When Markus met Peter (M+/M+)(Concluded 11/30/24)

[Socksbound]

Wow that was intense. The interrogation felt real and they way Hunter is treating Markus plus his mannerisms send chills down my spine

[Guardianbound]

Markus' horrifying experience continues.... I'm not sure how Peter is going to react when he finds out the truth but Hunter better hope jail will protect him from Peter's pure rage.

[CaptiveDan]

Wow you have created quite a scary and compelling villain with Hunter, very excited to see how they finally best him and rescue Markus!

My guess is that his lust for Peter will make Hunter slip up, but idk how.

[blackbound]

Wow you have created quite a scary and compelling villain with Hunter, very excited to see how they finally best him and rescue Markus!

My guess is that his lust for Peter will make Hunter slip up, but idk how.

Hunter might not be able to stop himself from having Peter over with Markus having to listen/watch...

[DeeperThanRed]

So close yet so far!

Poor Markus's predicament is not easy despite his experience in bondage. Even if Peter is working hard to save him, it's going to be hard just to find that Hunter is not what he seems like.

I'm loving all the detective story elements in this chapter! There's a lot to dig in but it's so heartwarming seeing the friends of the main characters all banding together to rescue Markus.

[KidnappedCowboy]

Hunter is a sick, sadistic bastard, and I cannot wait for him to get his comeuppance.


Poor Markus! Shame on top of fear, hopelessness, and helplessness. Hunter cannot keep him immobilized like that that forever. (I know our stories are fantasies, and we need to suspend belief at times. But there needs an injection of reality every once in a while.) Hunter will have to release Markus to stretch his limbs. That could present an opportunity for Markus to escape.

And Markus needs to escape. Yes, it would be great for his prince -- Peter -- to find and rescue him. But I prefer to have a guy like Markus find his true self in taking charge and not having to rely on his boyfriend to rescue him.

[gag1195]

@Socksbound The Interrogation was a big part of why this chapter took me so long! It was a case of simply too many thoughts trying to get out, and page after page was written before I realized that I needed to adjust how I was originally going to format this chapter. But I'm happy with how it turned out!

@Guardianbound It'll be a miracle if Peter doesn't end up with manslaughter charges before the end of this tale! You're right, though. I'm not sure Hunter has quite anticipated Peter's rage into his plans...

@CaptiveDan Thank you! The Hunter revelation has been so fun to write, and adding some of the potentially darker elements have been great! That is the question, though: how will Peter and Co realize the truth of the situation?

@blackbound I cannot confirm or deny anything regarding what Hunter may or may not do...

@DeeperThanRed Glad that everyone is enjoying this chapter. I'm glad the detective/police procedural stuff has been so well received! And of course I had to show all of Markus' friends/community rallying to try and find the missing teacher! Expect more of it in the next few chapters!

@KidnappedCowboy I'm not sure if Hunter would be one to take such a risk as to release Markus even for a moment, let alone to allow his prisoner to stretch. However, that doesn't mean Markus won't be doing what he can to try and escape. We can only hope that Peter and the others will be there to swoop in when the time is right! Also, I just realized that I completely forgot to respond to your previous comment on the last chapter! Apologies!


Thanks for taking the time to comment, everyone! I know I keep saying it, but we are starting to wind down with this story! Although, depending on if the remaining chapters end up being as long as this one, I may have to break some of them up and keep the story going a bit longer! But that's for me to stress about! Thank you for your continued readership!

[Volobond]

I want to scream with poor Markus! The police didn't catch the motive right there in Peter's statement? Peter and Hunter having a tiff due to jealousy over Peter and now suddenly the love triangle's hypotenuse is missing??? I'm so concerned for our poor teacher, and even more eager to pound Hunter into the ground and then some!

Just hang on, Markus. Hunter's got audacity and luck on his side, but he's a fool, and he'll make a mistake eventually...

[CaptiveDan]

Wow you have created quite a scary and compelling villain with Hunter, very excited to see how they finally best him and rescue Markus!

My guess is that his lust for Peter will make Hunter slip up, but idk how.

