The Following:
Peace, Love, and Happiness
Episode 12: Blessthefall
Amable stood outside of Mark's bedroom staring into it with an intense look on his face. He took a hesitant step forward eyeing Michael's bloody body propped against the dresser. There was a large puddle beside him staining the white carpet as well as the dresser, while items on the dresser had fallen on the floor from the fight.
He stepped in continuing to watch his body with a fixed expression. Many emotions were running through him. He was angry, horrified, sad, and annoyed. He couldn't say which one, but every second he felt a bit different. He couldn't believe that this would happen in his own home and that Mark would do such a thing.
Annabelle entered the room and shrieked when she saw his body. She ran up to him hugging him tightly, crying on his shoulder. She didn't notice his blood staining her shirt and pants. It was her fault. She asked him to kill Mark, not knowing that Mark would end up killing him. Michael was extremely muscular and Mark thin and wimpy looking.
"Why?" Amable asked himself as he grew tearful.
Annabelle looked up at him and wiped her wet eyes with the palm of her hand. She gulped and kissed her dead boyfriend's hand. Part of her wanted to tell him what happened that led Mark to killing Michael, but she knew now was not the right time. She leaned against his body not wanting to let go of it, even though she now felt his blood on her clothing.
Amable shook his head and began to pace in the room. "Why would he do it?" He thought aloud. "My son? My own flesh and blood?"
Annabelle felt horrible as she watched him pace like a wild animal in a dog cage. She wiped away another tear and then looked back at Michael. She leaned close and then kissed his forehead. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a napkin and began to clean the blood off of his neck. It didn't really clean it too well, but it somewhat made her feel better.
"Why would Mark do this?" He asked emotionally. He looked at Annabelle as a tear trailed down his face.
Annabelle knew she couldn't tell him. At least not yet. "I don't know," She said reaching for another napkin in her pocket. She continued to wipe blood off of him, trying to clean him from it.
Amable cursed in French and then turned to leave the room.
"What are we going to do with his body?" Annabelle asked in a shrilly tone.
Amable exhaled loudly and then motioned toward the bed. "Let's wrap him in the blanket and sheet. We will bury him next to Cruz," He said after a few moments of thought.
The both of them wrapped Michael in the blanket and sheet and the carefully took him downstairs. They buried him and then called the rest of the family. Amable told them what happened and then held a small funeral service for him. Afterward, Annabelle sat beside his grave crying and reminiscing old times.
Amable stood there for a few moments, before quickly leaving to his library. He locked the door and poured himself a double shot of scotch. He drank it quickly and then poured himself another. He held the cup tightly as he paced around the room deep in thought.
It was beyond shocking. He didn't want to believe it. First Tim, then Cruz, and now Michael. All brutal deaths that shouldn't have happened. He told them from the moment he adopted them into his family that he would always be there for them. That he would always keep them safe. But now, that was not the case. He lost half his family already. He failed them all.
Amable drank the second shot and then poured himself a third one. He drank that and then poured a fourth. He continued to pace around in a circle, feeling sorry for himself, when he got an idea. He drank the fourth one and then poured himself a fifth one, but didn't drink it. Instead, he left the library and made his way to the basement. He opened the door to the room Claire was staying in and stumbled inside.
He approached Claire and looked at her drunkenly. "Hi there," He said with a woozy smile.
Claire gave him an uncertain look. "You are drunk," She said stating the obvious.
"Yeah I am," He said with a small shrug. He looked at the glass in his hand. "This stuff is damn good." He laughed and then slowly walked around Claire.
"Why are you drunk?" She asked not knowing if she wanted to know the answer.
Amable took a sip from the glass and then sighed. "Something bad happened," He said shaking his head in dismay. "Something really bad." He took another sip and then set his glass on the table by all the tools. "I lost someone very dear to me today." He looked at her with tears in his eyes.
Claire saw how emotional he was, but it didn't faze her. She didn't care. Not anymore. Not after what he did, not only to her, but to everyone else. He was an animal. From the moment she met him, she knew that he was a dangerous man, yet, she ignored it for reasons she didn't know.
