Control

Chapter 1

 

Zander pressed a towel to the gash on his forehead, nestled near his hair line. He winced, then sighed and asked Coleman for another beer.


Coleman pulled Zander's hand away from his head and checked out the injury. "I think you need stitches, man."


"Nah...it'll be fine."

 

"You've soaked through two towels already. Take a cab and go to the hospital." Coleman tossed a fifty dollar bill on the bar top. "I'd drive you, but I'm too inebriated to remember how to get there."

 

Zander stared at the money in disbelief. "You're paying for a cab? You sick?"

 

Coleman shrugged. "Hey...you took a whack to the head with a beer bottle while helping me save my place from being trashed. It's the least I can do, kid. So take it already. I'll be cursing about it in the morning, when I'm sober again."

 

"I hate the hospital," Zander grumbled.

 

"Get over it." Coleman pressed Zander's hand with the towel in it, back over the gash. "You're dripping on my bar. Go already."


Zander eased off the stool then grabbed the fifty and stuck it in his pocket. "See ya later," he said to Coleman, then he weaved his way to the door. His gait was unsteady more because of his injury than because of the alcohol he had consumed. Zander hadn't even finished his first beer of the night when the fight had broken out. Two truckers had started it, over one of the waitresses. Big guys with ham-like fists and thick boned jaws. Zander shook his right hand. He had clocked one of the truckers in the chin and his knuckles still throbbed. Then he had taken the hit in the head with the beer bottle which had driven him to his knees. But once the dancing stars had faded away, Zander had grabbed a pool stick and knocked out the trucker who was about to blindside Coleman. The waitress in question had taken the other guy down with a kick to the balls, and had followed up by whacking him over the head with her tray once he was hunched over and whimpering. The moment the truckers were out for the count, the fight was over.

 

Once outside Zander breathed in the cool night air. Cool but not cold and Zander felt a little better. He decided to walk to the hospital, via Kelly's. He needed a cup of coffee. And maybe by then the bleeding would stop. Lucky for Zander it wasn't far to Kelly's. As it was, he stumbled in, catching himself on the doorframe when a wave of dizziness caught him off guard.

 

"Zander? What happened?" Elizabeth spotted him from the counter and ran over. She helped him to a table and made him sit. "Are you okay?" She frowned at the bloody towel. "Stupid question. Of course you're not okay. What happened?"

 

"You're repeating yourself," Zander countered. He pulled his hand away from his head and studied the towel. It was soaked through. "Got another towel?"


Elizabeth grabbed one from behind the counter and pressed it to Zander's wound, apologizing when he winced. "Sorry. And let me repeat myself once more. What happened?"

 

Zander shrugged. "Bar fight."

 

"Huh...for some reason I'm not surprised."

 

"What can I say, I live over a bar. It happens." Zander gingerly rubbed his temple. "Got any aspirin?"

 

Elizabeth frowned. "Zander...you really need to go to the hospital and get this checked out."


Zander closed his eyes for a moment and heaved a dramatic sigh. "First…I hate the hospital. Second...I heal fast, so why bother?"


"Because it's still bleeding?"


"Eh...I can afford a little blood loss." He took possession of the towel again.


Elizabeth made a face at him. "I think you're already about a quart low. Seriously...you're awfully pale, Zander. Look, I'll drive you myself. I'm off shift in five minutes."


Zander smiled at her. Elizabeth was a good friend. He didn't have many of those. Good, or otherwise. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine. Really. Besides, I have cab money."

 

"Zander.." Elizabeth was about to argue when the door jangled as a customer came in. It was Bobbie Spencer. Elizabeth jumped to her feet. "I'll be right back." She kept her word, returning immediately and bringing Bobbie with her.

"Zander?" Bobbie leaned over him. "Let me take a look at your head."


He pulled back. "I already told Elizabeth, I'm fine."


