Sixty Seconds

Chapter Sixteen

Carter

The main office was emptying at a steady rate. Harper waved to me as she talked on her phone. I nodded my head in response. The lazy hues of red and pink filled the office, reminding me how long Jessica had been gone. Delicate threads of worry were weaving across my thoughts, crowding my head with uncertainty. It was my turn to patrol to make sure everyone was out, or had a valid excuse not to be before the night security came in.

I made my way down the first corridor, hands clasped behind my back. I felt my eyebrows furrow slightly as I worried about Jessica. I checked my phone, knowing there would be no new messages or missed calls. I couldn't fight of the thought that she was in trouble, the fear of that was imprisoned in my mind.

“You look worried” Joshua said coming up behind me. I jolted slightly out of my worry. Joshua looked at me, slightly amused.

“Jessica went out this morning and I haven't heard from her since.” I told him, checking an open room. It was empty as presumed.

“You sound like her boyfriend” Joshua told me, half-way amused at my worry but I had also sowed the seed of doubt in his head.

I gave him a sideways glance. “We're not together”

“Obviously” Joshua said, checking a room opposite mine, also empty. “You should be together though, I mean, you may be blind to it because of you're a complete and utter emotional retard but-”

“I'm not an emotional retard” I interrupted, annoyed at Joshua but also because in the back of my head I knew it was true

“Yes you are. The last girlfriend you had lasted two days.” Joshua told me. I snorted slightly.

“It was mutual” I insisted. Opening a door and looking in, silence met me and I closed the door again silently.

“No, it wasn't” Joshua said, we were heading towards the control room. “She dumped you because you liked your pistol more than her. At least you actually like Jessica.”

Another sideways glance. “Yeah, maybe but she hates me.” Another room was clear.

“Sure about that?” Joshua asked, stopping in the doorway of the control room. I turned to him, my back to the massive lit screen, scanning for active tracking devices.

“Yeah, I am act-” The was a beeping sound from the tracking device. A red blip appeared on the screen. Flicking on and off, unmoving. I frowned and walked towards the monitor. It took a few seconds for the name to sink in. Jessica.

“It's only two minutes away” Joshua said, checking the place name. “I'll finish our rounds.”

I turned and ran out of the control room, alarm bells ringing in my head. Why had she used her tracker instead of her mobile? The answer hit me like a ton of bricks. She couldn't. Something was definitely wrong.

Jessica

“Step away from the girl and leave” The man ordered Alex, who glanced down at me, I was aware I had turned a pale white. My fingers fumbled behind my back, my tracking device poked out of my back pocket. I breathed deeply, wondering if any one else could hear the click as it turned on. I just hoped someone at HQ would see it.

“To hell with that” Alex replied, stepping slightly in front of me. The man narrowed his eyes at Alex.

“No, that's where you'll be if you don't step away quickly and quietly.” The man told him. I looked up at Alex, trying to tell him to move with my eyes, but he stood his ground.

“Fine then, shoot me but just to let you know, I'm gonna haunt the shit out of you” Alex said, I dug my fingers into his arm, he looked down at me and shrugged slightly. I couldn't believe he was taking this with only a shoulder shrug.

The man smiled humourlessly. “This is your last chance, all I need is the girl. She's been causing a bit of trouble for us with her job”

I stared at him for a few seconds. Terror began leaking though my bones, soaking me from the inside. The man raised the gun. I began to shake.

“Five” Alex turned slightly paler than usual.

“Four” I hoped Carter had seen the tracker, I needed him to have seen it.

“Three” I blinked, the world seemed to slow as he said it, the snow seemed to white and was beginning to hurt my eyes, I felt sick.

“Two” The man smiled humourlessly again while Alex tensed up beside me, I couldn't understand why he hadn't left. He hardly knew me and he'd already saved my life once.

“One” The man clicked the safety of his gun and aimed.

“Drop your weapon!” A shout came from my side. Carter ran in, the man turned towards him, gun still raised. Carter took a few threatening steps towards him. “Drop your weapon now!”

The man laughed. It was a cruel sounding laugh that sent chills down my already terror soaked bones. I knew the time that had passed had only been a second but it seemed to last a hour as two shots were fired. The white snow became red as I screamed.

“Carter!” I screeched. The man was on the ground, choking on the blood coming from a single wound in his throat. He died laughing. Staining the snow a crimson that made my skin crawl. Time seemed to slow again as I ran towards Carter. Through the ringing in my ears I heard Alex shout something indistinguishable to me, his voice muffled by the ringing. Glitter coated my eyes in flecks, white stained with crimson. The world seemed to spin in slow motion as I approached Carter. He wasn't moving.

AN: Please vomment! And Add to your library and ya know while you're at it you can  fan me ^_^ Thanks for all the support so far!