by Chanel Hardy
“Will!” Jax screamed, reaching behind and pulling out a pistol. He fired two bullets at the henchman, hitting him twice in the chest. The henchman got one shot at Jax before falling, hitting him in the shoulder. Jax fell backwards, pressing the bullet wound with his right hand as blood spilled from it.
River became dizzy, paralyzed by the chaos that had unfolded in front of her. Her vision became foggy, as she saw Will dead, lying on the cold hard ground. Jax was saying something to her, but she couldn’t understand him. His voice was drowned out by the ringing in her ears. She suddenly felt a pinch coming from the middle of her throat. She ran her fingers around the center of her neck, and felt something narrow. She yanked at it, and saw that it was a dart with a needle attached. She looked at Kareem, who was pointing a gun-like object at her. River went numb as she dropped to the ground, landing next to Jax.
∞∞∞
The sensation of ice-cold liquid sent River into a state of shock as she regained consciousness. She lay curled in the corner of the concrete floor of a cell. Her hands were handcuffed, and she couldn’t see anything but the shadowy figure of a man standing over her.
“Wake up sweet pea. Might wanna enjoy the last bit of life you have left.” The man laughed wickedly at River’s misery, as he turned to exit the cell.
The doors closed automatically, leaving River alone in complete darkness. Her face went vacant, with her mouth slightly open and the color drained from her face. Will was gone, and Jax’s whereabouts were unknown. For all she knew, he was dead already. Burned by the council, and she was next.
At the end of the hall, Jax sat in another cell. On the ground, slumped over. His shirt soaked with blood from his wounds, handcuffed and isolated. A thin metal ring was placed around his neck, that prevented purebreds from shifting while imprisoned. Jax, awoke from the serum right before they reached Chicago. He tried to fight his way out, but his efforts ended in multiple beatings from the council’s henchmen. He screamed for River as he watched them carry her away, taking blow after blow to the gut. Kareem made it his business to ensure that Jax suffered as much as he possibly could before his scheduled execution. The light from outside the cell beamed in on his face as the automatic door slid open.
“It’s been a while, my boy.” Hank stepped inside of Jax’s cell, tapping his cane against the concrete floor. Hank flicked on a small flashlight that he had brought with him, shining the light onto Jax’s face. “The council’s men really did a number on you.”
Jax swung his face away from the light. “Hank…” He had no words. Face to face with the man he had betrayed. The man who raised him as his own and was the only father he had ever known. “Kayla… Desiree…I’m so sorry.” He uttered, choking on his words as he was finally forced to face his guilt.
Hank took a few steps closer, with the light from the flashlight still aimed at Jax. “Was she worth it?” His stare penetrated as he waited for Jax to answer. Jax turned toward him with glossy eyes. He was silent. Hank’s eyes filled with rage as he leaned in, inches away from Jax’s face. “Answer me.” He demanded.
“She’s going to die. Isn’t that enough for you?” Jax and Hank locked eyes, and the rage emitting from Hank’s soul, slowly transformed into something else. Heartbreak. He backed away from Jax.
“It was never supposed to end like this. You were supposed to be great.” The mixture of resentment and hurt in Hank’s voice was confusing to Jax. “I did everything right to prepare you. But just like your father, you throw it all away. For some cursed-blood bitch!” Jax’s eyes shot at Hank when he mentioned his father. Hank’s tone gave Jax the impression that he was hiding something.
“What are you talking about? Prepare me for what?” Jax asked with narrowed eyes. Hank sighed heavily, running his tongue across the roof of his mouth. After years of secrecy, the time to tell Jax the truth was finally upon him.
“Your father Silas wasn’t just a purebred. He was a councilman.”
Jax’s eyes expanded, as his mouth hung open from the shock of what he had just been told.
“I was going to tell you the night of your birthday. That you, were a part of the council bloodline.” Hank flicked off the flashlight, leaving them both in pitch blackness. “You and Kayla were supposed to be together. To breed my grandchildren who would share the bloodline and grow up to be rulers. But the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Your father’s lust for human flesh and your mother’s weak cursed blood has soiled you.”
