Hello my Lovelies! I've missed you w/ this story for a while! But Merry fourth day of Christmas! Here's my present to you... A NEW CHAPTER! :D (Maybe a present to me will be a review or two? Please?) Hopefully Amber will get a new chapter in the next coupla days and Arrested, my new story! Check it out and give it some love!
Warning: Language... and something else...
Disclaimer: Nope...
Chapter 14: Justice
Where had the inspector gotten to? Valjean figured his quest had two possible outcomes: he'd either been on the president's side all along, or he'd been held up, taken captive.
Curiosity and worry got the best of him and, after making sure all five of the students in his charge were accounted for and safely on their way to the hospital, Valjean made his way to the officers' camp.
Despite the ease Javert seemed to have the night before in his quest for the president's headquarters, Valjean struggled, even in the daylight. Turning down what seemed to be the tenth alley nearly a half-hour after starting on his hunch of a journey he heard shouts of joy and victory. Taking one last turn he saw the shadows of celebration accompany the sounds.
Cautiously, he traveled along the alley wall towards the shouts, trying to not draw any attention to himself. As he neared the opening of the alley, he could view the entire party of officers gathered around the makeshift tent. It was also from this point he could make out two figures huddled by the post directly in front of him, not joining in the festivities.
At first, Valjean believed them to be sleeping, or simply enjoying the fun from afar. But upon further inspection, he realized that both were bound to the pole by their hands and one was slumped forward as if unconscious. The other was the polar opposite, rigidly upright and practically vibrating with rage. In an instant, Valjean knew these figures to be Javert and the captured student.
Look beyond to the party, Valjean scanned to see if any of the drunken officers were guarding or frankly paying any attention to the prisoners before moving towards them.
Javert noticed the presence behind him and the ailing student a moment before the unseen person began to work on their binds.
"Who are you?" He whispered fiercely, not breaking gaze with the celebration ahead of him.
"I had hoped I'd find you like this instead of beside the president." The worn and welcoming voice of Jean Valjean responded. Despite the rush of relief that flooded his veins at the sound of familiarity, Javert couldn't help the groan that escaped his lips at the former inmates choice of words.
"Yes 24601, only you would be happy to see me in chains."
The work at his wrists halted and Javert could hear Valjean's sharp intake of breath.
"Javert, you knew that is not what I meant and I believed us to be beyond that point in our lives. I would prefer it if you used my name, even Valjean would do."
Javert was silent for a moment, taking in the man, his rescuer's words. Sighing, he nodded.
"I'm sorry Je…Valjean, force of habbit."
He sagged slightly with relief when he heard the man chuckle slightly. "But what are you doing here?"
"I came from the barricade after making sure the five students remaining were receiving proper medical attention."
"Medical attention?" Javert groaned. "How bad?"
"One was blown back by the first canon blast,"
"Canon blast?!" Javert nearly shouted, almost ignoring the plead for silence Valjean uttered.
"Yes, you did not hear? They rolled canons to the barricade and fired. I believe it was only once, but that was enough to blow a hole in the structure and dozens of officers flooded in. The second student was shot in the shoulder after charging on oncoming officer, one who threatened the boy thrown back by the blast. The third was clubbed with the butt of a gun and the fourth was shot in the abdomen."
Valjean continued working on Javert's bonds quietly for a moment, finally freeing the Inspector who immediately brought his arms back to his front and began to massage his wrists.
"The fifth?" Javert questioned, breaking the silence.
"The leader was shot at by a firing squad. Four of the eight bullets nailed his shoulders and the force sent him through the attic window."
Javert blanched.
"Thankfully, one sleeve of his sweatshirt caught a shard of frame and it stopped his fall."
Javert gulped. "Is he?"
"No, I managed to get to him before it was too late. I was afraid that wouldn't be, it took nearly ten minutes for the firing squad to finish their celebrating." Valjean added bitterly, letting the ropes of the student fall to the ground.
"How is this one?" He questioned, moving sideways slightly to examine the sleeping student.
