The Boss Is Dead

Chp:18 The Jury

Sarah's heart pounded as Eli's grip tightened around her. She could feel the cold metal of the gun press firmly against her skull. It was almost funny how suddenly death felt less scary after hearing such words come from Eli's lips,  especially as he leaned closer, whispering menacingly in her ear. "And now...it's time to put a bullet in her arm, don't you think, Sarah? Or do you prefer a quick end, hmm?"

She wished desperately that she had her pistol with her. The familiar weight of it in her hand would have been comforting, even if she wasn't sure she could bring herself to use it. But it lay buried deep under her pillow not twenty feet away from where she knelt.

"Let her go, Eli," Ben repeated, his voice steady despite the anger and hatred shining in his eyes. "We can talk about this like civilized men."

"It's over. You're outnumbered."

Eli snorted a harsh sound that made Sarah flinch.  "Is that so?" Eli twisted Sarah's head round until she could see him clearly, his gun pointing right at her head "Outnumbered? Please. Half of you can barely stand. The poison's already working its way through your systems. It won't be long now."

His voice was mocking, cruel even. Sarah felt her throat constrict as his finger began to tighten slightly around the trigger. She had to do something, anything to get out of this situation. But what? Eli was right – most of her friends looked like they were about to collapse at any moment. Even Ben and Tom, who hadn't eaten the poisoned food, looked pale and shaky.

Just when Sarah thought all hope was lost, a low growl cut through the tense silence. Fido! The dog had somehow managed to sneak up behind Eli, hackles raised and teeth bared.

In the split second that Eli's attention was diverted, Sarah saw her chance. She stomped hard on Eli's foot and threw her head back, feeling a satisfying crunch as her skull connected with his nose. Eli howled in pain, his grip loosening just enough for Sarah to wrench herself free.

She stumbled forward, nearly falling, but Ben was there in an instant, catching her and pulling her behind him protectively. Tom moved to flank them, his gun still trained on Eli.

"It's over, Eli," Ben said again, his voice hard. "Drop the gun."

But Eli wasn't going down without a fight. He raised his weapon, a manic grin on his face. "If that's what you want, Ben, then you'll have to take it on yourself! You think this changes anything? You're all still going to die. I made sure of that."

Sarah's heart sank. Even if they managed to subdue Eli, what about the poison? How many of their friends had already succumbed to its effects?

As if reading her thoughts, Joel came running from the direction of the medical tent, a small vial clutched in his hand. "I have the antidote!" he shouted, slightly out of breath. "I saw Eli gathering Aconitum – Monkshood – in the forest this morning. I had a hunch he might be up to something, so I prepared this just in case."

Sarah felt a flutter of hope in her chest. Maybe they weren't too late after all.

Eli's eyes widened in shock. "You... how did you know?"

Joel shrugged, a hint of smugness flashing across his face despite the gravity of the situation. "I'm always the quiet one, remember? People tend to forget I'm around. Makes it easy to observe things. Anyway, now that we've got the antidote, let's finish this together. Don't forget: your life is forfeit. Give it up, Eli."

Eli lunged for Joel, desperation clear on his face, but Fido was quicker. The dog leapt, sinking his teeth into Eli's arm. Eli screamed in pain and fury, trying to shake the dog off.

In the chaos that followed, Greg managed to sneak up behind Eli. With a swift move, he tackled the would-be murderer to the ground. Eli struggled, but he was no match for Greg's huge weight. Soon he fell still beneath Greg's heavy frame.