**AUTHOR'S NOTE**
The next couple of chapters will be the end of this story, so please be sure you have read everything leading up to this point before reading what happens next. Also, I am already working on a sequel, so if something feels open-ended, it is intentional.You are two chapters away from the conclusion, Keep on reading :-D THANK YOU! (Don't forget to vote!)
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Aaron is in his kitchen hearing the loud knocks coming from both his front door and his basement entrance. His lips have become pale and dry with fear, as he knows exactly why Samantha is knocking from te basement but does not know who may be knocking so loudly at the front door. He then hears the voice of Officer Stack coming from outside.
"Aaron, it's Kennedy Stack! I know you're in there, I just saw you pull in. Look, we just wanna talk to you... It's just me out here! No need to complicate things, just open the door!"
Aaron is looking at the front door as it shakes from the knocking and then at the basement access with its loud knocking as well. He notices Samantha's knocking now stops. He reaches under his kitchen counter and pulls out a gun. He slips the gun into the back of his pants before slowly walking toward the front door.
"Just a minute...! Be right there...!"
Aaron gets to the front door and opens it slowly. Officer Stack displays non-hostile intent as he holds his up hands so that Aaron may see.
"What brings you here, Stack...?"
Officer Stack walks into Aaron's house.
"I... didn't invite you in."
"Relax, Aaron. Look, I just wanted to let you know... I was officially assigned to the case of Samantha Lawrence not too long ago, and... Well... She was announced dead, so I no longer have a case. I just wanted to see how you were holding up since I know you had invested interest in solving this puzzle."
Aaron's eyes shift toward the basement door but then look back at Officer Stack.
"I'm... At a loss for words, actually..."
Aaron closes the door.
"I don't actually believe she's gone."
"Neither do I, Aaron... I happen to think Samantha Lawrence is alive and ticking--"
"But not Bethany... I just can't understand it."
"Bethany...? What do you mean?"
"You didn't hear? She committed suicide... Just today..."
"No, I didn't hear... How did it happen?"
Aaron's watery eyes are trembling as much as his voice.
"It... Was just on the NEWS, you must have heard... It happened this morning, it's... Wait."
Aaron reaches behind himself and pulls out his gun. He points the gun at Officer Stack's face. Stack raises his palms toward Aaron.
"Whoa, take it easy. What's wrong, Aaron?"
"What's wrong is... You're stalling. I know you are."
"Stalling? For what? What are you talking about, Aaron?"
"You're trying to kill time. I clearly heard you say "WE wanna talk to you" and then you quickly changed it to "oh it's just ME out here." Tell me, Stack... Who the hell did you bring here?!"
"Aaron, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm here on my own, buddy. You must have heard me wrong, now put the gun down... If you know you've done nothing wrong, why start now?"
While the exchange between Aaron and Officer Stack began to take place, a female officer in civilian clothes had been picking the lock to the storm doors on the side of the house. These doors give access to the basement, where Samantha had torn many things apart from anger. Samantha was on the top of the spiral staircase crying and knocking loudly when suddenly...
"Shhh!"
Samantha was caught off guard by the shushing sound coming from the base of the stairs. She looked down and saw the female officer showing her badge and whispering to her, so she stopped knocking.
"I'm Officer Veronica Russo, TCPD. We're getting you out of here..."
At about the moment that Aaron had pulled the gun on Officer Stack, Samantha was slowly walking down the spiral staircase toward Officer Russo.
"What's this chain connected to...?"
"I don't know... They go into the ground..."
"Well I'm getting you out of these."
Officer Russo begins to feel around the shackle on Samantha's waist for a lock to pick but isn't able to find one. The shackle's locking mechanism is concealed within the clamp itself.
"Thats it. I'm shooting the chain."
"You're what?!"
"Shhh..."
"That's dangerous! What if te bullet ricochets off and hits me?! I could die! What if Aaron hears the gunshot? He'll come down here! YOU could die!"
"Keep quiet, kid. I know what I'm doing."
Russo reaches for a silencer and begins to screw it onto her gun, that's when the door at the top of the stairs slams open. Officer Stack slowly comes walking down the stairs with his hands up. Russo looks up at him.
"What the hell...?"
Just behind Stack, comes Aaron with his gun pressed up against the back of Stack's neck. Russo immediately points her gun up at Aaron. Aaron wraps his arm around Stack's neck and presses the gun against his nose, while shouting down at Russo.
"Who are you?! How did you get down here?"
Samantha runs and hides behind Russo, crouching down and trembling.
"Just shoot him!"
