The Elites

Chapter Twenty-Four

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. I didn't want to look too closely and try to assess if the bullet had gone to Lara's heart or not. Chances are I wouldn't like the result. People started pushing through the crowd and past the human barrier, invading the open space where Lara was starting to fall to the floor, Violet's arm trembling in rage as she watched on.

I wasn't sure whether it was the poison gas or my general absent mindedness that meant I didn't really notice Ashton storming forwards and snatching the gun from my hand, aiming it at Violet and pulling the trigger. It was hard to tell where he was aiming but I knew he'd be aiming to kill. She jerked nastily and instantly slammed into the ground the same way Lara had. The difference was that several of Lara's friends had already started to gather around her. Ashton broke into a run and dropped the gun beside Violet, who was shaking violently as if she'd received an electric shock.

I realised I was standing still like a fool as everyone else was moving around. I slowly started to walk forwards and, to my surprise, stopped beside Violet. Blood had started to drip from her mouth, and I remember learning (or rather teaching myself; they never taught overly interesting things like bullet wounds in A Level science) about how excess blood accumulating in the airways causes a cough reflex, which is why people cough up blood when they get shot in films.

I would have much rather be bent beside Lara but the crowd was already too big. I was the only one beside Violet and I knew I would remain the only one. While it would have given pretty much everyone in attendance satisfaction to see her die, there were much more important issues.

I knelt beside her and watched her choke. Her eyes found me and she grimaced.

"I wanted you to die from the gas in that room," she spluttered. "But I guess you're the one that's too smart for me, now."

She heaved and coughed violently, knowing she must have only had mere moments left to live. Her neck was gushing blood, the bullet lodged in her flesh weighing her down like an anvil.

"That's the thing, Violet," I said. "I always was too smart for you. We were always too smart for you."

"You're damn right we were," came a gruff voice, and I was proven wrong; I wasn't the only one surrounding her.

It was Paxley who spoke, choosing to remain standing rather than sinking down beside her like I did. At least it made him look tall.

I wasn't sure whether to be surprised or not when he kicked her in the side. I had never kicked an enemy while they were down, no matter how vile they were. Sometimes my methods were... disputed. But looking down at Violet dying so horribly, despite the horrible person she was, I couldn't imagine doing anything else to punish her. It would just make me feel even more sick.

But then I hadn't lost anyone personally by her hand. Paxley's daughter had been the first to go as no less than a demonstration. He'd carried the anger with him all night. If he wasn't the one that got to pull the trigger, which I have no doubt he'd wanted to be, then he'd at least get some say in speeding up her death.

Blood fountained from her mouth as he kicked her hard in the stomach. In her last few moments Violet started to cry - something I never thought I'd see. I couldn't say if the tears were out of remorse or out of self pity. I started to get flashbacks of the time I'd spent with her years before. I'd no doubt told her secrets I hadn't even told Lara sat at a bar in a drunken rant. And she'd always listened. Of course I knew now that she was playing me but at the time it had really helped. Without her being there for me when I was in the darkest place there was no way of telling where I'd be now. She blinked a few more times before she stopped all together, instead staring straight up at the ceiling, directly at the place she'd carved a circle from the outside only a few hours before.