Finding Beauty

Chapter 27

~The Beast~

I hear their voices right before I turn the corner of the alley way leading up to the mall. They aren't very quite or sneaky. Instead, their voices are at a normal level and I hear them cocking their guns and unloading the van.

Could they be any louder? Make their presence any more known?

I don't reveal myself. I just lean against the brick wall and listen in on their conversation.

"Don't use the gun this time! It's only for show," a stern feminine voice states. "You almost cost someone their life last time! We're not murderers, Dan."

It's really careless of them to use their names in public. These people don't know what they're doing. And what about the shooting? Are they saying they didn't mean to open fire on a whole group of people? It was all just an accident? Yea, right.

"I know, I messed up. I was just...startled. I didn't want them to think they could walk all over us. I didn't want to get caught," a male voice says somberly.

Letting my curiosity get the best of me, I peek around the wall and see a group people dressed in black. Their masks aren't pulled over their heads all the way so I can see most of their faces. One female stands closest to the van, her arms crossed and eyebrows sharp while the other three are male and...young. They are all young. They can't be over 18 years old. What's their business robbing places?

But then again, what's my business chasing criminals to punish them?

The female starts to pass the guns out of the car, her small frame proving stronger than it seems.

"Guys, I don't want to do this anymore..." one of the guys admits. His eyebrows are furrowed and he can't seem to stand still in place. "What if we get caught? What if we kill someone this time-?"

So they really didn't mean to shoot anyone...They actually feel guilty about it.

"We won't!" the women says placing a hand on her hip. "Don't you even think about backing out of this!" The rest of the group stares at their feet making it clear they wanted to back out as well. "Look, I don't want to do this either but we have to if we want to get the money to bail dad out of jail!"

I never thought about why they might have been doing this. I certainly didn't expect that.

"I do miss him," one with shaggy black hair admits. At further inspection I see he has a black eye and a cut lip. What did these kids get themselves into?

"I mean, this is the last time, right?" the one beside him soon adds.

Soon enough they all agree and go back to preparing themselves quietly. This is my chance. I can easily swoop in and turn them all into roses. They won't hurt anyone or rob anyone. Justice would be served.

But I don't. I carefully sneak away and back down the alley, making sure they don't see me and start back towards the car. Can I really end their lives? That's what I'm doing when I turn them into roses. It's not life. Not really. I basically kill them.

Belle was right.

Do these people really deserve death? They aren't cold hearted killers. They are confused young adults thinking this is the only way to help their father.

They should get a second chance. They have their whole lives ahead of them and for it to be put to an end for one horrid mistake seems cruel.

No, they shouldn't just be excused for their actions. But they shouldn't be killed for them.

Paces away from my car, I pull out the burner phone in my pocket and dial the numbers. My hands shake knowing that this moment, this decision, changes everything, including who I am.

"911, what's your emergency?"

~Beauty~

The cloudy day outside the car makes me feel sleepy but the thought of what Gale may be doing to people makes me feel anything but peaceful. I watch the raindrops slide down the window and sigh.

If only there was a way to make him see what he is doing is wrong. It would truly transform him. Go ahead, diagnosis me with stockholm syndrome, but I don't think Gale is pure evil. I think there's good in him. It just needs a little help getting out.

The click of the car unlocking itself makes me jump in my seat. Gale slides in next to me and starts to the engine without a word. His hood is up and he pulls a pair of big sunglasses on to hide his looks.

He pulls out of our parking spot and starts to drive away a little too fast and violent for my taste. We almost knock into a fire hydrant and get yelled at by an old man in the car behind us.

My eyes find the tiny clock on the car panel. He was only gone for 15 minutes. Did he dispose of those people so quickly? My eyes anxiously shift back and forth from the road and then to Gale. Okay, I have to know.

"Did you do it?" I ask bluntly.

He slowly shakes his head and whispers, "No."

I continue to watch him, wishing I could see his face and maybe figure out what had happened. He shifts in his seat, seeming uncomfortable.

"What are you looking at?" he asks glancing at me.

"I just want to know what happened." I patiently wait for his response. When he see's I'm not giving up he dramatically sighs and slumps in the driver's seat. It's almost comical.

"You were...right," he mumbles like a child who's been scolded.

"Right? About what?"

"About turning people into roses. It is like death...and..." he trails off, having a difficult time to get the words out. "And it's wrong."

I can't believe my ears. Did the biggest criminal in New York City just admit what he is doing is wrong?

"Woah..." I say, feeling at a loss for words.

Suddenly, Gale's words are filled with passion and his eyes with understanding. "They were just kids, Belle. They were just confused. It seemed wrong to end their lives like that. They still have so much ahead of them."

I nod my head, having a hard time believing this is actually happening. "So what did you do?"

He sighs and looks around wearily. "I called the cops."

A smile creeps onto my face. He's changing. He did the right thing... "I'm proud of you."

Although he scoffs and is being sarcastic, I can tell he's a bit proud of himself too. "Well, whoopie. . . Anyways, Carina said the mansion is safe so we're going back."

"Okay," I state and let myself fall asleep knowing that a murderer is no longer beside me.

Author's Note - Is it me or is there something in Gale that wasn't there before? ;)