A/N I AM an evil demon child, and I know it. I should change my pename to Snarky, Goddess of Cliffhangers...again, muchos props to garretelliot who takes great delight in sending me back my fic with great big bold red letters proclaiming her exasperation at my cliffies.
"OK gentlemen, your time is up." The voice echoed throughout the building. He opened up one door and let himself in. "Now, you write down your descision, either put down that you choose to die, or that you do not, and then we'll see which option each of you picked." He said handing a sheet of paper and a pen to the first man, before locking the door and walking over and doing the same to the other.
"Now you, Dr. Cavanaugh, you get to be a player in this game as well. As the one who got the first lead on me, you get to be the wild card. You can completely negate one man's option with what you choose. If you choose to die, and so did one other, all four of you will go free. If you choose to die and the two men choose to sacrifice this poor innocent man, you are trading your life for his. Or you could choose to abide by whatever they are writing down. You have five minutes to think it over, to think of how much you trust, how much you know your friends."
What would they have picked? Woody would have chosen to be selfless, and sacrifice himself instead. He wouldn't want to see her get hurt. Which left her to decide what Nigel did. Did he choose himself or her? Nigel would say to die, wouldn't he? That meant for her to say no, didn't it? That she would die, instead of the innocent man if she said yes.
But she had sworn an oath to do no harm. He was an innocent man, she couldn't just let him die, but at the same time, she wanted to save her own life. How many times had she stared down the barrel of a gun completely unafraid of death? She wasn't afraid of dying, of death and what lay beyond, only of what she left behind.
What would Woody and Nigel think if she choose to die after they had both chosen to sacrifice themselves to save her? But if one of them had chosen to live, she would be saving all of them. If she was heartless, selfish, she would say no, but she couldn't do that and know that if she said no, someone was going to die, someone that was likely not her. An innocent bystander, or Nigel, or Woody.
"Dr. Cavanaugh, your decision please?" She stared into the cold green eyes of the killer.
"I choose to-" She gulped and took a deep breath. "Die." She said simply and he grinned. One door unlocked and he took the piece of paper from Nigel, and led him into the living room next to her before he opened the other door and did the same for Woody.
"Now gentlemen, I have added another layer to the game. I gave Dr. Cavanaugh a choice as well, made her a player in the game. She can either save you all or condemn herself. If one of you, and only one of you, choose to die for her, she could save you, but if you both choose to die, she could take the place of that innocent man, or her other option was to simply do nothing, and let the outcome be as you intended it to be." The man in the corner stirred slightly, on the brink of consciousness. "Now, let us see what your fate will be."
He flourished the first sheet of paper with Nigel's familiar scrawl on it. "You, Mr. Townsend have chosen to-" He was making a show out of it, with a deep dramatic voice, deriving twisted pleasure from it. "Die. How very, very noble of you, risking your life. Tell me, do you trust dear Detective Hoyt to have answered the same way?" Nigel nodded. "Well, let's see what this man has written down and if you were right in trusting him."
He pulled out the other sheet of paper, with Woody's handwriting on it. "Woodrow Hoyt, you are very much the noble sort, for you too, were willing to risk your life for your lady fair. Tell me the two of you, did you put down what you did because you thought of what the other would write, or because you wanted something out of this emotionally? Like, for example, to not see Dr. Cavanaugh here dead?"
"I-" The both started at once, and both paused.
"For her." Woody said, and she felt a sharp pang as she realized what this meant for her.
"I knew Woody would choose to sacrifice himself." Nigel said, looking almost ashamed at the fact that he had followed the logic.
"You, Townsend, are a very good game player. Although I do wonder why you chose to let the innocent man die instead of Hoyt?" Nigel shifted on his feet.
"It would hurt us all, we all think of Woody as a friend." The killer grinned.
"Especially Dr. Cavanaugh here, don't you?" She nodded.. "I do so hate to rain on your parade, but tell them, Dr. Cavanaugh, what your choice is." She stayed silent, not wanting to be the one to tell them. "You see, she is the most noble out of all of you, because I'm sure you could guess the outcome, couldn't you?" She nodded again. "Right, see, she knew that it would be her or the innocent man, and she choose to sacrifice her own life for that of the innocent man's."
He backed up until he reached the couch, about ten feet away from Jordan and the two men that flanked her. "Now, if either of you try to stop me, I will kill you, I have no reservations about killing you, although it defeats the purpose of the game to do so." He grinned and cocked the gun. "Any last words? No? Well then, game over." Jordan braced herself for the shot, and Nigel and Woody closed their eyes, each one gripping one of her hands tightly, each one feeling a lump grow in their throat as the gunshot echoed throughout the room.