"I can't say that I am sorry," She said glaring at him.
Amable chuckled and then approached her. "Your words wound me," He said sarcastically. He closed his eyes and sniffed her hair. "You really need to use better shampoo. What product do you use?" He stepped away from her and then grabbed his shot glass.
"You are nuts," She said disgusted with him. "You need help."
Amable smiled at her and then drank his shot. He closed his eyes and enjoying the feel as it washed through him. He opened his eyes and then with a glare, he threw the glass in her face as hard he could. The broken glass cut her face in various spots, blood seeping out of them.
"Oops," He said with a playful shrug. "Didn't mean to do that."
"Sure you did," She said wincing in pain. She spat blood in his direction, but it didn't get close enough.
Amable looked around the room and grabbed a dirty rag he saw on the floor. It was stained with blood from various victims. With a fake concerned look, he began to wipe off the blood. He hummed a song for a few moments, before stopping.
"This is a nasty cut Claire," He said shaking his head. "You might need to go to the hospital." He paused and tossed the rag on the floor. He then laughed loudly at his own joke. "Do you how many people I tortured and killed where you are laying?"
"Do I really want to know?" Claire asked wishing she could turn away and not have to look at him.
"If my memory plays me correctly," Amable said scratching the back of his neck. He paced around her. "I think over thirty. But I may be wrong." He pointed to the rag on the floor. "And that, well that belongs to the blood of four FBI agents." He began to laugh.
Claire felt like she was going to throw up. She swallowed bile, knowing that if she vomited, it would land on her. "You are an animal," She said hoarsely.
Amable approached her and leaned closed kissing her on the lips, staining himself with her blood. "You have got it wrong," He said wiping off the blood with his hand. "I am the devil."
Tanya was worried about what Molly just told them. She spoke to her mother, but she didn't get a straight answer from her. Her mother just told her to keep quiet and trust that Molly knew what she was doing. Deep down, she knew that her mother was just shutting her up, but she saw no harm in telling her how she felt.
She searched the house for and found her in the basement with Tyler invoicing their weapons and supplies. She looked up from her I-pad and smiled at her as she approached. Tyler looked at her with a small nod and then returned to his work.
"So we are really doing this?" She asked eyeing the assault rifles on the table uneasily.
Molly glanced at Tyler who shrugged his shoulders. She stepped up to her and gently asked, "What's going on Tanya?"
Tanya continued to eye the weapons with uncertainty "I don't know exactly," She said with a sigh.
Molly knew what she was feeling. She reached out and touched her shoulder affectionately. "I know how you are feeling," She said gently. "But this is something that must be done."
"I know that," Tanya said, "But there has got to be another way."
Molly glanced at Tyler again who was now tallying up their bullets. "There is no other way," She said turning back to Tanya. "We need to fight him. We need to take him out." She paused for a few moments looking her in the eyes. "He is a threat to our family and I take that personally. He is dangerous. Very dangerous." She looked at her seriously. "So we need to fight for our safety. I can see how this is scary."
"I am not scared to fight," She said glancing at the guns again. "I am scared to die."
Molly gave her an understanding smile. "I know exactly how you feel," She said trying to reassure her. "And to be honest you aren't the only one. I fear the same thing."
"You do?" She asked in disbelief.
"Every time," Molly said continuing to smile at her warmly. "But don't worry, you soon learn to control the feelings and we are here to watch each other's backs." She touched her cheek affectionately. "Have you spoken to your mom about how you feel with all this? She might be able to help you out more than I am."
"I did," Tanya said embarrassed, "She told me not to bother you."
Molly gave her another understanding smile. "You don't have to worry about anything," She said calmly. "We are all family here. We all look out for each other. If there is anything you ever need, you shouldn't hesitate. Not ever."
"Thanks," She said smiling at her.
Molly glanced at Tyler. "I have an idea," She said motioning to him. "Tyler, why don't you familiarize Tanya with some of these weapons here." She looked at Tanya with a raised eyebrow. "The more you know about these, the better you will be when we take down Amable."
