Lost Game Notes (Novel)

Chapter 29: Last Hurrah

The shrill silence around them mingled with a chill breeze, crickets chirped softly as they looked on. The group, consisting of Alex, Dawn, Kamila, Hudson, and the pig-eyed man Alex had come to trust, were as vulnerable as ever, as anyone would without any weapons in this situation.

They knew Lawrence wasn't completely disarmed, Conan was a fool to think so, as the pig-eyed man mumbled. Kamila and Hudson talked in desperate, hushed tones, no doubt considering an escape route.

"...I would at least be able to sneak out and ring up the police," Kamila was hissing.

Dawn said something back, but Alex heard none of it. His temporarily bandaged shoulder had stopped bleeding and the throbbing had ceased, leaving him with a blissful numbness. His eyes fastened on Lawrence and Conan, disputing in the middle of the road. He couldn't hear much of what they were saying, but by Conan's calm posture and Lawrence's heated face, the tight, invisible box he was pacing in, Alex knew there was an ongoing disagreement.

In any moment Lawrence could snap, no matter how careful Conan was. Alex had to do something. Creating a distraction would ninety percent out of hundred not work; he'd faster be killed than save one soul. The only other thing was to call the police, even though it would take a while for them to get to the abandoned area. The risk of Alex being shot on the run to Kamila's car was considerably less. The rest were going to be bickering the rest of their precious time away if they didn't risk being shot or getting hurt, and Alex figured if anyone would take the blow, it should be him.

As if on cue, Lawrence lunged forward with a roar of profanities, smashing his fist into Conan's face. Conan reeled, staggering backwards. He recovered in seconds, colliding into Lawrence with a brute force, sending them both crashing to the ground. Conan struck Lawrence in the face, his nose, jaw. Lawrence screamed curses, wrestling back, forgetting his dignity.

Alex couldn't bare to watch any longer. His father's life was at stake. Drawing in a deep breath and gathering his courage, broke away from the group, bolting down the cracked pavement, in the direction of Kamila's car. With every sprint, everything in him lurched. His shoulder began to pound with pain. His chest pounded. His head pounded.

There was an eruption of shouts and yells behind him, but Alex ignored them. If only he could reach the corner, he might just get to Kamila's car in time.

A gun shot rang out behind him, and Alex's gait faltered.

"Go! Go!" Dawn screamed.

The bullet hadn't hit him. He pressed on, sprinting around the corner and out of sight. The faint glimmers of the street-light disappeared, rendering him blind in the black night, and he collided right into a speeding object.

A muffled scream pierced the air the didn't sound like his. Alex gravitated backwards, crashing against the hard-packed earth. A jolt of pain coursed through his shoulder and head, and he groaned. Harsh black spots filled his vision, mottling the image of a face hovering above him, drained of color, panic-stricken.

"Oh my god—Alex! Are you alright? Am I too late?"

Alex opened his mouth to speak, but only a wheezing sound came out. His heart palpitated, hammering against his ribs in a jerky pattern. "Sky...?" He managed, staring blurry-eyed at the concerned face curtained with a halo of white hair above him. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but then he remembered the escalating situation at hand and stuttered, "Call the—"

Shrill sirens cut through the broiling atmosphere, so piercing Alex shuddered. A wave of relief mingled with fear washed through him. What if Lawrence pulled the last straw and shot Conan? Or Dawn? Or himself? Or everyone?

A gun shot blasted through the last glimmer of hope, echoing with finality.

Tears spilled down Alex's cheeks in rivulets, body jerking with each sob. "It's too late," he choked.

Sky's voice trembled. "Alex, you've got to move off the road. If you can't save them, at least save yourself."

Sky had a point. Someone still needed him, needed to be comforted. Alex dried his eyes and grabbed Sky's offering hand. He winced at the pain spearing throughout his entire body, the hot-spot at his side where he had torn his healing stitches. Alex tried not to collapse all his weight on Sky, but the simple movement of moving a stiff leg forward triggered the fire in his side. He moaned and slumped against Sky, who in turn struggled to guide him to the side walk.

"You great big mammoth," Sky grunted. "I think I broke my back just now."

Alex couldn't reply. They cleared the road seconds before a string of police cars screeched around the corner, sirens wailing and proclaiming the end for the sinners.

"It's over," Alex uttered, closing his eyes and soaking in the pulses of pain racking his body.

"No, Alex, don't leave me!" Sky wailed.

