Free Tortured: Book Three of the Jason and Azazel Trilogy by V. J. Chambers Page A

anyone except each
other."

"Chance didn't know anything about the Satanists," I insisted.
"They never told anyone in town until you were eighteen. And I've never
told him. So he  
still
  doesn't know." I was starting to
cry. I didn't believe Jason. I wouldn't. He was wrong. Not my baby brother
Chance. No. He was my only link back to the person I used to be. And I loved
him.  

Jason patted my back, trying to comfort me, but I shook him off. "Don't
touch me," I said. "You're lying. You're just saying this stuff
because you want me to be alone like you. Fuck! God knows what you're doing to
me, Jason. Before I met you, I would never have done the things that I have
done. And now . . ." The faces of my brothers Noah and Gordon flashed in
front of me, just the way they'd looked in their final moments. Stunned. Blood trickling out of the holes
in their foreheads. Holes that I'd made.

Jason put a gun in my hand. "I know you're upset," he said. "But
we have to stop him."

"No," I said. I looked down at the gun in my hands, wanting to fling
it away from me. Instead, I flipped off the safety and pointed it at Jason.  

"Jesus, Azazel," said Jason, looking frightened.

I sobbed and let the gun go slack at my side. I went back to Chance, tucking
the gun into the waist of my pajama pants. I wiped tears away from my face and
sniffled as I untied him.

"Azazel, don't do that!" Jason said.

I pulled the gun out and pointed it at him again. "We're not hurting
Chance," I said. "No. That's the line. We're not crossing that
line."  

"He's trying to kill us," Jason said. "Doesn't that mean
anything to you?"

"He's not trying to kill us! You're wrong! He's my little brother, and he
would never do that!" I broke out into fresh sobs as I freed Chance's
hands.

"Azazel," said Jason, reaching for me.

I jammed the gun back in his face. "Stay back," I said.

I shook Chance. "Chance, wake up," I said. "Wake up."

"You're crazy," said Jason. "You're crazy, and drunk, and
frigid, and I don't know why I waste my time on you."

I turned to him for a second. "That's what you think of me?" I asked,
stunned.

"Well, what is it you think of me?" Jason asked. "That I'm a
psycho killer? That I'm evil? Which is worse, Zaza? Huh?"

Jason never called me Zaza.  

That was weird. I looked around for a second. In fact, everything seemed a
little weird. In fact—

But Chance was stirring. I turned to face him. "Chance, are you
okay?" I asked, tears streaming down my face.

Chance had a gun. Where had he gotten that gun?

"Thanks for untying me," he said. "I'm glad you've come around.
We've been waiting for you to see what a monster Jason is. Now that you see, it
shouldn't be too hard. Kill him."

What? We? I shook my head slowly. "It's
true?" I asked. "You're working with the Satanists?"

Chance sighed. "Are you going to shoot Jason or am I?" He leveled the
gun at Jason.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Five
    April 25, 1990
Ted finally revealed his plan to me, and
he wants me to be a part of it. Me? Can you believe it? I can't. We're going to
start working immediately, probably tonight. And he's worked it so that I can
stay out as late as I need to help him. I'm actually getting an independent
study credit for this. I'm so excited!
 

Ted is so, so gorgeous. And the fact
that he picked me to help with this plan means that he must think there's
something special about me too.
  Chance sighed. "Are you going to shoot Jason or am I?" He leveled the
gun at Jason.

"No," I said.  

Chance's finger tensed on the trigger.

And there wasn't time for thinking, there was only
time for action. I whipped my own gun up, quickly aimed, and squeezed three
shots into my little brother's torso. His face registered shock, pain, and then
. . . nothing.

Sobbing, I feel into a heap on the floor, forcing my eyes shut tight.

And when I opened them, my dorm room was bathed in