Alex’s POV

One shot was fired and there was a pause. I don’t want to open my eyes, I don’t want to see the lifeless body of the person I just chose to have their life ended. I felt guilt rush over me. I knew how to do my job, I knew how to turn the cold-hearted killer on and off. I, when I first joined, was told about it, they made it sound like a disease. ‘Try your hardest to stay away from there, once you turn into one you can never go back…’ They said, fear etched on their faces. It was funny though; we killed people for a living without asking questions, yet they were beyond scared of this mentality you could end up having. There were even rumours! ‘Apparently a woman got into that state and shot the partner she was working with in the head when he got injured, claiming he was only going to slow her escape down!’ ‘Well I heard that a man killed a whole family, including a six year old boy and a 9 year old girl because the price was right! I couldn’t do that!’

BANG!

Another shot fired? How? Why? I pointed at one person! A thud follows that, and a large exhale of breath. Shit. I open my eyes, staring straight at Colin.

“How you feeling? Hurt? Angry? Or nothing at all?” Colin says, gleaming from ear to ear. His glaze breaks away from me and goes to my left. Scared of what I’m going to see, I look over slowly. There’s Alyssa, lifeless. Her chair must have rocked backwards as the bullet hit, cos the chair is on its back. I look over at Scott, also lifeless on the floor.

“What the fuck?” I say, shooting a glare at Colin, who still stood smugly in place.

“What?” He smirked, shrugging.

“You asked me to pick one! So why are both lying on the ground?” I try not to show emotion. Well, apart from the anger that is obvious at the moment.

“I never said the other would be unharmed…” He winked at me. I felt sick. I just wanted to break the ropes that tied my hands behind my back and my feet to the chair legs and jump at him with my arms round his neck and watch him die. He smiled and walked out of the room, the other guy following him, and they shut and locked the only door out of this place. I was stuck in here with two dead bodies. How was I meant to escape this? Dammit! I stomp my foot against the chair leg. Well, I’m only gonna get out of here if I get rid of the ropes! I begin twisting and pulling my hands, trying to pull my hands out. I’ve had to do this before and it did not end pretty! Contorting my hands, I just keep pulling. I can feel the skin on my hands getting friction burn, even grazing off, but if I want to get out of here, I’m going to have to deal with it. It felt like forever, and I’m pretty sure I had no skin left on my hands, but I broke free of the ropes and they thudded to the floor. I undo the ropes to free my legs and I stand up eagerly, pushing the chair back so hard it fell over. I stare down at the two bodies beside me. How could I let this happen? I was so distracted, thinking about me and Alyssa working together that we got sneaked up on, and now look at us. I stare down at Alyssa, looking peaceful. Rest In Peace. I’m so sorry. I don’t stare at her body; I don’t want to see a bullet hole. She’s fine! I look over at Scott. Sorry, man. I didn’t mean for you to get dragged in this either. How could I have been so stupid and not put it together? The presents managing to be under the tree of a house on lockdown with a password for every door, the fact Pete and Alyssa got caught up in someone pretending to be Des, by text – who other than people that worked for him would know that he text everyone? God, I’m so fucking stupid! Colin of all people! I should have guessed! The day he left he pulled me aside from the others and said it was stupid, that he was gonna carry on his job cos he liked it and it shouldn’t be based

on age. Now he’s shot and hired people to shoot everyone I worked with… Would he go after Des? I gotta get outta here. Grabbing my phone out of my pocket, I dial Des. “Hello? Des?”

“Alex.” The distorted voice answers after a long pause.

“It’s Colin. He managed to trace us through tracking your phone. It was him who has the firm that tried to kill us!” I say, not even sure if it made sense.

“I know…” His voice, for once, sounded like it had some emotion.

“How do you know?”

“Cos I just told him!” A different voice said, although still distorted. “I’m here, Alex!” Colin had managed to get to Des? This was serious… I run my fingers through my hair and pace around the room a little.

“Colin… What are you trying to achieve?” I ask, suddenly feeling like my whole world was collapsing around me and trying to make sense of what’s left of it.

“Achieve? Ha! What do you think this is? A game of Monopoly? I’m proving a point! We spent our lives, year and years of them running around half the country because of a text message. Has Des ever killed anyone? Have you ever even seen his face? It’s just cos he’s got the money and the company he thinks he can dominate the world… So Des, what have you learnt? Ooh hold on, may as well take the distorting device off the phone!” A gun cocking can be heard quietly in the background.

“Age is just a number.” Des’s normal voice speaks. He sounds like an old man. Timid and scared.

“And?” Colin’s normal voice can be heard now.

“Experience is what counts for good people to do a good job!” He says, though it seems like he’s only saying it because a gun is pointed at him.