"He's seen better days." Javert answered honestly. "From what he could tell me, they knocked him around a bit before knocking him out with chloroform to get him here. From there I suspect you also heard the impact to the stomach and he mentioned further beatings, but at the moment he's just asleep."
Valjean nodded and, after making sure non of the inebriated men took any notice of the prisoners, moved forward into the light to lift the boy into his arms.
"We need to get him to a hospital, and you back to a station for some sort of help, this can't be entire department."
"Of course not, most of these officers are young, new recruits, ones who joined for this very reason. To fire guns." Javert spat grimly, rising to his feet as well.
Just as the two men were about to turn back to the alley way, they heard the furious president break up the party.
"You left one of the brats alive?!" He roared, rounding on what both men assumed to be the highest-ranking officer of the group. Valjean had no doubt in his mind that this was also the man who ordered his men to fire at the leader.
"Wha?" The young man burped, the countless shots of whatever the hell they'd brought to the fête not helping his cause.
"You left one of the insurgents alive at the barricade! He's on TV right now telling everyone that I had you fire first!" The president shouted, shaking the quickly sobering soldier.
"But Sir," Another officer piped up. "You did order us to fire first, no matter what they brought to the barricade."
The president rounded on the other officer. "I understand that, but no one else had to know that! These troublemakers could've died and no one would have known they didn't even dream of being armed. I want one of you morons to go back there and finish the job!" He demanded, jamming his fat pointer finger into one of the officers' chests.
"No! That is enough!" Javert commanded, moving from his hiding place and positioning himself right before the president.
"How did you escape your rope dog?" The president sneered, spitting in the inspector's face. Several officers released audible gasps.
"A rat cannot keep even a mouse prisoner." Javert quipped, wiping the saliva from his face, he turned his back on the president, making brief eye contact with Valjean to keep an eye on the man as he addressed the rest.
"Not a single one of you will go anywhere near the site of the barricade unless it is to aid in the clean up of it. You are to leave your guns here and every single one of you will be turning in your badge tomorrow morning and facing a jury for your crimes against the people you swore to protect as soon as possible."
There were cries of rage and protests as the officers heard of their punishment. Javert, having none of it, rose a single hand and silence fell once more.
"Further more, while you await trial you will have no compensation from the department. Is that understood?"
There were more shouts and groans of the injustcice of it all, but Javert had had enough.
"Injustice you say? Is it injustice not to pay for the crimes you commit and the lives you nearly took? Where was the justice for the eleven students and one child who are now suffering from multiple bullet wounds among other injuries? Where's was the justice for a group of peaceful protesters who wanted to take a stand and make a statement, unarmed I might add, only to be mowed down by outdated weaponry? Where is there justice?" He managed to eye every single officer present, making each one shift uncomfortably where they stood. A gruff laugh from behind him caused Javert to turn and face the force behind this. "You Mr. President are perhaps the most guilty and the most disgusting in this entire display. You gave the orders and dared to tell me I was failing to do my job of protecting the people of this city. I can admit I failed, I failed in protecting twelve lives from pain and suffering, but I can walk away knowing I will do everything in my power to ensure their well-being and make sure rat bastards like you end this useless violence. You, sir, are under arrested for the attempted murder of twelve individuals, one a child, and they will have their justice."
Javert finished his speech to silence; no one dared even sneeze as the words of the feared inspector sank in.
The president merely narrowed his eyes.
"You think some fancy words are enough to convince every man here to stand down and arrest me? You think your words mean anything?"
Javert regarded the man for a moment. "No, but I think the words of that remaining student is going to convince a lot of people to demand and ensure your arrest."
In the next moment, it was as if Javert's very words brought forth the new sounds at the camp. Dozens of booted marching surrounded the group huddled by the tent and an elder officer pushed forward to issue commands.
"Have you come to help the cause officer?" The president questioned, a smug smile staining his grotesque features.
Javert was surprised to hear Valjean's scoff of disgust. The man in questioned had moved forward from the shadows, carrying the sleeping student in his arms like a babe.
"No one else will help your sick cause you vile dog." Valjean spat. Javert could only stare at the man before them and shudder. The words coming from the ex convicts lips were far too similar to the man he once was.
