Chapter Text
"He can't stay here," His dad called, his voice chipped with annoyance. TK let his head fall forward, his hand running through his hair, wrenching at the ends, the pain a brief escape from this conversation.
"I know you're worried, Owen,"
"Then help," His father yelled, his brows creasing as the frustration and anger began to take hold of him, "That's your job, Jason".
The man glanced over at TK for a moment, the first acknowledgement that he was even in the room, "I have a contact; we could get a safe house set up, keep him there until the trial," The man said, turning back towards Owen.
TK shoved himself off the sofa, almost stumbling forward, "What-"
"And what happens when the trial is over? Will he be safe then?" Owen asked, head cast to the side. TK shook his head even though neither his father nor his head of security was looking at him.
"He?" TK hissed, both men spinning their heads to look at TK, "I'm right here? Don't I get a say in this?" He asked, brows drawn together. TK already knew the answer to this question; it was the same every time he wanted to make a decision.
Owen sighed, "TK, this is for the best," His jaw clenched; he had heard these words from his father a thousand times.
"How is relocating our whole lives for no reason for the best?"
Owen recoiled for a moment, head cocked to the side, "It's not for no reason; it's to keep you safe, keep you alive!" TK bit the inside of his cheek to physically stop the words he wanted to say leave his lips.
"They don't even know I'm testifying," TK said, tightly crossing his arms over his chest.
"There'll find out," The head of security said, the ever-serious look on his face, "This is for the best, TK," the man said, "As the head of security-"
"My father's security's," TK corrected, Jason's mouth closed shut, "Not mine," TK bit back.
Owen stepped between the pair coming to kneel in front of TK, "Please, do this for me," Owen said, "You're my kid, you're the most important thing to me-"
A sad laugh escaped his lips, "Are you serious?-"
Owen held his hand up, "This isn't the time for this," It never was.
Owen stood up straight, looking over at Jason and giving a defined nod before looking back over at TK, "You're going, end of discussion," With that, Owen left the room, Jason following him out. TK could hear their low voices as they discussed his future in the hallway.
TK bit his bottom lip, rolling it between his teeth. He pushed himself off the sofa, turning on his heels and heading out of the living room. TK passed the empty rooms in the apartment until he reached his room, slamming the door behind him.
🖤🖤🖤
Carlos flicked through the channels, not really interested in anything on the TV before him.
He sighed, about to flick the TV off and slumped to bed when his phone rang in his pocket. Carlos frowned as he stared down at the unfamiliar number; hesitantly, he answered, "Carlos," It was a voice he hadn't heard in a while, but he instantly recognised.
"Jason?" Carlos asked, leaning forward on his sofa.
"How are you," The man asked.
Carlos staggered over his words; he hadn't heard from the man in a year, "Uh, good thanks, what about you," He asked.
"Good," Jason said, "How's Austin?" He asked.
Carlos narrowed his eyes; the man never made small talk, always about getting to the point as quickly as possible, "Why do I get the feeling you're about to ask me for a favour," He said.
"Astute as always Carlos, which is why I need your help," Carlos felt his head fall forward, of course, "I've got a job for you," the man said. "I know it's short notice, but I need your assistance," He said, "I've got a someone that needs protection before a trial, needs to be housed in a safe house for a few months," Carlos slumped back in the sofa, reaching up to rub his forehead.
"Why isn't the US Marshalls protecting him," He asked, staring up at the ceiling.
"Doesn't meet the criteria; it's complicated," He said, "I get it's a lot to ask, but the kids went through a lot, and his dad's worried about his safety," There was something in the man's voice, a concern that was unusual for him. Carlos could hear someone else in the background talking, unable to hear exactly what they were saying, but he could sense the distress in their voice.
"What do you think?" Carlos asked.
"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think it was a good idea," Jason said, "I work for his dad, and he's a high profile lawyer and easy to find,"
Carlos had met Jason while they were cops, the man being a mentor. A few years ago, he left the force to work as a private security guard.
Carlos himself had left the force a few years ago to start his own protection company with his crew; along the way, Jason had provided Carlos with advice and a couple of favours, and Carlos was sure he wouldn't be where he is now with the man.
Carlos pushed himself from the sofa, his hand on his hip, "Send the case file over," Carlos reluctantly agreed, already regretting the decision, "I'll see what I can do," He said.
