Three Gangs and a Silver Sin

Chapter 48, Silent Ischemic

Through my blurry eyes, I watch Jane stare at Owen and then Blake, and then her cold, brown eyes are back on me. A shiver goes through me. If I wasn't so physically exhausted, I would've tried pressure pointing her by now. Unfortunately the two dumb-asses holding me down, thought to spend their boredom throwing me around the holding cell under this place. Three days back - after Xavier was at the hospital and gave everyone money to part our ways, the first thing I did was catch a taxi to Tygerwell so I can get my things at Blake's mansion and leave this town.

Unfortunately, Jane over here was a step ahead and had these two dumb-asses waiting on the western road for me. My taxi driver is dead now.

"Here you go," Jane suddenly says to me as she hands me her gun. "I bet there's still one more person Blake could care about. Kill him, and I'll set you free. Kill him and I'll give you enough money to start a new life."

The first thing I manage to get through my brain while holding the cold weapon, is that it's heavy. There are an estimated total of 875 million guns in the world. Of those guns, 650 million are owned by civilians, 200 million by militaries and 26 million by law enforcement.

I'm holding one of those guns.

The second thing I start thinking of is what Jane just told me. She'll set me free. She'll give me enough money to start a new life. Maybe this time... Maybe this time I really can be free. Maybe now, I can finally leave this life and go somewhere where I can heal. Stay away from guys that always end up breaking my heart. Shrinking my heart.

All I have to do is kill someone. Who? Kill the one person Blake might still care about here.

Not me...

That one, I should've known even before Blake forgot about me at the Piano Graveyard. After he said he'll pick me up once his date with Amber is done. I had to walk for miles before I got a lift back to Tygerwell.

I look up and find myself focusing on the tailored coat Owen is wearing.

Owen Rhodes.

Owen Rhodes has to die...

Should I just drop the gun? Refuse to sacrifice someone, because someone in here would do that for me? Because someone in this fucked-up world will put the gun down for me?

Am I not allowed to be selfish?

With the blink of an eye, I raise my gun and aim it at Owen's head.

Everyone takes a collective gasp and Owen raises his arms in defense. I refuse to look at anyone else and keep my eyes locked on the spot between Owen's eyes. "What are you doing?" Owen asks - I'm not sure at who it's directed, but I don't answer in anyway.

Through the corner of my eye, I watch Jane shrug before walking back up to her desk. "You're right," she says, "I can't kill Blake because of his suppliers. You on the other hand? You deal with girls. Girls can be found everywhere. Hell, I even came in contact with a very nice gentlemen in another country willing to supply girls with a generous deal. I don't even have to pay the whores!" Jane laughs, "So, that concludes just how little your life matters. If Blake Bowmen refuses to promise me he'll do as I say, I'll just kill you like I killed that other annoying kid with the weird hair."

Owen turns slightly to look at Blake. Still, I refuse to take my eyes off of Owen's head.

In your lifetime, the odds of your cause of death being due to assault by gun, is 1 out of 315. The average person lives 27 375 days. Which means that in your life, there are at least 87 days where you stand a chance of dying by someone shooting you.