Adeline

Chapter 16 - Standoff

"Wa- was that-" Adeline stammered. She couldn't believe her eyes. She twisted around to look at Arthur but couldn't reach. Her head bolted upright instantly apon Celeste's brief entry to the warehouse. She was suddenly alert, her eyes wide and glistening with hope. Any previous bleakness or trauma had instantly disappeared at this glimmer of saviour. Her back was upright and she was urging against her restraints, trying to see around the corner of the doorway.

"That was Celeste!" Arthur exclaimed, doing the same as Adeline. Their hands that were so tightly tied together were instantly interlocked and they squeezed each other as a consequence of their abrupt optimism and anticipation. The entire room was silent and half of the men were outside in the dark. No matter how Arthur craned his neck, he couldn't see into the darkness of the outside, so the fate of his sister was unforeseeable. He started to sweat. He looked up at Mark who was also alert, paying all of his attention to the unguarded door. His fist was white, whilst the other gripped his gun as firm as possible. "Please," Arthur begged, "Let her go. Bring your men back."

"Who was that?" Mark raised his eyebrow calmly and looked down at Arthur.

"M-my sister. She was probably just worried. You can kill me, just let her go. Please." Arthur implored. He was sweating now, his hands slipping on his rope ties.

"Your sister?" Mark considered for a moment before speaking again, "Well," He stroked his pistol, "I could spare her." He swaggered over to Arthur and paced in front of him, "But since she's here, we could give her a show. How do you think Celeste would react to seeing your brains blasted out?"

Arthur choked, terrified, "No!" He cried, tears beginning to fall again, "Please don't. You can kill me but leave her alone. Dont do this. Please... please..." Arthur looked into Mark's dark, black eyes, but nothing came back at him. Mark had no light in his eyes that indicated life. They were unfeeling, calm, disturbing. He hated it, and instantly he knew that he could not appeal to this man. Unlike the juries that he worked with in his profession, persuasion would not work on Mr. Church, for he was set in his ways. That's how he got himself to the top, in control of all these people, because he was smart and would do whatever it took to keep his throne at the top. Just like he could murder without a second thought, compassion wasn't something that he understood. Arthur had to give up hope. Judging by her silence, Adeline had done the same.

Mark chuckled and was about to speak again before he was interrupted by a gunshot. A gunshot from outside. All that was heard was that piercing sound that resonated from the murky night outside. Snow blew in from the door, scattering itself on the icy stone floor and everything was silent for a moment. The loud blast seemed to leave an absence of sound in its wake, and everyone was shocked. Mark looked up to the door and then looked down at Arthur again, "Well," He shrugged carelessly, "It seems as though your sister won't be around to see the show." He paced back and forth, "My condolences." He grinned and leant against one of the other pillars. He wanted to watch Arthur grieve.

This couldn't have happened, Arthur thought. This kind of thing doesn't happen. His sister was not just murdered by a thug. For that immediate moment of silence, he was in denial. He was convinced, for that moment, that he hadn't heard what he had heard. It didn't happen - the gunshot was just in his head. And then when Mark affirmed it for him, the shock hit him like a knife to the heart. It sank deeper and he felt himself bleed out, his heart becoming cold and empty. It was like there was an empty cavity inside his chest where what was left of his heart sank down into his stomach. His head spun, like there was cotton wool wrapping around his brain. His mouth went dry and he felt a sinking feeling so bad that he might have been at the bottom of the ocean.

He felt Adeline's cold hands wrap around him, but it meant nothing. His mind wasn't processing thoughts and feelings properly. He tried to cry but it didn't come out. He was frozen, still and motionless. He couldn't even breathe, for everything had stopped. His only immediate family. His sister. He loved and cared for her more than nearly anything and she was shot dead. He imagined her lying in the snow, blood surrounding her. His eyes, glazed over, were staring at the doorway, where one of the men who had gone out to find Celeste was standing. He had his hands by his sides, his face pale and cold, and no gun in sight. His legs were wobbling but Arthur couldn't take any of it in.