Carlos walked over to the table, pulling a notepad and pen off it, "When does the safe house need to be ready," He said.
There was a pause, and the pool of unease grew in Carlos's chest, "Tomorrow," Jason said.
Carlos looked up to the ceiling, trying to find strength.
"Tomorrow," He echoed, "I'll see what I can do," He repeated, flicking the phone line off and falling into the chair at the table.
It didn't take long for Carlos to contact the others, thankful that everyone could be there and was willing to help despite the late notice. Carlos scrolled back up his call list, ringing the number that had started all of this a few moments ago, "Jason," Carlos greeted, "We're good for tomorrow; I'll send you the location; we'll be there at 10am," Carlos rattled off.
"I appreciate it, Carlos," Jason said, his voice ever sincere.
The phone line clicked off, and Carlos arched over, waiting for the email to come through on his screen; Carlos feeling more comfortable once he knew what to expect.
So he sat staring at the screen, his fingers tapping the wooden table while he waited.
🖤🖤🖤
TK's feet paced across the floor, his hand coming up to run down his face.
He sucked in a deep breath, holding it for a moment to try and regain some fragment of calmness that had disappeared since that night.
His door was thrust open, and TK didn't have the energy to yell at whoever entered his room uninvited. He glanced up to see Jason stepping into the room, his constant frown on his face, "You should start packing. We're going to head out tomorrow," He said.
"Tomorrow?" TK questioned, eyes narrowing.
"Pack just the essentials, nothing more okay," The man said, ignoring TK's concerns.
TK raised his brows, a sad smile on his face, "My dad couldn't tell me himself?" he asked.
"He got a call from a client," The man said, a disinterested look on his face.
"At least in a safe house, my dad can't take calls," He glanced up and noticed that Jason was no longer looking at him, and for a moment, TK could have sworn he saw some guilt on the man's usually vacant face. "What?" TK said, stepping closer to the man.
It only took TK a fraction of a second longer to work it out.
"You're not coming?" TK called as he stepped into his father's offer; Owen looked up from his desk, his mouth hanging open, "So you're shipping me off to some random place, and you're not even coming," TK asked, eyes narrowed as his father continued to search for the right words.
Owen closed the file on his desk, his father opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out instead, the incessant ringing of his father's cell phone. Owen glanced down at the phone on his desk, his eyes looking up at TK as he let out a deep sigh.
"It's for the best," Owen said, picking up the phone.
TK smirked, yet there was no joy or happiness behind it, "Sure", TK said, turning on his heels back towards his room.
Jason was still standing in his room, arms crossed over his chest.
"Please just go," TK said, slinking past the man, knocking his shoulder against him. TK was in no mood for a lecture, and that was all his father's head of security seemed to offer, that and telling TK what to do.
"Be ready by tomorrow at 8am," Right on cue.
TK turned, "Where are we going," Jason just stared at TK, unmoving, "So I don't even get to know where we're going," that sounded pretty on par with today's events. At this point, TK was too tired to argue, "He's just doing what he thinks is right, and I agree with him,"
TK slightly nodded, "Is that a question, or are you telling me," TK already knew the answer, and Jason looking away, confirmed it, "Get out," He harshly ordered, slumping down on the chair next to his desk. It was uncalled for, but TK couldn't bring himself to care, the lack of sleep over the last week dragging him down. TK didn't watch the man's reaction; the door slamming shut was the only indication he'd heard TK. The door's noise bounced around the empty room until there was silence again.
TK let his head roll back to look at the white ceiling.
TK bounced his foot on the pavement, his phone pressed to his ear, "Oh come on, pick up," He cursed, shaking his head and wrapping his arm around his stomach. The line clicked off, and TK almost launched the phone into a wall when it sprung to life in his hand. For a brief moment, TK had hoped it was who he'd been trying to contact all day, but as he glanced down, he cursed again, "Dad," He said, holding the phone to his ear.
"Hey, kiddo," His dad said; TK could hear typing on the other end.
TK pushed himself off the wall, walking down the street, "Dad, hey, what's up," He asked, not really listening as his mind was preoccupied with other thoughts; just one thought, if he was honest.
"Just checking in," His dad said.
