"Axel!" Harley heard himself scream, but it sounded far-away, as though the voice was coming from someone else. He couldn't describe the out of body feeling he had as he clambered across the grass and over to his brother, completely oblivious to the dead body of his cousin not even a few feet away. Harley's chest heaved painfully as his trembling hands gripped at his brother's shirt, the oozing wound staring back at him. It was all so surreal, and he wasn't sure if he was hallucinating, or if this was all a dream. None of it seemed like reality.
Lucas dropped to his knees by Axel's side, setting down the gun and unzipping his hoodie quickly before pressing it to the gunshot, as dark drops of wetness began to appear in the fabric of Axel's tank top. Harley didn't even realize he had started to cry. Lucas was in complete concentration, numb to the world as his sole focus was on ceasing the bleeding.
"Axel, you'll be alright. We'll help you-" Harley spluttered, and Lucas kept his head down, simply continuing to apply pressure. Whipping his head up, Harley looked around madly, eyes zeroing in on Daniel still standing near the back door frozen in shock.
"Call a fucking ambulance, Daniel!" He yelled, intending to apologize for his tone later when Axel was stable and receiving medical attention. Daniel jolted as though he was electrocuted, stumbling over the threshold in his rush and scampering back into the house. Harley returned his gaze towards his brother, who had a distant look in his eyes and a soft smile gracing his face.
"Stay with us, Axel," Harely encouraged, squeezing his brother's shoulder as he pet his head lovingly.
"Harley. . ." Axel rasped, raising his hand weakly, to which Harley clutched onto like a lifeline. "I'm not going to make it. I can feel it."
"Shut up, Axel. You're going to be fine. Daniel's calling-"
"I don't have much time. Listen to me Harls. . ." Axel interrupted, furrowing his eyebrows as he swallowed thickly. "I want you to know that I love you, and I'm proud of you."
"Stop!" Harley screeched, bowing his head as his cries quickly turned into sobs.
"Lucas," Axel turned his head slightly to look at his best friend, who finally picked his head up to make eye contact. In a rush of strength, Axel's hand flew up to grab onto Lucas' arm, gripping it fiercely. Lucas' eyes quickly searched Axel's face, finally realizing that he was witnessing the end of a man who no one believed could even die.
"Look after Jackie and my daughter for me, and take care of Harley, okay?" Axel pleaded, a lone tear finally slipping down his temple.
"Of course," Lucas bit out through gritted teeth, shoulders sagging as he let go of the balled up jacket he had pressed to Axel's chest.
"And take care of yourself, Luke," Axel smiled, blood staining the front of his teeth as his eyes began to blink heavily. "I'm glad you finally found happiness."
Lucas nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek that he didn't bother to brush away. "Goodbye, Axel."
The two men could do nothing but watch as Axel's eyes finally slid closed and his chest ceased to rise with one final rattling exhale. Harley could no longer hold himself up, as he collapsed onto the ground next to Axel, wailing as he buried his face into his brother's arm. Standing on shaking legs, Lucas stepped around Axel's body, bending down to grab under Harley's arms and pull him away from his deceased brother. He didn't think staring at Axel's rapidly paling face was helpful for his current state.
As Lucas dragged his boyfriend a short distance across the grass, Harley put up quite the fight to get back to his brother's side, kicking and screaming as Lucas narrowly dodged some potential fists to the face.
When he felt they had made a good distance, Lucas settled down onto the dirt with Harley, pulling him onto his lap and cradling the crying man's head against his chest. Lucas wrapped his arms tightly around his boyfriend, burying his face into his hair as he wept his own tears.
Lucas' mind was reeling, and he could barely process that Axel was even gone. It felt as though the man had simply gone to the store, or met with their distributor, and would be back just in time for dinner.
Axel was the leader of the house, and Axel was always the kind of person to be capable of filling that role, ever since they met. Lucas could never dream of being in that position, and although Daniel and Elijah were in the house before him and Axel, even they were quick to step back and allow Axel to step up. He just always had that commanding aura about him, and never appeared to need a moment to strategize or think. Axel knew what they needed to do to reach a goal, what steps they needed to take, and who would receive which task to accomplish that.