“Who killed Pete and Gail? Who managed to track Alyssa and Alex down every time, no matter where you sent them? Who almost managed to kill them two in their own locked down house?”

“You…” Des says, seeming upset.

“And why’s that?”

“Cos you’re better than them?” He asks. A thump is heard.

“Cos I, although older, am wiser. I know the tricks of the trade, I know how to tug at heart strings and I certainly still remember the pass codes for every door in and out of that building. And I’m smart enough to track you down, Des, to do what I’m sure many people have wanted to do when you kicked them out on their 40th birthday!” I hear Des whimper and can only assume the gun is now pointed at his head. A shot echoes the room and the phone makes a thump as it hits the floor, before cutting off. I hang up and shove the phone in my pocket. I’m gonna get him for this… I storm over to the door and work out how to open it. It’s locked from the outside, so this is gonna be difficult. I yank, push and pull at the door, but it’s not budging. There’s a small gap between the top of the door and the bottom on the doorframe, but I can’t reach it. This would have been where the person I’m with would help… I look back over at the bodies. How did this happen? Like three days ago everything was fine… I turn back round and look down at the floor. Come on, Alex, think! There must be another way outta here… As I stand there and think, I’m bought away from my thoughts by the sound of someone coughing and spluttering. I whip my head round and run over to the two of them. Is one still alive… I skid to a stop in front of them but they both still seem lifeless. I hear the door being unlocked and quickly stand my chair back up, sit down, chucking some rope across my ankles and holding my hands behind my back. The guy who threw Scott into the room wanders in.

“How you doing?” He smirks at me.

“Yeah, I’m overjoyed to be sat here with two bodies next to me!” I say, sarcasm overflowing.

“Well, I gotta say, you’ve done well to get here. I admire that!” He nods at me.

“Sorry what?”

“Well, we’ve sent out our best people, worst people, newest and oldest and you and that girl still managed to survive!”

“Well, I’m happy to hear that… Err… Sorry what’s your name?”

“Mark.”

“I’m happy to hear it, Mark.” I say. Maybe if I sweeten him up, he’ll get me outta here. I’m just about to open my mouth when the coughing and spluttering is heard again. Mark immediately grabs his gun from his back pocket and holds it out where the two bodies lay. For what seems like forever, me and Mark just stare at the bodies, waiting for one to move. My gaze switches between Scott and Alyssa. A sudden cough makes my gaze freeze on Alyssa’s body, which is convulsing slightly. The coughs grow more violent and she turns her head and coughs out blood, which splatters across the floor beside her. I was about to run over to her, but remembering I was meant to be tied, I attract Mark’s attention.

“You not gonna help her?” Mark looks at me, confused. “You know, save her?” Mark lifts one eyebrow and the corners of his mouth turn up slightly.

“Sure!” He said in a chilling tone, and aimed his gun at her. He cocks it, and puts his finger on the trigger. Slowly I watch is his finger moving back on the trigger. I have to time this perfectly… As the gun makes a small sound, I know it’s about to fire, and I charge at Mark, knocking him to the floor as he fires the gun; the bullet going into the wall. I push his gun away from him as we fight but he punches me in the face, the almighty blow leaving me stunned. He hits me again and again, then pushes me off him and I roll a few inches away from him. He staggers towards me and kneeling over me, puts his legs on my arms so I can’t move. He grabs my head with both hands and lifts it slightly off the floor, before slamming it back down into the concrete. The pain is unbearable and I can feel myself drifting in and out of consciousness, if he hits my head on the floor again, I’m gone! He pauses to smirk at me as he lifts my head off the floor again and I shut my eyes ready for the blow. There’s no point wasting energy trying to move him off me… I hear a quiet bang and the body that was holding me down flops beside me. I look over to Mark, who now has quite a large hole in his head, and watch his eyes dim. Looking into the other direction, Alyssa is standing up, breathing heavily, both hands holding the gun. She drops the gun and clutches her stomach, wincing at the pain as she collapses to the floor. I run over to her, barely able to see straight, and kneel beside her. I move her hand off her stomach and lift her top up, feeling it drenched with blood. There I revealed a bullet wound, mere centimetres from the last one. I guarantee that was done on purpose, baring in mind Colin had eyes on everyone all the time.

“Hey, you ok?” I asked her caringly.

“It hurts…” She winced. “But I’m fine…” I could tell she wasn’t fine, at all.

“Let’s get outta here and go to hospital. You need to be sorted out.”

“So does your face!” She giggled, “No, but seriously.” I help her up and put her arm round my shoulder.

“If walking gets too much, I’ll carry you.” I say, smiling. I’m so glad she’s alive. After all… I picked her.