Chapter 149: Rest in Peace

I take deep breaths to calm my nerves but it’s barely helping. I don’t want to startle him or make him angry for fear he will drop her.

“Brian, please. Let’s talk about this. I’m sure we can work something out,” I say gently and carefully.

“Do you remember when you told me you wanted to come here?” he says without responding to my words. He has a wild look in his eyes so I decide to answer him and keep him talking for as long as possible.

“Yes, I was a little girl,” I reply.

“You confessed you were tired of living in the wilderness, so isolated. I couldn’t understand it because I loved being secluded in the woods. You said you thought you were meant for something more, to explore the world and make a difference,” he remarks.

“I was young,” I say.

“Yes. We both were. Innocent and unknowing about how cruel the world really is. How unfair life can be,” he says quietly and I move a little closer as he looks out onto the city. His head whips back and he shakes it.

“Stay where you are sister, or your daughter will pay the price,” he tells me gravely. I freeze where I’m standing.

“What is your plan? Are you going to murder an innocent child, your niece, just to get back at me?” I ask him. He ignores me and continues with his mad tirade.

“Your dream was to make it to the top of this building. Do you feel fulfilled now? Are you making a difference in the world?” he sneers at me.

“I just want to live a quiet life and take care of my family. That includes you, Brian. I want us to be a family again, forgive each other and be happy,” I reply sincerely. He laughs maniacally and it strikes me that I’ve underestimated how far gone his mind is at this point. Either way, one of us will die today.

“Did you take care of your family when you sentenced our mother and father to their deaths? Do you think our pack members would forgive you for letting them get annihilated? And their only crime was an association with you? How can I be in the same room with you, let alone be happy with you?” he rages on, getting ever closer to the edge.

I don’t respond for fear that anything I say might tip the scales.

“You don’t deserve a happy life. You deserve to pay for what you’ve done, for all the lives you’ve ruined and the deaths you’ve caused. Am I wrong?” he asks.

“You’re not wrong, it’s all my fault. But you have to know I never meant for any of this to happen. Brian, I loved our family and I love you. You’re my brother. Please believe me,” I plead.

“I don’t...I can’t,” he replies but I hear the hesitation in his voice and wonder if there’s still hope after all.

“Why don’t you come down from the ledge? At least leave Anna out of it. She didn’t do anything wrong. This is between you and I. No more innocent lives need to be lost,” I say. He seems to think about what I’ve said and stays still for a moment. Then his expression turns nasty again.

“You really have some nerve, naming her after our mother. And you preach about innocent lives being lost? Our mother was pregnant when she died! You murdered her unborn baby, and our sibling,” he spits at me and shock rolls through my body.

“How do you know that?” I ask as tears fall down my cheeks. This information is painful to swallow and Brian knows it, wanting to push the knife of guilt in even further.

“I overheard when she told father, the week before the attack. I’ve never told a soul until now,” he replies angrily.

“I’m so sorry...I had no idea...I’m just so sorry for everything Brian,” I say with a defeated tone.

“It’s too late,” he replies coldly.

“It’s never too late! I refuse to believe that. We were so close once and we can be again. I know you, Brian. I know deep down you’re a good person. I know you don’t want to do this. If you do, you can never, ever take it back. I know you’re capable of forgiveness. Please,” I say and my last word dies on a whisper of anguish.

“You ruined my life! And now it’s time for you to pay! It’s time I took away everything you love, just like you did to me!” he shouts like a lunatic and I flinch.

Anna starts crying and I step forward involuntarily. Brian sways on the ledge and I’m so terrified I cry out. Brian has a deranged look on his face and he looks like he is about to leap off the building.

Suddenly, something miraculous happens. Anna starts to glow from the inside out. A perfect halo of light surrounds her tiny body and I see Brian’s expression morph into one of calm indifference. He seems to be in a trance as he holds Anna out from his body.

I take a step, and then another, pausing each time to see his reaction. He doesn’t seem to notice me moving towards him so I keep going.

Then everything happens all at once.

He starts to drop Anna and I run to catch her before she hits the ground. At the same time, I hear a crash behind me. I hear Derek roar loudly and as my hands grasp Anna just in time. I quickly look behind me to see him tearing through the emergency stair entrance. The crash snaps Brian out of his daze and he looks at us both angrily, raising his gun at Anna and I.

Brian fires the gun at me and I turn around to shield her body with my own, so I don’t see Derek leaping in front of us. Just as I look back, time stops and I see the bullet flying towards his chest. Derek hits the ground with a sickening thud and I scream his name. Anna cries even harder and I look up at Brian to see if I’m next.

He looks down at the gun, at Derek lying on the ground not moving and back up at me and Anna. All the blood drains from his face as he realizes what he’s done. I am frozen in place and praying for salvation. Praying that he won’t take both of Anna’s parents from her.

“Goodbye sister,” he says. I place Anna gently on the ground behind me and stand in front of him with tears in my eyes, waiting for him to take the final shot.

He gives me a sad smile, puts the gun to his temple and pulls the trigger. As he falls backwards I make a choked sound, holding out my hand to try and catch him. My fingers brush his shirt and as he plunges over the edge, he has a peaceful expression.