54 11. Five Alive (1/2)

PART THREE: JULIUS CAESAR

”I have found so much beauty in the dark

as I have found a lot of horrors in the light.”

~Anonymous

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Julius's POV.

I believe in God.

I know there's a reason behind everything that happens. I believe that there's a reason why some people are bad and some are good. I believe that God has a much bigger plan that's beyond our feeble conception. I believe that He guards us in the darkest hours of the night and that there's a way how the sky is held up in its place, carrying all its water. I believe that He's carrying it so we can scurry beneath it, doing all we desire, good and bad, quite unaware that those skies are His windows.

God's very powerful. I mean, He's given me the power to stay sane and not go animalistic after being prisoned for two weeks and tortured by Samara and the regret of every single decision I made that got me to that pathetic ending.

I secretly believed that God would be there for Samara in my absence. To protect her from the darkness she got exposed to because I failed to save her innocence.

So when I stared at her sleeping, curled figure, messy hair, and bareback very early in the morning, I didn't cry as I did in the darkest hours of the night when she slept peacefully, cradled in my arms. God had better plans for her that didn't include me. It was okay. I covered her back, instead, and prayed.

I prayed for her eternal happiness.

I gingerly picked up the light pager that lied on the stage's floor and quickly removed its back where the batteries stayed. A SIM card, that I had stored since I first came, fell out. I picked it up.

I wasn't entirely unconscious throughout the whole ride in the van when Samara knocked me out. So I did manage to power off my phone and hide it in my boxers where I was sure they wouldn't dig their hands.

I must tell you that doing that was the most laborious thing I'd done in my life. I was drugged and felt like I was in another bloody dimension. Trying to press on a power button that I couldn't see but believed in its presence was exhausting.

I figured I couldn't possibly escape in that condition.

I reached for the phone hidden in one of my boots and inserted the card. And it was so irritating that the phone required a bloody pin. I mean, where the hell could I'd gotten a pin to take out the SIM card if Samara didn't drop one the time she got that panic attack? Cursing the design of the damned phone, I fiddled with it and inserted the card successfully.

I couldn't keep the phone with the card and risk Augustus calling any time, thus getting me exposed. And I didn't trust myself to never forget powering off the phone which I had very restricted time using due to its battery (I had to keep it on extreme power-saving mode and all that).

I hadn't used it for the first week because there was no pin and because I didn't know what to expect and didn't want to be reckless. I even thought that I'd be watched but when I realized I wasn't 'punished' for the quite irrelevant talks I was having with Samara, I knew I wasn't.

It made no sense.

My bloody shirt, was still bloody, obviously, but it was dry. I slowly put it on along with the jacket and the boots. I ran a hand through my hair once and called Augustus with the four percent I had left. He picked up on the second ring.

”Julius-” His voice was low and I assumed that he thankfully made it into the mansion this time (the five previous times, he managed to accidentally run into Maxime and explain to him that he was a 'gardener' bringing with him his 'gardener friend'- Ledger- and that they were roaming around the area 'without supplies' to get some 'garden design ideas').

And that was why, Augustus explained, he had bought gardener clothes in case he got caught again- because ′he'd need evidence for the sixth time, Julio'. All I did when I heard his fails was thank God for it being too dark the night Augustus and I first met him in the 'haunted' amusement park.

”Is everything okay?” My voice was hoarse, yet steady as I rubbed my eyes before blinking at Samara's soft figure, threatening myself not to think about it.

”We have a real problem, mate-” he sighed heavily and I shut my eyes, preparing myself for the usual. ”Ledger- shut the fuck up, I'm on the phone! Yes, hold the damn manure.”

Manure?

”A real problem?” I frowned, gingerly getting off the stage, not looking back once.

”Actually,” he paused and seemed to shush Ledger who accompanied him- because I insisted he didn't come alone after he figured out where I was. I recommended Ledger. ”-French fuck number one just passed by us-” He whispered in the phone as I clenched my fist by my side.

”Don't-”

”Ha! Imagine my excuse! That I'm a gardener, bringing a gardener friend in his mansion -which by the way gives me creeps- to check garden designs?” He drawled irrelevantly and I rolled my eyes.

”Okay, where are you-?”

”Well, you know Maxime just passed by us, right?” He repeated, ignoring my question. ”Guess where he's heading?”

”Augustus-” I said solidly. ”This isn't the time to joke around-”

”He's gonna open the front door to let Dad and his men-”

My eyes widened at his words and a lump formed in my throat. ”What-?” Father was here too?

”Beats me too, mate. I don't know what he's doing here-”

”I think-” I stressed but was cut by his snickering.

The phone was far from his ears- I could tell that- as I paced around the bloody basement, terrified for him. Things were already not going as planned, but again, when did they ever? Father's intervention would in no way be good.

I immediately stopped in my tracks and stared at my dying phone's screen when I heard something crash from outside the basement door. I quickly headed to the door in anticipation, ready to throw punches if necessary. The door was then swung open and I had to blink from all the 'dust' that clouded my vision. And, God, it stank.

