Eeny Meeny

116

The door shuddered with the impact, a roaring metallic scream echoing down the corridor, but Marianne didn’t blink. Her eyes were trained on her sister, her finger caressing the trigger of her gun.

Crash. Another heavy blow to the lock. Whoever was outside was obviously determined. The door moaned under the sustained assault.

‘It’s decision time, Jodie.’ Marianne smiled as she spoke. ‘I will fire the second that door opens.’

‘Don’t do this, Marianne. It doesn’t have to be this way.’

‘It’s too late to call off the dogs. He’s coming through. So make your choice.’

The door was starting to buckle. Bridges was making progress.

‘I don’t want to kill you, Marianne.’

‘Then the choice is made. Pity really – I thought you’d jump at the chance.’

The door creaked ominously – there were only seconds left now.

‘I want to help you. Put the gun down.’

‘You had your chance, Jodie. And you washed your hands of me. You saved all those people. All those strangers but you washed your hands of me.’

‘And don’t you think that I felt guilty for that? Look what you’ve done to me. What you still do to me.’

Helen had ripped off her shirt to reveal the scars on her back. For a moment, Marianne paused, shocked by what she saw.

‘I eat myself up with guilt every minute of every day. Of course I do. But I was thirteen years old. You’d killed two people. Killed my mum and dad in their bed, for God’s sake. You murdered our parents. What was I supposed to do?’

‘You were supposed to protect me. You were supposed to be pleased.’

‘I never asked you to kill them. I never wanted you to kill them. I never wanted any of this. Can’t you see that? You did this all to yourself.’

‘You really believe that? Do you honestly believe that?’

‘Yes, I do.’

‘Then there’s nothing more to say. Goodbye, Jodie.’

Just then Bridges burst through the door and a single shot rang out.