****

Specs looked up as his jailer entered the bedroom.  He closed the book he had been reading, Dutchy had thrown his stuff in for him.  Dutchy glanced at him, the same pitying expression on his face when Specs had last seen him.  That was when he had been let out to go to the bathroom and take a shower.

Dutchy turned away and locked the bedroom door.  He then went to all the windows and locked those up as well.  Specs followed him with suspicious eyes.  Dutchy hesitated before approaching him.  He unlocked the handcuff around his wrist and promptly jumped back.  Specs glared at him with a sour expression twisting his features and he rubbed his sore wrist.  It was red when the cuffs had dug in and was even bleeding in some places.  Specs stuffed them in his pockets, hiding the red marks from Dutchy's concerned gaze.

"Specs…" He began.  "Let me-"

"Why do you care?" Specs hissed.  "You're going to kill me anyway."

Dutchy fell silent.  He was at a loss of what to do.  Dutchy couldn't easily back out of the hit man business…come to think of it, no one ever did.  Not without dying mysteriously anyway.  He sighed and crawled into bed.  Specs joined him a moment later, lying as close to the edge as he could.  Dutchy laid awake for a long time, listening to the other's deep and steady breathing.  It was around one a.m. when he fell into a tense sleep.

****

Specs woke up when he tumbled out of the bed, banging his head on the bedpost in the process.  He muttered something and rubbed the sore spot.  Specs got to his feet and raised his eyebrows when he saw what had caused him to fall off the bed.  Dutchy was sleeping fitfully.

It's worse than last night… Specs observed, subconsciously crossing his arms.  Before Dutchy had been awakened by the cold of the room, he had been mumbling things and tossing.  Thank God he didn't toss after he fell back asleep…that would have resulted in a few injuries.  Wonder if he'll wake up anytime soon…

As if on a cue of some sort, Dutchy jerked awake and sat up straight.  He gasped for breath as he hunched over.  Specs watched the beads of sweat roll of his severely waxen-faced features.  Dutchy ran his fingers through his flaxen locks, pushing them back from where they were sticking to his forehead.  He looked up and his eyes fell on Specs.

"Some dream you were having there." Specs said, dryly.  Dutchy said nothing and fixed his gaze down to where he held the blankets in a death grip with white fingers.  He gulped a few times and took a few deep breaths.

"You have to get out of here." Dutchy said hoarsely.

"What?"

"I said 'You have to get out of here'!" He snapped, glaring at him.  "Don't you understand?  You have to get out of this town!  If I don't kill you, someone else will!  It's not like I have a choice in the matter!"

"Not that I care, but what happens to you?" Specs asked, trying to sound apathetic but failing miserably.  Dutchy looked down again and sighed.

"I don't know." He answered, truthfully.  "It depends on what Vinnie wants to do with me…I may die…or worse."

" 'Worse'?" Specs asked, then a look of horror crossed his face.  "He wouldn't…"

"He does." Dutchy shivered, but not from the chilly air.  Specs moved and sat down on the edge of the bed.  "He-he already has done it to my friends.  To Snoddy.  To Jack, Snitch… it was different…it all depends…"

Dutchy rubbed his face with his hands, wiping away the hot tears that he was ashamed of.  He had told himself over and over that a crying hit man was stupid…an oxymoronic idea.  But still…Dutchy couldn't keep it in any longer.  He didn't want to end up like his friends.  It was all to much…everything was all too much.

"They all tried to get out." Dutchy mumbled.  "I could never understand why they wanted to…I was so stupid.  So ignorant!"

"Is anyone left?" Specs asked.

"No.  I don't have any other friends at 'work'.  I realized that after Jack went, I would be next.  It seems that's what Vinnie thinks as well." Dutchy turned his gaze to Specs, the aquamarine eyes full of pain.  "I don't want to go like that."

"You won't.  I'm not about to let it happen, alright?" Specs said, tipping Dutchy's chin up to look at him.  "We'll leave tonight."

"You'll leave tonight.  I have to stay."

"No!"

"There's no other way!  You have to already be on a train out of here when they find out!" Dutchy insisted.  "Go!  You have to get out of here, now!"

"I'm not leaving without you!"

"You have to!"

Bam, bam, bam!

"Alec!  Open up!  I've got a lead!" Vinnie's yelled from the front door.  Dutchy looked desperately at Specs, begging him to go.  "Alec!  Wake up!  I've got the drummer from Edwards' band!"

"Oh shit," Specs gasped.  "He's got Skit."

"What?"

