How Do I Mend?

Chapter 13: The Truth Unfolds

A/N: Hello all! Amidst this pandemic, my life had gotten very hectic. I was updating regularly while not having work and while teaching online classes. Then we started teaching live classes again and I lost pretty much all of my free time.          

I have gained a lot of new votes and followers, I thank you all for that. I hope to do this story justice.  You might hate me after this chapter but just hang in a bit longer for Type. Stay healthy and safe! Love to all of you!

Type awoke, everything was blurred, he felt pain everywhere. He hoped that he was stuck in a nightmare, but reality took over quickly. The man from before was lying next to him in the too-small space. Type's whole body was aching, and his restraints had been altered. Type could now move his legs slightly, but they were pulled apart, rather than bound at the joints. He had no memory of what happened, but he could fathom a guess due to the pain he was feeling.

Every move Type made to test his degree of mobility was met with pain. Deciding to stop, he allowed his adjusting eyesight to take in his location. The room was dimly lit, and he saw equipment surrounding him. The room was cold, so Type assumed he was underground or in an abandoned building. Beyond that, he couldn't see anything that would give away his location. He couldn't even hear anything over the humming emanating from the machines around him.

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Tharn determinedly entered the room for his answers. Mark was sitting next to his lawyer, his face pointed downward. He had agreed to talk to Tharn. Tharn took the seat next to the officer, across from the forlorn-looking man. The people in the room settled into an uneasy silence.

Tharn gave the man a pointed look and gestured for him to start talking. Mark shifted in his seat while wringing his hands together. He gathered a deep breath before beginning.

The story that was told sounded like it came straight from a drama. Tharn and the others sat listening in stunned silence as the tapestry unfolded. There was no way this story could be true, but it did make some explanations for a few of Mark's odd behaviors over the past few weeks.

Mark admitted his attraction to Type readily. He said that he did flirt and wanted to see how willing Type was toward him. He also admitted to his actions in the locker room and the subsequent regret that followed due to Type's reaction - that was why he stayed away. He hadn't known how to approach Type to apologize. The room was shocked when Mark admitted that he only felt comfortable being alone that next week or with his boyfriend. Yes, through all of the flirting, Mark already had a boyfriend.

Said boyfriend was polyamorous, so he was okay with Mark flirting with others, as it could potentially benefit the two of them. His boyfriend had openly encouraged Mark to approach the young Thai man and had been disappointed when it did not work out. Mark had not thought much about it until his boyfriend pushed that as his reason for breaking up with him. At this point, he had never mentioned his ex-boyfriend's name, so the officer pushed him for that information.

The admission of the Ex's name made Tharn and Techno's stomachs drop. This same person was the one who had prepared Type's spiked drink. Mark had been told to hand it to Type, but he had not known what was in it and never questioned why. He had not been aware of what happened and never questioned his boyfriend's behavior. When he was told, he had no clue what to do - his boyfriend had spiked the drink to benefit his father. Mark didn't know what to do with that information or any details concerning further actions toward Type.

Tharn wanted to be sick. He couldn't understand what someone could gain from such a situation. The officer then asked about his ex-boyfriend's family. Finally, the pieces fell together.

The ex-boyfriend in question's father was from Thailand and had some kind of grudge toward Type. The boy in question had grown up poorly due to this fact; he wanted to make Type interact with his father again. Never telling Mark why, he made it clear that he was loyal toward his family. He was going to make it happen, or force Type away to give his father peace of mind. This ex-boyfriend was none other than Shane's current boyfriend, Brad.

Tharn had known the moment he found out the father had a grudge, who the man would be. The reason, unknown to the others in the room. Tharn fell to pieces. He was taken to another room to settle down as the others looked on. On the other side of the glass, the reality of the situation was sinking in for Techno as well. The truth of the case had moved from bad to worse.

Calming down, Tharn turned to the officer and expressed his concerns about the kidnapping. He also let them know about Brad's relationship with their friend group. This was a great cause for concern to the officer in question. The officer knew Mark was not the suspect and an unknowing accomplice - though an accomplice nonetheless. The more considerable concern was how to get the knowing accomplice to comply with their questioning.

Mark and his lawyer were informed of the consequences of his involvement. Despite the urging of his lawyer, Mark insisted on helping. He wanted to help, and this is how he thought he could.

All parties involved knew they needed to get Brad in without alerting him to their knowledge. A plan had to be made, and they knew they needed to be careful. The first step would be to make sure Brad did not find out Mrk had been questioned. The next was to "question" each member of the friend group, so it seemed fair and to the procedure. So, it began the following day for each friend waiting for their turn to answer the officers.

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Type was in pain and weak. He was not sure what time of day it was or how long he had been held there. He could no longer feel his arms, and it was getting hard to move at all. Type wanted to keep fighting, but he couldn't get past his fatigue. Every time he thought he could get rest, he was put through the wringer once more.

He was experiencing unimaginable pains all over his body. Each time he tried to resist, he would be beaten into submission. Type was finding the simple task of breathing difficult. Every breath was labored and laced with pain. He was trying everything in his power to push through, he needed to survive. Unlike when he was a child, he refused to cry. He had to get through this. The thing that motivated him to keep his composure was the dark, piercing eyes in his memory.

Type relived the horrors of his past with new terrors, inflicted by the same person. He kept thinking he was going to die. Days were passing, and he was only given small amounts of water. His body was cold and lifeless. Each interaction was met with more abuse, sexual and physical, ending after he would lose consciousness. Every time he started to give up his will to live or fight, those eyes would reappear. The problem was Type couldn't call out for help if he wanted to. Every attempt to yell out a refusal emerged from his body as a pained gasp, no discernable words could be heard.

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The interviews went as expected. Those unknowing only gave a statement similar to Techno's - about Mark's advancements and wanting to protect Type. Brad's testimony veiled. He told the officers about what the group had told him concerning Mark, but he heavily blamed Mark.

He spun a story about Mark forcing him into a relationship. He used the testimony to turn himself as another victim of Mark's behavior. When pressed about why he never told any of the others, he said that he didn't want to impose on his new friends. The problem was that he kept circling around Mark being a villain and said he was not at the party. The police had proof, though, that he had been present. That fact, coupled with his testimony, was enough to push for a warrant.