Patches

HOLA PEEPS!! Im overwhelmed at all the feedback...it's so much appreciated! As always my email is liciousryan@gmail.com if y'all wanna have a chat. Stay safe, Ryan

** PREVIOUS CHAPTER ** "If you wanna see your boy again, tell your boyfriend we need a getaway car...or you'll never see you boy again..." I never saw the floor coming. Darkness surrounded me. Thomas...

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Josh! Wake up! Who was that on the phone? Why is Thomas not in bed? Josh, wake up!"

I tried my best to speak and to answer Patches with my tongue seemingly stuck to my mouth.

"They've got Thomas...they have Thomas..."

"WHAT? BASTARDS! My cover must have been blown! How else would they know what my weak spot was? Damn! Damn them to hell! Gotta make some calls, just...just keep calm. We'll find him. I promise!"

I felt like I had literally, had my soul ripped from me. My limbs were numb. My heart was pounding.

Ever since Thomas was born, he and I hadn't been separated from more than a few hours per day. This kidnapping.. or what ever the heck you wanted to call it, it had to have happened over night...

...and what was I as his father doing...yeah, that's right...when me and Patches were in bed.

I was his father. I was supposed to fucking protect him!

If I hadn't been so damn horny and needy and if Patches hadn't come into my life in the first place...Thomas would have been here. With me. Eating his beloved bowl of Coco Pops cereal.

Instead, he was in the hands of god damn vicious criminals who didn't even care if Thomas lives or he dies!

I couldn't just STAND around here.

I had to do SOMETHING...call the police was my first basic instinct, until I remembered that Patches WAS actually the police. Funny how I always forget that.

He'll always be Patches to me, no matter if he was in reality, an undercover agent.

Who the heck had split on him? Who gave away his real identity? He was here, like all the time, it had been like that for months now since I had first met him...why didn't those gang invested drug rats not done anything to either me or Thomas until now?

Something had happened. Someone ratted him out. Had to be!?

Patches rushed back to me and placed both his hands on my shoulders, as he always does when he wanted to tell me something important.

Only this time...I doubted if it was to say...I love you.

"Josh, listen to me. I need you to listen. I was right, my cover had been blown. The kidnappers are demanding a getaway car, as well as one million pounds in cash, for all the losses they have incurred in their little homemade crystal meth operation. They are willing to give Thomas back to us...but there is a snag. A fucking huge one."

For the first time since I had known him, I didn't blast him on his usage of fowl language.

"What? What happens now?" my voice was breaking.

Patches wiped some excess sweat from his brow before he gently replied...

"They don't want me or the police anywhere near them. They don't trust me. Instead, they want YOU to deliver the car and the cash."

I blinked. Twice.

"Me? Are you crazy? I'm a vicar! What I know of spy thrillers and action movies is down right dangerous!"

Patches tried to pull me in for hug, but I solemnly refused. The hurt in his eyes at my sudden rejection was all over his face to see for anyone who would notice.

"Josh..."

"Patches...just ...I'm sorry...You did this. You did!"

"Excuse me?"

I was on fire. My body was distraught and I didn't care what the heck was coming out of my myth at that point and time. Thomas was missing and I had to have it out with someone. Anyone!

"Why couldn't you just have been a normal down to earth homeless man like you wanted me to believe? You did this! You made me fall in love with you and believe your LIES! I didn't sign up for this! For my child to be taken away from me, because of YOU!"

"Josh, I understand you are angry as fuck..."

"Angry? You haven't SEEN me angry! If anything, I swear to God, anything happens to Thomas, I will RUIN you! You and your precious alter ego are dead to me!"

Patches took a deep breath and a second or two to compose himself. He reached out to me yet again, and this time I simply walked away in sheer disgust.

I couldn't stop thinking about Thomas. Was he safe? Cold? Hungry? Scared?

I just hoped and prayed that even inside his ten year old little kiddie soul, he knew that his daddy loved him and he would do anything he could to rescue him from the utter filth that was now keeping him hostage.

"Josh...I need to know what your answer is. The drug mule wants you. No one else, " Patches said, quietly.

Business as usual for him, it seemed.

As I turned around, his beautiful, handsome face looked more like a corpse, than the GQ model I always knew he could easily pull off, even when I believed him to be a homeless bum.

