatigues emerged from the brush, holding Mouse under his arm, like he was a sack of potatoes. The redhead had his arms tied behind his back, and probably his legs, too, by how helplessly he was fighting. Something covered his mouth, too, a piece of tape.

"What are you doing to him? Who are you?" Francesco asked.

He received no answer. Instead, he heard the buzzing static of a walkie-talkie, and then the guy holding him spoke into it. "We got them both. We're heading out. Over."

***

Francesco tired fast of trying to fight the man's hold and agreed to walk on his own feet while being held by an arm. The man's fingers dug deep into his bicep to the point of hurting, but he couldn't complain. All the while, Mouse was immobilized and carried in that fashion by the other guy.

"Who are you?" Francesco asked. "Where are taking us?"

"Home," the man replied curtly. "Now shut your trap, kid."

Francesco made a few more attempts to get the stranger to talk, but to no avail. His efforts died down the moment he saw the chopper. So the man wasn't lying, but why did they have to tie Mouse like that? Since he was walking in front being dragged along by that guy, he only knew that the others were following by the heavy steps behind.

He was shoved inside the chapter and made to roll down on the platform until something hard stopped him. As he looked up, his eyes made Karl's unforgiving blues. "Karl," he breathed out.

"Stupid fucking slut," Karl said under his breath. "Couldn't let go, eh?"

He wanted to yell at him, but then he saw the other man carrying Mouse, so he rolled and pushed himself up. Only then he noticed a steel bar cage at the end of the benches. The military type pushed Mouse inside and closed the door, locking it with a metallic clink. Francesco hurried to the cage and curled his hands around the heavy bars. "Mouse," he called out.

The redhead stared at him, but he didn't see the anger he had seen in Karl's eyes.

"What's this? Why are locking him like this?" he asked, turning on his heels to stare at the men in military fatigues.

The others were there, too, Leon, Ollie, Ty and Anya, and they were staring wide-eyed at the scene in front of them like they didn't know what to make of it, either.

"Sit, kid," one of the men grabbed him and forced him on the bench, by his friends' side.

Francesco allowed the man to do so, but the moment he turned his back, he jumped to the other side, by Karl's left. He grabbed the blond's arm. "What the fuck, Karl? What's happening?"

Karl didn't spare him a glance and just shook off his grip. "Francesco," he hissed, "you're fucking dead to me."

He tried to grab him again, but the man who had taken him there cursed under his breath and took a hold of his arm only to push him back into his place.

"Karl," Francesco didn't give up, "Karl! You promised!"

Karl looked away like he was bored and crossed his arms while leaning against the wall and stretching his legs.

Francesco felt tears falling freely from his eyes. Then a warm arm wrapped around him and he turned to see Leon looking at him with compassion in his eyes. Ollie reached for him and took one of his hands, while Ty and Anya came to sit by his other side, touching him to assure him of their friendship.

They were all on that side, and Karl alone on the other. And Mouse was under lock and key like a wanted criminal. How come everything had gone to shits so fast?

He barely registered what was going on, the short orders and words exchanged between the men in charge.

"You took your sweet time," he heard one of them commenting and then saw Morgan jumping inside the chopper.

Morgan threw him a curt look and nodded. He must have been searching for them just like the others until now. He walked toward the other end and touched Francesco in passing without looking at him again. "Everything's going to be fine," he whispered, so low that Francesco thought he merely imagined it.

"All set?" The first man asked in a loud voice. "Let's get home already. Kids, I don't want to hear a peep from you or I'll slap the shit out of you, 'kay?"

***

It was so strange to be out on the street again, in a city with lights and all the din of civilized life. Francesco felt dazed. He had been pushed out of the chopper and then taken and registered through a different compound than last time, given clean clothes, his personals, and then a shove out the door.

He stared at the money in his hand, supposedly a cab fare that would take him as close to home as he could be. A home he could barely remember, away from everything and everyone he had known for an entire year.

Karl.

Mouse.

The others.

And now he was all alone.

-end

Author's note: This is the end of Prison Island, but not the end of the story for Francesco, Karl, and Mouse. The sequel will start soon, under the name In It For Life, and it will begin with Francesco searching for a way back to the two men he loves. Although I could have continued the story under Prison Island as a title, I thought it would have become inadequate once the boys left the island.

Now it's time for the test of the real world and its dangers, as well as plenty of growing up. Thank you for reading so far.