"Okay, what about Natalya?" Cindy inquired.

"I think she should be fine, I just don't want to get lazy. If we keep this up daily, we should still be able to make some leeway, maybe you get some premonition that catches us a big fish or a big break," Sheldon said as he got up to leave.

"Okay, she said I will try my best." Cindy replied.

Sheldon shut the door as he was leaving the apartment, he didn't want to get too comfortable with the surroundings and he didn't want to rely on anyone to help him. He still had things he wanted to do and he still had someone to protect as he gazed around on the streets. People littered on the steps of their homes or gather together arguing and shouting over dice. He watched them from outside of the apartment, the look of utter hopelessness it was; his motivation before he stepped out.

He needed this to cool his head. The nightmares still came to him and it helped him to take a walk as he didn't want to forget his purpose. He kept walking and looking around at everyone he passed trying to ingrain it into himself; from the people sleeping near naked on the road, to those walking around him. He was so lost in this mindset that he didn't realize that he was being watched. As he went to turn the corner, he found himself being roughly grabbed by his hand. He instinctively pulled away from the hand only to bump into someone. As he looked up, the tall man looked down on him.

"Now then lil man tell meh where ya friend ?" The man said looking at him.

Sheldon said nothing and tried to run.

"Why you running something wrong with me teeth...Stop him, Danny..."

Sheldon felt something hit his back and then he fell to the ground. It knocked the wind out of him and then his body slowly began to drag from the bottom. He couldn't resist it, shit he thought what's going on.

A few minutes felt like hours for Sheldon as his body finally came to a stop and the same man again and the other from before looked down on him.

"Feel like talking now, we hurt ya good with a da small body, where the little girl that with ya, the one with the pretty smile she always be with ya at the home. Moms has been asking for her." The man said.

Sheldon looked around slowly he was in an alley, he was surrounded by two giants of men and it didn't look like he would be able to get away this time. He had been careless. He had to find a way to give himself enough time to recover and then run away.

Before he could speak the other man hit him. Sheldon recoiled from the hit.

"Wah ya do tha fa Danny"

This is not good Sheldon thought.

"He wasn't speaking, helping him find his tongue, Bran."

"Wah is it lost? Lee me see."

"Enough Bran, where the girl is, boy or do we gotta beat it out of you."

"I can take you to her if you give me some time to catch my breath."

"You can catch your breath there, so tell us where and we take you there."

Sheldon tried to think of a way to bluff these two idiots that had him trap, they must be a way something to get them off guard.

Outside the alley, he saw the old man he had passed at the high school, seeing a familiar face he instinctively called out for him to help.

But then he was hit again. "What again Danny, I want to hit too"

The old man looked at him directly in the eye and continued walking as if he had never seen him before.

Sheldon shouted at him one last time for help but the old man just continued walking along. He felt his body taking a beating as he tried his best to shield himself from the incoming blows.

They both took turns hitting him, Sheldon made whimpering and coughing noises as a result of being hit over and over. He was now bloodied, his body was shivering and he knew without a doubt that these men would kill him. He would never let them touch Natalya, even if he had to die.

The men were breathing a bit heavy, "After all, that still don't feel like talking, ya a real tough kid aren't ya," Danny said looking him over.

"Tough? I think stupid Bran let's bring him to Moms, she will know what to do here. Imma get a nice reward for you." He continued.

Danny was about to lift him off the ground but with a sudden smashing noise, his body collapsed with a loud thundering drop as wood and nails protruded and blood seeped out.

Sheldon looked at the corpse through his faded vision, as he tried his best to control his breathing. What was going on he thought, but couldn't make out anything at the moment all he knew was that someone was there, was it the old man?

"DANNY STAND UP, STAND UP DANNY!!" Bran shouted as he knelt next to him, shaking him vigorously. "YOU DID THIS TO HIM!" he shouted with rage turning his body to face the new person.

The person poked Bran in the eye; he screamed in pain and lurched forward in unexpected rage grabbing the person by the throat.

A woman's voice could be heard as she reacted to the sudden change. He held her off the ground as he shouted loud to her.