Chapter 18 –
Joel unties Tom, slowly, glaring at him in hope that suspense hurts him more. He pushes Tom on his knees so that his knees were stained with whomever’s blood had spilled in the past few hours onto the floor.
“Now, now. Tom here is the last member of The Wanted. It just doesn’t seem right that one fifth is still here. They should all be in hell together.” Andy sniggers.
“Don’t you even dare!” Abigail cries, wanting to lash out and kill Lawson but her arms are no use to her.
“Well, you know what happens to people who don’t shut the fuck up don’t you?” He counts on his fingers, “Siva, Max, Nathan. We can even count your Jay if you like, although that was pure luck he died on his own.”
Charly snarls at him for mentioning her dead partner so that Andy jumps back a little in fright.
“Andy, let’s just get on with this. My arms are hurting from holding him down.” Joel complains, childishly.
“Ok, well I was going to say that we’d kill him ourselves but now after all this noise...” He glared at Abigail, “The girls have to kill him.”
Emma, Charly and Abigail all look at each other in shock, all their mouths hung open and tears threatening to leave their eyes.
“What do you think?” Adam asks, standing creepily close to Emma.
“No!” She replied turning away from him in disgust.
“Well let’s just say you have no choice.” Andy grins.
“I can’t!”Abigail sobs. The other two not speaking.
“Well you either do it or die!” Andy brings a gun up to Abigail’s head.
Tom starts to be brave, “Abs, ok here goes. We’ve had our good times and bad times and I know that this isn’t the end for you. It’s a time where you need to be strong for yourself. Do as he says Abs. For me?”
“Okay, enough being soppy!” Joel slaps Tom hard round the face.
“Joel! That’s their job!” Andy warns. “Now girls, we are going to untie you and if you don’t beat him up even a little bit a bullet or two will be going straight through your brain! Now do it!” he orders Joel to untie Charly and Adam to untie Emma.
All 3 boys push the girls with rope burns round their wrists towards Tom. Adam wraps his arm around Emma’s waist as if they are in a relationship. She shrugs him off leaving him hurt and angrier than before. The Lawson boys force them to kick him and punch him as much as they hate doing it. You could almost hear Abigail’s heart breaking at the sight of Tom being pummelled to the ground, the love of her life.
“Okey dokey. I think that’s enough of that! You’re just making a mess, girls!” Andy mocks them.
The three girls take a look at Tom. His face is wet with tears and blood. The trail of crimson liquid leading from the corner of his lips.
Joel then opens the attic door at the top of the stairs. Adam who is still angry at Emma for shrugging him off pull Tom to stand up by his short, spiky, brown hair. Adam drags him to stand on the edge of the stairs. Andy waits until he is in the perfect position, pushing the girls back with his strong arm. The 3 girls hug each other in hope that everything is going to be ok soon. Andy holds the gun, pointing it straight ahead at Tom.
He smirks, “Bye Tom!” and slowly pulls the trigger. In the few milliseconds before the trigger has been pulled Tom grabs Joel and uses him as a shield, the bullet penetrates Joel’s skin and the blood splatters across the walls and over Tom.
He shouts to Abigail, “I love you! And I’m so sorry.” Before the pressure of Joel forces them both to go tumbling down the attic stairs.
Abigail is in hysterics, crying into Charly’s shoulder whilst Emma is stood still and pale as a ghost in shock.
“Joel!” Andy and Adam scream in unison. All the 5 remaining people rush over to the top of the stairs to see the two lads (Joel on top of Tom) in the hallway. They aren’t moving. They are both dead.
Abigail rushes down the stairs. When she gets to the bottom she pushes Joel off of Tom so he rolls away and places her hands on Tom’s cheeks. She pushes her ear to his chest, no heartbeat.
“Come back! Please come back.” She begs, her tears dropping onto the hallway carpet. She kisses him on the lips, wanting Tom to wake up and say that everything is going to be ok. “I’ll never forget you Tom. I love you.” She uses her thumb to wipe one of the many smears of blood from his forehead and lies down next to his silent, still body. She will never get to see his hazel eyes again or hear his magical laughter. He’s gone forever.
Adam and Andy looked at each other in shock. Another member of Lawson dead. 2 down, 2 to go.
