Chapter One-hundred Four: Release

Chapter 104

Release

Celeste, Tristan, and Deimos were in the 7-Eleven parking lot. Jaxon hasn’t returned for hours, and it was past midnight. Celeste called Tristan and Deimos to come help her look for Jaxon. Tristan suggested going to 7-Eleven, where he was supposed to go. She knelt to pick up the bag and look inside.

Celeste: “These are his! He got me these candy bars, and these are the brand of cigarettes he smokes!”

She exclaimed. Deimos drew a long breath and paced around, as his worry for his friend soared. Tristan cupped his mouth. He scanned the area and looked into the store, seeing an old, haggard woman behind the counter.

Tristan: “Let’s ask her. She might know something.”

He suggested. Celeste nodded and embraced herself. Tristan put his hand on her shoulder.

Tristan: “We’ll find him, Celeste. Don’t fret.”

He reassured her. Celeste smiled a bit.

The three entered the store. Tristan smiled and waved at the old woman.

Cashier: “Can I help you?”

Tristan: “Yes, Madame. You see, our friend is missing. Did you happen to see a young Japanese man with black hair and a red stripe come in?”

She nodded.

Cashier: “Yeah, he came in, bought some bars and cigarettes. Is his name Jiro Tachibana?”

Tristan nodded in confirmation. Celeste’s heart thundered in her chest. Where is he?! She wondered.

Tristan: “Yes, that’s him.”

Deimos noticed the footage recording the parking lot.

Deimos: “Do you have footage of the parking lot?”

Cashier: “Sure do. You all don’t look like cops. You three aren’t fat and not lazy.”

Tristan stumbled over a laugh.

Tristan: “Hahaha, we aren’t, but we need to look into those videos.”

He reached for his wallet. Deimos grabbed Tristan’s wrist to stop him.

Deimos: “Allow me.”

He smiled and withdrew his wallet, handing the old cashier a few hundred-dollar bills. Tristan smiled widely.

Celeste: “Come on, Deimos! Does that matter?! Time is marching on, and Jaxon is missing!”

She snapped. Tristan put his hand up.

Tristan: “And we’re doing that, Celeste.”

He said gently but firmly. He put his hand on her shoulder. She looked away with anger and worry.

~

Celeste glared with rage when a masked man grabbed Jaxon, knocked him out, and carried him to his brown Jeep Wagoneer.

Deimos: “It’s not Robin, Ichiro, or Dougal. None of Robin’s henchmen drives that. Dougal doesn’t. I don’t know what Ichiro drives, but I don’t think he’d be caught dead driving a family car.”

He drawled. Tristan nodded.

Tristan: “Despite Hiroto and Mayumi raving about his family, they’re never around. Because they don’t exist.”

Celeste pounded the counter.

Celeste: “I don’t give a shit about Ichiro’s fucking lies! How is this helping us find Jaxon?!”

She snapped.

Tristan: “It’s helping us rule out suspects.”

Celeste rewound the footage. She hated seeing this slimeball grope her man and harm him but she had to find him and act quickly. She noticed the last three letters on his license plate. It was a Palm Tree State license plate, and the letters were “BTR.”

Celeste: “I GOT THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER!”

She screamed and pointed to the screen. Tristan and Deimos looked closer.

Tristan: “Okay, let me make a quick call to Sylvia to look for it.”

He withdrew his cell phone. Celeste stomped her feet anxiously. Tristan smiled and put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

Tristan: “Sylvia, hello! Look, I need you to run a license plate number scan. It’s a brown Jeep Wagoneer. The last three letters on the license plate are ‘BTR.’ ”

Celeste stomped her feet, glaring at Tristan intently. Tristan paced around. Panic flickered on his face.

Tristan: “He works for Sole Desire?”

He trembled. Deimos gaped at him. Celeste’s stomach tightened with panic when he said that. He just took pictures for them? Are they creeps?! She wondered.

Tristan hung up the phone and told them the address.

Tristan: “We got him! Let’s get out of here!”

Celeste: “YES! “

She dashed out and ran down the street ahead of them.

