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Chapter 16
AJ
I don't know what's going on, but I'm sick to death of being in the dark. Cameron's up there looking like she's about to do Ti Kwan Do on the Mystery Man and he looks like he's gonna just cap her in the forehead, point blank at that and Brian and Nick have disappeared.
"Kevin, we've got to do something."
Kevin looked at me. "What?"
"We can't just stand here. I don't like her much my self, but she's in danger."
"I think he's the one in danger, she looks pretty mad." Howie said.
I shook my head. "No matter how hot a temper she has, he's got a gun. That cancels out any outrageous PMS she might have."
The crowd was still captivated by the scene above them so they really just had to be there. It was a little strange to think that just their presence would pacify them, but hey at least they didn't have to lie to everyone.
"What is she doing now?" Kevin asked outraged.
I looked up. I think I swallowed my gum.
Cameron
"I'm ready for my first lesson, Master." I said with mock sarcasm. "What's our weapons?"
"You're going to be flexible?" He asked. "I thought your expertise was limited to knives."
"I'm full of surprises."
"I can see." He pulled his gun away and tossed it away. It disappeared.
"I thought you said-"
"I didn't want any little kiddy getting a hold of it. It wasn't towards you." He shrugged. "So what should we use."
"I'd just assume beat you to a bloody pulp with my bare hands, but that would take too long. These people want to go home."
"Fine, we'll use guns, a bullet in the head or the heart will end the lesson quickly enough. You're choice."
"All weapons." I said. "Make them all at our disposal."
"Fine, you name one and it will appear."
"Like that?" I snapped my fingers.
"Like that."
I nodded. "So are we doing this point blank?"
"No, I'll shall give you time to get away."
"Ahh, you'll give me time." I shrugged. "No matter."
He turned his back, his hands neatly folded behind him. "I'll shall miss your sarcasm."
"Not as much as I'll miss your perverted games." I jumped from the catwalk, my arms outstretched for a cable cord I had spied earlier. I grasped it with one hand before wrapping my legs around it. ".35 mm." It appeared in my free hand and I let out two shots.
He dodged both and called for a semi automatic. I loosened my grip on the rope and slid down as far as it went, the bullets following my run. I jumped into the crowd, disappearing a mist the screams.
Nick
"They're shooting at each other."
"Cameron hates guns." Brian said in dismissal as he looked at the blue prints of the building.
"Listen. There's 15 shots. A semi automatic. There's two. A regular pistol." Nick guessed.
Brian's breath caught. He searched the map more intently.
"Brian if they're still shooting she can't be on the catwalk anymore." I said, pulling his arm.
The thought clicked in his mind and we were running out of the room.
We ran on stage and the three remaining Backstreet Boys ran over. "What's going on?" Kevin demanded.
"Cameron's master is here." I said, scanning the arena for them.
"There." Brian pointed towards the parting in the crowd. "She's running." He looked up and saw the man who started it all jumping into the crowd from a cable cord.
"Her what?" AJ asked.
"It's a long story." Brian said. "We don't have time to explain it. The short version is, she's not entertaining enough in her search to find out what's gonna kill Nick so her master is here to liven it up."
"He wants to kill Nick? Why?"
"I don't know exactly. I think it's because he's my best friend." Brian said, his eyes looking for Cameron again.
"What?" Howie asked.
"We don't have time for this. I'll explain everything later." Brain said, he ran to the edge of the stage, sat down and then jumped into the crowd.
"Has he lost his mind?" Kevin asked in complete shock.
Brian
"Brian!" The girl's closest to me screamed in delight.
"I need your help." I said in earnestness.
"What?" "Anything!"
"Thank you, I need you to help me through this crowd. I have to follow that girl who ran through here. Did you see her?"
"The one who jumped from the catwalk with a gun?" One girl asked.
"She jumped?" I couldn't believe she was that stupid.
"Yeah it was like a scene form the Matrix."
"OK, that's her, can you help me?"
"Sure." They reached their hands out and helped me over the guardrail. Two girls took my hands and then the rest stood in front of me and helped me push through the screaming crowd.
"Come on everyone! He needs to get to his girlfriend!" The girl's yelled in distaste.
"She's not my girlfriend." I said, but I didn't know why.
"Sure she isn't." One girl smiled "knowingly" at me.
I just wanted to get to Cameron. The man flew over head, attached to nothing as he scanned the crowed.
"How'd he do that?" One girl asked.
"I'm not sure, I'm not good with all that technical stuff." I was only a half lie and it was for her protection.
"Brian." A girl called out and I looked up, I knew that voice.
"Cameron!" I saw her and I thanked the girls before pushing through to her. "What are you doing?" My hands were on her cheeks and I wanted to kiss her.
"He's here and he's mad. I provoked him." She looked up and around, not seeing him. "He's not playing fair either." She looked back at me. "You have to leave. He's welded the doors shut, but I shot the locks on the doors on the East side. "Go and start getting these people out. Don't cause a panic and don't let him know."
"I'm not going to leave you here."
"Awww." A couple of girls around us said.