Hunter might not be able to stop himself from having Peter over with Markus having to listen/watch...

Omg I can totally see that! That would totally be some bullshit would try to pull

[_zin_]

Great chapter. Enjoying how the story is moving. Peter and Markus certainly have had a lot of challenges early on in their relationship, which does hint at how they developed such a strong relationship over time. Looking forward to learning how people discover what has happened to Markus.

[gag1195]

@Volobond Who knows what the police are investigating and looking into, but it is understandably frustrating, especially given Markus' current situation! As for punishing Hunter, you may have to get in line...

@CaptiveDan I guess it just depends on how bold Hunter ends up being when it comes to Peter...

@_zin_ Their relationship certainly is starting off with some intense trial by fire, isn't it? Things in this story are definitely starting to come to a head, for better or worse!

[gag1195]

Here's the next update to this tale! Apologies for any slight lateness. It's finally been storming in my area, which is great for dealing with the heat, but keeps messing with my power and internet connection! But it is here! Hope everyone enjoys!


Part 29: I Will Survive

Tuesday

Peter

The smell of coffee greeted Peter when he finally woke up. A long day, a late night, a worried and fitful sleep all conspired to create a very groggy Peter. He stumbled out of his room, wearing only his boxers, and found Hunter scraping butter onto pieces of toast.

“Morning, Peter!” Hunter called, trying not to sound too happy. “I made some extra toast and coffee for you. Figured you could use the pick-me-up.” He turned and smiled, placing the plate and mug down on the counter.

Peter nodded and grumbled. “Thanks.” Then he stopped and repeated, “Thank you. It’s been a rough few days, so I’m sorry if I sound like an asshole.”

Hunter chuckled. “Given the circumstances, I think you’re well within your right to be an ass right now. I’m gonna get started with work, but please let me know if you need anything.”

With that, he left Peter to try and wake up. More and more confusing, isn’t he?

The gifted coffee was followed up by a quick cold shower, and then he was out the door. Not that he was eager to suffer through another day of work. But Connor had made good points yesterday. He needed to trust the group. It was a team effort. Maybe he could sneak out early…

His thoughts were interrupted when the elevator doors opened almost immediately, just one floor down, and a smiling old man hobbled in, step in step with his dog. Peter forced himself to smile back. “Morning Mr. Patricks.” He knelt down and offered his hand to the goldendoodle, who happily sniffed and wagged his tail and immediately reached up to receive pets. “Morning Castor.”

“Good Morning, Peter!” Mr. Patricks beamed. He was a short, squat man pushing eighty years old. He’d been living in the building almost since it was built, according to the doorman that occasionally flirted with Peter. He was kind and friendly, always offering treats and leftovers his children sent him.

Peter didn’t look up, continuing to spoil Castor with attention. “I’ve had better.” He couldn’t stop from responding. He felt bad bringing down the mood.

“Rough night?”

“Something like that.” Peter didn’t feel like burdening his kindly neighbor with the intense and dramatic issues plaguing his life. Thankfully, Mr. Patricks didn’t pry.

“Well, I hope your day improves.” Mr. Patricks smiled down at Peter.

“Thank you. You two off anywhere exciting this morning?” He straightened up and stretched, trying to fully wake himself up.

Mr. Patricks smiled and looked down his leash at Castor. “Just our daily jaunt around the block. Castor is very particular about following his schedule. We might stroll down to that new pet store on 8th, but only if he behaves himself.” Castor perked his ears up and barked at the mention of the pet store.

They continued their chat until the elevator finally came to a stop in the lobby. They said their goodbyes, turning in their individual directions before Mr. Patricks quickly turned back and asked, “Oh, Peter, before I forget, I noticed a slight smell this morning. I think it’s coming from upstairs. Any issues with your plumbing?”

Peter stopped and thought, then shook his head. “I haven’t noticed any issues or smells, but I’ll check with Hunter. But I don’t think it’s our apartment.”

Mr. Patricks smiled and nodded. “Probably not. You’re just the first neighbor I’ve seen this morning!” They laughed and continued on with their morning.

