Runaway Lover // Andy Leo

Chapter Twenty-Four

Andy's P.O.V

My boots pound down hard against the road, my steps heavy with anger. I walk through the guards, who stare at me like I'm crazy.

Heck, maybe I am. Maybe I have gone crazy - who knows? They say a madman keeps his sanity by knowing that he's gone mad.

All I know is that I'm currently walking to my death to save Sam. That's all I care about. A year ago - hell, two months ago, even - I would've thought twice about coming here for anyone else. Not Sam. She's done something to me, turned me into someone better than I was.

I can't let her die. I won't let her die.

Who say's I'll die too? Maybe, at the end of all of this, The Raven will be the dead one. Maybe.

I walk through the doors of the Empire's main building; the one that I was told to come to. Everyone stops and stares as I stand in the doorway. Within a few seconds, though, the scarecrows manage to screw their heads on straight enough to rush over and push me to the ground.

I grunt as I'm forced to my knees, and I can't help but chuckle a little. I shake my head as I laugh at the ludicrousness of the situation. My bet is the scarecrows think that I wandered in here because I've given up - because their mighty Raven is too powerful for us. They don't think for a second that I'm here because I have a heart that would've been ripped in two if I hadn't come. No. Of course they don't.

"State your name. And your business here." One of the guards beside me says, and I try not to start laughing again. It's funny - how these guards are supposed to be the best of the best for The Raven, but yet they can't even identify me on sight.

"Andrew Leo." A hushed silence comes over the room. At least they know my name.

"And he's here for me." I look up, finding The Ravens smug figure stood in the doorway that leads off into the building. The guards immediately pretend to do their jobs; they stand straighter, and their grips on me grow tighter. "Nice to see you've come, Mr. Leo." He smiles at me before addressing the scarecrows, "Bring him upstairs. We have some things to discuss."

The scarecrows follow him like loyal puppies looking for a reward. I'm dragged across the carpeted floor deep into the structure, and I lose track of where we're going after the 11th turn and 5th flight of stairs. I watch the Raven ahead of us, wondering where he's put Sam and Taddie. My guess would be either up high or underground, and considering the fact that we're now on the highest floor, I go with the latter.

We eventually go through some fancy wooden double doors, and the scarecrows drop me just inside the doorway before leaving again. The room is mostly black, and a lone table stands in the middle of it with one chair at either side.

I stay where I am on the floor and watch The Raven as he moves over toward it. He places a hand on the wood, and looks over his shoulder.

"You have been very lucky in this war, Mr. Leo." He turns entirely and leans back against the table. "Most would've been dead by now. You've managed to protect your people well enough - it's a shame you've ended up here, really." I look up at him, trying to wager his sincerity.

"I wouldn't call it luck." I push myself up from the floor.

"Call it what you will. Either way, I'm going to give you a little more of it now. Sit." His tone is forceful as he turns and takes a seat on the chair at the foot of the table. I wonder warily over, checking the chair before I sit down.

The door opens again, and some lady walks in. She stalks over toward the table and places a gun in the middle of it before leaving again.

"Mr. Leo, I'm giving you a chance to win this war. This gun has six rounds. One of which contains a bullet." My stomach drops into my shoes. I swallow hard.

"What about Sam? And Taddie?" I clasp my hands together to stop them from shaking.

"Both live. Now, I'll do the honours." He reaches forward and closes the gun in his hand. He pulls it up toward his head, pressing it against his temple.

The gesture sits uncomfortably with me. I can't help but keep it in the back of my mind. Of course, the only way he would volunteer himself to go first is if he knew where the bullet was. I wager that it's probably in the fourth round.

He clicks the safety off and calmly pulls the trigger. It blanks out, reconfirming my thoughts. He puts the gun back down on the table and I reach for it.

It feels oddly light in my hand, and I mimic his previous movements. The gun fires a blank again, and I put the gun down again.

"You've waged a valiant war." He picks up the gun and it fires yet another blank. "But it is one that has to come to an end."

I take the speech as a distraction, and carefully map his movements. His hand moves down below the table as I pull the gun up toward my head. My breath catches in my throat and I hesitate.

"Now now, that isn't the rules of our game." The light in the room glints off of The Raven's goggles as he smirks.

He jerks his hand up from under the table, revealing another gun. My eyes widen, and I pray that my hunch was right as I turn the gun away from me, point, and shoot.

Two shots crack in the air.