A/N: To readers, this is a replacement for the old chapter 20 of The Conductor's Apprentice. After reading through the old chapter 20 I realized that it made no sense what so ever so I decided to create a new one. Enjoy.

A man woke up to find himself dangling three inches from a rusted saw blade that had dark crusted blood staining it. What held the man in mid-air was four chains that were clasped around his ankles and wrists, the man tried to move but a sharp pain entered his spine just about the C4. A sudden static buzzing entered the small dark enclosed room and a young yet cold voice echoed around the room, "Hello Tom,"

Tom Dulvine looked up at het speakers, "What's going on?"

A low chuckle echoed, "Isn't it obvious? You are a part of a new game, a game that is now run by an apprentice, a victim and a boy but that is unimportant at the moment what is important is if you are going to live,"

In the old monitor room where John had once looked over his victims was now empty and bare. All the equipment was gone except for one black tape recorder that sat in the middle of the room. Dimitri knew this too well and picked it up, "What are you planning?" He pressed PLAY and John's voice erupted, "Hello Dimitri, I see that my choice of apprentice was wrong but then again it usually always is,"

"What do you want?" Dimitri said angrily.

"Oh it is quite simple really, I know what you are doing Dimitri and I do not like it one bit. You might not care but the fate of this game does and I do. You have teamed up with an old friend haven't you? Isaac am I right? Both of you have dishonored the game,"

"Up yours," Dimitri hissed.

"Now you are probably wondering where I have placed all the equipment, I have placed it where you shall never find it,"

"Turning yourself in?"

"I would never do that, people on the outside think that this is a common horror movie coming to life. A madman capturing innocent people and torturing them till death but it isn't like that at all Dimitri. Unlike those horror movie madmen I give people chances to live and make their life anew,"

"You killed my father!"

"Your father only married Kara for her money, not for a relationship,"

"Liar!"

The tape clicked and Dimitri knew that it had ended.

"What he is saying is that truth my little soldier,"

Dimitri froze.

"As you can see you are hanging exactly three inches from a saw blade that will start up after I am done talking, then you will have three minutes to grab the key in front of you but be careful, the chains are covered with sharp objects," A cold laughter echoed in Tom's ears and then he realized who was speaking.

"Isaac?"

The laughter immediately stopped, "Three minutes...starting now,"

The timer in front of Tom started up.

Dimitri turned to see his mother Kara standing in front of his, her hands were crossed in front of her blood soaked shirt.

"Remember? I always use to call you that when you were young,"

Dimitri swallowed he had remembered too clearly.

It was a week before Halloween and Dimitri and Melissa have been invited to a costume party for one of their friends at school. Kara had gone out and came back with a WWII soldier costume at first Dimitri complained that he didn't want to be a soldier but a zombie until he placed it on. Kara had run up the stairs and knelt behind Dimitri who was looking into his mirror.

"You look so cute," Kara cooed "My little soldier,"

There was only two minutes left and Tom's hands were already covered with blood after his attempt to climb the chains. He looked up at the key that was a inch above his head and he grabbed the chains again only to howl out in pain. Blood dripped down and dotted the saw as it rotated quickly. Tom knew that he only had once chance at this and he grabbed the chains and managed to ignore the pain that flowed quickly up his hand and threw his arm. He climbed until he faced the key and then with his teeth he gently bit on the handle and pulled the key and the thin wire snapped and gears turned and the door flung open. Tom looked down to see the whirling blade slow down and then it stopped all together. The cuffs that held Tom up released and made him fall to the ground with a loud thump. Tom placed his hands on the ground and then gasped in pain as it flowed throughout his whole body and then he stood straight. His hands throbbed with pain but he knew that it could be worse...much worse.

In the new monitor room a boy just gapped at the screen and watched as Tom just wondered out the wide open door.

"Impossible,"

The door creaked open to reveal a familiar face, "Hello Isaac,"

The boy took in a deep breath, "John,"

"How are you?"