Tristan: “CELESTE! WAIT!”

He called out as he and Deimos ran after her.

~

Jaxon’s head was pounding. He felt as if every nerve in his body were on fire. He fluttered his eyes as he regained consciousness. A red glow surrounded him as he healed himself. He was in a dark room with a ceiling fan slowly spinning. He tried to get up but couldn’t move. His hands were bound behind him with duct tape, and his ankles were bound with duct tape. He was in an office chair, his leather jacket was removed, along with his boots. There were tears in his sheer socks.

Jaxon: “What the fuck is this?!”

He snapped and looked around.

Jaxon: “Percy?! This isn’t funny!”

He huffed. He looked down and saw that the hardwood floor was smeared with blood, and the walls had blood on them. He didn’t recognize this place at all.

Jaxon: “Where the fuck am I?!”

He snapped.

The doorknob twisted, and the door swung open. Barry Peters stepped in and stood before Jaxon with a big, lecherous grin.

Barry: “Hello, there, sexy… How I wanted to get you like this when I first laid eyes on you…”

He purred and wrung his hands. Jaxon gaped at him.

Jaxon: “YOU! You’re that guy from the studio!”

He gasped.

Barry: “Yes, it was so hard not to maul you and put my hands all over you on sight!”

He rasped through clenched teeth.

Jaxon: “No thanks, weirdo. This isn’t my first rodeo with creeps like you.”

He huffed. Barry grabbed Jaxon’s jaw and squeezed it.

Barry: “You have quite the mouth on you, Jaxon…”

He spun him around in the chair and caressed his hair as he held Jaxon’s head to look at the collage of photos on the wall. There were thousands of pictures of Asian male escorts dead, being tortured in gruesome ways, and mutilated. Jaxon recoiled at the photos.

Jaxon: “The fuck is this? You kill your ‘schmoodars’?”

He gaped at him.

Barry: “What is a schmoodar? It doesn’t matter. I do this because it turns me on to listen to a young man’s dying voice, hearing him beg for his life, and seeing the life drift from his eyes.”

He caressed Jaxon’s hair and massaged his shoulders. Jaxon shuddered.

Jaxon: “Yikes! At least you don’t turn them into monster creatures…”

His voice trailed off.

Barry: “God, you’re so sexy!”

He bent over and sucked on his neck and caressed his chest.

Jaxon: “I KNOW! Get the fuck off me!”

He snapped at him. Barry shoved the chair back, and it slammed into the wall. Sweat covered Barry’s body, and he panted like a wolf in heat. He pulled out his camera and began snapping pictures at a rapid speed. Jaxon groaned.

Jaxon: “Ugh, can you at least take a shower or something?!”

He groused at him, dripping all over with sweat, recoiling at the waft of body odor and mothballs.

Barry lifted Jaxon’s feet and licked them all over and inhaled their sweet peppermint scent. Jaxon winced and groaned, kicking him with his foot. Barry growled and started tickling his feet, ripping his sheer socks more.

Jaxon: “OHOHOH FOR FUCK SAHAHAHAHAKE!”

He rasped. Barry vigorously tickled Jaxon’s feet, hungry for more of him.

Jaxon: “HAHAHAHA AH AHAHAHA HA HAAH FUCKING STOHOHOHOP THAT!”

He snapped. He vigorously scribbled his fingers all over his soles and in between his toes. This is the most ticklish boy yet, he thought, and flicked his gaze on his drawer.

Jaxon: “HAAHAHAHA HA HA AH FUCKING STOHOHOHOP!”

He rasped. He stopped tickling him and towered over him menacingly. Jaxon panted and glared at him, trying to struggle out of his bonds.

Barry: “Shall we dance?”

He said as he grabbed the chair he was in, spinning it around. He pushed back and pulled it toward him.

Jaxon: “NO!”

He rasped as he spun around the room. Barry grabbed Jaxon, lifting him off the chair and holding him close. Jaxon’s feet with his torn socks dangled as Barry hoisted him up. Barry held up an ice pick and caressed Jaxon’s face with it.

Barry: “You are so gorgeous.”