TK frowned, "Lemme guess your meeting got cancelled, so now you've got time to speak?" He didn't mean for it to sound bitter, but it did. TK hadn't seen his dad in a week on a count of his dad getting a new case. TK bit his inner cheek, shaking his head, "Hey you, you wanna getting lunch or something," TK found himself asking; he needed to do anything, something that would distract him from the itch coursing through his body.
There was a pause, his father's office phone beating his father's answers, "Shit kid, I'm sorry, I've-I've got to that this," His father said. "Maybe we could get dinner tonight," Owen rushed.
"Sure," TK said, hanging up the phone, almost certain he wouldn't be seeing his dad later.
TK stared down at his phone, going to call again, when another thought struck him.
TK shoved the phone in his pocket, pivoting on his feet, heading down the street, the inch coursing through his body growing stronger, TK on his way to what he knew would release it.
TK never made it to that dinner.
He replayed it a thousand times in his mind; each time, his eyes shuttered close, even for a second.
He thought about how he should have gone home, gone to a meeting or something.
Anything that wasn't what he did.
He folded his arms on his desk, resting his chin on his forearms.
A safe house, alone for who knew how long, all because he was weak.
TK closed his eyes, the tug of the darkness pulling him asleep.
🖤🖤🖤
"So, what do we know about this kid?" Judd asked, staring down at a piece of paper on the wooden table in the centre of the room.
"Well, for one, he's not a kid; he's the same age as us," Marjan said, sitting on the seat's arm next to Judd.
"Us?" Judd remarked, craning his head up at Marjan, who was smiling down at him. "Remind me why we're doing this again?" Judd sighed, slumping back in the chair.
Carlos pushed himself off the sofa, his arms crossed over his chest, "Because I owe Jason a favour, and he called it in," Carlos scrubbed a hand down his face, the early start of today already enough to make him regret offering his help. Well, offering was a stretch.
"So we're here because?" Mateo asked, Marjan giving him a playful shove.
"So," Paul said, pushing himself off the wall, "TK Strand, the star witness in a murder case," He said, reciting the information from the paper. He turned the page and frowned, "That's all we've got?" He asked.
Carlos sighed, "Apparently, that's all we need to know about him," He said, "We've also got some pictures of the suspect on trial and the known associates," Carlos had a few files with people to watch out for, suspects that could be dangerous.
Marjan jumped off the seat, walking over to the table and picking up the file, "So we've just got to watch him till he gives evidence," Carlos nodded. It seemed simple, sit in a cabin for a few months with a witness, "Sweet," Marjan smiled, looking around the group.
Carlos smiled; it seemed like an easy job to watch over one witness in a nice cabin in the middle of nowhere. The cabin was big, a mix of stone and wood. There was a large lake out the front, the rest of the area covered in trees hiding the cabin.
"We've got a few hours till they get here, so let's get used to the area and set up," Carlos said, the group springing into action.
Carlos leaned forward, picking up the file and staring down at it again.
It was unusual.
Jason was usually a stickler for information, reams of pages about the witness, but this time…
There was a name, age, location and that he was a witness.
Carlos sighed, staring out the window as the sun radiated through.
A few months, in a nice cabin with one witness.
Everything would be fine.
🖤🖤🖤
"TK," His head snapped up from the desk, his lips gasping for air. The scene before him was blurry and shifting. TK blinked, the alleyway shifting to the view out of his father's apartment.
"TK," The voice was closer, louder. He turned; his father's head of security stood next to him, a frustrated scowl on his face, "I told you to be ready by 8am," The man said, placing a steaming cup of coffee in front of TK, the cup clunking against the hardwood of the table. For a moment, the sound rang in TK's ears, just like the noise in the alleyway, "It's 7am," The man ordered.
TK wrapped his shaking hand around the mug, the warmth flowing through his body, "So I've still got an hour," TK said, standing and pushing past the man.
He heard his cupboard opening behind; TK spun his head to see Jason grabbing a duffle bag on the top shelf and throwing it onto TK's bed. "Pack your things," Jason said, turning and leaving TK alone.
He huffed, flinging open his draw, grabbing a handful of clothes, and shoving them into his bag.
There was a quiet knock on the door, "Hey, kiddo," A voice said, footsteps growing closer to him. They paused for a moment before standing next to TK, "What about this?" His dad said, holding a photo out in his hand.