"Fine until you tampered with my trap,"

John's cold hard eyes burrowed into him, "You had no right placing him there and you know it. Revenge isn't what the game is after it is gathering back people's way of living,"

Isaac threw back his head and laughed, "Sorry to burst your bubble there John but there are new rules to this new game,"

"He is your brother isn't he?"

"He always teased me when I was young, he would bring over his stupid college friends and they would tease me for a whole night. Why am I even telling you, you don't understand the true meaning of pain,"

"And neither do you,"

Isaac glared angrily at John, "Do you even know the pain your victims go through hmm? You think that it actually helps them? Well your wrong,"

John shook his head, "This isn't about getting revenge on your brother is it? Its about getting revenge on me, ruining my game,"

"I almost lost my tongue playing your damn game!"

John didn't say anything then, "Is that so Isaac?"

Dimitri looked at his mother he tried to give her a hard look but seeing her calm face made him weak.

"Are you doing this because you want revenge?" Kara said quietly taking a step towards Dimitri.

"Get away from me!" Dimitri screamed but he might as well be screaming to a wall because Kara took another calm step forward.

"Revenge isn't part of the game and you know it," Kara continued, "You killed your own sister for what? Respect? Wanting to belong? Or was it revenge?"

"Neither," Dimitri growled.

"Then what?"

Dimitri smiled greedily, "You think that those murderers deserve to live? Isaac and I are only doing what John should have done a long time ago,"

"Then destroy yourself," Kara replied quietly.

Dimitri cocked his head, "What?"

"You murdered your own sister Dimitri, that is a person you and Isaac want to get rid of right? So if your going to get rid of all the bad people then get rid of your self first,"

Dimitri was in shock, he didn't know how to reply to what his mother had just told him.

"Isaac wouldn't destroy me, he told me to get rid of the road blocks and I did," Dimitri sneered, "Melissa was still loyal to John so I had to get rid of her because she would have ruined everything,"

Kara shook her head, "Do you even know what you are saying?"

Dimitri looked at the ground and then took out a revolver.

"Am I a road block?" Kara asked looking at her son.

Dimitri's hand shook and he cocked the gun and whispered, "Yes,"

Down the hallway Tom walked trying to find the exit to this miserable place, he wanted to just go home and forget that this ever happened until he heard a gunshot close by. His heart pounded quickly as he ran to where the shot echoed from and he found that the door was locked tightly. So he started pounding the door with his wounded hands that trobbed so much but he had to figure out what was going on and why he was here.

Dimitri looked at his mother's wounded leg and then raised the gun to her head. All of a sudden a loud pounding noise echoed in the room, the door shook slightly but Dimitri smiled as he knew that no one can get in or out.

"Why?" his mother asked.

"You are a part of John's game and that game is coming to an end,"

"John knew what you and Isaac were planning that is why I helped get you Tom, I didn't want to see you hurt yourself,"

Dimitri laughed loudly, his voice echoed, "Hurt myself?! Sorry mother but I am not the one lying on the floor with a wounded leg,"

Kara watched her son as he cocked the gun once more and then a familiar clicking noise erupted and a man came stumbling in. His hands were all bloody, cuts and scrapes were decorated on his face and arms and sweat trickled slightly down his face. The man had nice green eyes and a mess of brown hair, he still wore his officer uniform that was know drenched in blood. Dimitri quickly swung the gun over to the man ad shot but the man easily dodged it.

"Who are you?" Tom demanded.

A bullet just missed his left ear.

"Dimitri the apprentice," the boy replied angrily as he took another shot.

Tom walked quickly over to the shadows and ducked as a bullet missed his Archilles ankle.

