Contest Entries, One-Shots & Random Bits

Round Four - Green Belt

Lena Bryan pursed her full red lips, tapping the sharply pointed toe of her dizzyingly high stiletto heel against the sparkling tiled floor. She was annoyed and wanted it to show. She knew that she was the centre of attention in a sense that people were trying not to stare and couldn't help it.

Lena Bryan was infamous. A complete and utter stunner with the body of supermodel, her glamourous appearance always stayed on the classy side of dressy. Her overtly gorgeous looks hinted a delicious amount of danger though, and if a person knew anything about her, they could understand why. Lena Bryan was dangerous.

It was well known that the Bryan siblings ruled the criminal underworld of London with an iron fist. What was less well known was the fact that Lena, the only female Bryan and the youngest of the family, was the brains behind the whole operation.

"Lena." A voice at her side pulled her back to reality, stopping her from thinking about how far she'd dragged her family. Her chocolate brown eyes fell on the woman appearing at her side.

"Melora." She responded, her tone a collected statement as she looked past her attractive friend. Melora Jordan had been her best friend since the girls were in their early teenage years. A voluptuous blonde with an engaging smile, Melora was a looker in her own right, but had grown used to be overlooked for her dominant, raven haired counterpart.

"It's time." Melora told her friend, watching the tiny smirk flutter across Lena's lips as she took a sip from her crystal wine glass, disappearing as swiftly as it had appeared.

Setting her glass down on the tray of a passing waiter, Lena smiled her intoxicating smile. "Good."

The word had no sooner left her lips than both she and Melora began to cross the stunning casino bar, walking slowly in unison, heads turning as the two most arguably desired women in the city sauntered casually, almost as if they didn't know they held the collective attention of the entire room.

Lena had no reason to worry. Why should she? She had yet to meet someone she couldn't win over. So why could she not shake the feeling that somehow some part of her unfathomable plan was going to blow up in her face? For the very first time in her life, Lena Bryan wanted to turn on her heel and run - get as far from where she currently was as she could. Who was she kidding? She was Lena Bryan - the goddess who feared no human. She did not feel anxiety. That was an emotion reserved for the unconfident and unskilled.

She had crossed the whole room and was walking down the corridor towards her office when an unwelcome sounded greeted her ears from a nearby room. The noise was that of breaking glass. Raising her eyebrows at Melora, Lena was met with an expression of questioning surprise equal to her own - there should be no one in that room, and certainly nobody breaking windows.

Moving to a position by the side of the doorway, without making a sound in her six inch heels, Lena pulled her pistol from her suspenders easily. Her old-fashioned clothing choice may earn scathing glances from rivals, but suspenders really did have multiple uses. Quickly preparing the weapon in case she needed to use it, Lena twisted the door handle and was surprised when is slid seamlessly at the slightest touch.

Stepping into the room without fear of what she'd meet, two surprises greeted her straight away. The first was that the door closed behind her with a resounding crash, trapping Melora on the other side. Surprise number two came in the form of the intruder whom she was pointing her gun directly at.

The officially named head of the Bryan family; her oldest brother, Denny.

Lena was aware that a frown was evident on her face. She was confused - at this moment, she was supposed to be part of an alibi for a murder that would surely dominate the headlines for the following week at least, so what was she doing, locked in her own back office, a gun trained on her own brother, who should be somewhere else entirely?

"Den?" She found her voice finally, his name the only word she could find.

Denny Bryan chose not to respond immediately to his younger sister. He loved Lena dearly - always had, always would - but there were some things he had to do alone.

Turning around slowly, he held a gun of his own on the young woman before him.

Lena's eyes widened in the brief second that she realised what he was doing, but her face quickly returned to it's neutral expression.

She let out a dark chuckle.

"It's really come to this, then."

"I'm sorry Len." He replied, struggling to remain as calm as she appeared. "I have to do this."

Without warning, Lena kicked out, knocking an office chair flying as her eyes flashed with rage. "You don't have to do anything, brother." She snarled, unrecognisable in anger.

The outburst quelled his second thoughts, and Denny Bryan did what he thought he never would as he fired at his sister.

He missed wildly, and was struck by a file that Lena had grabbed from the desk, as she let out an enraged scream.

The shock of being caught in the face by a file sent him stumbling for a moment, but then he intercepted a punch aimed to knock him unconscious.

Lena wouldn't outright kill him.

Quickly changing the pressure on her wrist, he forced her hand - still clutching her pistol, down into the desk with such force that she screamed out in pain, dropping the gun. Lena's eyes were wild with angry hatred, but anything he ought to feel for his relative was dismissed by memories of how badly she'd treated him.

The goddess of crime deserved every piece of revenge that had been directed her way over the years - in that alone it was almost a shame that she was to die that night.

Reloading his pistol, he was stopped from taking the shot by a horrifying smell greeting him: smoke.

Both Bryan siblings realised simultaneously - their precious casino had been set alight.

It wasn't just arson, both were sure. This was a murder attempt. Aimed to who? Started by who?

Their stunned gazes locked once more.

The room was hotter than it had been. the air was rapidly becoming unbreathable.

In perfect synchronisation, both Bryan siblings forgot that they'd been trying to kill one another, and scrambled for the broken window. They said nothing about it until the next morning, guns hidden, emergency services and press attention finally dismissed.

Looking her brother right in the eyes, Lena extended the closest to forgiveness she could manage, "Someone tried to destroy the Bryan legacy last night. We may have our own differences, but let's find who did this an give them hell."

Denny Bryan nodded, taking the opportunity he hadn't been sure he'd get with both hands, "Who would attempt something so audacious?"

A third voice, belonging to someone whose presence they hadn't been aware of, spoke with a wry chuckle as shadow-clad figure held a semi-automatic on the siblings.

"That would be me."

AN: Thanks to computer issues, I've only just got this finished in time! Tricky but enjoyablle prompt, best of luck all!