Samantha tries to encourage Russo to take out Aaron. Russo stands firm and Samantha is cowering at her lower leg. Aaron walks down with Stack held and is now a couple of feet in front of Russo.
"I asked you a question! Who the hell are you and how did you get into my house?!"
"The name's Veronica Russo, and I walked in. Now drop the damn weapon."
"Did you do anything to Sam?! ...Sam, did she hurt you?!"
"No Aaron! She didn't do anything to me! Veronica, shoot him already!"
The look of anguish on Aaron's face tells that it hurt him to hear Samantha ordering him to get shot, but Russo disencourages her words.
"Shut up, kid. You're only making this worse."
Aaron looks at Samantha's frightened state with pain in his eyes. Russo notices his point of weakness and talks to Samantha without taking her eyes off him.
"Samantha, get up."
"What?!"
"Get up, kid! Stand! On your feet! Now!"
Aaron's look of sorrow turns into that of anger now and he yells at Russo.
"Watch how you talk to her!"
Samantha stands beside Russo now. Russo quickly wraps her arm around Smantha's throat and points the gun at Samantha's temple. Samantha gags and is in shock as her nervous voice questions Russo.
"Whoa! What a- What are you doing? You're here to rescue me, remember?"
"Keep your mouth shut, kid."
"You better LET HER GO!"
"Funny, Walsh. I thought I'd be the one saying those words to you tonight. But things have a way of turning themselves around. Two can play this game. If you care about this girl, you will let Kennedy go. You shoot him, I shoot her. Is this worth it to you?"
"No... Sam... I swear, Russo, if you hurt her, I will--"
"You will what, Walshie?! Hurt Kennedy? Hurt me? Huh? Do I look like a cop who gives a damn?! This is your last chance, Aaron. Put the gun down and no one gets hurt. Or you don't put the gun down and there will be three dead bodies here before the night is over, and I... do NOT... care which three, you will be one of them!"
"You're bluffing."
"Try me, you scum. Try me!"
Russo cocks the gun she is pressing on Samantha's head. Samantha's eyes become an overflow of tears upon hearing the click of the gun and she is shaking uncontrollably but she still tries to convince both Aaron and Russo to stop.
"Please! Nobody has to get shot here. Aaron if you let him go, she'll let me go. Just turn yourself over... Or even you Veronica, if you just let me go, he'll let your dude go, and--"
"Shut the hell up! I know how things end for cops who come after this guy and I did not come here to die tonight. I let you go, he gets the upper hand. Takes all three of us hostage. Not tonight, Aaron. Tonight is your last dance..."
Aaron recoils his lips and lets out a steaming breath through his nose. His voice trembles as he softly speaks while looking at Samantha with watery eyes.
"Please forgive me for what I am about to do, Sam... I'm sorry..."
From the outside of Aaron's house, the opened storm doors are receiving a light spray from the icy rain. A loud gunshot is heard, met with a frightened scream from Samantha, followed shortly by a second gunshot, and then silence...
Aaron had pulled the trigger on Officer Stack, splattering uncontrolled amounts of blood all over himself and his surroundings. Stack's body collapsed in front of Aaron as Samantha screamed. Aaron quickly points his gun at Officer Russo, who forcefully pushes the frightened Samantha away. Aaron sees Samantha bump her head against the counter of the mini bar as he shoots at Russo, who is pouncing toward him.
"Oh my God, Sam!"
The bullet pierces Russo's shoulder, making her drop her gun, but her tackle toward Aaron was already in motion. Aaron's weapon also falls from his hand as he falls to his back from Russo's takedown. She pins him to the ground with her knee on his throat.
"You were right, punk! I was bluffing! But now..."
Russo reaches into her back and pulls out a second, smaller, gun.
"... You drew blood. That pisses me right off!"
She raises the gun and goes to cock it, that's when Aaron's legs come up behind her and scissor around her neck, taking her down to her back.
"You hurt Sam! I'll kill you!"
She kicks Aaron's chest, but Aaron kicks her injured shoulder. She loses her grip on her weapon with a loud grunt, but rolls out of Aaron's hold. Aaron slides himself backward while crawling back to his feet.
"You're gonna pay for what you did to Sam!"
Russo cracks her neck and shakes her injured arm, then puts up her fists in a brawling stance.
"You wanna dance, scumbag? Come on, let's do this!"
Aaron slowly balls up his fists. He second-guesses the act of entering a fighting stance and looks down at the gun on the floor. The gun is a bit closer to Russo than it is to him, and Russo notices what he is observing. She scoffs.
"You think you can reach it, don't you? Go ahead, punk! I dare you to even try!"