A tall figure clad in an oversized overall jumped in front of me. My eyes widened and my heart thumped wildly in my chest.

”Literally holy cow shit!” Augustus exclaimed, stumbling into the basement, covered in, apparently, manure with a gun held casually in his left hand. His blue eyes were wide and clear as his face brightened upon seeing me.

I smirked, hiding a huge smile, and nodded at him. ”You made it.”

”Aren't we like gonna hug or something? I mean, not to be sentimental or anything- but I haven't seen your pompous arse for two weeks and half-a-day-” he remarked, waving his gun around dangerously as he looked around the 'room', peeping behind my shoulder. ”And shit is that Sam-?”

Recalling that she was half-naked and sleeping (too deeply, if you ask me), I grabbed him by his baggy overalls and dragged him outside, reassuring him that I'd explain later. He seemed surprised but followed suit anyway.

The 'corridor' connecting the staircase I was carried down from on my first day to the 'room' was dark. When I glanced to my side, the two guards were slumped and covered in manure. I noticed Ledger pant as he stood by the door leading to the washroom where I urinated and took my showers.

I nodded at him and he slowly approached me. Last time I saw him was in the hospital when I shot his leg, about four months ago. His leg seemed fine.

”What is Father doing here?” was what I asked him when he stood in front of me, his rough features coming into focus. Dark hair, dark, sharp eyes, Roman nose, and a stubble.

”Not a clue,” he whispered back, his eyes jumping from me to Augustus and I clenched my jaws.

”Amazing-” I breathed worriedly. ”We're supposed to get out of here undetected. He mustn't catch us-”

Augustus then suddenly shoved his hand into his overall's pocket and retrieved a folded paper. ”I managed to draw a plan of the mansion-” he said quickly, unfolding it and holding it straight with slightly shaky hands- probably adrenaline.

”How did-?”

”Well, I convinced Ashton- Dad's hacker-” he started, with a raised brow and a smug smirk. ”-to let me see what's in the cameras-”

”Cameras?”

”Well, Dad had someone sent to install them-” he grinned proudly. ”I spent this whole week drawing the damn plan and eavesdropping on Dad after you called me and saved me from depression.”

”But why would he do that?” I frowned. ”Why would he want to come here? Now?”

”I don't know?” Augustus made a face. ”To save you? Maybe?”

I scoffed. ”Of course, not-”

”What does it matter?” Ledger then uttered for the first time. ”We're planning on escaping undetected.”

”How did you know that Father is here?” I whispered urgently as theories started to build up in my mind.

”Well, Ledger saw him in the windows. Those vast ones-”

”In the reception where we almost got caught-” Ledger added.

”For the sixth time!” Augustus announced and I shut my eyes. That was really bad because that meant that Father would get to know that I had the documents all along and had been wasting his time. I couldn't fathom how much trouble I'd be in.

”I mean he rang the doorbell-” Ledger muttered with a shrug, adjusting his oversized overalls.

”Rang the doorbell-?” I winced and Augustus shrugged.

”I mean if I were him, I'd knock down the damn door. I mean, hell, Dad got some delicacies-” he then sighed. ”I mean he's got about fifty men by his side and I swear I'm not exaggerating.”

”That's bad. Atrociously terrible-” I tapped my feet, running my hands in my hair and inhaling deeply. Father had come here for a useless battle because I had the documents. And when he'd know that I made him kill Leonard purposelessly, I'd be as good as dead. I mean dammit, I never wanted him to kill any of them. A warning to scare the living daylights out of them would've been fine.

”What's vexing me is-” Augustus started as Ledger and I stared at him speechlessly. ”-why would he need fifty? For one guy. Our age. I'm confused. Is Maxime a mass murderer or something?”

I raised my eyebrows at the question. It was a good one. Was Father aware of the fact that he was an actual sociopath who used scalpels on people? Even if, why would he bring fifty people to kill one person? One.

”What if they're scanning the floors for Maxime's men?” Ledger then asked another question and I shut my eyes.

”They wouldn't know that we're not Maxime's me-” I frowned, connecting the dots. We needed to move quickly. Things were getting complicated and all it took was Father's delightful arrival. I hadn't anticipated it at all and was utterly defenceless.

”Shit-” Augustus then exclaimed as I clenched my jaw and walked toward the stairs, peeking up.

”We need to go-” I said urgently. ”Now.”

Augustus and Ledger eyed each other before nodding at me and running up the stairs by my side, their footsteps light and careful. When we stepped into the hall, I stuck out my arm to stop any of them from proceeding any further. I glanced down the brightly-lit hallways and scanned the gazillion number of doors.

What would someone do with all those rooms?

”We need to head to the front-” Augustus started but Ledger stopped him.

”No-” he panted. ”We need to know where Black is.”

Augustus and I turned to him and stared scrutinizingly.

”I mean, we might want to contact Ashton-” His gaze shifted between us. ”He'll tell us his exact location so we can avoid it. And, areyousureyou'renotbrothers?”

Augustus smirked. ”You should've seen him in my hair colour. You'd think we're twins.”