I knew that Patches loved Thomas.

They had gotten along like fire and ice since the beginning. Thomas never went to sleep without the teddy bear that he gave him. That had to tell you something.

"I'll do it. For my son. For Thomas. Not for you," I practically hissed towards the man I thought I loved all these months, before sitting down on the couch, with my head slouched inside both my hands.

**

In a matter of a few short hours me and Patches were on our way to the community hall. Inside my hands I had a NIKE sports bag full of cash, a million pounds to be precise.

We were walking towards the special car that Patches and the police had arranged, that I had to use to drive to where the kidnappers wanted me to make the delivery.

Patches took hold of my hand, the one I had the bag of cash inside, knowing full well I couldn't rip it away from him this time, without making a scene in front of my congregation, who was going along with their day labours and businesses. Inside the community hall, I could hear the Sister's Union sing as they practiced foe Sunday's service.

Would I even be back here on Sunday to give a sermon...if things went horribly wrong today...?

"Josh. I know, I know you're pissed at me right now, but you have GOT to listen to me. Now, more than ever."

I opened the car and placed the sports bag containing the money, inside.

"I know, Ryan. That's the only reason why I'm doing this."

The hurt he displayed on his face earlier in my house, didn't come close to the hurt etched on those same features as when I called him Ryan, his real name, as apposed to Patches.

He cleared his throat with a dark, steely exterior.

"I have punched in the GPS coordinates inside the car. It will take you directly where the drop off is supposed to be. When you get there, you get out, and wait by the huge oak tree, like they said. You leave the money inside the car. They will then bring Thomas to you, and hopefully, take he money and the car and leave."

"You're gonna let them get away with this? After they kidnapped my son? After Jen overdosed on drugs that they gave her?"

Patches hardened at my words.

"I can't risk it. I love Thomas too much. Normal circumstances...not a chance in hell. But not now. Not with Thomas. I owe you that much. Besides, the car is rigged with a GPS tracker. We'll find them as soon as we can."

I nodded, somewhat relieved at his words.

I opened the front door of the car and got inside. Patches closed said door and signalled to me to open the window, which I did.

"We'll talk about this later, hopefully everything goes well. Josh...I love..."

"Stop. Just stop."

I placed my hands on the steering wheel and blew out some baited breath in sheer exhaustion. My body was literally aching.

"I'm telling you the truth! Why wouldn't you believe me?" Patches hissed, looking around him carefully as to not attract attention.

My vision stared him straight in the eyes. Still...even after everything...he was the most beautiful man, I had ever laid my eyes upon.

"What about you is real, Ryan Xavier? Your name? Your occupation? Who you really are? You lied about everything. You came into my life and my damn heart, by lying! And you know what...I could have forgiven you for that. You did it with good intentions. But the moment...the moment YOU were responsible for getting my son kidnapped from his home...that's the moment me and you were done. I can't live like this. What future would we have? Did you ever think of that? I'd be worried SICK every single time you left for work! And I won't subject Thomas to it either. "

A tear rolled down the big, strong undercover agent's cheek as I finished my little monologue.

"You can't mean that..." he croaked out but my mind was made up.

"Look what I'm about to go and do...all because of you. You bought this to us. You put Thomas in danger! Not to mention me! I'm sorry, Agent Xavier. Me and you, we're done."

I turned in the engine and slowly drove out of the village. Inside the rear view mirror, I saw Patches still standing in the same spot I had left him.

I kept my eye on the man, until I had to do a left turn, and I eventually couldn't see him anymore.

Father in Heaven...forgive us our sins...as we forgive those who trespass against us...

**

It took me nearly half an hour to get to the exact spot that the kidnappers had given us.

"You have reached your destination..." an unknown female voice glided from within the tracker.

I held my breath for a few seconds, before slowly letting it all out. This was it. I was getting my boy back. Come what may.

I absolutely made double sure to leave the keys inside the ignition, and along with the sports bag of money safely secured on the passenger seat...I got out the car.

Where the heck was I?

Clearly in some kind of woodlands but with being so terrified in what might happen to Thomas, I only followed the GPS instructions on where to go...how the hell was Thomas and I gonna get home?

