--Mob Mentality--

�His arms were strong and comforting around me.

�If something like this were to happen to you I don�t what I would do.� He whispered softly, his hands deep in my hair. I tried to search his face but the darkness of my room prevented me.

Damian sighed and turned my face towards him, �If I ever get my hands on him he�ll wish he was dead. In fact, if Paul gets his hands on him he�ll wish he was never born.�

�Ha!� I snorted while shifting on the bed so I could bear his weight more easily.

�No, Darren, That�s not fair. He�s doing his best to track the bastard down. You know how much Paul cares about you boys.�

I sat quiet for moment just enjoying the feel of his arms around me. Sometimes I could just pretend that it wasn�t Doctor Lewis� arms around me but�

�What did you mean the other night?� I asked, sitting up as I remembered. � �You�ll not touch him! Not this one.� What did you mean?�

�It�s very late Darren, I should return to my on room. Don�t worry about Orli. Okay?� He gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead and hurriedly dressed.

I didn�t fall into a deep sleep after his departure. But drifted in and out of dreams. In one Stuart held his journals, he looked scared and lost. I cried out to him but only succeeded in waking myself.

A fear gripped me suddenly. That something was coming, something I may not survive. I felt as if I was in the path of an on coming train. I shivered involuntarily.

It was a while before I slept again.

*~*~*

With a start I woke up, sweat seemed to pour down my forehead and my heart threatened to break out of my chest. Yet what I dreamed escaped me. All I remembered was a paralysing fear and Elijah�I knew he was in it, but not what he was doing.

Gasping I peered at the clock. 11am which meant I was at least an hour late for Paul�s meeting. Hurriedly I dressed and checked my reflection in the mirror. My hair was plastered to my head and there were crease marks across my face, sort of in a flowery pattern like my bed-sheets. �Oh yeah, you�re quite the looker.� I said to my mirror image. Sighing I left the room and ran downstairs.

�Wow, you look fantastic!� Brian called, and for a moment I thought he was sincere. I stopped and grinned shyly at him �I�ve been trying to achieve that wino look for years, what�s your secret?� He continued and embarrassed I swore at him.

�Damnit Brian why do you have to an arse all the time?� Heath said.

�Have you seen the quality of my arse? It�s a cherished commodity in itself, � Brian deftly flicked a grape at Heath�s head.

If I thought I looked rough I was a beauty queen compared to Heath. His face was haggard and drawn. Red circles surrounded his eyes and his skin was an ashen grey. I doubted he had slept since our discovery of Orli.

�Where�s Orlando?� Spoke Josh, breaking the tension.

�Dr Lewis� room, he�s recovering well apparently. But he�s still not allowed any visitors. It�s too soon.� I answered.

�You seem to know a lot about Dr Lewis� business.�

�And you don�t seem to be able to mind yours.� Jonathon replied tartly eyeing Josh with great dislike.

�Who asked you, newbie?� Josh snarled. Jonathon only glared in response.

Finally sitting down at the table, I chose the empty chair next to him.

�Thank you for that.� I said and he looked surprised. �Josh can be an arsehole sometimes.�

�It appears to be his main objective.� Jonathon smiled. His grin appeared shaky and he looked nervous. I realised that for something like this to happen so soon after his arrival must have him terrified.

�It�s not a regular occurrence you know? You needn�t worry.�

�What about Stuart and Elijah?� He met my eyes with a challenging stare and al my plans to comfort him diminished.

�Stop referring to things you know nothing about.� I countered angrily.

�You carry them with you, you know? In your eyes. It�s agonising to look into them the sorrow you carry is so strong, it�s blinding.�

�Then don�t look.�� I turned away from him then but from the corner of my eye I could see he hadn�t heeded my advice. His intense eyes seemed to burn into me.

�What�s keeping him?� Jason asked looking at his watch.

�Who? Paul? No doubt he�s preparing a grand entrance.� Darius yawned and sat back in his chair. �Anyone know what this is about?�

�I think he want�s to talk about Orli.� Tobey said.

