A/N: For those who asked: David is the guy Jason fired for sending the email about Miley.

Chapter Twenty Four.

Nick

All I could see was her face. The girl I loved waiting to be killed.

But when the next shots were fired, it wasn't at her or me, but rather the remaining two armed officers. David was trained, we all knew that. He also recognised who would definitely be carrying a weapon, and his aim was uncanny. I didn't see them fall, but I knew they were dead from the screams of the office staff that followed.

I looked for my gun realising it was locked in my desk drawer, it was standard procedure, so that events like this couldn't occur. My keys sat on the desk in reach, but I wouldn't take the chance, not with her so close to him. Not when he could kill her in a second.

"Everyone hands up!" David's voice yelled wildly waving the gun like a mad man only to reposition it at Miley who still stood there emotionless.

No one moved.

"I'll kill her, and then I'll slaughter each and every one of you." He hissed through grimy yellow teeth, drawing out the last three words. "So put your fucking hands up and don't move." His eyes flickered around the office ready to strike if need be, his eyes showing no fear just crazed determination.

I saw the people around me contemplate the situation they were in and slowly palms were raised. I agreed with their decision so I followed the lead of the innocent office staff and put my hands up too, because what chose did I have? I couldn't reach my gun and I couldn't reach out to Miley. I had no other option.

I stared at my girlfriend feeling utterly helpless. Her eyes were so distant like she'd detached herself from the living nightmare we'd just been placed in. Miley looked nothing like the girl I'd seen last time a gun was pointed at her head. She wasn't confident anymore she was just blank staring towards an open door…

The door that led to the break room

The room Selena and Justin were in. The room that was now deadly silent.

I didn't linger on it. I couldn't. I had to be strong.

"Now all of you against the wall!" He yelled out.

David stepped towards Miley, his eyes still watching everyone. "Move slowly towards the wall and face it. All of you. NOW. And keep you hands up!" His words were slow and deliberate as he dictated fear across the room.

Everyone started to move but as David's eyes watched he caught me staring.

His face beamed, "Just who I wanted to see…Hello Nick."

His smile increased as David reached out grabbing Miley's hair dragging her to him. Miley instantly struggled her eyes torn from the door and back to reality. She screamed in pain as I jumped in action,

"You bastard." My heart yelled before my brain could think stepping forward.

David laughed pressing the gun to Miley's head as I stopped mid stride,

"I wouldn't move an inch closer Nicholas," He mocked.

I pulled my foot back as Miley looked directly at me for the first time. Her eyes shined brightly, tears skimming the surface but that wasn't what scared me the most. She looked at me pleadingly, her head tilted towards the wall where the office staff were very slowly moving nodding at me to follow. Miley looked at me like I was the one who had the gun pointed against my head, the one she had to protect in order to survive.

"MOVE!" He yelled at me directly.

I felt the inner conflict, the overwhelming need to protect her.

Yet I couldn't.

So I moved to the wall knowing what he was doing. Lining us up so he didn't have to face us when David assassinated the people he'd once called his co-workers. I walked slowly edging towards the twenty or so workers who all shakily had their backs turned knowing there was no escape now.

I reached the wall and gave Miley a look as she just stared at me a tear falling,

"I love you," Her lips mouthed desperately.

I went to open my mouth and respond, to try and reassure her, but in that moment David grabbed Miley's neck yanking her face up. A painful cry emitted from her lips making my own skin prickle.

"TURN!" He screamed at me.

I looked at Miley one last time, tears now rolling freely down her face as I turned towards the wall. It was silent for a moment, as we all just stood there, no one making a sound out of fear of the repercussions. Then David spoke to Miley, saying something I didn't expect.

"I don't want you, not anymore."

My mind calmed hopeful hearing those words. Praying that they meant what I was so desperate for. He couldn't hurt her.

"You're not even supposed to be here." He whispered to her and I heard my girlfriend's breathing suddenly begin to become heavy. He was doing something, making her gasp, taking air away. Strangling her. "You weren't on the roster, but your Uncle was…"

I closed my eyes feeling sick.

Jason.

Jason had been his target, yet for some reason tonight he'd chosen to take the night off and made Miley fill the vacant spot.

"Call him, now, I want him here." David whispered again quietly, "Call him Miley, call your uncle and tell him to come here."

I swallowed in relief realizing the truth in his actions.

We were his hostages for the time being and Miley was his bargaining chip.

He wanted revenge against the person who fired him.

Jason.

Not Miley. Not us.

His boss.

"Call him on your phone. I want you to tell Jason that he needs to come down here." David instructed his voice calm and direct, "Don't give details, just make sure he gets the message loud and clear and if he doesn't…well Nick will be the first to go."

I listened to Miley suddenly inhale gulping in air that confirmed the image in my mind. His filthy hands had been around her throat.