Wait a minute...the oak tree...just like Patches had said...sure as Sam...there it was, in all its majesty.

According to the kidnappers, I had to wait under that same tree, and leave the rest alone in the car for them to make their getaway. The tree was a fair few feet from the car, and once they were inside, there was no way I could do anything to catch them.

As I finally reached the tree, I looked around hysterically to see if anyone was making a move, or if I could see Thomas. They had to be close by, didn't they?

Six full minutes of anguish, doubt and even more worry wrecked through my body until I finally, finally, heard a slight scuffle behind me.

I turned around and saw...

Was I dreaming? What was HE doing here?

"TOMMY?"

**

"Hello Josh," Tommy said, never taking his eyes off me.

"Where did you come from? I thought you were on you way back to London...what, I mean why are you here of all places?" I asked, stunned more than anything else.

The kidnappers specifically told me to come alone...if they see Tommy...I didn't even wanna think about it...

Tommy however, didn't show any signs that he was happy or even, at that sudden realisation, that he was shocked that I was even here, in the middle of no where.

Tommy looked behind him, at the car that I had parked, and then back towards me.

"Lets cut the small talk, shall we? Is the money inside? And the car keys?"

Colour was drained from my face quicker than you could say "busted".

"I don't have time for this, Josh! Is what we asked for, inside the damn car?" Tommy shouted, his eyes skewed against the afternoon sunshine.

"How...how do you know...? I whispered...

Tommy's handsome face finally smiled ...but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Come on, Joshy...did you really think I could afford a BMW on a school teacher's wage?"

**

No.

No!

"Tommy...no...please..."

"Shut up. You never deserved me. You left me and threw me to the wolves the moment that Jen told you she was pregnant! And all because your dad TOLD you to! Because you're a fucking vicar...and what would the precious Parrish say, right? The Vicar's son being a poofter? Did you EVER think about me? ME?"

I looked around in sheer horror. There was no one else around here. We were some distance from any civilization. Screaming wasn't gonna help.

"You...YOU kidnapped Tommy? You are wokring with these drug mules? Tell me that isn't true! It can't be! You're a good person! What the hell?"

Tommy was silent a few seconds. I saw his throat move and so did his mouth.

What he did then...I don't think I'll ever forget...

Tommy gurgled his throat and he SPAT on me.

The saliva mixed with a slight hint of pure phlegm hit me straight in the face. I didn't even attempt to wipe it off, as Tommy from seemingly no where, had grabbed a gun from his jacket pocket.

It pointed right at me.

**

"How stupid are you village folk? I only told my parents what they wanted to hear. I told them I was a school teacher. When in fact, I was running the best damn crystal meth operation these skanky ass villages had ever seen. I wanted to get some...I dunno...revenge from what was done to me. I had my life ALL planned out. I had everything I wanted. And then a bitch comes along and takes you and EVERYTHING I loved away from me! NO! I'm tired of being walked over! It was time for the village to PAY!"

I stared at the former love of my life in sheer, morbid disbelief. I could hear his words, but it was like it didn't register inside my brain. Before, there was hope. That something remained from the Tommy I knew ten years ago.

Nothing...Nothing of this...creature reminded me of that fifteen year old boy.

**

"What happened to you? What happened to you, Tommy?" I whispered, my voice slick with emotion.

Tommy came ever closer. I backed myself up into the bark of the tree, scared shitless.

This wasn't the Tommy I knew as a teenager. Far from it. I saw glimpses weeks back when we had the DNA tests done on Thomas...but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think he could be so full of hate and resentment.

"You have a nerve asking that when YOU caused all this. I was hurt. My father sent me away because he FOUND out about me having feelings for a boy! Didn't know THAT, did you? I was shunned by my own family...and YOU! YOU got a brand spanking new one! A wife and kid in toe! Fuck that shit! I got into this drug ring at my own risk, because they were specifically looking to branch out into the villages around here. You really think I was gonna give up a chance to get my own back?"

Tommy pointed the gun straight at my forehead.

"Beg. I said BEG!" he screamed, his voice echoing around the mountains surrounding us.

"What...what do you want? Where's Thomas? Please don't hurt him..."

