Page 57 of Say Nothing
"What are you doing?"Derek hissed.
Alison held the mute button."I trust you, Derek.As soon as you can, you make your move, and I’ll keep him occupied."
Alison let go of the mute button and walked toward the house."The door to the left of the windows.You're left, I'm right.Unlock it now, and I'll come in.You have the gun, Keith.Vanessa walks out of the same door, and I’m your hostage.Then, we can negotiate from there if you choose not to kill me."
"You know I want to kill you, so why risk it?"he asked.
"The human psyche," Alison said."You either live or die today, and when faced with that, no matter the cost, most people want to live.I give you a better bargaining chip.If you hurt me, you’re as good as dead, and I know you don't want that."
"What’s to stop me keeping both of you?"he asked.
Alison was almost at the door, and her heart pounded so hard that it hurt her chest.She was walking toward death, and everything within her told her to turn around and run.
"You can try, but you can only shoot us one at a time.We’ll fight.Better to let her go, Keith."
Alison knocked on the door.
She counted to five in her head as nothing happened, then the door swung open.She couldn’t see them, but she still stepped inside.She was met by Keith, holding Vanessa.It was the part that counted the most.He was away from the window, temporarily out of view, and she prayed Derek was acting.
Keith stepped forward with Vanessa, then pointed the gun at Alison, pushing Vanessa past her and toward the door.
"Get out of here," he said, almost sounding relieved.He grabbed Alison and pointed the gun at her head, dragging her back in front of the window.
"Don't do anything stupid!"the voice from the loudspeaker said.
Alison wanted to smile.The voice wasn’t Derek’s, which meant he wasn't down at the trees anymore.
She and Keith watched as Vanessa ran toward the trees and safety.
It was just the two of them, alone in the house.Or so Keith thought.Alison continued to pray that there was one more there to spoil the party.
"So, it comes down to this," Keith said."You said I didn't want to die, but you were wrong.All I want is to kill you for what you did to my mother.I’d gladly die for that.So, do you have any last words before I kill you in front of them all and then martyr myself?How about an apology?"
"Your mother was right about you," Alison said.
"What?"Keith stammered.
"When I interviewed her, she told me how disappointed she was in you, and I can see why," she lied.
"Stop it!"
"She knew you couldn’t take care of yourself without her, and she was right," Alison taunted."She was happy to get away from you."
"You’re a lying—"
His grip loosened with the shock of the words running through him, and she took her chance, hoping it would be enough.Alison ducked first, then pushed him back and herself forward, trying to reach for her gun.
She wasn’t quick enough to draw her weapon before one, two, three, four shots rang out.The large window shattered into a thousand pieces, and Keith fell through the open hole.He hit the ground with a thud, rolling away from the house.
Derek stood just inside the living room, his gun pointed, a wisp of smoke ascending from the barrel.
It was over
EPILOGUE
One week later
Alison sat with Derek in her home, looking out the large windows that looked down on the city of Oakland.It had taken some time to fix the house, especially the large windows that needed to be specially ordered, but everything was as good as new again.She was thankful that Keith Malone had fallen from the house into the yard instead of bleeding all over her carpet.