TK glanced down.
His younger face stared back at him, his mother and father on either side of him, "You're going to be gone for a while; it might be nice to have some memories of home,"
They were all smiling, eyes shining light.
TK must have been around five, he had no idea what it felt like to be consumed by an almost never disappearing craving.
TK reached up for a moment, his fingers brushing the frame. That was home, but not anymore. Those people didn't exist and hadn't for a long time.
He pulled his hand back, clenching it by his side, "Jason said just the essentials," He said, walking over to the cupboard and grabbing some hoodies; he stared down at the clothes in his hand, "Why aren't you coming?" he whispered. He turned, his father giving him a confused frown, "Staying here is dangerous," TK might be the one testifying, but it only took googling TK's last name to find his father. TK felt the dread churn in his stomach, a constant rock in the pit of his stomach weighing him down.
His dad walked over, "Jason is staying here; I'll be fine," he said, a comforting smile on his face.
"Why don't you both come?" His father looked away again, down at the picture still grasped in his hand, "Work, right?" TK said as he threw the jumpers into the duffle bag, zipping it up.
"Look, I know you hate this, and probably hate me right now, but…" His father trailed off, lost for words.
TK squeezed his eyes shut, a shaking breath leaving his lips, "I don't hate you," He confessed, so quiet he wasn't sure his father heard.
Their relationship was complicated and difficult and sometimes pushed TK to the edge.
But he didn't hate his father; he never did.
"TK," He started, "What happened...what you saw," He swallowed hard, his eyes flying open as the flicking orange streetlight, and still man filled his vision.
TK tensed, his fingers clenching around the jumper in his hands.
"What about it," He said, focusing all his effort on trying to sound normal, although lately, TK had forgotten what normal was.
"Do you, do you wanna talk about it," His father asked, and he could practically hear his father's concerned frown from here.
"I'm fine,"
That was all he said regarding the incident. Various rewrites of that single phrase; I'm fine. Maybe if he said it enough, it would be true; perhaps it would change what happened, change what TK did. "What you're doing…" His father started, "Is brave and I...I hope you know how proud I am of you," He felt his father's hands resting on his shoulder.
TK looked up at the ceiling, blinking quickly as the tears pricking the corners of his eyes continued to grow.
His father shouldn't be proud of him; he wasn't brave; he was a coward and a liar.
"You ready?" It wasn't his father's voice but that of Jason. TK turned to see the two older men staring at him.
"Like that matters," He said, grabbing his duffle bag off the bed and slinging it over his shoulder.
Jason raised his brows, and Owen gave a slight nod. Jason exhaled, nodding his head as he ducked out of the room. TK kept his grip on the bag, feeling it start to shake. "You okay?" Owen asked, his head lowered to TK's eye level. TK quickly nodded, his hand never loosening on the strap, "I'll see you soon, okay," Owen said, a sad smile on his lips, a conflicted look spread across his face. Owen stepped forward, wrapping his arms around TK, "I love you, kiddo," He whispered.
TK froze, the guilt creeping from his heart to his chest, almost choking him.
"We've gotta go," Jason interjected.
Owen pulled back, one hand still gripping TK's shoulder. TK flashed a quick smile at his father, pushing down the resentment still swirling around in his chest.
TK kept his head down as he walked down the hall and down the elevator with Jason by his side. The doors opened, and the pair stepped out into the street.
There were two black SUVs parked on the street. TK stepped forward, pulling the door handle open and slipping inside, throwing his bag onto the floor.
Jason got behind the wheel, catching TK's eyes in the mirror, "When we get there, a team will be looking after you; they're a good group," He said.
TK retreated into the seat, his head leaning against the window. The car started and pulled off the curb and down the street.
TK watched as the street lamps soared past; the scene turned into a blur after a moment. TK closed his eyes, his head rocking with the car's movement.
TK folded his arms on the metal desk, his foot tapping a hole in the floor. He swallowed hard, the sickness barely at bay. No amount of steady breathing could quell the nausea in his stomach or the stabbing headache taking over his entire mind.
He shouldn't be here.
This shouldn't be happening.
He should have gone home; he should have just had dinner with his dad.
