Popcorn

Chapter ThirtyEight

‘OK, hit it,’ said Chief Cornell, and silently, through the doors, the windows and even the roof, the SWAT teams began to enter Bruce’s house.

In the siege room the shot still resonated.

‘You bastard! When will this end!’ Bruce had rushed over and was holding Velvet, who sobbed hysterically, still handcuffed to the lampstand beside her dead mother.

‘You saw the ratings, man. They went up. Blame the couch potatoes.’

‘You hypocritical swine!’ Bruce shouted. ‘You killed her – no one else did! What is it you’re saying? That the media, the public, is responsible for the fact that you’re a murdering lunatic?’

‘I’m just saying I wouldn’ta shot her if people hadn’t switched to The Simpsons.’

‘You are responsible!’

‘Yes. I’m responsible for me, but you are responsible for you and they are responsible for them. I don’t see anyone doing much about that. I’ve got an excuse, I’m a psycho. What’s your getout?’

Kirsten received a message from the producer. She turned to Bill. ‘Get down! There’s a SWAT team coming in!’

‘No!’ Wayne shouted into the camera.

Above them they could hear the sound of the roof being breached. Wayne grabbed Scout by the hand, and addressed the camera. ‘Wait! Hold it. I’ll give myself up, Scout too, I swear. Stop the attack. Keep the cameras rolling. We’ll give up.’

Outside, Chief Cornell signalled that his forces should pause. Was it possible that they could get out of this nightmare without further bloodshed?

Wayne continued to shout at the camera. ‘But we give ourselves up to the people. The people are responsible. They decide our fate, the fate of everybody in this room.’ He had hold of the ratings computer now. ‘It’s up to you, the people out there… the lives of us all are in your hands. Here’s how it is. When I’ve finished talking, if everybody watching switches off their TV, I swear me and Scout will walk out of here with our hands up… But if you keep on watching, I will kill every last mutha in this room, including myself and Scout. Not a bad show, huh? Exciting, right? And to see it, all you have to do is stay tuned for another few seconds. Well, you’re responsible. Are you gonna turn off your TV?’