Chapter Text
Of the many people Teddy has found staring down the barrel of his gun, his once-beloved father was the last person he ever imagined would end up there. But the last few days had destroyed the entire foundation on which he had built his life, and so now it was the only thing Teddy could do to save himself. He thought he was ready. He thought he could break free from the shackles of Richard Roper’s so-called love. Just one more kill. He had killed plenty of people in his father’s name before, but now that he could finally bring justice upon this wretched man, it seemed his will had faltered. Looking back at him with that cold, unforgiving glare was his father after all.
Roper’s surprising stoicism as a loaded gun trembled inches from his face nearly brought Teddy to his knees. He was even goading him on, clearly calling his bluff. He knew Teddy didn’t have it in him, and maybe Teddy knew it too. Like a misbehaving dog brought to heel, Teddy bowed his head and began to lower his weapon. A wave of hopeless despair washed over him, and he was just a scared little boy, left abandoned and alone again.
His eyes wandered around at the men surrounding them, but settled quickly on the man who had set this whole scheme in motion. Over the last few days, Matthew Ellis (or Jonathan Pine or whatever his name was) had truly stolen his heart. The attraction was purely physical at first, and then Matthew’s betrayal had nearly destroyed all feelings he had for him. But when Matthew risked his life to show Teddy who his father really was, something in him changed. Looking at him was like staring at the sun. It was almost too bright to bear but the intense warmth was so addicting and so redeeming. He was so noble and brave and everything Teddy wished he could be. He remembered the journey to see his sister, and how even though they mostly rode in silence, he could feel a tether between them growing and strengthening with each tender glance. He knew their fates had been woven together ever since, and that his indecision at this moment would hurt Matthew too.
Teddy felt a new wave of guilt crash over him. Was he really going to let Matthew down? The man who had risked everything to tell him the truth he needed? The only man in the world who seemed to truly care about him? Teddy swallowed hard as his eyes snapped back to Roper.
No, he thought, I’m not your dog anymore. And in a split second of terrible courage, Teddy felt his finger squeeze the trigger. The familiar loud bang echoed through the jungle, and Richard Roper’s lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
For a moment, there wasn’t a single sound. The jungle around them which had been thronging with the sounds of life had fallen completely silent. All Teddy could hear was his own rapid breathing… and the sound of an approaching aircraft. Teddy wasn’t sure if he could believe his ears at first, but seeing everyone around him look anxiously at the sky jolted him back to reality. He froze again, too disoriented and too numb to react, but luckily he wasn’t alone now. It was Matthew’s turn to play his role.
“Shit, they’re coming! They’ll kill us all!” His acted panic was contagious, and the soldiers around them began to scramble. Then somehow in the chaos, Teddy hatched an idea.
“Shoot the plane down!” He ordered in his native Spanish, and the command was quickly echoed throughout the company. The soldiers scrambled for their portable surface-to-air missiles that they had stashed for their war (supplied courtesy of Mr. Roper himself) and took aim at the sky. Without a second thought, the incoming plane was blown up in mid-air by one of the young soldiers. The plane’s trajectory brought the fireball over their heads and into the jungle beyond the camp. Flaming debris rained down everywhere, and in the madness Teddy and Matthew had managed to find each other. Without a word they sprinted off together through the jungle.