A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys. They prompted a quick update. I apologize in advance forthe extreme language and violence expressed in this chapter. Now on with the show.
Disclaimer: Same.
ACT: 8
The entire drive over to Max's house, which took about fifteen minutes, all Liz kept thinking was, this is not happening, this is not happening. Compounded by Maria's silent vibe of I told you so, I told you so. A lesser person would have cracked under the strain by now. And maybe she had. Because she still held the delusion that the situation could be salvaged somehow. Fixed. Made whole again. Of course that was irrationality kicking in. So what. They say there's no better delusion than self delusion, and she was swallowing healthy doses of it right now.
But two blocks away from Max's house reality righted itself again, and Liz's panic kicked into high gear. With a renewed sense of urgency she turned towards Maria and snapped:
"Could you be driving any slower?"
"Yeah, cause Jetta's are known for speed."
The bite in Maria's voice had Liz slumping back in her seat. "I'm sorry. I'm just really scared."
"No shit chica. Me too."
Not another word passed between the two as Maria turned onto Max's street. Driving through the wrought iron gates of his family's estate, and up the winding driveway towards the house, Liz could barely make out the taboo taking place in the distance. But what she could see was her worst nightmare come true.
-&-
Max was smiling broadly as he and his brother exited the guest house. He was supposed to meet Liz at Burger Barn at 8 pm, less than an hour away. Meanwhile, he had just finished razzing Steven about his newest girlfriend Sondra. The two of them had been dating dor about two months now. Steven claimed it wasn't serious, but Max new better. He hadn't seen his brother this happy in ages. Turning towards Steven to make another smartass remark, Max was shocked when something hit him like a freight train knocking him off his feet.
"What the fuc—"
Bam! A fist slammed into his jaw. The blow stunned Max and he lay on the ground dazed.
Tyler, regaining his own footing yelled:
"Get up you bastard so I can knock you down again."
Oh shit! Max thought from his prone position as Liz's red-headed brother towered over him.
"What in the hell is going on?" Steven yelled in confusion as he glanced back and forth between the two.
"You stay out of it!" Tyler pointed an angry finger in Steven's face. "This is between me and your brother."
"You wanna bet?" Steven stepped forward getting right up in Tyler's face.
Max, who had yet to rise from the ground yelled, "Steven don't."
But it was too late. His brother, known for his quick temper, had already thrown the first punch striking Tyler in the face.
The punch spun Tyler around but he managed to retain his footing. Pulling the gun from the pocket of his jean jacket he pointed it at Steven. "Back the fuck off EVANS!" he spat in a deadly voice.
"Or what? You gonna shot me?" Steven taunted. "You don't have the balls."
Max rose slowly to his feet trying not alarm Tyler. He had never been personally introduced to Liz's brother, but he certainly knew who he was. And Liz had told him things about Tyler…but this... was just crazy.
"Look man, I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding," Max said in a reasonable tone of voice. "Why don't you put the gun down so we can talk about what ever it is that's bothering you?"
"Bothering me?" Tyler grit out swinging the gun towards Max, "your whole fucking family bothers me. But you…you bother me the most. Did you really think you could fuck my sister and get away with it? Hasn't your family fucked my family over enough?" The gun wavered wildly in his hand as his anger escaladed.
Ok so this was bad. More like extremely bad, Max surmised. What in the hell was he supposed to do? The situation was totally out of his realm of experience.
"Look—"
"No! You look." Tyler shouted: all his attention focused on Max. And that's when it happened. Steven lunged for the gun. The two struggled fiercely for control, but it ended all too quickly with a loud popping sound.
Someone screamed, and they all looked stunned as a huge red spot bloomed along the side of Steven's blue tee-shirt.
"Christ!" Max breathed shakily, barely managing to catch his brother before he hit the ground. Lowering him gently to the pavement, Max noted the pallor of his brother's skin. This was bad. Steven seemed to be going into shock.
"It's gonna be alright brother. You'll be just fine." Max tried to convince Steven. But even he knew they were stupid, useless, empty, words. Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard someone crying but he tuned it out.
Steven opened his mouth to speak but he gagged instead, blood spurting from his lips.
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, Max thought as he applied greater pressure to the bullet wound in Steven's side. But it served no purpose. Blood kept pumping forward like a fountain. Reaching for his cell phone withhis other hand, Max dialed 911 just as his brother's body convulsed, then went limp.
"Dammit," he cried dropping the phone to begin CPR.
Meanwhile, Tyler stood frozen his eyes wide with fright as he watched Evans struggle to save his brother's life. He paid no attention to Liz and Maria who stood behind him crying. It had been an accident, hadn't it? He hadn't meant to shoot him, had he? But no one would believe a Parker over an Evans. Would they?
"1/1000, 2/1000, 3/1000, 4/1000, 5/1000, 6/1000, 7/1000, 8/1000, 9/1000, 10/1000, breath" Max yelled as he pounded his brother's chest trying to get his heart restarted. Tears rolled unchecked down his face as he performed the procedure over and over again. But it was in vain. Steven was gone. The bullet must have hit his kidney or may be nicked an artery. He had bleed out in a matter of minutes. And there was nothing more Max could do.
Reaching for his cell phone again, he hit send.
"911 emergency. May I help you?"
"I'd like to report a murder," he said harshly into the phone.
Upon hearing the word murder, Tyler panicked. Spinning around quickly, he grabbed Liz by the arm and went racing towards his truck.
"Oh my god Tyler, what have you done?" she cried. "What have you done?"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He screamed, pushing Liz forward. "Just get in the truck."
Fearful of what he might do next she complied. But before she could get her seat belt fastened, he took off at top speed.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he yelled as they sped down the road. "This is all your fault," Tyler said glaring bitterly at Liz.
She cringed, feeling more afraid than she had ever felt in her entire life. However, she was distracted by the sound of a powerful car engine coming up fast behind them. Glancing in the side mirror, Liz could barely see the make of the car in the falling twilight. It was Max. Before she could wonder what he was about , she was jerked forward as his car slammed into the back of Tyler's truck.
"Mother fucker!" Tyler shouted and pressed harder on the gas. But it was an old truck and it wasn't long before Max rammed them again.
Liz screamed in fright as the truck tilted sideways before righting itself again. Unfortunately, the third hit was the charm, and Tyler lost control of the wheel. Only this time the sound of Liz's screams were drowned out by the sounds of crunching mental as the truck jumped the guardrail and tumbled down the embankment.
Killing the engine of his car, Max ran stumbling down the embankment towards the overturned vehicle. Spurred by anger and grief he had lost all control. When he glanced up from his brother's body to see Tyler's truck speeding off, all he could think about was stopping his brother's killer. Well he had stopped him alright.
Quickly reaching the truck, which rested at the base of a tree, Max ran forward swigging open thedamaged door. What he found inside had him gasping in horror.
There, illuminated by the light of the rising moon, lay Liz Parker pale and unconscious, a bloody gash on her forehead.
Max staggered back in disbelief. How could this be? Where had she come from? How could he not have known she was inside the truck.
"What have I done?" he whispered remorsefully. "What have I done?"
A/N: Sorry about back to back cliffhangers, but this chapter got to be too long. Next up: Consequences galore and parent's all in a bunch. But you guys know what you have to do.
