Chapter 20: For the lives of the innocent.

Chapter 20

The file jacket fell through my fingers and landed with a dull thud onto the work desk when the door opened suddenly and Adrian stepped in.

“Everything alright?” he asked looking concerned which I assumed was because of my shaky expression.

My heart was pounding in my chest as I thought of the implications arising if he were to find out about the evidence.

“Yeah, I’m fine, what’s up?” I questioned as calmly as I could manage, then I stepped in front of the desk to block the folder form sight.

He looked me over with a raised eyebrow but otherwise let it go.

“I’m going to see Marcus, I was just wondering if you wanted to come along.” He said and I answered with a quick nod, knowing that I was doing a poor job of acting normal but unable to do much about that.

“Alright let’s get going then, Scottie’s already there and he said he’s awake and talking.” Adrian explained and not a minute later we were exiting my study and heading out of the house.

When we arrived at the hospital, the atmosphere was tense at best. Marcus still lay helpless in bed as expected but he wasn’t as pale as he had been the night before. Scottie was gripping his hand firmly as if afraid that if he let go his brother would float away but Marcus didn’t seem to mind.

He greeted Adrian with a half smile when he entered the room and only appraised me with a bored expression which was a hell of a lot better that the way he usually looked at me.

“How’re you feeling?” Adrian questioned, going to stop beside Scottie but not moving to touch Marcus.

“Like I was run over by a Mac truck.” He answered, surprising me with his attempt at humor.

Adrian didn’t smile, if anything his expression remained the same but I could see the concern in his eyes as he spoke.

“Did you see the guy who did this? Can you tell me what he said?” he asked and Marcus shook his head slightly.

“No I’ve been trying all morning to recall but I can’t, I just remember walking toward my car, the lot was deserted, I heard a noise and turn around, I’m pretty sure it was a male but I only remember the figure…it was dark.” He finished his mood turning sour in light of his inability to be of much assistance and Adrian and I watched as Scottie reached up to run a hand through Marcus’ hair; to soothe him I guessed.

“That’s fine we’ve got a guy on it, a kid fessed up to accepting money from a guy in return for giving him updates on where you were at all times. We’ll find him.” Adrian assured and Marcus nodded. His expression grim.

“There is one thing…” he spoke softly and when he trailed off without continuing and my brows furrowed.

“What?” Scottie asked and Marcus glanced over at him.

“Screaming…I heard someone screaming.” He said and I drifted closer.

“Screaming?” Adrian questioned, “like a woman? Like maybe someone saw and was calling for help?” he asked but Marcus shook his head.

“No, a man; a boy, I don’t know,” he shook his head as if to clear it then went on “but he was screaming things, he sounded like he was in pain, he was saying ‘something’s wrong’ over and over again, then it was like he was begging someone he kept saying ‘please’.” He said, a bulging vein throbbing in his forehead.

I looked at Adrian.

“So a boy was screaming, was this before or after you were shot?” he asked, looking even more serious than he had been when he’d entered the room earlier.

“That’s the thing…I don’t think it was in the parking lot it...it sounded more like it was in my head...I know it sounds crazy but…” he trailed off and my eyes narrowed as I watched them, wondering why the entire screaming incident sounded so familiar.

“That’s fine, just get some rest brother, we’ll handle everything else.” Adrian said. He ruffled Scottie’s hair then moved away from the bed altogether.

“I’ll be back later.” He announced and the brothers simply nodded.

Not long after we were making our way outside of the hospital with Adrian deep in thought.

“What do you make of the screaming he heard?” I asked, forcing him back to the present but he shook his head.

“He’s probably just tired, he’s been through a lot.” He said, dismissing the statement and I shrugged. He was right, maybe it was nothing.

“So where too now?” I questioned when we got to the car.

“I have meetings to get to, is there anything you need to get done I town today?” he asked and I shook my head.

“What kind of meetings? About Marcus?”

“Yes, but we’ve got a lead on the guy, it won’t be long now.” He said and I turned to look out the window, biting my lip.

“Listen Adrian, think about what you’re doing here, I mean I know you’re upset about Marcus but you’re talking about ending someone’s life here.” I said.

“Don’t start.” He said firmly and I sighed.

“You can just drop me back home, I have work to do.” I told him and we were off.

Later that night I sat in bed, loose leaves from the folder my buddy at the agency had given me were scattered over my bed. I was sifting through it all, making sure that whatever information they had on him was nothing that would be detrimental to any of us.

Turns out they didn’t have so much as a crumb of evidence but I still couldn’t breathe easy until I found out who else they’d put on the case and what exactly they had up their sleeves.

After I’d made all the necessary calls and was satisfied with the information I’d received I phoned Adrian. He answered on the first ring, his voice sounding tired and gravelly from lack of sleep.

“We need to talk…tonight.” I said as soon as he answered and upon hearing my tone, he was quick to agree.