Aaron dives toward the gun, but Russo kicks it away. As soon as Aaron hits the ground where it was, he is met by a strong downward jab to the kidney. Russo follows the jab with measured knee strike to the same area. Aaron grunts in pain, and Russo now grabs his arm, twisting it between her legs as she drops her weight onto his back. Aaron screams as his shoulder and elbow both separate and the sound or crackling flesh zaps through his body. Russo grabs Aaron by his hair and pulls his head up, leaning down to speak into his ear.
"The best part of my damn job, is beating up punks like you who underestimate me!"
She shoves his face to the floor and gets up off his back. Aaron is unable to move his arm, but rolls to face up as Russo pushes him with her foot.
"You killed a lot of people... But when you mess with friendsof mine... From Sosa, to Jenkins, to Fuller, and now even Kennedy... It'll be my pleasure to tell their families, not only that I caught you, but that I put you down like the sick dog you were."
Russo reaches for the gun she kicked away. She notices Aaron has rolled and forced himself to his knees while her back was turned.
"Oh, humor me... What are you gonna do? You wanna get your other arm broken, is that it?"
She turns to him now with the gun in her hand as he gets up to his feet with his arm limping awkwardly and the blood of Kennedy Stack all over his upper torso.
"As long as there is breath in my body, I will fight for Samantha Lawrence... Even if you do kill me, the very last twitch of my cold dead fingers will be an attempt to make you pay for what you did to her... My heart still beats for her... I bleed for her... I'd kill for her..."
"You're a stupid little man who is about to die for her."
Russo points the gun at Aaron. Being at arm's length from it, Aaron swings his working arm to try slapping it from her hand, but she is quicker to dodge than he is to execute. She then backhand slaps him with the same hand that holds the gun, causing him to drop to one knee.
"Stay down, punk."
Aaron is forcefully breathing with anger looking at the ground. He then screams as he charges up at Russo with a body tackle. She has full control as she easily wraps her legs around his waist and uses his own momentum to tuck his head under her arm and hook her arms under his, tightening them around his back all while still holding her gun.
Aaron grunts and growls as he tries to use his legs for leverage. He is unable to break the hold, and the skillfull Officer Russo notices his failed attempts.
"No sense in trying, little man, you're not going anywhere!"
Aaron continues to struggle unsuccessfully. After multiple efforts he becomes far too weak to continue trying. Russo feels he has given up and releasses the hold, then kicks him away. She gets up and slowly walks toward Aaron, aiming the gun firmly as he cowers in a daze. Aaron drags himself away as best he can while Russo stalks toward him.
"I was in the US Marine Corps, Mr. Walsh... You never stood a chance against me in hand to hand combat... But as fun as it was beating your sorry ass, it's time to go... You'll find your place in hell..."
She stands over him now, aiming the gun directly toward his head. Aaron closes his eyes in fear while holding his hand in front of his face and tucking his neck in. In between shivering whimpers, Aaron's voice keeps repeating words to himself.
"I loved you Sam... Even in death, I'll always love you... I loved you... Always, Sam... Even in death, I will... Always love you... Always..."
"Aww... Now the big bad monster sees his fate, and begins to cry... Well pucker up, punk! You're kissig your sorry ass goodbye!"
The loudest gun shot that Aaron has ever heard echoes through his fondest memories of his beloved Samantha Lawrence. Within a split second, he sees himself making mistake after mistake when attempting to talk to Samantha as a child. Every missed opportunity to express his feelings, each and every single poem he wrote to her growing up. Everything he ever did to impress her, overshadowed by everything he didn't. His hopes to kiss her and how he imagined it would be, crumbling into the darkness of his weakened thoughts along with the ring he never gave her. Samantha's smiling face during the wedding day he always hoped for, wearing the diamond necklace he bought for her, and saying "I do" at te altar... It all fades into a pool of blackness.
Aaron feels his consciousness slowly drift away, and as his blurry double vision begins to leave him, he sees Officer Veronica Russo fall to her knees and then collapse on top of him, with a hole gushing out blood the back of her head and her forehead. Shocked and confused Aaron looks upward, and a few feet behind where Russo stood, now stands the chain-bound Samantha Lawrence. She has Aaron's gun in her hand, and the tip of it is smoking. Her lips are trembling and rivers of tears are pouring down her face.
"Sa... Sam...?"
Samantha drops to her knees and then lets go of the gun as she proceeds to sit on the floor. She cradles her face in her hands as she begins to sob uncontrollably rock back and forth. Aaron ends up passing out, unsure of what just happened.