“Don’t you talk about my parent’s like that.” Jax’s emotions were all out of whack as he tried to process all of this.
“Your parents were fools!” Hank flicked the flashlight back on, aiming it at Jax again. “The real reason your father died, was because of your mother. I tried to warn him, but he refused to listen. All he cared about was… that woman.”
Jax stood on his feet, taking steps toward Hank with his restrained hands hanging in front of him. “What did you do to my father?”
“I didn’t do anything. I tried to help him. I loved your father like a brother. But his love for Carla trumped his loyalty to the council. She changed him. Three weeks before you were born, your father revealed that he would no longer be serving on the council. He wanted out, to be with your mother and live some delusional happy human life. But there is no such thing as out.” Hank paused, letting out a faint sigh. “The following night, your father was executed.”
“Liar!” Jax lunged at Hank, knocking the flashlight from his hands and sending it flying across the floor.
“It’s the truth! The council killed your father because he betrayed them!” Hank seized Jax by the sides of his face, trying to calm him down. “I’m sorry I kept this from you. But it was for your own good!”
The automatic door slid open, and the henchman guarding it stepped inside. “Times up.”
Hank let go of Jax, watching him stand before him with sunken eyes and riddled with emotional agony. “I’m afraid this is goodbye. May the Gods grant mercy on your soul, my son.” He turned to head out of the cell, with the henchman following behind, sealing the door shut behind them.
Chapter 12
Jax sat in a slumped position in the corner of the cell, coming to terms with the bombshell that Hank dropped on him hours before. His eyes bloodshot red and glossy, as his entire life flashed before him. The truth about his parents was more emotionally devastating than he could have ever imagined. His entire life had been a lie. An elaborate cover up to hide the fact that his fate was ultimately out of his control. He shared a bloodline with the people responsible for the death of his parents. Taking his father’s life, and leaving his mother with the burden of a broken heart, which led to her own death. Jax had unknowingly been following in the footsteps of his father, ending on a path of a similar fate.
He closed his eyes, picturing River’s beautiful face and that warm smile that could light up the darkest room. He would’ve given anything in that moment to kiss her one last time. To tell her that he was sorry, for everything.
The doors of the cell slid open, a figure stood between Jax and the light from the hallway. Jax peered at the door with squinted eyes, seeing Hank walk inside the cell. He flicked on his flashlight, rushing toward Jax and bending down to grab a hold of his cuffed wrists. He pulled a small sharp pin from his pocket, shoving it inside the upper cut out of the lock. “Hank… what are you…”
“Be quiet.” Hank demanded, as the cuffs opened, freeing Jax from his bind. “You don’t have much time. I put a slumber juju on the guard. You get out of here as fast as you can.” Jax stared, speechless with his eyebrows scrunched together. He didn’t understand what was going on or why Hank was doing this. Hank grabbed Jax’s shoulders aggressively. “Listen to me. I need you to focus. The girl, she’s at the end of the hall in cell nine. The code is 6547.”
Hank’s mention of River heightened Jax’s attention, causing him to become alert of the situation. Hank was setting him free, and he had to find River. Jax stood up, followed
by Hank as they faced each other with their eyes centered on one another. Jax fixed his lips to speak, but couldn’t find the words to say. “Just go.” Hank uttered, handing Jax a .44 revolver. Jax made his way outside of the cell, closing the door behind him leaving Hank inside.
River. Jax scanned the hallway with his eyes, following the numbers as he urgently paced toward cell number nine. He ran his fingers across the keypad, which had dots instead of numbers. He gathered his focus and replayed the numbers Hank gave him in his head. 6547…6547… He pressed the dots according with the right number sequence and the door to River’s cell slid open. His heart thumped rapidly as he laid eyes on her weak, indisposed body.