�It�ll be an apology I hope. Bastard might as well have done it to Orli himself.�

�And why is that Brian?� No one had heard Damian enter. He stopped and looked down on him. �Hmm Brian? Cat got your tongue?� He muttered something incoherent. �What Brian? I can�t hear you.�

�I said, Orlando told him. We all heard didn�t we?� Everyone round the table nodded. �Orli sat at this table and said he was frightened of him as a client and Paul dismissed it. That makes it his fault in my book.�

�Brian be fair�� Damian tried to say but was interrupted by an incensed Brian

�No, Paul may as well assisted this Rupert Everett scum for all the help he was.�

�Rupert Everett? Was that his name?� I asked.

�Yeah and�� But Tobey never got to finish because at the moment we heard voices coming down the hall. One of them was Paul. He wasn�t alone.

��.well Rupert since you like hookers so much here's eight! Just for you.� Paul�s voice rang out and the door flung open.

Silence hit the room like 100-ton weight. For a moment no one moved, I doubt if anyone breathed. Rupert didn�t look like a violent rapist. He was tall and handsome with black thick and wavy hair. He had a strong looking build. His arms were huge. And probably effective when holding young men down while he brutalised them.

�Paul?� He turned and looked bemused at his friend. �Paul what�s going on?�

�You perverted bastard!� Brian spat out.

�Paul what are doing?� Dr Lewis asked, a hint of hysteria in his voice.

�No one hurts my boy�s Everett. Do you understand? This is your bed, you made it and now your going to die in it.� He held up the key to the room. �I�ll leave you to get better acquainted shall I?� And with that he left and locked us in. With the rapist.

�Please, there�s been a misunderstanding.� Everett said, backing towards the doorway. �I never touched that boy.� Sweat poured down his face. Fear made his body convulse. He gave a startled cry as his back made impact with the door.

�Everyone be rational now.� Dr Lewis called above the rising voices.

�Bastard�s going to pay.�

�See how he likes pain shall we?�

�You fucking shit!�

On and on the voices continued. Distorted by rage and hatred they took on a low hum like a bee trapped in a jar. I don�t know how it started, who made the first move. It seemed to happen in a second. Jason, Josh, Darius and Brian all seemed to charge at Everett. At first he tried to turn the door handle, his fear forgetting that Paul had locked it. Realising he was trapped he began to bang his hands on the door. �Help, Paul come on let me out!� His was quickly silenced by the following attack. They were on him beating, punching, and kicking. His guttural screams tore around the room until Darius� foot connected with his windpipe.

Horror struck I began to make my way towards them. Tobey grabbed my arm and Iooked deep into his terror filled eyes. I saw the change so subtle if I had blinked I would�ve missed it. Letting go of my arm he turned from me and I knew I had lost him. With a war cry he ran and joined the battle. Four against one.

�Help me.� I shouted at the others. Heath only shook his head and sunk to the floor. Jonathon was rooted to the spot like a deer caught in headlights and Damian and I shared a look of shared terror before simultaneously running towards the mass of arms and legs ahead of us.

�Stop, godamnit you�re killing him!� Damian cried as we tried to pry the attackers away. Someone I don�t know kicked me hard in the back. Crying out, I sank to my knees the pain making me pass out for a second.

�Darren, are you okay?� He tried to help me up, but we were in the centre of the attack now. Balance was impossible.

�Forget me! Help him!� Nodding he continued to fight the others �You�re going to kill him!� He cried out in pain as Jason uppercutted him. Falling backward unconscious I caught him and dragged his body away from the riot.

Hours passed�or minutes. Time ceased meaning and I rocked back and forth Damian in my arms, my face wet with tears.

�He got what he deserved.� Heath repeated over and over again. But he sounded like he was trying to persuade himself rather then us.

Finally they stepped away from the broken body. Without a doubt I knew he was dead, if not I hoped to God for his sake he was.

�His eyes! Oh, god you ripped out his eyes!� Jonathon shouted, revulsion filling his voice. I heard him heaving and realised he was vomiting.

I looked at the thing that used to be a man, now a masse of ripped skin, bones, and blood. The train had hit.

Clutching Damian to me I closed my eyes. But the image didn�t go away. I doubted it ever would.

tbc...