—--

“WILSON!”

Peter sighed and rubbed his temples. He hadn’t even sat down at his desk, and already he’d fucked up. Liam shot him a sympathetic look as the blonde made his way over to the boss’ office.

Mr. Banning was waiting for Peter, arms crossed, leaning against his desk. Early fifties, but still in good shape thanks to the triathlons he was always bragging about, Mr. Banning filled his suit out nicely. Peter thought he could be attractive, except for his hair. Seemingly stuck in that middle balding stage, Mr. Banning was trying, and failing, to hold on to his hairline.

“Yes, Mr. Banning?” Peter had no energy for dealing with his hardass boss, especially when he legitimately hadn’t done anything.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Mr. Banning’s face was scrunched up in anger.

“Wha-”

“Your vacation started today, and I’m not paying you extra for coming in anyway!”

Peter looked around, raising his eyebrow in confusion. “Vacation?”

Mr. Banning’s expression softened. “You’re no good to me right now, Peter. And who could blame you. So go. Go do what you need to do. Liam and Suzie donate some of their days and already agreed to cover your work. So get the hell out of here before I actually fire you!”

Peter hugged him. And immediately stepped back. He just hugged his boss. That was weird… He didn’t give Mr. Banning time to respond before bolting out of the office.

—--

Peter joined up with Connor, Lauren, and Kyle to hang up the posters that Kit finished and rushed to print last night.

They plastered the posters everywhere. On every post and pole, on every mailbox, across every bus stop. Most businesses were happy to host a poster in their windows, especially the ones that Markus frequented.

Lauren called on her lesbian circle that she left behind to spread the word and hang up posters as well. Connor had a stack of flyers sent to his gym so they could be hung up and distributed amongst the other gym goers. Kyle called up every club and bar in the city and delivered flyers to as many as he could physically get to in the hours they spent canvassing the city. Santiago, though maintaining his shop, also took a stack to offer to clients and customers.

By the end of the day, most of the city had been covered in Missing Markus posters. Someone has to have seen you, Markus. We’re going to find you.

—--

Markus

Wakefulness blended with the drifting sleep. Markus had no idea when it was. Hunter kept him blinded and drugged, muddling his mind. In some ways, Markus preferred this. The terror of his predicament, the squeezing tightness of his prison, the closeness of the dark around him, the real threat that his captor presented, all made easier by the induced slumbers.

Hunter, perhaps because of the smell, only visited Markus to keep his prisoner sustained. He wasn’t done with Markus yet, but Markus wasn’t sure how much longer he could last as Hunter’s captive.

NO! Markus couldn’t give up. But what could he do? Hunter was too smart to leave Markus ungagged long enough to try and talk or communicate in any form other than grunting. And at this point, he seemingly didn’t care about the growing smell Markus was sitting in. Very little chance that he’d release Markus and allow his captive to clean up. And trapped within the soundproofing of Hunter’s closet, any amount of vocalizing would be useless anyway. Still, Markus had to think of something.

He slammed his head against the wall in frustration. He imagined that he was bashing his skull into Hunter’s deranged face. He smirked under his muzzle imagining Hunter recoiling with blood spurting out of his newly broken nose.

Ouch… He immediately regretted his action, adding an unnecessary headache to his already long list of problems. Wait…

Markus cautiously lifted his legs. Slowly, almost painfully. His body was stiff from being trapped in the sleepsack for days. The smell was worse with the movement, but he had to endure. He raised his legs as high as he could manage…

SLAM!

His heels connected with the floor. Markus froze. Not only because of the slight pain and discomfort, but also to check Hunter’s reaction.

If the soundproofing was as good as Hunter claimed, then he should be safe. Hunter had added to the walls, but there was no chance that he’d ripped up the carpet already installed, put in soundproofing material, and then re-laid the carpet. That’d be completely insane, even for Hunter.

Still, a loud thump just feet away would definitely be felt if not heard. Markus held his breath, waiting for Hunter to burst through the doors and confront Markus, or add more restricting restraints, or force more drugged water down his throat.

