Vindictive (Complete)

XV

His little blue eyes lie open, the rain slowly dripping on his face. Charlie holds his hand, crying. The little boy looks just like Markus. Just little his little brother. He never wanted this. His legs sink in the sand, Charlie breathing slowly. He needs to leave. He needs to be done. He needs time to think. Charlie closes the boy's eyes, wiping away his tears.
Charlie gets up and steps over Isaac's body. It's time for him to leave. The rain stops falling from the sky, becoming dried out. Charlie needs to escape. He can't process anything. He starts up the van, taking off down the road. He is going to hide. He is going to think.

Waves slide along the shore, the birds singing in the sunrise.

With two blinks, Isaac opens his eyes. The orange glows off the face of the water, the morning arriving. His mind is spinning. He lifts his head off the sand, looking up. His head has a huge, bloody lump on the side. Charlie had knocked him out, taking the van and leaving him there. The bodies lie in the sand beside him, sunken into the sand. Isaac was out cold, all night.
He gets onto his knee, looking at the bodies. The parents lie dead, along with the child. Charlie closed the child's eyes before he ran, taking one last look at him. Isaac limbs up the shore, finding the road.
Isaac's blood begins to boil. He is furious at the idea. He needs to hear from Charlie. This is unacceptable to him. Isaac calls from his phone, low battery. Charlie doesn't answer. Isaac yells in frustration, making his way down the road. He needs to get as far away from the bodies as he can. His head is pounding like a beating drum, killing him. He calls Fedor Ivanov, needing information.
"Isaac?"
"Fedor. Where is Charlie? I need to speak with him!"
"I haven't seen Charlie since I gave him that GPS last night. Is he okay?"
"Are you lying to me?"
"Isaac, I have no reason to lie to you. I care about Charlie but I would tell you if I had seen him. I am a businessman, over all."
"Keep your eyes out for him."
Isaac hangs up, believing him. Fedor really doesn't know where Charlie is. He just hopes he is okay. Charlie is one of the last good people Fedor knows. Fedor draws a fine line when it comes to children and women. That's why he won't sell to Simon. He had no idea Robert had women of his own. Charlie didn't like to talk about it, at that time in his life. He wanted to pretend it wasn't happening. They have both stopped pretending, now.
Isaac continues down the road, until the trees open up. He can see a gas station in the distance, a few trucks filling up gas. He needs a ride. He needs to pay Dante Mello a visit. He tires to call for a ride, his phone dying. He looks at himself, sighing in frustration. He is covered in wet sand, and a little dried blood on his pants. He will have to borrow their phone. He is too prideful to ask them for a ride.
He enters the gas station, smelling the rolling hot dogs next to the counter. There are two men inside, looking for something to buy. They are looking for something to feed their sweet tooth. Isaac walks up to the man behind the counter, who is texting on his phone.
"I need to borrow your gas station's phone. I need to call a ride."
The man shrugs, pulling the phone off the wall, handing him it. The cord is just a little too short, causing him to lean over the counter. The man dials the cab for him, going back to texting. Isaac tells them the gas station, waiting for his ride. He buys a protein bar, feeling hungry. He exits the building and waits outside, thinking.
He is ready now. Simon is in his grasp. He can taste his blood already, his hands twitching. His protein bar tastes stale. After a few minutes his cab arrives, waving at him. Isaac climbs in the back, giving the man Dante's address. It's time to pay him a visit.

Clicking.

Dante is sitting on his couch, listening at his TV. The wheel of fortune is playing on TV. He listens to the clicking as it spins, his eyes sealed shut. The heroin is flowing through his veins. He is thinking about what Charlie told him. He had just left in a hurry, grabbing his things. Isaac killing a child? For no reason? It doesn't sit well with him, either.
Dante is afraid. He is scared that everything is about to change. His is scared for Charlie. He looked so lost. It has been years since he looked quite like that. Dante just wanted it to go back the way it was. He wishes he could take away all the drugs. He wishes he could take away all of the pain. He wishes he could have his friend back, the way he used to. His mind is clouded, the drug causing everything to slow.
Banging on the door interrupts the clicking. Dante's eyes open, looking towards the door. He thinks he knows. He thinks it must be Isaac. He shouldn't answer that door. The banging eventually stops. Dante sighs in relief, he just wants it all to go away. He closes his eyes, waiting to hear clicking of the wheel.
Instead, however, he heard glass shattering. Dante opens his eyes, turning around. Isaac enters the hallway, looking angry. Isaac's blood is pumping. He is furious at the idea of what Charlie could be doing. What he doesn't know is he is terrified. His terror fuels his anger, causing his hairs to stand up.
"Where is Charlie?!"
Dante gasps, falling off the couch. His eyes are open wide, his mind not keeping up.
"I said, where is Charlie?! I need to speak with him!"
Dante looks around the room, no escape. He is too weak in this moment. He is confused. This is not the time.
"I- um. You... you can't be here. You have to leave."
"I will leave once you tell me!"
"N- no. I'm not going to tell you. I don't know where C- Charlie is. He told me not to remember. Yeah."
Isaac yells, kicking Dante as he lies on the ground. Dante screams in pain, trying to crawl away. Isaac grabs him and throws him into the table, the heroin flying everywhere off the table.
"Where the fuck is Charlie?!"
Dante gasps, trying to think. He is terrified.
"N- not here! He left! He's gone now!"
Isaac kicks him in the chest, causing him to puke. Dante yells, his mind spinning. He just wants to live, now. He is too weak.
"Okay! He is at the motel! Near the desert! Oasis! That's the one! Oasis Motel!"
Isaac stares at him, knowing he is telling him the truth.
"Is he afraid of me?" Isaac mutters, his hands shaking.
Dante looks up at him, his eyes wide open and drool dripping down his chin.
"I- Isaac... everyone is afraid of you."
Isaac stares, blank. He is ready to visit Charlie. He is ready to kill Simon. He is ready to make Charlie understand his job, in all of this. Isaac turns for the door, ready to leave. Dante lies on the floor, realizing what he had done. He wants to help Charlie. He thinks Isaac must already know about Alex.
"P- poor Alex." Dante mutters under his breath.
Isaac stops, about to open the front door. He completely freezes.
"Alex?"
Dante takes a few breathes.
"Alex. Charlie didn't mean to. He's so... so very sorry."
Isaac slowly turns around, his eyes opening all the way.
"What is Charlie... s- sorry about?"
"He never wanted Alex to die. He didn't know... it was him."
Isaac's mind begins to spin, everything coming together. Charlie killed Alex. That's what Robert was trying to tell him. It was all Charlie... all along. It was Charlie that took what he loved most. It was Charlie that killed Isaac.