Part 33:

 

Mason’s Hideout:

 

It is dark now; Mason’s hideout is deep in the woods. It is little more then a cabin. Mason pulls his car up and parks out front. He gets out of the car and goes around to the trunk. Thunder starts to rumble in the distance and he glances up noting dark rain clouds approaching. He opens the trunk, and jumps back Shawn swings the tire iron at him. Mason grabs it and pulls it along with Shawn out of the trunk. He wrenches it from his hand and swings it at Shawn catching him in the leg. Shawn yells out in pain and falls to the ground.

 

Mason grabs Chelsea by the hair and hauls her out of the trunk kicking and scream. He says, “I thought I told you kids to behave.” He points his gun at Chelsea and says, “And here I was starting to think Tony raised you right after all.” He pulls her too her feet and motioning towards Shawn says, “Help him inside.” Chelsea looking a bit scared to say the least reaches down and helps Shawn stand up. She supports his weight best she can as he limps towards the cabin; Mason all the while holding his gun on them.

 

Inside Mason directs Chelsea to sit Shawn in a chair. He tosses her some more restraints and tells her to tie him up. He warns her, “I WILL be checking them so don’t think you can help him escape again.” She obeys silently. Shawn winces in pain as she ties his legs. She says, “I… I think his leg is broken.” Mason says in sarcastic concern, “Oh dear… well then we should get him to a hospital right away!” He laughs and snaps at her. “Now sit.” He pulls over another chair and pushes Chelsea into it tying her up too.

 

He goes around the room making sure all is locked and secure. He then goes to the door and we see a security panel next to it; apparently this place is more high tech then it’s appearance leads one to believe. Mason types in a code and a red light goes on and beams. He then exhales and says, “There we go.” He turns and smiles to Shawn and Chelsea, “You two comfortable?” He looks at Shawn who is a bit pale from pain and shaking in anger. He goes over and kneeling in front of him looks at Shawn’s leg which is in fact broken.

 

Mason says looking at Shawn, “Are you going to be ill?” Shawn looks at him and while we can tell he is in extreme pain he just says through clenched teeth, “Go to hell.” Mason just laughs and standing up says, “Oh I will… but before you two.” Shawn says, “You’re wrong. We’re going to walk out of here, but I swear… you won’t!”

 

Mason turns and looks back at Shawn with an evil look on his eyes. He then steps over to Shawn and with an evil smile kicks Shawn in his broken leg saying, “YOU won’t be walking anywhere!” Shawn yells in pain. Chelsea screams, “Stop it! Leave him alone!”

 

Mason turns to Chelsea and pulls out a knife. He kneels before her and using the knife moves a piece of her hair out of her face. Chelsea holds still fearing what he will do next. He looks her over with a sick smile in a way that would make any girl uncomfortable and concerned. Mason says softly, “Now you I just don’t get. Why do you care more for this guy then you do for your dearly departed Mommy?” Chelsea’s eyes flash at him and then glance at Shawn but she says nothing. Mason tilts his head running the knife down her cheek. He says, “Or… is it that you would just rather I pay more attention to you then him?”

 

Shawn says, “Get your hands off her!” Mason doesn’t even look at Shawn he just smiles at Chelsea and says, “You really are amazing, Chelsea. Tony did good with you. All you’ve done and yet he defends you.” Mason smiles and stands up leaving Chelsea untouched. Shawn spits, “I swear to god you touch her again and I’ll kill you myself.” Mason puts his knife away and says to Shawn, “Relax, hero.”

 

Mason walks away from them and goes and gets himself a drink from the fridge in the room. He then makes a call and simply says, “Phase 1 and 2 complete… yes Ma’am… understood.” He hangs up and just smiles to Shawn and Chelsea as he drinks. Shawn and Chelsea share a fearful look.

 

Meanwhile:

Bo, Hope, and Clancy have all reached the hideout. Bo goes to the car and touches the hood, “Still warm.” He whispers to the others. Thunder rolls again in the distance. Bo motions to Hope and Clancy to circle the cabin. Bo and Hope go one way and Clancy the other.

 

They all pear into the windows and can see Mason and Shawn and Chelsea. They witness Mason’s hurting Shawn and taunting them but they cannot hear anything that is said. Bo whispers to Hope “Go around the back to that window over there. We’ll need to come at him from all sides.” Hope nods and runs off.

 

Hope takes position next to a big window on the far side of the room.

 

Back inside Mason is continuing to taught Shawn and Chelsea. He finishes his drink and then looks at his watch and says, “Well… I’d say that’s enough time. I’m sure they’ve found the bodies and noticed you’re missing by now. Think its time to give the folks a call.” He steps to the middle of the room and taking out his phone dials a number.

 

Outside the window Hope’s cell phone breaks the silence as it rings loudly. Mason whips around hearing the phone ring from outside the window. Hope is scrambling to silence her phone. Suddenly the window she is by explodes in a shower of glass the alarm is set off from the window being broken and it blares through the cabin. Hope shocked but instinctually shields herself from the glass as Mason reaches through and grabs Hope and pulls her backwards into the cabin. He slams her against the floor pinning her there. He is fast and within milliseconds has wrenched her gun from her and tossed it across the floor. He is inches from her face, his gun to her head as he yells violently, “Who’s with you!!?”