He waited… and waited…

Nothing. If Hunter heard his thump, he didn’t react or respond. Emboldened, Markus repeated his heel slam. Each time, he paused and waited for his captor to appear.

Please, downstairs neighbor, whoever you are, hear me, help me!

—--

Peter

Peter had returned to his apartment for something to eat and to rest after running around the city all morning and afternoon. Connor had insisted. They planned on meeting up this evening for more cold calling, but for now, they just had to wait and hope that the flyers would do their job. Peter had even plastered a few flyers around the lobby of his building. He’d happily face whatever fine the property manager levied against him, he needed to hang them up. Maybe a neighbor saw Markus? At this point, any idea was worth pursuing no matter how far fetched it might initially seem.

Peter didn’t see Hunter, but that wasn’t surprising. He’d be in his little office, deafened to the rest of the world, typing away on his jobs. So, Peter made a quick sandwich and then tried to catch up on sleep.

Despite power napping for 2 hours, Peter didn’t feel any more refreshed. His anxiety of not doing enough prevented him from actually relaxing enough to sleep. Earlier than he planned, Peter was up and on the elevator down, on his way to the Cloak and Dagger.

As the elevator opened to the lobby, Peter rushed out, immediately tangling himself in the Castor’s leash. The doodle barked and growled, protesting against the unwanted jerking of his leash, but settled when he sniffed and recognized Peter.

“Slow down, Peter!” Mr. Patricks joked. “Where’s the fire?”

Peter stood and carefully unwrapped the leash from around his ankle, stopping to pet Castor. “Sorry, Mr. Patricks. Just on my way to meet-”

“Any word on that odor I mentioned this morning?” Mr. Patricks seemingly didn’t hear Peter’s excuse, or didn’t care. “First a smell, and now an annoying banging sound. Something is definitely wrong with the plumbing.”

Peter shook his head. “Sorry, Mr. Patricks. I texted Hunter earlier, but he hasn’t noticed any smells either. And I haven’t heard any banging noise.”

“Eh, no worries. At my age, I can barely hear or smell enough for it to bother me. I’ll call the Super tomorrow.” Then he turned and examined the poster Peter had hung up earlier in the elevator. “Such a shame. He’s a nice fellow.” Mr. Patricks remarked, looking at the picture of Markus.

Peter’s eyes went wide. “Wait, have you seen him? You’ve seen Markus? When? Where?” Peter gripped Mr. Patricks shoulders with excitement.

“Oh!” The old man responded at the sudden touch, but didn’t fight Peter’s hold. “Oh, we had a nice chat the other day. Right here in the elevator. Talked about Castor mostly. He’s quite knowledgeable about the myth. A delight.”

“WHEN!” Peter practically shouted, only a little sorry for his outburst. “Please, Mr. Patricks. When did you see Markus?”

“Friday evening, right around 5:30. Castor keeps his schedule. We were on our way back from our walk and ended up on the elevator together.”

Peter hugged his neighbor, squeezing as tight as he could. Finally, something to go off of. “Mr. Patricks, would you be able to give this information to the police?”

[DeeperThanRed]

Finally, a lead! Even bound and gagged, Markus is smart enough to leave breadcrumbs for potential rescuers! As difficult as his situation is, goes to show that Hunter is still far away from breaking his spirit.

[blackbound]

I was originally going to comment that Peter's pretty slow at putting it together, but on re-read that seems unfair. Hunter could make a purchase of a feeding gag at the Rope & Bunny, though, that'd make it easier!

[CaptiveDan]

The floor thumping idea is so smart! That combined with the fact that someone saw Markus come to the apartment on the day of disappearance... I'm sure his freedom is close at hand!

[Guardianbound]

Glad Markus is still holding on to hope. Peter and the rest will rescue him soon!

[KidnappedCowboy]

Thank the gods for Mr. Patricks!

But as in many tales of helpless captives and capricious captors, the kindly neighbor who might suspect something afoul afoot, Mr. Patricks may fall prey to that capricious captor!


And poor Markus! I'm glad he still has the presence of mind to attempt to alert would-be rescuers.

