The Secret Beneath The Waves

Chapter 13: Lights, Camera, Tony

*Picture of Tony at the top

Chapter Thirteen - Lights, Camera, Tony

But it was not Spencer's blood. There was a thump and Spencer turned to find the body of Nicholas slumped against the ground, Aidan holding the gun. "W-why did you d-do t-that?" Spencer stammered. Aidan fixed her with a stare. "He would've let me kill my own brother. He would've let Maxence die." he turned to find the director, but there was no one there. He fished a phone out of his pocket. "We need to call the police" he tossed Spencer the phone. Shakily, she dialed. A female voice answered on the other end, and Spencer shakily told her the story. The woman said that they would be there in five minutes. "That was a bad idea" came Hatchet's voice from behind. Spencer jumped so hard her teeth ached. Hatchet observed her from a few feet away. He sat down on a crate, completely comfortable with the idea of the police storming in. The other man came in. Adri, Oliver and Shawn were not with him. Maxence walked in a few minutes later. He noticed Nicholas's body. The revolver still in Aidan's hands. "Bad choice brother" he snarled, ready to lunge. "The Director will give us our share. You'll see." Aidan looked at Maxence, a sad look on his face. He shook his head. "You're wrong." He aimed the gun in the direction of Maxence. But it was not Maxence who crumpled. The other man did. Maxence stared, stunned as the man opened his mouth in surprise, blood pouring down the side. He fell.

Tony stood in the middle of the floor, unsure what to do. There was a lot of commotion suddenly, as the noise of police sirens was heard. Spencer guessed maybe three cars had arrived. Less than a minutes later, flashlights were directed in their direction. "Stand down" someone said. Spencer, Tony and the twins raised their hands. Hatchet smiled, and ambled over to the police. "Ronald, It's me" he said. "Don't you remember?"

The man at the front, Ronald looked at him. Then pointed his guns and Spencer, Tony and the twins. The rest of the police, twenty in total followed. "You see" Hatchet turned to them. "The police are on my side. Bad idea to call them." He'd bought over the police. "Drop your weapon" Ronald called. After a moment's hesitation, Aidan dropped the gun. Ronald looked towards Hatchet. Hatchet smiled "Shoot them."

The click of bullets sliding into place richoted throughout the studio. Spencer caught Tony's eye and understood what he wanted to do. Create a diversion. "Don't shoot!" Spencer screamed. All guns shifted to her, away from Tony. he edged backwards slowly. The police didn't notice. Spencer looked at Hatchet. "Why do you want the serum?" she asked. "Why do you think? To fix this!" he yelled. He gestured towards his face with his rotting hand. "The serum doesn't work. We tried it and almost created an epidemic." Spencer tried to reason with him. Tony was now a few yards away. The police still hadn't noticed. Hatchet was silent. His eye's wavered. He was trying to decide if she was lying or not. "When I created my own, it did not work. You are familiar with the genetic mutations showing up all over the oceans, yes?" Hatchet replied coolly. Spencer was lost for words. It was useless. He wouldn't listen. But a leader was nothing without his army. She turned to the police. "Whatever amount of money he says he will pay you, he's lying! He won't!" The police didn't even waver.

"It's true!" Aidan yelled. "He doesn't care if people live or die!" he gestured to the bodies of Nicholas and the other man. "Why would he pay you when you can all be replaced in a second?" he questioned. The pleading in his eyes made it all the more believable.

Now the police wavered. They looked among themselves, several of their gun hands dropped. "Idiots!" Hatchet yelled. He was getting scared. "I will pay you! Anyone that shoots now will get their price doubled!" He was really worked up now. "Idiots! Shoot!" pure mania was in his eyes. "Shoot!" The police murmured among themselves. They would give in any second. No one but Spencer heard the whirring noise behind her. The camera on the ceiling, the one without the lense smashed, slowly turned and aimed downwards towards the police and the director. Tony walked back towards the group, slipping a little remote into his pocket. "You could've grabbed a knife" she murmured when he was within earshot. "What use is a knife against a gun?" he whispered back. He showed her the remote. "One click and this entire encounter will be recorded." He looked at her before clicking the button. While Hatchet argued with the police, the camera swiveled towards them, and Spencer saw a red light go on, on the side of the camera. Recording.

