"I think we're finally getting somewhere, don't you, Jack?"

The room buzzed with silence as Jack struggled to catch his breath. All sense of time had been lost as Snyder continued the long and excruciating assault to his back. After keeping track of the first dozen, he had since lost count at how many lashes he had been given thus far, but with the amplifying pain, he found that he was no longer concerned over keeping count.

His true focus was instead fixated on conserving his energy and on controlling his every effort to not cry out as the lashes had since grown rhythmic and non-ending as blow after blow increased in volume along with the force behind them. He could wager that the lashes were building in strength due to Snyder's anger at Jack's refusal to grant him even the slightest bit of satisfaction.

With each crack of the whip, he could hear a grunt of exertion sound from the spider as he fought to gain the upper hand on Jack. All he had to do was hold on a bit longer. Snyder would tire eventually and would have no choice but to admit defeat whether he liked it or not. All Jack had to do was hold on.

His wrists were still locked firmly in the sweaty palms of Masterson whose complexion he discovered was beginning to grow slightly pale. Jack didn't know what exactly caused him to sneak a glance up at the man; it wasn't as if he expected much of a reaction, much less a shred of sympathy, but the sight that greeted him did so with the utmost surprise.

His and Masterson's eyes met briefly and Jack could have almost sworn that he saw a glimpse of pity in the large man's dark eyes.

Pity? Kelly, the pain's gotta be gettin' to you. Masterson ain't pitied you a day in his life and he sure as shit ain't gonna start now.

A particularly loud and abrasive lash cut off all of Jack's further thoughts as the searing pain reached a level of intensity that he was sure was the beginning of the end. He dropped his head back onto the desk, his cheek feeling a sense of relief against the cool smooth wood. He had almost forgotten that all of this had begun with a solid round of vicious smacking. His face had been the least of his concerns as soon as the whipping had begun but feeling any amount of relief at this point was better than none at all.

As he attempted to breathe through the pain, another lash landed right where the previous one had fallen with an astoundingly dead sense of accuracy and that was when it finally dawned on him. He wasn't going to outlast the spider. What had he been thinking? William Snyder was a man who always got what he wanted and if what he so desperately wanted was to hear Jack scream and admit that he was Snyder's property, he was damn sure going to get his wish.

The next time that whip landed, it was going to be more than a whimper of pain that sounded from Jack, he was going to scream. There was a breaking point in everyone and Jack was finally reaching his. He was going to cry, he was going to scream, and he was going to give the spider everything he wanted just so that the pain would stop. One more lash...that was all it was going to take.

He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut tight as he waited for the whistling sound followed by the crack that would grant Snyder his long sought out victory.

"Boss, no disrespect, but uh-I think he might have had enough."

Jack almost didn't hear the words over his loud and ragged breathing, but he was certain that although too good to be true, the words he heard had in fact been spoken. The whistling sound never came and after a few additional seconds of tense silence, Jack slowly peered up to catch another glimpse of his unexpected savior.

The guard appeared more ghostly white than he had just moments ago. His complexion was so pale that Jack was certain the man was at a high risk of losing consciousness. Even as he was blinking up at him, the man didn't spare him a glance in return as his gaze was fixed on his boss. The expression on Snyder's face must have resembled something deadly enough to turn the guard to stone as he didn't dare move a muscle.

"Is that so?"

Snyder's voice was calm...so calm that it was chilling. Nothing could have terrified Jack more. When Snyder was yelling, his mood and actions were clear, but when he was eerily calm? That was when Jack couldn't even attempt to wager a guess at what was about to come. He preferred the yelling; boisterous and terrifying, yet always predictable.

"I-I mean no disrespect, really I don't. It's just that the boy is losing a lot of blood and I just-"

"And you just what, Norman?" The spider responded slowly as if he were talking to a child who had just been caught stealing a cookie before supper time.

When the guard didn't provide an answer, Snyder took it upon himself to do so.

"You thought that you'd spare this brat from the punishment he earned himself? Is that what you just, Norman? You thought that we should just give the boy a break? Maybe let him out for good behavior? Please Norman, help me to understand what you just."

The man swallowed so loudly that it was nearly comical. Beads of nervous sweat had begun to trickle down the man's now reddening face as his boss jeered at him.

"I-no, sir. I was wrong, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry," Snyder responded just as calmly as before but with a slight trace of humor in his tone.

"I'm honestly surprised at you, Norman. Never once had I ever had a reason to doubt your loyalty nor your sense of right and wrong. You have been at my side for many punishments such as this one, and because it's a little more severe than what he typically receives, you deem it unnecessary?"

"No!" Masterson cried out at the insinuation.

"We caught him red-handed Norman. You saw just as well as I that he was merely seconds away from running off again. Do you not consider that worthy of a punishment such as this?"

"I meant nothing by it, boss! Honestly I didn't. I-I just worried that he might be losing too much blood is all! It's just-I know how much the boy means to you and I just didn't want you to risk losing him by getting a little carried away is all I meant!"

Snyder chuckled darkly, causing the hairs on the back of Jack's neck to stand on end as his attacker drew closer to his stammering friend.