Bobbie put on her stern nurses' face. "Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

 

"Will it make you two stop bugging me?" Zander realized he just wanted to go back home, down half a bottle of aspirin and go to sleep. He was beyond tired suddenly.

 

"It might," Bobbie allowed, even as she pulled the towel away. She poked at the gash, ignoring Zander's cursing. "It needs stitches." She put the towel back then took Zander by the arm. "Come on, I'll drive you to the hospital."


Zander stood up, only because Bobbie was stronger than she looked and pretty much hauled him out of the chair. "I hate the hospital," he stated. It was becoming his mantra.

 

Bobbie laughed. "I know. But look at it this way. Pretty soon they're going to name a wing after you."

"Ha ha," Zander drawled. He looked at Elizabeth. "Thanks for the towel. I'll replace it."

 

"Forget the towel." Elizabeth looked at Bobbie. "Call me if he gives you a hard time."

 

Zander was insulted. "Hey…I resent your implication," he shot back. But he wasn't really mad and he smiled to let Elizabeth know it.

 

She smiled back. "I'll call later to see how you're doing."


"I'll be home sleeping, so don't call." Zander gave her another smile, even though it made his head hurt. Right about now breathing made his head hurt. "But thanks for caring."


"You're welcome," Elizabeth replied. "And I'm still calling." She walked them to the door.

 

Zander looked at Bobbie, who still had a grip on his arm as she led him to her car. "Why are you being so nice?"


Bobbie shook her head at him. "Because I'm a nice person."

 

"Yeah...you are," he replied, then he slid into the passenger seat and laid his head back with a sigh.

 

* * * * *

 

Zander lay on the treatment bed with his eyes closed. He listened to Monica Quartermaine telling him what to do for his injury. She had made short work of stitching him up, asking a barrage of questions while she worked. Zander had answered them all truthfully. She had accepted his story about the fight, not that he would have cared if she hadn't believed him. It wouldn't have been the first time.

 

"I want you to go home and get some sleep and take it easy for the next two days. I'll tell Ned you won't be coming into work."


"Yes I will," Zander protested, as his eyes flew open.

 

Monica glared at him. "No…you won't. You're going to rest, take ibuprofen for the pain, and come back in if you start to feel dizzy and nauseous. You got it?"

 

Zander decided it wasn't worth arguing about. He would simply go to work in the morning. There was nothing she could do to stop him. "Whatever," he replied. He sat up and bit his lip to hold back a moan as pain thudded in his temples.

 

"Maybe I'll keep you over night for observation."


"No way!" Zander slid off the table and locked his knees to remain upright when dizziness washed over him. It was a relatively small wave this time and passed quickly. A good sign. "I have a hard head and we both know it."

 

Monica studied him a moment then nodded. "Okay. I know Bobbie drove you here so I'll drive you home."


Zander shook his head an instantly regretted it. Through gritted teeth he told her, "I'll get a cab. Contrary to popular belief, I can take care of myself."

 

"Fine." Monica would have said more but her pager went off. "I have to go. Rest a minute then use the phone at the front desk to call a cab. You can stretch out on the couch in the waiting area until it arrives." That said, Monica headed out the door.

 

"Right," Zander drawled, then he followed her out at a far more sedate pace. He was heading for the front desk when he saw Dr. Alan Quartermaine heading towards the same place, with another man in tow. Zander felt himself go pale. He heard Alan introduce the man to Amy Vining as Dr. Cameron Lewis, the new head of the Psychiatric department. Zander turned away and headed for the stairs. He would walk home.

 

* * * * * 

 

Zander ended up wandering around for a while. Eventually he made it back to Jake's. He put the fifty back on the bar top and snagged a bottle of Jack, which he took up to his room. Zander drank straight from the bottle as he shrugged out of his jacket and kicked off his sneakers. Then he moved to the bed and propped up two pillows before stretching out. He kept the bottle clutched in one hand and drank from it steadily until he felt himself drifting off. Then he let it drop to the floor with a thud, uncaring that what was left of the contents would spill across the floor. All Zander cared about was dark oblivion.