"Loudspeaker, I want to hear him." David added after a moment.

I looked at the wall letting my eyes twist to see those beside me. The woman to my left was trembling, her fingers spinning an engagement ring tearfully. I closed my eyes looking straight ahead not wanting to envision the future or question whether it would even occur. Right now I had to focus on what I could do to keep Miley safe, to keep all of us safe.

Loud ringing filled all of our ears, the line attempting to connect to our boss who knew nothing of the horror he faced. The tone of the ring was familiar to all of us, yet still it's shrill sent me and those around to stiffen.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.

I counted the tones until finally it stopped, "Hello it's Jason Stewart, I can't answer the phone right now but please leave your name and number and I will get back to you as soon as possible."

I felt the spark of familiarity, the memory still painful as I reflected upon it.

History was repeating itself.

I knew it, and I'm sure Miley did too.

The different beep resonated across the room as I closed my eyes unwilling to let the pain consume me, yet as soon as I did I saw Miley's body crumpled on the ground screaming the snow globe shattered around her. The agony from hearing the foreboding message from her parents to Jason. A message both of us now contemplated as she was forced to do the same thing,

"Hey Jason…" Miley started her voice constricted as she cleared her throat, "It's…it's Miley ummm could you come down here? Please? Something has happened….and…" She stopped as I questioned whether David had hung only for Miley to sob. "I don't want to end up like them too Jase."

The second she said it I felt my eyes open wide, knowing what she meant but understanding that David didn't. There was a scuffle as Miley screamed in pain,

"What does that mean?" David yelled at her the line clearly disconnected, "What does I don't want to end up like them mean?"

His voice trailed off because as he said it, David realized. I'm sure everyone did.

David suddenly gave a chuckle, which grew louder into a full-blown demented laugh. Miley was crying I could hear her, and I could tell she was trying to stop but we both knew she wasn't going too.

"You don't want to be with your mommy and daddy?" David joked at her expense, "Oh poor baby, well guess what? For that little mouth slip they aren't the only two people you'll never see again. Now you don't have a boyfriend either."

His words didn't really register until Miley screamed and I heard the crack.

Then there was nothing.

Miley.

I never thought I'd feel like this again…

Like everything was collapsing around me. The tormenting shadows I'd been trying to outrun most of my life suddenly caught up again and all the dark emotions reemerged once more.

I'd been happy, I'd felt safe and I was in love. Yet now I was faced again by the cruelty and hatred of one small man whose own selfish desires came at the expense of the innocent.

Why had this happened to us? What had I done to deserve this pain again?

The gun sounded and I felt my heart stop knowing there was nothing I could do.

Yet again I had to watch the unthinkable happen.

Everything in me crumpled as my body screamed for Nick not knowing what else to do. I was delirious. My heart felt like it was exploding watching Nick lifeless on the ground. My knees gave out but my voice didn't. I didn't how to respond, all I could see was blood. I could feel it on my hands as I reached for him. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to make this stop.

"SHUT UP! Shut up!" A voice screamed dragging me back but I didn't stop.

I felt hands wrap around my throat withholding the air from my lungs, but I kept lunging for Nick even though I was being dragged further away. I just wanted to hold him, to tell Nick I loved him and that he'd be okay. He had to be okay. Suddenly I was slammed into a chair as my mind began to become foggy, the physical pain dominating the emotional. I struggled reaching for the hands around my neck trying to make it stop. I just wanted this be over.

"Shut up, shut up!" I could hear David yelling, but this time not at me.

I could hear yelling, the office staff members were crying too. I tried to see them but David pushed the chair back into the cubicle blocking my sight of them, his hands releasing from around my neck in the process.

"Shut up, or I'll hurt her. I'll kill her and it'll be all your fault!" He screamed out at them pointing the gun as I regained my bearings dragging in air.

The crying didn't stop though, the threat still wasn't enough to stop their fears from escaping. "Get away from him!" David shouted as I tried to stand up, to save Nick, to help him the best I could.

David spotted me from the corner of his eyes and swung around, his outstretched arm whamming the gun into the side of my head. The blinding pain was instant as I fell to the floor gulping on uncontrollable shrieks. I clutched onto the desk base holding it trying to steady myself once more, my head thumping as I felt something slide down the side of my head. It wasn't until it touched my lips I recognized I was bleeding.

"You're going to call him again!" David's distant voice yelled, "You need to call him."

I looked up at the evil standing over me, his eyes vague and hysteric. He was losing control of the situation. David pushed a new phone at me, my eyes blurred as I squinted trying to take the object.

"Call your uncle again!" He screamed at me, his eyes looking away.

I finally touched the phone, maneuvering my body to sit under the desk. The stabs of aching pain hit every second, my fingers struggling to press the keys. But I had to, I had to get help for Nick.

