Benefits

Ch. 99: The Kill

30 Seconds to Mars- The Kill

"What if I wanted to fight? Beg for the rest of my life? What would you do? You say you wanted more. What are you waiting for? I'm not running from you?"

Dawn P.O.V.

My eyes connect with Casper's as his shaken fingers tuck the gun in his pants. The lights shut off as soon as I look back to the arena, and Ledger's lifeless body will embed my dreams for life-- eyes vast and wild, but they're dull.

"Who did the shot!" I hear someone from up above, Brayon I only assume. I feel someone grasp my arm, and I'm about to yell, but they clasp their hand around my mouth.

"Sh, Chica. It's me." Martinez says in my ear. I relax under him.

He begins walking backward from the rest of the people. Martinez's men surround us, and I begin to hear gunshots in the background. Jake.

"Wait!" I scream under his hand.

"No." Martinez says, "He'll be fine." He reads his mind.

"Let me go!" I bite his hand, and he instantly lets go of my mouth. I'm about to scream once more, but he turns around to him.

"Don't ruin this. Jake did this all for you. He risked his fucking life. If you scream, all of it was a fucking waste." Martinez's voice is rough and panicked.

His eyes hold truth, and I decide to swallow my pride and let him pull me out of the Underground. He leads me out of the sewers, and towards Jake's car. Men surround his car, concealing my vision to stare out of the window. "How do you know he's okay?" I ask once I know we are in the clear.

"If the plan worked out, he would have left in the rear exit. Braydon was never a peacekeeper. Acted as one, but our common mission was to end Ledger. We couldn't do it so obviously as his men would be so quick to kill. So we waited until they thought the game was over. Ledger drew his weapon, and Casper took the shot. Everyone was caught off guard, and now we're in the endgame."

"Your plan all along was to kill him?"

"Yes. A man like that doesn't deserve to live."

"He was like a brother to you. I can hardly believe you mean that."

Martinez turns to me, his eyes piercing of anger, his jaw clenches, and he looks up of the ceiling of the car, "That he was. He was also a man who nearly murdered me, and raped countless women and even men for pure pleasure. I loved the man, but he wasn't human. He had no emotions. He made it a facade that he did, but it was all a game to him, and now it's over."

"I won't disagree with you about that, but where the fuck is Jake?"

He sighs at my quick change of subject, but he can't be annoyed at me. Reminiscing about Ledger is not pleasant. "If everything fell into place, he will be here. Give it time." He looks out the window uneasy. I know he's unsure of himself as much as I am.

Jake's like a son to him. I can't blame him for his worry. But I'm Jake's love, I'm not a love- I am his love, and his love demands to know the whole truth.

"So who got him out of the cage?" I press, moving my face across the armrest, so I can try to connect with Martinez's eyes.

"You ask too many questions. Just wait."

"And when we wait and wait... and he never comes." My eyes water at the thought. Negativity begins to cloud my thoughts.

"Stop, you sound crazy."

"I'm not crazy; I have anxiety."

"Who doesn't." His knees begin to shake. I stare out the window, but the bodies of many men cover the car.