Chapter Fourteen
Amanda squinted as she adjusted her eyes to the brightness outside on the roof. It was near sunset, but the sun was still bright as Amanda was led out onto the roof. She felt the crushed rocks on top of the roof digging into her shoes, but Amanda was quickly glancing around, looking for anything to use as a weapon, or any other doors or windows to get away from Leslie. Leslie glanced around the roof and smiled. She knew only Andre knew where she'd taken Amanda. Lee would never find Amanda in time, she thought. The thought of taking Amanda's life gave Leslie a little thrill. She knew Lee would never recover from losing Amanda. It would drive him insane, the guilt, of not having saved the woman he loved. As Leslie looked around, Amanda dug her hand into the rocks on top of the roof. She managed to find a small handful of sand. When Leslie turned back around to Amanda, Amanda slung the sand in Leslie's face. With a scream of pain, Leslie let go of Amanda and grabbed for her injured eyes.
Billy, Lee, and Agent Ross thundered down the carpeted hallway. A faint red sign above their heads pointed out the stairway. Lee hit the stairway first, taking the steps two at a time. As he approached the door at the top of the stairs, he turned around and motioned for Billy and Agent Ross to be quiet. As the three of them reached the door, Lee pressed his ear to the door to listen. All Lee could hear was someone faintly yelling outside on the roof. Fearing it was Amanda; Lee pushed open the door savagely.
As Leslie screamed in pain, Amanda saw her chance and took it. She scrambled away from Leslie and scampered across the rocks. She slipped and fell, cutting her hands on the sharp stones. As Amanda ducked behind an air conditioning unit, she saw Leslie swipe at her eyes for a moment. Leslie righted herself and picked up her gun again. Amanda tried to breathe silently, hoping Leslie would look on the other side of the roof, giving Amanda a chance to escape. Amanda slowly peeked out from behind the air conditioning unit. Her breath was coming in shaky gasps. She didn't see Leslie, so Amanda slowly made her way around the unit. She tried to quietly sneak towards the stair doors. As Leslie appeared to make her way to the other side of the building, Amanda began to run for the door. She had only made it a few steps when she heard a shot whiz past her ear. She turned to see Leslie advancing on her.
Lee pulled open the door and quickly stepped around the doorframe, to allow him some cover. He scanned the rooftop searching for Leslie or Amanda. As he crouched from his position, Agent Ross and Billy cautiously made their way through the rooftop door. Lee motioned for Agent Ross and Billy to take cover. As they moved out of his line of sight, Lee caught sight of Amanda hiding behind an air conditioning unit. He saw Leslie turning toward the other side of the building. Amanda broke from her hiding place and ran towards the door. Lee had been about to call out to her when Leslie turned and fired a warning shot past Amanda's head. Amanda stopped dead in her tracks as Leslie slowly walked towards her.
Amanda watched as Leslie slowly approached her. Leslie's eyes were fierce and full of hatred. Amanda saw Agent Ross and Billy taking up positions behind the opening of the rooftop door. As she watched Leslie, she saw Lee behind Leslie, looking directly at her. Amanda saw the fear and concern on Lee's face as he watched Leslie advance towards Amanda. Leslie raised the gun and Amanda heard Lee's voice.
"Leslie, stop!" Lee shouted.
"Leslie, we've got agents all over the place here. Give it up." Billy said.
"Lee, there's nothing you can do to stop me." Leslie said. "Amanda's going to die and you're going to watch."
"Leslie, please don't do this." Lee pleaded with her.
"Why not Lee? Is it because you love me and don't want me to throw my life away, or is it to save your precious Amanda?" Leslie called out.
"Leslie, don't make me do this." Lee said in a choked voice.
"Come on Lee, you don't really believe you'll shoot me, do you?" Leslie countered as she pulled back the hammer.
"Leslie...." Lee said.
"Goodbye Amanda." Leslie said as she pulled the trigger.
Amanda closed her eyes as she heard Leslie's gun go off. She felt a sharp pain in her shoulder as she heard a second gun shot. She sank to the rooftop and closed her eyes as unconsciousness overtook her.
Lee watched as Leslie strode towards Amanda, gun drawn. Lee saw Amanda standing frozen, a look of fear and surprise on her face. Lee raised his gun to Leslie as Leslie took aim at Amanda. Lee heard Leslie say:
"Goodbye Amanda."
Lee didn't hesitate. As Leslie fired at Amanda, Lee fired his own gun at Leslie. As he watched, he saw Amanda's body jerk at the impact of the bullet. He gave out a cry as he watched Amanda slump down onto the rooftop. He heard Agent Ross and Billy running behind him towards Amanda and Leslie as he took off towards Amanda.
