Julius Caesar

"So wait-" Augustus was the first to break the silence that fell following Lucien's confession. "You're telling me that in those forty-something rooms, only five have alive people? So like about thirty-five are dead? So like less than twenty percent are alive? What are you? A walking FN FAL?"

I screwed my face. "What's an FN FAL?"

"One of the most legit guns in the world. Five-hundred rounds per minute. Pretty cool-"

"No, idiot-" Lucien interjected. "Seven-hundred."

Augustus turned to look at him and smirked. "French boy did his homework."

Lucien raised his index finger and pointed it at him. "Don't call me that."

"Whatever. Creep."

"Can we return to the issue at hand?" I muttered boredly, stealing a glance at Samara who observed us closely. I looked away.

"All the rest are dead?" Father asked and Lucien grimaced.

"As good as dead."

"But they're alive?" Augustus said. "I don't see your point-"

"Who brought that idiot here?" Lucien started and Augustus glared at him.

"Augustus," Father warned.

"Right. Fine. Sheesh-" My brother then sidled up next to me and said nothing.

With his eyes on Lucien, Father called one of his men and in an instant, he was in front of him.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Take yourself along with ten others and check all the rooms on all the floors. You will find people. A majority will be in dire conditions. Be careful and return ASAP."

"Yes, Sir!" he repeated.

Lucien snickered. "The rooms are locked."

"Knockdown all the doors-" Father commanded authoritatively, ignoring Lucien's statement.

"Yes, Sir. Anything else, Sir?"

"No, just that and come back."

With that, the man Father summoned turned and left along with some of the men who conjured Ledger, Augustus and I. Lucien's jaws were clenched and his hold around the shot tightened. He was angry.

"Look at how weak you've become without your father and brother-" Father said with a smile.

"You've no idea what I'm capable of-" Lucien smirked and I raised my eyebrows at his c.o.c.kiness.

"We can protect you-" Father said nevertheless as Lucien's left eye twitched.

"I don't need your protection."

"Really?" My father lowered his voice. "The house is safe, Lucien. If you talk, they won't know."

"I don't need your protection," Lucien repeated with a faint smile.

"So you're trying to tell me that you lured me here by taking Julius as a hostage, to kill me, for example? To torment my son?" Father made a face. "I must say it's a brilliant plan. Very believable. I fell for it in the beginning. Even your sister did."

My eyes widened at his words. I was being played and this whole kidnapping and 'hostage' thing weren't to torment me. Lucien was scared and needed to lure in Father. My father, apparently, knew how to 'protect' him from...those who hired him? And I paid the price by being locked in that bloody bas.e.m.e.nt.

What nonsense.

"I don't need your protection. I need revenge-"

"Lucien-" Father sighed. "You're just confused. You didn't even like your brother."

"Stop it!" Lucien started and I heard Samara gasp.

"You were jealous of him all that time-" Father was smirking, completely at ease. I was listening, shocked, with Augustus' constant cursing as my music.

"That's not true-"

"Charming, with a great style. You wished you were the one people watched those videos for," Father continued as Lucien shut his eyes and clenched his fists. "It was always Esteban."

"I do not care what people think-" He said between clenched teeth and Father chuckled.

"Of course you do!" He said. "Because if you were people's ′Esteban', you'd be living happily right now. You wouldn't have traumatized your sister by telling her to kill my son just to lure me here. You knew I knew what was going on. You knew I was coming for help. Why are you afraid of admitting it now? All I need is your confession and we're done."

And I remembered feeling so useless. All that time I wasted, what was it for? If Father had planned everything perfectly, what was my point? Did he have any idea how all that affected me? I felt so humiliated. So stupid. Because Father was right. He was my brain. He controlled everything after all.

But it wasn't the time to talk, it was time to listen. And so, I did.

"There's nothing to admit-" Lucien said, shaking his head. "I'll run away. I won't be leaving this place with you. I lured you here for revenge."

