Chapter Two #3
Washing his hands again, another man came in, and headed right for that stall. When he closed the door, he heard him get annoyed.
“Who the fuck removed that slut’s number?” he muttered.
When the door opened, Michael was standing there.
“Me. Do you have a problem with that?” he asked, shoving the man backward so he landed his ass on the toilet.
His eyes went huge.
“Start telling anyone and everyone that ‘the slut’ has someone who will beat their asses if they call him again. Am I clear, LAD?” he asked, his knife out, and the blade pointed right at him. “Or I can make you scream like a stuck pig. Pick your poison.”
He shook his head, wildly.
“I’ll spread it around! I swear! Put it away! I won’t call him or look for him!”
And that’s what he wanted to hear.
Then, Michael walked out.
At the table, he tossed some money on it, and continued past Gabby and Finn.
He had to get back to the house.
Apparently, he had to have a ‘come to Jesus talk’ with Graham. He was pissing his life away, and doing something so incredibly dangerous.
While they weren’t a couple, someone had to intervene. He’d heard plenty tonight about the man’s penchant for self-destruction.
He needed to say something.
Because someone was on a collision course with death.
Why did he care?
Michael had no idea.
But unfortunately, he did.
Way.
Too.
Much.
* * * The Ravensmire Castle * * *
Eight P.M.
The Grounds
Well, Graham ‘I’m a constant disappointment’ Lainey was drunk again.
Oh, and that was so stupid, but Graham didn’t give a shit. Honestly, he didn’t care about himself enough to care that this was his last night.
All he wanted was the pain to stop.
He knew drinking took him to this place, and his only hope was he’d get so shitfaced drunk that demon on his shoulder would finally win.
Then, he could have silence, for a change.
For four weeks, he’d fought valiantly, and now, he was done. This castle, his life, and everything he’d ever done was too much weight to bear.
So, he took the bottle for a little stroll. This was his last patrol around the grounds but this time, to see it all one last time.
He said goodbye to all of his animals, hugging Romeo and Juliet, as he prayed either Gabby or Finn would show up tomorrow and find them unfed.
Then, he continued on, taking the dark path deeper and deeper into the trees.
As he got to the clearing not far from where they’d found and uncovered Ceit’s body, he stood on the ledge overlooking the valley below.
At night, with the stars coming out, and the moon making its appearance, he took it all in.
This place had given him peace, until he’d gotten his wish of finding out if D’Artangnan was okay.
Now, the peace was gone.
Here, on the cliffs that overlooked the town, it was a good place to spend the last few minutes of his life. In those minutes, he thought about his choices, and how badly he had fucked up.
It started the minute he came out to his parents, and they told him to leave for being a disappointment.
It continued as he went into the military and tried to hide his shame with honor for the flag.
Now, it ended with him seeing the most handsome man walk back into his life, and stare him dead in the face only to leave again.
Like D’Artangnan had said...
He wasn’t staying there, and ironically, neither was Graham. He was checking out because he couldn’t bear to do another day on this planet.
His tour was over.
He’d fought valiantly.
And he lost the war.
Now, it was only about checking out, and the bottle of courage would hopefully help him.
There was a big rock there, and it would be the perfect place to leap to his death. The best part was the abyss was dark below him.
He’d never see the end coming.
Standing on it, he raised his hands up in the air, and screamed. It was so feral that it made the trees and forest around him go silent.
Not an animal stirred.
Not a single creature moved.
Instead, they listened to the feral wail of a monster made in pain, and dying in it.
This was the savage wail of something giving up, and there was no doubt to everyone else, it was undeniably terrifying.
To him, it was the release of courage.
Because he was done.
As that pain-filled wail echoed across the lands, Graham stood there. In one hand was his bottle, and in the other was a medal.
It was D’Artangnan’s.
It was a purple heart, and he’d given him it when they had nothing else to give that was of value.
It was symbolic of the battles he’d fought, and how he’d been wounded trying to save Graham from dying during a particularly horrible battle.
He honestly wished he never did save him. He could have at least died a hero, and would have been stopped from hurting D’Artangnan like he had.
During that one firefight, he wished that he’d never put his body over his to save him.
In all actuality, he should have let him die.
It would have been kinder.
Because living without him for the last seven and a half years had been so brutal that it had eroded him to absolutely nothing.
