Alex's words echoed around the empty space as she waited for Layton's reply. His eyes were transfixed on her but he never flinched, there was no terrified look, pleading for his life, there was just an emptiness staring back at her.
She wanted to check on Charlie, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw his lifeless body and knew there was nothing that could be done for him now, so she stood rooted to the spot with the gun still aimed at Layton and waited for him to speak.
"Go on do it!" Layton sneered "End this once and for all!" Alex remained silent as Layton continued to goad her, "Go on! Destroy me! Finish what I started. DI Drake, if I have done all those things to you that you claim, then it's the only thing I deserve…call it justice…an eye for an eye!" His eyes never left her as he carried on, "Don't you want to end this nightmare? We are the same you and me, two lost souls in an unforgiving world…go on…set me free…set us both free…it's the only way…to go home."
Tears filled her eyes, he was right, this was the only way. The trauma to her brain had caused this psychological unreality and the only way to end it was to get rid of the catalyst to the events. It was the simple cause and effect theory - you destroy Layton, you destroy this world and go home, to Molly.
She clicked the gun, took aim and rested her finger on the trigger.
"Bolls!" a voice whispered from the darkness.
The voice distracted her for a moment but she pulled herself together again and took aim once more.
"Bolls!!" the voice was louder this time.
Alex heard the voice again and it caused her to hesitate.
"Bolls!"
"Guv?!" Alex instinctively replied, but the gun remained pointing at Layton.
"Course it is Bolly!" Gene whispered again. "What are you doing?"
Tears were streaming down her face as she replied, "Facing my destiny!"
"Ya facing 20 years if you pull that trigger!" Gene came out of the shadows and walked to face her. "Bolls, why?"
"I have to do this! It's the only way…" she whispered
"For what?"
"For this living nightmare to end…" again her voice was barely audible
"But it won't end…it will have only just begun!"
Gene's attempt to walk over to her caught her by surprise and she quickly turned the gun on him.
"Stop!Don't come any closer!" she yelled angrily.
Gene's deep blue eyes burned through her as he stared down at the gun, Alex's hands were shaking.
"Bolls…talk to me…what is going on inside that pretty little head of yours…tell the Gene Genie and we can sort it out…I can help you Bolly…this is not the way."
"In whatever is left of my screwed up mind, I called you …I called you for help when I needed it the most and you came…just like you said you would. My knight in a shining Audi Quattro," she said with a small smile, "but you can't help me. I'm beyond help…I have lived through this hell for months and I am just so tired, Gene."
"Bolls…I know you don't want to do this."
"You don't know me, you don't know anything about me!"
"Yes I do."
"Come off it Gene! I have spent months with you and you never once asked me about myself, my daughter, my life! The only thing you know about me is my bloody cup size!"
There was an awkward silence for a moment only interrupted by Alex's sniffles.
"DI Alex Drake - education of a toff, mouth like a sewer rat! You baffle me with psychiatry and flummox me on a daily basis with the verbal bloody nonsense that comes out of your mouth that I will never understand. You are a mouthy, bossy, self -obsessed posh tart, who I am sure their only reason for coming here was to piss me off." Gene continued, "You are always thinking…over bloody thinking if ya ask me…that's psychiatry for ya…but you see things…things that I could never see…make connections…whereas with yours truly…it's all about me gut." Gene edged a little close to Alex, but his eyes were still locked on her as he carried on. "You spend most of ya time daydreaming…lost some people would call it…searching for something more…and failing to see what's right in bloody front of you. You are scared…but more terrified that someone will actually see how vulnerable you are here… you are scared to open your eyes to this world, because underneath the bullshit you actually quite like the place. From the moment I carried you into my kingdom, you have fought me, kept me on me toes, forced me to think…to feel…"
Another voice came out of which stopped Gene in mid-flow.
"Oh please! Don't listen to him! I know the truth…this world isn't real Alex…you know that…come on destroy me…before it's too late and the chance to go home will be lost forever."
Alex expected Gene to turn round and kick the living daylights out of Layton, but he didn't, he simply stepped in front of him, blocking Alex's view.
"Nothing would give me more pleasure than seeing you blast that cop killing piece of shit to kingdom come," he said, "but…Bolls…if you do…that will make you just like him…and you will have to live with that for the rest your life…and I know you could never live with the guilt…it would destroy you!" The gun was now inches from Gene's face as he had managed to draw ever closer to her. "He's not worth it and you…you…Bolly are worth much much more than him!"
"Gene…I have to go home…"
"Bolly…I know you miss your daughter."
"I-I-do!" Alex replied through her sobs.
"And you will see her again…very soon…I know! Please Alex…trust me!"
Alex stared back at this man in front of her and instinctively lowered her gun. Gene clasped his hand on top of hers and pushed the gun aside. The sudden realisation of what Alex had nearly done dawned on her and she began to sob uncontrollably.
"Come on Bolls…" Gene whispered as he gently used his free hand to bring her to his chest to sooth her and he began softly stroking her hair. "Everything's going to be ok, Mrs Fruitcake, the Gene Genie's here."
Alex smiled and lifted her hand to face him, their eyes locked together and Gene gently wiped a tear away from her cheek as their lips grew ever closer.
They were so lost in the moment they both failed to realise Layton's anger and jealousy as he watched that scene played out of front of him. As his anger boiled over his actions would have lasting consequences for them both.
