Me With Him

Chapter 32

"Why are you here? You aren't a member of the snakes eye."
"I knew you'd be too hurried to check my credentials. So I picked a random snake and called the number I got from him." He jerked his thumb and I saw Jace, a snakes eye member, dead behind the desk.
"You don't really have Aron then."
"Oh of course I do, I'd never cheat a bounty."
"What's this about then? Come on let's here it."
"You didn't trust me the first time we  met either."
"I thought that was a dream."
"Most of it was yes, or rather a drug induced hallucination I put you into after having that brief chat with you about your mom. And your dad and brothers too, yes you kept screaming for them believing more and more strongly they were there as the drugs set in. It was sad really how little information you gave out even on high dosages of methohexital."
"Mr. Anota let's cut to the chase shall we. Where is Aron? What have you done to him? Why were you set on seeing me? Lastly, why the hell are we in a children's hospital?"
"Aron is close and I haven't hurt him. We're in a children's hospital to prevent all hell from breaking loose, I have a feeling you won't kill anyone in a children's hospital. As for the other question, my son is in love with you. You don't love him you love Aron, he's bad for you and my son is not. He even tried telling me today you weren't dangerous. If only he could see you now. He wants to protect you  know. Doesn't realize you can handle yourself perfectly fine. He really does love you and you use him like a pawn in a twisted game of chess."
"He hurt me not the other way around. Now let me see Aron."
"Tsk tsk. I warned you now you need to stop loving him." He sounded as though he approved of his son dating a gang member and someone he seemingly thought was capable of murder. He motioned for me to follow him and I did. We went down a maze of hallways and I marked each corner with red lipstick so I could find my way back. We went up three flights of stairs greeting several doctors  and children telling them we were entertainers. We finally reached the top floor the door was marked storage. He slowly pushed it open, there was a dark ominous hallway and this was beginning to remind me of one of those horror movies where everyone is screaming for the dumb blonde not to open the door but she does anyway then she dies. I just hoped I would know enough not to die. We walked down the hallway and at the third door we stopped. At least it wasn't the last door like in those horror movies. I saw Aron unconscious on a medical table. My heart skipped a beat and my throat was dry. I turned to Carter's dad for an explanation. He noticed my look and chuckled a bit.
"He's been given some methohexital. It took a much smaller dosage to put him to sleep though considering I found him intoxicated."
"Let us go now. You had your little soliloquy. You got what you wanted so let us leave."
"Dearie dearie, I was never going to let him go."
"You said yourself you don't want me to commit murder in a children's hospital. Please just let us leave in peace." Aron began to stir. I ran to him and pulled him close to me. He looked at me really confused with zero recognition. That's when I remembered the disguise.
"It will be okay Aron. I'm here to keep you safe." I said.
"C.J.?" He questioned.
"Yeah?"
"Where are we?"
"Nowhere Aron."
"What's my uncle doing here?"
"Your uncle?!" This was beginning to make less and less sense.
"I haven't seen you in years." I realized Aron was speaking directly to Mr. Anota now. And he was responding.
"Yes Casey, Carter and Aron are cousins. His mother was my sister. Starting to see clearly now deary?"
"Not at all." I admitted,
"Care to shed some light for me?"
"Aron is a spoiled brat and Carter is my world. I want nothing more than my sons happiness."
"What about Dustin?"
"Dustin?"
"Your other son..."
"Dustin is not my son. He's actually Aron's brother." Aron, who was fully functioning again since the drugs wore off, decided to cut in here.
"Dustin isn't my brother."
"Yes he is." Mr. Anota sounded relatively unsure.
"No he's not Carter DNA tested himself against  Dustin for biology."
"See you do have another son." I cut in snarkily. He shook his head and pulled out a gun. Right at that moment Carter walked in. Mr. Anota didn't move. Carter on the other hand began laughing hysterically. I looked at him confused and when he sobered up he met my eye.
"Dad who's the circus freak?" He questioned gesturing at me.
"That son, is C.J. Branson." He answered Carter's question.
"Hardelle." I corrected him. He cocked the gun. It was aimed at Aron. Not me for a change, but that actually made me more nervous. Carter must have noticed too, because he grabbed his dad by the arm that wasn't holding a lethal weapon.
"Dad we're in a children's hospital. There are kids that would hear the shot and the thud and have to see the body removed. Please don't do this here."
"While that speech was touching son it won't change my mind. You can be happy. You can finally have her. Without him in the way she'll love you, she has to. You can finally be happy."
"That's not going to solve anything. What will mom and Dustin do if you're in prison for murder?"
"I just want you to be happy son." We heard the blast. I heard Carter scream. I saw so much blood. All Carter kept saying was no. Over and over again. Aron obviously wasn't speaking at all, I was crying and a single tear slipped down Mr. Anota's cheek.
"I never meant for it to go this far. I never wanted this to happen." He kept whispering as he knelt next to the body. I heard the sirens in the distance and the children crying downstairs. With his final strength Mr. Anota picked up his gun and took one final shot. His last words to anybody were,
"I never wanted to hurt you Carter. I love you son."
I heard the door open. I felt police officers and medics attempt to pull Aron and I off of Carter's body. Aron had been putting pressure on his wound and I'd just been crying. Hoping and praying he'd be okay. He was like a brother to me. I did love him but not in the way the loved me. I loved him like family. Like an eighth brother. I was riding in the ambulance with him and Aron. We were both covered in Carter's blood. When we were done at the hospital we would be questioned we knew we would and we would have to live all of the horror all over again.