"Show yourself," Dimitri ordered but Tom stayed close to the wall as Dimitri took another shot and got lucky. The bullet sailed and hit Tom in his wounded left hand and he stumbled out into the dim light and Dimitri smiled as he raised the gun and pulled the trigger. Click. No bullets erupted from the hole, Dimitri tried desperately four more times before throwing the gun away in frustration. Tom took his chance and tackled the boy to the ground, Dimitri was taken by surprise of this man's actions but he replied by punching him in the nose. Kara struggled to get up as the a full out brawl erupted right before her eyes. Tom had Dimitri in a head lock until Dimitri elbowed his painfully in the rib cage the man fell over and Dimitri slammed his foot down on Tom left hand. Tom screamed in pain as the bullet extruded its way right through his hand and the wounds stretched and bleed.

"You shouldn't have interrupted," Dimitri said angrily as he raised the gun over his head like a club. Tom struggled to free his hand but his whole hand was trapped and it was useless he watched helplessly as Dimitri sneered, ready to bring the gun down when he was forcefully shoved off. Tom looked up to see Kara standing on her good leg while her lame leg was gently touching the ground. Dimitri looked up in shock and then his face morphed into anger as he attacked his mother. Tom took his chance and leapt up and head butted Dimitri in the stomach, sending him back and the gun flew out of his hand and into Kara's. As Dimitri got up he watched as she took out a bullet from her pocket and placed it in the revolver and spun it. A click echoed and Kara pointed it at Dimitri's shoulder.

In the new monitor room Isaac tried to attack John who calmly stepped aside.

"Your anger against me is blinding you," John said taking out a scalpel.

"Die!" Isaac yelled and he charged at John with a blade in his hand but John parried the attack and sliced Isaac's rib cage and he fell face flat to the ground.

"You don't have to so this," John said holding up the bloodied blade.

Isaac didn't listen and attacked once more and hit home slicing John's leg and he watched as John fell to the ground in pain.

Kara looked at Dimitri with a sad look and Tom moved out of the way.

"You only have one bullet," Dimitri taunted.

"And it is for you," Kara replied.

Dimitri laughed, "Your going to kill me? Your going to kill your little soldier?"

Kara's face remained calm and then lowered the gun, "Not quite,"

BANG! The bullet raced through the air and burrowed itself in Dimitri's knee, the boy screamed in pain and fells over to his side. Kara took in a breath and then handed the weapon to Tom who couldn't believe what just happened. Kara handed Tom a single bullet and she nodded as she watched him load it and spin. Kara walked calmly towards the exit ignoring her son's protests and then closed the door behind her and whispered quietly, "Good-bye,"

A single shot echoed and all was silent.

John struggled up from the ground and glared at Isaac who laughed, "You think that hurt? Just wait,"

John lunged forward but Isaac simply moved and he raised his blade to attack when a pain started up in his back, it got bigger and bigger until it flared and Isaac fell over in pain. John walked over and said, "I win the game,"

Isaac tried to attack but then the blade pierced through his neck and he stopped moving immediately. John looked up to see a man, he had dirty blond hair, light brown eyes and he wore a white shirt, black tie and bottoms to an officer's uniform.

"Thank you," John said patiently, "Kevin Polser,"

"Listen carefully Kevin because I am only going to say this once,"

Kevin stood patiently as John began, "I suspect that there will be a rebellion against the game anytime soon. Dimitri and Melissa have separated their loyalty to me and to the game itself, I want you to convince Kara Art to help you with the task ahead. There is a boy named Isaac who had been through the game before except the game didn't help him realize his mistakes, to him the game was about torture off a horror movie and you know the truth. I figure that he is planning to get his revenge on me by first destroying the game by placing his older brother Thomas Ovantie in it. After convincing Kara to join you will tell her to capture Tom and bring him, I will take care of the trap,"

Kevin nodded and then a small light flickered displaying a cell phone and it started to ring. Kevin didn't hesitate as he walked over and picked it up and plessed talk.

"Hello?" he said into the microphone.

"Kevin?" a small voice replied.

"Kara,"

"I need your help,"

Kevin smiled and knew that this was going to be easy, "Kara listen to me because I am only going to say this once...,"

A/N: I am sorry to say that this is the last chapter to The Conductor's Apprentice, thanks to all the readers who have stayed with this story, I really appreciate it. Spitfire47