Alice Johnson was in the shower when she got the phone call. Her supervisor was calling to inform her that her mentor and lover, Walter Burke was being arrested for treason.
She couldn't think straight as she sank to the shower floor holding back the vomit that threatened to creep up her throat.
"Get here now," he had told her.
Alice got dressed and raced to the location she was given and when she pulled up and got out of her car she came face to face with Walter confessing his crimes. He was standing there shouting all of his wrong doings.
"Give me the speaker," Alice said, "Walter, come down here so we can talk about this rationally!" she said into the megaphone.
Walter raised his hand over his eyes so he could see her standing there, "You gotta give me one thing. I'm a scary judge of talent," he said quietly before shouting, "Here goes nothing. Bye bye," he yelled raising his gun as if he was going to shoot everyone.
Gunfire went off instantly. Alice sunk to the snow covered ground as she watched bullet after bullet pierce Burke until he was down.
"I know you were close to him but it had to be done," her supervisor said, "Go say goodbye."
Alice pulled herself up on the SUV and walked, on shaky legs, to Walter, who laid there motionless.
She kneeled down beside him, running a hand through his thick brown hair, "Why?" was all she could think to say.
She'd gotten in the shower while she had been waiting for him to come over and now he was a dead traitor.
Alice took a deep breath before leaning down and kissing his cheek gently, "Goodbye, Walter. I love you."
As she was about to get up, Walter's eyes flew open, "Did you just say what I think you said?" he asked, in his rough voice.
Alice dropped back down, "How are you alive? There were so many bullets!"
"Squibs," Walter said, his tone filled with irony that she couldn't think of that, "Everything is a test. Always remember that."
Alice slapped his arm before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his face to hers. She kissed him furiously through her tears of relief.