Claire was feeling sore all over. Her face was still bleeding with many small cuts from when Amable threw the shot glass on her. He tried to clean them with the blood stained rag, but it didn't do much. The rag was too dry and felt as course as sand paper. It actually scratched her face a bit, making everything worse. He didn't seem to notice, unless he did and just didn't care.
He stayed in the room for another twenty to thirty minutes continuing to torment her. He found such sick satisfaction from it and it obviously sickened her. She wished he could just end it all and either kill her or let her go. She didn't want to die, but that was the two choices that seemed better than staying trapped here.
Right before he left, he leaned close and kissed her again. He told her that she was his prize and that she wouldn't leave. That she was part of a bigger, more important picture and that it would be in her best interest if she went along with it. He then laughed and told she didn't have much a choice anyways.
She closed her eyes as a tear trailed down the side of her head and on to the table. She thought back to the first time she met him. Back then, he was much different. He was more relaxed and patient. He was a totally different person. It was at the University and she had just finished teaching, when he walked in.
Claire was standing on her tippy toes and erasing the board to the best of her abilities. She tried to avoid scraping her white shirt against the ink, not wanting to get it stained again. The last shirt she got ink on, was ruined and it was one of her favorites. To her relief, she managed to clean the board without getting herself dirty.
She stepped away from the board and placed the eraser on the desk. She yawned as she packed up her school stuff in her bag. After having the past few nights of insomnia and not getting more than three hours of sleep a night, she was certain that she would sleep tonight. Her body was wanting nothing more than to collapse now, but that would have to obviously wait.
She left the classroom and made her way to her office, where she went through her mail. She skimmed through it briefly, before placing it all in her bag. Too tired, she decided to do it later at home. If she had a coffee, maybe it would wake her up enough. Thankfully she had no classes tomorrow and could sleep in an extra hour or so. There were chores to do, but nothing that really needed to be done outside of the house.
The moment she left her office, she heard someone call out to her with a French accent. She groaned not wanting to talk to anyone as she turned around to face him. "Hi," She said giving him a large and fake smile.
"Hello again," He said smiling at her awkwardly as if he knew her.
"Again?" She asked confused. He looked familiar, but she didn't know where or if she had met him before.
"Yeah," He said his smile fading for a few seconds. "We met in the library the other day." He took a few steps toward her. "You were searching for a copy of Moby Dick that I was returning."
Claire studied as she recalled the moment he was telling her about. He was about six foot and very thin. He had a small goatee and light brown hair that was beginning to grey in certain areas. He had rimless glasses that was perched on his nose. It looked as if it were going to slip off any second.
"Oh right," She said not in the mood to have this conversation. Her body was screaming to get home and sleep. "I remember." She shifted her bag to her other shoulder. "What can I do for you?"
"I am kind of embarrassed to ask this," He said feeling himself blush, "But I want to know if you are seeing anyone now."
Claire wasn't expecting that question. She was about to answer him, when he interrupted her.
"I'm sorry, I'm not asking for me," He said clearly embarrassed. "I have a good friend who is single and I think the both of you would be a good match."
Claire groaned again on the inside. She wasn't seeing anyone at the moment and she really wanted to meet someone, but she was so tired. All she wanted to do was go home and sleep. Yet, she gave him a thin smile and said yes.
"Awesome," He said with a smile. "His name is Joe Carroll."
She didn't know him, but recognized the name. "He teaches literature if I am not mistaken?" She asked as they walked away from her office.
"Yeah he is," He said continuing to smile at her. He was proud of himself. "Come, I'll introduce the two of you guys."
Claire followed him to the next building and third floor. Amable knocked on Joe's office and waited a moment until Joe walked out. The moment Claire saw him she was instantly attracted to him. He had gorgeous light brown eyes and an amazing smile. He was fit and had an excellent poise. She smiled at him as he approached.
Claire stopped thinking about when she met Joe and began to think of Ryan. Despite telling him that she didn't want anything to do with him, she missed him greatly. There was something about him that had never met in anyone else. He was strong, yet emotional. Funny, yet serious when needed to be. He is one of the most noble and determined she had ever met and of the years, he constantly put his life on the line to save a victim whether he knew them or not.
