Left For Dead [malec fanfiction] [complete]

Fifteen: Escape

"Where's Alec?" Max asked. "Is Magnus with him?"

Jace looked over his shoulder at the men and women surrounding them. He had to make a run to the butcher's to drop off some knives and this gave him an opportunity to see his little brother. "I don't, little guy. He's probably still out on a run. He'll be fine. He's a pro, remember?"

Max didn't look too convinced but he said nothing else as he tried to skin part of a deer. "I don't know what I'm doing, Jace. I've never skinned a deer before."

One of the butchers yelled from the back of the small shed. Max flinched but kept on doing what he was doing (or at least trying to do). Jace glanced over his shoulders to see if anyone was looking and skillfully started skinning the deer.

"You're lucky our dad took your older siblings on hunting trips back in the day," Jace whispered. "Otherwise you'd be here all day trying to get the skin off."

Max giggled as Jace winked at him. "This job really sucks. I wanna go on scavenges like Alec and Magnus. I'd be really good at it. I know I would."

"Oh yeah? What makes you say that?" Jace quickly threw the skin off to the side and moved on to another part of the deer.

"I'm small. I can fit into tight places that grown ups can't fit. Plus I'm fast and really quiet. Like a ninja."

Jace chuckled as Max struck a ninja pose. "I don't doubt that for a second. Maybe one day you'll go on a run with us-"

"Hey! This ain't a part of your job description!" The head butcher spat at Jace from across the room. He stomped over to where Jace stood and hauled Max backwards. "Go on! Get back to your job!"

"My brother doesn't know how to do any of this. I was just helping him," Jace growled through a clenched jaw.

"This kid's your brother?" The butcher laughed. "He's useless. He can't do a damn thing I ask of him-"

"Because he's just a kid!" Jace yelled and threw the knife he was holding in his hand at the butcher. It missed his head by a hair and embedded itself in the wall at the back of the shed.

The head butcher looked impressed and angry at the same time. "You've got a good arm, young man. If the armory doesn't work out for you, you're always welcome here. Better you than the little worm over here."

Max said nothing as the head butcher left them alone. "I hate his place, Jace. I wanna go home. Or find a home and stay there."

Jace jumped over the wooden table and hugged his little brother. "I know, kiddo. Alec will get us out of this mess. I'm sure he's got a plan of some sort-"

The front gates opened and the vehicles that went with the runners earlier that morning came revving in. The townspeople had started to gather around them as they piled out of the vehicles one by one. Jace and Max gathered around as well to see if Magnus and Alec were there.

"You know where this stuff goes, people. Bring it there and don't even think about stealing," warned Raphael. He began to hand out their findings that day to the people gathered around.

"Do you see Alec?" Max asked.

Jace scanned the vehicles for any sign of their brother. "No. I see Magnus though. Let's go ask him if he's seen Alec."

They approached Magnus just as he was returning his weapon. His face looked solemn as if something happened while they were out there.

"Oh god," croaked Jace. "Don't tell me....Alec?"

Magnus shook his head. "He's fine, Jace. Raphael made him walk back to town. He could be a while-"

"Walk back? Is he insane? Does he at least have a weapon?!"