The Fall [2]

Twenty-Three

❝ two geckos are better than one ❞

"What's the matter - is you're dead."

One of the two men shoves the end of his shotgun into Seth's shoulder, forcing him to reluctantly turn away from Amber's blanched face.

"Now it all makes sense," the man says, keeping his gun pointed at Seth while his accomplice fixates Amber. "Couple of days ago, dude comes in, says his name is Richie Sanz." A glimpse to her side - Seth rolls his eyes. "Says that Eddie Cruickshank vouches for him. He's a big player in the flesh trade. Wants to make a deal with the Browns."

"The Browns, huh?" Seth remarks.

"Now that I see you, it all makes sense," the man resumes, unfazed. "He ain't no Richie Sanz, he's Richie Gecko. And you, you're the other one-"

"-that's one and only to you, asshole."

"You, I got figured out. But who is this?"

One by one, everyone's attention turns to Amber, who can no longer deny how painfully familiar this situation feels. And judged by his expression, the same realization hits Seth. He takes a step, which is immediately followed by the sound of a cocked gun.

"Hold up," the man across from him says, "Your brother took something from me. Now, I'm gonna take something from you."

He gives his accomplice a nod. Amber's heart sinks.

"Now wait a second," Seth cuts in, the slightest movement in her direction shaking him awake, "she's not gonna die because of my prick of a brother."

"Maybe I got something else planned for her."

Amber's eyes wander to Seth, but he doesn't return her gaze. Instead, he stares straight at the intruders. Even from the side, she can tell his eyes burn with the kind of emotion that fuelled him the months before, the only emotion Amber feared he possessed in his palette - anger.

"Just shoot me then," she speaks up, somewhere deep inside astonished by her own words. "Do it. I'm sick and tired of this."

"No one's shooting anybody," Seth counters with a quick side-glance.

Amber scoffs, "Don't tell me you've got a plan."

"Bambi," Seth warns, "now's not the time."

The men exchange a look before glancing hesitantly between the two.

"Tell me, Seth, how are you gonna get us out of this now?"

Seth furrows his brows. "What, so this is all my fault now?"

"That's not what I mea-"

He groans, turning to the man holding him at gunpoint. "Do me a favor, shoot me first!"

Abruptly, Seth grabs the shotgun by the barrel, a second before it fires into the ceiling. Dust fills the air around them and instinctively, Amber drops to the ground and covers her head with both arms. Another gun is cocked, and once she dares to look up, peering through the dust, she spots one of the men in position to shoot Seth. Her heart sets out - Seth realizes belatedly. Her mouth opens to form a panic-stricken shout but nothing comes out. But to Amber's bewilderment, the man doesn't fire - a bullet goes straight through his skull before he can.