"Loud speaker!" David instructed over me.

I pressed my Uncle and Aunt's home number into the phone, praying he'd answer this time. Yet again I was forced to wait and listen to the ringing. All I could think about was my parents again. Was this what it felt like for my dad? The never-ending longing to hear a familiar voice, hoping it could give reassuring words, a promise, a pact or something that would make the suffering a little easier. Did he feel the agony of not knowing what was to come but the realization that there might be a future without him in it. Did he feel like he was going to die like I did?

"Hello?" A panicked voice hissed.

It took me a second to comprehend the fact he'd answered.

"Jason?" I felt myself ask anyway, just to be sure. I closed my eyes suddenly realizing I didn't know what to say, or how to say goodbye to him.

"Miley?" Jason yelled, "Miley what's going on? Another department is getting calls that gunfire is occurring- Miley?"

I looked up at David who stared down, the gun aimed at my head. I closed my eyes trying to be brave, trying to think straight as I opened my mouth. "You need to come here Jase." My brain spoke for me while my heart wanted nothing more then to tell him to run, to save himself from the monster.

"I'm leaving now, Miley what's going on, what's happening?" He asked me terrified as I looked up at David not knowing what to say. David reached for the phone and I knew this was my last chance.

"I love you."

David snatched the phone from my fingers hanging up his eyes filled with a wild frenzy. "You have twenty minutes," He yelled without delay his teeth chattering, "Twenty minutes to turn yourself in, or I'll start killing them Jason."

There was silence for a second as I could just imagine Jason's expression,

"And she'll be the first to go." David added.

"David what have you done?" Jason finally asked sounding confused, "What is this?"

"This is revenge."

David hung up and turned back to me his lips tilting upwards in a smug smile. It was only then I realized, if Jason was at home, there was no way he'd get here in twenty minutes. I'd be dead before he even got here. David's eyes suddenly turned looking once more to the wall,

"Stop! STOP HELPING HIM!" David screamed stepping away from me, moving the gun towards the office staff.

Nick. My Nick they were trying to help him.

I clenched my fists feeling sick. I pushed my knees into the ground balancing on my knuckles as I tried to crawl towards Nick. If I was going to die, I wanted to be with him, he said he'd always be there for me. Now I wanted to be there with him.

"Stop! I'll shoot you, I'll shoot!" David was screaming, his voice uneasy.

I moved again, my mind buzzing distorting my surroundings. As I moved though I recognised things more clearly, and took in the familiarity of being under the desk. This was Nick's. I was sure.

A gunshot suddenly sounded as screams bounced around my misleading ears. I could hear David breathing, his gasps loud and audible. He was panicking. I licked my lips tasting blood as I clutched the drawer handle attempting to stand only for my slow mind to realize what was within.

"Stop! Get away! I'll shoot you too, I'll-"

Another shot was fired as I flinched scared, but I had to try. I had to do this.

I reached my arm up edging it onto the desk, aimlessly moving my fingers around until I touched Nick's keys. I looped them around my index finger and pulled back seeing the numerous silver shapes through my unclear eyes.

I slowly moved through them, finding the smallest as I pressed it towards the locked drawer. I finally felt it take and I twisted it hearing the lock unclick. It took a moment to be fully aware of the risk I was about to take. Yet apart of me knew it was going to be okay, that whatever happened at least I'd know I didn't give up. I was trying, just like my parents had, they knew what was happening, they knew and so did I.

I pulled out Nick's gun hearing David pacing the line of hostages, me forgotten and disposed of until he's next attack.

His mistake. My opportunity.

It took all my momentum just to get the soles of my feet to the ground and I took a moment to calm myself.

I had one shot. That was it. I needed to be focused.

I listened and assessed David's hasty breaths and heavy footsteps making sure I knew when he was closest. I waited until the right moment.

Finally when I was sure, I stood on my unbalanced feet looking over the cubicle wall seeing my target. David was turned staring down towards my Uncle's office a longing in his eyes to inflict pain, all his desires written right there on his face.

I didn't second doubt my decision. He was the enemy. So I acted.

I pointed the gun at David's head. He started to turn but I released the trigger.

David's eyes looked into mine at that moment. The understanding filling his cold-hearted face as the bullet struck to the left of his forehead, but as he stumbled back I watched the devil's lips pinch together forming a smirk of pleasure. He knew he'd never leave this building alive. He hadn't won, but at the same time David had succeeded.

He'd got revenge knowing our world wouldn't be the same now.

A/N: It's so hard to write sad chapters when you're happy, that's why this is exactly my best piece of writing. But I hope you enjoyed it regardless. Oh and if you read this here is a spoiler: five people are dead. Who do you reckon they are? :P