This is not the end~ Fourth book in PLMI series

Who's the coward now?-6

-Niall's POV-
"Come on!" Jake said, sounding exasperated as Mackenzie tried to help me up. I wasn't quite strong enough to stand.
"Just wait!!" Mackenzie hissed at him as she knelt down next to me, her touch gentle on my arm. My lungs burned and my breath was short. "Try. For me Niall?" She begged and I mustered up any strength I had left and pushed myself up into a standing position. I leaned on Mackenzie's shoulder and looked at Jake. His face was blank and hard. I looked away from his stony expression as my knee burned and I felt my world away around me.
"You have a phone?" He asked Mackenzie and she nodded suspiciously. She didn't move and he rolled his eyes. "Can I see it?" he snapped and she smiled with a sickening fake smile.
"Why?" She demanded and I rolled my eyes, too annoyed and tired to deal with her sarcasm.
"Just. Let. Him. See it. Dear Lord." I said, my breathing ragged. Mackenzie sighed and glanced out of her eye at me. She handed Jake her phone and he unlocked it. He clicked a couple things and raised the phone to his ear. I think he was calling....the police? That can't be right.
It sure sounded like it. He told them our address. Told them to send the ambulance. Though....I don't know why. I'm not that bad. I don't need an ambulance.
"Do you....think this will work?" Mackenzie whispered to me, while Jake was still on the phone.
"I.....I'm not so sure." I replied hesitantly, not meeting her eyes. "Everything always seems to go wrong...."
"Same. Can we really trust him? I mean, he's done......so much to me." She whispered. Her voice was barely audible and....scared, haunted. I didn't blame her. The demons must be torturing her today.... I looked up to see her face paler.
Suddenly, I noticed her. She was sopping wet and her arms were lined with dry blood, the cuts reaching all the way up both of her arms. I frowned and she followed my gaze down. We made eye contact and slowly a tear slipped out of her eye.
"I'm sorry Niall. I.....couldn't help myself." She whispered and I nodded slowly, my heart was breaking. Just like the rest of my body. She didn't look up, just started down at her arms, ashamed.
"It.....it's fine.......we'll talk later." I whispered and she nodded. It's not fine. A voice in my head whispered.
"What....happened to...what did they...do to you....." she stammered and I sighed. Everything and anything. Baby, you don't want to know.
"Never mind. I'm alright." I decided and she nodded as I leaned on her, she accepted my lie, for now......
Jake quickly hung up the phone. "They'll be here soon. We have to leave. Now." Jake said urgently and Mackenzie let me stand on my own, which I could now do. Jake drug me and Mackenzie out two doors, through the factory. We heard a crash and Jake stopped in his tracks.
"Stupid bitch. She needs to be taught a lesson. One in respect. " I heard Trey's voice and Mackenzie gasped loudly. I put my hand over her mouth, stifling the gasp. Jake pulled us both behind a stack of boxes and put a finger to his lips, signaling for us to be quiet. My hand remained on Mackenzie's mouth and she looked up at me, scared. I wrapped my arms around her tightly and we shrunk back into the shadows. Jake glanced at us and nodded before stepping out from behind the boxes. Mackenzie's hands instinctively flew out to reach for him, but it was too late. I heard footsteps and I assumed he was going to talk to Trey.
In all honesty, I wanted to jump out and punch that ass in the face. He made my girlfriend's life a living hell. He needs to pay. But.....I'm too weak. I'm sure my body won't be able to handle it.

-Jake's POV-
I stepped out from behind the boxes and Trey instinctively jumped and pulled out his gun. I jumped as well and he laughed with a disgusting amount of fake humor.
"Gosh. You scared the shit out of me!" Trey said, but he didn't lower his gun. "Glad it's only you. Not the boogie man." He joked, trying some of his old humor. For a second, I saw the old Trey, before it flashed back to the broken man standing in front of me.
"Then.....why do you still have your gun up?" I challenged him. He smirked and loaded it with a sickening click.