He was empty.
It caused him to break down to just a soulless man with nothing left to live or die for in his life.
“WHY!” he screamed. “Why did you bring him back to torment me? Why did you bring him back to take away what little I had left in me?”
There was still silence all around him.
The universe didn’t answer, and he knew it never would.
He was the laughingstock of fate, and this was just one more proven moment that he was the butt of the joke.
And Graham couldn’t do it anymore.
He simply didn’t have the strength to go on.
There was nothing left.
Meanwhile…
When Michael arrived back at the castle, he was staring at the monstrosity, and not sure why he’d come back here.
What did he plan on doing?
This was stupid.
After leaving the pub, he had this overwhelming need to get back on the bike, and head up the mountain to this monstrosity.
Why?
He had no idea.
Only, he’d learned through war and life that when the gut said do something, like duck, or run, you did just that.
So, here he was.
Now, he was about to face down Graham, and while he was still angry and hurt, he knew that he was in far better shape than the man was.
From what Finn had told him, and from what Callen had mentioned, he got a clearer picture. Add in the shit he’d heard in the pub bathroom…
Something had to be done.
And while he would forever hurt because of what Graham had chosen, by giving him an ultimatum that he couldn’t handle, he wasn’t ready to let him die.
But Graham was.
Clearly.
So, he’d talk to him, and then, he’d get his ass back on the jet, so he could go ANYWHERE but here. He’d forgive him not for himself, but for Graham. The moments they’d had were amazing, and if he let him die, that would all be tarnished.
Too many soldiers took their lives, and he didn’t want his ex to be a statistic—and on his shoulders as guilt.
Coming to this place wasn’t good for Michael, and he instinctually knew that.
This was his last mission with this man, and then, he would be finally free.
‘To err was human, but to forgive was divine.’
And now, it was time to let it go.
Maybe that was why he couldn’t find a mate. He was still rage-filled over Graham.
Well, that stopped tonight.
Seeing him hurt, but he was strong enough to walk away. He’d found love again, albeit for a very short time. Maybe, just maybe, there was someone out there who could save him back.
That’s all he wanted.
Michael had to always be the hero, and instead, he needed to be saved once in a while too. If he could find one person to save him, that would be his sign.
That would save him from being alone, and he knew it. That would be his new mission, once he set Graham free. Michael was tired of being angry.
Too.
Damn.
Tired.
It was time to set both of their burdens free.
Walking around the castle, he found the back of the place, where he’d walked into the biggest shock of his life. Just as he was about to go through the gate, he heard it.
There was a primal wail so horrifying, he went for a gun—one he wasn’t wearing.
As he listened, it echoed, and it was terrifying. It was that of some wounded animal.
That resonated.
Then, that’s when it hit him.
That was Graham.
Moving closer to the barn, he listened, and he saw a path down to a lake, and one that headed into the trees.
At first, he wasn’t sure he’d heard what he’d heard. After all, he’d been debriefed by Tony as to what was going on here by way of spooks and ghosts.
Speaking of the devils…
That’s when he saw them.
And it caught him off guard.
On the path that led into the trees, there were two shadowy figures standing there. They stood side-by-side, and were wearing cloaks that covered their faces and bodies. On top of that, they were…translucent.
What the fuck?
Was he seeing things?
When the one raised his hand, he watched as it motioned him toward them.
Uh…
Did they think he was going to follow two apparitions into the trees at dark toward that feral scream?
Uh…no.
Only, he heard it again, and once more, he knew who it was, and that he couldn’t ignore it.
It was worse. This time, it sounded even more desperate.
Graham had to be in some serious trouble, because the only time he’d ever heard him scream like that was when he’d been under fire, and Michael put his body over his to take the bullets that nearly took his life.
The first time.
Well, shit.
The second figure pointed toward the path, and they separated, as if giving him a clear walkway into the trees to get to it.
Michael couldn’t believe he was going to do this. Had he lost his mind?
Clearly, he was batshit insane.
But he did.
Moving toward them, he got so close he could feel a crackle of energy as he passed them. He could hear whispers, as if they were talking to each other, but he wasn’t one hundred percent sure they were.
The craziest part of all of this was that he was actually doing what they asked.
What the hell was wrong with him?