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Terry couldn't wait to put her plan in action. It would all just fall into place as long as the two boys tried to make it up the steps. She was gonna have loads of fun with this. Goosebumps formed on the surface of her skin just thinking about it. All the fun she was about to have. Before walking back into the main room where all the hostages were, Jason gave her butt one more squeeze, as if to remind her that it was his property. How wrong he was.

Kevin did his best to preoccupy his thoughts. Distract himself from the situation he was in. He couldn't deal with AJ and Nick's deaths. He knew that. It was all too much for him. What was he going to tell their parents? How could this happen while in his care? Sure, deep down he knew he wasn't the one responsible for this, but even still. He was supposed to protect them from harm. Yet, he let them take AJ away. Without even much of a fight. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind of the guilt. He still had two other people to look after and they were not doing well at all. He was afraid that his cousin had gone into shock. He had barely said a word since they found about the kids. Kids, that's all they were...kids. Once again, Kevin shook the thought out of his mind and gently nudged Brian, "Hey buddy how are you feeling?"

Brian moved slightly but made no sound. Kevin just held him in a tighter embrace. "It will all be alright kiddo, I promise. I will make everything be alright" He wished he could believe his own propaganda. "How?" Howie asked. He had taken the news bad too. He cried to the point of hyperventilating. Now he seemed calm enough. Kevin turned his attention to his friend. Once Howie saw Kevin's eyes, he asked again, "How are you going to make this better?"

"I don't know D, but I will" The look on the Latino's face made Kevin sigh. He looked so much older than he was. Just the act of walking into this bank had aged them by about twenty years. "Please don't do anything stupid Kevin, I can't bare to lose you too" Howie said, a slight quiver in his voice.

"I won't" Kevin lied. He had already made up his mind that if he had to sacrifice his own life for his two remaining friends he would. They would have to understand.

Their little conversation was interrupted by the sounds of dragging. Kevin thought with horror what if those were his two friends? Maybe they had brought their bodies up here for display. It seemed like they were just sick enough to do that. He closed his eyes. He wouldn't look. Absolutely not.

"Money" Howie said as if reading Kevin's mind. He felt himself let out a little sigh of relief, if their was any relief to be had, and turned back to face the sound. There he saw Terry and Jason lugging tons of bags full of money. They had huge grins on their faces. How can they smile knowing two children had died for their little cause? Kevin wondered as he watched with disgust as Jordan, looking up from his computer, let out a laugh. He stood up and hugged his girlfriend. They were celebrating. We all wanted to throw up. The looks on everyone's faces read that very same thought. All of them. Even the awful guy that caused his friends deaths. Kevin hoped that for years to come, that man Justin, would never be able to sleep peacefully again. Kevin knew he wouldn't either. Misery deserves company.

"Now that you got what you came for, are you going to leave us all alone?" Kevin asked. The anger and disgust more than obvious in his voice. Jordan looked over his way, "Excuse me?"

"Kevin stop" Howie pleaded in a whisper. Ignoring his friend's pleas he continued, "I said are you idiots getting the hell out of here yet?" Now he was up on his feet, Chris charging at him aiming the gun at his chest. Kevin never backed down. He just stood there while the hostages gasped words like STOP YOUR GONNA GET US ALL KILLED And SIT DOWN PLEASE! Kevin held a deaf ear to it all. That's what revenge can do to someone he guessed. Chris was now right next to Kevin and gun actually held right against his chest. "Sit the hell down now!" He ordered. Kevin never even looked at Chris. His eyes were firmly planted on Jordan's face. A tug at his pant legs made him look down to see his cousin with pleading eyes, trying to pull him down. Kevin tried his best to ignore him.

Jordan started making his way over towards Kevin now. That is exactly what he was hoping the man would do, then he would grab for the gun. hopefully shoot him. Maybe take the other guy out too. He was certain that once he went for the gun, some of the others on instinct would help. He could take down Jordan at least before he was killed, that much he was certain about.

Howie and Brian would just have to understand..



AJ and Nick had successfully made it up the stairs and were now tip toeing towards the main hallway. The same hallway that they found themselves running for their lives what felt like years earlier. It was eerily quiet. Quiet and dark. They had shut the lights in the hallway, why? AJ was not sure. Maybe they had watched too many horror movies themselves. Always make it dark and eventually the monsters will come out from hiding. Were we the monsters though? AJ stopped in his tracks when he heard his friend cough. He quickly pulled Nick into his shirt trying to mute him. Nick was doing his best to stifle the sound but when you gotta cough you gotta cough. So all AJ could do was smother him in his embrace.

When the fit subsided, Nick pulled away and whispered "Thank you and I'm sorry"

They took a few more steps forward, cautious, making sure they could not be heard. AJ's sneakers squeaked with every step taken making him wish that he had pout more thought into his choice of shoe selection. He would make a mental note of it, if they ever got out of this mess, really try to pick the quietest show when entering a bank. With his luck, this would happen again.

AJ chuckled at the thought, "AJ have you lost your mind?" Nick asked barely speaking in a whisper. "What is so damned funny?"

"Nothing, sorry. I'll tell you later"

"Glad you think this is all so funny" Nick returned, now smiling himself. He figured they had both lost it now. The stress was too much and sent them both over the edge. Unfortunately the tickle in his throat, brought him back to reality. Again he started to cough. AJ pulled him close again and covered Nick's mouth with his hand. "Dammit Nick, enough already" He said out of frustration.

When the younger boy was done this time, he choked back a small sob. "I'm gonna get us killed, I'm sorry AJ" J hugged the kid now. The last thing he felt like doing was consoling somebody. He needed to though. Just in case.

"Shhh, it's okay. Just try to pull yourself together" Nick wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt and then gave AJ a nod to say, okay I'm ready when you are. They were now half way through the never ending hallway. Still too far away to detect life but close enough to feel the enemies presence. "What's the plan?" Nick asked AJ. J just shrugged in return, "The plan is to get out of here and get help"

"Kind of broad and vague don't you think?" Nick asked a tad sarcastically.

"Well, do you have any better ideas?"

"Nope"

"Okay then we get out of here"

"How?" AJ paused a second. He really had no idea. But just as he was about to come up with a plan a loud crack shot through the air, instantly making the hair on the backs of their necks rise. The sound reverberated through the hallway and was so fierce and loud, it hung in their chests.

The two boys looked at each other slowly realizing what it was. A gunshot, followed by screams...