Tyler trembled as a gun was thrusted into the palm of his hand. He stared at it wide eyed, beads of sweat now forming on his temple.
"You see your buddies over there?" The man jerked his thumb behind him, where three of Tyler's friends sat kneeling with their ankles and wrists bound together by rope.
"You get to chose whose life ends."
Tyler felt his stomach knot up, and all of a sudden the room began to spin.
"N-no." He dropped the gun and backed away. "I'm not playing this game."
As he took another step back he bumped into someone else. He turned around slowly and found himself looking up at a man towering over him. He swallowed and pulled at the collar of his shirt.
"You don't get it kid. You don't get a choice. If you don't kill one of 'em then we'll just shoot all three instead."
Once again the gun was thrusted into his hand. "Now!" He yelled.
"Tyler, it's okay." Parker spoke up. "We all knew what we signed up for entering this mission. Just do it, you can shoot me."
Drew sat in his spot shaking like a leaf. He already had cuts and bruises on his face from his beating earlier today. "No," he choked out, "You can't kill Parker. Don't kill Parker."
Tyler stood there and stared at his three best friends, not able to process what exactly was happening. He placed the gun on the ground and quickly spun around, throwing up on the pavement.
He was picked up by the back of his shirt and spun around, being pushed aggressively closer towards his friends. "Choose."
Tyler glanced at Sam who hadn't breathed a word the whole time. He sat there calmly, simply staring at Tyler with tired, defeated eyes.
All of a sudden Tyler's feet were swept out from beneath him and he hit the pavement with a thud. As he tried to regain his breath the man threw a fist at his face, and another, and another. His head bounced off the pavement with every pain-intoxicating punch. He cried out in pain as he felt a knee dig into his ribs, easily fracturing one or two of them. Through the ringing in his ears he heard Sam and Drew and Parker screaming in the background, pleading with the man to stop.
When everything finally did stop, Tyler laid on the ground barely conscious. The room was spinning for a whole new reason now. He heard the man yelling at him. "Pick yourself up and put a damn bullet in one of their heads. If I have to ask again I'm shooting all three of them, do you hear me?"
Refusing to look at him, Tyler picked himself up off the ground and spit out a mouthful of blood, snatching the gun up from where he'd left it last time. As he formed out a plan, he felt another gun pressed against his own head by the other man. "Incase you get any smart ideas," he gruffly said.
With his head pounding and body trembling, Tyler lifted the gun up. He stared at the three of them with tears in his eyes. He aimed it at Sam.
Parker and Drew stayed deathly silent, the color in their faces draining.
"Damnit Sam," Tyler gritted his teeth. "Say something, will ya?"
He remained silent.
Tyler groaned and moved the gun, now aiming it at Parker. "Do it." He urged him firmly.
Tyler took a breath. As his finger curled around the trigger, Drew hurriedly spoke out. "Shoot me! Tyler shoot me, you don't get to choose, I do! And I'm telling you to fuckin shoot me."
Tears formed in Drew's eyes. "Shoot me already," he pleaded.
Tyler's hands shook horribly. He clenched his eyes shut and opened them again. Quickly he moved the gun to his target and pulled down on the trigger. The gun cracked in the air, echoing as a reminder of what he had just done.
The room was deathly silent for a moment, everyone stunned about what just happened.
Sam laid on the floor, gasping for air.
Tyler's mouth gaped open. He kept the gun in his hands and ran towards him. "Sam!"
Drew stared at the body laying directly in front of him. Sam had jumped in the way last second, taking the bullet that had been meant for him. Drew and Parker struggled against their restraints, trying to get free and help Sam while Tyler knelt in front of him with tears streaming down his face.
Drew let out a sob, taking in the realization that this should be him on the ground right now dying and not Sam. "Why did you do that man?"
Sams eyes were wide in shock, blood spilling from the hole in his chest. He took raspy breaths. "Now."
Tyler spun around and shot the man with the gun in his hand. He was dead before he hit the ground. Then Tyler shot the other man who had been completely thrown off guard, getting him in the lower abdomen. He let out a scream and fell to the floor.
Tyler dropped the gun and turned back around. "We'll get you help buddy, okay?" He hurriedly untied Parker who then untied Drew so that they could get to Sam. Tyler tore his shirt off and pressed it against the wound. It was a matter of seconds before it was drenched in blood.
"Guys...stop." He tried to pick up his arm to push them away but was too weak.
Parker clenched his jaw, trying his best not to cry. "You're not allowed to die on us, ya hear me? You don't get to die, not now. Not like this."
Sam gave him a weak smile before his eyes rolled to the back of his head. His back arched as blood began to fill his lungs and come up his throat. His whole body was giving out on him.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Tyler choked out. "It's all my fault Sam. I'm sorry."
"Shut up." Drew said while staring helplessly at Sam.
The three of them sat there powerlessly as the life went out of him. When he took his final breath Drew picked himself up and grabbed the gun, storming over to the man dying on the floor. He dug his shoe into his wound, earning him the beautiful sound of a heartless man screaming out in agony.
Drew spat at him. "Bastard."
He shot him in the head after proceeding to empty the whole cartridge into his body. When he was done he threw the gun as hard as he could into the ground.
His lip trembled and he slowly lowered himself to the ground, burying his face in his hands and crying. Tyler and Parker came over to sit with him knowing it was too late to save their friend.
