Serpents ✔️

Chapter 48

Jughead and I walk over to where we can hear grunting and Sweet Pea saying 'get up'. When we see Joaquin he's tide up
"Look what we found on him" Pea says throwing a gargoyle mask at Jughead
"So you jump ship for the gargoyle gang?" Jug asks
"What ever happened to Serpent law number 5? A Serpent never betrays it's own" I ask crouching down to his level
"You have a lot of explaining to do" Jug says crouching next to me as Fangs takes out the cloth in Joaquins mouth
"First of all why the hell did you shive Archie? You were supposed to protect him. He's a Serpent now and you hurt one of your own"
"Well come on the Princess spoke to you" Pea says shoving Joaquin a little causing him to grunt
"The warden said I had no other choice. You have no idea what it's like in there, you would do anything to survive. For me it was being the wardens pawn. A chess piece. In some ways he was a pawn too"
"What does that mean?" Jug asks
"I saw him with these game cards that told him what to do. Whoever sent them wants Archie dead. From the moment he was locked up he was already marked" I look at Jug who gets out a pen and draws on his hand
"Marked with what? This symbol?" Jug shows Joaquin "the one warden branded on his hip. What does it mean?"
"No no"
"Pick him up" Jug stands up quickly. I slowly stand up then fold my arms
"No no no" Joaquin says grunting. Fangs whispers something to him
"Sacrifice. It means that.... it meant that Archie had to die. Look I'm sorry Jug and El, I know he's your pal I..."
"Oh his alive" I say, Joaquin looks surprised
"Then he won't be for much longer"
"Who's giving Warden Norton his orders?"
"No" he says shaking his head
"Ok" Jug gets out his knife "I dont think you understand Joaquin. I can't let you go until you talk"
"So start talking" I sternly say
"Fine. I saw them meet. Once. But you know him Jones the man in the black suit"
"Let him go" the boys let go and let him drop to the floor.
"Pea lets go" I take Sweet Peas hand and we start to walk off
"Ella" he calls. I turn around "Im guessing that since you no longer have a bump you had the baby. Should I be saying congratulations or sorry for you loss"
"The first one"
"Well congratulations to you both. I'm sure your making wonderful parents" I turn back around and walk off with Sweet Pea.

________________________________

"What the hell is that?" I say looking at a blue tarp. I walk up to it to look
"Wait" Pea stops me from looking by placing his hand on mine, we hear the rumble of a motorbike. I look over to see it's Jug. Sweet Pea, Fangs and I walk over to him as he takes his helmet off
"Someone's sending us a message Jones" Pea says as Jug gets off his bike
"What's the message?"
"Come on" I say as we walk through the trailer park over to the blue tarp
"You looked?"
"No not yet" I shake my head. Jug takes of the tarp and Joaquins dead underneath with the same symbol Archie has but this time on his head
"Joaquin" Jug whispers, I can't stop staring at him with my hand moving it's way to my mouth. All of us visibly upset about this, yeah ok he betrayed his own but he didn't deserve this, heck Pea, Fangs and I grew up with Joaquin. Jughead throws the tarp back over him
"Who do you think did it?" Pea asks as Jug starts to walk away
"Uh.... I dunno. The gargoyle gang or Hiram Lodge. It could be anyone"
"That symbol on his forehead it's the same as Archie's" Fangs says
"Sacrifice" Jug says
"Oh god" my voice cracks
"I have to get to Archie" Jug suddenly says and walks to his bike. Pea Fangs and I start walking towards him before it's to late. I watch as Fangs and Pea rub their faces with their hands then run their hands through their hair
"What the hell do we do with him guys? He was still our friend and deserves some sort of burial or cremation"
"We'll figure something out babe" Pea pulls me in to his arms
"Pea I'm scared"
"I know but I promise I won't let anything happen to you or Ad ok"
"I know. I love you Pea"
"I love you too Princess. Come on let's talk to the other Serpents. Decided what to with Joaquin" I nod my head, Fangs starts making phone calls.

An hour later every arrives except Jughead
"Ok. Everyone here?" I look around standing on the raised platform "unfortunately we have some upsetting news"
"Where's Jughead?" someone calls out
"Is it the baby? Is Adeline ok?" someone else calls out
"First off Jughead went to find Archie because of what's happened, and Adeline is ok, but Joaquin isn't..." I look at Fangs and Sweet Pea for support "we recently found out he broke Serpent law, he betrayed his own. Joaquin joined another gang, The Gargoyle Gang. Unfortunately we found him dead earlier this afternoon. I know he broke Serpent law, but some of us grew up with him, he was a brother. I'm now asking as a family, what should we do. Burial or cremation, and when"
"All those for burial" Sweet Pea says after me raising his hand. Almost everyone raised theirs
"It's settled I'll get it arranged. We can't phone the police because they will have our ass' in jail but we can't have a proper funeral unless we call the police. I think the best thing is for just a few to know where's he's buried and then we pay our respects here" everyone agrees. Sweet Pea, Fangs, Toni and I take Joaquins body into the woods and burry him. We go back to the campsite and I begin making arrangements for the funeral the next day.