And as for Hunter, he must be out of his mind to allow Markus to wallow in his waste!

I cannot wait until Hunter becomes the hunted!

[Volobond]

Mr. Patricks! Thank the gods for kooky neighbors! And for Markus keeping his wits even in a drugged and traumatized state! Let's hope there's some good commeuppance in store for Hunter. Jail for One Thousand Years!

[Wedgieboy69]

But will the police take the timeline of an old and maybe confused man seriously?

[gag1195]

@DeeperThanRed Definitely needed this break/relief given the tension of the last few chapters! Markus is down, but he' not out yet!

@blackbound It's frustrating, though, yelling at the characters to figure it out faster! All the pieces are there, and logically, it should be easy to connect them all together. Peter's definitely not on his A game, none of them are, and emotions are high. It's easy to miss the obvious clues right in front of you. Besides, its hard to reconcile your roommate being kind of a bratty nuisance, and your roommate actually abducting and imprisoning your boyfriend.

@CaptiveDan In a way, we can thank Hunter for Markus' floor thumping idea! Had he not soundproofed his closet, Markus wouldn't be able to safely thump the floor!

@Guardianbound Markus isn't quite done yet, just delayed... fear and drugs are a powerful combination. Still, it's something of a last ditch effort. Markus has to try something. He can't just sit there and wait for rescue or Hunter's plans.

@KidnappedCowboy We must certainly hope that nothing bad happens to kindly Mr. Patricks! Hopefully Hunter has no idea that his neighbor is a witness. And I'm glad you appreciate Markus' efforts! I know you were championing his escape, so I hope this approach is still up you alley!

@Volobond And thank goodness the kooky neighbor's dog is so fussy about it's schedules! Jail for one thousand years might be too lenient a punishment for Hunter!

@Wedgieboy69 An important question! Only time will tell how this impacts the investigation!\



Thanks for the fantastic comments, everyone! I am continually amazed at the support you all give me and my stories! Thank you!

[gag1195]

Hope everyone enjoys this chapter! I had a different idea for how this chapter was going to end originally, but it ended up being WAY too long, so I had to cut the idea and move it to the next chapter, and decided to end this one off with a cliffhanger! Don't forget to leave a comment! I appreciate you!


Part 30: Can’t Shake Loose

Tuesday

Peter

Peter sat in the police precinct, balancing Castor on his lap and giving the dog all of his attention, trying to distract his nervous energy. He’d practically dragged Mr. Patricks into an uber and off to the precinct, Peter was worried that they might arrest him for kidnapping. They took Mr. Patricks initial statements, and then he was collected for a more in depth interview by Detective Sullivan.

So Peter was forced to wait. He’d volunteered to keep an eye on Castor. It was the least he could do for his neighbor. Petting the little doodle did help calm him, so it was a win-win. He still couldn’t believe it. A lead. A real genuine ray of hope. After days of anguish and heartache and fear, there was finally something to go on. Peter didn’t pretend to know what the police investigations had turned up, and it’s not like they could share anything even if they did uncover anything. Peter was also unsure if he was still a suspect in their eyes.

Peter texted what Mr. Patricks had told him to Connor and the others. He heard from Kyle and Santiago, who were both thrilled at the lead. They promised to pass it along to Connor and Lauren in a bit.

Peter: A bit? Where are they?

Kyle: About to be interviewed for the news. Their segment should be on a bit later this evening.

Peter: What, really?

Kyle: Those flyers of ours really worked. Got one of the reporter’s attention. They called not too long ago. Connor and Lauren agreed to go on camera. Connor mostly. He said it was important to get as much attention on this as possible.

Peter: He’s right. Keep me updated. I’m not sure how long I’ll be at the precinct. I’m getting restless. Feels like I should be doing something to help.

Kyle: Breathe. You’ve already done so much. You’ve gotten us one of our first real leads!

Peter: I know…it’s just…

Kyle: Feels like not enough? It is. You have to tell yourself that. Just relax and join up with us later.