A cramp rolled through TK's stomach: his dad. TK hadn't even phoned his dad; he had no idea TK was currently sitting in a police station. The door swung open, the loud creak pulling TK's head up, "Hey, Tyler, right?" A police officer said, stepping into the room.
"TK," He corrected, his voice hoarse and sore.
"Apologies," The man smiled, although TK wasn't sure he meant it. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Water?" TK just shook his head, not trusting himself to speak again. The cop sat across from him, a loud sigh leaving his lips, "I know this is scary, and you've been through a lot today, but we're just here to have a chat and for you to tell me what happened, okay?"
TK clenched his hand harder, pulling his lips together like he was scared the truth would slip out. The officer pulled out a notepad and pen, staring at TK, "So, let's start from the beginning; why were you around Downtown Brooklyn?"
TK's breath quickened, his vision blurring for a moment as he prepared the lie ready on his lips. He should tell the truth; this wasn't the time to lie. He should tell him why he was around downtown and near that street corner.
TK pulled his head up, his breath halted in his lungs, "I was I was on a run," The lie was too easy, and it was too late to take it back as the officer wrote it down.
TK had committed to this new truth; now, he had to find a way to live with it.
He could almost taste the sour lie still on his tongue. He curled in on himself, wrapping his arms around his body as his eyes started to shut again. TK blinked them open, the fear of being pulled back into the memory keeping him awake.
It hadn't taken long for the cop to understand why TK was really at the scene.
A few questions, a few well-placed pauses and TK broke.
The cop knew why TK was in the alley.
TK knew why he was there.
But his father still didn't know, and TK intended to keep it that way for as long as possible.
🖤🖤🖤
Tires pulled outside the house, the noise of the wheels crunching over the gravel catching the group's attention. Carlos walked over to the main door, pushing it open and jogging down the steps.
Jason stepped out of the car, stretching and turning his head side to side.
"Jason," Carlos said, his hand stretched out. Jason returned the shake, "Carlos," Jason greeted.
The back door of the SUV was flung open.
Carlos felt his eyes grow wide for a second. He knew TK was around his age and knew his dad was a well-respected client of Jason. What had been left out of the file was how TK's brown hair was perfectly tousled, that his eyes were a deep green which contrasted against his vibrant yellow hoodie.
Carlos let out a deep breath; Jason turned to face the man, "Carlos Reyes, this is-"
"I'm sure he already knows everything about me, including my name," TK snapped, his head cranked to the side to look at Jason, almost like Carlos wasn't there.
Jason held his neutral expression, "TK, this is Carlos," He nodded towards Carlos, "And…." He trailed off, nodding his head behind Carlos. Carlos turned around to see the rest of the group standing at the top of the stairs, "and then there's Judd, Paul, Marjan and Mateo," Carlos filled in.
Carlos looked back to see TK's eyes briefly scan the group, landing on Carlos for a fraction longer before looking back up at the cabin, "Cabin in the middle of nowhere, don't think that's a little cliche?" He said, the sarcasm dripping from his voice, "Also, there's one of me, don't you think five people is a bit extreme?"
"They're going to be watching over you, making sure you're safe and-"
TK pushed himself off the car, "That I don't screw up, yeah, I get it," He sighed. TK turned around, pulling open the door and grabbing a duffle bag off the back seat. He slammed the door shut, briefly turning to Jason, "Take care," he harshly said, his tone indicating the exact opposite of what he said. He went to walk past Carlos when Jason reached out and gently gripped TK's bicep, TK rolling his eyes as he came to a stop. TK turned around to look at Jason, an exasperated look on his face.
"They're in charge here; their job is to keep you safe; listen to them," He said, exaggerating the last three words. TK shrugged off the man's arm, walking past Carlos without saying a word to the man or the others. Carlos jumped as he heard the cabin door crash shut.
Jason seemed to deflate for a moment, "As you might be able to tell, the kid isn't thrilled with this," He said, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"You don't say," Judd said from the top of the stairs.
"I'll keep in contact and let you know if anything changes, but if not, you know what to do," Jason announced to the group. Carlos heard the other members of the group walk back into the house. Carlos went to join them when Jason grabbed his arm, his voice low as he spoke, "Keep him out of trouble," He said, "It tends to find him, or rather he finds it," His words were almost like a warning. Carlos just nodded, "Oh and, if he starts to isolate himself, which he probably will, and you get worried or concerned, call me," On the surface, it was a simple request, but the way the man spoke and the way his eyes glanced back up at the cabin made a small pit start to form in his stomach.
