Winning ticket

Chapter 6

You open your eyes and immediately regret the decision.  Your entire body aches, and you have a splitting headache.  That doesn't stop you from bolting upright in the bed you're in.

Your body screams out in protest, but you need to know where you are.  Quickly taking in your surroundings you see the setup of the motel room you checked into the day before.  How did you get here? 

Your heart starts to pound, all the memories come rushing back to you, and with them all the emotions.

"Hey.  Hey it's just me, try not to move too much."  Vee softly explains, coming to your side.

You flinch back, you didn't even see her.   The left side of your face is burning with pain, it feels swollen and you can't open your eye.  

Knowing Vee is with you calms you down, but that just makes the pain more obvious.

Vee helps you sit up, and you turn to look over at her.  She has bruises on her face, a split lip and bags under her eyes.  You wonder how long you've been unconscious for.  Enough time for Vee to get cleaned up it seems, her hair is slightly damp.

"You're back at the motel, you passed out from shock.  I cleaned you up a bit, but I wouldn't try to move around too much."  She says, now sitting on the bed.

Looking down you see you're wearing a fresh shirt.  The blood stains are no longer there, that doesn't stop the memory from replaying in your head.

"Thank you.  I don't know what would've happened if you weren't there."  You look up at Vee, aware of the bruises all over your body and how it could have been much worse. 

"Actually I know exactly what would've happened.  So thanks."  You say sincerely, holding her gaze. 

Vee looks away in response.  You follow her gaze and see a bag laid out on the desk along with her gun.  A question begins to form in your head, before you can ask her she's at the desk resting her hand over the gun. 

You push yourself against the headboard and move to get out of bed, seeing the gun has warning bells going off.  Now standing up right you can see the gun better and notice there's a silencer on it. 

Vee has her back to you, but hearing you get up has her turning around to face you positioning the gun at you.

"What's going on?"  You ask her, your heartbeat picking up speed as you inch your way closer to the bathroom.

"Get down on your knees."

You freeze where you are.  This is not happening, this is some kind of sick joke Vee is pulling on you.  It has to be.

"Very funny, Vee."  You chuckle nervously back.  Your gaze switches back and forth between the gun and her face.

She brings the gun off the desk and points it at you, her hands steady.

"Get down.  I'll make it quick, painless."  She takes a step closer.

Betrayal, angry, hurt and fear flash through you.  You can't believe this, you won't believe it.

"Vee.  Just stop, we're friends.  Think about this."  You plead with her, taking a step back as she takes another one forward.

Your movement comes to a halt when your back hits the wall.  You swallow nervously, hands shaking. 

"Knees and face the wall."  Vee says gesturing with her gun.

You hold onto the anger you're feeling, pushing the fear back.  Focusing on the gun, you know that you're in no shape to fight her but you have to try something.

Your hands curl into fist, you move one foot slightly in front of the other and your gaze hardens.

You will not go down without a fight.

"No." You spit out. "If you're going to kill me, I'm not going to make it easy on you."

Vee sighs, her body language now matching yours.

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be. You can't beat me, I'm a trained killer." Vee explains.

"A trained coward, more like it!"  You scream at her.

You push yourself off the wall, launching yourself at her, hoping to knock away the gun.  She's too smart for that and quickly takes the force of your attack and turns it against you.  Vee easily knocks you to the ground, you move to get up rage and adrenaline still coursing through your veins.  A swift kick to the back of the legs sends you back against the carpeted floor.

Pushing yourself up you move to kneel in front of her, your old injuries flare up in pain.  You glare up at her, spitting blood out of your mouth.

"Is this what you want?  You befriended me, made me trust you.  Hell you even saved my life! Was that all an act?!" You angirly ask. 

Vee doesn't answer your questions instead just stares back at you.

"God, you're sick."  You spit out.

"Turn around.  It will be easier."  Vee says back with no trace of emotion in her voice.

The angry you were once feeling quickly turns into dread.  Tears slip down your face.

If you can't beat her then maybe you can reason with her, at one point she did help you.
Shaking your head you answer her.

"No.  Vee please, you don't have to do this.  You're not Richard.  You know me, you know that I'm innocent, don't do this."  You plead with her.

She shakes her head in anger, gripping the gun tighter.

"I kill people for a living, damnit!  How did you think this was going to end?  Jesus, now with the two million bounty on you there's no way you're going to survive."  She tells you, anger and desperation in her voice.  "Why did you have to--!"  She cuts herself off, trying to control her emotions. 

"It's just business."  She says, pleading with you to understand.

You let out an airy chuckle shaking your head in disbelief.  You should have never trusted her, you knew exactly what kind of person she was from the beginning.  It didn't have to end like this, it didn't have to be her.

"Maybe. But you made me trust you and we became friends.  You care about me.  You could have let Richard have his way with me, instead you saved me.  You saved me.  For what?  Just to bring me back here and kill me?  You care more about money than you ever cared about me."

Your voice is strong, coated with emotion. 

During your speech you notice a slight tremor in her hand, causing the gun to shake.  Your words are affecting her.

"I wish you would have killed me the moment you saw me,  instead of this." You gesture between you and her. "Whatever this was. I cared about you, and you felt the same.  So tell yourself whatever you want, but it wasn't just business. And you know it."  Pausing for a moment, what your feeling becoming too overwhelming.

"It didn't have to be you."  You softly explain, knowing those could be your last words.

Vee stares at you, you meet her gaze.  

Although your eyes are filled with tears and your face covered in blood and bruises, you won't back down from this. 

She raises her gun to your forehead.  Your eyes don't leave her's.

"Close your eyes."  She says softly, her eyes look down at you in sadness.  "I'm sorry."  You hear her say, as she moves her finger closer to the trigger.

You close your eyes, tears now freely streaming down your face, you're unable to watch.

Holding onto hope that when you open your eyes you'll be safe back at home, but knowing better.

You start to smile as memories flash through your head: family dinners, parties, hanging out with friends, your first love.  These happy memories play like a movie across your eyes and you let yourself feel this way for one last time. 

The last thing you hear is the muzzle flash and then nothing.