6I was replaying the last chapter of Volume 8 (The Kraken) and this just sort of came to mind.
Also, I found out that a guy I went to school with was killed when he was hit by a car early this morning. I used to be friends with his sister and I occasionally saw him around. If you could all keep him and his family in your prayers or thoughts for me, it would be much appreciated.
She was a cop.
Well technically, though, she wasn't a cop. She was an agent with the FBI. But for all intents and purposes, she was a cop. She'd dealt with the weirdos and crazies. It was her job to take them down and lock them away. She knew how to handle herself in situations- when to piss someone off to get her way and when to play along.
In retrospect, she realized it all came down to her. He was trying to unhinge her, take away her friends and support column to make her weak. He was trying to make her vulnerable. And it had almost worked. Ken's death had come close to breaking everyone down, but not enough. Sure, they were only winning battles while losing the war, but she could take pride in the fact that Shawn had not managed to beat her down.
Slowly, hesitantly, she picked up the gun that had been placed in front of her. She couldn't see any other way out of this. Shawn had covered all the bases well. While she had faith in Mal and Blaise, she couldn't be sure that they'd escaped. Everything rested on her, now. No one else could swoop in and save the day.
She was the linchpin. Everything revolved around what she decided. If she didn't shoot herself, the gas would be released. If she shot Shawn, the gas would be released. The only way for hundreds of people to live, she would have to die. She knew she'd eventually die anyway. Everything has to eventually. So really, she should be glad that if she died today it would save others.
For a moment she contemplated shooting Shawn. He would be out of the way, she could possibly figure out a way to escape and stop the gas from being released. 'Or,' her mind nagged, 'she could fail and the gas would be released after fifteen minutes.' There was no way to tell what would happen. She couldn't predict the future. The was no room to make rash decisions or mistakes.
She'd made her decision. She was about to live up to her name. Sacrifice herself in the place of others. If she saved those innocent people, that was enough for her. She knew she could live with the decision, then almost laughed at the irony.
She raised the gun to her temple. Shawn grinned.
"Swear to me," she said, her voice cracking. "Swear to me that no one will be harmed." He nodded.
She nodded back and closed her eyes.
"Mal, I love you."
It didn't even hurt when she pulled the trigger.