Carlos folded his arms over his chest, "Is there something else I should know about?" he asked.
A sigh left the man's lips, "What happened was…bad" Carlos got the feeling that 'bad' was an understatement, "and TK has a history of unhealthy coping mechanisms," Carlos felt a chill come over him; the trees not too far from him rustling. Jason leaned back against the truck, eyes fixated on the cabin looming behind Carlos, "Honestly, I think the biggest danger to TK out here is…" Jason turned his head back to Carlos, shrugging his shoulders, "…is TK," Carlos recoiled, blinking at the man.
Carlos wanted to ask more questions, wanted to know what the hell that meant and why it sent another shiver down his neck despite no wind passing over him. Jason patted him on the shoulder, turning around and climbing into the truck.
Carlos watched as the cars disappeared, the forest falling silent again. Carlos jogged up the stairs and stepped back into the cabin. TK was slumped down in the large armchair, the bag plopped down on his feet.
Carlos took a breath, a polite smile, "TK Strand, right?" He greeted, "Look, I know this isn't ideal-"
"Ideal?" The man interrupted, "What, spending the next month in the middle of nowhere with strangers?" TK scoffed, shaking his head, "No, this is perfect," He mocked.
Carlos glanced at the rest of the group, their brows raised. "Some quick ground rules,"
TK scrubbed his hands down his face, tugging at the ends of his hair, "Look, this has been a long day, so can we skip the lecture till tomorrow?" As he spoke, he stood from the chair, picked his bag up, and he started to turn to leave.
Judd stepped in front of him, "This is important," He said.
TK seemed to think for a moment before slumping back down into the chair.
"You don't leave the cabin alone; we'll provide you with a phone to use here to call us and only us, no calling your friends-"
"I can't call my friends?" He called, brows furrowed.
"It could be tracked," Mateo said, filling in the gap. TK gave another laugh, shaking his head, "So what you're saying is I can't leave this cabin alone and can only talk to the five of you," He asked, eyes narrowed, "Perfect," He scoffed. TK again stood from the chair, slinging the bag over his shoulder, "Should've just let them kill me; it would have been less painful," Carlos went to speak when TK continued ", That was sarcasm before you lock the house down," Carlos had to bit his cheek, trying to remain as professional as he could, "Are we done?" TK snapped.
Carlos wanted to say no out of spite, but instead, he just nodded, his arm pointing down the hall, "I'll show you to your room," Carlos said. TK started to head down the hall, and Carlos quickly followed, stepping in front of TK as he led him to a room at the back of the cabin; the most secure one, "Just in here, there's an en-suite on the left" He said, the young man giving nothing away with his expression except annoyance. For a moment, Carlos was struck by a sense of empathy, he didn't know much, but he knew that TK's life had been uprooted, and he had been left in the middle of nowhere with some strangers. Carlos leaned on the door frame as TK stared into the room, his feet never crossing the threshold. "I get this sucks-"
"You don't get anything, okay," TK fired back. Carlos could see the way the man's jaw clenched; he twisted his head to Carlos, a dark expression on his face, "So just skip the whole 'friendly small talk' thing because I really don't care," TK finally pulled his foot over the threshold of the door.
"Hey," Carlos called, TK's head snapping back to look at him, "We've got to live together for months, you don't have to like it, but I would find a way to live with it," Carlos pushed himself off the wall and started walking back down the hall, trying to level out his breathing as he managed to hold onto his frustration.
He came back into the room, his shoulders slumping, "Well, he was something," Paul said in a hushed voice. Carlos opened his mouth, closing it after a second, not trusting himself to keep it professional.
Carlos's sympathy when TK had first arrived was quickly depleting, with only a small ember left in his chest. It wasn't that Carlos wasn't used to difficult people; but in the few minutes, TK had been in the room, the guy hadn't managed to say one thing that hadn't grated Carlos. He walked over to the chair TK had been in, sinking down into it.
"This is going to be a long month," Judd sighed from across the room, his hands shoved in his pockets.
Carlos closed his eyes, wondering what the hell he had gotten himself into.