"I think you and I both know that I am fully aware of what I'm doing, Norman. Do you think I've somehow forgotten how to discipline my boy properly? He has brought this all on himself and if he wasn't so damn stubborn, his punishment could have been over ages ago. As soon as he learns that his little act of defiance is getting him nowhere, the sooner it will all be over. Now Norman, do I need you to leave the room while I finish punishing him? Or will you keep those idiot comments to yourself and keep your fat mouth shut?"

"I-I well, yes sir. I'm sorry."

"I'm glad we have an understanding."

Jack felt himself tense as he could practically see the glare that had been transferred onto him. The color was once again returning to Masterson's face as the attention was clearly no longer aimed at himself.

"I meant what I said, boy. Just give me what I want and this could all be over. You're only delaying the inevitable and by doing so, you're causing yourself even more pain. Why keep denying the truth? All you need to do is get your head out of the goddamn clouds, wake up and accept the reality you've been given."

Jack could hear the whip being raised once more before Snyder's next words sounded.

"Who do you belong to, boy?"

This was Jack's chance, he could be free from all the pain. It would stop. All he had to do was say it...but why couldn't he just open his mouth and say the stupid words that Snyder wanted to hear? It was easy; all he had to do was just-

The whistle, the crack. Jack had no additional time to think as the searing burn even harsher than before spread across his back and without warning, he screamed. God help him, he screamed. The corners of his eyes began to burn from the fresh onslaught of tears that were beginning to effectively blur his vision. Masterson was forced to tighten his grip as Jack struggled against his hold.

"Ah, there we go," Snyder mockingly cooed as Jack fought to stifle the ragged sobs that were attempting to betray him.

"I can see that you're finally starting to see sense. I'm going to be honest with you, Kelly; there are moments...not many mind you, but there are some where I wish that I wasn't forced to cause you this much pain, but you honestly give me no choice. You've always been a stubborn one and the only way to make you see any sense is to give you a sound thrashing. You know it and I know it. Now be a good boy and let's end this, shall we? Just tell me who you belong to and we'll see about getting you back to your little friend so he can clean you up, what do you say?"

Just say it Kelly. Just say the goddamn words!

Jack opened his mouth in an attempt to speak, but all that came out was a heart wrenching sob. No words.

"I suppose you need a little more motivation? No trouble there, boy. You've hardly caused me any fatigue and I'll keep going as long as we need to get you there."

No, please god no more...I'll say it...just please stop.

Jack tensed as he watched the shadow of the whip being raised high, ready to deliver yet another vicious blow. Before Snyder had a chance to follow through, a hesitant knock on the door caused him to halt.

"What?" Snyder called out loudly enough to be heard through the door. The sound of irritation in his voice was evident and it wasn't lost on Jack that his arm was still raised and ready to deliver the blow.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but I got a new arrival for you." Came the response from behind the door.

The spider had trained them all well. Without being given permission, the bull outside the door hadn't dared to enter. Jack had been in this same position before and he knew as well as they did that if he was in the middle of a punishment, he would force whoever it was to wait until he was ready to grant them his attention.

"As you can clearly hear, I'm in the middle of delivering a punishment, I'll be with you as soon as I'm done."

"Understood, sir. We'll wait."

Jack had been thankful for the interruption, even if it meant that there was a new kid joining the refuge ranks, but he didn't have time to feel sorry for the poor kid as his reprieve was at an end all too soon. His gaze never left Snyder's shadow on the wall and despite his tensing to prepare for the pain, as soon as that godawful stick descended and the resounding crack of impact followed, it was all over.

"Stop, please stop!"

Finally, words. Even through the sobbing he had at least managed words.

"You tell me what I want to hear and I will. You know that your whipping isn't going to end until you do. Now let's try this again: who do you belong to, Jack?"

He wasn't even given the chance to answer as Snyder had the whip raised and brought down once more before Jack could even manage to take a breath. As soon as the whip made contact, Jack cried out pitifully before at last saying the words he knew he couldn't come back from.

"You, sir! I belong to you! Just please stop! I-I can't take anymore, please..."

The words faded into sobs as Jack cried. He wasn't even sure what the tears were for, really. Was it the pain? Was it the admission he had finally accepted after all these years? Was it for his parents who would be so disappointed that he had finally given up and allowed his tormentor to win? He didn't know. All he knew was pain.

Snyder drew in a victorious breath as he set the whip down on the desk, right into Jack's line of vision. Even through the blurriness of his tears, he could clearly see the instrument of torture that had finally broken him.

"Good boy."

Jack cringed at the words. They sickened and mocked him as they just added insult to injury. Jack proceeded to yank his wrists out of Masterson's grip so that he could bury his face deep into his arms. He was in so much pain, but worse than that was the humiliation he felt. He had finally let Snyder win and no amount of pain had ever broken him like this before. He couldn't bring himself to look at the men. All he wanted to do was lock himself away where he could pretend that this was all some sort of horrible nightmare that he would soon wake up from.

Reality unfortunately wasn't kind as he felt a hand grab at his hair, not roughly, but forcefully enough that his tear stained face was pulled up against his will so that he was looking directly into the eyes of the spider.

"I think you've learned yourself a valuable lesson today, Kelly. You are mine and if you ever attempt to run away from me again, that little whipping you just got will be a fond memory compared to the thrashing I'll give you next time, is that understood?"

