Reception

Chapter 18 - My Beta Key

"Nine..."

There was no edge to her voice, which made Damien even more nervous. His breathing hitched, palms sweating. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. What can I possibly do here? If I go with them I'll be at their mercy to do who knows what and be doing it at who knows where.

"Eight..."

If I don't go with them, my friends could die, right here, right now.

"Seven..."

Think, Damien, think! You can do this! He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Six..."

With lightning reflexes from way too many virtual video games Damien pulled his rifle on Michelle, training it on her forehead.

"Mr. Sulivan, what on earth are you doing?"

Her question was followed by his hands deftly pulling back on the release, a plastic bullet casing soaring from the groove and being replaced by its brother. He completed the entire motion with a loud clack as the handle slid forward forcefully, loading the new bullet.

"You really want to shoot me with this? A toy gun?" Michelle's voice still retained some humor, as if she had just thought of something witty.

"You tell me. What will a gun like this do to you at point-blank range?"

"Hurt like hell?" prompted Joshua.

Damien smirked, "I like your thinking, Josh."

"Joshua," he corrected.

"Sorry," Damien beamed, eye still trained on Michelle's face through the scope.

Michelle's amusing tone evaporated as her handgun moved from Joshua to Sarah, "Damien, do you really want to fire that gun at my face? I don't think it's a wise idea, myself." Her face lit up with surprise as she made a small gasp, "Oh! And five, by the way."

Damien gritted his teeth, "I will fire, and it will hurt, Michelle."

"No doubt," she mused, "but it will be a far cry from killing me, and I would still pull this shiny little trigger and Sarah's shiny little life would spill in a shiny little pool of blood."

"Excessive use of 'shiny' aside, he's not alone," Joshua retorted, assault rifle poised at Michelle.

With an exasperated sigh she turned to Damien, gun still trained on Sarah's frame, "Four, Damien. Four."

"Three," he angrily seethed.

"Two," she answered, trigger finger twitching slightly.

"One," Alice growled, bloodied hand holding a handgun of her own, pointed right at Michelle's face.

*****

"My, my," Michelle said, startled.

"Mine's real," replied Alice, wincing with each breath.

"How did you get that by security?" Joshua asked, amazed.

"Details, Joshua, details," Alice gasped as she attempted to stand on her own.

Joshua bent down, freeing one hand to help Alice to her feet. With a small whimper Alice stood up, gun still trained on her prey.

"I hear she's good with this thing," said Joshua, nudging his head in the direction of Alice, "I really wouldn't upset her if I were you."

"Far past upset," Alice moaned, panting in pain, "far, far past upset."

Without warning, shot after shot assaulted the team's ears, the ringing almost unbearable as Alice unloaded bullet after bullet into Michelle's abdomen. After the final shot she crumpled to the floor, a rag-doll to the gravity that now had no opposition.