As Xander stared at Samine's crumpled and broken body on the tile floor an overbearing sense of anger swept over him. His tears ended as his stone mask slipped into place and he struggled to his feet. Clenching his gun in his hand, he looked once more to Samine and Shelly before storming out of the building and outside heading towards one of the SUVs. He passed Gibbons and heard him call his name but he ignored it and almost ripped the door off the SUV before climbing in. The anger he was feeling threatened to drown him in its wrath and intensity. Intent on his mission and purpose, he drove the SUV down the main road as he reached over to the console and punched a few buttons. Hoping he was correct about these upgraded SUVs, he sighed in relief when the screen showed him where the other SUVs were. The newer police vehicles had a tracking system attached to all the vehicles and showed the exact position of all of them when in operation. There were only two dots on the screen that were blinking; his and Mackie's SUVs.

His jaw tightened and pressed on the gas harder as he merged onto the highway. He kept seeing Samine's cold glare that he was victim to just a few minutes ago at headquarters. Her simple dismissal of him almost felt like someone had drove a dagger straight through his heart and proceeded to twist it a few times to make the hole bigger. He didn't think that a bullet could have been worse; it wouldn't continue to hurt him as he was hurting then. Her last memory of him was of him practically accusing her of killing Gibbons and not listening to the facts that were laid out right in front of him. He felt his heart clench in anguish but he wouldn't grieve yet. Later he would grieve, but not then. Not till he had his revenge.

            Xander knew that he was getting closer to Mackie's SUV; the beeping from the monitor was going quicker and he eventually saw the other black SUV a few car lengths ahead of him. With a slight grin he sped up and hit the rear end of the other SUV, shocking the driver. Xander ducked to the side slight when Mackie leaned out a bit to shot his gun back at Xander. Moving to the side of Mackie's SUV, he twisted the wheel and slammed the SUV into the other one to force it towards the far side of the highway. Mackie dropped his gun out the window at the unexpected jolt and lost it on the busy Washington highway. Xander glanced towards the road, and flinched upon seeing the construction barriers just moments before the SUVs demolished them and sent workers scattering. Picking up his gun, Xander aimed through the passenger side window and shot his entire clip into the hood and was rewarded to see smoke start to billow out from under the hood. Before he could congratulate himself, Mackie slammed on the brakes and Xander jerked around to look at the car before slamming on his own brakes. Throwing open the door and jumping out, he ran after Mackie who was trying to disappear. In his rage Xander caught up to him quickly and grabbed the back of his shirt to jerk him back.

            "I never thought it was in you to run like a coward Mackie," he sneered before slamming his fist into Mackie's gut.

            Xander barely saw the small switch blade that Mackie pulled out and swung up towards him. Xander jerked back but flinched when the blade caught him across his cheek and split the skin there. Standing a few feet away from Mackie, he reached up and felt the two inch long cut and the small rivulet of blood that trickled down his cheek. Mackie looked just too damn proud of himself for that when Xander looked back to him. When Mackie lunged at him, Xander dodged out of the way easily and tripped him up. Reaching for Mackie, he didn't see what Mackie had picked up and realized it too late. Mackie had a small wooden board left over by the construction workers from their project and he swung it towards Xander to catch him at the side of the face. Xander stumbled backwards and struggled to clear his sudden double vision and the blackness that tinged the edge of his vision. He wasn't fast enough to stop the swinging board towards his abdomen and almost sent him to his knees in shock as he struggled to break properly.

            "I wonder…did you hear your lover's cries of pain just before she died? I mean all those bitches do sound alike, don't they?" Mackie sneered just before swinging the board again towards Xander's head.

            With a sneer, Xander reached up and caught the board before jabbing it upwards to plow into Mackie's face and break his nose. Jerking the board from his hands, Xander stepped back and swung the board towards Mackie with all his strength behind the swing. The board practically shattered when it smashed into Mackie's chest and threw him to the cement where his head hit the cement and momentarily knocked him unconscious. Throwing the small piece of wood to the side, Xander reached for the closest weapon as his hands fell on a solid steel rivet. Preparing to stab Mackie through the heart with it, Xander paused for a moment knowing that this wasn't right.

            "Xander! Don't do it!"

            Xander turned and noticed Shelly just as she climbed out of the car she was in. He could see police blue lights down the highway coming towards them as he looked down at Mackie who was moaning slightly.

            "Xander, don't kill him," Shelly said calmly as she slowly walked towards him with her hands held out in front of her.

            She could easily see the anguish in Xander's eyes and the inner battle that he was having with himself. When he looked down at Mackie she saw the indecision in his eyes and tried to turn his mind away from killing Mackie.

            "Come on Xander. You know Samine wouldn't have wanted this to end this way," she said softly and saw the flinch that tore through Xander at the mention of her name.

            "She's dead Shelly and this bastard killed her. Just because of an ego problem of his," Xander choked as the image of Samine's body danced across his memory.

            "Xander just put the rivet down and walk away from him. You don't want to lower yourself to his level, Samine wouldn't have wanted it," Shelly said as she neared Xander to see him quiver slightly.

            "She's dead Shelly," he whispered and Shelly immediately realized what was going on in his head.

            "Who's dead Xander? Say her name and acknowledge it."

            Xander stepped away from Mackie's body and slowly lowered his arms to his side. The police cars came to a screeching stop as Xander walked slowly too Shelly and stood in front of her for a few moments. Not breaking gazes, Shelly reached down slightly and pulled the rivet from his hands. Tossing it to the side she reached up and gently brushed away the single tear that drifted down Xander's face.

            "Say it Xander. You need to say it."

            "She's dead Shelly…Samine is dead," he whispered before a choked sob escaped his lips and he sunk to his knees.

            Shelly followed him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as his body shook with muffled sobs as he cried into her shoulder. Her own tears came freely as she listened to the torment and anguish in his sobs as she watched the police officers place the cuffs on Mackie's wrists and read him his rights. She felt an undeniable swell of anger towards him but knew that she couldn't do anything about it. She heard Xander mumble something and she leaned back a bit to hear him better.

            "What did you say Xander?"

            "I failed her Shelly. When she needed me by her side and stand up with her, I didn't. I acted just as badly as Mackie. I knew in my heart that she didn't do it but I didn't realize it till it was too late and now Samine's…she's dead and she died thinking that I hated her."

            "She knew that you didn't hate her Xander. She understood that you were confused and even though she hated it, she accepted it. She wouldn't want you to tear yourself up like this Xander. She loved you more than anything, even more than her Sig Sauer. If that was even possible," she said hoping to get a slight smile from Xander.

            She was rewarded when he smiled slightly and she rubbed his back slightly before standing up. Reaching for his hand, she helped him to stand up and patted him on the back.

            "Come on X. Let's head back before Gibbons comes looking for us himself. We'll both get through this."

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Okay everyone there is the new chapter. Sorry it took me so long to get it posted but I just couldn't write. I don't know what happened but I just had no clue what to write. But I finally punched through it and here ya go. There is one more chapter after his then that will be the end of this story. *muffles sob* So everyone please review for me and I'll keep working. Peace.