"Oh Jake. We used to be best friends. I'd think by now you wouldn't have underestimated me. You may have fooled Evelyn. But....you could never fool me Jake. You could never fool your best friend." Trey said and I swallowed my fear, wincing at the words 'best friend'.
"You are not my best friend. And what are you talking about?" I asked, but my voice shook nervously, my shaky hands gripping my jeans.
"Oh Jake. You think I don't know that Niall and Mackenzie are hiding behind those boxes?" He asked, smirking as my hands trembled.
"What........are you talking about.....?" I stammered and his finger twitched on the trigger of the gun.
"Jake......What happened to you?" He asked, smiling. His smile was like a kick in the face. His grin was one of the many reasons for my dilemma.
"What happened to me? What happened to you? You were nice. You had the whole world!! You could've been.....normal....you could've........could've been.....free. You didn't have to go to jail!! All I want to know is.....why?" I pleaded, tears stinging my eyes. And....for the first time in years, I let them fall. His grip hesitated on the pistol. His arm twitched, as well as his eye. Just for one moment, I thought I was getting somewhere. Just for one moment, I thought he would stop. But then...that moment ended.
"You don't know. How that bitch ruined my life. She ruined everyone's life!!! She killed so many people!" He yelled, I glanced at Mackenzie and Niall, who both looked at me with scared eyes. Mackenzie was biting down on her hand to keep herself from sobbing. I finally saw her for who she was. A broken girl. Broken by Trey. Broken by me......
"She didn't ruin your life!! You ruined it yourself!! You were on top of the world!! You had four football scholarships lined up by the beginning of your junior year!! I was so.....so jealous of you. I was jealous. You had this amazing life. Amazing....girlfriend. Yes.....I stuck with you. Helped you.....kidnap her. Helped....Evelyn in her devious plan because she would kill me and my girlfriend if I didn't. But you ......no. You did it willingly. I have one question for you Trey. Why.....? Why....?" I asked and he scoffed.
"What's it to you?" He spat, his grip tightening on the pistol. "You betrayed me Jake." He spat and my anger flared as I clenched my fists.
"I did not betray you. You betrayed yourself. You betrayed me. You led me down a path that I couldn't possibly follow! Go ahead. Pull the trigger." I said to him, tears staining my eyes and he smirked. He freaking smirked. He smirked at my pain. That's when I knew...my best friend was gone.
"Admit it. You're a coward. You're crying for God's sake!!" He sneered and I laughed at the face of death, my tears still running down my face.
"You're the coward Trey. I'm not crying for me. I'm crying for you." I whispered and he merrily laughed. "You hurt people, to feel joy. You are an ass and will rot in jail. And I wouldn't be surprised. It wouldn't be the first time. Go ahead. Shoot. I deserve it. I just....hope God can forgive me." I said and Trey smirked.
"So brave....in the face of death." He marveled as he shifted his grip on the pistol and positioned his finger over the trigger.
I heard sirens and Mackenzie ran out from behind the boxes. Niall tried to catch her, but he wasn't fast enough, letting her slip out of his grasp.
"No!!" Mackenzie said, running in front of me and pushing me behind her. Trey laughed and Niall ran out as well and began to cry.
"No Mackenzie!!" Niall shouted.
"Shoot me instead!" She said bravely and Niall sobbed.
"No. Take me. I'm almost dead anyway." Niall said, his voice and breath coming in short ragged breaths. "I'm going to die anyway......" he gasped, his knees giving out underneath him so he fell to the ground, resting his blonde head against the floor.
"Niall. No." She whispered and Trey laughed again.
"Well. How valiant. We got three who aren't afraid of death. Evelyn will be so pleased I finally managed to achieve what she has been trying so hard to accomplish." Trey smirked and raised the gun once again.
"Mackenzie. Niall. Run. Now." I said urgently, pushing them both behind me. It....all happened...so fast. There was a loud bang. I heard Mackenzie scream and I felt myself fall to the ground, my head bouncing against the hard pavement. I screamed out in pain, but soon, I felt nothing. The next thing I saw....was white.