"Oh the poor boy...been crying for his daddy and his dear Uncle Patches all night. I gave him a few smacks around his face. Didn't matter. Brat kept on bawling."

It was like something inside me broke.

"You...you hit my son in his face?" I whispered...my hands shaking.

"He's NOT your son, he's your half brother! And what are you gonna do if I hit him? Get another girl pregnant as a replacement?" Tommy sneered, the gun straight at my face.

With an almighty roar, I lurched upwards and KICKED at Tommy's hand holding the gun, like Patches had told me to do weeks ago, when he taught me how to defend myself if anything ever happened to me.

The gun flew out of Tommy's grasp who clearly wasn't expecting me to fight back. I dove onto the gun with my entire body and I immediately felt Tommy's on top of me.

"Give that here, you faggot! Give it here, or I swear I'll kill you AND your son with my bare hands!" Tommy screamed for the world to hear as he wrestled with me for utter survival.

There was no way I was gonna give in. My son's life was on the line.

With another swift kick to his balls, he doubled over in sheer pain and shock. Holding his groin he still tried to get to me, as I took hold of the gun and pointed it straight forward to him.

Was he on crystal meth, himself?

My hands was shaking and he knew it. I had no experience with a gun. He laughed that now familiar evil cackle that I never knew he possessed before, gingerly standing up, still holding his groin.

"You? Holding a gun to me? That's rich, didn't realise Comedy Central was on! Give that here, before you get hurt. Now, Josh!"

**

All I heard was a shot being fired.

And it didn't come from the gun I was holding.

Tommy's body slapped downwards onto the wet grass, as he held his leg with both hands, blood seeping through his trousers, where the bullet had hit him.

"Josh! Over here!"

It was the most angelic voice...and picture that I had ever seen in my entire life.

Patches was running towards me, bullet proof vest and all, gun in one hand, and following him close behind, was Thomas.

Both coming straight towards me.

"Daddy!" Thomas yelled in sheer relief and happiness. I ran quickly to him and picked him up, twirling around with him in my arms. I buried my face inside his neck and just...held it there.

My son. My boy. He was safe.

Tommy was still wriggling around on the grass, blood flowing everywhere from the gun shot wound in his leg.

"Thomas White, your under arrest for the creation of homemade class A drugs, for the kidnapping of Thomas Adams, for the attempted murder of Vicar Josh Adams. Everything you say can and will be used in a court of law. If you can't pay for a lawyer, the state will grant you one. Oi! Take him away!"

The same two officers who had told me about Jen's death that fateful morning, was suddenly on the scene as they hoisted an injured fretted Tommy upwards and cuffed him.

He could hardly stand straight the pain from the wound was seemingly making his delirious.

As they dragged him away towards the police car, they had to pass me and Thomas in order to get back to their squad car.

He might have been in serious pain, but as he caught sheer sight of me, he lurched from the officer's grasp and faced me directly.

"Forgive me...forgive me...I'm sorry...so, so sorry..." he managed to croaked out before the two officers continued to drag him to their car.

I covered Thomas's little ten year old body with my own, making sure he was as warm as could be.

I hugged and kissed my son with every bit of love I had for him. He was a trooper...all of this and he still had the guts to face his kidnapper.

"You guys okay?" Patches asked as he put his gun back inside his holster, hanging at his side.

**

"Did you...?"

Patches nodded.

"Had to. No offence, but he had way more knowledge of using a gun than you. If he had gotten it back, he would have killed you. No question. He was damn lucky that I only hit him in the leg."

"So that he couldn't run away, right Uncle Patches?" Thomas said, his eyes sparking a she looked at his beloved Uncle.

"Hey! You're a little hero, you are! Tell Daddy how you managed to get away from those nasty men! I found him on the side of the road when I was on my way to you. You didn't really think I was going to allow you to come here alone, did you? I told you the car had a GPS tracker. What I didn't know, was that Tommy was the mule. Should have seen it to be honest. He knew the villages like the back of his hand, growing up here."

I nodded and held Thomas tightly. The little boy seemed more like he, had been on a sheer adventure, rather than survived a life threatening kidnapping.

"Can you...I mean...please just take us home?" I whispered, not looking at Patches, but merely making a humble request.

"Anytime. I'm always here." Came the reply.

