Half Truths

Completely Broken

  The staircases stretched for what seemed like miles and miles. Alec climbed as fast as his legs would let him, his breath ragged in his aching chest. Through the earpiece, he heard Jace calling for him, his voice choked with panic and fear as he begged for Clary to stay. Alec had never heard Jace sound like that before. He was always so controlled, so cocky. Not tonight. Tonight, none of that man remained.

Several Agents crowded the stairwell with him, including Alec's mother, Agency Director Maryse Lightwood. Worry lines creased her forehead as she and Alec led the team to the roof. Normally, since Alec was a new Agent, he'd be in the back. But Jace was his partner, and Jace was in trouble. This prompted Maryse to allow Alec on the scene first.

When Alec rounded the last curve of stairs, his hand gripped the railing hard and he pulled himself onto the top landing. Evidence of a struggle littered the space. A purse and its contents—a tube of lipstick, breath mints, and loose change—spilled over the tile. The broken heel of a shoe was wedged between the wall and doorjamb. Wrapped around the rungs of the railing hung a black silk tie—Alec recognized it as Jace's. A pang of unease tightened Alec's chest.

Maryse reached out to grab the knob when Alec closed his hand over hers. She met his gaze with confusion.

"Keep the others away from him," he said.

Maryse furrowed her brows.

He's—" Alec tried to think of the most delicate way to put what Jace was. "He's in no condition to be bombarded with questions. Let me deal with him for now."

Maryse studied Alec for a few seconds before giving a curt nod. Alec wanted to sigh in relief, but didn't want to look as inexperienced and frightened as he felt, so he kept his respite to himself. His mother turned to the swell of Agents behind her. "Give Agents Lightwood and Herondale room for the time being. We'll deal with Starkweather. Everyone clear?"

Murmured "Yes, Ma'am's" trickled through the crowd. Alec was sure some of them sounded resentful. Being a new Agent, he knew the Director letting him do anything out of the ordinary was going to cause issues. But he couldn't let that bother him just then.

"All right, let's go." She pushed open the door and they filed onto the roof.

Rain fell in torrents, almost instantly soaking Alec. He ran a hand over his face—which did absolutely nothing to help—and squinted through the water flowing over his eyes. His vision landed on the gazebo near the center of the rooftop. Just looking at the large, wooden structure gave Alec a twinge of foreboding in his gut. He knew what he was about to see, he just didn't know if he could handle seeing it.

The group moved forward slowly, weapons drawn and surveying the entire area. There seemed to be no one moving in the vicinity. Alec immediately spied Hodge's body just outside of the gazebo lying in a dark-tinged puddle of water.

In the distance, the sound of a helicopter cut through the pounding rain. Maryse and a couple of Agents headed over to where Hodge rested. Another few went in the opposite direction toward the elevator doors. Alec continued to move forward, his eyes on the dark, slumped over shape in the gazebo. His heart pounded in his chest as he drew closer.

Just before he reached the edge of the wooden structure, the strands of light overhead flickered to life, illuminating the entire rooftop in a soft, white glow. And there, toward the back edge of the gazebo, was Jace. He knelt on the hard ground in nothing but a pair of slacks and a tank top. His coat was thrown behind him and his body was curled protectively over another form.

Alec moved onto the gazebo floor and slowly walked across. His footsteps tramped along the wooden floor. He stopped a few feet before he reached Jace, unable to make himself come any closer. From where he stood, he could not only see Jace—see the trembling of his shoulders and the jerking of his back as he drew in breath after tortured breath—but he could hear him, both through the earpiece and in person. Weeping and begging. Pleading with this lifeless girl to stay. That he needed her. That he loved her. Jace had never needed or loved anyone. Over and over and over the desperate words fell from his lips, some of them whispers and some of them moans.