Warnings: Kidnapping
(A/N, I wrote the book and I read this chapter's title as 'Tom' instead of torn. Wow Bree, just wow.) (Update: I've done this so many times that I'm a little disappointed in myself lol.)
Third Person POV

Spot paced back and forth, tugging at his hair

The Brooklyn boys (and few Manhattan boys, plus Haste) just watched him, not knowing what to do.

What they did know is that if they tried to calm him down, he would only explode, and that wouldn't help anyone.

Then, the door to the Brooklyn Lodging House opened.

Spot stopped, and looked at the door where Jack, Albert, and JoJo stood with panicked expressions on their faces.

Spot looks at them silently asking. He was praying for any news, but mainly good news.

Jack shakes his head. "We can't find him. It's like he disappeared."

"Is there a chance Queens has him?" Spot asks, praying that the answer is no.

Jack nods, defeatedly. "Because we can't find him, the chance is much bigger than I want it to be."

"You want there to be a chance?" A Brooklyn Newsie questions, a bit confused.

"No, you idiot." Jack responds, deadpanning. "I want there to be no chance. Any chance is bigger than no chance."

Whatever Brooklyn Newsie said that just nods his head, turning away from Jack, who just rolls his eyes in response.

"How then?" Ace questions, getting back on topic. "Race wouldn't just run off-"

Albert cuts him off. "He would."

Everyone turns to him. "He would?"

Albert nods. "Haven't you noticed that fact that he's been asking when he can sell alone multiple times a day. Race doesn't like being watched over like this. He likes to have his freedom, and we might've well taken it away from him by doing this."

"Right," JoJo stares at Albert, wide-eyed. "He would've run, but wouldn't have stayed out long because as much as he hates this, he really doesn't want to go back to Queens. He would've tried to come back, but Queens would've gotten him."

Everyone stays silent for a few minutes.

The realization had shocked everyone.

And others thought it was crazy how well JoJo and Albert knew Race, but it made sense because they were his first friends and are still his closest friends.

"So," Hotshot starts. "what's our plan now?"

"We still need to convince Bullet and Blade" Haste states. A few boys nod.

"We can't go get Race right away." Jack states. "How long could Race last there?"

Albert and JoJo share at him, shocked. "Are you insane?! Did you see how he was last time?!"

Jack turns to them. "Look, I don't want him alone there any longer than you do, but we can't go storming into Queens, especially not when they're planning to kill Race!"

"They're threatening to kill him either way!" JoJo exclaims. Albert nods, throwing Jack a look.

"They won't kill him for at least three weeks" Haste calmly informs Jack, who nods.

"Race probably could only last for a week" Spot responds. Jack sighs, sitting down on a bunk.

Jack felt like two sides of him were screaming two (very) different things.

On one side, he knew Race couldn't last in Queens long. He'd be worse off this time if- no- when they saved him.

On the other, they needed time. They needed a few days to convince at least Blade, and who knows what could happen before they do.

Jack sighs, putting his head in his hands. "We need time."

"But we don't have time, Jack." Albert responds. "You know Race can't last there, and if we take too long, Rock and Spade are gonna kill him, Bullet, and Blade."

Jack sighs. "Here's the plan; we're gonna try to convince at least Blade as quickly as we can. Maybe Bullet will realize their plan on his own. Then, we get Race out. We don't want to lose anyone, and not having a plan is a fatal mistake that we can't risk."

The boys nod.

Spot gets up and walks out of the room without a word.

Everyone just watched him as he went.

Albert and JoJo sigh, hugging each other. "I don't want to lose him, Jack."

"None of us want to lose him, Al." Jack responds. "Spot's probably going to punch something for out of anger, I'm mentally killing myself, and most everyone else is panicked."

Albert nods, pulling away from JoJo. "I'm sorry. As his brother- one of his closest- it- it physically hurts me seeing him like- like he was, and knowing he's out there. I can't take it- Jack."

Jack engulfs Albert in a hug. "I know the feeling, but I can't put everyone at risk by doing something stupid. I promise- Al- JoJo, we are going to save him."

Albert and JoJo nod, as JoJo joins the hug.

Jack smiles a bit. Albert and JoJo, but Albert especially, never really hugged him anymore.

With Spot

Spot punched the wall.

He was so angry with himself that he almost started crying.

But he couldn't start crying.

Spot Conlon doesn't cry...

Spot stopped.

He just stood there.

It was a few minutes before he snapped out of his trance, by someone putting their hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay to cry sometimes, Sean." It was Ace. "This is definitely one of those times, if you needed to be remind when."

Ace was one of the only people Spot ever let call him 'Sean'.

"I- I- I can't..." Spot whispers.

"You can. It's okay." Ace whispers, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy. "Even Spot Conlon needs to cry sometimes."

Spot felt his eyes well up with tears, and before he knew it, hot tears streamed down his face.

"That's it. It's okay." Ace whispers. "I can't promise (no more heathers) that Race will come out of this unharmed, but I can promise that he will come out of this alive."

"And then I can murder them?" Spot's voice was so helpless that Ace felt his heart breaking a bit.

He never really heard Spot like this, and it was crushing him.

Ace chuckles a bit. "I will let you soak them a bit, then we can take them to New Jersey, okay?"

Spot nods. "Got it."

Smokes, Hotshot, and Red wrap their arms around Ace and Spot, startling Spot a bit.

"We love you, Spot" Smokes whispers.

A few more tears escape Spot's eyes, but he smiled nonetheless. "I love you guys, too."

The boys smile, just enjoying each other's embrace.

It was something that didn't happen often, and they liked it when it did, minus the part with the problem that the whole situation started with.

1148 Words
It's Friday! It's a 'Side-by-Side' day! And my Science teacher is making us run around our houses so we can get our heartbeat up