Chapter 10 (Pay the Price)

Chapter 10: Pay The Price

Ethan Warren

Estimated, May 2024

About 2 years after outbreak

California, The Circus

Season 3

----------------

Aiden confessed to us about what he did to Marcus. I still remember that day. It was raining, and everything was quiet except the sounds of the dead outside the walls and the murmurs that came from us all. We were confused as to why he was out there in the first place. And with a deranged look on his face, he yelled at the top of his lungs, "I killed Marcus Linsburn!" None of us even knew what to say. He didn't tell us why he did it. He didn't tell us anything about what he knew. I don't know if that would have changed anything, though, and I think he was thinking the same thing. He still killed someone, whether he had a reason to or not. He had to pay for what he did.

"What can we do?" I asked Thomas. He called us for a meeting. Dallen, Leah, Rudi, Tai, and Airi were also invited, as were many of his own high-value people. He was angry, and he was silently putting the blame on all of us.

"This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated here. We've never had someone kill one of our own before. We're not animals; we're human beings. The end of the world isn't an excuse for this kind of shit. I know you people probably think that we're just playing a game inside these walls, but we're trying to create a society again." He paced in front of us all; he was disappointed; he expected more from us, but we didn't know the whole story.

"He probably had a reason," Rudi defended.

"And that's supposed to make it okay?" Thomas yelled.

"King-" Emilio interrupted.

"What Rudolph means is that he wouldn't just do something like this. It's not like him," Dallen supported.

"It doesn't matter what he's like; it's still murder. I won't have something like that living in my town." He stared at me like he was looking for answers, but I had none. This was the life of one of my best friends that we were deciding on. I could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on me—the responsibility to determine the fate of someone I had known for years.

"We can't kill him. If we do, then we're no better than him. And we can't just send him out of the walls; if anything, that's worse than putting a bullet in his brain." Thomas knew I was right, but I could tell he still didn't like where I was going with this. "He'll stay in confinement until the time is right." That was my final decision, and Thomas nodded in agreement. I didn't know where Aiden would be kept or what they would do to him. I didn't want them to hurt him, but I knew they wouldn't kill him. He wasn't about to die that easily.

---------------------------

Rudolph Alinsky

--------------------------

I was thankful that they didn't decide to kill Aiden, but after what he did, I don't think I'll ever want to see him again. He knew that Marcus was my friend; he was Connor's brother. He was the last sliver of my old life that I had left.

I feel like I let Marcus down in some way. It was my fault that he even knew us in the first place; it was my fault that he came here with us.

I didn't go to his ceremony; none of us did. I heard Piper and Thomas and most of the Circus people did, and Airianna had begged me to let her go, but none of us wanted a funeral anyway; it was King's idea.

"Did Aiden really kill Marcus?" Airianna asked me after Juna had fallen asleep and we sat together in bed. I brushed her hair with my fingertips to relax her and drift her off to sleep, but it never worked. She would always take hours to fall asleep, but I didn't really mind because then I had someone to talk to.

"Yes, he did," I answered blankly.

"Why? Leah told me that we only kill bad people. Was Marcus bad?"

"I don't know. Maybe he didn't seem bad, but maybe there's something that we're missing. We can't assume, Airianna."

"I know, but I don't think Aiden would have done it unless he had a reason too."

"I don't think he would either, but he's been acting strange lately." Airi seemed conflicted; I knew she always tried to trust us, but we didn't always make that easy. She went through a lot before she came here with us. Before we even met her, she had experienced as much as us, if not more. I'm still kind of amazed that she agreed to rely on us and still stayed after everything that's happened.

---------------------------------------

ㄥ乇卂卄　丂ㄖㄩ丨乂乇尺

---------------------------------------

I refused to believe that Aiden killed Marcus altogether because I knew if I did, I'd go back down the same rabbit hole that I went down with Ethan. I knew it would be worse too because Ethan didn't technically kill Amy; he caused her death, but he wasn't the man behind the gun. He killed Calvin, but I don't think I can be mad about that anymore; it happened long ago and it wasn't really that important. Murder is murder, but it has exceptions. If Aiden can prove to me that there was an exception, then maybe I'd fight for him, but not now. I can't right now.

Dallen and I had sex the night after Aiden was imprisoned. I didn't mind it, but I felt a little bad. I only did it because I needed something in my life that I could control. I needed to forget about all the shit that was happening, even if it was only for one night. I left immediately after; I didn't even wake him up to let him know. I knew I hurt him, but at this point I really didn't care.

I tried to get to know Khai all over again, but she refused to speak to me. I thought that maybe she was embarrassed by her condition, but then I realized that she probably thought I hated Aiden, and I knew they were close friends.

I decided to separate myself from all the people I used to know. It kind of seemed like that's what everyone was doing now. I'm not sure if it was good for us to do so or if it was a complete mistake.