He whispered, dragging it down Jaxon’s face and cutting him. Jaxon winced at the cut.

Jaxon: “Again, I KNOW! Now, fuck off!”

He snapped at him.

Barry smiled and slowly drove the ice pick into his side. Jaxon gasped for air and shuddered all over in pain as the sharp tool drove into his body. Barry chuckled at him, his desire growing. He drove the ice pick into Jaxon’s arm. Jaxon cried out in pain as he felt the pain pulsating through his body. Blood dripped down onto the floor. Barry smiled down at Jaxon. A red glow surrounded him as he healed himself, sealing his wounds.

Barry: “What is this now?”

He rubbed the healed area on his shoulder.

Jaxon: “Ha! You thought I was just a regular hottie? Guess again! I’m a healer hottie!”

He gloated. Barry chuckled and grinned.

Barry: “So I can torture you all I want…”

He kissed his lips. Jaxon’s heart sank, and he shuddered, wrenching away from him, spitting and gagging.

Jaxon: “EWW! NO! Get the fuck away from me!”

He snapped.

Barry held Jaxon in his arms and got a hole puncher from his drawer.

Barry: “Ever have a hole puncher on your testicles?”

He squeezed the hole puncher.

Barry: “It’s one of my favorite tools…”

He laughed. Jaxon shuddered and glared at him.

Jaxon: “Don’t you DARE!”

He rasped. He withdrew a urethral stick

Barry: “And this… goes in your peehole.”

He caressed the stick against Jaxon’s neck.

Jaxon: “No, it fucking doesn’t!”

He snapped at him.

Barry: “I couldn’t help noticing that your bullshit American accent slips and you revert to your Japanese accent when you’re scared.”

He grinned.

Barry: “It’s hot.”

He whispered.

Jaxon: “The fuck are you on about?!”

He glared at him.

Barry: “Don’t act coy… You know exactly what I mean.”

Barry: “I knew you were perfect when I laid eyes on you… Gorgeous, sexy, and you can heal yourself, so I can torture you for weeks or months! I wonder if you can survive drowning.”

He grinned. Jaxon’s eyes widened.

Barry: “Or if I drove the ice pick through your heart… or if I cut off your head… Can you heal those?”

He caressed his hair and face. Jaxon gaped at him. Those are damn good questions, actually, he wondered.

Jaxon: “Fuck!”

He huffed defeatedly. I should’ve played dead, he thought.

He tossed Jaxon back on the chair.

Barry: “Why don’t we see how good your healing powers work?”

He punched him across the jaw and then slapped him. Jaxon groaned and winced in pain, and a red glow surrounded him to heal his wounds. Barry laughed maniacally and clapped.

Barry: “BRAVO!”

He left the room and came back with a tank of gasoline.

Barry: “Know what this is?”

He twisted the cap off the neck of the jug. Jaxon swallowed hard.

Jaxon: “You wouldn’t dare!”

He snapped at him. He splashed gasoline on him and laughed. Jaxon winced and recoiled.

Jaxon: “My Green Queen will find me and she’ll chop you in half, asshole!”

He spat. Barry reached over to the tray of junk on the drawer and picked up a box of matches.

Barry: “No one is going to find you like no one found the others. Now let’s see how well your healing powers work.”

He grinned.

Jaxon: “FUCK YOU!”

He seethed at him, trying to break free.

Barry withdrew a match and was about to strike, but the door swung open. Barry turned to see Celeste charging after him.

Celeste: “GET THE FUCK OFF HIM!”

She bellowed. Barry swiftly withdrew a pistol and fired it at her. Celeste fell to the floor as she bled out of her stomach. Jaxon’s eyes widened in horror.

Jaxon: “CELESTE!”

He screamed and tried to break free to heal her. Barry laughed and stood over her.

Barry: “Is this your weakness?”

He asked him. Jaxon glared at him with hatred.

Barry: “I’ll let her live to see you burn alive.”

He smirked.

Jaxon: ”DON’T YOU DARE!”

He spat.

A purple glow surrounded Celeste as the bullets exited her body, and her wounds sealed up.