Jack felt no sense in continuing to argue that he wasn't running away. Sure he had thought about it, but he hadn't acted on it. There was no convincing the man of what he felt he was so certain of that all Jack could do was attempt to nod. The grip on his hair tightened at the non-verbal response.

"I said, is that understood, boy?"

"Yes sir, I understand."

Snyder with a grunt of approval released his grip on his hair, allowing him to hide away in the safety of his arms once more.

The sound of the door opening reminded Jack of the prior interruption. Some new kid was being brought in and had heard what could potentially be awaiting him. Whippings were common practice, with a belt at least and it was better that the kid learned that sooner than later. As the last couple of days have proven, Jack was a living breathing example of how defiance is dealt with in the refuge and normally he wouldn't have minded being yet again made an example of but this kid had heard a whole lot more.

This kid whoever he was had heard him break. Whilst some have, not many had even heard Jack cry but no one had ever heard him beg quite like this nor had anyone heard him admit to that awful truth. Crutchie had heard Jack beg to be spared from the closet when they first arrived, but Spider, Masterson, that asshole cop, and now this stupid kid who had done something stupid enough to get himself thrown in here had bared witness to Jack's deepest humiliation.

He refused to look up as the kid was brought in. He could hear a small intake of breath as the boy caught sight of the results of the punishment he had heard through the door.

"So, we have us a new arrival do we?"

Jack could hear Snyder having that typical conversation he had overheard dozens of times when he had been locked away in his closet unbeknownst to whatever new arrival had been brought in. Snyder lived for the welcoming act. It was his first chance at instilling the fear of God into whatever new victim had been sentenced to this hell hole.

'Welcome to the Refuge, hope you get comfortable and enjoy your stay. Best hope you learn a lesson, behave yourself-if you don't, you'll learn the meaning of the word hell etc. etc. etc.'

As soon as Snyder had finished his welcoming speech, Jack heard the sound of cuffs being removed as the kid was placed in Jack's usual seat on the visiting side of the desk. Jack could hear the kid breathing as he was now in such close proximity. If he could muster the strength to unbury himself from his arms, he would be practically eye to eye with the boy.

"You chose quite a day to screw up, boy," Snyder stated to his new captive.

"Typically I am always ready to receive new boys such as yourself, but as you can see, I had a problem I was dealing with."

Jack could practically see the whole thing in his mind. The new kid, wide eyed and terrified, unable to look away from Jack's abused back as the spider gestured at him like he was some sort of painting that he was selling to a potential buyer.

"Mind your manners, keep your toe in line and perhaps you'll be one of the lucky few who don't have to be on the receiving end of my punishments. Jack here is very familiar with them, aren't you boy?"

"Yes, sir." Jack muttered into his arms almost robotically.

He wanted to cringe at what an obedient little soldier he sounded like, but it was no use. The spider had won and all he could do was continue to be obedient and then just maybe he could be spared some additional pain.

"This boy is an example for all of you," The spider continued, using Jack as one of his scare tactics.

"I'm sure you're already well aware of that fact as you appear to look like one of those newsie brats striking against Pulitzer. This is the boy who started that whole mess and you see where it's gotten him? Take my advice, learn from his mistakes and stay on the straight and narrow, boy. Crime doesn't pay; all it gets you is a sound thrashing, cold nights and lifelong friendships with the rats. Do you understand me?"

The boy didn't respond. Already not a good sign for his future stay at the refuge.

Just answer him, kid. He's right. Learn from my mistakes.

"You remember how I mentioned manners? We'll have to work on those. Take a good hard look at this boy's back and you'll see what your defiance will earn you here. This was his punishment for his refusal to answer a simple question, not to mention his attempt to escape. You don't want to feel that kind of pain, I'm sure. Isn't that right, Jack?"

"Yes, sir."

"You see?" Snyder gloated at Jack's instantaneous response.

"He's learned his lesson and learned it well. I'm certain that he's going to be a lot more well behaved in the future. Will you be defying me again any time soon, boy?"

"No, sir."

"Good boy. Now since we're in the business of discussing manners and etiquette, get that damn cigar out of your mouth, boy, I won't ask twice. Cigars are for adults and you are far from being one."

Jack feeling as if he had been doused with a bucket of ice water finally looked up from his arms as a wave of realization hit him with just who happened to be sitting in that chair.

If this is a nightmare, someone please wake me up.

This has gotta be the craziest thing I've ever done and that's really sayin' somethin' comin' from the guy who spends his time hustlin' games of poker against some dodgy lookin' fellas.

The bottle of whiskey had been accessible-too accessible if you asked him. If ya didn't want a kid nabbin' the damn bottle, perhaps that ol' sayin of 'keepin' things outta children's reach' held some semblance of truth.

As soon as his fingers snaked around his prize, Race turned sharply on his heel, catching the stare of the elderly shop keeper who had blinked up from his newspaper when the bell clanged signaling the young newsie's entrance. The man never took his eyes off Race as he made his way straight to the liquor display, his token cigar hanging out of his mouth without an additional care in the world.

Still matching the shop keepers steely gaze reminded Race of some kind of Western stand off. A challenging expression of 'your move, old man' adorned his features as he awaited the typical response of panic at the potential theft. This man had absolutely no clue that if Race actually intended to take this bottle for his own, he could have done so with the man being none the wiser. He was skilled at the art of stealth and Jack had taught him well.

