Cold 48 - the end

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The cool wind blew and the Church bell chimed 10pm.
"See, there has to be something you are willing to sacrifice everything for even yourself," Williams said and drew a line on the floor with his hand.
"That would be my family. Dad, Mom, Joseph, Maria, August, you bro. Even you." Jaycee replied and stared into the starry sky. August sniffed and Oscar glanced around the graveyard.
"I'm trying to make you understand something," Williams said.
"The type of something that would make you give up your family like that, your blood?"
"I needed to avenge her, she meant to me what nobody will ever mean. She gave me this kind of happiness that lasted only with her existence in my life."

Jaycee smiled and stared across to his brother, looking him in the face.
"Do you think she would have done same thing for you, if you had been the one killed?" he asked and Williams nodded with a smile.
"Everything is over now. Glad the three of us came out of it unscathed. Maybe we should pick up whatever that's left and move on. I love you guys and I swear that's the whole truth."
Jaycee shook his head and August stared on in silence.
"Unscathed? We are all fucking scathed by the betrayal, we can never forget in a long time. You are demented man, you really are."
"We should move on. I wouldn't want to see you guys hurt anymore. St Mathews is the most beastly of places."
"Yes, we should move up until you fall in love with another vulnerable girl who will get killed and then you sell us out again to avenge her. We shouldn't be talking to you," he said and got up from the grave where he sat. August followed suit.

"I'm always around, looking out for you guys. Just call on me if you need me," he said and stood up.
"Williams?" August called him for the first time. He turned to him.
"Did you kill Moms and Pops?" he asked. Jaycee turned and faced Williams. He had forgotten to ask that question.
"See, there are things we do in life that we have little control over and... "
"You killed them then,"  August interrupted. Williams didn't reply.
"They were our blood, Joseph and Maria. I thought in St Mathews that was all that mattered. I would give the world just to have them smile at me. I thought we lived to protect each other, I thought that was what made us family. I thought blood was supposed to matter above all else, isn't that so? Isn't it?" he yelled and he voice spread into the night.
"We do the silliest things for love little bro, I doubt if you understand that yet," he replied.
"No, I understand perfectly well. I had a family I placed above all else and when the time came, I came back here, to this shithole for a duty I owe to them. A girl I loved, I shot up her folks for my family. I would have killed her too. But you, you chose a girl over your family and you say you love us."
"I do bro, I love you guys but shit happens and I"m sorry for it all, not that I regret. She meant the world to me," he said and stared at him, doubting his capacity to understand that.

"There was no justification and you don't deserve to live. Jaycee would let you walk out alive, maybe he has some good memory of you in the past, maybe that's why. I was little and I remember nothing of worth about you except that you murmured my family. I have no problem shooting you!"

He had pulled out his gun before his speech could assimilate. He raised it and shot him twice, point blank. Williams fell slowly, the shock reflecting on his face. He fell face down. August walked closer to him and proceeded to empty the clip on his back, not stopping until the gun went empty. He turned to Jaycee with a glint in his eyes.

"I feel better," he said and shoved the gun back into his hips.
"Come here," Jaycee commanded him and he walked into his open hands. They shared a hug that lasted a few seconds.
"I thought nobody was going to do that," he murmured. "The fool deserved something worse than a bullet in the head but that was good for starters. He should now rot in hell."

They walked out of the graveyard together barely making a sound. In the distance, at the entrance to the church, they saw the silhouette of a girl, her hair flying with the wind. August knew it was Janet. She stood there, her hands in the pocket of her hoodie. They walked close to her and he stood before her, staring her in the face. She said nothing, she just stood there, looking at him. Then he spoke first.

"Did you bring the police?" he asked and she shook her head.
"I just came to see you, I thought I would find you here."
"I'm not sorry for what I did but I do care for you if it will matter to you," he said.
"I know and I understand. My father shot your brother and you hated him for that. Just like I am so mad at you now for killing him and my mother too. I understand the bitterness better now and I still love you," she said and fell into his arms, letting out loud sobs. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.
"I love you too Janet and I am sorry I had to hurt you like that," he said and felt her deep her right hand into her pocket again still clinging onto him with the left. He felt the nozzle too late to pull out.
"I love you so much and I am sorry, they were my everything," she cried and pulled the trigger. He felt the hot bullets pierce his intestines before the deafening sound of gunshot. He opened his eyes wide and fell back slowly. She shot him again and again before Jaycee cut her short with a bullet to the side. Oscar took his own shot and caught her in the thigh before Jaycee finished her off with a shot to the chest. She fell with a thud and closed her eyes slowly.

"August!" Jaycee yelled and ran to his brother on the floor. He didn't get to make any last minute conversations. He died before he had even gotten to the ground. He fell on him and gave out a blood curling scream, his voice rising into the silent, Cold night. Oscar knelt beside him and put his hand round his shoulder, fighting back his own tears. He felt like he had practically raised August to what he grew to be. His own heart ached and he wished her would rise like Jaycee had risen. Jaycee shook heavily, scooping his brother from the ground into his arms. He watched the finely carved face bereft of innocence. He came to notice how much their features matched. He buried his face in his motionless chest and sobbed again. In a swift turn, he picked his gun from the ground and stuck it to his head, pulling the trigger.

The hammer clicked and the gun made no sound. Oscar snatched the gun and grabbed him.
"Fucking pull yourself together man. Only cowards take that path. Think of Nancy and what will happen if she hears you're dead."
He snatched himself from his hand and knelt beside his brother's body. The mention of Nancy had gotten to him.
"He was just a boy, he was my kid brother," he said and cried. "What do I have now?" he asked.
"You have me and you have Nancy who loves you. Don't just die up on her. She's already given everything to see you live. So fucking live and don't let the Donati name die," he said and sat on the ground beside him. They sat there for what seemed an eternity. Jaycee sniffed and stood up.

"We should get his body out of here and give him a proper burial," he said and lifted him off the ground. They walked out of the church premises to the car outside.

The church bell chimed 12 am.


The End.