Six Shot

The Wounded Girl

Alex winced as he cut his hand with a kitchen knife. Elizabeth had warned him how slick the handle was several times, yet he routinely continued to ignore her about it. Like his father, he was stubborn and arrogant. He seemed to ignore her advice on purpose. (Also something he had in common with his father.)

He wrapped his thumb with a rag and sighed as he threw the knife into the sink.

I hope she likes takeout, Alex thought as he ordered Chinese food from the restaurant down the street. If she gets mad about it, then that's on her.

He laid his head on the table and closed his eyes momentarily, then nearly jumped out of his chair in horror. "Dr. Kaleil." He muttered as the thought left his mind.

"Just my luck," Elizabeth's voice rang throughout the apartment. "Traffic was a pain in the ass. It doesn't help that the police are setting up checkpoints everywhere. Only a matter of time before there's a checkpoint on our street." She stopped as she saw the traumatized look on Alex's face. "Is something wrong, my love?"

Alex shook his head. "Just nightmares. Every time I close my eyes, I see him. Like he's just waiting for us."

Elizabeth took his hand and sat across from him. "He's gone. He can't hurt us anymore."

"He could have killed us, Liz. All three of us," He gestured to her stomach, which was swollen from pregnancy. "If Agony hadn't shown up and saved us, I don't even want to think about what would have happened."

Elizabeth rubbed her stomach. "Dr. Kaleil is gone." She closed her eyes and forced herself to relive that night. She felt it as Dr. Kaleil threw her against a vent. Heard it as Agony fired six rounds of uranium laced lead bullets into Kaleil's chest. She opened her eyes and saw the blood-stained knife in the sink. "How many times must I tell you about that knife handle, Alexander?"

Alex shrugged as he pulled his father's revolvers from a drawer. He stared closely at his reflection on the barrel. "Can I ask you something, Liz?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Speak your mind, love."

"Why did you do it? Why kill everyone?"

Elizabeth stared off into space. Her gaze became blank, her face void of emotion. "I've wondered the same thing, Alex. I thought that by killing Rapture, it would justify what I did, but even now, it still feels like a nightmare,"

she teared up as she remembered killing her parents. "Like a nightmare that I can't wake up from."

Alex hugged her. "None of it was your fault, Liz. You're not the first to be manipulated by him."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Can you order takeout or something?" She asked, eager to change the subject. Alex handed her his phone. "Way ahead of you, babe."

She slid the newspaper to Alex. "Read this."

Alex skimmed over it. "Manhunt for massacre suspect ends in light of Dr. Jordan Kaleil's death; search for suspected cult leader continues,"

He smiled. "It seems you dodged a bullet, Liz."

Liz nodded. "They're still setting up checkpoints to find the woman he referred to as his queen. So, they're still looking for me. They're assuming some kind of ritual sacrifice thing happened at the Black and White building."

"So, they're considering you a cult leader or something?"

"Yeah, something like that," she stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna take a nap. Let me know when the food arrives."

She walked away and stopped at the bedroom door. "Alex?"

Alex looked up from his phone. "Yes?"

"There's someone outside our window. Someone's lying on the fire escape."