Amid the Roar - Sequel to M.A.L.

Chapter 18 (End)

Chapter 18 (End)

Gabrielle screamed at the sight of his blood. She sat up quickly, crawling over to his body which had convulsed in an effort to survive. Her hands automatically covered his wound, putting pressure to stop the blood flow but he was already exhaling the last breath left his lungs.

“No,” Gabrielle whimpered, choking on sobs and yelling for him to wake up. She was never to let him die, he was too important. It was not supposed to happen because he was the one with so much wrong in his life. The cruelty of death took his cruel life away and that was an injustice she couldn’t accept.

“Please,” she begged with the lifeless body. “It’s not fair! You can’t be dead. Jason, you can’t be dead.”

The man holding the gun lowered his arm, breathing heavily and staggering back. He was horrified with himself. He never in anyway wanting to hurt Gabrielle, he was only trying to protect her. That’s all Charlie was ever trying to do. He dropped to his knees and watched scarlet blend with the wet soil.

Her cousin was going to kill her. Charlie saw the way the boy aimed the quivering gun while she laid dizzy on the ground. Jason’s eyes had looked maliciously at Gabrielle and out of reaction, Charlie wrestled him for the gun. He was much stronger, even with his wrists still taped together.

Now of course, her cousin was dead at his feet by his doing. He wasn’t sure if his love would ever see it as self defense. It was truly kill or be killed and her love made him want nothing more than to live his days with her. He doubted she still felt the same.

Charlie dropped the gun into the mud and reached for Jason’s fallen knife. Slowly, he cut the duct tape from his wrists but with the fatigue from his adrenaline slowing, his arms felt heavier than lead. Once his bonds were finally ripped apart, he removed the tape from his mouth and tried to ask for forgiveness.

“Gabrielle? I didn’t mean—”

“Just stop,” she cut him off. Tears burned her bottom eyelids and ran freely down her cheeks. “He’s gone. He’s dead and gone from the world. I can’t… I don’t… Why did he do it?”

“He loved you,” Charlie mumbled. His eyes stared at the boy too, barely focusing from being so appalled by his actions. “When you love someone, in any form of love, you’d do anything for them.” Charlie paused before glancing miserably at Gabrielle. “Anything,” he reiterated.

The sky gradually darkened and it began to drizzle once more. It felt appropriate for the rain to come, seeing as it hid her misery. Blood mingled with the mud and bitter tears, enhancing the grizzly horror that became of the night.

Charlie had to pull his love away from Jason’s body. Out of respect, he closed the boy’s eyes. Gabrielle still sat there staring at her cousin. Other than the bullet hole in his chest and the blood that came along with it, Jason looked as though he was sleeping. She kept waiting for his chest to move up and down, gasping for air and saying it was all a joke. But he never did.

Sirens began to cry in the distance. Charlie’s fatigue disappeared with the fear for his life again. The emergency was not for them but sooner or later, someone would come for them. He shook Gabrielle out of her trance.

“My love?”

“I get it,” she numbly replied. “You have to go. It’s okay.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Charlie pulled on Gabrielle’s upper arms and helped her uncooperative legs to stand. Her eyes didn’t want to focus but somehow, he made her aware enough to look to his chin. His fingers fondly traced the curve of her jaw line, waking her with his tender touch. Gabrielle sighed uneasily. Her left hand went to wrap around his wrist to pull him away but she couldn’t make herself do it. It was more for her lack of willpower to do anything than for her wanting his touch. Charlie didn’t know the difference. He continued to caress her skin soothingly.