 

Outside both Clancy and Bo have reached the now broken window. Clancy pulls Bo back and physically restrains him from charging in he whispers, “no! Wait… if you go in now he will kill her. If she can convince him she’s alone then we can regain our footing and attack when he’s not got a gun pointed at them.” Bo nods reluctantly knowing Clancy is right. But we can see how horrible it is for him to have to watch Hope in Mason’s grip.

 

Hope is still stunned but manages to stammer out, “N…No one! I came alone!” He slams her against the floor and yells, “Do you think I’m a fool!?! How could you have known about this place?!” Hope’s eyes dart as she thinks and he yells again, “TELL ME!” She sighs closing her eyes in fax defeat and says, “Patrick… he told me.” Mason pulls her to her feet by her throat, and presses the gun to her temple, “Liar! Patrick is dead!” Hope shakes her head an musters out a, “No… you missed! He’s alive. He told me you would be here.”

 

Mason’s eyes move rapidly as he remembers he did not have time to check and see if Patrick was dead. He spits, “That bastard is impossible to kill! No matter I’ll finish him off later.” He slams Hope onto the floor and quickly binds her hands. He steps away still holding his gun on the three of them. He catches his breath and then says, “Well… not exactly the way I had it planned but good enough. He walks to Shawn and pointing a gun at his head says while he looks at Hope, “No reason we can’t get started. I’m sure the daddies will be here soon enough… So! Tell me Hope… how would you like to see this son die?” Hope pulls herself to her knees and say, “Don’t! Whatever it is you want from me I’ll do! But you will not hurt my son!” Mason just smirks. He looks at Chelsea and then steps over to her he says, “I have an idea… how about you do it Chelsea?” She looks up at him with nervous eyes. He says, “Come on… definitely not like it’s your first time or anything… and it would be kinda fitting… poetic really… for you to kill bother Hope’s sons. What do you think, Chelsea? Slow?” He pulls his knife out. “Or fast.” He says gesturing his hand with the gun.

 

Shawn spits at him with his full anger, “You’re a coward! Now that you’re faced with it you’re just trying to get her to do your dirty work! You’re pathetic!”

 

Mason turns, his eyes filled with anger. He walks to Shawn and with his knife he slowly drags it across Shawn’s cheek, drawing blood. Shawn clinches his jaw refusing to scream. Mason says evilly, “You are about to learn just how wrong you are.”

Chelsea’s happen to dart toward the broken window and she sees Bo and Clancy crouched there. We can see the wheels turning in her head and she turns her attention back to Mason and yells, “Wait!” Mason stops and looks at her. She stammers, “I… I changed my mind.” She puts on a sinister grin and says coldly, “I want to do it.”

 

Mason laughs and says, “I was starting to think you’d gone all goody-goody on me after all!” He cuts Chelsea loose, as he is doing so Chelsea looks at Hope and motions with her eyes towards the window. Hope looks and sees the men there and gives Chelsea a slight nod of understanding.

 

Mason comes around and faces Chelsea. He jokes sickly, “How about you try the knife instead of the gun this time. I’d let you use the car but I heard you lost your license.” He laughs heartily but it is obvious he is the only one in the room who finds anything he is saying the least bit amusing. He puts the knife in her hand and moves her to face Shawn. He whispers in her ear, “Just close your eyes and imagine you’re carving a turkey.” Chelsea gulps and glances back briefly to the window. We see Bo and Clancy posed guns in hand. Mason steps back his gun in hand pointed towards Chelsea but relaxed.

 

Hope holds her breath staring, waiting for the right moment. Chelsea closes her eyes and raises the knife. She takes a breath and looks at Shawn their eyes locked.

Chelsea inhales as if ready to stab Shawn but at the last moment swings around and plunges the knife into Mason’s shoulder. In the same instant, Hope leaps from her crouched position on the ground and throws her body into Shawn knocking him over and out of harms way. This proved the right move as Masons gun goes off as he was stabbed and a shot rings out hitting the wall right behind where Shawn was seated. If Hope had not knocked him over, he would be dead.

 

Clancy and Bo rush into the room. Mason kicks Chelsea off of him sending her flying. She hits the wall and is knocked unconscious. Clancy yells, “CHELSEA!!” Mason swings around and fires blindly in their direction. A bullet hits Clancy in the arm and spins him like a top. Bo sees he has no clean shot so he tackles Mason knocking his gun out of his hand. Bo and Mason struggle for Bo’s gun as the fight. The gun is knocked away as Mason punches Bo. Bo dives for the gun and grabs it. He swings around to shoot but stops short when he sees that Mason took that instant to grab Hope. He is standing there panting to catch his breath with his knife pressed firmly to Hope’s throat. “Drop it!” He yells to both Bo and Clancy who has also retrained his gun on Mason. “DROP THE GUNS NOW OR SHE’S DEAD!”

 

Bo and Clancy have no choice but to obey. They place their guns on the floor and raise their hands. Mason moves towards the door and says, “Follow and I’ll slit her throat.” He opens the door, it is pouring down rain now. He steps out dragging Hope by the neck. Bo leaps towards the door but stops and looks back into the room at Shawn and Chelsea and Clancy. Clancy yells at him, “Just go! We’ll be fine! GO!” Bo nods and turns determinedly back towards the door, looking out he sees the shape of Mason pulling Hope deep into the woods. He takes off sprinting to catch up with them.