He ran to her, kneeling to lift her up. “River, baby. Come on, we’ve got to get out of here.” He wrapped his arms underneath her sternum, lifting her from the floor. River moaned faintly, trying to stand on her feet as she realized that it was Jax. Dizzy and disoriented, she grasped his shirt.
“Jax, I thought you were dead.” Her voice was sparse, but seeing Jax alive, and ready to get her out of that bleak, dark hole lifted her spirits.
“I’m not dead, and we’re not going to die.” He pulled her towards the door, as she dragged her feet struggling to keep up. They headed toward an automatic door that opened to reveal another hallway.
“How do we get out?” River questioned, panicking as every second passed.
“I don’t know, but I’ll kill anyone in our way until we make it out.”
They came to an elevator on the left side, in the center of the long hallway. Jax knew the cells were located somewhere underground, underneath headquarters. The only logical way to go, was up. He pressed the up button with the palm of his hand as he held the gun between his fingers. The elevator doors opened, and they ran inside. There were six buttons, and Jax had no idea which one led to an exit, but they didn’t have time to stand around figuring it out. He pressed the fourth button, hoping that it balanced out their chances of finding a way out. They stood inside the elevator, holding each other closely as they went up to floor number four. The elevator stopped, and the doors opened, revealing another hallway, but this one was smaller than the ones below. A large henchman in a black suit came walking from behind a doorway, caught off guard by the sight of Jax and River.
Jax aimed the revolver at the man’s forehead, sending a bullet directly into his skull. The man dropped to the floor, sending a loud thud echoing through the hall. Jax led River past the dead man, stepping over him and continuing through the area in their desperate search for an exit. The sounds from the gunshot must have alerted the other henchmen, as three more men came running in their direction.
Jax had the gun aimed, shooting off multiple rounds and hitting two of the men in the head. One of the bullets missed, and the other hit the third henchman in the chest. Jax missed his heart, but the wound brought him to a halt, giving Jax and River time to check the nearby doors. They tried three doors before they came across one that was unlocked. Jax opened the door, leading them both inside.
The room was dark, and a large black desk and two chairs sat inside. Jax ran over to the desk, tossing the chairs out of the way and pushing the desk over to block the door. River stood by him, using what minimal strength she had to help him get the desk up against the door. The loud kicks from the henchman trying to kick the door down sent vibrations through the desk. Alarm sounds rang through the air, and they knew that their time was running out.
River began to sweat, her mind racing at the thought of the man bursting through the door and killing them both. River searched the room, trying to find something to defend them with once Jax’s bullets ran out. She noticed a black shade hanging from the wall. She ran her hands around it, causing it to fly up and reveal a large, circular tinted window.
“Jax! Look!” He turned to see what she found, and his eyes lit up at the sight of the window. He ran over to her, peering through the glass to get a look at their surroundings.
“We have to jump. We can’t be that far up.” Jax suggested as the bangs coming from outside got louder. River looked at him with enlarged eyes. As much as she hated the idea of jumping from a window that had to be at least three stories high, she knew they had no other options.
Jax ran to grab one of the chairs, bringing it back to the window and swinging it once against the glass. The glass cracked, as he swung it once more causing the glass to finally shatter. He tossed the chair away, grabbing a hold of River as they stood by the large opening.
“Whatever you do, don’t let go.”
He plunged out of the window sideways, just when the henchman had finally made his way through the door, pushing the large desk out of his way to get to them. The adrenaline rushed through River like a drug being shot through her veins as they fell from the window.
The wind filled her eardrums and the rain pricked her face as they fell through the air, landing on the cold, muddy ground beneath them. Jax landed on his back, breaking River’s fall as she clung to his torso. River felt the impact of their landing in her left arm and leg as they hit the ground, sending a sharp pain through her abdomen. Purebred shifter’s bones were more durable than the average human, giving Jax the advantage of taking most of the painful impact so they both could survive the fall. River looked up, and could see the man looking down on them from the window above. They may have made it out, but she knew they had to keep running. Jax came to his feet, helping River up to make sure she was alright.
“Are you hurt? I’m sorry we had to do that.” He examined her arms for signs of broken bones.