The president was about to retort, move forward and pull the injured boy from the man's arms and send him crashing to the ground, but the newest officer spoke.
"They are right Mousier, we are here to formally arrest you for the crimes you commit over the last six months."
"Six months? How dare you all! You have no proof of anything!" The president screeched, attempting to lurch forward only to be caught with his arms behind his back by an unseen officer behind him.
"You can't honestly believe that drunk's lies can you? Who's to say he isn't still inebriated? His words hold no ground!" The president shouted, fighting against his new binds.
"Drunk or Sober, that boy's words will mean more than yours ever will again." Javert spoke.
It was then the gunshot rang out.
Pain, sheer and absolute pain radiating from every inch of him. That is what woke him from the nightmare he thought he escaped. Even as he took the minimal effort to reveal his icy blue eyes to the world once more, he groaned in pain. If this was death, was some after life, he had enough of it already.
Though when his eyes finally reopened and regained focus of the world around him he realized, enclosed by starch white walls, cardboard ceiling tiles and linoleum floors, confined to a bed by needles and wires, that he was far from dead. But recounting the horror he just endured, unsure of the outcome, he wasn't sure if he preferred this to the idea of death.
Groaning and attempting to sit, he felt a weight on his lower half. Felling its support move, the weight removed itself suddenly, only to throw itself back onto him in a much more forceful manner.
"Thank God! I was so scared, I was alone for hours and I didn't know if any of you were even alive and then I saw Taire on TV and Enj, you should see." Éponine continued to rabble on as tears fell rapidly from swollen bloodshot eyes.
Too many words were bombarding him but some managed to break through.
"Ép, what do you mean?" He croaked, squinting pathetically in the harsh hospital light.
"Here, look." She said simply, one hand squeezed tightly around his as the other reached for the remote. The little TV whizzed to life and Enjolras could soon make out the scene of the barricade, Grantaire huddled miserably in the foreground of the shot.
"What?"
"Enj, you should've heard it, everything he said. It was beautiful." Éponine whispered, not taking her eyes off of Enjolras watching the resident cynic on screen. The headlines underneath read 'Surviving student reveals truth.'
Surviving.
"Ép, are we, the others, is it?" He couldn't form a complete thought, fear and pain rocketed through his brain as the sharp sting of saline burned his swollen eyes.
"For a while I thought Gav and I were the only ones. I waited in the hospital for so long, waited with Gav with the news on. Waiting for answers. Then it was some miracle, within an a half hour of each other a priest brought Courfeyac and Joly in and then paramedics had you, Ferre, Bahorel, Feuilly, and Marius."
Enjolras let out some of his breath, but still feared his next question.
"And?" He gulped.
"You were in the worst shape Enj," Éponine answered honestly. "Ferre has a bump on the back of his head the butt of a rifle. Bahorel has a shoulder wound. Feuilly has a broken leg, arm, and several ribs, Marius was shot in the lower abdomen, but you, Enj I was so scared." She whimpered. "No one else is fully awake yet, and I was going to sit with Combeferre, but I knew he'd want me to be with you because they thought you wouldn't make it."
Enjolras closed his eyes tightly, feeling each of the four bullets pierce him over and over.
"It was Mousier Valjean." He spoke quietly
"What?"
"Valjean, he pulled me from the window and cared for the others. I wouldn'tve made it if it wasn't for him"
Éponine nodded silently and rose to press a firm kiss on the leader's brow.
"Thank heaven for guardian angels." She murmured.
He nodded but his attention was dragged back to the television.
The reporter had resumed focus of the shot, rambling on about the president's arrest, but in the back Grantaire was still in focus. As was the officer with the gun pointed at him.
"TAIRE LOOK OUT!" Enjolras shouted, despite the futile effort of being confined to a hospital bed miles away from the man.
But maybe that guardian angel thing Éponine mentioned was real, because some how, the man turned around in time to see the approaching threat.
That didn't stop the gun from firing.
I know! I'm horrible... BUT if you review you'll be let off the cliff faster!
Hope your holidays are going well and I'll be with you real soon!
Until next Time lovelies!