The end is coming, although there might be another revelation as well ;-)
In the crosshairs Collins looked back at the broken brickwork that led through the short, dark tunnel to the Crisis centre and felt him stomach jump and his skin start to crawl. The idea of going near the Device again made him feel nervous, almost sick. “After you,” he said, not expecting any agreement. “Sure,” said Tony, surprising him. “Your dog’s still down here somewhere, isn’t it? So you’re suggesting I go first so that it can jump me from behind.” Timothy. Collins realised that he’d forgotten all about him, and he felt himself flush with guilt. That was too much for him, combined as it was with the formication, and he twitched and shuddered: a whole body spasm as he physically rebelled against the thoughts in his head. “I knew it.” Tony sounded faintly amused. “You think you’re so clever in your uniforms and your little packs like animals, but you’re all stupid, really, aren’t you? You even believed I was going to go first, and now you’ve given away all your little plans.” He bent down and grabbed Adams’s arm, hauling her up off the ground like a sack of potatoes. She dangled, her hair falling over her face and her toes just dragging on the ground. Collins felt his jaw drop; Adams wasn’t a large woman but even so she had to weigh at least 50kg. “These Robes are awesome,” said Tony, grinning. “Strength of ten men. You have to recharge them after an hour if you’re using it but most of the time you only need it briefly. Like now, for example. You’re leading the way and if there’s any funny business at all she gets shot. In the head.” Collins looked at Ethel who had finished bandaging William and was now stood with his back against the wall. He shrugged, his face sad and worry lines radiating from the corners of his eyes. “There’s not much we can do here,” he said gruffly. “The man with the gun is in charge, not the guys in the crosshairs.” Collins’s gaze fell on William’s unconscious body, and Ethel’s eyes followed his. “We’re the good guys, remember?” he said. “Plus Tony’s already told you he wasn’t expecting William to survive. Don’t be entirely surprised if he comes back and shoots him himself, just to avoid any loose ends.” Tony laughed. “I’m the good guy,” he said. “The Light is awesome, and everyone deserves to see it. It’s idiots like you who can’t see the benefits, who are grubbing around in the darkness and trying to keep everyone else down.” “I don’t get it,” said Collins. “There were six devices last time, now there’s only one. Why does this one make a difference?” “Move.” Tony jerked Adams so she bounced a little, and she moaned softly. “You’re stalling for time.” Collins looked at Ethel, who looked at his feet. With a sense of impending doom, Collins turned back to the broken brickwork, swallowed hard, and forced himself to step forwards. Each step felt difficult, like his calves were on fire and there was a weight on his shoulders. He felt himself start sweating as he walked up the ramp, and the darkness seemed utterly blank and impenetrable. He felt slightly surprised that he didn’t bounce off it when he finally stepped into it, and his hands stretched out to the sides, feeling for any guidance, without him consciously willing it. “This one matters,” said Tony, behind him. Collins started, feeling his heart start to race in his chest; he hadn’t heard the little Robed man move. “Because it’s the last one. The other five already worked, but this one still needs to go off. These are like firing pins, they all have to be triggered in order to start up the big one.”
2 comments:
The end is coming, although there might be another revelation as well ;-)
In the crosshairs
Collins looked back at the broken brickwork that led through the short, dark tunnel to the Crisis centre and felt him stomach jump and his skin start to crawl. The idea of going near the Device again made him feel nervous, almost sick.
“After you,” he said, not expecting any agreement.
“Sure,” said Tony, surprising him. “Your dog’s still down here somewhere, isn’t it? So you’re suggesting I go first so that it can jump me from behind.”
Timothy. Collins realised that he’d forgotten all about him, and he felt himself flush with guilt. That was too much for him, combined as it was with the formication, and he twitched and shuddered: a whole body spasm as he physically rebelled against the thoughts in his head.
“I knew it.” Tony sounded faintly amused. “You think you’re so clever in your uniforms and your little packs like animals, but you’re all stupid, really, aren’t you? You even believed I was going to go first, and now you’ve given away all your little plans.” He bent down and grabbed Adams’s arm, hauling her up off the ground like a sack of potatoes. She dangled, her hair falling over her face and her toes just dragging on the ground. Collins felt his jaw drop; Adams wasn’t a large woman but even so she had to weigh at least 50kg.
“These Robes are awesome,” said Tony, grinning. “Strength of ten men. You have to recharge them after an hour if you’re using it but most of the time you only need it briefly. Like now, for example. You’re leading the way and if there’s any funny business at all she gets shot. In the head.”
Collins looked at Ethel who had finished bandaging William and was now stood with his back against the wall. He shrugged, his face sad and worry lines radiating from the corners of his eyes. “There’s not much we can do here,” he said gruffly. “The man with the gun is in charge, not the guys in the crosshairs.” Collins’s gaze fell on William’s unconscious body, and Ethel’s eyes followed his. “We’re the good guys, remember?” he said. “Plus Tony’s already told you he wasn’t expecting William to survive. Don’t be entirely surprised if he comes back and shoots him himself, just to avoid any loose ends.”
Tony laughed. “I’m the good guy,” he said. “The Light is awesome, and everyone deserves to see it. It’s idiots like you who can’t see the benefits, who are grubbing around in the darkness and trying to keep everyone else down.”
“I don’t get it,” said Collins. “There were six devices last time, now there’s only one. Why does this one make a difference?”
“Move.” Tony jerked Adams so she bounced a little, and she moaned softly. “You’re stalling for time.”
Collins looked at Ethel, who looked at his feet. With a sense of impending doom, Collins turned back to the broken brickwork, swallowed hard, and forced himself to step forwards.
Each step felt difficult, like his calves were on fire and there was a weight on his shoulders. He felt himself start sweating as he walked up the ramp, and the darkness seemed utterly blank and impenetrable. He felt slightly surprised that he didn’t bounce off it when he finally stepped into it, and his hands stretched out to the sides, feeling for any guidance, without him consciously willing it.
“This one matters,” said Tony, behind him. Collins started, feeling his heart start to race in his chest; he hadn’t heard the little Robed man move. “Because it’s the last one. The other five already worked, but this one still needs to go off. These are like firing pins, they all have to be triggered in order to start up the big one.”
Greg - ah, how mysterious of you.
You're handling the tension wonderfully here. Tony is showing himself to be a right proper big bad, too.
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