Now, that was all on Lucas.
He now had to fill Axel's shoes, and while that was a big role to take on- Lucas would do it.
Because he needed to be strong for Harley and Jackie.
Lucas was given a true purpose for the first time in his life, and he vowed to take care of them until his own demise. Axel used his dying breath to make this request of Lucas, and he would always honor that as his top priority.
Taking a deep breath, Lucas collected himself as he removed his face from Harley's hair, tilting his head down to press a kiss against the side of the other man's forehead.
"I'm here, Harley. I'm here," he whispered, bringing his hand to the back of his boyfriend's head to gently comb his long fingers through the soft, ashy brown hair. Harley simply continued to sob, his hiccuping breaths barely allowing him to inhale, and Lucas was determined to sit there in the yard for as long as he needed.
"Lucas?" Daniel called out nervously from the back door, and Lucas picked his head up, staring at the rose bushes in front of him Harley had planted to conceal the chain link fence that encompassed their backyard. Turning his head slightly to peer over his shoulder at Daniel, he knew he looked like a complete wreck to the younger man with his reddened eyes and disheveled black hair, but the version of him that used to be concerned about that had died right alongside Axel.
He didn't want to pretend not to care anymore.
Lucas cared a whole fucking lot, and the world should know it. He was tired, so tired, of maintaining this wall made of crumbling brick and broken glass and cold words to keep everyone at a distance. He thought he could never get hurt if he acted like nothing bothered him, but what good did that accomplish when the harsh pain he was feeling now still managed to reach him. In the end, it didn't matter what he did to guard his heart.
It shattered all the same.
"Get a sheet," he ordered softly, meeting Daniel's deer in the headlights look before his gaze shifted slowly over to where Axel lay. Daniel immediately understood what Lucas was asking, and slipped back inside to retrieve the covering.
When Daniel came back, it was unfortunately with Jackie in tow, who was rapidly firing questions at him in search of answers.
"I heard gunshots and didn't want to get off the floor until someone could tell me everything was alright, but if you're walking around, everything should be fine now, right? Daniel, please give me something to work off of here," Jackie demanded as Daniel shouldered his way through the back door, but he stopped to block her way, shaking his head desperately.
"Jackie, just stay there for a second, okay?" He pleaded with her, and Jackie's face dropped.
"Oh God, is someone hurt? Who? Who Daniel!" She panicked, shoving past him as best she could while pregnant. Lucas snapped his eyes closed, slapping his hand over Harley's exposed ear that wasn't pressed tightly against Lucas' chest, as Jackie's guttural scream ripped through the air. Lucas winced at how primal it was, so full of pure despair and agony.
Daniel carefully draped the sheet over Axel as Jackie knelt by her boyfriend's head, shoulders shaking violently while her hand was clamped over her mouth.
Lucas was powerless at that moment, unable to do anything except continue to dampen Jackie's cries so that Harley wasn't privy to someone else's pain along with his own. The gears were turning in his head, and he was trying, so desperately trying to think like Axel would. He had two people to attend to, but he wasn't sure how he could leave one to soothe the other. Lucas wasn't sure Harley would even let them separate, because his hand was turning white with how hard he was gripping the fabric of Lucas' t-shirt. He really didn't want to leave Harley either.
Daniel stood up awkwardly, wringing his hands together as he looked down at Jackie, unsure of how to help or even begin to make anything better. He suddenly glanced up, meeting Lucas' eyes from across the lawn as an understanding came between them.
And Lucas suddenly knew how Axel always did it.
They took care of each other, like a lone village with strong relationships between its inhabitants. Relationships built on trust and loyalty, the unsaid agreement that if you provide help to someone, there will always be help available whenever your own time of need comes.
No one was getting left behind.
Tentatively, Daniel sank down to his knees next to the sobbing woman, ducking his head as he murmured softly to her.
"Hey, let's get inside and call your friend. You want to do that? What was her name. . . Oh! Dakota, right? Should we call Dakota?" He suggested hopefully.