"I'd put that back where ya found it, kid. Ain't no drink in the world worth a stint in jail, ya hear me?" The man called out in a thick southern drawl.

Race quirked an eyebrow at the man and held the bottle in question higher.

"Ya see, normally I'd agree, but this here drink is worth everythin'."

Sure, the man didn't understand the insinuation that all that would lead him to Jack was this one bottle of whiskey. This stupid meaningless bottle of alcohol was the one thing that kept him out of reach of his best friend. He willed the man to understand, though it was impossible.

Normally Race wouldn't give so much as a care to the man's understanding; however, of all the shopkeepers, this man seemed to have his heart in the right place. Instead of simply crying out for the police, he was offering Race a chance to walk away, which was a better shot than any newsie ever got.

"Don't be stupid, boy. You ain't grown just yet, but take it from an ol' man who knows a thing or two. There ain't a happy endin' waitin' for you at the bottom of that bottle. So why don't ya just give it here and you can go on back home to your mama."

Race with his gaze still latched onto the man, pocketed his prized cigar, tightened his grip on the bottle and summoned his inner Jack Kelly to the best of his ability.

"I ain't got a mother, sir and you may be right about no happy endin' with this, but the one thing you don't understand is that if you want this bottle back, you is gonna have to catch me first."

Without sparing him a second glance, Race sprinted out of the shop nearly taking the old door off its hinges as he made his grand escape. He had hardly gotten a few steps before the predictable shouting had finally begun.

"Boy! You bring that back! Thief! Someone call the police!"

Well, the man clearly wasted no time in calling for help, that was for sure. This normally would have instilled a racing heart and a sense of panic as the chase was imminent, but not this time. This wasn't like the multitude of times that Race had stolen for his own gain. This wasn't food, medicine or even a box of his precious coronas, this was for Jack.

The sound of thundering footsteps came sooner than Race had initially anticipated. He risked a glance over his shoulder as he ran: three cops had joined the chase already but damn were they slow as molasses. If he was operating at his normal speed, this would be an embarrassingly easy escape; but no, he was going to even the playing field and make this the easiest capture that these clowns had ever managed. As he could hear the whistles and shouts to halt growing closer, he sensed that it was time to bring the act to its lackluster conclusion.

He was going to the refuge where he was sure to be starved and the likelihood of facing a beating or two was to be expected. He was going to protect Jack and he wouldn't be of any use to his leader if he wore himself out before he even got to the damn place. All of the energy he possessed had to be saved, so he placed one of his feet behind the other in an attempt to trip himself up. He fell to the ground in an unceremonious heap, a cloud of dust setting the scene of his defeat.

The bottle of whiskey had flown from his hand as he fell and by some kind of miracle, hadn't smashed to pieces. Instead, the bottle clinked against the dirt as it rolled away, only coming to a halt as it tapped against the boot of one of the bulls that had been chasing him.

"Get him up," The man in question called to his two comrades, who followed the direction by each taking a hold of Race's arms as they hauled him to his feet.

"Hope that little stunt of yours was worth it, kid," The man spoke as Race was brought up to face him.

"More than you'll ever know," He spat back, not holding back on even one percent of his usual sass.

"Where you're goin' kid, you're gonna lose that smart mouth of yours right quick, believe me."

"Lemme guess? The refuge is gonna set me straight? Give me the know how to become a decent member of society? Sorry fellas, I got a feelin' that the refuge is nothin' more than a crock o' shit pullin' the wool over your eyes and makin' fools outta law abiding citizens such as yourselves. But hey, if it helps ya sleep better knowin' I'm there, what more can I say?"

"Get him in the wagon," The cop growled darkly as he slapped a pair of cuffs around Race's wrists.

It was clear that the man wanting nothing more than to smack the snark right out of Race, but it appeared as if he was going to leave that job to Snyder. Race was lead to the wagon and once he was up the step, he was thrown in like an old pile of clothes being discarded into a closet.

"Well, that sure ain't no way to treat a fella on the first date!" Race called out as the doors were slammed shut behind him.

"Guess that's what ya call romance," Race muttered to himself as he settled onto one of the benches.

Off in the distance he could hear the wheels of the wagon begin to roll as he was carted away to his destination. He couldn't hear much of the muffled conversation between the group of cops, but every now and again he'd catch a word here and there that the sound of the wheels didn't drown out.

"Real pain in the ass...will fix him...Snyder...teach him."

He decided not to bother honing in on the discussion. It sounded like a bunch of bullshit anyhow, so he decided to just lie back and enjoy the last bit of peace he was going to have for a while. He closed his eyes as his mind wandered to Jack. He had seen him merely a day ago, but he feared what could have happened in the course of the one day that he hadn't.

It never took much time. Any time Jack had been caught and placed back into Snyder's care, the change in him was as instant as it was shocking. Race's visits had given him a bit of an inside perspective at just how much being in that god awful place impacted his brother. The usually fearless and invincible leader whose eyes practically danced with confidence would look out to Race from the bars of the window, dark circles would have formed under his eyes practically overnight, his green eyes normally light and filled with laughter would now appear dark and dull as if they held just one secret too many and the fear embedded within them practically screamed for help.