 

But it didn't last.

 

He dreamed of the woods. Of himself and someone a few years older. They were shouting at each other. Screaming. There was a rifle in his hands and then they were struggling for possession. A shot rang out and the reverberation in his mind woke Zander. He jackknifed upright, moaning as the motion cause pain to stab through his head. Zander buried his face in his hands and realized his skin was slicked in a cold sweat. He hadn't had that dream in a couple of years.

 

Sliding out of bed, Zander stepped in a puddle of whiskey and cursed. He kicked the bottle under the bed then padded into the bathroom. Zander splashed cold water on his face then he searched the medicine cabinet. He had four aspirin left. He downed them all. A bleary-eyed glance at his watch and Zander realized he was late for work. Then he remembered Monica Quartermaine telling him to stay home for two days. Zander realized it was a good idea, at least for today. He had a double-whammy headache between the gash and a hangover. Grabbing a towel, Zander returned to his bed then dropped the towel over the puddle on the floor. He would clean it up later. Zander crawled back into bed and closed his eyes. But sleep eluded him.


After a while Zander got out of bed and padded over to the chair by the window. He had a book sitting there and he reached for it. A Dean Koontz novel. But after reading the same paragraph over and over again without a single word registering, Zander put it back down.


He couldn't get the image of Dr. Cameron Lewis out of his head. He couldn't believe that the specter from his past had come back to haunt him. Zander thought he had run far enough to escape his past, but maybe there was nowhere far enough to run. The past was trapped inside him and he couldn't find a way to set it free.

 

Rising to his feet, Zander headed for the shower. By the time he was done his head was killing him again. Zander needed relief, which meant a trip to the drugstore. But first he took a moment to clean up the mess on the floor, making a face at the way the drying whiskey made a sticky puddle. The stench of it filled his nostrils and made his stomach churn. Zander tossed the wet towels in the bathtub to deal with later then headed out the door.

 

He ran into Lucky outside the drugstore and made small talk. They weren't exactly friends, but they had fallen into a pattern of acting like they were. Almost as if, someday, they might be. But Zander had trouble keeping up the charade this time and Lucky got the hint. The smile disappeared as Zander entered the drugstore. Pain thudded in his temples and he almost stalked his way down the aisles until he found what he was looking for. Extra strength Ibuprofen. Zander bought two bottles and some bottled water. The moment he exited the store he took four pills, then prayed for quick relief.

 

* * * * *

 

Zander returned to Jake’s. The pills helped his headache. It didn't go away but it became tolerable. He went upstairs and laid down and drifted off to sleep. But he woke up soon after, the images from his dream still lingering in his head. The same dream as before. He tried to shake them off and instantly regretted it as pain stabbed through his skull. "Fucking moron," Zander chided himself, as he slid off the bed and headed into the bathroom. He downed another four pills and willed them to kick in the minute they hit his blood stream. No such luck. Zander splashed his face then he went back into the other room. Walking lightly, because each step felt like it jarred his brain, Zander went over to the dresser and scrounged around in the top drawer. Underneath his tee shirts was a photograph. He pulled it out and moved over to the chair by the window. Zander sat down, leaned his head back, then looked at the picture.

 

He smiled at the images of himself and his older brother. They had been ten and fourteen at the time. "Hey, Pete," Zander whispered, stroking a fingertip over his brother's face. "I still miss you, man." It had been five years since they had seen each other. Five years since Zander had run away from home. A tear slid down his face. "I wish you were here, Pete. I need you." More tears fell and Zander pressed his forearm over his eyes to stop them. The picture he clutched in his other hand. It was all he had to hold on to.

 

* * * * *

 

Zander decided to stay home the second day as well. He still felt like shit but ventured out to Kelly's after a shower and a change of clothes. He saw Elizabeth at the counter and smiled at her. It hurt to smile. The Ibuprofen wasn't working and Zander was feeling a little desperate. He wanted to stop the pain. Although a pill wouldn't cure all his ills. He knew that some of the pain he carried was in his heart and in his soul. "Hey, Elizabeth." Zander kept the smile in place.