There was no way she could contact him. Not from here at least. Now that she was trapped here. Amable had all of her belongings, although she didn't have much more than her purse and her phone. So she couldn't expect him to come bursting through the door ready to save her from Amable's hands.
Another tear trailed down her head to the table. "Oh Ryan," She called out as if he would hear her. Yet she knew that was impossible. She knew she would never see him again.
Mark was scared even though he didn't show it. He was taught at a young age to bury his feelings. His mother told him that most people didn't care, even if they showed they did. There was always another motive for them. It took a while, but he was pretty good at it so far.
His brother was even better than he was at it, unless it was an emotional overdose. Also if it involved humor, regardless of the time or place. Laughter was the best medicine to deal with any situation.
His mother on the other hand was the best at it. Not to mention, she was amazing at manipulating people. Ryan was her latest of the bunch. At first she played an innocent victim who ended up getting close enough to him just until she found out he had feelings for her. Then the moment she saw that, she turned around showing her true self. His pain from it gave her such pleasure.
"You did the right thing back there," He heard his brother tell him.
Mark looked at Luke who was sitting in the passenger seat. "I keep telling myself that," He told him with a shrug as he sped up passed a pickup truck that was going below the speed limit. "But I often wonder if I was better off there with them, then I am now out here all alone."
Luke gave him an understanding, yet harsh look. "What did I tell you about the 'what if' game?" He asked him. ,"
"I know that," Mark glanced at him briefly before looking back at the road. "It doesn't hurt to think about it."
Luke smiled at him. "You know what you should be thinking about?" He proudly asked. "That you took down Michael single handed."
"Yeah that was pretty awesome," Mark asked joining his brother with a smile.
"It was like David versus Goliath all over again," He continued to praise him endlessly. "You tore up that weak ass bitch."
Mark thought back to the fight, thinking of how terrified he was about it. From the moment Michael entered his room, he knew something bad was going to happen. Despite how alone he felt though, he didn't want to die. He had so much to do, mainly killing those that destroyed his family and not just kill them, but torture them. He wanted his family's death to really mean something.
"So what are you going to do now?" Luke asked him.
"I don't know," Mark shrugged. "Right now I was just trying to get us as far away as possible from Amable and his family."
"That's good," Luke said in agreement. "Do you remember mother's good friend, Julie, a few years back?" He looked at Mark.
"I vaguely do," Mark said thinking, "She was the brunette?"
"The brunette that taught me all I needed to know about women," Luke said with proud smile. "Julie Mcbride. The large breasted cougar that couldn't get enough of dear Luke."
"Yeah," Mark said with a raised eyebrow. "I do remember her now."
Julie was a major help in their mother's move from Paris to America and over the years stayed very close to her and the family. She was always there to help, no matter the situation. When Luke was fourteen, he caught a glimpse of her in the shower and she was aware he was watching her. She made no attempt hide her nakedness. For the next few months, until she put a stop to it, Luke would sneak out of the house and fool around with Julie.
"Well, we haven't heard from her in a while and I think it will be smart to pay a visit," Luke said with a twisted smile. He licked his lips with anticipation. "Maybe you can overcome that phobia of yours." He winked at him.
Mark shook his head. "No," He said speeding up. "No," He looked at Luke. "Just because you were all hands on with her, doesn't mean I will be."
"We'll see," Luke said with a dangerous tint in his eyes.
Mark ignored his brother and continued driving. It took over two hours of listening to his brother describe in extreme detail of his relationship with Julie, before pulled up to her house. He parked his car and stared at the large house. She lived in the Catskills Mountains far away from most people. It made sense. Despite her promiscuity, she was quiet and enjoyed the quiet even more so.
Mark stepped out of the car and approached the front door. For a few moments he stood there staring at the oak door wondering if he should step inside or turn around and drive away. He didn't have to think about it too long, for the front door opened it.
Julie looked at him with astonishment for a few seconds. Before a large smile grew on her face. "Mark," She said cheerfully. "Such a surprise."
Mark looked at her confused.
"I saw you drive up here on the security cameras," She said noting his uncertainty. "Don't worry." She tried to reassure him. She stepped aside allowing him into her house.
