Phoenix

22. Cross-Roads

The drumroll in his heart began as the gates of the fortress opened to reveal the expected.

Stephanie.

Right in front of the waterfall, she was wedged in between two of Caleb goons. Both men had their guns cocked at her head. He had never seen someone so terrified in his life.

She looked lifeless.

Her eyes held a bleary dry color which broadcasted the fact that they had expelled a lot of water, her knees had collided due to intense trembling and her arms, her arms were...

There was something hung over her back.

Jason knew that the probability of the item being her back-pack was really low but from the distance at which he observed her, he couldn't really confirm his fear. Then Caleb who stood right in front of the goon by Stephanie's right spoke up.

"I told you I'd get you back, didn't i?"

Jason had to release his breaths in a slow dragged manner so as not to explode in anger. "I'm back, release her now"

The bastard was chuckling.

Caleb took a step forward. "I still do not think you understand how this works. I call the shots here, Mr. Berlanti not you. So you'd just have to exercise patience till whenever I decide to take action"

Yeah, suits me. Damien would arrive any mom-

"And if you try anything funny by calling in reinforcement or the sorts, I promise you, you would see your sister brains protrude right in front of you"

Damn.

Jason scoffed and took a step forward also. "I don't think you'd be so stupid, Mr. Wyatt"

"Oh I can be very stupid if you decide to be stupid also. You see it's allowed," Caleb snarled in return. "In fact I don't know why I'm deciding to kill only you Mr. Berlanti..."

What!

"...I mean your father killed two of my kids. It's not exactly fair if I took the life of just one kid of his"

The hell.

A stone cold chill ran down Jason's spine. "You wouldn't dare"

Caleb chuckled once more and spun around to face Stephanie. "Actually there is nothing stopping me from doing such. I could kill her right here right now and kill you also; you're surrounded anyways"

Jason exhaled. He couldn't believe there was no sort of resistance he could offer.

"I'm still waiting on a reason why I shouldn't kill your sister sir. Of course apart from the leaving her out of it because this dispute is between us crap"

His heart sank as he took in Stephanie's state. She had stopped crying but her dress was soaked in her own sweat.

His hands clenched into his fists and the tears obscured his vision and suddenly he lowered himself, going on his knees. The tears didn't cease. "Please, if you do have any piece of humanity left in you, just spare her. If you do this, then you're not a better person than the person you're trying to exact vengeance on-"

"Do you think I want to be a better person!" Caleb roared as he advanced towards the trio once more. "If I wanted to be a better person, do you think I'd go on such vengeance mission?"

Jason was frozen in fear.

He could also sense Ashley crying by his left and Jack's clenched fist also. There was technically nothing none of them could do.