Peter sighed and scratched Castor’s neck. Kyle was right, of course. Objectively and logically. But it was still difficult to literally sit around petting a dog while Markus was still missing. While Connor and Lauren and Kyle and even Mr. Patricks were actively contributing to finding Markus.

Peter just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Is dumb luck all I’m bringing to the search effort?

—--

Peter sat in the precinct for another hour. Frustrating as it was, he wasn’t surprised. If his own interview with Detective Sullivan was any indication, Mr. Patricks had probably on his third retelling of his very limited information. Peter sighed again. He supposed that he should be grateful that the detective was so thorough, but it didn’t make the waiting easier.

And it wasn’t lost on Peter that this thoroughness was cutting into search-for-Markus-time.

Even Castor was growing restless, no longer content to be continually pet by his upstairs neighbor. No amount of absentminded sushing and cooing calmed the pooch. Peter was about to get up to take him outside when Mr. Patricks finally reappeared.

Castor lept from Peter’s lap and bounded over to his owner, and Peter quickly followed.

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Patricks.” Detective Sullivan was saying.

Mr. Patricks bent down to scoop up his Castor. “I’m happy to help. I just hope you’re able to find him.”

Detective Sullivan nodded and looked straight at Peter. “We’re doing everything we can.”

Peter gave her a curt nod. He didn’t say anything. Best not to antagonize her. Spending a night in jail isn’t going to help anyone…

—--

Peter made sure that Mr. Patricks was comfortably in his Uber before sending his neighbor off. Once the car pulled away, Peter practically sprinted to the club.

He’d missed the news broadcast while on the way, but thankfully the station played it twice more that night.

Connor and Lauren were already back at command central by the time Peter arrived. He retold everything that Mr. Patricks and Detective Sullivan said, and Connor dutifully copied the information down on their official timeline of events. Connor and Lauren filled him in on the interview, while Kyle shared the less than helpful calls that came in because of the flyers. Unfortunately, no one had seen Markus. But they had called in to report every dark haired, bearded man in his twenties.

Lauren also updated that Dean, Markus’ brother, reached out to their mother. Connor visibly balked and Peter tensed, preparing for the worst. Given what he’d learned about Markus and Dean’s mom, Peter wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Dean says that she hasn’t heard from Markus in weeks. According to him, she seemed genuinely confused when he mentioned Markus being missing.” Lauren explained.

Connor relaxed, exhaling a deep breath. “A dead end, but still good news. The less we have to deal with her, the better.”

They spent the rest of the evening fielding phone calls from the flyers and broadcast. It was after 1am before Peter finally made it home and collapsed into his bed. Even his own anxiety and worry couldn’t keep him awake for long.

—--

Wednesday

Another day, another coffee and kind note from Hunter, waiting for Peter when he emerged from his room. Which Peter was increasingly grateful for. It was going to be another long day of answering and following up on phone calls. Which Peter could only complain about so much.

After all, one of those calls could be the breakthrough the search needed.

—--

Peter made it until lunchtime before he had to step away. Connor was quick to follow, the trainer catching up to him in the empty main dance floor of the club.

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this, Connor!” Peter broke down. “I-I-I just…”

Connor’s arms enveloped him. The redhead didn’t say anything. He just held Peter tight. Allowed Peter to sink against him, to not be the strong one for a moment.

“I know.” Connor finally said, still refusing to let go. “This shit is hard on all of us, but I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now.” He released Peter. “Go home. Get something to eat, rest. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself.”

Peter shook his head. “No! I can’t just-”

Connor held up his hand. “You can. We can hold down the fort for a bit. No one’s going to blame you or judge you for needing to step away for a few hours. I’m about to have the same chat with Lauren. Go, refresh, and then come back this evening, ok?”

Peter shuddered, holding back tears. “We don’t deserve you, Connor.”

“I know.” He winked and smiled. “Now, get out of here! I’ll see you later.”

—--

“You’re home early.” Hunter commented when he saw Peter walk into the apartment. He was rinsing out the remains of a protein smoothie in the sink. Peter shook his head.

“I just needed a break… from everything. Got a little overwhelmed.” Peter slumped onto the couch and closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Hunter half-heartedly said, so quiet it was mostly to himself. “Is there anything I can do?” He asked, louder, finishing up his dishwashing.