 

"I tried calling you but couldn't get through," Elizabeth countered, ignoring his greeting.

 

"Oh…yeah. Sorry. Something must be wrong with the phone." Zander vaguely remembered unplugging it after coming home from the hospital. He never plugged it back in.

 

Elizabeth studied him. "How are you feeling? You still look pale."


Zander shrugged. "I'm fine. Can I get a large coffee?"


"Sure. How about a burger to go with it?"

 

"How about not." Zander wasn't even remotely hungry.

 

Elizabeth shook her head at him. "You're too thin, Zander."


He laughed. "Look who's talking, twiglet."


"Hey!" Elizabeth was not amused.

 

"Sorry. But you are a twiglet. A beautiful one though." Zander hoped his compliment would appease her. He really wanted that coffee.

 

Elizabeth made a face but reached for the coffee pot. "Here or to go?"


Zander considered. "Make it to go." He fished two bucks out of his pocket and put them on the counter. A moment later he had his coffee in hand. "See you later, Elizabeth." He could see that she was about to protest but a customer called her over and Zander made good on his escape. He wandered down to the docks with his coffee and ran into an old friend, from his drug dealing days. He only knew him by his first name. "Hey Eddie, what's up, man?"

 

Eddie shook Zander's hand. "Hey dude, long time no see. Same old going on with me. Working my turf."

 

"Got anything good?" Zander queried. He hadn't meant to ask, but the pain in his head was becoming a distraction, and one that he couldn't afford.

 

"You using?" Eddie shook his head. "You always bitched me out for using, man."

 

"What can I say. I've seen the error of my ways." Zander shrugged then grinned. He was playing it cool, convincing himself that this was just a one time thing. A way to ease the pain so life could go on. It was no big deal. "So...what do you got?"

 

Eddie dug in his pockets. "What are you looking for? A high, a low, something in between?"

 

Zander lifted his bangs, revealing the neat stitches Dr. Quartermaine had given him and the bit of bruising. He had tossed the bandage she had applied this morning. "I need something to make the pain go away," Zander stated. A simple enough truth. And that was all he was interested in, or so he told himself.

 

"It's a temporary fix at best, man," Eddie replied. "But I've got what you're looking for." He held out a packet with a white pill, then waved away Zander's twenty. "First one's on the house, for old times sake."


"Thanks." Zander took the pill, popped it out of the foil and downed it with a swig of cooled off coffee. He closed his eyes and waited for it to kick in. It didn't take long for him to feel a liquid heat in his veins and like magic the stabbing pain in his skull eased up. "Good stuff," Zander stated. "It works fast."

 

Eddie snorted. "You know it, Zman. Nothing but the best product for Lorenzo Alcazar. He's the main man in this part of town."


Zander nodded. He had heard that. Then a thought occurred to him. "Hey Eddie, does Mr. Alcazar have any openings that you know of?"


"You want to get back into dealing? For real? I thought you went straight?"


"I did and it's not what it's cracked up to be." Zander believed what he was saying. He had followed the straight and narrow after messing up his life by working for Sonny. He had lost so much because of it. The woman Zander loved more than his own life. Emily. She had been the reason his life had become worth living. It didn't mean so much without her. Rubbing at his forehead, Zander smiled at Eddie and clarified. "I'm not really looking to deal though. I figure Alcazar must have some legit businesses."


Eddie shrugged. "Yeah...I'm sure he does. You'd have to ask him yourself though. I can give you his address. Tell him I sent you." Eddie scribbled on a match book and held it out.


Zander took it. "So...you buddies with Alcazar or something?"

 

"Nah…nothing like that. But I do good work for him so we talk. Just about business."


