The Temple Run

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE| Russian Roulette

To the man on the extreme right, Kendrick placed the revolver.

     And he... reluctantly... pulled... the trigger. But he was alive.

     He sighed.

    "Lucky, next."

     Kendrick moved on to the next person...

      The new guy...

      He raised the revolver again.

      And he pulled the trigger...

       Nothing.

       "Next!"

     He placed the revolver on Rye's head, and Rickshaw said, "For not going back on a killing revenge quest!"

      She closed her eyes and Kendrick closed his eyes too. A tear slipped from his eye, but there was no rebellion. He'd seen what Rickshaw could do to inconsistent people. And he didn't want to be on the list. So, he had to do it...

      Pull the trigger and see whether fate was on her side.

     No.

       Nothing...

     There were two people left.

     No, wait!

     The door opened and everyone looked up- everyone including the many, many wardens pointing their guns at the five.

     "Well, well, well, look at what we have here-" he said, again. "I really can't resist those words- they purr with perfection."

     "Of course, they do, Shaw," Kendrick said.

     And Rickshaw couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Ken."

     And as his smile faded quickly, he looked up at the angry face of Pete. He smiled again. "Greetings. I hope you enjoyed being left behind. I hope they'll forgive you after the great feat you were going to achieve in going to kill me."

     "How did you-?" Rye asked before she covered her mouth.

     "Or you didn't think I'd not seen your escape plans?"

     "Pete!" Bones burst out. "You lazy son of a bitch!"

     "No, no," Rickshaw said. "There's no need to curse here. There's something I'm teaching Ken here, and you might have to learn from him."

     He looked at the warden holding Pete. "Throw him in."

+ + + + +

"Now, let the games continue."

     Pete was next in line.

     "I hope you die," Bones uttered.

     "Shut up!" Rose snapped. Rickshaw smiled, raising an eyebrow.

     Kendrick placed the revolver on his forehead, forgetting that it was only necessary for Rye.

     He exhaled, and he pulled the trigger...

     Still nothing.

     Bones swallowed hard. He knew he was his target, and he couldn't really do anything about it. His eyes sauntered over to the wardens standing behind them. And he exhaled, knowing that this would be the end of the line.

     Starting a fight was unthinkable. It would purely be suicide...

     And now, the revolver was on Rye.

     The only person left before him...

     What the hell would he do?

      Kendrick pulled the trigger. And the gun went off with a bang!

+ + + + +

Lucky and teary and the same time...

    Rye's head flew backward, and her body followed.

    Rose screamed and stood abruptly. Tears were in her eyes, and she saw her bounce off the ground...

    They'd known each other for a very long time; they'd become friends. They'd become work partners and had talked about their families, their lives and their loves, and they became tight. Now, here she was dying in front of her!

     Tears flowed off her eyes, and she threw caution to the wind. She walked angrily towards the stupid, stupid, stupid Axel Rickshaw, begging and craving to kill him.

     She wanted to see him die.

     And Bones waving off the officer, allowed her to get very close to him, armed with her fists, ready to kill him.

     "Monster! You are a god-forsaken monster! You're... you're a monster!"

    And she threw a punch but, Rickshaw caught it mid-air. "I'm not a monster. The revolver is."

     "You... you-" And she threw her hand off of his grip so hard that she fell onto the ground.

      "You know, I respect lady so very much," he said. "Have you ever seen me kill a woman ever before?"

     "You're a stupid-"

      "No, I haven't. I'm a gentleman. I don't kill women-"

       "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up-"

      "... But if you push me to lengths I cannot bear- if you make my life unbearable- I will kill you like I kill men-"

      "Shut up! Shut up!"

     And she took off her shoe, wanting to attack him.

     Guns were raised, but Kendrick waved them off.

     He blocked it with his arm and gave her a punch and then threw a heavy punch that knocked her in the jaw, sending her sprawling back.

     She came back, clamoring for vengeance.

    She folded her fists and threw it at him, but he caught it, gave him a head-butt into his nose, pulled him back, and punched him in the eye.

     She ran to the side, tripping, as she breathed heavily, still cursing under her breath.

     "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you." 

     "You still want more of my fists, beautiful," he asked.

     "Oh man you're going to pay so dearly," she said, as she still rubbed her right eye in pain.

Job looked at the others who were gesturing at each other.

    He wanted to stop the fight, but it seemed that they had something else entirely in their mind.

     They wanted a gunfight.