Of course, Jack would do his best to maintain his confidence and pretend that it wasn't nearly as bad as Race thought, but he knew better. Jack could be convincing at the worst of times, but when it came to the refuge, Race saw right through Jack's translucent lies. Whatever Snyder did to Jack, he knew it was bad. Even though he had only seen snippets of Snyder's interactions with Jack, he was certain that the scars ran deeper than anything he had ever bore witness to.

They must not have been all that far from the prison as the wagon was pulling to a stop much sooner than Race had anticipated. He could feel a twinge of nerves begin to build in his stomach as they came to a lurching halt. Even as his anxiety started to increase with the passing moments, he was determined to keep his wits about him. They weren't going to be stuck in this hell hole for too long; they had a plan and come hell or high water, they were going to pull it off.

Despite the short distance they had traveled, Race's eyes had quickly grown accustomed to the dark so when the doors of the wagon were suddenly pulled open, the cabin was instantly drenched with sunlight causing Race to squint against the onslaught of the rays as the silhouette of a man appeared.

"Get over here, kid. We ain't got all day," The man sighed impatiently as Race, still attempting to force his eyes to adjust, stumbled his way forward off the seat.

With the assistance of the cop, he was now back on solid ground, the large unsettling building standing before him like a beacon of lost hope. He blinked up as his vision was finally accepting the light and regarded the fortress he had visited numerous times, yet never had the misfortune of entering before now.

The gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach had never been present on his plentiful journeys to this house of horrors, but now faced with a stay of his very own, he could feel that same sense of hopelessness that Jack had to have been feeling during his multiple sentences. He took a deep breath as he was guided in through the main entrance, the sunlight disappearing behind them with a sense of ultimate finality.

The air felt cold and damp as he was pushed past multiple padlocked doors with the smallest of windows. He didn't have a chance to attempt to sneak a glance through any of them as the cop had a clear destination in mind for him. So this is what it was like inside...very quiet... rather off-putting for the amount of children they kept locked up inside these walls, but with a man like Snyder in charge, it wasn't all too surprising.

They didn't travel much further before it was clear to Race where he was being taken. Warden Snyder's office must be around the corner at the end of the hall as it was the source of the only noise he could make out. Was someone crying? He couldn't really make it out too clearly at first, but as soon as they rounded the corner, it was becoming more evident that what he thought he heard was in fact correct.

The door in front of him was clearly labeled with the name of the man he was now destined to meet. Any amount of confidence he had felt prior to entering the building had been drained with each step forward that had closed the distance between the entrance and their final stop. Race could hear those heart wrenching sobs clearly now. The door wasn't all too thick and it felt as if there was hardly a slab of wood between them and whatever horrors Snyder was bestowing upon his chosen victim.

He could hear Snyder now. His voice was so clear that it was almost as if he was standing right before him. Race couldn't help but attempt to suppress the shudder that ran straight down his spine. Just hearing that horrifyingly low growl so up close made his skin crawl.

"I suppose you need a little more motivation? No trouble there, boy. You've hardly caused me any fatigue and I'll keep going as long as we need to get you there."

The memory of the spider whipping Jack with the belt rushed into his mind at the words that he had just heard uttered through the door. It wasn't too far fetched to assume that was what he and his captor were eavesdropping in on now. He silently wished that he could help the kid in some way or at least offer his sympathy, neither would do any good, but standing on the opposite side of the door listening in caused him to feel helpless and even perhaps a little bit guilty.

The cop used his free hand, the one that wasn't settled around Race's arm in a vice like grip to place a hesitant knock on the door. It seemed even the bulls seemed to possess a sense of unease with Snyder, not that he blamed them.

"What?"

Even if it was slight, Race couldn't help but flinch as he heard the warden call out. It nearly felt as if that cold voice, drenched in irritation had been directed straight at him.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but I got a new arrival for you," The bull answered back, clearly a lot more hesitant now that he had realized that he had interrupted the man.

"As you can clearly hear, I'm in the middle of delivering a punishment, I'll be with you as soon as I'm done."

"Understood, sir. We'll wait," The man called back, tightening his grip on Race's arm as it was clear they weren't going to be seen until he was done destroying the poor kid currently at his mercy.

Race and the man stood in silence as no sound was currently heard from within the room. It wasn't until Race heard the loud swish followed by the resounding crack that followed that he let out a loud gasp of surprise. The man next to him sent him a glare clearly warning him to keep his mouth shut despite his obvious knowledge of the sound he had just heard.

The spider had a whip...and he was using it on a kid! Race had spent enough time down at the tracks betting on the horses that he would know the sound of a whip better than almost anyone. These weren't horses this time, though; no, this time the whip was making contact with a human body...a kid's body at that. Race swallowed thickly and began to breathe out his nose as he feared that his stomach was at risk of losing all its contents.

"Stop, please stop!"

Race wanted to call out to the poor kid that it would be over soon, the spider had guests waiting for him and all he had to do was hold on for a bit longer...there was no telling how long this had been going on for prior to their arrival, but apparently it had been going on long enough for that kid to cry out so desperately for it to stop, so it had to be-wait a minute...that voice...