"Thanks, Eddie." Zander pocketed the matchbook. He wondered if he would really go through with it. Maybe he needed a life change.


Eddie clapped Zander on the shoulder. "Sure thing, man. I'll see you around. Look me up if you want to try some more stuff. Like I said, nothing but the best product for Mr. Alcazar."


Zander believed it. Right now he was feeling no pain. He watched Eddie walk away then dug out the matchbook. "What the hell," Zander muttered, then he headed for the stairs.

 

* * * * *

 

Zander gave his name to the guard at Alcazar's place and was surprised to be ushered up to the penthouse after a quick phone call. He hadn't figured on actually getting a face to face with the guy. But a moment later he was being ushered inside. A tall man strode towards him and Zander froze. It was like looking into the face of a dead man. Lorenzo Alcazar was an exact replica of his brother, Luis. If Luis had had a beard and a mustache. Zander shook off his moment of terror when Alcazar held out his hand. Zander shook it. "Thanks for seeing me, Mr. Alcazar," he stated.


Lorenzo smiled. "I admit to being intrigued when I heard your name. My brother mentioned you a time or two."

 

"Yeah...I'm sure I made his list of his top ten favorite people." Zander was beginning to wonder if this was a mistake. But at the same time he realized that he felt a bit giddy in a sense. For all he knew Lorenzo Alcazar could pull out a gun and shoot him on the spot. It was sort of like playing Russian Roulette, and Zander was suddenly in a game playing mood. All in all, he had nothing to lose. His life wasn't worth all that much anyway. He doubted anyone would notice, or care, if he were to die. A morbid thought, Zander realized and he mentally shook it away and made himself concentrate on the man in front of him. It wasn't easy. The pill Zander had taken was making him feel a little too good.

 

"My brother was rather impressed with you. He felt that the two of you had something in common."

Zander snorted. "I can't imagine what."


Lorenzo gestured for Zander to sit down on the couch, then he sat down across from him in a leather bound chair. "Luis told me you had nine lives, so to speak. For a while, he felt the same way about himself. But enough about the past. Why did you come here?"


"For a job," Zander blurted out. Apparently he was going to go through with this after all. He just hoped he didn't regret it later.


"Don't you work for ELQ?"


Zander frowned. "You know about that?"

 

Lorenzo nodded as he steepled his fingers then leaned back, his posture relaxed. "I know alot about you, Mr. Smith. Such as the fact that you tried to sell out Sonny Corinthos and lived to tell about it."

 

"That pesky nine lives thing," Zander countered.

 

"So why are you looking for a job? Did you get fired?"

 

Zander shook his head. "No. Let's just say I'm bored. I’m looking for something more...exciting...than filing and shit."

 

Lorenzo nodded his understanding. "Are you high?" he asked suddenly.

 

"A bit." Zander figured there was no sense in lying about it. Lorenzo Alcazar was a drug dealer, he would recognize the signs.

"My product?"


Zander smiled. "Yeah…it's good stuff."

 

Lorenzo chuckled. "Yes…it is. You used to deal for Sorel."

"That was a lifetime ago."

 

"You want to deal again?"

 

Zander stood up and paced around the room. He felt antsy all of the sudden and realized he was starting to come down from the rush. Which rather disappointed him. The stuff didn't last long. "Uh...actually I was hoping to try something new."


Alcazar stood up as well. "I'm sure I can find something suitable for you. When do you want to start?"

 

"Anytime." Zander realized that he was talking without thinking. Not that that was anything new, but he felt a niggle of doubt about his actions. Lorenzo Alcazar was a dangerous man. But working for him would never be dull. Working for Ned was always dull. Zander squelched the doubt. "I'm available anytime." He made a mental note to call Ned and quit.


"Let's say tomorrow then. Find a suit and don't be high. No using on the job."


Zander was surprised by how easy this had been, but he kept his expression neutral as he nodded. "Got it. Thanks, Mr. Alcazar. You won't be disappointed. Whatever you need done...I can do."