He stepped inside and looked around the large living room that was filled with many large leather couches. There was a massive fish tank at the far end of the room with shelves on either side filled with books. Across from that was a large fire place and in the corner was a mini bar with a dozen or so alcoholic beverages.
"It is good to see you," She said stepping up to him. She wanted to give him a hug, but she knew he had to allow her to, so she held back. "I am sorry about what happened to everyone."
Mark sighed and turned away from her still eyeing the living room. "Thanks," He said quietly.
"You must be thirsty," She said motioning for him to follow her to the kitchen. "I have cold Dr. Pepper." She gave him a quick look as she entered her large and spotlessly clean kitchen. "I know it is your favorite."
Julie grabbed a bottle from the fridge, noticing Mark eyeing the cake she had on the counter as well. She poured him a cup and then handed it to him. She poured herself a glass of chardonnay. "So how have you been?" She asked taking a seat at the kitchen table.
"Okay I guess," He shrugged. He took a sip of his drink.
"You were never the talkative one," She said with a thin smile. "Luke was the one who would never shut up."
Mark gave her a pained look, yet despite the feeling, he soon found himself laughing. "That is true," He said thinking back to his recent conversations with him.
"You were more like your mother than Luke was as a child," She said in between sips. "Both always so serious and emotional." She paused and looked at Mark who was watching her intently. "Yet then there was Luke who could light up the room with his twisted sense of humor." She paused and shook her head. "But then the two of you guys were together, which was pretty much always. I liked to call you guys the gruesome twosome."
"Yeah," Mark said softly.
Julie saw how emotional he was getting as he spoke about his brother. It was a mistake to do so. "I'm sorry," She said feeling bad. She wanted to change the subject. "So tell me where have you been recently?"
Mark sighed and took another drink. "With a man named Amable." He simply answered.
"Amable?" She asked fearfully knowing that he was only bad news. "You were with him?"
"Yeah," He said with another shrug. "But I didn't stay there too long." He thought back to how alone he felt there. He gave her a curious look. "Why didn't you ever try to find me?"
"What do you mean?" She asked in between sips.
"Don't evade my question," He said shaking his head. "I was on the run. All alone. My entire family shot and killed. There was no one for me to turn to." He gave her a cold look. "I went to your safe house, but it was empty. Where were you?"
Julie feared that this conversation would happen. It was only a matter of time before he came to her. "I went into hiding," She said with a sigh. "The FBI were all over your mother and arresting those were involved in her. From the moment they ransacked the house, they had everything."
"Oh please," Mark said not believing her. "You call yourself family, yet when I needed you most, you just like my bastard of a dad, was nowhere to be found."
"That is not true," She said trying to defend herself. She didn't want to get him angry. "Please you have to understand. I was looking out for you."
"I doubt that," He said dangerously. He took a sip of his drink. "You were only looking out for yourself."
Mark stood u abruptly and smashed the glass on her face. The force sent her to the floor, knocking her unconscious. He made his way to her and eyed her with disturbed satisfaction as blood dripped out from cuts on her face. He grabbed her from underneath her armpits and repositioned her in the chair she was just sitting in. It took a few moments of looking through the drawers frantically, but he found heavy duty duck-tape and then used half of the roll to secure her.
Julie groaned and woke a little bit later, to find Mark sitting across from her with a joyful look on his face. He had the cake on the table and two plates. On each plate was a large piece of vanilla cake. He pushed the plate close to her and then tossed a fork to her. It fell off the table, landing on the floor.
"I would ask you to pick it up," He sneered, "But you wouldn't be able to, although it would be fun to watch." He took a forkful of cake and smiled as he ate it. "Moist and sweet. Just the way I like it." He winked at her similar to the way Luke would.
"Why Mark?" She asked fearfully. He heard hurt badly, feeling like a large knife was cutting into it.
"I felt like it," He said taking another forkful. He chewed on it slowly, savoring its taste.
"That isn't good enough," She said with sniffle.
"Damn party pooper," Mark said standing up abruptly. "Fine you want the truth. I am going to give it to you." He stepped up to her. "You may have called yourself family, but I never saw it that way. Neither did Luke."
