Chapter 2
One month later….
Darkness surrounds him. As his heart beats only to pump blood through his veins, he breathes in and out as if on autopilot.
People are passing by. The rooms to the left and right, are filled with patients, nurses and doctors running to and from—but it all just muddles in his ears.
Sebastian Monroe walks through the long, dank corridors of the Austin Hospital. How he got here, he doesn't know.
The blur in his eyes is making it difficult to see, forcing a dizziness to unsteady feet. Yet the violent pulse of his neck pushes him forward.
Hall after hall, Is this ever going to end?
It's growing darker and his rage beats stronger. This pain inside me is never going to end.
Then he sees. There is a small glimmer of light underneath the crocked door. He can hear him talking, laughing and it is making him burn inside with anger. It sends a jolt through his spine, sobering him to the feel of a gun clinched in his hand.
He tightens the grip around the gun and kicks the door open. His target is sitting in a leather chair in front of him and before he can utter a word Bass points his gun and pulls the trigger and blood spatters all over him. With one shot he is dead. His target is down. His son's killer is down.
Bass turns around and exits the room. The gun in his hand. Blood running down it.
Bass wakes up in a cold sweat. Panting and breathing heavily. He lights a candle next to his bed that illuminates the tent. He gets up from his bed and takes a pitcher of water and pours it into a large bowl. He washes his face and looks at himself in the mirror. He barely recognizes the man in the reflection.
It's been a month since his son was brought to him on a wagon with a bullet in his head. He will find his son's killer. He doesn't have time to morn. Even though Miles wanted to give him some space, he wanted nothing of it.
Bass puts his leather jacket on and leaves the tent. It's still dark out and except for some of the guards most of the camp is sleeping. He decides to take a walk and walks in an unknown direction.
He suddenly feels nauseated. He walks over to a nearby tree and empty's his stomach. Bass turns and leans against the tree. The cool night air is welcome.
"Here. Drink" He hears a voice saying.
He turns his head and see's Charlie standing next to him with a canteen.
"Thanks" he says and drinks the cool water and hands the canteen back to her.
"You ok? Bass nods his head slowly.
"You can talk to me you know." she says.
"Talk to you about what charlotte?" He laughs "How you lost your former lover?"
He immediately regrets his response. Great answer genius. He thinks to himself. Can you be more of a dick?
"Screw you!" Charlie says angrily and starts walking away.
Bass grabs her hand.
"I'm sorry. He says. "I'm uh-it was dumb of me." I'm sorry"
His hand feels warm. She thinks to herself. She looks at him and examines his face. He looks tired but still his blue eyes seem warm and inviting like he's looking into her soul, her heart.
Her eyes travel down to his chest. Despite him wearing a jacket, she can see his muscular abs.
her mouth opens a bit and she breaths in his scent.
She can feel the heat deep in her core.
"Charlie?" "Charlie?"
She is suddenly brought back to reality. "Where did that come from?" She thinks to herself with a bit of shock.
Where did you go? He asks and his hand is still holding hers.
A commotion from behind the trees made Bass jump and draw his gun.
"Stay here" He tells Charlie.
Bass walks slowly behind the tree with his gun aimed in the direction of the noise. In the end he sees it was just a couple of squirrels fighting for an acorn.
The sight makes him laugh for some reason. Charlie looks at him and smiles. It seemed like a nice tension breaker.
Bass thought he never laughed so hard in a very long time. But the laughter turns into something else and the tears begin falling down his face.
Charlie looks at the broken man in front of her and puts her arms around him.
"He's gone" Bass says sobbing on her shoulder.
"It's ok." She tells him. "It's ok"
Bass sat in silence and ate his breakfast. It was hard for him to swallow as the pain in his heart grew. He was restless to find his son's killer and Miles was no help. Sure, dealing with the patriots was important but his son came first.
He had to do something.
Filled with determination, Bass went to his tent and started packing and putting everything inside his backpack. He checked his gun for bullets and took extra's from his safe.
"Going somewhere?" A voice said from behind him.
Bass was startled a bit and turned to see Miles standing at the entrance of the tent.
This wasn't going to be easy.
"I need to find him Miles" He said
Miles sighed "Look Bass. I know-
"No. you don't! Bass said. He wasn't going to let Miles stop him.
"Some son of a bitch shot my son." He paused to stop the tears. "In the head" So I am going to do everything I can to find him."
"You don't even any leads." It was harsh but he needed to make a point. Try to make Bass stay.
"We don't have time for this." The patriots are beating us in this and we got to take care of them. After that I swear to you I'll help you find your son's killer" Miles thought that would do the trick but he saw the determination in his friends face.
"Yeah? When exactly?" "After we win? After we help Texas?" Bass was not having it.
Miles decided to change his approach.
"I can't do this without you" He was feeling a bit desperate.
Bass understood but this was his mission and he was the one that needed to do it.
He finished packing his things and looked at Miles
He patted Miles on the back and said "Well brother, this is one thing you're going to have to do without me." and with that, he left the tent and headed to an unknown destination.