Father smiled pitifully and was about to speak when cries and screams erupted from the staircase. Men came up the stairs holding so many people in gut-wrenching conditions. Girls no older than thirteen were n.a.k.e.d with dried blood as their clothes. There were boys not older than five, stumbling out with bald spots, broken fingers, and crooked noses, crying in pain. On seeing this, Samara shrieked and covered her head with her arms, sobbing her heart out.

Father, Augustus, and I straightened up at their presence as Lucien leaned back against the window and smirked. And never in my life had I ever wished for a window to disappear. Because I'd love to see him stumble and fall to his death. I'd love to see him die.

"But I didn't come here for this, boy." My father broke the silence that aroused from the commotion that unfolded in front of us. His cool was wearing off. "I mean don't take my negotiable techniques for granted. They can change in a finger snap."

"I will not confess."

"You need to-"

"I know I'm being recorded!" Lucien then yelled, throwing the glass in his hand at the wall as Augustus flinched back. "You think I'm a fool?!"

"Don't be scared of them," Father said, shaking his head. "There's nothing to be scared of-"

"I will not be leaving with you-" Lucien said determinedly.

Father ignored him and signalled for one of his men.

"Sir."

"Take them all outside-" Father commanded, referring to all the 'hostages'. "Let the medical team check upon them and do the necessary."

Medical team? Didn't know we had one.

Instantly, the man turned and did what my father asked. The 'victims' filed out of the reception, one by one, leaving the reception emptier with the nine men holding their guns at Lucien.

I sighed and crossed my arms across my c.h.e.s.t.

"Who is that ′they′ you have been referring to?" Augustus then dared ask and I nodded at his question.

"Those who hired LEO," I muttered under my breath, trying to connect the dots myself.

It seemed that LEO was a dark web criminal group assigned by people of higher grades to satisfy them with 'videos'. Videos they paid for. Videos Samara told me about. And it appeared that Esteban, Lucien's dead brother, was the most important member of the trio. Important enough for the videos to become unwatchable in his absence. And it seemed that Lucien was paying the price for both his dead father and brother.

And it all started to make sense. Lucien's fear. Why he was particularly irritated about his father's death, unlike Esteban who knew he'd always be on the safe side. Which made me wonder if Esteban's death was a mere coincidence. If it hadn't been planned by Father all along. I mean, it seemed that Father was very aware of the importance of Esteban. Maybe he wanted to break LEO apart.

But that didn't explain how was any of this related to Gorj. Why he wasn't as angry as I'd anticipated when he got to know that I had the doc.u.ments? Did he know I did? And if this (breaking down LEO) was Father's motive in the beginning, why was he angered when I killed Ricardo? I mean, wouldn't that have been considered as help? Why did he punish me by killing Audrey? If he did have an idea about everything going on from the beginning, why would he let me waste time on the wrong 'Sam'? Why, goddammit, leave me to brew in a filthy bas.e.m.e.nt for weeks?

No. It didn't make sense at all.

My train of thoughts was wrecked by an ′Oh', escaping from Augustus' mouth.

"You will not-" Father mocked and Lucien smiled.

"You seem to particularly enjoy underestimating me-" Lucien tilted his head as his stone-grey eyes darkened. "Don't you think someone like me, with all that experience in doing nothing but evil, would have learnt a thing or two?"

"I'd hate it if you risked it-" My father said sternly. "Risk trying what you've learnt."

"In fact," Lucien claimed, suddenly turning to me and smiling. "-I fail to not remain astonished at how your son seems so very clueless about what his own father does. Poor thing. Twenty-something years old and still a pawn in his father's dirty games."

"Yes. Go figure-" I pressed a smile, ignoring his irrelevant comment. What he did here, change the subject, was a sign that he lost. It didn't deserve my acknowledgement but Augustus intervened.

"And what have you done with your twenty-something years? Wait for your brother to decide your fate? F.u.c.k.i.n.g loser-" My brother snapped and Lucien's face screwed up before he dragged him by the collar and throttled him.

"What did you say?"

