The man in the video began closing the window. Carl weakly pleaded with him to stop. Panic shot through me as I realized what he was planning.
"Please…" I begged. "You'll kill him—please…" My eyes kept darting between the phone and the monster controlling everything—Jack Stone.
"Please…" I whispered again.
My heart nearly stopped when Carl started coughing. It grew so intense that he lost his balance and fell to the ground, clutching his chest as he gasped for air.
"Jack, please! I beg you, he's going to die!" I cried, crawling toward him desperately, still pleading.
He laughed—loud and cruel. The sound echoed in my head, but not as much as my brother's broken pleas.
"What do you want? Name it—I'll give you anything, please… he's going to die," I begged.
Finally, he looked at me and leaned back into the armchair behind him.
"Where did all the audacity and rudeness go, huh?" he said, pushing my head harshly.
