13. A Hard Choice
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A Hard Choice
“Take a hit.”
Caleb looked at the joint Keith held in front of his face as he blew smoke from his lips.
“No. I wanna be sober for this,” Caleb said, pushing Keith’s hand away.
Deja sat quietly in the couch corner, her feet folded beneath her.
The air was thick with tension. “Start from the beginning,” Caleb demanded, glaring at Jax.
“Don’t skip any details. No sugar-coating. No codewords. No bullshit.”
Jax looked at Caleb as his fingers laced together. “...I’ll start with the trial…”
“Statute 4.11: Roselyn’s Decree, on which a Reaper bases their purpose to save the earth and cleanse humanity. No restrictions. Statute 2.2: Prohibition of breaching Society contractual targets. Can only be counteracted by Statute 5.13: Protect the Familial Division-”
“You can’t rely solely on Statute 5.13,” Ian interrupted Caleb’s rantings. “Jamie didn’t kill Senator Edmond to protect anyone, let alone family.”
“But I can argue that the Senator was potentially targeting-” Caleb started.
“Caleb,” Ian said firmly. “The Board doesn’t care about potential. They want hard evidence. You need better than that.”
Caleb’s shoulders slumped as he looked down at the massive book in his hand, graffitied with all the notes he had taken over the past few days. He frantically turned the pages to another bookmarked section. “Here. Statute 3.7-”
The door to Ian’s room opened, and the boys fell silent as Jax stood in the entryway, wearing a sharp suit with his hair combed back.
Sitting at his desk, Ian looked from Jax at the door to Caleb sitting on his bed that was scattered with books and papers, with tension between their gazes.
Jax cleared his throat. “I… just wanted to wish you luck before I left.”
Caleb looked at Jax apprehensively. “Yeah… thanks…” Jax’s gaze lingered on Caleb before he nodded and turned to leave.
“Jax,” Caleb called out. Turning around, Jax reluctantly looked at his cousin.
“...you’re going to save him… right?” Caleb asked anxiously, his eyes shimmering with apprehension.
“I mean I’m-... I’m going to fight hard b-but…
you’re going to fight for him too… right? ”
Jax’s nostrils flared with anxiety. “Of course, I am. I’ll do everything in my power to save him,” Jax said. Caleb’s shoulders relaxed as he smiled in relief. Jax returned an uncertain smile of his own before he finally left.
His shoes clacked against the marble floor, his leather binder tucked beneath his arm as he headed towards the double doors of the Great Hall. Jax stopped in front of the doormen. “Moladh Roselyn,” he nodded.
“Moladh Roselyn,” they responded, opening the doors.
Spotting the Board members, Jax headed in their direction. “Jax Donovan! Lovely to see you,” Illiana Hughes smiled at him.
Jax nodded respectfully. “Morning, Madame Hughes.” Taking his seat at the table crowded with his superiors, Jax tried not to think about the fact that he was the youngest one there and the newest in the group.
That everyone at the table had at least 30 years of experience in the Society over him.
Straightening his shoulders, he tilted his head with self-assurance.
They clearly recruited him to join the Board for a reason.
“I think a public execution is perfect,” Ronald smiled. “Blindfolded and gunned down.”
“I hate guns. They’re too loud,” Barbara protested. “Make it quick. Slice his throat.”
“Or make it a spectacle. Light him on fire,” Ross mused.
“That’s brutal… I love it,” Ronald grinned.
Jax looked at them, both appalled and confused. “Excuse me: Madame, Sirs. If I may… Should we not be discussing the case before we even think about an execution?”
The Elder Reapers chuckled, amused as if he were a child who had just performed an amateur trick. “My dear boy…” Ronald smiled. “Jamie’s fate was determined long before his latest indiscretion. The trial is merely a formality.”
Jax looked at them, startled. “I… I don’t understand. You allowed Caleb to represent his brother. He’s been studying our laws for-”
“That’s cute,” Illiana smiled. “I love when our youth dive headfirst into our teachings. This will be a wonderful lesson for him.”
Jax sharply exhaled, trying to find his courage. “I do not agree with his execution. I believe he should receive a fair trial without bias.”
“It’s already been agreed, Jax,” Ross said tightly.
“Does my vote still count for anything?” Jax asked. “Because I vote ‘no’.”
“Then you do not deserve to succeed your father,” Ronald said firmly. “Don’t be an arrogant prick. Remember your place, boy. Your presence is merely for show. ”
Jax tried to mask his feelings as he clenched his fists with rage.
The fact that his Reaper instinct was to rip his cousins’ grandfather’s head clean from his shoulders made him wonder if perhaps he wasn’t ready to sit among the Board.
Jax bit his tongue, trying to think logically.