-Mackenzie's POV-
"Mackenzie. Niall. Run. Now." Jake said urgently, shoving us towards the door. I tried to get up, slipped on the dirty floor and fell to the ground once again. There was a bang and Jake slumped to the floor, blood coming from his chest. I think I screamed, I'm not quite sure. Jake screamed in agony before breathing his last breath. He was dead. I was deadly sure.
"Mackenzie!" Niall yelled and I ran to him, his head was still resting against the floor, Trey was in the background, laughing. I pulled his limp body to his feet. We ran. For our lives. His broken hand in mine, our hearts bound together as we gasped for air while we ran. We ran through the abandoned factory, turning corners. Trey was shooting after us and we dodged each one, not so neatly. I swear, I heard one whiz past my head. I only wondered how many bullets the gun could hold, and how many extra bullets he had.
We were running down the street when I heard the sirens. I heard another bang and fell to the ground suddenly, screaming in agony. My foot erupted in a sharp, fiery pain and I couldn't go on. I cried out in pain, the fiery jolt of pain rushing up my leg and ripping through my body, I think tears blurred my vision. Trey was catching up to us by now and he was laughing like a maniac. Now I know how girls in horror movies feel.
"Get....on my....back. " Niall stammered. His breathing was heavy and more ragged than usual. His cancer. He's not supposed to run. I shook my head quickly.
"Leave me. Your cancer." I stammered, my vision getting blurry from the pain. I only wanted for him to live.
"N...never. Get on. I'll.....I will be fine." He stammered. He bent down and I quickly climbed on, knowing I had no choice. There's no way to run when a bullet is buried in your foot.
Niall began to run and Trey shot behind us and I prayed so hard he would miss each time. To be honest....Trey really was a horrible shot.
Niall ran really fast, so fast I didn't know he could run this fast. His breathing was getting worse and worse as the time went on. I was so worried. He could die. If we don't get shot first. I cried as he ran carrying me because I couldn't run. If he dies. It's on me. It's like I killed him. Our love had been known to kill. I didn't know it would turn out to be literal.
The sirens got closer and closer, until finally, I saw the flashing lights. Niall ran us into an alley and fell to the ground, clutching his chest. He couldn't breathe.
"Freeze!! Drop your gun!!" I heard a policeman shout at Trey from behind us. I barely heard it. I grasped Niall's face tightly in my hands, his soft skin now rough to my touch.
"Niall no. Don't leave me Niall!" I said loudly. I heard shouting from behind me, realizing the ambulance found us. Niall gasped for air and his face turned red as he began to cough. "No. Niall! Breathe! You can't leave me here alone!!" I shouted, my hysteria from the day rising. I shook Niall roughly.
"I.......I love you...." he choked out, coughing. I began to sob, the pain in my foot increasing. My head had begun to feel fuzzy. I couldn't pass out. Not now.
"No. Niall!! No. Don't!! Breathe. Please breathe." I pleaded through my sobs. "You can't die!! God!! Take me instead!!" I screamed at the sky. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me away from Niall. I screamed in agony, clawing at the hands pulling me away from my love. Something wet was pouring down my face, I thought it was rain, but realized that it was blood. Hot and sticky.
"NIALL . NO. NO. TAKE ME INSTEAD!!!" I shouted in hysteria. The arms around me were tight and I clawed at them with all my might. Trying so desperately to get to him. My foot bled more and more with the effort of fighting and my eye was blinded by the blood pouring from the wound on my head. When did I hurt my head?
The paramedics picked up Niall quickly and put him in a separate ambulance. My vision got blurry. This topped off my hysteria and I screamed myself hoarse, before I felt a sharp sting on my left shoulder. The next thing I saw was Niall's face being covered with an oxygen mask, the doors to the ambulance shutting, and people with masks pushing me down on the bed in the ambulance. I felt myself get sleepy and I passed out, into a deep, dark sleep.