Peter shook his head without looking at his roommate. “No. I just need to eat something and take a nap.”

“I could get us lunch!” Hunter suggested. “Please, Peter! It’s the least I could do. You’re going through so much right now.”

Peter thought about it for a moment. He didn’t see the harm in letting Hunter treat him to lunch… just this once. He sighed. “Sure.”

They debated back and forth about what to eat, neither wanting to commit to a decision. Finally, Hunter suggested Thai food and Peter nodded. Order given, Hunter quickly changed and dashed out. “Rest up, Peter! I’ll be back soon!”

Peter chuckled and laid down on the couch. He didn’t want to fall asleep before Hunter came back with the food, but it was hard to stay awake. He was exhausted. The stress of the last week was catching up to him. He’d slept well enough last night, but even still, he was tired.

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

And cursed apparently. No sooner had Peter lay down to rest, a knock at the door. It couldn’t be Hunter. He just left and had his key with him. Unless it is Markus waiting on the other side, I don’t care who it is… Peter groaned and rolled over. Maybe they’ll go away.

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

“Fuck me…” Peter grumbled, but slowly got up and opened the door.

It was Mr. Patricks. He looked considerably less happy today than he did when Peter left him yesterday evening. “Hello, Peter.” He smiled briefly, then returned to his slight scowling. “I’m sorry to bother you, but…”

“Yes, Mr. Patricks? Is something wrong? Is it about Markus?” Peter was wide awake now. Had his neighbor remembered something else? Had the police contacted him? What could it be?

“It’s just”, he sighed, “ the smell and the banging sound. They’ve gotten worse. And I’ve talked to all the neighbors around me, above me, and even below me. And everyone that can smell and hear it are all tracing it back… well… to here.”

Peter shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mir. Patricks. But like I said, there’s no bad smell in the apartment. And I haven’t heard any banging.”

“Look, Peter, I want to believe you. But no one else is owning up to it. If it continues, I’m afraid I will have to go to the Super about it.”

“But Mr. Patricks, I swear, I haven’t smelled or heard anything! It’s been silent-” Peter paused. If he isn’t hearing anything, but Mr. Patricks is… “I think you’re right, Mr. Patricks. I’ll investigate a bit more and get back to you. I think I know where the noise is coming from.”

“Thank you, Peter. Oh, any word on that Markus fellow?” Mr. Patricks asked as he started walking down the hall.

“Nothing yet, but we're holding out hope still.” He waved his neighbor off before closing the door.

And then he made a beeline for Hunter’s room. The sound must be coming from Hunter’s closet. It's the only thing that made sense. Why Mr. Patricks could hear it, but Peter couldn’t. The soundproofing was on the walls, not the floor. But surely this banging sound would be driving Hunter crazy, right? I mean, that’s his office space. Why hasn’t he said anything?

And then Peter found an answer, sort of. The closet was closed and the doorknob lock had been turned. Why would Hunter need to lock up?

He pressed his ear to the door, and just as he suspected, he heard a soft thudding sound. But it wasn’t a constant or regular sound. What is that? And then the smell greeted him. It was faint, blocked by the door, but pressed up against it, Peter noticed it. It was awful. Mr. Patricks was right, it definitely smells like sewage. No wonder Hunter has this place locked up tight. But why did he lie about the smell…

Curiosity, morbid as it was, won out. Peter turned the lock, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Peter couldn’t contain his reaction. And not just because of the smell.

There, resting against the wall of Hunter’s closet, was a human shaped black mass. As Peter’s eyes adjusted to the darkness of the tiny room, He almost collapsed. The worm of a figure, though nearly featureless, with most everything hidden by the bag and the face coverings, had one distinct feature that Peter recognized immediately.

The tufts of dark brown, almost black hair, sticking out from around the leather straps…

“MARKUS!”

—--

Markus

Hunter had awoken him and forced the life sustaining smoothie down his throat, before once again gagging and abandoning him yet again. Markus’ order was beyond unbearable. Even Markus wasn’t sure how he was dealing with the stench, beyond reasoning that he had an extreme case of nose blindness.