And just seeing my brother in his filthy clutches was like spilling my damned blood on the bloody floor and lighting my every blood cell on fire. Just like that. I grasped Lucien's forearm that held onto Augustus.

"Let him go."

Lucien snapped his head to me and I was surprised that Augustus used this moment of distraction to punch him in his stomach. Lucien g.r.o.a.n.e.d but didn't let go of Augustus.

He turned and slammed my brother's back to the window as my heart tumbled out of my mouth. What if the glass shattered under my brother's weight and he fell to his death? I felt dizzy just by the mere thought of it.

I lunged at Lucien with all the force I could muster with my faulty back, pushing him off my brother who coughed his way away from the window to stare at us with wide eyes. I then pulled away and straightened up with a wince.

Lucien looked up, panted, and licked his lower lip. "I see you've got some power left in you-" he said with a dark smile. "I should've deepened them. The scars-"

I was about to reply when Lucien was punched in the face. I looked beside me and was astonished when I saw Augustus shaking his hand in pain. I frowned at him because- how could he be so stupid to anger a psychotic shit and put himself in grave danger? I mean, he just bit more than he could chew.

Lucien growled and was about to lunge at Augustus when I captured both of his arms behind his back, restraining him from my defenceless brother.

"I don't like the way you speak with my brother," Augustus hissed, pushing back his sleeves.

"Augustus. Enough," I heard Father warn from the background.

Lucien struggled in my grip as I smirked at Augustus.

"Doesn't that make you miss Esteban?" I managed to whisper teasingly and dodge his head that he thought he could crash in my nose.

"Okay, boys, enough!" My father thundered and Lucien stopped struggling to glare at him.

"We will never be allies," Lucien breathed. "My men are coming in a few minutes. And everything will go down tonight."

I frowned at his words and glanced at Father who for once didn't appear as c.o.c.ky as he seemed.

"You will regret-"

"Goddammit, I've regretted everything in my goddamned life," he yelled venomously and I wondered why I was still holding him back. I let go of him before he staggered toward Father and pointed an index finger at his c.h.e.s.t. "I will not regret getting my freedom-"

"This isn't-"

"If I go with you-" Lucien yelled, red-faced, his whole frame shaking. "I get prisoned for all the felonies I've committed! I'd be escaping this prison to run into another one. Can't you see?" His teeth bared and his eyes watered.

"I will make sure they take into account your cooperation."

"What kind of cooperation will justify all I've done?" He pressed, with a thick accent, silent tears falling down his face and I wondered if he was acting all along. "I will run away-"

"You cannot-"

"Sure as hell, I can!" He said, grabbing a bunch of hair in both his hands. "Just wait for them to come."

"All the entrances are heavily guarded-"

"Oh, no-" He chuckled, waving an index finger. "They're not gonna come walking. They'll come from the sky-" Lucien then shrugged with a fake pout.

Father visibly tensed at his words as the sound of heavy footsteps filled my ears.

"We have helicopters-" Lucien smirked. "See? You haven't thought of that!"

I whipped my head to Augustus who stood staring at the staircase in anticipation before I glanced at Samara who sat on the armchair, blinking at a wall. I immediately reached for Samara and yanked her out of the chair. She stared at me, lips parted, but this wasn't 'stare-and-fall-harder' time. I threw her in Augustus' clutches.

"Get her and yourself out of here. Now!" I instructed, staring hard into Augustus' glassy, blue eyes as he nodded at me, taken aback.

"But I'm coming back for you-" He said seriously with a frown and I shook my head vigorously.

"No, you're not-" I stated vehemently. "You will get out. You will be safe-"

"You're crazy if you think I won't come back. Don't you remember what you told me? That you wanted to see whose side I'd stand on? Today I'm giving you the answer-" He said, smiling and my heart grew in my c.h.e.s.t- but dammit, Gustus, this wasn't the time to be sentimental.