Cameron growled, but it was so loud no one could hear, I could feel it vibrate from her throat onto my hands. "You have to leave, you have to go to Florida. I'll find you."
"Why can't you leave with me?"
"Because as soon as these girls leave, someone is going to call the cops, they'll find me if they do."
Five shots rang out. Cameron swore. Brian took the gun from here.
Cameron snatched it back as three or four girls gasped. "Don't be stupid. Go! Now!" She pushed me and then disappeared into the crowd in the opposite direction.
I started to go after her then I stopped, I turned back to the girls who had helped me. "Do you have family here? Did you come with someone?"
"Yeah, they're all back over there." One said.
"Get them. Grab your things, but don't tell anyone else. Head towards the doors over there." I pointed towards the doors on the East end. "Leave quickly, this isn't part of the show."
The realization of how serious this was swept over them.
"Don't call the police, whatever you do. Promise."
"We promise." They all said.
"Now hurry, we have to start getting others out."
The nodded and I pushed to the front of the crowd, waving at Nick and Kevin who were standing at the edge of the stage. I stood on the Guard rail and they pulled me back on stage.
"Have you lost your ever loving mind?" Nick yelled.
"He welded the locks." I said. "We have to get these people out without causing a panic. Cameron shot one open. On the East side. She wants us to leave after we've gotten everyone out, but I'm not leaving."
"I'm not leaving you here." Kevin said.
"Me neither."
"What's going on?" AJ asked.
"We're going to get all these people out without scaring them and then we're going to send a decoy bus a head." Kevin said and I nodded.
"AJ and Howie, you two get the upper balconies, tell everyone to leave calmly, and go to the lower east exit. Tell them not to call the police. Take some bodyguards with to help." They nodded and took off.
"You know someone is going to." Nick said.
"I know, but maybe this will minimize the calls." I turned to Kevin. "You two take down here. I'm going to find Cameron."
"No way man." Nick took my arm. "You take the middle where we can see you. You're not going to cause her any trouble. If anything you'll just get into her way."
More shots rang out.
"Fine, let's hurry. Kevin you get the side closest to the door. Get them out quickly as possible because my section is next."
Kevin nodded and after sitting on the edges of the stage, jumped off.
"Come on Brian, she'll get him." Nick patted my arm before running off.
"I just hope she doesn't get killed in the process."
Cameron
I was bleeding. Where I wasn't sure, pain vibrated on every inch of my body. My clothes, once white tee shirt and faded denim jeans were now saturated in red. I had shot him once. I think. He had cried out, but maybe it was all part of his mind game.
I had been hiding behind a water barrel, trying to regain my breath and decide on a better weapon when he appeared out of no where and cut my arm. I turned and fired. He cried out then, but I didn't stick around to check out my handy work, I was running again. He had a shot gun now.
A bullet had wizen by my head a few minutes ago. He almost killed me. The game would have been over.
Where else was I injured? I pressed against a wall, I tried to figure it out. My shoulder hurt like ice and fire. I touched it, when I drew my fingers back I confirmed what I already knew. I'd been shot in the shoulder. But with what? He'd switched ammunition so many times I'd forgotten what I was fired at me only that I was being fired at.
"Cameron." His voice rang out over the intercom system. "You don't think I don't know what you and your precious boys are doing? I'm letting them leave. Why don't you be a good little girl and come out so I can kill you?"
I felt my breath quicken, but I wasn't tired. I closed my eyes tight, my fingers griping around my weapon. He was in my mind then.
'Cameron, Cameron. You're a weak one, aren't you? I wonder why I didn't see it before. Look at you, you're near to tears. Come, let me put you out of your misery.'
"No." I mustered. The place was quitted, though still pretty full, because of the strange man over the intercom. "You think I'm a coward? You think I'm weak? I'm stronger than you will ever be!" I cried out, furry flowing through my veins. "You think because I'm a human, because I can bleed or cry, that I'm weak. Every night you sick your demons on me and I don't cry and I don't whimper in fear. You have been tormenting me since I was a little girl and even if I kill you, you'll still torment me. Everyone I've ever murdered, everyone I've ever watched die and beg me for their lives, I'll still remember that. And that's why you let this happen. You know that I'll still see my parents, hear their bloody murderous screams. They begged you to take them, to let me go. You promised, gave your word that you would let me go. Send me to my grandmother. Your word means less than dirt."
He chuckled over the sound system. "You've been waiting years to say that, haven't you?"
"My whole life." I came out then, I had seen him, floating around, scanning for me. I shot once. I hit him in the stomach. I shot twice. I hit him in the shoulder.
He cried out both times in pain. He looked at me. "Stupid girl." He requested a huge gun.
I held the pistol to my head. "I'd never give you the satisfaction."
He stared at me. "You wouldn't."
"Try me."
"Cameron, no!" I heard Brian's scream of terror.
Brian
I couldn't see her, someone got into my view sight.
Shots went out.
The man disappeared.
I pushed through, looked searched.
I couldn't see her anywhere.
There was blood on the floor, two feet in front of me.
Please,
no!
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