Still, Markus was determined to signal for help again today. Thankfully, Hunter hadn’t given him more drugged water yet, so he had a bit more strength to crash against the floor of Hunter’s closet.

Which he did, as many times as he had energy for. He was still a bit out of it and loopy from the water, and it was a surprising workout to continually slam his heels against the ground with his limited mobility. A great idea for Connor- bound workouts. Markus huffed out a laugh, something he hadn’t done in almost a week. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad sign.

He rested, fighting to remain conscious, then continued his efforts.

Until he heard Hunter at the door. The door opened and…

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”

Markus froze. That wasn’t Hunter. Was someone there to rescue him? Had someone actually found him? Was it too good to be true?

“MARKUS!”

Peter! It was Peter! Markus whined and moaned and slumped towards the sound of his boyfriend, towards freedom. “PMMMHMMRR!” His voice was strained and weak, but he screamed with all the energy he could muster.

He heard Peter hack and cough from the smell, and blushed, thankful for the darkness and the muzzle. It didn’t stop Peter from collapsing next to Markus and wrapping his cocooned form into a death grip hug.

“Markus!” Peter repeated, clearly dumbfounded and at a loss for words. “What the fuck!” He repeated again.

Markus felt Peter’s hands gripping and fussing with the muzzle’s buckles, quickly abandoning the effort and instead inspecting the blindfold. That was easier to deal with in the dark of the closet, and soon Markus was staring at the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. His handsome savior, blonde hair framed by the light filtering in from Hunter’s bedroom.

“PMMMTMMMR!” Markus shouted again, tears welling up in his eyes. Peter had done it. He’d found Markus. Markus was safe.

Until Markus saw a shadow block the light in the doorway. “HMMMMK! PMMMTMMMR!” Markus tried to warn his rescuer. But Peter was too focused on freeing Markus’ head of the muzzle.

Hands shot out and wrapped around Peter’s neck and head. Hunter yanked back and Peter was pulled away from his boyfriend. The blonde’s massive arms reached up to fight against his roommate, trying to wrestle Hunter off of him.

But he couldn’t find the leverage. Hunter’s grip was too tight. Markus watched helplessly as his boyfriend was being choked by his cruel captor.

“You ruined it!” Hunter hissed through gritted teeth. Markus wasn’t sure if Hunter was addressing him or Peter. Maybe Hunter wasn’t sure either. “You ruined it! It wasn’t supposed to be this way!”

Peter clawed at Hunter, but Markus could see that he was losing. Hunter had the larger man trapped in a sleeper hold, and tightened it, continually repeating, “You ruined it!”

Markus cried, not from elation at being found. His tears were now his anguish at the foiled rescue and his unconscious Peter.

Hunter gently lowered Peter’s head to the floor before standing. He hovered over Markus for just long enough to restore the blindfold to its rightful place. Markus cried and screamed into his gag as he heard Peter’s body being dragged out of the closet.

What would Hunter do now? He couldn’t keep them both captive, could he? And if he had a captured Peter, did he need a captured Markus anymore?

[blackbound]

Well, you did it - I'm actively hoping for someone's release. Mostly because of the horrendous circumstances regarding bodily functions, but here we are.

I also have no idea where this will go. Please don't make us wait for too long!

[CaptiveDan]

Is it weird I'm happy Markus and Peter are reunited? Like obviously a bad situation but at least they're together... Right?... Right?

Either way very excited to see what Hunter will do now. A villain unhinged by a foiled plan is a wonderful thing

[Wedgieboy69]

I wonder if Peter going missing now will be seen as another missing person, or as him fleeing as a suspect in Marcus's disappearance. Will Mr patricks still call the super?

[Guardianbound]

The thriller continues!!! At least Peter found Markus and knows he's alive. But what Hunter does next I have no idea. I'm guessing he'll use Markus to threaten Peter into submission, some very sick stuff incoming in the next few chapters. Another thing, who's going to rescue the both of them now?!