Passively, Nancy ran over and over in her mind, trying to think of the best way to get to a phone without being detected. She didn't even know the best person to call for it, although the police was her best bet on protection. She peeked through the grate again, scanning the lobby for any form of communication device. She forced her vision clear by squinting; Maybe I can get someone to lend me their cell phone. She kept searching the floor below for anyone that could help, when her eyes spotted a clock just above the doorway.

"Wow." She whispered to herself, "Seven already?" She checked the clock again to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Nancy thought to herself. Most of Seattle work buildings close down around eight don't they? Dimitri will have to leave, and then…then I can get out of here. A small droplet of hope gleamed in Nancy's eyes as she tried to maneuver her way towards the opening of the vent that she climbed in through. As silently as she could, she climbed out of the ventilation system and checked her surroundings for anyone she didn't want snooping around. Her heart pounded beneath her blouse as she checked every nook and cranny in the ventilation room. Her drowsiness clouded her vision, and she had to sit down for a few seconds to recollect all the ideas she had envisioned in the crawlspace. Nancy remembered the phone that she saw in the receptionist's office.

"But that's all the way across the lobby." Nancy sighed, realizing that bolting from the vent room to the office wasn't exactly the stealthiest of moves. Wishing now that the room had windows, Nancy recalled not seeing the two men at their "posts" by the front doors and that maybe, it was possible to slip by unnoticed. It was awful risky, but it might be her only shot she decided. Her heart froze and her legs locked; Nancy could hear foot falls getting closer and closer to the door. Her pupils, she was sure, dilated, and the wall she was staring at seemed to keep getting farther away. Where can I hide? Her heart was thumping as she quickly dodged behind five boxes closest to a corner. The door began to open, and Nancy held her breath, covering her mouth shut with her left palm. She peeked through a crack between the two boxes to see a strange looking weapon emerge from the crack formed in the door. She flung herself silently against the wall, praying that the intruder didn't see her move. Sweat slipped down her forehead. For all Nancy knew, it was merely a concerned worker. But on the other hand, there could have been a security camera she didn't see that accidentally gave her hiding place away to her predators. She heard the footsteps move quietly across the floor, very steady yet unorganized, as if the person didn't really know what he or she was doing. The person was also breathing very heavily, as if he or she was nervous too.

"Nancy?" the voice whispered. "Nancy? Are you in here?"

Breathe. Just…breath… she thought, knowing it had to be Dimitri.

"Nancy." He said a little louder.

I know that voice.

"It's Slash. Are you in here?"

Nancy jumped up from her hiding position, looking in the direction of Slash's voice.

"Oh god….Slash?" Nancy thanked her maker. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his frail body. Tears began streaming from her face.

"I thought they were going to kill me. And then you….and I…" Nancy sobbed uncontrollably. Slash ran his hands through her silky, tattered hair. His eyes were shut tight to keep from crying like Nancy was.

"It's going to be alright Nancy. I'm here now. I've got you," he consoled himself more than he did the bundle of sobbing blonde hair in his arms. Nancy just kept weeping into the shoulder of Slash, eventually losing her footing, letting them both slip to the floor in each others arms. Slash dried her eyes, and placed her hair behind her ears, kissing her on the forehead and cheek. He held Nancy close to him tightly.

"You know….normally I would let this crap continue, but you see….that's just not very business-partner-like," a mysterious voice interrupted the moment.

Slash slowly got up, keeping Nancy behind him.

"You know, I should have known you would have had something to do with this…Linda," he growled back at the mystery woman. Linda just laughed, throwing her head back and letting her long brown hair swish back and forth.

"Don't you see baby, it was never about you."

"That's bull and you know it Linda."

"Hmmm….maybe you'd like to think that this pathetic excuse for a blonde has some sex appeal or competition worth eliminating. But I got news for you honey, I was in it for the money the entire time," She pulled a walkie-talkie out of her sport pants pocket, slowly lifting it to her face, "And now…I'm going to get the hefty check I've been waiting for." She pressed the button down and turned around, facing the door. "Hey babe, this is Linda. I got me two fish you need to fry in the ventilation room on the first floor." She turned around again, winking at Slash.

"Good work Linda, you've done well," Dimitri's voice echoed.