Jackie sighed shakily, but seemed to agree to Daniel's idea, and a look of relief washed over his face. He met Lucas' eyes again, nodding to him as he helped Jackie stand on trembling legs. Daniel guided her towards the house, a steadying arm around her torso as Jackie's tears created a large damp spot on Daniel's shoulder, and he called out to the couple still sitting on the grass.
"I've got her, focus on Harley. And. . . you need some time too," he smiled, and Lucas voiced his gratitude to Daniel for his willingness to help. Daniel gave him a small salute in return, guiding Jackie back into the house to somewhere quiet.
"Come on, Harls. Let's get up," he suggested, whispering into his boyfriend's ear. Harley didn't give a response, continuing to be absolutely undone in Lucas' arms. Looks like Lucas will have to make some choices for him. "Okay, we're getting up."
With a grunt, Lucas hauled Harley into his arms, struggling slightly as one of his legs had fallen asleep, and carrying a grown man wasn't the easiest thing in the world. His boyfriend was a deadweight in his arms, and Lucas maneuvered them through the back door and into the house, laying Harley on the couch as he re-evaluated what to do. He was hunched over Harley's body, being dragged down by the other man clutching onto him and remaining determined to not let him go anywhere. There were flashing red and blue lights outside, causing the entire kitchen to strobe now that their front door was left wide open and broken, swinging on the hinges gently in the slight breeze. He didn't even hear the sirens as they drove up.
"Shit. . ." Lucas muttered, knowing that any second some first responders would be coming through. He tried not to think about how long it took for them to finally arrive, knowing that could only mean their resources were being spread thin with the number of people requiring assistance.
How much damage had the Northsiders done?
A few moments later, some rather confused looking emergency personnel wandered through the front door, looking around wearily. There were three paramedics and two police officers, whose hands hovered over the guns on their belts as they examined the disarray that the entrance of the house was in.
"Chicago police department," announced one of the officers, a tall woman with a blonde pixie cut and calculating eyes. The other cop looked to be in his mid thirties, his chestnut hair in a comb over mohawk with the sides shaved, adorning a rather bored expression. Lucas raised his hands above his head, garnering the attention of everyone in the room. "We received a call about a gunshot victim," the same officer who spoke previously explained.
"I wasn't the one who called, but... I was a witness."
"Is there an ongoing threat?" The male cop seethed, and Lucas shook his head numbly.
One of the paramedics inched closer, and Lucas looked up at him with a flat face, holding up two fingers and pointing outside, before making a slicing motion across his throat. While rather morbid, it would have to do in order to avoid reminding Harley about what lies outside. The paramedic nodded grimly, before gesturing to the other man and woman that came with him, the three heading out the back door.
"We're going to need you to answer some questions, and gather statements from everyone who was present," the blonde cop approached, her lips pressed into a sympathetic grimace. Lucas respected the attempt to care. Harley then let out a particularly vocal cry, alerting the cops to an additional person's presence in the room. The two cops rose up on their top toes to peer over the back of the couch at the sobbing man, before glancing at each other. "We'll need to speak with you alone, sir. Can we speak in the kitchen?"
Lucas gave a huff of annoyance. "Hey, baby," he leaned down even closer to Harley's face, still buried into Lucas' chest, nudging his nose into the man's cheek to try and get his attention. "I have to go talk to these officers, but I'll be right back-"
"No!" Harley suddenly screamed, startling even Lucas as the previously unresponsive man suddenly began to panic. The distraught expression on his face was the same as when he gazed down at his brother's body, mouth twisted in pain as tears rolled down his cheeks and his breathing grew out of control.
"Lucas you- Chester-" he choked, but Lucas understood what Harley was trying to convey. You killed Chester.
"They'll take you away. They'll take you from me," he whispered brokenly, pulling at the fabric of the front of Lucas' shirt. "You can't leave! Please don't leave me!" He cried, and Lucas immediately wrapped his arms around him tightly.
"Harley, I am not going to leave you. I promise."
"You can't make that promise!" Harley yelled, shaking his head so fast it was making Lucas dizzy just watching him. "Axel promised me that and he's fucking dead! He's dead!"
