99 arrived at the motel and walked up to the desk. The
manager was too busy reading to notice that someone
was standing in front of him. "Excuse me, I'm...," 99 began eagerly.
With his nose still buried deep in his book, the manager held his hand up
to stop her from continuing her sentence. This annoyed 99 as she began
again, "Look, I'd like..." For a second time the manager again held his
hand up. 99 quickly reached into her purse, dug out her government ID, and
shoved it on top of the book the manager was reading. The manager was not
impressed; it seemed there was always some cop or government agent wanting
something that involved his motel.
"Alright, what can I do for you?" sighed the manager. 99 placed a picture of Max on the desk. "I want to know if this man is staying here."
The manager looked closely at the picture. "Yeah, he's here. Hey look, if you're gonna shoot this guy, would you mind doin' it outside, and not in the room?"
"I'm not planning on shooting anyone. Just pass over the key," 99 said impatiently.
"Ok, ok. All you government people are the same -- so impatient." The manager grabbed the key off the key ring and handed it over to 99.
"Room 19, end of the hall, on the left," the manager said, as he returned to his book.
99 took the key and quickly made her way to the room. Coming upon Room 19, she gathered her thoughts before going in. She wasn't sure what she would find once she opened the door. He could be dead for all she knew, or drugged out of his mind and violent. Her training as a CONTROL agent would come into play now, ready for any situation. She hoped she wouldn't have to use force on the man she loved. 99 listened at the door to get an idea what was going on inside. It was silent. Not a good sign, she thought, but better than walking in on him tearing the place apart. She carefully slipped the key into the hole and turned the knob. Slowly, she opened the door to find the room semi-dark. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she made her way in.
"99..." came a horse voice from the corner.
It made her jump, as she flipped the light on. Over in an old easy chair sat Max, slumped down slightly, into the cushions. He looked tired and weak. 99 could tell he was drugged out.
"Max, ... I'm glad you're..." was all 99 said before she spied the medal object in his hand. She didn't know what he was doing with it there, but it couldn't be good, So she had to act quickly. Quietly and calmly 99 spoke to him, "Max, please give me the gun. I'm here to help you."
Max took the gun from its spot against his chest and looked at it. "What ... this? Max spun the chamber. "Just playing a little game. It's a childish game," he said. "Too simple, really."
Max raised it to his temple with a resigned sigh. His finger twitched on the trigger.
"BAM, you lose, or CLICK you win."
99 started to panic. "Max, why are you doing this? You'll kill yourself."
"The bullets can't harm me, 99," Max slurred. His eyes begin to flip up and back
He was well into his delusion now, as the drug made him think he was super- human. Max quickly raised the gun to his temple, and pulled the trigger.
"MAX!!!!!" 99 screamed.
Click.
99 nearly fainted and had to steady herself against a chair by Max's sudden actions.
"Missed again," Max said disappointingly. "Let me try again. The bullets really do bounce off ..."
99 pleaded with desperation, "Max, Max, listen to me. I believe you; you don't have to prove it. Please put the gun down."
99 made a sudden move toward him in which he pointed the gun straight at her.
"You can't play! It won't work on you."
99 stopped dead in her tracks. "I don't want to play, Max. I don't want you to play, either," she said, as if speaking to a child.
Max placed the gun again to his temple, grinned quickly to assure 99 that everything was all right, and squeezed the trigger.
"OH GOD!, NO!!!!!" 99 yelled out.
Click. The chamber was empty again.
99 could see that Max was getting tired, and was having trouble holding the gun. She could rush him, and forcibly take it away, but she could risk getting shot in the process.
"Max, I'm here to help you. The drug is only making you think the bullets won't harm you. Please Max, put ... the gun ... down," 99 begged him with all of her emotion.
Max's vision was getting hazy and the gun seemed to weigh ten times heavier than before.
"Just one more try ...," Max said bleakly, trying to raise the gun.
Max placed the gun again to his head and brought the hammer back but the weight of the gun made him drop it to the floor.