Barry: “What the Hell?”

An icicle shot through the room and landed in Barry, pinning him to the wall. He let out a ghastly scream. Tristan and Deimos marched in with Celeste rising to her feet. Barry glared at them.

Tristan: “Game over, Barry. I figured you out long ago. Checkmate.”

Barry laughed. He struck a match and tossed it toward Jaxon. Jaxon screamed.

Jaxon: “CELESTE!”

Celeste shrieked and ran over to him, putting him over her shoulder. Fire formed in the room, there was a mighty WHUMP as the fire danced on the walls, on the chair, and on the desk. Celeste used her knife to cut Jaxon’s bonds.

Jaxon: “Let’s get the fuck out of here!”

He urged them all.

Celeste nodded, carrying him out. She ran with Deimos and Tristan down the hall. The fire spread rapidly. Barry came out of the room engulfed in flames, writhing and screaming as his hair melted to his blistered scalp, his fingers were now blackened claws, and he could only muster a mournful scream. Celeste kicked him back into the inferno.

The four jumped out the window and crashed down into the pool. Jaxon swam up to the surface with Celeste and gasped for air and the sweet release. Tristan and Deimos emerged from the surface and gasped for air. The four looked back at the mansion, now fully engulfed in flames.

Celeste wrapped her arms around Jaxon.

Celeste: “Are you okay, Jaxon?!”

She asked him, holding him close to her. Jaxon wrapped his arms around her. There was that question again. He felt like he had been asked this same question every day now.

Jaxon: “I am now, babe! Are you okay?”

He kissed her. She kissed him back.

Celeste: “That was nothing, Jax! I was scared for you! That serial killer held you hostage for hours!”

She knit her eyebrows. Jaxon caressed her face.

Jaxon: “I know, babe, it’s over now, though, and you’re here!”

He smiled at her and held her in his arms.

Tristan: “Jaxon, you were held hostage by a serial killer. It is a big deal. If I didn’t figure it out, you’d be dead.”

He gaped at him and drew a rough breath. Celeste knit her eyebrows and nodded.

Jaxon: “I’m taken hostage by creepy weird fucks every day! It’s the story of my life!”

He laughed bitterly.

Tristan: “Yes, and this wasn’t Ichiro, Robin, or Dougal! It was someone new, so I had to do detective work. You’re welcome.”

He huffed and swam to the edge of the pool, climbing out. Deimos heaved a deep sigh.

Tristan: “You can heal yourself and others, but you’re not invincible.”

He said with some sharpness. Jaxon paused.

Jaxon: “So, that guy had nothing to do with Ichiro, Robin, Dougal, or that creepy woman at the lake?”

He asked. Deimos swam up and joined Tristan.

Tristan: “No, he was just a serial killer terrorizing young men.”

He drew a long breath.

Jaxon: “Thanks for saving my ass… again.”

He drew a long breath.

Tristan: “You’re welcome.”

He said coolly. Deimos knit his eyebrows. Celeste and Jaxon climbed out of the pool.

Jaxon: “Why does this shit keep happening to me?! I’m tired of it and you guys getting dragged into it and having to save my ass all the time!”

He pouted.

Tristan: “...Is that all you have to say after that ordeal?”

He looked over his shoulder. Celeste looked down.

Deimos: “No one complained, Jaxon.”

He shifted his eyes.

Tristan: “We’ve saved Fabien and received more gratitude from HIM. Yes, HIM.”

He snapped.

Tristan: “I didn’t have to do this, Jaxon. This threw me for a loop, and you’re acting as if it’s no big deal when it was!”

He added harshly.

Jaxon: “I’m sorry, it’s not that I don’t appreciate it! I just…”

He paused.

Jaxon: “I want to be able to protect her, and I don’t want her or any of you to die because of me!”

He snapped and paced around.

Tristan: “She’s stronger than you, Jaxon! She is more experienced than you in combat! The idea sounds nice, but it’s not logical! And we’re all in this together! Whether it’s against Dougal, Ichiro, or whoever!”

He fired back.

Tristan embraced himself and locked his gaze on Jaxon.

