Title sort of in reference to the song Stopped Time on the Vincenzo soundtrack.
Oooooh what's going to happen?!
This gets heavy really fast.
Enjoy! :)
-------------------------------------
For a moment, no one moves. As time stops, everyone is completely frozen.
As James Baletti takes one step forward, they all take one step back.
"How ... how did you find us?" Sardinia chokes out. "We took so many precautions..." the words die out.
There is genuine fear in Dave's eyes. He gulps. "It was only a matter of time, I guess."
"There were locks-" Sardinia tries again, still trying to comprehend that this is truly happening.
"I've learned how to pick a lock over the years." How could James say that so calmly?
Jack can't stop staring at him. "We trusted you."
I trusted you.
He still can't wrap his mind around what's happening.
"You helped us." Jack still can't figure out why they're on different sides. "You gave me the letter. You told me where to find Mush."
"That's what he wanted," Race realized. "It all led up to this." He stares at James. "Whatever this is."
"What have you done?" David breathes out.
The indescribable fury is still in James' eyes. Yet he calms for a second, and says something that makes their blood run cold: "I was never with you."
Spot stares James down coldly. "You have some explaining to do."
"Gladly," James returns with a sneer. He faces Jack. "At the cemetery two days ago, did you really believe that I waited a year to give you the letter? Did you really believe that me being in the cemetery--where you could find me easily--was a coincidence?"
Jack has nothing to say.
"Wait." David realizes something. "Today was the day a year ago Kid Blink was buried. Not yesterday." He looks at James. "Yet you will still there."
"You waited for us to come back," Jack murmurs, eyes wide.
James nods, like he's glad they're finally putting two and two together.
"I don't believe it!" Spot exclaims. "This whole time, this was all just a set up."
"Well, not all of it," James says, in an indifferent tone. "My brother really did write to you. He wrote a lot of nonsense in his final days. He must have known that his letter to his lover would never make it, because he spontaneously started writing desperately to Jack."
"My ... my letter...?" Mush repeats, not believing his ears.
"He wrote a lot of things to many people," James says. "And of course, I read them all. It was only the letter to Jack I found that was worth keeping. So I burned the rest."
Jack, David, Race, and Spot clench their fists as Mush lets out a strangled cry. They could have had so many more of Kid Blink's words. But because of his brother who stands in front of them, they never will. He didn't have the right to take all those words from them.
"So why did you keep it?" Jack asks. "Why wait a year to give it to me?"
"I was biding my time," James answers. "I needed to figure out a plan. I needed to gather as much information as I could. And why I kept it? It was perfect. It was enough to drive you all insane, just as you all drove him insane. He was crazy about all of you. And yet most of you didn't care."
They all look away, guilty. He's not wrong, though.
"And I thought to myself," he continues, "If this Jack Kelly gets his hands on this, it will be perfect! Because what better way to get my revenge than to have everyone in one place?"
"You wanted us all to find each other quickly, you wanted us all in one place." Jack feels a deep anger inside of him.
"The gang wasn't random," Race realizes. "You and your brother are Italian. You would know other Italians. You would know-" he swallows. "You would know some people in gangs. You set that gang upon us. Was that to end us?"
Everyone around him stands there, shocked. Is that possible?
And yet James doesn't deny it. "Our cousin, Joseph ... he doesn't speak a word of English, but he has connections all over the city. The people you ran into were Joseph's friends, yes, but I wanted them to wait longer."
All along, James has been pulling the strings.
"Why?" Mush cries out, tears shining in his eyes. "Why did you do it?"
James narrows his eyes at Dave Simmons. "All of this is because of you."
"What did I do?" Dave cries out, voice cracking a little. He doesn't say it, but they can all see the desperation in his eyes, the tortured look crying, Haven't I suffered enough?
"Everything!" James shouts. "Right before my brother got tuberculosis, he talked with you. Interacted with you. And tuberculosis is an airborn disease."
Dave opens his mouth to respond, but no sound comes out. Finally, he finds his voice, though it's still small. "Are you saying I caused his death?"
That's when they all realize that the fury that was in James' eyes when he came in here never really left. There is a slight craze in his eyes. And that's when they realize that he truly believes that.
All of this was to get to Dave Simmons.
He saw his perfect opportunity when he saw Kid Blink write about Dave.
They were all supposed to protect him.
And yet they've ultimately brought his doom right to him, right to his doorstep.
Some friends they are.
Still, surely, there's some way to talk logic into him.
"Look, wouldn't he be dead if that were true?" Chick Tucker tries reasoning.
"Some people survive," James answers him. Then, pointedly, "And as we know, most don't."
"I'm not a miracle!" Dave whispers. "I was feeling completely fine back then. Blink and I ... we were friends ... we were still talking..."
"Dave was fine," Mush agrees, still shaken. "I was fine. You were fine. There are other ways to get it. I don't know how he ... I don't know what happened. But this doesn't give you the right to-!"
Whatever he was about to say is cut off by James raising his voice louder than before. "I NEED TO AVENGE MY BROTHER!" He looks at all of them wildly. "I need to get revenge on all those who wronged him in the past."
"We never wronged him," Jack tries to reason, but it doesn't sound authentic now. Why didn't they try harder back then to interact with Kid Blink? Haven't they spent this whole wild goose chase trying to make it up to him somehow?
"Whatever happened, it's in the past," Kid Griffo says. "Years have gone by. Surely we can put the past behind us?"
James shakes his head vigorously. "I can't." Suddenly, he pulls a gun out of his jacket. "Which is why I need to end this once and for all."
--------------------------------------------------------------
Oh gosh.
I'm shaken by that ending too.
Just 1000 words of intensity for you.
So this was the big plot twist. What are your thoughts?
Please, no homophobia, profanities, hate etc in the comment section at all times.
Best,
~Your Beloved Author (whose heart is kinda beating really fast right now)