“My apologies… I did not mean to speak out of turn…” he said, looking at Ronald.
“I dare not question your judgment. Rather… I speak as the defendant’s cousin and ask you to remember that he is your grandson. ”
Ronald lowered his eyes in disgust. “You call me boy…” Jax said cautiously. “...yet Jamie is younger than I. He has made mistakes, but he just needs direction. Not persecution.”
“It is his brother Caleb who is to speak in his defense, Jax Donovan… Not you,” Illiana reminded him.
“Yes, Madame, I’m aware,” Jax said hesitantly. “Roselyn speaks to me… and as I’m reminded of how hard she fought to save the ones she loved before they were torn away from her, I can’t help but do the same.”
He felt the Board visibly shift at the mention of their deity. Jax played on what remaining humanity they had left. “I love my god as you do, but I do not know another that expresses his love for her as much as Jamie.”
Barbara scoffed. “Jamie soils Roselyn’s name. He’s out of control.”
“He’s an extremist,” Jax said quickly. “Roselyn speaks to us all, but Jamie, he… lives and breathes her word.”
“That ‘extremism’ is tainting his brother, who, at this rate, may soon join him if we lose control of him as well,” Ronald warned.
Suddenly, it dawned on Jax what this was really about. Caleb was the more docile of the twins. He took orders like a Good Boy. Killed without questioning his superiors. While they had lost control of Jamie, Caleb still maintained under their rein.
But Caleb was also the most impressionable. More loyal to his brother than to the Society. The Society would try to salvage one… or get rid of them both. Jamie never stood a chance.
Jax swallowed hard, trying to reconcile with this realization as he found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. He thought about his promise to Caleb. His promise to Jamie. The reassured looks on Ian and Keith’s faces that he would bring their cousin back.
He finally looked at the Board. “...may I make a proposition?”
Jax entered the cold, windowless room, his eyes scanning the dark until he spotted his cousin. Chained to the wall… like a dog.
“If it isn’t Mr. Perfect…” Jamie’s voice echoed. “Come to watch me beg for my life?”
Jax cautiously approached Jamie, who had used his bleeding finger to draw on the floor. They had removed all weapons. But that didn’t stop Jamie from tearing his skin with his teeth. “Where’s your camera? I’m sure you’ll want to get my groveling on film,” Jamie mused.
“You think so little of me…” Jax muttered. Crouching down in front of Jamie, Jax looked at the bloody stick figures Jamie had drawn on the ground, which he could only assume to be Jamie and Caleb. Jax looked at Jamie. “They’ve chosen to execute you…”
Jamie grinned knowingly. “I bet Old Man Ron with his limp pedo dick was at the forefront of that charge. I knew I should have cut his shit off when I found him in the shower fucking that 18-year-old.”
Jax sighed. “And what did you say?” Jamie probed.
“They’re not giving me a choice.”
Jamie snorted. “Bullshit. You’re on the fucking board.”
“Jamie, they’ve deemed you a lost cause. You’re too unstable-”
“You mean I’m not fucking brainwashed!” Jamie snapped.
“Kill the bartender. Kill the restaurant owner. Kill the doctor. Kill the nurse. Kill the schoolteacher. Kill, kill, kill, Jamie, old boy. Do as we say. Our little weapon. Our loaded gun. Kill without thinking. Kill without asking. You have no soul. No heart. No brain. Just kill. Kill. Kill.” Jamie snorted.
“I listen to Roselyn only. Society be fucking damned.”
Jax fell silent, watching Jamie draw with his blood. “...what are you here for then…?” Jamie muttered.
“I asked them to let you live…” Jax said. Jamie looked at him, and Jax hesitated to continue. “...on the condition that you… never see Caleb again…”
Jamie scoffed in blatant offense. “Fuck you-”
“You would have to disappear from his life, from the Society. Completely erase your existence,” Jax continued.
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Jamie growled.
“We would fake your death. Make it look convincing,” Jax added. “Caleb has to believe it, so he doesn’t go looking for you-”
“Fuck you!” Jamie roared. Jax pulled back as Jamie leered at him, only to be yanked back by his chains.
Breathing heavily, Jax held Jamie’s enraged gaze. “Jamie… I don’t want to do this-”
“Don’t pretend like you’re some self-sacrificial lamb,” Jamie sneered. “You’ve always wanted this. To be so elevated, so worshiped, so praised. As if Caleb’s obsession with you wasn’t enough, you have to take the last remaining joy in my life from me!”
“I’m trying to save you!” Jax snapped. “Both of you!”
Jamie scoffed as he looked down and bit another hole into his finger, angry tears streaking down his reddened face. Using his blood, he scratched out the faces of his drawing.
“...and in the end… you’re killing us both…” Jamie muttered.