"That is not true," Julie said emotionally. "I loved you guys. Your mother was my best friend."
"Shut up," He said slapping her on the face. "Some kind of friend you were, when you are sleeping with Luke." He pointed a threatening finger at her. "You were nothing more than a two timing whore, using my family for the money and safety."
"That is a lie and you know it," Julie said loudly trying defend herself. Her ears were ringing from the slap.
Mark made a face and turned away from her angrily. "Mother had no idea that you were using us." He paced around the kitchen. "She may have not seen it and Luke never saw past your tits. So he is out of the question." He looked at Julie and saw Luke sitting across from her in the chair he was just sitting in.
"She does have a fantastic pair," Luke said taking a forkful of cake. "I motor boated the hell out of them." He laughed loudly.
"Shut up," Mark said looking at his brother not in the mood. "Please for once in your life."
Luke gave him an understanding look and grew quiet as he ate the cake. Julie noticed Mark's weird behavior and despite the situation she was in, she felt bad for him. He had lost so much, that it was driving him crazy.
"Listen to me Mark," Julie said softly. "If you let me go, I will pretend this never happened." She gave him a comforting smile. "I will do whatever you want."
"Is that what you told Luke when you let him touch you?" Mark asked glared at her. "My god he was just a child. You destroyed his life."
"No she didn't," Luke said defending himself. He looked at her tits again and licked the chocolate frosting of his lips. "I enjoyed every moment with her. It was quite explosive."
"Stop it Luke," Mark said looking at him harshly. "Please, let me do this alone."
"Fine whatever," Luke mumbled with a shrug.
"You are sick," Julie said in a motherly tone. "Let me loose and I will help you out." She swallowed nervously hoping he bought it.
"I see past your lies," Mark said with a bitter laugh. "My mom didn't and neither did my brother." He approached her and grabbed her by the throat choking her. "God damn woman. You played on us for years." He leaned close to her. "Don't you feel guilty about it?" He let go and then walked away from her.
Julie eyed him scared for her life as she began to breathe again. "You are wrong about everything," She said continuing to defend herself. She knew how dangerous he was, especially when he had nothing left to lose. "I was always there for you guys and nearly gave my life for you guys." She took a deep breath. "Stop and think clearly about everything we have been through together."
Mark turned to her and shook his head. "You destroyed my family," He said angrily
"Not true," She said shaking her head. "The FBI did that, especially Ryan Hardy." She cursed herself for saying that.
Mark jumped at her and punched her on the back of the head hard. The force sent her into the table. She hit her mouth and nose against with a sickening crunch. He grabbed her and sat the chair straight. She moaned and spat out blood and a couple of teeth on the table.
"Damn," Luke said proudly. "Nice one."
Mark looked at him with a large smile. "Yeah it did feel good," He rubbed his sore wrist. "This tramp deserved it."
Luke stood up and approached her. He leaned close and looked her in the face that was covered in blood. "Pity," He said with a small shrug. "You were once beautiful."
"God damn it Luke," Mark nearly shouted at him causing his brother to laugh. "Stop telling me all about the sex you had with her. I don't want to hear it."
"But we are twins," He said reaching out and pretending to touch her breasts. "We tell each other everything." He laughed again and then walked away from her.
"Please," Julie begged in a daze as blood dribbled out of her mouth as she spoke.
"No," Mark said grabbing a knife from one of the kitchen drawers. "Enough of this crap. I am done with it." He slit her throat with a single swift motion. "I didn't come here to get reacquainted with you." He leaned close to her watching intently as the blood dripped from the cut down her blouse. "I came here to kill you."
Luke leaned close to her opposite of where Mark was standing and eyed the blood on her breasts. "Pity," He repeated unhappily. "Such a fantastic pair wasted." He then laughed and looked at his brother. "Although, I would play with them just like I used to. Blood never bothered me."
"Shut up," Mark said unhappily ignoring his brother's large grin.
Hey! Hoped you like the chapter! More to come soon! Oh yes the battle! Molly vrs Amable! Who will win?!
Shaw18