Capítulo 111: Chapter one-hundred-and-nine
Tasmin
I've heard enough.
So I'm supposed to be dead. I won't hesitate to come out from hiding anymore.
Ally
From where I am, I can see nothing but the ceiling. But I have to get up. If I don't try to save Harry, no one will. I know Ben; he'll finish the mission.
"I'm gonna kill you now, Harry."
"After everything we went through. Together, as well." Harry's voice cracks, and I know for a fact what he means. "You were there for me after mum died. Your family put in every effort to help me. You the most, Ben. Yet it was all nothing to you."
There's a moment of silence before Ben replies. "I wouldn't have had to nurture you like a baby if you had died," he spits. "Of course it was nothing to me."
For some reason, I get the feeling that Ben doesn't mean it. Not that much, anyway.
"You don't mean it," Harry says firmly.
"YOU DON'T KNOW ME."
I hear Harry tsk at that.
I blink back my tears first, but I don't dare raise my hand yet. Then I raise my head. I feel my heart kick up a notch. Tasmin is coming out from behind the column, and she looks ready to murder.
I guess I'm not really alone.
"Remember what Charlie said, Ben? You should be a politician for all your exaggerations. I agree with him. That, and all the lies."
"Don't lecture me of all people about lies."
"And what about Emily?"
I don't know Emily. But Tasmin does. She freezes where she is and catches my eyes. I try to nod her away, signal with my eyes for her to run. I am waiting for the finishing shot, but it doesn't come. So I shoot my shot: I mouth 'Run'.
"You two were so close. I saw you two together, and I was so happy for you, Ben, to finally just let loose with someone! She was so good to you, how could you –"
"Shut up. I'll shoot you."
"You care about Emily!"
"I don't care," Ben barked. "I don't care about her, or anyone!"
Tasmin
Emily.
I can't even think of what I'll have to say to her when this is done… If there'll be anyone to say anything to her; Ben's gripping the gun so terrifyingly-tight, I'm taking such slow steps now.
Then there's Harry. I can see all of him now. I know that he's so close to breaking; his eyes are welling up, his fists are tight, his knees are shaking, but he's so brave. I grind my teeth. An image flashes in my eyes of Harry holding a gun, pointing it at me. The thought sends shivers running down my spine, and anger rushing through my veins.
Harry was going to kill me. This whole time, he was going to kill me. And suddenly everything makes sense.
Harry's gaze goes way past the barrel of the gun, into Ben's crazy eyes.
I hate to admit that I need to be there to catch him when he falls. If he falls. I hate what he could've done to me, but I will him to stay standing, unlike Ally, who's lying almost lifeless on the floor below him. From here, I've caught her watery eyes. Her lips mouth at me frantically to run, but her eyes are screaming at me something else.
I'm sorry.
I want to smile at her, give her the reassurance she needs. She needs it. Maybe I even need it, more than I think I do, but I can barely control my heartbeat, pounding against the walls of my chest, and the thumping in my ear, and the whirlpool of thoughts in my head.
Harry
I feel heavy all over my body. If it weren't for my mother's gentle but firm hands holding me up, I'd be on the floor beside Ally, screaming, clawing at nothing, bawling 'Why, why, why?'
Beyond the dark barrel of the gun, Ben's eyes blaze at me. At any second he could choose to unleash a bullet; a death sentence. A death sentence that he was meant to give me years ago. But it doesn't matter. A piece of metal about the size of my thumb killed my mother, and if a piece of metal takes my life, at least I'll be with my mum too.
I see her now. The light shines down in this brightly-lit room, and my eyes falter for a moment. I'm gonna fall. But I stay standing, because my mother's shape flashes right before me. And then I can't hold myself up.
As I fall backwards, I catch sight of someone else. Someone who I love too dearly to ever lose my standing for.
Tasmin.
And I realise that she shouldn't be here. She shouldn't be anywhere near here. She shouldn't hear any of this, and she shouldn't see any of this. But the horror on her face tells me that she's already heard and seen things.
Tasmin
I smile. At Ally. She needs the reassurance that I'll get her away from here. The next moment happens in a series of images.
I back away, hit 'down' on the elevator button.
Ben raises the gun, looking ready this time, to finish it.
My heart drops. Harry's looking at me, not at the boy who's going to kill him.
Ally's eyes widen as I throw myself at her, at Harry.
I scream when I hear the booming crack of the gun.
I shove Harry's arm, and he tumbles to the side.
As I drop to the floor, searing pain swipes my back. I realise that if I had dropped just a nanosecond earlier, it would've punctured my head.
I push back the pain, and barely look up at Harry (though I want to) as I pull Ally against me. Two more shots ring out, but I feel numb as I scramble back behind the column and into the elevator.
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