"Help ...," was all he was able to whisper before blacking out completely. 99 rushed over to Max. Placing her fingers on his neck, she found his pulse was slow but steady. Picking up the gun, she checked the chamber. The single bullet was lined up, ready to be discharged. 99 closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes started to water. She felt, in that moment, that if anything ever happened to him, she would die. She wiped at her eyes and cleared her throat. Nothing was going to happen to him. She would not allow it.
To be continued..
"Alright, what can I do for you?" sighed the manager. 99 placed a picture of Max on the desk. "I want to know if this man is staying here."
The manager looked closely at the picture. "Yeah, he's here. Hey look, if you're gonna shoot this guy, would you mind doin' it outside, and not in the room?"
"I'm not planning on shooting anyone. Just pass over the key," 99 said impatiently.
"Ok, ok. All you government people are the same -- so impatient." The manager grabbed the key off the key ring and handed it over to 99.
"Room 19, end of the hall, on the left," the manager said, as he returned to his book.
99 took the key and quickly made her way to the room. Coming upon Room 19, she gathered her thoughts before going in. She wasn't sure what she would find once she opened the door. He could be dead for all she knew, or drugged out of his mind and violent. Her training as a CONTROL agent would come into play now, ready for any situation. She hoped she wouldn't have to use force on the man she loved. 99 listened at the door to get an idea what was going on inside. It was silent. Not a good sign, she thought, but better than walking in on him tearing the place apart. She carefully slipped the key into the hole and turned the knob. Slowly, she opened the door to find the room semi-dark. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she made her way in.
"99..." came a horse voice from the corner.
It made her jump, as she flipped the light on. Over in an old easy chair sat Max, slumped down slightly, into the cushions. He looked tired and weak. 99 could tell he was drugged out.
"Max, ... I'm glad you're..." was all 99 said before she spied the medal object in his hand. She didn't know what he was doing with it there, but it couldn't be good, So she had to act quickly. Quietly and calmly 99 spoke to him, "Max, please give me the gun. I'm here to help you."
Max took the gun from its spot against his chest and looked at it. "What ... this? Max spun the chamber. "Just playing a little game. It's a childish game," he said. "Too simple, really."
Max raised it to his temple with a resigned sigh. His finger twitched on the trigger.
"BAM, you lose, or CLICK you win."
99 started to panic. "Max, why are you doing this? You'll kill yourself."
"The bullets can't harm me, 99," Max slurred. His eyes begin to flip up and back
He was well into his delusion now, as the drug made him think he was super- human. Max quickly raised the gun to his temple, and pulled the trigger.
"MAX!!!!!" 99 screamed.
Click.
99 nearly fainted and had to steady herself against a chair by Max's sudden actions.
"Missed again," Max said disappointingly. "Let me try again. The bullets really do bounce off ..."
99 pleaded with desperation, "Max, Max, listen to me. I believe you; you don't have to prove it. Please put the gun down."
99 made a sudden move toward him in which he pointed the gun straight at her.
"You can't play! It won't work on you."
99 stopped dead in her tracks. "I don't want to play, Max. I don't want you to play, either," she said, as if speaking to a child.
Max placed the gun again to his temple, grinned quickly to assure 99 that everything was all right, and squeezed the trigger.
"OH GOD!, NO!!!!!" 99 yelled out.
Click. The chamber was empty again.
99 could see that Max was getting tired, and was having trouble holding the gun. She could rush him, and forcibly take it away, but she could risk getting shot in the process.
"Max, I'm here to help you. The drug is only making you think the bullets won't harm you. Please Max, put ... the gun ... down," 99 begged him with all of her emotion.
Max's vision was getting hazy and the gun seemed to weigh ten times heavier than before.
"Just one more try ...," Max said bleakly, trying to raise the gun.
Max placed the gun again to his head and brought the hammer back but the weight of the gun made him drop it to the floor.
"Help ...," was all he was able to whisper before blacking out completely. 99 rushed over to Max. Placing her fingers on his neck, she found his pulse was slow but steady. Picking up the gun, she checked the chamber. The single bullet was lined up, ready to be discharged. 99 closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes started to water. She felt, in that moment, that if anything ever happened to him, she would die. She wiped at her eyes and cleared her throat. Nothing was going to happen to him. She would not allow it.
To be continued..