Alcazar ushered Zander to the door then drawled," I believe you."

 

"Congratulations to me," Zander singsonged, after the door closed behind him. He headed for the elevator and pulled out his cell phone. He punched in Ned's number and when he answered, Zander stated, "I quit." Then he hung up, a smile on his face. Out with his old life. In with the new.

 

* * * * *

 

That night Zander dreamed again. A different dream. This time he was fighting with an older man. They were screaming at each other and then the man slapped him. Zander moaned and came awake, one hand pressed to his face at the memory of the hit. He could almost feel his cheek ache.

 

He slid out of bed and went into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face, then he grabbed a glass to get a drink of water. Sitting on the edge of the sink was a packet of white pills. Zander had tracked down Eddie to get some more. He hadn't taken them before bed but now he popped one out of the packet and swallowed it down. He was tired of the pain.

 

Climbing back into bed, Zander rolled onto his side and hugged one of his pillows, wishing that it was Emily in his arms. But she was forever out of reach. His stupidity had made sure of that. A tear slid down Zander's cheek. He had never felt more alone.

 

* * * * *

 

A week passed and Zander was kept busy. He basically became Alcazar's assistant, in the broad sense. Whatever Alcazar asked him to do, he did. It wasn't exciting at this point, but Zander was learning things and he figured it was all to the good. After work hours he hung out at Jake’s, played pool, drank too much beer and popped a few pills. Eddie had given him some green pill, which helped Zander to sleep without dreaming. He liked the green pills alot. When he took them he didn't miss Emily or his brother so much.

 

Life was interesting, until he ran into Alexis on the docks. She was out gunning for him, and it didn't help that she caught him popping a pill. Zander cursed when Alexis grabbed the leftover packet out of his hand and tossed it into the water. "What did you do that for?" he snapped at her.


"What the hell is wrong with you, Zander?" Alexis shot back. "I couldn't believe it when Ned called to tell me you quit ELQ. So I ask around and find out you're working for Lorenzo Alcazar."

 

"What do you care?" Zander shot back. He stalked over to the edge of the dock and saw the packet floating on the water. He was half tempted to jump in after them. But Alexis grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.

 

She glared at him, but there was hurt in her eyes as well. "I care because I'm your friend, Zander. I care because Lorenzo's brother killed my sister. He's a dangerous man."


Zander locked eyes with Alexis. "Yeah…and you killed Luis, which pretty much makes you even. So what's your problem?"

 

"You're the one with the problem, Zander." Alexis almost shook him. "Talk to me. What the hell is going on? A week ago you were working for Ned, you were on the straight and narrow. You sure as hell weren't getting high. What happened, Zander? Does this have anything to do with Emily?"


"I have nothing to say to you." Zander let his voice be cold. He loved Alexis but he didn't want her interfering in his life. He wanted to be left alone to live it the way he saw fit. Following everyone else's rules never got him anywhere anyway.

 

Alexis did shake him. "Zander...something is wrong. You're lashing out…why? Did someone hurt you?"

 

Zander shook her off and turned away. He could give her a list of the people who had hurt him. But he wasn't going to have this conversation with her. He loved her for caring, but she needed to stay out of his life. He would only hurt her in the end too. "Leave me the fuck alone, Alexis. I got nothing to say to you."

 

"You can act like a jerk all you want, Zander. Go for it. Being an ass to me won't make me turn away from you." Alexis moved to Zander and put a hand on his shoulder. She pulled it back when he flinched. "Zander...whatever it is that's bothering you...if you tell me about it, maybe I can help."

 

"I don't want your help, Alexis!" Zander snarled. "I don't need it. My life is good...it's great. I love my job. What's to talk about?"

 

Alexis sighed and rubbed her temples. "Ned and I talked, Zander. He's more than willing to take you back. Okay? So tell Alcazar to shove his job and go back to ELQ."


