Jack watched in horror as his two bullets slammed into Chase, the blood exploding across his face as a puff of feathers burst outward from his jacket. The look of hatred on Chase's face quickly turned to shock and then sorrow as the force of the bullets sent him falling backwards and then off the high bluff overlooking the black lake.
The weapon in Chase's hand spun from the impact and flew in an arc high up into the air before coming down again, straight towards Jack. Without thinking Jack put out his left hand to catch it and then he looked down, stupefied, at the Raybans sitting in his hand. Oh dear God, it wasn't a gun, Chase had been pointing, not shooting.
"Fucking marvellous," the mocking tones came from behind. "My God Jack, you really are the best."
Liz! Christ, Chase had been trying to warn him, not shoot him, and he groaned aloud with grief at what he'd done.
"Put your gun down Jack and turn around, I want to congratulate you."
Fuck this, Jack thought and he dove for the edge of the bluff, perhaps there was still something he could do to help Chase. But Liz had anticipated him and he felt a sting at his thigh. Putting his hand there, he went to pull out the tranqualiser dart, but found he couldn't move.
Liz grabbed Jack's foot and pulled him away from the bluff's edge. Kneeling beside him she smiled sweetly, "It's a bitch isn't it Jack? You can see, you can hear, you can feel, but you can't move, can't talk. I could perform open heart surgery on you right now and you'd feel every precious detail... oh, but wait, I can't do that, you don't have a heart do you. Let's see now, you've just shot your son-in-law dead when all he was doing was trying to warn you.
"You know what I'd love Jack? I'd love to listen to you as you explain all this to your precious Kim. You know she lost her baby because you were too selfish to tell her you were alive while she was subjected to all those months of media scrutiny, and now she's lost her husband because you lost your nerve.
"Perhaps I ought to invite her over for a daddy, daughter reunion. Yes, I might just do that... won't it be fun Jack?" And she lent in and kissed him, her tongue twinning with his, and there wasn't a thing he could do to stop her.
He lay in the white field of snow and felt the red stain as it spread out, wrapping him in it's warmth. He knew it was dangerous to lie injured in the snow but that couldn't be right because he now felt warmer and calmer than he had in weeks. He thought he could hear voices but that couldn't be right either. Angie was crying and so was Kim but they were both dead, killed by his own hand. He tried to look at his hand but his arm wouldn't move, so he lay still and closed his eyes against the glaring light reflected off the snow. Liz's laughter swirled around him. She was dead too, had died years ago, but she still scared him. Jack was also dead yet Jack had shot him. Was it because he'd hurt Kim and Angie?
He attempted to get up out of the snow. He wanted to find Kim and Angie but his body wouldn't respond. Pushing up with his one good arm he hoped to draw his legs up under him to stand but the hot blinding pain made him cry out in agony. He lay back, panting, trying to calm his breathing. He could still hear Angie crying and he wanted desperately to speak with her, but he needed to be calm or she would know he was scared. Lying still, his eyes closed, he concentrated on his memories of happy days with Kim and Angie.
"Daddy?" Angie sobbed.
"Shhh honey, it's okay. Please don't cry. I'll be with you shortly, I won't be long."
"No Daddy, you need to come home now. I don't like this place, it's bad."
"I know Angie but I'm tired and I can't move yet. I'll be there soon."
"Here Daddy, I'll help you. Take my hand and I'll help you come home. Please Daddy, hold my hand."
And as his hand warmed, he felt new strength course through his body. Rising unsteadily to his feet, Chase began to cross the frozen lake, headed towards the small clearing on the far side.