"So you were the one that created all of those genetic mutations." Tony said, testing Hatchet's patience to the max. "Me, of course." he snarled and pulled something from his pocket. A gun. He began madly firing at everyone, including the police. It happened so fast if Spencer had closed her eyes for a few seconds, she would've missed it.

Every single one of the police was dead, sprawled across the floor with blood spewing from several areas of their bodies. Spencer felt something warm spread on her chest, and looked down to see blood blooming in a large circe across the right side of her blue and white shirt. It was downright patriotic. The bullet thankfully had not lodged itself in her torso, but it had grazed her side pretty severely. Hatchet smiled. "I don't need anyone to do my work for me apparently." he shrugged, walking towards her. Spencer staggered as she moved back. But Hatchet didn't shoot her. On hindsight, she wished he did. He shot Tony, who stumbled before crumpling. His pant leg had been ripped, where the bullet had been shot, and she could see the silver shine. It had impaled him in the leg, blood already created a pool around his calf. Maxence looked like he was going to be sick. Slowly, Aidan raised his gun, trained on The Director. Hatchet chuckled. "Nice try."

Before anyone could even react he shot at Maxence. Aidan was so stunned that he dropped his own gun. Hatchet then proceeded shoot him in the arm. Aidan cried out in pain, clutching his arm to his chest. Maxence was on the ground, but he did not move. Spencer knew, with a sense of finality and dread, that he really was dead now. Aidan had tears streaming down his cheeks. He crawled over to Maxence and shook him. The pain took over, and he collapsed, though she could make out his chest softly rising up and down, if not lethargically.

Hatchet made his way towards her now, kicking Tony in the ribs as he passed. "You should have known better than to come so unprepared" he shook his head. Spencer felt her back press against one of the counters. "So you admit to creating the mutations" she said when he was near enough that if he shot, she'd have no chance to escape. Hatchet knew it too. "So you were in charge of the original serum developing project? That was what created the mutations in the water?" she asked again. Hatchet exhaled "Why do you keep asking that?" he took another step and pressed the tip of the gun to her forehead. Spencer kept silent, but glanced up quickly before meeting his eye.

That was her mistake. Hatchet's eye followed her gaze upward and saw the camera, swiveled so that it focused on them. He screamed in anger, trying to get away, but Spencer was fast. Grabbing a kitchen knife from the holder on the counter, she pressed it against the rotting part of his neck. He noticed it, and seemed shocked, before sneering. Even some of his teeth had turned a horrible dark shade of yellow. He clicked the bullet into place. "You? You really think you'll be able to do it?" he pulled the gun away from her head, though it was still centered on her. She kept the blade on his neck, but he saw the doubt in her eyes. He sighed. "Very well. I'll move back even farther. You can throw it at me like a dart." He moved about ten paces back. Thankfully, he seemed to have forgotten about the camera. Spencer glanced at it again. He noticed. "Oh, the camera? I'll just shatter it once your gone. Afterall" he taunted, "You can't use the footage if your dead."

His tolerance was gone now, and he shot. However, being a bit farther away, Spencer dodged. But barely. The bullet brushed against her temple and she felt blood spout from her hairline. Her breath became labored as he strode towards her, swiftly hitting the butt of his gun against her head. Her vision instantly blurred, and she slumped to the ground. Tony yelled something from his crumbled spot, but he was in no shape to help. Hatchet crouched next to her. "This is what happens when a woman messes in a man's world." Spencer spat in his face, kicking him in the ankle. He grimaced but it wasn't enough to get him to drop the gun.

It took every fragment of energy she had left, but Spencer grasped the knife which had fallen on the floor next to her and in a quick motion, cut his arm. He howled in pain, but using his other hand, shot her. His aim was weaker, but it hit her again in the chest. She heard a crash and the door burst open. The last thing Spencer saw was CIA agents storming the studio, Michael and Asia at the head. Aidan ran through the door Adri had come out of, clutching a red arm to his chest. Then Spencer's eyes closed. 

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If anyone is interested in making a trailer for this book, I will dedicate a chapter to each person that submits an entry. The winner will be announced after 15 entries have been submitted. Good luck to all contestants!

~Ananya Ramesh (author)

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