Ledger then looked at me suspiciously and I raised an eyebrow. ”We're not. Can we please focus?”

There was no way I'd want Augustus in danger by having him labelled as someone close to me- family. Because when enemies hit, they hit where it hurt. And I couldn't put him under such risk or put me through such pain. And Ledger, even though had proved his loyalty to me on several occasions, couldn't be trusted with such a valuable thing. My heart.

Ledger nodded slowly and reached for his phone. But on hearing a large number of footsteps coming from the left, I stumbled back into them and down the first stair of the staircase, apparently knocking the phone out of Ledger's hand.

And it was like that moment in the movies when silence settled and nothing but the 'click-clunk' of the phone could be heard as it stumbled down the rest of the stairs, followed by Augustus' slow-motion ′Shee-it'.

”OVER THERE!” I heard someone yell and froze. There was no way I was going back downstairs and frighten Samara out of her skin. Because either way, we were dead meat, so why frighten her? And face her again?

I tugged at Augustus' sleeve and we were all soon running in the opposite direction, our footsteps thudding heavily on the plushly carpeted floors. I then yanked them around a right corner where we stumbled upon more doors and ugly paintings.

I tried a random room's doorknob and cursed under my breath because of course, it had to be locked. Ledger and Augustus were down the hallway yanking at more doors.

”All are locked!” Ledger stressed frantically.

And of course, there was no use knocking down a door, if it wasn't going to be up to protect us.

”Let's just confront them!” Augustus panted out desperately from the end of the hallway. ”We're on the same side! Literally. We're his damned sons!”

”So you are brothers?” Ledger then furrowed his eyebrows and I shut my eyes. I didn't know what to do. This was the worst-case scenario.

I was shaking my head when I was forced to the present by a cry escaping Augustus' mouth. Ten or so men were pouring from his side of the hallway. He started running toward us, but a man clad in a black suit grabbed him from his overall's strap and I winced as he stumbled back into him.

I rushed to my struggling brother, Ledger at my feet, and stared at the line of men that stood behind the guy holding Augustus.

”Alright, alright-” I panted. ”Let him go.”

”Yes! You don't know who I am!” My brother blathered uselessly.

”You're coming with us-” He growled and I grimaced.

”They are Black's sons-” Ledger slipped in before two men took hold of the both of us, locking our arms behind our backs. It hurt so much but there was no way I was going to show it.

There is, in those kind situations two options. Either you start throwing punches and end up with a broken rib because there's no way in hell can you overpower twenty, fully-grown men (unless you happen to be in a Bollywood movie)- or, you submit and save your energy when it'll be useful.

Hm, sounded like a plan.

Augustus' captor nodded at our captors and they all started moving together.

”You have no idea what'll happen to your muscly arse when Dad knows about this-” Augustus' complaints were unsurprisingly the only music to my ears.

”If he was your father, why would you run away?” His captor asked.

Augustus paused before he replied. ”You have a point, okay? You do. But you would understand if your father was an arse.”

I rolled my eyes as the two continued to engage in useless conversation as we climbed up some stairs. I was already planning to trip my captor and get a headstart before I stilled at Father's voice. And, well, Maxime's.

”We brought you something-” I was then pushed forward into the reception that Augustus described. The crimson walls and ceilings, huge scarlet armchair where Father sat cross-legged, in a white suit and a cigar between his fingers, and the huge window by which Maxime stood, holding a shot. At the further end of the reception, there was a table by which about ten men stood, pointing guns at Maxime.

Father did a double-take when he saw the three of us -Ledger, Augustus, and I- standing in front of him. I was frozen in my place, face stoic, expecting the worst, Ledger was cursing under his breath, and Augustus was adjusting his overall and glaring at his captor.

”On fait une fête?*” Maxime said fluently as Father got to his feet.

”Ne teste pas ma patience, Lucien et tais-toi*,” came Father's sharp reply as he continued approaching us with a neutral facial expression, dropping his cigar to the floor and crushing it. I raised my eyebrows. I never knew he could speak French.

He stood in front of Augustus and scowled. ”I thought we had a deal.”

I frowned at his words and peeped at Augustus' face. He was smirking and staring straight into Father's eyes.

”What should I do with you right now?” My father continued to tell him, with clenched jaws, hands clasped behind his back.

”Apprenez une leçon à votre fils plus tard!*” Maxime commented as Father's eyes narrowed at Augustus before they fell on me, full of disgust and hatred. I felt my heart beat faintly in my chest as bile crept up my oesophagus at what was coming at me. I'd deserve every thing that'd happen to me.

”I fail to keep count of the number of times you have let me down-” he said loudly as Maxime choked on his drink with laughter. I didn't even feel angry. There was no use. I screwed up and I knew it.

”You tell him!” Maxime interjected and I looked down to stop myself from looking at his face. Because that'd anger me. ”Ask him where the ′documents' are.”

I shut my eyes.

”Shut up, Lucien!” Father roared and I looked up with a frown.

”Lucien?” I whispered as Augustus snorted.