Chapter 6

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Her first thought was that he was dead. There was a shot…then screams… and the dead weight of her fiancés body on top of her.

'Charles?' She whispered. There was no response, and she hit full on panic mode, her breath coming in short bursts as she scrambled to get out from underneath him.

'Charles? Charles! Omigod, no, please god no. Charles! '

'Alli. Al. Hey, calm down, it's okay.'

Alli sucked in a breath as Charles rolled to his knees and sat up, and she swatted him on the shoulder before accepting his embrace. 'You scared the shit out of me' she mumbled into his shirt. She felt him tighten his arms around her, conscious that things were still going seriously wrong around them.

They both looked over to where Steven had been standing moments before.

His body now lay on the mottled green carpet, blood pooling under his chest.

'Oh…my god' Alli whispered, terrified, and Charles gently turned her head away with his hand. She heard the voice of the shooter, his mocking tone informing them that if they thought he wasn't serious before… they sure as hell better realise it now.

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Charles wasn't sure, but he thought Steven might still be alive. He tried to concentrate hard on the man's chest, looking for any sign of a rise and fall. It was faint, but he was sure it was there. No one else in the library was doing anything about it. The librarian was still huddled behind her desk, Tally still crouched by the shelves, and the handful of Asian students who had been working together still sat under their table.

He rubbed Alli's arm and leant down to kiss her temple. 'I'm just gonna go see if he's breathing.'

Alli clutched at his arm, terror apparent in her eyes. 'What? Charles, no. Please. Just stay here okay.'

He shook his head. 'Someone has to go see if he's alive…if we can stop the bleeding….' He trailed off, looking Alli in the eye as she shook her head pleadingly at him.

'Baby, it'll be okay. Someone has to do something. What if he dies right in front of us, because no one helps him?'

Alli clutched tighter. 'But it doesn't have to be you Charles. Please. Please don't leave me.'

Charles leant down to kiss her forehead. 'I'm not gonna leave you, I promise. I'll be right over there. I won't let anything happen to you.'

Alli's next plea didn't leave her lips as the shooter glanced over to them. 'Oi, you two. Is there a problem?'

Charles stood up slowly, arms raised. Alli trembled beside him.

'Sir, I just want to check that he's okay.'

The shooter snorted. 'Sir? That's a first.'

Charles began to inch towards Steven, with slow deliberate steps.

'Hey, did I say you could move? He's dead, and you better leave him to it or you'll be next.'

Charles crouched over Steven, trying to find a pulse.

Suddenly he heard footsteps beside him, and the cool metal of gun barrel brushed his temple.

'Back. Off.'

Charles turned to see Alli staring straight at him in fear. 'Charles, just….please, for godssake do what he says.'

'Yes, Charles.' The man sneered. 'Just like the lady said. Do what I say.'

Charles took a deep breath. 'Look – he's breathing. Can't you just…let him go? Let someone come and take him out of here? You know, when this is over - you'll end up better off when this is over if no one actually dies.'

The man cocked his head eerily, looking Charles straight in the eye.

'What makes you think that I plan on walking out of here alive?'

Charles inhaled sharply, realising just how desperate and psychotic the guy really was.

'Enough.' The shooter straightened up, and Charles was briefly relieved as the gun was removed from his head.

And then his world fell apart.

'If I can't make you back off… then this will.'

The shooter pointed his gun and shot it – straight at Alli.

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