Terror and grief

Will was crouched in the corner of the kitchen, hidden behind brooms and mops. He was quivering with terror. And yet his conscious thought was "Thank God the kids are at their fathers'". The voices were at their highest. He had never heard Rafe being so angry. The man was always composed, expect maybe if you hurt his family. And even then, he never got to that point. "Bernardi, come on! You've betrayed all of us! I trusted you! How many years have we been partners?" The other cop's response was cold "I have a family to feed and a kid that'll go to college one day. I can't be bounded by loyalty to guys who will rat me out to our superiors. Like you!" And then, Will's ears exploded. He saw the blood enter the kitchen through the door and he knew it was Rafe. He held his breath, trying to be as silent as a corpse as no one else was supposed to be in. When Bernardi had barged in with Rafe earlier, Will was about to make himself a sandwich. But the shouting and rage had compelled him to flee. He just couldn't as the kitchen door opened only in the living-room. He wondered if he'd know when the crooked cop would have left. Maybe he wanted to cover his crime. What if he decided to wash his hands in here instead of in the bathroom? What if he spotted Will's jacket? He was wetting himself but frankly that was the least of his worries. "Mommy..." Which led to picturing Sami's face when discovering Rafe. Maybe Rafe could be saved though. He should call 911. With his cellphone. The one inside the jacket hanging on the coat rack.

Will checked his watch over and over. Minutes passed very slowly. The pool of blood was widening and darkening. Soon, it would be sticky. It was strange how different reality was from books. Teen heroes were cunning and cold-headed and brave. It was difficult to be fearless when you were 17 and there was a trained gunman a room away. There were still a few noises. It might have been his heart beating but he was not sure. He chose to stay where he was, wisely as it turned out as he finally heard the door close. He knew the sound and it was the entrance. With trembling hands, he pushed the brooms away and crawled to the other side of the kitchen, unable to stand up. He had to reach the door handle without stepping in the blood and when he managed the feat, he opened cautiously. Nobody. Well apart from Rafe. Will knelt next to his stepfather, his breath caught somewhere, his eyes blurry from the tears "I'm so sorry Rafe" he whispered. The house phone was on the living-room table. He'd learned from Rafe that if you called with it, they got the address instantly. His fingers typed the wrong numbers numerous times until he heard a kind tired voice asking "911, what's your emergency?"

The paramedic were fast but pessimistic. Will caught their glances after checking the pulse. Was it his fault? He should have called sooner. His mother would never forgive him. She was away for the week-end, working for his grandmother Kate. Those two hated each other but they made wonders in the business, being both hard as steel and seductive as hell. Will admired and feared them. The only one he was really comfortable with was his father Lucas. He had phoned him too and Lucas was coming as soon as he could find someone to look after Ally, Will's adorable little sister. God she would be devastated. Rafe spoiled her. He didn't have any children himself so Sami's kids were his to look after and play with. Remembering all that good time, Will was weeping as uniforms came in. His aunt Hope was looking down at the blood, sighing. She and Rafe got along really well. Everybody did. Expect for Bernardi of course and Will felt horror strike him when he heard his voice again. He couldn't help looking at him as he was joining Hope to begin investigating. A murder he just committed. It was him who turned to Will to ask "Were you the one to call 911?" Will thought as fast as he could "Yes, I did." "You found Rafe dead?" "I... I don't know, I came in and here he was, lying in the blood. I checked his pulse but I don't know CPR so I had no idea what to do. I called immediately" He saw the man relax slightly. His lie was working so far. It had to. The cops and technicians scanned the apartment. Lucas arrived and hugged his son. Will felt much better and asked him "Take me away, now..."

As Lucas was opening the door, Will instinctively took his jacket. He stopped and glanced in Bernardi's direction. The glare he got answered his question. The man was putting two and two together. Will was in trouble. And he wasn't sure he would be believed.

When he had explained everything to Lucas, his father took him to someone he trusted: his lawyer, Justin Kiriakis. They drove to his office and Will told his story again as he was becoming more and more agitated. The words 'witness protection' were offered and rejected. Bernardi was respected. It was his word against Will, a troubled teenager with a problem of drinking and the disadvantage of having just came out and be looked down by a part of Salem's population. Plus it would mean no contact with the family and Lucas pointed out that not only it would be hard on Will and him but Sami wouldn't hear of it and in her efforts to find Will would surely expose his whereabouts "Then, he must hide in a place only the fewest know." said Justin "At least for the time being. His safety comes first. If Bernardi is cold-hearted enough to shoot his partner, he won't hesitate to kill Will when he has the chance. Will must leave immediately." The son and father exchanged a desperate look. Will felt he was sliding down a never-ending crevasse and his nails were slipping on the smooth surface. He was about to throw up. He uttered "Can you help me? Do you have a place for me?" Justin looked at him with compassion. He stayed silent for a while. Then he said "What I'm about to tell you will put all of us in great danger. Someone I love more than myself is also in danger and had to hide. You can join him. But you must promise to me absolute caution and you, Lucas, you must not tell anyone except those you deem worthy of your trust." Lucas nodded gravely. Will looked down. His heart was breaking.

An hour later, he was lying in Justin's trunk, under a blanket, trying to sleep as he'd been told it would be a very long trip. His father was talking with Justin but he could hardly hear them. He made out "Adrienne... worried to death... Nick... a month... what you're feeling...". He hadn't seen his mother or his siblings again and he had no idea when he would. After an hour, they got to an airport and he hugged Lucas and Justin good-bye, crying his eyes out. The small plane belonged to a fishing enthusiast who owed Justin a favor. Will looked through the plane's window, thankful that it was dark. He'd never board a plane and any height made his skin crawl. He sat in the back, muttering and praying he didn't really know who to. The pilot landed and handed Will to an old man wearing a baseball cap. They took his jeep through the forest. It was a silent drive and Will liked that better. He didn't trust his voice not to quaver. They reached an opening and when the engine stopped, Will heard the sound of soft waves. A lake, maybe? He took his small bag and walked on the path to the left. After half a mile under the mere light of the moon and stars, he found the little cabin. He scraped on the door and took out his key. He shivered when he came in, at the contrast with the glacial night and the coziness of a wooden fire. On an armchair, he saw a dark figure. "Hi" Will croaked "You must be Sonny."