"Please, Gustus-" I clenched my jaws. "I don't know what might happen. I just don't. I can't have you here, okay? You'll distract me. Please-"

"Distract you-?" He frowned and I nodded, my eyes wide.

"Yes. I'll always have my-my eyes on you-" I admitted. "Cause if something happened to you, Gustus-" I stopped myself, my eyes already watering. "If something happened to you-"

"And what about you?"

"I can take care of myself!" I almost yelled at him. "You-You. Go. Now."

"Right-" Augustus pressed his lips, his face a few inches from mine. "You're f.u.c.k.i.n.g annoying, but dammit I -uh- love you," he frowned as he helped Samara straighten up in his arms, against his c.h.e.s.t. Samara was in another dimension, staring at the blood that covered the floors from all the hostages.

"Yeah, whatever." I love you too. So much.

"Wait!" Samara then whispered, her head snapping up to me and I glanced at her with a pang in my c.h.e.s.t. "I'll see you again, right?"

My lips floated in the air as I was caught off guard staring in her sky-blue eyes.

"Right?" She pressed, a hand on her c.h.e.s.t, her face screwed up and her eyes swimming in an ocean of tears.

"Yes, of course," Augustus was the one to scoff. "Right, Julius? Remember? Our plan?"

Feeling my heart constrict in my c.h.e.s.t, I nodded speechlessly. "Right. Now go, please."

And just like that, they left and about twenty heavily armed guards in black stepped in.

"Julius!" I looked to my side to find Father tossing me a gun. My heart skipped a beat as I caught it and stared at it. It was identical to my gun but the initials on the hilt weren't mine.

A.A.

I shrugged and immediately held it in front of me, waiting for any wrong move. But no one moved. Everyone stood with their gun in front of their c.h.e.s.ts, waiting for action, except for Lucien who stood in the middle, enjoying what was happening.

"We outnumber you, Lucien," Father announced. "This is diabolical. Stop them at once!"

"I will. Once I'm out-" He smiled as I tried calming my haphazard breathing.

But Father seemed to have run out of patience, so instead of saying a thing, he pointed his gun to the ceiling and yelled, "FIFTY, FIFTY-ONE, FIFTY-TWO! NOW!"

With that, he shot the chandelier's chain and it came crashing down at Lucien's feet. Lucien twisted his upper body away and shut his eyes against all the minuscule glass shards that cascaded around him.

The room became significantly dimmer, alarming me.

Then, two seconds later, three of Lucien's guards that stood in front of the staircase fell to the ground. My eyes widened, anticipating the worst as I clutched the gun harder.

What the hell was happening?

Then another three fell. Lucien's mouth was open as he stared at the lifeless bodies of his toppling guards.

I dared look behind me to find three immaculate holes in the windowpane.

Two more seconds and the windows shattered.

Then there was chaos.

Ledger was already elbowing someone in the face and shooting them, while Father seemed to have the time of his life knocking down one man after the other. I was so shocked to the extent that I didn't notice someone creep behind me until they cradled my head, hoping to break my neck.

Wrong move.

I backed into him with all my force, ignoring the excruciating pain from my back, until we hit a wall. I freed myself from his grasp and punched him right in the nose, disarming him. Then with one quick swing, I shot his left leg, took his gun, and threw it out of the window. I quickly turned and wasn't surprised at the sight of fists flying, guns shooting, and men crying blood.

It was a war.

I even dodged a fist before Ledger dragged that daring man away from me and I shot his leg. Ledger winked at me and I couldn't help but smirk. It had been a while since we'd worked together like that.

I watched Lucien get away with one guard and scowled. He wasn't going anywhere. I aimed at his guard's leg and shot. The guard fell in Lucien's arms who stumbled to the ground under his guard's weight.

I quickly made my way to him, dodging fists, shooting legs, and cursing under my breath until I stood in front of their tangled mess. I pushed the guard off of him while pointing the gun at Lucien.

Lucien came on his forearms and glared at me.

"You aren't going anywhere, you shit."

