The ending is the beginning

A month later…

“Afternoon, Commander, I see you’re still hard at it.”

Jason turned away from where he was talking tactics with his second-in-command and blinked in surprise when he recognised his superior officer standing in the doorway.

“General, we haven’t located Shadows, yet. I thought you weren’t returning until this was over?”

Eskino smiled grimly at the T-One. “You will find him, soon enough. But, I believe it’s high time I returned to oversee progress.” He tilted his head. “As it is, you’ve been running hot for weeks. You need time off. Go to Long Beach.” He held out an envelope. “I have an old friend there I want you to meet.”

Jason lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yes. Major Thomas Ilejay.”

The commander blinked. “Ilejay…? The name doesn’t ring a bell, sir.”

“No. It wouldn’t. He was never part of the Creed.” The general smiled an almost wistful expression. “We trained together as boys. You will like him. You can learn a lot from him.”

Jason nodded, “Alright, sir.”

He wasn’t going to dismiss Eskino’s suggestion of a break. He really did need one, and perhaps it would then allow him to come back and look at the problem of Shadows and his friends through refreshed eyes. And perhaps meeting this Major Ilejay person would be interesting as well. If only because it was rare for the General to throw out personal comments on his life or people that he knew.

That in itself was reason enough to go.

“I will finish up today and head for Long Beach tomorrow, sir.”

Eskino nodded then acknowledged Jason’s 2IC before walking out again.

Jason stood there for a moment, taking stock of what just happened then he returned to his discussion with the other soldier.

* * * * *

The Major’s eyes narrowed as his phone rang. His son, who sat at his drum kit, glanced up, a questioning look in his eyes. Thom shook his head as he answered.

“Ilejay speaking.” His eyebrows shot up. “Pete? I thought you said you would never call me again. Oh…things have changed? Excuse me? You did what?” He started to pace as he listened. Then he spoke again, tone warmer. “Of course, I’ll entertain him until he figures out what to do…”

His lip curling he set himself against the edge of the wall closer to Arin. “Of course he will. You think that won’t be the case? Hah, you’re willing to send your man into the fire?” He laughed a sad sound. “Well, as long as you know what you’re doing. And, yes…he is aware of the truth.” Thom nodded slightly, listening for a moment longer before ending the call.

Arin tilted his head. “Dad?”

The Major just smirked, shifting his weight to get more comfortable. “Nothing to worry about. Show me what you’ve been working on.”

* * * * * *

Zacky stood on top of the mound, gazing out across the vast paddock that went as far as the eye could see. The fact that this place was even here, right on the outskirts of Long Beach, boggled the mind. He thought that the area would have been long since populated. Then again when the land was owned by one of the more powerful figures in the city, it stood to reason that it would be left alone. If that person had something else in mind for it.

The mechanic looked over his shoulder at his friend who was looking grim as death. Which was entirely appropriate, was it not.

“Shads…you couldn’t have done anything to save him.”

Matthew’s lips twisted in an ugly grimace. “Says the guy who was pissed at me for letting him do it in the first place.”

Zacky shook his head and returned his gaze to the distant horizon. The Long Beach skyline in clear view. He inhaled deeply before he shrugged and looked over again.

“I’m slowly coming to peace with it. It’s just hard…because…Jimmy.” He stopped and shook his head some more. “It’s like losing Luke all over again.”

Matthew closed his eyes, weary lines drawn across his features. “Yeah, but this time I didn’t pull the trigger.” The veiled anger in his voice was directed toward the Creed and one person in particular. Zacky didn’t feel sorry for Jason. He knew that if Matthew ever got hands on their former friend…

“You couldn’t have saved him.”

Matthew’s lip curled as he growled, dangerously, “Yeah, but I sure as Hell will avenge him.”

Zacky smirked slightly. “Yeah, well. We have other things to deal with first.”

His friend lifted an eyebrow. “Like?”

“Finding a new drummer, for one.”

Matthew grimaced. It was all too raw. Too soon. “Zacky. Let’s just leave that…Syn and I can do the drums while we write.”

Zacky snorted. “Right.” He looked away again, hunching his shoulders. Matthew stepped up next to him, clapping a hand to his shoulder. The mechanic looked at him, sadness in his eyes now.

“We’ll be right…this place is safe.” Matthew’s smile was more real now. Softened. “Eli says we need to stay low for a while, until his brother can sort things out. And, until the campaign is done.”

Zacky’s jaw tightened. “What if Papa Gates doesn’t win?”

Matthew frowned, shaking his head. “We can’t think like that.”

“It’s a possibility.”

“True.” Matthew folded his arms over his chest. “But, we can’t let that change our plans.”

Zacky nodded in agreement. “We gotta do this for Jimmy, right?”

“And for Luke.”

The mechanic nodded, looking toward the entrance to their hide out. “Always for Luke, hey?”

Matthew nodded, expression tightening once more. “Always. Come on. We gotta get below.”

Zacky turned and joined his friend as they made their way inside.

The hideout was a newly fitted out bomb shelter. There were many of them dotted across California, which was odd in a way, being such a low-lying area. However, it suited their purposes and no one would even think to look for them there. All their gear was spread out across the concrete floor. They hadn’t time to set up properly, but that would happen soon enough.

As the two of them entered the space Brian looked up from his notepad and grinned. “I was thinking something.”

“Yeah?” Matthew raised his eyebrows as he went to the bar fridge to grab a cold one. He threw one over to Zacky and sat on the edge of one of the tattered couches along the left side of the shelter. Zacky joined him as Johnny came out of the bathroom.

Brian nodded, glancing at Johnny then back at his other friends. “Yeah. We need to come up with a name.”

“A name?” Zacky lifted an eyebrow.

“Yes. If we’re going to be a proper band.”

“We’re not a proper anything,” Matthew muttered.

Zacky rolled his eyes in response to his negativity. “Come on, Shads. He’s right. We need to call ourselves something. Might even give us an edge over the Creed. They won’t know it’s us, for a while at least.”

“Can’t argue with that logic,” Brian pointed out. Matthew stood and began to pace as he nursed his bottle between his big palms. The other three watched him in silence, allowing him to gather his thoughts.

He turned to look at them, brow furrowed but a glimmer in his eyes. “I could argue with it. But, I won’t. Jimmy would’ve liked this idea.”

Brian actually grinned at the mention of their friend. It was a tired expression, tinged with an edge of sorrow, but he was obviously thinking of good memories.

“He would. So. What do you think?”

Matthew’s eyebrows shot up. “What do I think?”

“Yes, Shads. A name. Any ideas?”

“No.” Matthew grunted and walked over to the fridge again. He paused though when he noticed a tattered Bible sitting on the counter top that ran along the wall above the kitchenette. He blinked then picked it up, thumbing the pages.

Johnny commented as Matthew walked back over, “Maybe we could find something in there. Lotsa weird names in the Bible.”

Matthew nodded absently, searching randomly through the book, and then stopped on a page; his eyes seemed to light up. “That’s it.”

He lifted his gaze to his friends then turned the Bible around and pointed at a verse on the page.

If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold…

“Avenged Sevenfold.”

Notes

And so, we come to the end of the story...well, at least the end of this chapter. Thank you to all my wonderful readers for sticking with me over the three or more years of this journey. A big shout out to those who have commented on the story over the years, you know who you are.

This is not the end of the story, though. I have a sequel in the works. Because Zacky insists. You will know when it comes online. In the mean time, please let me know what you thought of this tale. And know, that this is not goodbye.

Thank you :)