Chapter Fourteen: Sunglasses At Night

A sob rose in my throat and escaped through my lips. Tears blurring my vision, I swung angrily back in Jasper's direction.

'How could you?' I had tears streaming down my cheeks, my shoulders shaking, voice shrill.

Jasper looked steadily at me, his voice quiet as he said, 'It was an accident.'

For half a heartbeat, I believed him. Then I remembered what he'd just done and my anger was back.

'Yeah, right,' I snapped. 'You expect me to believe that pile of shit?'

'I'm telling you, it was an accident. The gun just... went off.'

Seeing Jasper's face, recalling what he'd told me weeks ago, I realised he was telling the truth. But that didn't change what he'd done. Accident or no accident, I didn't care.

I took a step towards Jasper, my voice shaking as I said, 'We've called the police, Jasper. They're on their way here as we speak.'

Half true. Behind me, Li was frantically texting, no doubt trying to somehow get a message to the police without actually speaking.

'You're lying.' Jasper's eyes were hard.

I went to move forward again, but Hex tightened his grip on my hand, forcing me to stop. Biting my lip, I half turned. His expression was a muddled mix of confusion, anxiety, anger and sadness.

'Trust me on this,' I murmured.

He frowned, then sighed and let go of my hand. I turned back around and took half a dozen quick steps forward. Mistake.

Jasper reacted with unexpected violence.

'Stay back!' he yelled, sliding quickly behind Alex and pushing the barrel of the gun hard against Alex's temple. My heart stopped beating then started again, twice as fast as before. There were three more gasps from behind me.

'No, Jasper,' I babbled. 'Please.'

'I'll do it. I know I can.'

Taking tiny, barely noticeable sliding steps, I wracked my brain. Keep him talking, Amber. Whatever you do, keep him talking.

A sentence formed in my mind and was out before I could even stop and consider what effect it might have.

'I don't think you can.'

His eyes narrowed as I snapped my mouth shut. Idiot!

'What are you suggesting?' Jasper retorted, his eyes flashing. 'That I haven't got the guts to kill someone in cold blood?'

'No,' I said softly. 'But I do know that you're not the sort of person who would do something like that.'

Jasper stayed silent so I risked a few more steps, praying silently that I could keep up the façade for long enough.

'Come on, Jasper,' I added. 'Put the gun down and untie Alex.'

Now, I personally thought that I was doing an amazing job, but there's no pleasing some people. The next sound I heard wasn't the one I'd expected and hoped for.

The gun gave a sharp click and my breath caught in my throat. All the calm went out the window. Jasper obviously wasn't buying it any way and I was way too mad to continue with it.

'You utter bastard.' With out realising it, I was now just eight metres or so from Jasper and Alex. I should've been scared, but for some stupid reason the flight part of my brain had shut down. 'You'd really shoot him, wouldn't you?'

'What do you think?'

I gave a quick bark of laughter. 'I don't know what I think any more. Here I was, under the naïve impression that you- despite all the criminal activities- were a decent guy. How wrong I was.'

'Wrong?' Jasper echoed. 'Wrong? This whole situation is wrong. If you had of just stayed out of my business, none-'

'It's my job! Ok? My bloody job!'

'So?' He was shouting at me now, the hand holding the gun wobbling. Poor Alex looked petrified, his whole body tensed, his face frozen.

I needed something, anything, that would make him think about what he was about to do.

'Think of Georgia. And Roxy. Think of what you went through.' I paused, giving him time to let the words sink in and register. Mu voice dropped in volume as his shoulders slumped. 'Do you really want to out other people through that?'

Jasper's gaze fell to the ground and when he finally did look up and meet my eyes, the blinded rage had completely disappeared. His head turned in the direction of Harry's body and a single tear trailed slowly down his cheek and dripped of the end of his jaw.

'I'm so sorry,' he whispered, the words barely audible. 'I'm so sorry.'

Now just a couple of feet away from Jasper, I reached out a hand. 'Give me the gun, Jasper. It's all over.'

'I beg to differ.'

I jumped, the voice definitely not that of a singing fat lady. Sauntering out of the shadows was a tall, stocky guy, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, his short black hair imitating a shaved porcupine. Pale lips twitched into a tight smile as he took in the scene.

Jasper's reaction to the arrival of Mr Mystery was odd. He looked elated, the guilty, then terrified, then mad and then he started all over again. Who was this guy and what was he doing on the level two car park of an almost complete mall?

'Jasper Price. And I had such high hopes for you.' The man sounded disappointed. I hated the fact that I couldn't see his eyes. It creeped me out and made me feel unsure and insecure.

'C-Colin,' Jasper finally stuttered.

My eyes popped open wide. This was Colin? The Colin. Jasper's old boss Colin. The head guy Colin? My mental party ended abruptly as I realised he would most likely be armed and extremely dangerous. Great. Just when things were looking up.

'You weren't about to give the young lady the gun now, were you, Jas?' Despite being just a few years older than Jasper, Colin definitely had the upper hand here. It was painfully clear who was under who.

'N-no.' Jasper gulped, his hand snaking back to his side like a turtle retreating into its shell.

Colin put his hand out. 'May I?'

Nodding, Jasper handed the gun to Colin and stepped back, turning his back on us. Colin looked over the gun, then pointed it at me.

No!' someone shouted from behind me as I closed my eyes, cringing, expecting to have the gun fired at any second.

'Untie your friend.' Colin's sounded amused.

I cranked open one eyelid and peered at him. 'Huh?'

'Your friend. The blonde one with all the ropes wrapped around him. Untie him, then stand next to each other and be quiet.'

Confused, I did just that. Alex was shaking and I had to keep a firm grip on his arm while we stood quietly.

'You three Muppets at the back,' Colin called to Hex, Li and Paulo. 'Come and join the party.'

They scurried towards Alex and I and the five of us bunched together, waiting for Colin's next instructions.

'Jas?' Colin said.

Jasper jumped. 'Yes, sir?'

'Go get the van ready. We'll take this lot back with us.'

'What about...' Jasper's eyes darted left and right '...the bomb?'

Shrugging, Colin answered: 'Another time, Jas. Maybe we'll abandon it all together. Who knows? Let's just go with the flow, yeah?'

Jasper nodded, caught the set of keys Colin chucked at him and disappeared off to get the van.

Pointing the gun at us, Colin nodded in the direction that Jasper had went in. 'Get moving.'

We had no choice but to obey. I cast one, last look towards Harry's body and fought back the wave of tears threatening to spill over again.

I'm sorry, Harry.