**

It was already dark out as I had finally managed to get Thomas to sleep. I had to read him his favourite book and then the little animal insisted that Patches read him the very same story again.

He finally passed out from the day's activities, his breathing soundly, his kiddie chest heaving up and down gently as nature had intended, as always, cuddling the stuffed bar given to him by Patches.

I kissed him on his forehead and left the room, where Patches was waiting inside the kitchen.

"You can be proud of him. Not many kids would have taken what he had seen and been through as well as he did," Patches said as he placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of me.

"I need this, thanks," I replied, taking a big sip.

We both knew that someone had to address the elephant in the room.

"So...you have got your man. The case is over and closed. I suppose you're heading back to Leeds now?" I said, still not having the guts to look Patches in the eye.

I could hear him sigh and move towards me.

"When I came here...I thought it was just gonna be another case. Two, perhaps three months of utter squalor, having become `Patches' and solve the case eventually, and then getting home. But now..."

Patches took a huge sip of his own coffee and cleared his throat

"How was I supposed to know I was gonna meet you and fall in love with you?"

Finally, my eyes landed on his face, for the first time that evening. He was far from finished.

"All my working life I had refused to feel like this. I didn't want anyone coming close to me. I don't even know who my parents were, but I do know they dumped me in some orphanage. I never wanted to have that happen to me...where I meet someone and they...they fuck off. I have issues, Josh. But with you...my God...all my rules flew out the window as I got to know you. When you thought I was the homeless man who was killed weeks ago, you were genuinely worried. You cared, you actually cared."

Patches came closer. He stretched out his long, muscled arm and held me, so softly inside his touch.

"You shared what little you had to give with me, regardless of the fact you believed me to be a bum. I wanna be with you, Josh Adams, for the rest of my life. That's if you'll have me."

Tears rolled down my cheeks as he spoke.

So badly, so urgently, I wanted to grab him and tear his clothes off his magnificent body. So much so, that I yearned for him to be next to me, his lips on mine. My head on his chest.

However...

My son was kidnapped. I was threatened with a gun. Little Thomas had seen, heard and experienced things no ten year old ever should.

And it wouldn't have happened if Patches aka Ryan Xavier hadn't come into our lives.

As hard as I tried to forget it...I couldn't.

Patches must have taken my silence as a rejection, as he softly squeezed my shoulder and stood up, putting on his coat.

"I'll pop around somewhere tomorrow. You're tired and you need to rest."

He walked towards the door with those big, virile strides that I had come so familiar with, to who he really was...a damn good undercover cop...not some homeless dweller.

"No matter what you decide...I...I'll always love you..." he whispered in the silence of my living room before he exited the house.

It was then, as I stood up and wiped away my tears, wishing with my whole heart that things were different, cursing myself for letting him go...that my mobile rang.

Only this time...it wasn't some low life kidnapper on the line.

**

"Josh? You here? Thomas?"

Patches frowned as he touched the door handle...and it wasn't locked.

In fact, it swung right open.

Inside, everything was deathly quiet. Nothing looked out of place. Perhaps they were just quickly out for groceries or something?

But why would Josh forget to lock the door? If anything, he was way over careful when it came to things like that...

It was then, that his experienced and skilled, trained eyes fell on the envelope on the kitchen table.

He quickly walked the distance to it...and sure as hell, the letter was addressed to him.

To Patches.

With shaking hands, and with a half and half refusal to believe what his brain was telling him, he tore open the letter and took out the single piece of parchment.

"Patches,

I had a call from the Parrish in Chelsea last night. They offered me the job. I said yes.

I need some time to think. And process. Maybe we'll meet again some day, in some form. But for now, please give me my space.

If you think I'm not in love with you too, think again. My heart aches writing this. You have a life in Leeds, and you can't give up your career for me.

I also won't allow you to. But again, I'll never be able to relax knowing you're in danger all the time.

Please don't come looking for me. I'll always be here, in your heart, as you are in mine.

I'll never love anyone as much as I do you.

Always,

Josh.

**

THANKS FOR READING!!

Wow...I'm all cried out now!! Next chapter will be the FINAL chapter of Patches.

Y'all are awesome, and thanks for your support all these weeks.

Shout me a line, if you want ;)

liciousryan@gmail.com