Matty turned and looked at his sister "Go to the game room with the other kids. Change the code like Dad taught us. A number only you would know. Lock yourself in there with them. Don't come out for anyone unless its Mom or Dad."

She looked at him, "No. I'll change the code but I'm not staying in there."

Matty looked at her, "Do it, Leann. Grandma and the kids are in there. Protect them."

Leann sighed and ran to the game room and punched in a bunch of codes.
Uncle Joe was laying on the ground. He was unconscious. But Matty could see he was still breathing. There was a pool of blood forming underneath him.

Phillip was staring at Jamie, "Jamie, it's me. It's Phillip. You don't want to do this. You don't want this."

The door to the game room opened and Leann came back into the hallway. Matty tapped on his sister. "No, go back in there."

Leann huffed but she went back behind the door.

Matty's attention turned to Jamie . He took out a gun and pointed it at Phillip. The two brothers stood there pointing guns at each other. Neither said a word. They just stared at each other. Phillip had his gun pointed at Jamie and then Phillip lowered his gun. Jamie cocked the trigger of his gun.

Phillip looked at him, "It's okay, Jamie. You can shoot me. Just leave Irene & Matty alone. Actually the two of you. Lock yourselves in the game room if you can."

Irene had tears in her eyes, "I'm not leaving you."

Phillip turned to Irene, "You have to. Tell the new little monster that their daddy loved them. More than they will ever know. Please. Just go lock yourselves in the game room."

Matty walked over and stepped in front of Phillip, "Jamie, fight it. You don't want to kill Phillip. I'm the one. I'm the one that will hurt my father the most if you kill. My father promised to protect me and that nobody would ever hurt me again. It will devastate him if you kill me. Shoot me instead. You don't need to kill Phillip. Kill me. Leave everyone else. You'll hurt my dad so much more by killing me. Birol will have his revenge. You don't need to kill all of us. Please Jamie. You don't want to do this."

Birol who was behind Jamie started grinning the evilest grin Matty had ever seen in his life. "Aww little Alex. Always sacrificing himself. Tom here, tried to fight the brainwashing too. But it wasn't the same as you. He is quite stubborn as well but he only has your mother's stubbornness. He does not have that crazy look in his eyes like both you and your father always seem to have. We would not have been as successful in speeding up the process with you as we were with Tom here."

Birol spoke, "Kill them all, Tom. Now!"

Matty spoke, "His name isn't Tom. His name is Jamie. Whatever happens now fortunately the sun has a gloriously wonderful habit of rising every morning. We love you, Jamie. Fight it. You don't want to do this. We are your family. Not this psycho. We love you. Your name is Jamie not Tom."

The gun was still pointed at Phillip. But he could see in Jamie's eyes that the real Jamie was trying to break through. Jamie's hand was starting to shake. His eyes were flashing from pain to blank. The real Jamie was trying to break through.

Phillip spoke, "Whatever happens next, I forgive you, Doofus. I know this isn't you. If there is any part of you left in there. Don't hurt the kids. Please don't hurt the kids. Shoot me. Ignore Matty. I'm the one. You've wanted to kill me plenty of times. Now's your chance. It may not seem like it sometimes, but you've been my best friend since I first met you in the hospital that crazy Thanksgiving weekend. I remember the first time I saw you.

It was just Mom and I for Thanksgiving that year. Mom went into labor with you on Thanksgiving night. You know that? It was the worst Thanksgiving ever. There had been a snow storm. Grandma and Grandpa couldn't come. Grandpa was still alive back then. Dad was doing lawyer crap in some third world country even though his wife was 9 months pregnant. Mom had to drive herself to the hospital with me in a snowstorm. I was only two years old. We got there. I was so scared but there was a really nice nurse. I remember she took care of me until Grandma and Grandpa could finally come. Then Grandma took me to see you and Mom. I remember being really excited about having a little brother. You were such a sickeningly cute baby. Still makes me want to vomit at how cute you were. I was so excited to have a little brother, a built in best friend. It went from one of the worst weekends to one of the best."

Phillip then took his gun and laid it on the ground. Then he kicked it over to Jamie. Birol picked the gun up . Then Phillip walked up to Jamie and knelt down in front of him. Phillip put his forehead to the butt of Jamie's gun. "Just kill me. You don't need to kill anyone else. They are all just kids. Irene is pregnant. You'll kill your unborn niece or nephew if you hurt her. Just kill me. Don't hurt anyone else. Please, Doofus. Just me. I forgive you for all of this. I love you."
Phillip pushed his forehead into the gun and closed his eyes.

Jamie was really faltering. His hand started shaking, and Matty could tell there was an inner battle raging. His eyes were going back and forth from blank to pained. Jamie started moving the gun back away from Phillip's head. Jamie slowly lifted the gun up and then he pointed it at his own head. "I can't hurt him. He's, my brother. I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to hurt any of them. It hurts. It hurts so much. I need the pain to just stop."

Jamie cocked the trigger with the gun pointed on the right side of his head.

Matty yelled, "No Jamie! Please don't. We love you."

Jamie spoke in a pained voice, "It hurts so much. "

Birol spoke. "Shoot them and it will stop the pain, Tom. You'll feel better.'

Jamie turned and looked at Birol, "No, my name isn't Tom. It's Jamie. I know my name is Jamie. You aren't my father. I think my real father has hazel eyes."

Birol sighed. "I guess Jakob was right about you needing a couple of more days. Too bad we didn't have more time. I guess I will have to shoot them all myself. Birol pulled out his own gun and aimed it towards Phillip. Matty jumped and pushed Phillip out of the way. Matty was shielding Phillip with his own body as he heard a gunshot go off.

Notes:

That chapter did not need to be that short.;)

Next chapter - We find out what happens next.