Ryan's Redemption

[the-empressar.livejournal.com]

Title: Ryan's Redemption 19/?
Author: The Empress
Rating: PG
Summary:  Moving right along.....I hope to have chapter 20, and epilogue up by the weekend and then I'm going on VACATION!!!  WHEW...Kudos to all of those who can write 30+ chapters and keep going and going...This is my first endeavor and I'm prooped...tee hee!
Disclaimer:  Tickets for Yanni are being sold in the main room...Don't own, Don't sue...etc. etc.

Thanks again for all the support, pokies, and encouragement from the crew..HEARTS to you all!  Thankies ALWAYS go to my FAVORITE BETA FAN!!!!!  Gold Stars to you!!!

Chapter 19

As if in one of those old movies he used to watch as a child, where the action seemed to slow down and speed up at the same time, Colin saw his fist, agonizingly slow make contact with Ryan's jaw. He saw Ryan's head ricochet back from the punch and saw him go down. He was unable to stop anything from happening and then all at once he was down on the ground beside Ryan grabbing him up by the shirt collar and holding him close to his own battered body.

 

"Ryan...Ryan!! I'm Sorry!! I'm so sorry! I couldn't stop it...Please Please Ryan are you ok?" Colin frantically half whispered, half whimpered into his hair. He shook a dazed Ryan out of his stupor and wiped bloody palm prints over his cheeks and forehead. Colin marveled at how much blood he was losing but that didn't matter.

 

"Speak to me!"

 

Ryan fluttered his eyes open and it was as if time had ceased. All the fighting around them didn't matter. Ryan looked up into Colin's worried, disheveled face. His lips swollen, his nose bleeding, his hair matted, a black eye forming, caused tears to form in Ryan's own. Colin was absently rubbing the back of Ryan's head, carding his fingers through his hair, and starring apprehensively into Ryan's shimmering green depths. A small smile played around the edges of Ryan's mouth as he intensely stared back at Colin expressing whatever he could for the moment.

 

"Quite a right hook ya got there..." He said with a laugh.

 

Colin let out a shuddering sigh and pulled Ryan closer to him. Ryan reached up and wrapped his arms around Colin and brought his forehead down to touch his own. Colin winced a little and Ryan, realizing his error opened his mouth to apologize.

 

"Shhh its ok." Colin said before Ryan could speak.

 

"Col, I'm sorry...I'm sorry I was an ass. It's not important to me that you stay here. You need to get out of this place."

 

"You don't know the half of it Ryan. Ryan, oh my god, if you only knew!!!"

 

Nothing more could be said because bodies were starting to invade their personal space, tripping over them, kicking them, falling on top of them. Ryan struggle to rise and Colin tried his best to help and right themselves. "Later." he said barely getting a word out before a convict collided with him and knocked him to the ground.

 

"Colin!" Ryan said as he crawled quickly over to his friend trying to grab him and get him out of the fray. He punched a few prisoners in the face, picked a few more up, and threw them out of his way, grabbed Colin and yanked him protectively close to his side. Colin looked at him gratefully and they both tried to remove themselves from the brawl.

 

Suddenly and out of nowhere, Jeff and Brad came running up, pushing convicts left and right searching for Colin and Ryan.

 

"Brad! BRAD! I found them over here!" Jeff said his usually quiet, calm tones rising to a panicked crescendo. He had the beginnings of a black eye and he looked a bit roughed up, but other wise unharmed.

 

Brad rushed up behind him, using his stick to push off another prisoner who had gotten too close. "Come on, we gotta get you guys the hell outta here."

 

Ryan and Colin both paused for a moment and looked at Brad as if he had tentacles sprouting from his face. "What?" They both said in unison.

 

"You heard me, GET GOING!" Brad ordered. The sirens blared on and the screams and shouts and sounds of people fighting had not hampered the uttering of those two blessed words.

 

Ryan lifted Colin to his feet and Colin screamed in agony. "I think something's broken." He said in a pained voice. Ryan looked at Colin, understanding, and despite the afflictions that arose some times in his back, hoisted his friend over his shoulder and rushed with Brad and Jeff to the far end of the yard. They tried their best not to arouse suspicions or attention; most seemed too busy fighting to care. The guards they had to keep an eye out for were the ones in the towers.

 

Chip had barely regained consciousness as he felt the hands and feet of those around him, trampling, punching, kicking and tearing him apart mercilessly. He screamed with whatever remaining strength he had left that he would see that all of the prisoners would rot in hell. Several of the prisoners around him heard his cries and that was the end of Officer Esten. As Chip looked up into the eyes of twenty or so prisoners, the last thing he saw was the descending hands as they closed in on him. "NO, NO, NO, NONONOONNNNOOOOO....." were his last and final words.