"You tell me what I want to hear and I will. You know that your whipping isn't going to end until you do. Now let's try this again: who do you belong to, Jack?"

Race felt his stomach drop. Oh god no. Had his hands not been cuffed, he could have slapped himself right then and there for not sensing it sooner. If there was anyone in this terrible place that would be on the receiving end of such a hellish punishment, it would of course be no one other than Jack Kelly. His best friend, his brother was the one receiving that horrendous whipping...and what the hell had Snyder just asked of him? Who did he belong to? What in the hell kind of a question was that?

Without any warning, Race felt a sudden tickle on his cheek as an unwanted tear betrayed him and began to descend down his cheek. He needed to see Jack, he had to go to him. Not only was he being viciously tortured not even ten feet away, but he sounded terrified...he sounded-he sounded broken. That fact terrified Race at just the mere thought. Jack was invincible...no matter the situation, he always rallied and he was always ok.

It was a horrible thought, it really was, but Race couldn't help but sense that he might not be ok this time and how could be possibly blame him for that? In his seventeen years, Jack had lived through and seen more horrors than even someone twice his age should ever have to bare witness to. Despite all that and even feeling utterly selfish at the thought, Race silently hoped that this was just yet one more thing that Jack could withstand. Just one more thing Jack...just one more and we can put it all behind you. We're so close. Just hang on-

The whip cracked down once more, so loudly in fact that it caused Race to jump nearly an inch into the air, clearly startling the man next to him. Both of them remained silent, however as the pitiful cry that erupted from behind the door would have silenced any and all communication between them had they attempted any.

"You, sir! I belong to you! Just please stop! I-I can't take anymore, please..."

Race was going to be sick, he was sure of it. He was going to lose it all over this guard's shoes, which normally would have been hysterical, but in this case would just be an unfortunate circumstance. It was as if the guard could read his mind as he leaned in so that he could hiss a warning into his ear; the fact that he had stepped to the side slightly wasn't lost on Race.

"You vomit anywhere in the vicinity of me, you'll live to regret it, kid. You best choke it back if you know what's good for you."

Race did his best to follow the direction, but the sound of Jack sobbing was practically echoing down the corridor and he was certain this would be a memory that could never be erased from his mind. It wasn't until this moment that he realized that heart break could be an actual thing. If a heart could in fact be broken, his had undoubtedly been shattered to pieces.

"I think you've learned yourself a valuable lesson today, Kelly. You are mine and if you ever attempt to run away from me again, that little whipping you just got will be a fond memory compared to the thrashing I'll give you next time, is that understood?"

Jack had sounded practically robotic as he answered back with a simple, "Yes sir, I understand." Race knew that it was in fact Jack on the other side of the door, but that voice that answered back couldn't have sounded any different from his brother.

Race had been so stuck in his thoughts that he had hardly registered the door opening before he was gazing up directly into the dark cruel eyes of his brother's nightmare. The spider was glaring down at him as if he was a lowly insect that needed to be stomped on quickly. One simple nod of his head was all the indication needed to allow them entrance into the office.

It was as if the room didn't exist at all to Race, all that did was the boy who was bent over the desk with his head buried in his arms, the gentle rise and fall of his back being the only indication that he was even alive. Even from this angle Race could see the results of what had transpired just beyond that closed door and was unable to suppress his loud intake of breath as his eyes surveyed all the damage. The belt had done a number on him before, but this? This was a damn horror show. Jack's back was a mess; dozens of criss crossed lashes decorated his back from his shoulders practically down to his waist-red, swollen, bloody and no doubt more painful than Race could ever imagine.

"So, we have us a new arrival do we?"

Race barely noticed that he was at last being spoken to. As he had been examining Jack, the bull and Snyder had been having a conversation of their own; no doubt discussing Race's infraction not to mention his attitude problem. The surprising thing was that Race didn't even dignify the warden's announcement with a response as he drew nearer to him.

As Snyder dismissed the snub with a wave of his hand, he launched straight into the "Welcome to my refuge" speech. All Race did during the man's monologuing was simply blink up at him as if he were listening intently, but in actuality, his mind couldn't have been further away. He didn't know where it came from, but he could feel his confidence beginning to re surge. It was almost as if just being near Jack gave him a source of strength he didn't know he possessed.

As soon as Snyder finished rattling off his speech about obedience and consequences, the large man who had been off cowering in a corner when he had been lead in came over and assisted with depositing him into the chair just inches away from Jack. His handcuffs were removed and as Race rubbed at his sore wrists, he had to actively stop himself from using his new found freedom to reach forward and thread his fingers through Jack's hair to let him know that his brother was here now and that everything was going to be ok. He didn't want to startle Jack or give the spider any reason to hurt him any more than he already had. The attention was on him and he was hoping that it stayed that way.

"You chose quite a day to screw up, boy. Typically I am always ready to receive new boys such as yourself, but as you can see, I had a problem I was dealing with."

Jack is hardly a problem...and hell, even if he is, he's OUR problem, spider. Not yours. Never yours.

"Mind your manners, keep your toe in line and perhaps you'll be one of the lucky few who don't have to be on the receiving end of my punishments. Jack here is very familiar with them, aren't you boy?"

"Yes, sir." Jack muttered into his arms.

