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‘Fuck you!’
Tom was waving the gun erratically beside her head, but his grip stayed firm around her. She tried to bring her shaking knees under control. If he loosened his hold on her, maybe she could get away from him.
‘You know it’s true. He got way too greedy and it cost him his life,’ said Alex.
She hadn’t noticed him move but he seemed closer.
‘He was warned, so many times. More times than most, Tom, believe me. But he kept going. He kept thinking he was above everything and everyone. Even you.’
Sarah could hear Tom’s teeth grind as his jaw grimaced against her ear. He shook his head violently, as though he could shake the words back out of his head, un-hear them.
‘Why do you think he kept this from you? He wasn’t protecting you. If he really wanted to protect you, he would’ve gotten out. Turned himself in. But he kept going.’
‘You never gave him that chance. You killed him.’ The arm around Sarah’s neck tightened. Involuntarily her hands clawed at the arm, trying to loosen it.
‘You let that fucking criminal go. You gave him a second chance. But not Aaron.’
Alex edged forward. ‘Is that why you sent The Devils after Jizzy?’ His eyes stayed on Tom’s face now, searching for any opportunity.
‘He didn’t deserve to live either.’
The pressure against her throat was too much. Sarah pushed back hard, trying to get air through, as her fingers grappled frantically with the forearm that held her tight. The gun was back against her temple.
‘And his child? His girlfriend?’
The gun whipped from her to Alex, who moved in at the same time and pushed Tom’s gun arm above his head as the gun fired. The vice on her throat loosened and Sarah pushed herself forward and fell to her knees, choking and coughing as the bullet disappeared into the ceiling.
She was vaguely aware of the struggle occurring next to her as she drew ragged, burning breaths into her lungs. Snot, tears and saliva combined as the coughing continued. It must have distracted Alex. He crashed to the floor as his legs were kicked from under him. He leant across, his hand on her back. He was speaking to her. Tom was screaming at them. She couldn’t make sense of any of it.
Alex was trying to help her to her feet. The coughing had subsided but she could still feel Tom’s arm across her throat, crushing her windpipe. Every breath hurt; her muscles seized in panic. She was on her feet with Alex’s arms around her, holding her up, holding her close.
She looked up and found herself staring down the barrel of a gun, again.
Tom was screaming, his face red and mottled, spittle foaming around his mouth, eyes bulging. She couldn’t understand what he was saying. He started waving the gun at them. Alex pulled her slowly toward the back of the room. He was speaking slowly, deliberately.
‘Okay, we’re going.’
Sarah shook her head. Going where? The door was in the other direction.
Tom launched himself at them, shoving them roughly into the bathroom.
The door slammed behind them.
Alex pushed hard;it wouldn’t budge. Something was wedged against it. The bathroom was small and cold. Dusty. The curtain hanging across the tiny combined shower and bath recess had mold stretching up it from the tub. The window was nothing more than a rectangular slit sitting high above a mirrored shaving cabinet. There was no way out.
The ranting continued. Tom must’ve been pacing as the sound seemed to travel, in and out, forward and back. The occasional expletive rising above the angry buzz. Sarah’s throat ached but her breathing had returned to semi-normal, her pulse thudding between her ears.
Alex was talking to her again.
‘What did you say?’
‘Come here.’ He pulled her close again. His strength flowed through his arms and into her, calming the noise in her head. She thought she’d lost him, at the hands of The Devils and then at the hands of the irrational cop on the other side of the door. Chances were high they wouldn’t make it through the night. She pulled back so she could see his eyes.
‘Why did you put down your gun?’
He looked at her and she saw… something new. There was no pain or anger. The hardness had retreated. He pressed his lips to her forehead, one hand reaching up to caress her cheek.
‘Let’s sit. We could be here for a while.’ They slid down onto the cold tiles, backs against the bathtub. Sarah’s legs stretched out, her feet resting against the base of the toilet, Alex’s tucked in between the toilet and the wall. He shifted so he was facing her, taking her hands in his.