Before I could shoot his legs, someone stumbled back on me and I tripped on Lucien's purposefully outstretched leg. I fell on my back, the gun flying out of my hand, groaning in agony as I forced myself not to shut my eyes against it. The pain.

I was about to get to my feet when Lucien's foot found my c.h.e.s.t and pressed hard. I banged my head on the floor from the intense agony that spread all over my back.

"I bet this doesn't hurt as much as it did when you killed my father-" He said venomously as my arms tried to limply get his leg off of me.

"It doesn't-"

"You think you're smart, huh?" He pressed harder and I clenched my teeth, my legs kicking the air as I tried restraining the pain.

"Why does he matter to you?" I spat. "I thought Esteban was the one who mattered the most-"

"Oh, sure he was-" he hissed, pressing harder on my c.h.e.s.t and I thought I heard the stitches rupture. "But I loved my dad. And I hated my brother. Killing my dad gave us one strike. Killing Esteban gave me three damned strikes at once. And the game says three strikes and it's over."

"You're as good as dead Lucien-" I mocked, my eyes two oceans with the tears they held. Pain. Pain.

"Oh?" He reached for his back and retrieved a dagger. "I think not."

My heart beat loudly in my c.h.e.s.t as he kicked me in my stomach and I wished I could barf the pain away. Wasting no time and abusing my vulnerability, Lucien straddled me and held the dagger in my face.

I held back his forearms, away from my face, clenching my teeth as sweat droplets rolled sideways, down my temple.

"You will die like the pathetic coward your father brought you up to be." He spat in my face, forehead vein bulging and eyes glistening with darkness. I blinked rapidly, desperately even, to stop the tears from obscuring my vision. "You will always be that monster people hate."

At that point, the pain in my back seemed insignificant to the pain his words caused. Because every word he spoke stood in my trachea, swearing by the crying demons to not let me breathe. I was just spluttering as he applied more force on the dagger and I kept resisting with every exhausted atom in my being.

I felt like I was going to collapse from the sheer effort of it all. And you can't possibly imagine the number of frantic thoughts that ran over my brain at this moment. Augustus and his promise. Samara and our parallel universe. They were all oppressing my breathing.

"I don't like the way you speak to my brother."

And then Lucien was kicked off of me. I gasped in the air but begged myself not to give in. It wasn't over yet. I had to fight and fight. I wheezed but quickly reached for the gun, stood up, and swayed a bit before steadying myself.

The floor where I lied was dirtied by my blood and by Lucien who held his head, his dagger in his hands. I staggered away from him, wiping my teary eyes with my sleeve before colliding into someone. I looked up and found none other than Augustus' teary, ocean eyes. And the amount of love I had for him at this moment was immense. More than any love in the world. It filled every inch of my being.

I nodded at him, but he was on the move, punching people and knocking them down with his gun. I couldn't help but smile before glancing back at an angry Lucien.

"Get up," I breathed heavily as I approached him and kicked him in his stomach. He dropped his dagger. "Get up!" I kicked him again. And did, slowly, back supported on the wall, with a cruel smirk on his face and a bloodied fist pressed to his abdomen.

But before I could do anything, I was grabbed back by my shirt's collar by some goddamned idiot! I was so angered by this move, so angered to the extent that I turned and dislocated his jaws by a single smack from my gun. I kicked him away and glanced at Augustus who pinched his nose before spitting at the crippled body below him. And I remember smiling at him. Really smiling as I kicked someone.

I wanted to tell him how proud I was to have him as a brother. How truly amazing he was. How much I loved him. How much I wanted to hug him, even if for hours.

But those thoughts were shattered to pieces by Father's voice that boomed across the reception and Augustus' grimace that stopped my heart.

"JULIUS! LOOK OUT!"

I turned to Lucien with his dagger and he was talking. Yes, I swear he was talking. His lips were moving but I couldn't quite comprehend what they were saying as something blurry passed in front of me. Then I heard two things.

"IN THE NAME OF ORVILLE!"

And well.

And a sharp swivel.

Then came the pain.