"I meant Lawrence," Alex spluttered, eyes flying open.

Sky had dropped down beside him and now hugged him viciously, sobbing into the fabric of Alex's hoodie and blubbering, "I thought—I thought—Its all my fault. I—"

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here." Alex's throat constricted with emotion He suddenly understood that Sky had never wanted to hurt him, in doing what he did. He had only been scared to loose what he loved, like Alex had been scared to loose Dawn. Alex forgot about all Lawrence had told him about not trusting the people who hurt you once. Alex loved Sky, and Sky had hurt him, and Alex had hurt Sky. It was a part of life. A tendril of peace floated into Alex's heart, in spite of everything.

Only a few feet away, chaos ensued, shouting, policemen yelling, "hands up! Let me see your hands!"

Alex drew in a deep, shaky breath, tuning out the broiling commotion. "I forgive you. Can we be friends again?"

Sky's slender frame stilled, then he lifted his tear streaked face and whispered, "Really?"

"No matter what happens after this," Alex confirmed. He had become acutely aware of the coldness of the icy pavement seeping through his jeans.

Tears glistened in Sky's eyes and he dropped his face, whispering, "I was an idiot. I just—I'll never betray you again, I promise."

"Maybe you will, maybe I will." Alex paused, closing his eyes. "But then we'll forgive each other and move on. Okay?"

"I think I've got myself the best friend in the world," Sky sniveled, wiping a tear away with the back of his hand and managing a shaky smile.

"So do I." Alex hugged Sky with his good arm and wished to never let go. From now on, they would remain friends no matter what.

He tensed at the crunch of footsteps, and Sky twisted around to find the source.

Weak rays of moonlight, fresh out from the clouds, highlighted a police officer striding towards them. At his side was a brunette-haired girl, cradling plush blankets in her arms.

"Erin?" Alex inquired, confused.

"And that's her father, Officer Stagg," Sky explained. "I called him as soon as I saw you ride off with Jude. I knew something was wrong."

Sky paused, realizing he had given off the fact that he had been there.

Alex shot him a grateful smile, feeling as if his emotions couldn't be expressed in words. "I'm glad you did."

The two figures approached them. "I heard the whole story," Officer Stagg announced, jamming his thumbs into his pockets and beaming down at them. "You're quite the brave heroes."

"Here, it's cold out," Erin said softly, holding out the blankets.

Sky took them with gratitude and handed one to Alex.

"Lawrence has been taken care of and will be detained in prison," the officer recounted. "Kamila has gone off with what footage she could salvage from her camera. Everyone is fine. Conan got stabbed but it was shallow."

"And the gun shot?" Sky asked.

"Was a miss, last bullet. Kid—is that a bullet wound you've got there?" Officer Stagg squinted at Alex's shoulder.

Alex nodded, a little sheepish.

Officer Stagg rubbed his jaw. "Well. We'll head to the hospital right away. My vehicle is just around the corner. Can you stand?"

Alex tried to, but found he could barely sit straight. He grunted and slumped back against the wall.

"I pulled my stitches," he squeaked, feeling a flush crawl up his cheeks.

"Stitches? What stitches? Where?" Sky demanded. "And since when did you have stitches?"

Alex realized he had a lot to tell Sky, but they had the entire future ahead of them. "On my right side," he said, giving Sky a look and mouthing, "later".

Sky bit his lip and nodded.

Officer Stagg and Sky carried Alex to the vehicle. Through the corner of his eye, Alex saw Hudson and the pig-eyed man, standing a distance away. Hudson couldn't see them through his milky-white eyes, but the pig-eyed man held up two thumbs.

Alex grinned, despite himself. They had won.

Officer Stagg carefully maneuvered Alex into the back seats. "Dawn would want to come along," Alex contemplated.

"I'll have an officer drive her over," Officer Stagg assured.

Sky slipped in at the last moment and sat on the floor of the car, grasping Alex's hand in a comforting hold. "Close your eyes and rest. I'll make sure you don't roll off the seats."

"I'd crush you," Alex mumbled with a sigh, relived he could finally close his eyes without having to wake up and find someone dead. He ached all over, in more ways than one. Despite all the odds, fails, and mistakes, the game of lost notes was finally complete.

And what a journey it had been.

Author's Note: Guys, we have officially reached the end!!! I'm SO excited. I'll hold my tongue because there's still the epilogue/chapter 30 to go, so see you there!

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