Not too long after he was letting himself into my apartment; his eyes sharp and steady despite his tiredness.

“What’s going on?” he asked after declining a drink so I  leaned on the counter mentally preparing myself for the battle we were likely to have.

“A few days ago I got a call from the agency. They’re looking into you Adrian, all three of you. They’ve got government agents as well as investigators from my agency.” I said then waited for him to speak. When he did it wasn’t what I wanted to hear.

“Well that’s nothing new, there’s always somebody trying to find evidence on us that’s not there.” He said carefully, his eyes locked on mine and I shook my head.

“Adrian I called you here to warn you and to ask you…no to beg you to just lay low for a while. Cease all operations until they lose interest in you guys.” I said, knowing my words were a waste of breath but I had to try regardless. His response was predictable.

He dragged a hand over his face, “Not this nonsense again. Lucas-”

“This is serious Adrian, they’re going to try to get you anyway they can, they could disguise themselves as potential clients, an easy set up and your background checks as thorough as they might be aren’t fool proof. Please I’m only trying to help you.” I said as persuasively as I knew how.

“You know as well as I do that they’ll never get tired of me so if I’m going to cease operations it would have to be indefinitely and I can’t allow that. Lucas how many times must I explain this to you?” he asked in obvious frustration; as if he’d gone through this a million times and he was just tired of it all. Well so was I.

“You do realize that it’s not just you and your brothers who will be jeopardized if this ends badly right? If they get to you then I’m in just as much trouble for seeing the things I’ve seen and failing to report it. I said, my voice still hadn’t risen.

“Adrian looked about to argue but I cut him off.

“You’re a smart man Adrian, which means you know that nothing is foolproof, yet you’re willing to risk us all for something as inconsequential as this.”

“You thing what I’ve built, what I’ve become is trivial? Lucas I have-“

“Just answer me this one question then.” I said cutting him off once more. This time I looked him deep in the eyes, my heart in my throat.

“If I gave you the choice of choosing between me and your business. Which would you choose?” my voice was little more than a whisper and I was slightly terrified of his answer but I had to know, once and for all.

Silence

He simply stared at me, his face devoid of emotion and there was my answer.

I swallowed. Hard.

“I love you Adrian.” I said over the lump in my throat. “But this is where we draw the line. I won’t take the case, I won’t investigate you but I also won’t stand by your side knowing that you’ll gladly allow me to risk everything and you won’t do the same.” I said it softly but I was firm and for once he didn’t try to convince me to see things his way.

I think he saw the finality in my eyes because jaw set, he turned and marched out of the room, out of my house and out of my life. Not once did he look back and he failed to utter a single word as he made his exit. This time it was over.

I wasn’t sure why it was that I thought I could change his mind. To think I’d stayed by his side for months thinking one day I’d get him to leave it all behind. I’d watched him kill and kill again. I’d watched him carry out his operations knowing the destruction one simple instruction from his mouth could cause to so many.

Grady had stayed thousands of miles away and still felt the consequences of Adrian’s actions and yet I’d stood by him…waiting like a fool for the day he’d change for the better.

Adrian loved me, I knew that but there would always be something he loved more, something which in effect would lead to his demise and it would be cruel of me to stand by his side knowing the very outcome of his actions and taking it all in stride.

It was strange that hours before I’d made the decision to destroy evidence against him just to ensure our lives and our relationship remained intact, yet here I was voluntarily ending it all.

The human mind could change on a whim but this time I knew that this particular decision was for the best and maybe Adrian was right, maybe we all needed to take risks sometimes, maybe we all needed to sacrifice a little for greater rewards. That very thought was what led me to pick up the blue file jacket that night and deposit it right back into the cabinet where I’d taken it from earlier that day.

Sacrifice wasn’t necessarily weak; sometimes you had to sacrifice your heart’s desire for something bigger, Adrian had already proven that; after all he’d sacrificed me for his business. Now maybe it was time I did the same, I would sacrifice us all for the welfare of what I once believed in. I’d sacrifice us all for the thousands of lives that would undoubtedly be saved if Adrian and his empire were to fall.

I looked toward the cabinet that housed our future with tears streaming down my face and my heart clenching in my chest. I’d made it my mission to help those less fortunate than myself, It had become my duty to see that justice was met and lives were protected yet I’d selfishly sat around and watched a man and his brothers destroy my very morals and wreak havoc on the very souls I was trying to save. No more.

I wouldn’t be destroying the evidence, one day when I was no longer hurting at the very sight of him, one day when my heart no longer jumped at the very thought of him; one day when I was stronger, I’d use the evidence against him and I’d damn us all…For the sake of the innocent.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

I WON'T BE DEFENDING THIS CHAPTER...FEEL FREE TO LAY DOWN YOUR CRITICISMS...THEY SHOULD PROVE INTERESTING TO READ.

-Check out my new story Cell Mates over on my profile.

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.