"Tom!" Judy gasped, a hand clutching at her chest, as if to steady her heart. "You scared me."
She was sitting at the screen, wrapped in her coat, just as he had left when he went to find Doug.
"What the hells going on!" he shouted. "Where's Doug?"
"You didn't find him in the basement?"
"Jude, stop it! I don't know why you guys are doing this but it's really freaking me out!"
"What's going on?" Harry asked, yawning as he sat up on the couch.
"You tell me," Tom snapped. "One minute Judy's missing, then Doug's missing. You planning on pulling a disappearing act too?"
"Tom, calm down," Judy said.
Why were they both looking at him like he was mad?
"I've had enough of this," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Where's Doug?"
"I don't…"
"Stop fucking around Jude, where the hell is his?"
"Hey Tom," Harry said, moving to stand next to Judy, "Cool it man!"
"Why are you doing this?" Tom said; it was too much, and he could feel tears welling in his eyes.
"Tom, I'm gonna call someone," Judy said slowly.
"Who?" Tom asked.
"A doctor, maybe," she replied.
"A doctor? What are you talking about?"
"I think that's a good idea," Harry said.
"I've got a good idea, why don't you call Doug. Call Doug and tell him this stupid little game of yours is over! I've had enough!"
"Calm down, man," Harry said.
He was approaching Tom now; approaching him like he was a wild animal that might strike at any moment.
"Why don't we sit down and talk about this," Harry said.
"That's a good idea," Judy said. "I'll go find Doug and…"
"You stay where I can see you!" Tom shouted, and he threw his flashlight at floor; it landed with a crack and a crush.
Harry lunged at him, pulling him down on to the couch. Tom twisted and kicked, breaking free and climbing to his feet.
"Leave me alone!"
He ran to the bathroom, filled the sink with warm water and began splashing it onto his face. He stood to look in the mirror, and saw that it once again showed the white masked figure, standing behind him. He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. It was not real; he would turn around and it would be gone, just like last time.
He spun around, but the masked figure remained. It stepped inside the room, followed by another, and then another. Tom pulled his gun from its holster and took aim.
"Stay away," he shouted out, tears stinging his eyes. "I'll shoot if you come any closer!"
They carried on towards him; their arms stretched out, their hands groping menacing at the air. Tom swallowed hard.
"I said hold it!" He warned, but they kept coming.
He winced as he squeezed the trigger, and the gun fired with a bang. Once, twice, three times. A shot for each of them, aimed at the chest. It felt like he was in video game, shooting at zombies, or something equally as surreal. They all came crashing to the ground, left to right, one-two-three. They lay sprawled on the floor.
Before he could stop himself, Tom had knelt over one of them and ripped off the mask.
He let out a strangled cry and fell backwards. It was Judy; he had shot Judy! Frantically he crawled to the next, and fearfully pushed the mask aside, to see the face of Doug, his glassy eyes staring blankly ahead. Tom did not need to check under the third mask to know that it was Harry, but found himself doing so anyway.
With an agonised scream he threw his gun across the room, and then hid his head in his hands and cried. What had they been doing? Did they not realise how much they were scaring him?
He had pulled a gun on them! Why had they not revealed themselves, stopped him before…
What had he done; he had killed his three co-workers, his three friends. He sobbed; the despair and guilt was consuming.
He did not want to get up; he knew if he did, he would go over to the window and jump. Throw him self down, down into the darkness. So he pressed himself hard against the floor, clutching at his face and crying for his dead friends.
Then there was a creak of hinges. Sitting back on his heels, Tom looked to the doorway. There stood a figure, like the others; dressed in black and wearing the same blank mask. Who was this? Fuller? Was he in on the joke? Had the stakeout been a setup from the very start?
Tom rose shakily to his feet; "I didn't realise," he said. "I thought they were going to hurt me."
The masked figure looked down on the bodies of Judy, Doug and Harry; then back at Tom. Tom watched as the figure came closer; coming to stand right in front of him. Unconsciously, Tom's hand reached out and drew away the mask. He let out a gasp, as he found himself looking into his own face.
"What's happening to me?"
The double wrapped his hands about Tom's neck and behind choking him. Tom dropped to his knees, struggling to breathe. The double opened his mouth to speak. As he did, the voice was not like Tom's; it was like Judy's, and it called out his name over and over again.