“I’m hurt, but I can manage. Let’s just keep going.” She limped away, holding her stomach as they headed for the woods that surrounded the building.
Chapter 13
They trudged through the mud and freezing rain, as heavy branches from the tall oak trees towered above them. trying to get as far away from headquarters as they possibly could. River tried not to think about what would happen if they got caught. All she could focus on was getting away for good this time. Going someplace where they could never be found, by anyone or anything ever again. Jax came to a halt, screaming and grasping the metal collar that was still around his neck. The collar emitted an electric shock that left him in excruciating pain, as he dropped to the ground, convulsing in agony.”
“Jax! What’s wrong!” She fell to her knees, trying to figure out how to stop the pain. She touched the collar, immediately jerking her cuffed hands away when the shock pierced her skin. Jax continued to flail around in pain, as River heard footsteps coming in their direction.
“Go! Leave me!” He mumbled through clenched teeth.
“No! I’m not leaving you!” River sat at his side, her knees buried in the mud. She wasn’t going to abandon him, even if it meant giving up her last chance at freedom. “I’m staying right here.” She grabbed his hand, holding it tightly as the henchmen closed in on them.
Kareem came from behind the group of men, walking up to River and Jax with a small three inch remote in his hands. His thumb was pressed down on the button in the middle.
“I have to admit, I really do admire you two. You really know how to keep us on our toes.”
Kareem raised his thumb from the button, and the electric shock coming from the collar had ceased. Jax let out a loud sigh of relief as the pain concluded. One of the henchman took hold of River, dragging her away from Jax as she screamed out for him, punching the man with both bound fists as he picked her up, flinging her over his shoulder.
“Why don’t you just kill us now?” River yelled. “Just get it over with already!”
The sides of his face raised, revealing a sinister smile. “Because watching you burn is worth it.” He kicked Jax in his right rib, not once but twice. Jax screeched out in pain, curling up into a ball as Kareen proceeded to kick him again. “Get the grounds ready, and get that foul traitor Hank as well. We finish this today.” The henchmen picked Jax up from the ground, dragging him back to headquarters.
&
nbsp; ∞∞∞
The wide patch of dirt formed a circular ritual-like setting in the center of the woods, with a metal U-shaped frame standing ten feet from the ground. In the middle of the frame, a hook dangled. River, Jax, and Hank, sat separated at the edge of the circle with their mouth taped, and bound by their ankles and wrists as they awaited their executions. River and Jax had their eyes glued on one another, A single tear slid down Jax’s right cheek, his chest pumping from his heavy breathing. River didn’t cry. Her body had no more tears to spare. This was the end of her life, and somehow, she was content. But her heart still broke for Jax. She knew his tear wasn’t for himself, but for her. Neither of them wanted the other to die, and that was the real tragedy.
“The girl goes first. Then Jackson, then Hank. I want them to suffer, watching the ones they love burn before they meet their deaths.”
Kareem walked with his hands behind his back, followed by Lester, Jon and Edward toward the middle of the circle. Over a dozen shifters, mostly those who worked at Headquarters gathered around to watch the execution. Normally, elders from all over the region would attend as witnesses, but the last-minute decision to move things up caused a change of plans. “Grab her.” Kareem ordered to the henchmen. They lifted up River, dragging her toward the center of the circle. Jax’s muffled screams resonated through the area, as he watched in horror while they hung River by her ankles in the middle of the frame. She began to feel sick, clenching her eyes closed as vertigo began to set in.
“River Lewis. Responsible for the deaths of Kayla Cooper, Desiree Cooper, and Leon Cooper. We hereby sentence you to death.” Jon spoke with no remorse as he waved for the henchman to bring him the lit torch. A second henchman doused River with gasoline, as she gagged from the horrid stench. Jax’s muffled screams got louder. Jon held the lit torch as he stood two feet away from River. Her heart pounded, and her stomach twisted into knots as she closed her eyes, forced to accept death’s embrace.