Tristan: “Did Ichiro’s monsters affect you that much, Jaxon?”

He finally asked him. Deimos flicked his gaze at Tristan. Jaxon froze, and his heart sank. He looked away.

Jaxon: “The real monster is Ichiro…”

He said bitterly, confirming his suspicion.

Tristan: “Yes, but you know what I meant… Those creatures he turns people into. He did this with Allan, but I think the recent one affected you the most. You haven’t been the same since.”

He said firmly but gently. Celeste looked away and nodded in agreement. Deimos cleared his throat.

Deimos: “He’s right.”

He admitted. Jaxon drew a breath.

Tristan: “Stop… bottling up your emotions. It’s okay to be vulnerable with us. That’s what we’re here for.”

He sighed and hung his head. Celeste embraced herself and looked away.

Jaxon tensed up and pursed his lips as tears streamed down his cheeks. Celeste cupped her mouth and hugged him close.

Jaxon: “She didn’t deserve what happened to her. It’s not right. She was kind to us and encouraged our music! She showed me more kindness than my parents EVER gave me! I hardly knew her. I hate to imagine if he did this to any of you!”

He snapped through tears. Tristan gazed at Jaxon and put his arms around him. Deimos paused and then hugged him.

Tristan: “I know, Jaxon…I know… You’re right, she didn’t deserve that, but I don’t think Ichiro can do that to us.”

He said as he started to cry. Jaxon paused and looked up at him, taking a deep breath.

Jaxon: “...What do you mean? You said we aren’t invincible.”

He pressed him.

Tristan: “We can be killed, but… we’re not… human. Well, we are, but we have powers. Why didn’t Ichiro do it to us? He could have. He spied on us but never attempted it.”

He explained and drew a long breath. He removed his glasses to wipe his eyes and put them back on.

Deimos: “What he means is this serum we all took modified our genes, so it’s unlikely Ichiro’s drug could affect us. What would stop Ichiro from doing that to Tristan or me? He got the hots for Celeste, and he wants to torment you, but Tristan and I are fair game. And yet, he did jack fucking shit to us, except turn that poor woman into a monster.”

He said evenly. Jaxon inhaled and exhaled as he started to feel calmer.

Jaxon: “...What are you saying? It doesn’t affect us with our powers?”

He asked. Deimos nodded.

Deimos: “If it did, Ichiro would have done that to Tristan or me instead, and he didn’t. He didn’t even try. Love him or hate him, I fucking hate him, but he’s not a stupid man. He knows what he’s doing. And we’re NOT like others. I am not saying that to sound superior, but our hearing is more enhanced, and Victor doesn’t even look forty-six! So yes, we’re biologically enhanced.”

He explained. Tristan nodded in agreement.

Jaxon: “How would he know that… is he biologically enhanced too?”

He pondered.

Tristan: “Search me. I don’t know if he is. I have no way of telling us apart. The only way I can think of is if someone is in literal pain from Maxx’s ‘music’, they’re like us.”

He nodded. Jaxon laughed bitterly.

Jaxon: “So, you’re saying we need to play that clown’s music around him?”

Tristan nodded.

Tristan: “Pretty much!”

Tristan drew a long breath.

Tristan: “How do you feel after that release, Jaxon?”

He asked him. Jaxon exhaled.

Jaxon: “...Better actually.”

He admitted.

Jaxon: “Thank you…”

He smiled a bit.

Jaxon: “And I’m sorry for being a dick earlier.”

He added for good measure.

Tristan: “You are forgiven, Jaxon.”

He smiled.

Celeste: “It’s okay, Jaxon! I love you!”

She blurted and held him close.

Jaxon: “I love you, too, babe!”

He held her back and kissed her. She kissed him back and blushed when she realized what she had said.

Jaxon: “Haha, you’re blushing!”

He teased her, poking his tongue out at her.

Celeste: “So are you.”

She teased and poked his tummy. Jaxon laughed and squirmed.

Jaxon: “Your blushing is contagious. I caught it from you!”

He laughed. Tristan smiled at the two.

