The Messiah [1]

29: Jax

Gunshots rang through the warehouse, ricocheting off cages and chipping the concrete. The noise was almost deafening, and the children wouldn't stop screaming - scrambling to hide themselves within their prisons.

Jax braced his feet apart, easily dispatching the two soldiers closest to him. It was almost unreal - the violence he was participating in. None of the shots he fired were non-lethal. Jax knew the dangers leaving loose ends could be - hadn't his father thought him that lesson?

The thought of his father nearly sent Jax into a fit of rage. But strong emotions had nothing to do with what was happening now. So Jax pushed those memories away. He would deal with that particular snake pit later, when he was alone.

Fewer soldiers than he had thought initially were in the room, using the cages as shields. Disgusted by their disregard for the lives of the children, Jax tried to think of a way to shoot at them without endangering the kids.

Rattling filled the room, pulling his attention away from his thoughts. Silence fell, and Jax watched in amazement as the locks on the cages broke one by one.

Thank you, Athena.

Children spilled from the cages, overpowering the remaining guards with screams of rage. The sound chilled Jax - but he was pleased to note that the children ignored him completely. Those who did look at him, whispered something about the messiah before running away.

"Jax?"

Turning at the sound of his name, Jax stared in shock when the crowd parted to reveal Erin. She was limping toward him, her auburn hair a dirty, tangled mess that was caked it what looked to be a mixture of blood and dirt. Erin was equally filthy, and as she drew closer Jax was pretty sure she was wearing one of his old sweatshirts.

"Erin?" Jax whispered, barely able to believe his eyes.

Without another word Erin fell into his arms, sobbing loud enough to draw attention briefly to them. Most of the kids stared, but kept walking, shuffling around. Jax held her tightly, nearly coming to tears himself. But he wouldn't - another lesson from his dad. Emotions were never okay, whether you were dealing with them yourself or showing them to others.

Jax had been so scared - petrified by the thought of never seeing Erin again. Guilt had nearly destroyed him, and it humbled him now that he finally held her once again. Erin had been with him through his childhood; to lose her would be losing his best friend, his first crush, his everything.

"I'm so sorry I left." Jax murmured into her hair, his voice thick with suppressed emotion. "I should have taken you with me. I'm so sorry, Erin."

She was nothing but skin and bones in his arms, shaking hard enough to rattle Jax's teeth. It took all of his willpower not to howl in anger at the injustice of it all. He'd tried so hard to protect her - only to abandon her to a fate more terrible than he'd thought. Erin had always followed the rules, had worked so hard to provide for her brother and be the friend Jax had needed so much when his mother was passing away.

"Erin, you need to follow the kids out of here. Find a dark-haired boy outside. His name is Grayson, he can help you get back to the base."

"Jared is gone, Jax. The king raided and I didn't even know where he was." Erin was screaming by the end of her sentence, hysterics finally over coming her.

With a strangled cry, she fainted in his arms.

Jax lifted Erin easily, his heart thumping loud enough to pound out of his chest. Jared - how had be forgotten about Jared? Jax hated himself; he was so sick of his selfishness. How was he to help anyone if he couldn't even help the people he loved? The room was emptying, older children grouping up and running, while others cried calling out for their mothers.