Race's eyes narrowed as Snyder brought Jack into this. He had done enough damage and yet the mental torture still hadn't seemed to have reached a conclusion. Snyder had used physical torture in order to finally try to break Jack's mind and it was goddamn working. Race was going to fix this, he had to...but for right now, all he could do was aim to get the focus off of Jack. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cigar placing it between his teeth as the man continued to rant on.

"I'm sure you're already well aware of that fact as you appear to look like one of those newsie brats striking against Pulitzer. This is the boy who started that whole mess and you see where it's gotten him? Take my advice, learn from his mistakes and stay on the straight and narrow, boy. Crime doesn't pay; all it gets you is a sound thrashing, cold nights and lifelong friendships with the rats. Do you understand me?"

Race didn't respond, he simply chewed at his cigar in thought as if the spider was simply discussing the weather.

"You remember how I mentioned manners? We'll have to work on those. Take a good hard look at this boy's back and you'll see what your defiance will earn you here. This was his punishment for his refusal to answer a simple question, not to mention his attempt to escape. You don't want to feel that kind of pain, I'm sure. Isn't that right, Jack?"

"Yes, sir."

Leave him outta this, spider.

"He's learned his lesson and learned it well. I'm certain that he's going to be a lot more well behaved in the future. Will you be defying me again any time soon, boy?"

"No, sir."

"Good boy. Now since we're in the business of discussing manners and etiquette, get that damn cigar out of your mouth, boy, I won't ask twice. Cigars are for adults and you are far from being one."

He didn't even have a chance to follow through with the order as the cigar was snatched from his mouth as soon as the words had been spoken. He felt the loss of it immediately, but it was a small price to pay to help keep the focus off of his brother.

"Racer?"

As soon as his name had been spoken, Race's gaze was immediately transferred to the source. Jack had at last unburied himself from his arms and was now staring at Race as if he had seen a ghost. Race couldn't help but notice the redness of his cheeks and that one hell of a bruise was beginning to form across his right one. It was no mystery that Snyder must have slapped the hell out of him.

"Y-you ain't supposed to be here. Why?"

His forest green eyes were wide with shock and he shook his head in disbelief as he drank in Race's presence. The longer he stared, it was as if it was beginning to dawn on him that Race wasn't some kind of hallucination that he could blink away.

Though he had every intention of doing so, Race didn't have a chance to respond before Snyder saw fit to once again command the attention.

"Is this a friend of yours, Kelly? I shouldn't find that all too surprising, really. He has an attitude about him that I'm certain he could have only learned up from you. No matter, we'll soon see to it that he learns his place just as you have, won't we?"

Jack gazed up at the spider, shaking his head once more.

"Please, just let him go. You got me and that's all you really want, ain't it?"

"Don't listen to him," Race interjected. "I got caught stealin' the booze fair and square. It wouldn't be in your best interest to put me back on the streets now would it? I could just go do it again."

Race normally would have balked a little from earning that classic Kelly glare, but all it did was begin to piece his broken heart back together to see something so familiar and just so Jack.

"He has a point, Kelly. It would be irresponsible for me to place a convicted thief back onto the streets. Sounds a bit familiar to your own situation, boy...though I have never willingly placed you back onto the streets, have I?"

Jack simply shook his head, but then realized his mistake immediately when the spider made a grab for his hair.

"No, sir! I'm sorry, sir!" Jack amended quickly through a hiss of pain.

"Jack, stop it with the 'sir's'," Race chided him. "You're starting to sound like a soldier or a gentleman or something...ain't right."

"You keep your thoughts to yourself, boy," Snyder growled. "I'd really hate to have to teach you the same lesson that I taught him."

"You think he learned a lesson? Nah, all you've done is scared him a little. I say just give it a little time. He'll snap out of it."

Jack's glare was once again on him silently begging him to shut up.

"You seem so sure."

Race shrugged his shoulders and made a grab at his pocket feeling stupid as he remembered his cigar wasn't there.

"Bet my box of coronas back at the lodging house on it. You in?" Race shot back with a smirk.

"You know, I never thought I would ever find a boy half as disrespectful as this one," The spider responded, pulling at Jack's hair for emphasis, which still remained firmly locked in his grip

"But as I live and breathe, here you sit. Seems to me that if it's Kelly that you take after, perhaps a good whipping could do you wonders like it's done him."

"No!"

Snyder's eyes narrowed as he rounded on Jack. He let go of his hair, opting instead for slamming his hands down on each side of the desk as he lowered his face down to Jack's level so that they were seeing eye to eye.

"Excuse me?"

Jack immediately paled as he stammered out a response.

"No, sir. Please...don't hurt him. I-I'll take the punishment just please don't-"

"For the love of god, Jack, just shut up and let me fight my own battles for once, would ya? Ain't no room left on your back for any more of those lovely stripes anyway."

Race did feel a tad guilty for that last comment, but he needed to break through whatever mental hold Snyder had placed on him and wake him up enough to understand that Race was here to help him, not to be protected by him.

"Racer, no! It's my job to protect you, just let me-"

"Norman," Snyder addressed the large guard, cutting Jack off before he had a chance to continue to argue his case.