Zander glared at Alexis. "Why? Why should I do that? Because you told me to? Hah? Well I don't want to go back, Alexis! I tried doing everything the right way and what did it get me? Nothing! And that life...it's not for me. I'm not one of the good guys, Alexis. You got that? I'm a drug dealing, kidnapping thug. I'm not worth your time or your effort, okay? So fuck off!"

 

"Zander.." Alexis began, but a deep, drawling, voice cut her off.

 

"Don't bother trying to talk sense into him, Alexis. He's too stupid to understand, or appreciate your effort."

 

Alexis turned to the man who had spoken. She was stunned. "Cameron...what are you doing here?"

 

He smiled at her. "Looking for you. I thought we were supposed to meet at Kelly's for coffee at six? It's almost seven. You didn't show."

 

"I'm sorry." Alexis glanced at her watch. "I wanted to talk to Zander."

 

"Like I said...don't bother."


Zander had recognized the man's voice without turning around. It was a voice that haunted him for twenty-three years. He turned around slowly, a smile frozen on his face. He waited until Cameron Lewis was focused on him, then he whispered, "Hello...Dad. Long time no see."

 

Cameron said nothing for a moment, but then his mouth twisted into a smirk as he countered, "Shot anyone lately?"

 

"Fuck you!" Zander hissed. Then he cursed himself. His father had always known how to get a rise out of him. It shouldn't be so easy anymore. It shouldn't hurt at all. But it did. An image danced in Zander's head from his dream. A rifle in his hands and he and the other boy struggling for possession. He flinched as the gunshot echoed in his head and Zander felt himself go pale. A hand touched his arm and he flinched.

 

"Zander?" It was Alexis.

 

He shook off her hand and ran for the stairs.

 

Alexis watched him go then she turned around and locked eyes with Cameron. She had met him at the hospital, three weeks ago, and they had been seeing each other ever since. Not dating exactly, but close. Alexis liked him alot, but she was wary of trusting any man. She had learned her lesson well. But what she had just seen transpire here was making her doubt her instincts again. "What just happened here?" Alexis demanded. "Zander...he called you *Dad*. You're his father?"

 

"Unfortunately...yes, I am," Cameron drawled.


"But you told me that your son's name was Peter, and that he died three years ago." Confusion whirled in Alexis' head.

 

Cameron paced over to the end of the dock and rubbed a hand over his face. "Peter was my oldest boy. Alexander...he was a mistake from the day he was born. A mistake I'm still paying for."

 

Alexis didn't understand any of this. "What the hell are you talking about? I've known Zander for about two years. He's a good kid. He's hotheaded and quick tempered and sometimes he makes bad choices...but he's a good kid."


"Really? Then he's got you fooled." Cameron turned around and locked eyes with Alexis. "That...good kid...killed his own brother. He killed Peter." With that declaration ringing in the air, Cameron turned and walked away.

 

"Oh god," Alexis whispered, then she buried her face in her hands.

 

* * * * *

 

Zander went to Jake’s. He played a few games of pool and lost. He couldn't focus on the game. A pretty blonde with big boobs kept him distracted for a while. Zander thought about taking her to his room, but decided against it. His head was throbbing again and he realized he wanted to be alone, so he grabbed a bottle of Jack and headed upstairs.

 

Once inside his room, Zander closed the door and locked it. For a moment he leaned against it, letting his eyes drift close. He uncapped the bottle of Jack and took a swig, then he headed for the bathroom. Zander fished a packet of pills out of his back pocket. Green pills this time. Something to help him sleep. Zander popped one in his mouth and washed it down with the Jack. Then he shed his clothes, leaving a trail from the bathroom to his bed. He slid beneath the covers wearing just his boxer-briefs then took another swig of Jack before recapping the bottle and setting it on the night stand. Zander then laid back and closed his eyes, waiting for the pill and the alcohol to take effect. He didn't have long to wait. He drifted off into a black velvet darkness. Then he woke up screaming.

 

 

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