"Skittery.  That's what we call him." Specs mumbled.  "His real name's Jeffrey Edwards…and yes, he's my brother."

"ALEC!"

"Coming!  Keep it down!" Dutchy yelled.  He turned back to Specs.  "Just get out of here, I'll get Skittery out as well."

Specs crossed the room, took Dutchy's face lovingly into his hands, and kissed him goodbye.  Dutchy wound his arms around Specs' neck as tears trickled down his face.  He pulled back reluctantly.

"Go." Dutchy whispered.  Specs wiped away Dutchy's tears and the blonde turned and jogged towards the front door.  He opened the door and Vinnie came in, dragging a bound and gagged Italian behind him.  He-Skittery, Dutchy assumed-towered over both of them and was looking rather indignant and frightened at the same time.

"Here's the kid.  Bean pole, ain't he?" Vinnie said, pushing Skittery down onto a seat on the couch.  He cast a suspicious glace over to Dutchy.  "Any leads for you?"

"Erm, none.  I haven't really been looking." Dutchy confessed, feeling his face heat up.  "Did you have to bring him?" He nodded towards Skittery.

"If you don't have any leads, what are you complaining for?  This is probably the best thing we could have hoped for.  I found him down in Pip's bar." Vinnie grinned wickedly.  "He never knew what was coming."

"But he knows how to get here." Dutchy stated.

"So we'll kill him."

Dutchy saw the fear in Skittery's dark eyes.  "No!"

" 'No'?"

"I mean…he's just a kid.  Why're you dragging him into this?"

"Are you getting soft, Alec?" Vinnie asked, looking carefully at him.  Dutchy hesitated, licking his lips nervously.

"N-no."

"I think you are…" Vinnie accused, moving closer.  Dutchy stumbled backwards and hit the wall with a soft thump.  His breath hitched in fear as Vinnie closed in.

"V-Vinnie…"

"You were also better-looking than Snoddy…" Vinnie said, running a finger over Dutchy's jaw line.  The blonde flattened himself against the wall, trying to escape from his boss.  Vinnie snickered.  "What's the matter?  You knew this day would come.  I've had my eye on you for a long time, Alec."

Dutchy squeezed his eyes shut, terrified.  He suddenly felt Vinnie pulled away and heard a crash.  Dutchy's eyes flew open and he stared.  Specs had Vinnie pushed up against the wall, a gun barrel pressed to the hollow of Vinnie's neck, right below his ear.  Dutchy stared for a moment, then ran over to Skittery.  He pulled off the gag and ripped off the ropes.

"I'm sorry." Dutchy apologized.  Skittery nodded in a way that showed it was all right.  They both turned to where Vinnie was looking sour and trying to slip out of Specs' grip like the snake he was.

"No leads, Alec?  This looks like a lead to me!" Vinnie snarled.

"Shut up." Specs hissed.  "If you ever-ever touch him again or even come near him, I swear to the Almighty and merciful God…"

"Specs, I told you to go!" Dutchy exclaimed.  "Now get out of here!"

"Not without you."

"Ain't that sweet?" Vinnie sneered.

"Specs…we should get out.  The other's are coming by." Skittery spoke up.  Dutchy jumped, temporarily forgetting that he was standing there.  "That bastard was going to make an example of this one."

"What?" Specs asked.  He was distracted and Vinnie lunged out of his grip.  He pulled a gun out, aiming for Specs.  Dutchy leapt forward and tackled him, causing the shot to go through the roof.  Skittery grabbed Specs and started pulling him towards the bedroom where the fire escape was.

"Dutchy!" Specs called, fighting to get back to him.

"Just get outta here!" Dutchy yelled back, wrestling the gun from Vinnie's grip.  Skittery threw Specs over a shoulder and disappeared down the fire escape with the struggling brunette.  Vinnie overpowered Dutchy and held him down.

"You lying whore." Vinnie hissed.  Dutchy squirmed, looking for a weak point in his grip.  He stopped struggling when Vinnie's knee dug into his stomach.  Dutchy gasped for air and doubled over.  "Sleeping with the enemy."

"I d-" Dutchy started in his defense.

"Shut up." Vinnie cut him off with another applicant of pressure to Dutchy's stomach.  "You're walking thin ice, Alexander Thomas Durecht."

Dutchy said nothing and swallowed nervously.

"You can redeem yourself…I'm not entirely heartless."

You're a sociopath. Dutchy thought to himself.  So technically, you are…

"I think you know how."

"…I…I know…"

****

Continue to part 10