"Take Jack back to bunk room C would you? Tell his little crippled friend to get those lashes cleaned out while I deal with this one."

"Sir, please!" Jack continued to beg as he was pulled up from the desk by the guard.

"Please, I'll do whatever you want, just please don't-"

"The boy's right, Kelly. You've had enough for today-but no need to fret, you'll still be learning a lesson through your friend here. Not only can I cause you pain, but I can do the same to your friends and perhaps that might be enough incentive to keep you in line, wouldn't you say?"

"I can take it, sir! Please just let me-"

"Get him out of here, Norman. Those lashes need to be tended to and once it's done, see to it that he's chained back up, will you? I won't have any more foolish escape attempts."

"Sure thing, boss," The man responded as he dragged a still protesting Jack from the room and out of sight, leaving Race still seated in his chair alone with the spider.

"You must really mean something to him to cause that kind of reaction," Snyder began, choosing to cut right to the chase instead of opting for unnecessary silence.

"He's fought too many of my battles and it's my turn to protect him," Race replied, softly.

"This gets any sweeter and I swear I'm gonna get a goddamn cavity," Snyder growled sarcastically.

"I think we've had enough sentimentality for once day and as I have a busy schedule to keep, I say let's get on with it shall we? There's paperwork to be done along with officially signing you in, so let's not waste any more time. I want you to stand up, get that shirt off, and bend over the desk."

Race hesitated. He had been running off pure adrenaline before, but now that Jack was gone and the time had come to actually take the punishment, he could feel those nerves beginning to claw their way back in.

"If you truly want to pay Kelly back for all he's done for you then do as I say, keep your mouth shut, and take your punishment like a man. You want to fail him? Be my guest. I have no problem allowing him to take the punishment for you. You see that closet over there?"

Race looked over to where Snyder pointed to see a small narrow closet located right next to the open bedroom door. The door was wide open as if it had recently been expecting a visitor. The shackles hung down ominously, open and waiting as the light glinted off the harsh metal. The closet...the one Jack was terrified of. He felt a wave of cold run though him as he recognized it instantly from Jack's drawings.

"I will lock Jack up in that closet for a week and trust me when I say that he would much prefer to take a daily whipping rather than to be locked in that closet for even an hour. So what's it gonna be? You take the punishment you rightfully earned yourself, or will you be allowing Jack to take the punishment for you after all?"

Race felt his blood boil as he realized this was all just a game to Snyder. He truly enjoyed watching them all attempt to martyr themselves for each other and he was going to use it for his own sick gain. He had just had a victory with Jack and was going to continue to build on that. The anger Race felt in that moment granted him the strength he had been lacking to at last pick himself from the chair and begin to unbutton his shirt.

Snyder began to undo his belt as Race undid each of his buttons with deadly precision. He couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief at the fact that he wasn't going to receive the whip, but regardless of whatever the man had chosen to beat him with, he wasn't going to back down and he wanted that poor excuse for a man to know it. Before he made his way to bend over the desk, he felt his heart clench as he caught sight of the spots of blood splattered across the desk-Jack's blood.

That man had to whip Jack within an inch of his life in order to win his obedience. The sobbing once again reentered Race's mind as he lied across the desk and awaited the oncoming pain. Snyder wasn't going to get away with what he'd done to Jack, his parents, and the many people he had hurt along the way. Katherine and Davey would be on their way soon to discuss the plan, this time bringing Jack and Crutchie in on all that they knew. Snyder was gonna get what was coming to him and his tyrannical rule would soon be at an end.

The swish of the belt, followed by the crack as it landed caused unimaginable pain, yet despite his involuntary flinch, Race's trademark smirk remained firmly in place.

Hey there everyone...I am so glad to be back. I'm so unbelievably sorry that it's taken so damn long...so much freaking longer than I initially intended. You name it, it came up. Work, illness, travel...one thing right after the other. I am going to do my damnedest to ensure that doesn't happen again. I truly value and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patience.

As a deep personal thank you from me to you, I do believe that I just wrote the longest chapter of this story thus far. And in order to see it through it's editing, rewrites and final posting, I am up waaaaay past my bed time, but I vowed that I would get this chapter up before I went to bed and that is a promise I am so happy to say that I didn't break...but darn it if I ain't gonna sleep so well after this...lol!

Anyways, so much stuff is on the horizon, we got Katherine and Davey coming and finally filling in Jack and Crutchie on the plans...also, Jack is going to be learning a lot that he never knew...and boy that ain't gonna be too fun...but meh, whoever said this story was happy? Lol. *I swear, there will be something fluffy like eventually...and soon. Promise. :)*

Also, it was so nice to get into Race's head for a minute. No idea where that came from, but I just really wanted to get into his perspective for once. :P Also, yeah I do hate Snyder with a passion and I can't wait to see him hopefully get what's coming to him. Ugh, I wish I didn't live for the damn angst...but alas, here we are. Lol. Poor Jack seriously needs a hug... :'(

As usual, please let me know your comments and thoughts! As Tinker-Bell needs applause to live, I need feedback to live. Lol! I really do love hearing your thoughts, so I look forward to reading them and I'll get to work on getting chapter 14 out to you as quickly as I can. As the world is a bit crazy right now, everyone take extra special care of yourselves!

Much love!

- Jamie