Amanda squinted as she adjusted her eyes to the brightness outside on the roof. It was near sunset, but the sun was still bright as Amanda was led out onto the roof. She felt the crushed rocks on top of the roof digging into her shoes, but Amanda was quickly glancing around, looking for anything to use as a weapon, or any other doors or windows to get away from Leslie. Leslie glanced around the roof and smiled. She knew only Andre knew where she'd taken Amanda. Lee would never find Amanda in time, she thought. The thought of taking Amanda's life gave Leslie a little thrill. She knew Lee would never recover from losing Amanda. It would drive him insane, the guilt, of not having saved the woman he loved. As Leslie looked around, Amanda dug her hand into the rocks on top of the roof. She managed to find a small handful of sand. When Leslie turned back around to Amanda, Amanda slung the sand in Leslie's face. With a scream of pain, Leslie let go of Amanda and grabbed for her injured eyes.
Billy, Lee, and Agent Ross thundered down the carpeted hallway. A faint red sign above their heads pointed out the stairway. Lee hit the stairway first, taking the steps two at a time. As he approached the door at the top of the stairs, he turned around and motioned for Billy and Agent Ross to be quiet. As the three of them reached the door, Lee pressed his ear to the door to listen. All Lee could hear was someone faintly yelling outside on the roof. Fearing it was Amanda; Lee pushed open the door savagely.
As Leslie screamed in pain, Amanda saw her chance and took it. She scrambled away from Leslie and scampered across the rocks. She slipped and fell, cutting her hands on the sharp stones. As Amanda ducked behind an air conditioning unit, she saw Leslie swipe at her eyes for a moment. Leslie righted herself and picked up her gun again. Amanda tried to breathe silently, hoping Leslie would look on the other side of the roof, giving Amanda a chance to escape. Amanda slowly peeked out from behind the air conditioning unit. Her breath was coming in shaky gasps. She didn't see Leslie, so Amanda slowly made her way around the unit. She tried to quietly sneak towards the stair doors. As Leslie appeared to make her way to the other side of the building, Amanda began to run for the door. She had only made it a few steps when she heard a shot whiz past her ear. She turned to see Leslie advancing on her.
Lee pulled open the door and quickly stepped around the doorframe, to allow him some cover. He scanned the rooftop searching for Leslie or Amanda. As he crouched from his position, Agent Ross and Billy cautiously made their way through the rooftop door. Lee motioned for Agent Ross and Billy to take cover. As they moved out of his line of sight, Lee caught sight of Amanda hiding behind an air conditioning unit. He saw Leslie turning toward the other side of the building. Amanda broke from her hiding place and ran towards the door. Lee had been about to call out to her when Leslie turned and fired a warning shot past Amanda's head. Amanda stopped dead in her tracks as Leslie slowly walked towards her.
Amanda watched as Leslie slowly approached her. Leslie's eyes were fierce and full of hatred. Amanda saw Agent Ross and Billy taking up positions behind the opening of the rooftop door. As she watched Leslie, she saw Lee behind Leslie, looking directly at her. Amanda saw the fear and concern on Lee's face as he watched Leslie advance towards Amanda. Leslie raised the gun and Amanda heard Lee's voice.
"Leslie, stop!" Lee shouted.
"Leslie, we've got agents all over the place here. Give it up." Billy said.
"Lee, there's nothing you can do to stop me." Leslie said. "Amanda's going to die and you're going to watch."
"Leslie, please don't do this." Lee pleaded with her.
"Why not Lee? Is it because you love me and don't want me to throw my life away, or is it to save your precious Amanda?" Leslie called out.
"Leslie, don't make me do this." Lee said in a choked voice.
"Come on Lee, you don't really believe you'll shoot me, do you?" Leslie countered as she pulled back the hammer.
"Leslie...." Lee said.
"Goodbye Amanda." Leslie said as she pulled the trigger.
Amanda closed her eyes as she heard Leslie's gun go off. She felt a sharp pain in her shoulder as she heard a second gun shot. She sank to the rooftop and closed her eyes as unconsciousness overtook her.
Lee watched as Leslie strode towards Amanda, gun drawn. Lee saw Amanda standing frozen, a look of fear and surprise on her face. Lee raised his gun to Leslie as Leslie took aim at Amanda. Lee heard Leslie say:
"Goodbye Amanda."
Lee didn't hesitate. As Leslie fired at Amanda, Lee fired his own gun at Leslie. As he watched, he saw Amanda's body jerk at the impact of the bullet. He gave out a cry as he watched Amanda slump down onto the rooftop. He heard Agent Ross and Billy running behind him towards Amanda and Leslie as he took off towards Amanda.