"Forget the verbal thanks and make sure it's in ink by the time you get down here."

"Done and done."

Linda took slow steps back towards Slash and Nancy, who were still standing close to the wall. Slash stepped up, making sure Nancy wouldn't get hurt.

"Linda, I think you're going to want to reconsider what side you're on. Guys like this don't just pay and let go." Slash warned her, watching as Linda loaded her gun. "He'll kill you too." Linda smirked.

"Very smart Slash in trying to convince me back to your side. I wouldn't be so sure you can change me like that. I'm unpredictable." as the word "unpredictable" rolled off her tongue, a shot was heard and Nancy crumpled up on the floor. Slash gasped, huddling over Nancy, who was currently rocking back and forth in obvious pain.

"Nancy. Nancy…look at me. Where were you shot?" Slash asked in a panicky voice, trying to make sure she stayed with him.

"Don't be so naïve Slash," Linda mocked, "why would I kill her? That's Dimitri's job."

"He said he wanted to marry her. Why would he kill her if he loved her?"

"It's funny how little you know about your opponent. He's obsessed. He knows he can't willingly have her. So now that you're here, he'll probably get off with her right in front of your very eyes, and then kill her…leaving you with nothing, like she did to him." Linda laughed.

"You're absolutely right Linda. I congratulate you," Dimitri said, closing the door behind him. He took slow steps towards the three, and then stood next to Linda, looking over the two exhausted bodies on the floor in front of them.

"She's going to die Dimitri……and you're just going to watch. She's going to die!" Slash screamed, holding Nancy in his arms. "You claim you love her….but you're just insane!" Dimitri was not amused by Slash's forward approach to the situation. He picked Slash up by the shirt collar and dangled him in the air.

"Who died, and made you shrink?" he hissed, quickly letting Slash crumple on the floor beneath him. He turned around and looked directly into Linda's eyes.

"Tie him up over there, and then….you'll get your money." He instructed the all too eager Linda. She dragged Slash's body to the crates Nancy had been sitting on and tied him tight to the wood, forcing him to look directly at Dimitri and Nancy.

"He's secure babe." She said, walking away from Slash and over to Dimitri. He didn't turn around; he just pulled the envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her. She took her steps towards the door, letting her heels click across the floor.

"Oh and Linda?" Dimitri asked, listening for the heel-clicks to cease. She turned around slowly.

"Yes babe?" Linda answered, in a coy voice.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. Before Linda had a chance to dodge, Dimitri pulled a gun out of his back pocket and shot her, straight in the chest. Linda smacked herself against the wall for support before lifting her right hand to her chest and placing it on the wound.

"Dimitri..." she gasped for air, sliding down the wall, leaving a dark red line down it as she slid. "Why?" She curled up into a very tiny ball, as if she was trying to force the blood to stay in her body. Instead, she only proceeded to create a puddle of sticky red liquid beneath her the kept increasing in size. Dimitri turned his attention from Nancy and Slash to Linda, who wouldn't just die…let life go.

"Why you ask? Why?" He mocked her dying words. "…Because your fee isn't in my best interest. You…aren't in my best interest." Linda gradually lifted her head, looking him straight in the eye. "Sure, you did good planting that bug in Slash's ear. You were good at distracting him just enough to get us here. Hell, even the sex was good…but you just mean nothing to me. The money I owed you meant more to me than our trust, and so I betrayed the latter, especially after I found out your plans to kill me once the other evidence was destroyed, and we can't have that now can we?" Dimitri laughed in her face, watching her head dip slowly into the blood, too humiliated to lift her eyes.

"You don't care about anyone! NO ONE!" Slash interrupted. Dimitri turned around and Slash noticed a crazed flame in his eyes.

"On second thought, you're beginning to really piss me off…Slash…Kamei." Dimitri changed his mind and cocked his pistol. "I think I might just have to kill you first….and get the bitch later," He pointed it directly at Slash's head and smiled weakly. "I hope Nancy doesn't have anything to say to you, because it's too late now." Slash closed his eyes and lifted his head, ready to die in order to protect the one he loved.

Nancy screamed as the gun shot resonated across the walls, as the body crumpled up on the floor, not moving….not breathing.