 

Colin, Ryan, Jeff and Brad heard the tortured cries of Chip and shuddered inwardly. Brad shook his head and removed a set of keys from his belt. They had made their way to the side of the prison compound where Brad knew of a service entrance for food and supplies and other prison personnel. Colin had become weakened by the loss of blood and was beginning to pass out on Ryan's shoulder.

 

"Stay with me buddy." Ryan said urgently into Colin's back. He shook him, trying to rouse him before he passed out. "I can't do this alone."

 

"Ry...Ryan." Colin said groggily. He tried to shake his head and clear the cobwebs from his brain. He felt like he could sleep for days. The sounds of fighting and sirens were beginning to fade slowly in the distance as they approached the gate. Ryan propped him up carefully against a wall as Brad frantically tried to get the lock open that led to the outside.

 

Ryan watched Brad carefully as he slid the key into the lock. Brad smiled his good natured boyish grin and finally took a deep breath as the gate swung open. He looked back levelly into Ryan's eyes and said, "Voila." Ryan looked thoughtfully at Brad and at that moment nodded and came to terms with what he had been battling with for a long while.

 

Brad looked back a little unnerved at the intense looks he was receiving. "What do I have something on my face?" He said chuckling and poked Ryan playfully in the ribs. "Go on now, and don't let me catch you back this way again, young man."

 

Ryan laid a big, gentle hand on Brad's shoulder and smiled. "I really owe ya one, Sherwood, you're a real stand up guy." He brought Brad close to him and crushed him in a tight hug. "I never met a copper who treated any of us mugs with any kinda decency. You're tops in my book." He pulled Brad back and kissed him on the forehead, lingering for a moment, before pulling away completely. Brad looked back at him, perplexed but happy. Finally Ryan saw him for who he really was.

 

Jeff kept casting fearful glances behind him, hoping that no one had caught on to their disappearance. No one seemed to be following them at the moment.

 

"Come with us." Colin said to him softly. He looked at the young man in front of him with soulful eyes. Jeff approached the older man and smoothed down his disheveled hair tenderly. Taking a handkerchief from his pocket he dabbed Colin's lip with it, and several of the other cuts on his face. He smiled sweetly at the man, showing the best of his rugged good looks and brushed a thumb across Colin's chin.

 

"Thanks, but no thanks, pardner." He replied calmly in his soft, western drawl. "I have about a year left in the pokey and I can't afford to jeopardize it by breakin' out. I'm gonna stay and make things right."

 

He went over to Ryan and looked at him, saying nothing just as he often did. But Ryan, knowing him for so long, knew that his look said a thousand words. He grabbed Jeff and held him close for a moment. "You were the best cell mate a guy could have, not to mention a real pal."

 

Jeff looked back with a tear in his eye. "I'll miss ya big guy." Jeff slipped a folded sheet of worn paper into Ryan's hand and gave it a squeeze.

 

Brad looked up and out in the distance noticing that the crowds were beginning to disperse the guards seeming to finally get the upper hand. "Better get a move on ladies." He said. He held open the gate and Ryan grabbed Colin up again, one arm securely around his shoulder, supporting him against his side. Colin could walk a little, after resting some, but he still needed Ryan's body beside him to help him along. Brad pulled out a wad of bills from his pocket and shoved them into Ryan's. "You'll be needing this." He said. "It's not much, but it will help."

 

Again Ryan looked at him with gratitude and respect. Colin and Ryan both looked back as they pushed their way through the gate. They nodded to Brad and Jeff. Colin smiled up at Ryan as he took his first step as a "free man" off prison grounds. Ryan smiled back, love showing in his eyes as he planted a kiss of encouragement on the top of Colin's head. Keeping low they walk/ran through the large meadow, overgrown with tall grass, to the edge of the woods surrounding the prison complex.

 

Brad shook his head slowly and turned to Jeff. "Come on you bastard, he said jokingly, we don't need the rest of you out." Jeff smiled widely and clapped Officer Sherwood on the back, taking one final look at the disappearing pair.

Comments

[the-empressar.livejournal.com]

Why thank you Sweetie:) YYYAAAYYYY for being my first comment for the chapter!! WOO HOO!!!! They are FFFFRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEE:) Yay for Colin, he deserves it!!! Thankies for always reading and for being who you are!!! *smiles*