Chapter 24
Reynolds walked into the questioning room where Andrew was, seated and handcuffed. Studying him,he sat at he other side of the table and broke the silence,"Tell me everything. Let's see how we can get you out of this."
Andrew chuckled bitterly and looked up at him,"Yunno, I do not even know why I should be here right now. Your entire department is aware of all they've done. Killing him was saving my own life. I mean that's self-defense. It's meant to be considered, isn't it?"
Reynolds sighed and leaned back in his chair,"Truth is; I am very aware the point you killed him might not have been in the process of self-defense, maybe something more of aggregated pain and anger. We all know Simon and Alex were not the best pair of humans and we were going to handle that. You were not expected to start up a huge state war and kill the two culprits. That could land you in a death sentence."
Andrew laughed,not of mockery or belittlement,but because Reynolds did not know what he was talking about. Leaning in suddenly, he snarled,"Alex kidnapped Angus,
Daniella and his very own father. Now for my brother,he was the crazy masked thing we spent half of this month searching for. He killed the three girls... And was still stressing his ass to kill me? He shot Angus and right now,I do not even know if he is still alive. And you think a foe like that should live on so he could kill more people before you think you have to put an end to it. I should have waited for him to kill me?"
Reynolds shook his head in frustration,"Look. I understand. But right now,what to do.. Get a lawyer or something. I pray the self-defense privilege will set you free."
Pushing himself up,he walked to the door. Placing a hand on the knob,he turned to Andrew one more time,"But that was a dangerous step my boy."
After he glowered at the detective who left the room,he placed his head on the table in weariness and confusion. If only money was the criterion to get out of a mess like this.
Meanwhile, Carter watched him from outside and somehow smirked in satisfaction.
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Ashley's attorney,Richard Marcel,felt exactly willing and desperate to speak on behalf of Andrew,"The boy's a good kid. I'd be more than happy to help him win this case."
Daniella and Alfonso smiled at each other and faced the lawyer again. Not really what they expected, or maybe not at a short notice like this,but it happened. An experienced lawyer on their side, Andrew had already won.
It was not until the following day that Dani remembered she had a brother. Andrew's arrest occupied most of her mind the period after it happened to then.
Turning to Alfonso who was driving,she asked,"Uhmm I have not seen Angus since yesterday, any idea?"
Alfonso gasped fearfully,she was not aware,"He was shot." He tried to make out how she felt from her expression. However,it looked unreadable. He therefore continued,"Simon put a bullet straight into his chest. He was taken by the ambulance afterwards."
No tears escaped her eyes,even to her surprise. Was she that shocked? Still,some threatened to push through and make their way down her cheeks. But she had to be strong,for Andrew,"How is he?"
Alfonso stated sadly,"From the looks of it,he may not make it. But we are hoping for the best. He'd be fine. I'm sorry."
Daniella nodded,a sign of liquid in her left eye,then she gulped, Angus. She tried to imagine her mediocre life without Angus beside her,and maybe Andrew,if they lost.
Simon deserved something more than death,she thought.
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Andrew walked through the corridor,dressed in the prisoner uniform. He ignored invisible bullets coming from the eyes of prisoners he had once beaten up some time in their lives; things he had to get accustomed to soon.
One of them snarled at him from behind the bars, another barked,others smirked,their intentions of revenge clearly on their faces. He knew he did not belong there. To the best of his knowledge,he had done bad things to only bad people who deserved it. He was not a criminal.
Groaning at the junk he was given as food,he thought of his impoverished life. He pushed the plate away and leaned back in his chair,noticing the set of prisoners coming his way; trouble! That was his middle name,if they were that ignorant.
Someone who looked like the leader of the fools sat across from him and began chunking down Andrew's food, his intentions to anger very clear.
Andrew however,raised a brow,"Thanks a lot. I wasn't eating that junk anyway." Then he got up and began his exist from the lunch room when he was waylaid by someone he recognized to be Cruise Marrosi. That stupid,literal scumbag didn't die! He thought.
The devil snarled,"You are not with your clan or gun anymore. You are in a territory where I decide what happens."
Cruise nodded his head to Andrew's food thief who was approaching them, cracking his knuckles.
Andrew studied the tall,built figure and smirked appreciably.
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Richard Marcel noticed his open door as he got home. How careless his family had been, leaving the door open like that?
Walking in, he gave it an appropriate lock,"Honey! I'm home."
He unbuckled his watch and placed his briefcase down,"Samantha, Brody!"
After struggling with his tie,he frowned at the scattered lobby. The sense of emptiness in his house,the open door,the scattered lobby. Then he lowered his head in frustration.
He knew from the start he had risked everything when he accepted to help Andrew. These signs made it obvious his entire family had been taken.
The line wobbled and rang, a call he was expecting.
Snatching the telephone,he spoke into it,"Hello."
The caller was stern,"If the judge gives anything other than a death sentence to Andrew, I'd give it to your entire family." Immediately,the call ended.
Richard felt a pain in his throat. Landing hard on the chaise lounge,he buried his head in his hands. A lawyer,against his own client?
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The food thief groaned on the floor, a hand pressing his face against it and a knee pinning his back down.
The entire room cheered and screamed. It was a long time since they had experienced such fun.
Andrew pressed his opponent harder to the ground,"I'd make you spit out every ounce of what you just ate now if you do not get this straight... I'm subject to no one. I'm boss, back home or in jail. I make the rules,you go by them. Do you follow?"
The man nodded, sweating profusely.
Satisfied,Andrew got up and stared hard at Cruise who smirked in admiration, then walked out.
Cruise nodded to the prisoners and declared,"Hah! Sometimes he amuses me."
Andrew came across Reynolds on his way out.
His intentions to ignore him were spoilt when the detective called him,"Your trial's tomorrow. I'd like for you to meet your lawyer." Andrew narrowed his eyes at him and reluctantly followed him out.
Richard tore his gaze from the calendar as Andrew walked in,"Good Afternoon Andrew, how do you do?"
Andrew frowned and sighed,"Anything but fine. I trust your expertise. So I can be sure of my liberty tomorrow?"
Richard felt that guilt burn in his chest. He nodded,"I suppose." Thinking for a while, he continued,"I just came to ask you a few questions that could be of help."
"Go on," Andrew declared.
Richard asked,"I hear you killed both lads,self defense?"
He bowed,then looked up,"Just one of them."
The lawyer asked again,"How exactly was this riot initiated?"
"They took Dani so they could kill me when I came to save her,"Andrew began,"Luckily,I did not listen to them. I secretly went with my friends. Then, just like that,the entire clash between the two groups began."
Richard swallowed the juicy,"That would be all for now Mr. Andrew. I'd handle the rest myself. I hope you are ready for tomorrow?"
Andrew confided,"More or less... I can't believe I'm saying this but... I'm... Scared."
Richard nodded,"I understand. It's going to be fine."
Nodding,Andrew hoped so.
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Daniella understood the peril of being alone, Angus,Andrew,gone! The house was empty,quiet. So quiet she could hear the wind.
The sight she'd seen of her brother today hopped back into her mind; unconscious, useless and dumped on a hospital bed.
If he survived,it was going to be by a miracle,and how rarely those occured. All because of that...
She watched the painting Andrew had given her; what about him? The trial was the next day and she felt it was ages from then.
What if he couldn't make it? What if the crime was too despicable he was given a long-term jail sentence?
She would have  to move on with her life in the end. And when he ends up out of jail finally,he would curse all the wasted long years.
What going to happen. Sliding to the floor,she sobbed sadly.