"Okay, okay," Lucas attempted to soothe as the cops grew impatient, watching the scene unfold before them. The man was visibly irritated looking, and the woman attempted to conceal her hurry a little better than her partner, but the rapid tapping of her foot was a dead give-away. "Would it help if you could see me the entire time?"
Harley squeezed his eyes closed, sighing in defeat before sitting up and casting a teary gaze over his shoulder at the officers. "I'll answer their questions. Just go."
Lucas' face fell. "Harls-"
"I'll have to do it eventually. I just want to get it done so I can be with you again."
Nodding slowly, Lucas met the officers' eyes again. "On one condition," he growled, glaring daggers at the male cop. "I'll speak with the one who couldn't come up with even an ounce of empathy for the people who have just lost a loved one."
"Alright," the woman quickly agreed, while the man looked between her and Lucas aghast, like he couldn't believe his carefully put together act was so easily exposed as a ruse. She produced a notepad from her shirt and walked towards Harley carefully, sitting next to him on the sofa as Lucas stalked into the kitchen without a second glance towards the other officer.
"So, what's your name then?" he seethed, angrily ripping open his own notepad as he attempted to posture threateningly by puffing out his chest, despite Lucas being half a foot taller than him.
"Lucas Dé Leon," he stated, leaning against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest. He would answer the guy's questions like a good boy, but he had his hawk eyes trained on Harley and the other officer, making sure she didn't do or say anything that would upset him.
"And who are you to the guy talking to my partner?" The cop then asked, flicking his eyes between Lucas and the two on the couch, taking notice of the intense gaze the intimidating man had on them.
"He's my boyfriend," Lucas replied simply.
"Right. . . " the officer raised an eyebrow, looking Lucas up and down. "Tell me now what all went down."
During Lucas' recalling of the day's events, every instance, down to an individual second, of the moments leading up to Axel's death flashed through his mind. It was all so jarring, as though he hadn't processed anything until that very moment, where the memories suddenly began to solidify as he was forced to recount out loud what had happened.
Lucas himself almost died.
Then Harley almost died.
And then Axel did die.
Axel died.
Axel was gone.
"And that's what happened," Lucas gritted, knuckles turning white as his hands shook with the force being used to grip the edge of the kitchen counter. "I shot the person who broke into my home and murdered my best friend before he could kill the rest of us in cold blood. I'd think someone who supports Jones Dawson could respect the right to defend your home and family from threats. Real or imaginary."
The air suddenly went cold, the officer's pen stilling above the paper as he lifted his eyes up slowly, meeting Lucas' piercing stare.
Flipping the notepad closed, the officer stuffed it back into his pocket, a tense smile taking over his face. "No further questions," he bit out, and Lucas watched the officer's back as he calmly walked through the back door to the yard.
Lucas had been trying to place the officer's face ever since he had walked in, an eerie familiarness washing over him that he simply couldn't shake.
It finally dawned on him while the man's face was tilted down, and Lucas could clearly examine his features up close. The pale blue eyes, small mole on his right temple, and a light stubble that used to be a much fuller beard when Lucas last saw him in one of Jones Dawson's many rather theatrical campaign adverts. Curious that it was gone now, as though he was making a miniscule effort to break the link connecting him to that campaign stunt. Lucas remembered the video vividly, and his mind immediately began to play it before him.
"In hunting, we cull the herd to keep populations strong," the man smiled at the camera, crouched in some thick underbrush whilst gripping a rifle as a majestic deer grazed peacefully in the background. "Vote Jones Dawson," he nodded resolutely, taking aim as the deer finally looked up, the video ending promptly as the animal was struck and began to pitch over.
The rest must have been too gory for television, but it was easily one of the most nauseating videos Lucas had come across in his research on his father's most recent pet project.
Dawson's roots have grown far deeper than any of them could ever imagine.
An infection grown out of control.
~
Alright, yikes, that was a rough chapter. Let's not do that again. I couldn't even edit the damn thing without crying, so any more typos than usual I am sorry, I had to look through my tears.
As with all of my books, this will have a happy ending, so never fear! We are in the final few chapters of the main story, but I may write some extras afterwards. Wholesome extras that I think will be nice to read after the story ends, just for some fun. See you in the next chapter!