The burning house came crashing down before them. Deimos shielded Tristan from the burning debris and held him close.

Tristan: “That’s the end of the ‘Pink Top Beach Strangler.’ ”

He drew a long breath and gazed at Jaxon.

Jaxon: “That’s the end of him…”

He said, looking at the inferno and up at the smoke billowing in the sky.

Jaxon: “But not for Ichiro and Dougal yet.”

He said with a determined glint in his eyes.

~

Celeste and Jaxon lay in their bed that night after the two got cleaned up. Celeste looked up at Jaxon.

Celeste: “How do you feel, Jax? You were held by that maniac for hours.”

She asked him and caressed his face. Jaxon sighed and held her back.

Jaxon: “I need a break from all this madness, babe… I think we need a getaway or something.”

He hugged his knees. Celeste’s nails trailed down his spine.

Celeste: “I think you need lots of love and care.”

She said softly and massaged his back and shoulders. Jaxon sighed happily and melted to her touch.

Celeste: “This is… all new for you, and sometimes I forget that. T&D and I dealt with this crap for years and we’re hardened to it.”

She added.

Jaxon: “Yeah… I’m the new guy.”

He laughed a bit.

Celeste: “I was… scared tonight, Jaxon.”

She confessed. His face dropped. There was something scary about her being scared.

Jaxon: “...Me too, babe.”

He confessed in a shade above a whisper, cupping her face.

Celeste: “Of course, you were! You were held for hours by that creep! I was scared because you didn’t come home! I called Tristan and Deimos to come help and I am so glad they did! I wouldn’t have found you if it were not for Tristan digging! And I rushed in, and he shot me! It’s not like me to mess up but I was scared!”

She exclaimed as her eyes grew large. Jaxon’s eyes widened.

Celeste: “And when I heard him splashing that gas on you, I…”

She embraced herself and trembled all over.

She looked away as her bottom lip trembled. Jaxon cupped her face and turned her to face him and he kissed her on the lips. Celeste kissed him back as tears dripped down her cheeks. Jaxon stroked his thumb against her cheeks, wiping her tears.

Jaxon: “I want to be held by you for hours.”

He said softly, kissing her forehead. Celeste sniffled. She smiled and nodded. She wrapped her arms around him, lying back on the pillows and holding him to her breasts.

Celeste: “Of course, my little prince.”

She said softly. Jaxon lay between her breasts like a soft pillow.

Jaxon: “Little? You're little! I'm taller than you!”

He teased. She giggled.

Celeste: “So? You’re still my prince.”

She said tenderly.

Jaxon: “And you’re still my green queen.”

He poked her button nose. She kissed his forehead and raked her fingers through his soft black hair. Jaxon kissed her back.

Jaxon’s cell phone rang. Jaxon picked up his phone.

Jaxon: “Yo, Jaxon here?”

He answered.

Deimos: “Hey, Jaxon, it’s Deimos! How are you doing, man?”

He asked.

Jaxon: “Doing better, how about you?”

He asked.

Deimos: “Same. I’m glad we got you. Celeste, Tristan, and I were worried. Anyway, Tristan’s grandmother’s colleague is having a get-together at Seashell Cove for the long weekend. Tristan is friends with their son’s girlfriend. There’s going to be lobsters, bonfires, a beach, beer, and other stuff. Do you and Celeste want to come?”

He asked him. Jaxon perked up.

Jaxon: “You know what, Deimos? That’s exactly what we both need right now! We’ll be there.”

He smiled at Celeste, draping his arm around her. Celeste beamed and kissed his lips.

Deimos: “Okay, we’re going to leave early. Take your car and drive Celeste up Thursday morning.”

He stated. Jaxon smiled and nodded.

Jaxon: “Great, we’ll see you then!”

He hung up the phone.

Celeste: “What was that about?”

She trailed her nails over his chest.

Jaxon: “We’re going on a getaway with T+D!”

He grinned and wrapped his arms around her. Celeste’s eyes sparkled with delight, happy to see him happy.

Celeste: “Can’t wait to go, my little prince!”

She giggled and rubbed her nose on his.