“Cupcake, you don’t have to do this,” he tells me, before turning to Alex. “Kill me. If you want to kill someone, kill me. Just let them go, Alex. Do the right thing and let them go. There’s been too much death.”
“No, CJ,” I sob, struggling to breathe.
“You don’t get to choose, lover-boy. Allie has to choose.”
How do I choose one life over someone else’s? How can I stand here and let him kill the love of my life? I can’t. I also can’t stand here and let him kill an innocent girl. I would never forgive myself or survive the guilt.
I glance up at Alex, tears falling silently down my face. “Kill me,” I whisper.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Alex laughs dryly, a crazed look on his face. “No, no, no, Allie. We need you to choose.”
Slowly, I take another step closer. “Alex, you need to think about what you’re doing here. You can’t make me choose, it’s selfish and unfair.”
The glare he sends me has me taking a step back. “Allie, you’ve got to choose. You’ve got to choose.”
I shake my head, sobbing so hard my chest hurts. He starts dragging her over to CJ, her screams piercing the air.
“Choose,” he yells when he drops her chair next to CJ. “We’re the same. We’re the same, Allie.”
“No, you’re batshit fucking crazy; she isn’t. You’re forcing someone so pure, so good, to do something bad, something against her will. This wouldn’t be her decision, it would be yours. Alex, you need help, serious medical help,” CJ snaps.
Alex brings the knife up again, and I move forward, but I’m too late. I watch in alarm as he stabs CJ in the shoulder, twisting the knife with a sick look of satisfaction on his face.
CJ howls and I run to him, needing to help him. “CJ,” I cry. I’m a breath away, just a breath, but a hand shoving against my chest knocks the wind out of me and pushes me back. I trip over my own two feet, staring wide-eyed up at Alex.
I glance at CJ. His face is white, his hair wet from sweat and sticking to his forehead. He breathes heavily, the rabid animal sounds he was making turn into raspy moans.
He opens his mouth, more than likely to say something sarcastic or threatening, but only a wisp of air escapes him.
“Stop hurting him. Stop it!” I bark, clenching my hands into fists.
Alex circles CJ and Lilian like predators hunt down their prey. When he’s done a full circle, he stands in front of CJ, twisting the knife further in his wound before pulling it out. Blood sprays, making me feel queasy.
Lilian screams behind her gag, her body shaking violently as he approaches her. He runs his fingers through her hair, clucking his tongue. He doesn’t say anything, just stares down at her blankly, void of any emotion.
I feel helpless, like there’s nothing I can do to help either of them. Whenever I get close, he stops me. I could run for the door, try to escape and get help, but how far would I get? How far would I get before he killed one or both of them.
I crawl closer to CJ, looking up at him. His pupils are dilated, and he can barely keep his head up. He notices my movements, though, and his eyes widen a touch. He begins to shake his head.
My hand shakes as I lift my finger to be quiet. I glance at Alex, watching him stroke Lilian’s hand, and my blood turns cold. He seems lost in his own mind, his own thoughts, which gives me a moment to discretely try to loosen CJ’s legs from the ropes.
Alex’s voice startles me, causing me to squeal. “You’ve got ten seconds to choose, Allie. We don’t have time.”
I straighten my back, biting my lip as I struggle to even my breathing. “No, Alex. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to hurt anyone, and I don’t want you to, either.”
When he looks at me, his eyes are void of emotion, staring right through me. A cold shiver runs up my spine, and before my eyes can take in what I’m seeing, he’s slicing the knife through Lilian’s finger. It slides off to the floor, blood spurting everywhere.
I turn to the side, throwing up everything I’ve eaten today. I clutch my stomach as tremors rake through my body.
This can’t be real. It can’t be.
“Ten seconds, Allie. Ten seconds, then I kill them both.”
I jump at the sound of his voice, getting to my feet. He can’t do this. He can’t.
I have to stop him.
I hold my palms up to him, trying to hide the panic and fear eating away at me. “No. Don’t do this. Don’t do this, Alex.” He’s not hearing me, standing behind the two like they’re prized possessions.
“Ten.”
“Please, Alex, listen to me,” I beg, stepping closer.
“Nine.”
“Oh, God,” I sob, running my fingers through my hair.
“Eight.”
I look to CJ, the love of my life, then to Lilian, who is sobbing uncontrollably, her eyes glazed over.
“Seven.”
“I can’t do this. I can’t do this,” I chant, glancing back and forth between them.
“Allie, run. Forget about us and run,” CJ screams.
“Six.”
“I can’t leave you,” I tell him, standing there uselessly.
“Five.”
“Don’t let him kill me,” Lilian sobs, her voice weak.
I can’t breathe.
“Four.”
“Allie, look at me, it’s going to be okay,” CJ demands, his voice strong but strained.
“Three.”
“Alex, please, I’m begging you. I’ll do anything, just don’t hurt them,” I plead, looking around the room for something to help me.
Maybe I can use something to hit him over the head with.
Jordan, where are the police?
“Two,” he says slowly, moving closer to CJ.
I cry out, running my fingers through my hair, and step forward. “No, don’t kill CJ. Don’t kill CJ!” I scream.
He looks up, staring at me straight on. “One.”
He lifts the bloodied knife, and I move, not caring if he hurts me in the process. I can’t let him hurt either of them.
The knife descends and at first, I think he’s aiming for CJ, but at the last minute, he turns to Lilian. I cry out, my legs feeling like jelly as I take the few steps forward to get to him. The knife comes down and I close my eyes, using all my strength to push him away. My hands connect with his shoulders, and I hear him grunt in surprise. My eyes fly open. He falls back, tripping over a coffee table and landing with a thud.
Everything moves in slow motion. I turn my head to the sound of CJ’s screams, and watch as tears run down his face as he looks at me in horror.
A gurgle, followed by a choking noise has me glancing down, my mind taking a few moments to register what I’m seeing.
My knees buckle beneath me. “No!” I wail. My hands shake over the knife that’s embedded in her stomach. My gaze flickers between the knife and her eyes that are slowly dimming. “I’m so sorry,” I sob. “I’m so sorry.”
She tries to force a smile, her chest heaving with long shallow breaths. Her good hand moves, her fingers wiggling like they’re reaching out for me. I ignore the yells and cursing coming from CJ and place my hand over hers.
“I’m so sorry.”
A hand appears on the knife handle, and before I can stop it, Alex is pulling the blade out, slicing through her stomach.
I throw myself backwards, screaming in terror as I watch blood pour from the wound, intestines hanging out.
There’s so much blood. I would never have thought someone so small, so skinny, could produce so much.
“Now, who is it going to be, Allie?”
I barely hear him over mine and CJ’s screams, but I shake myself out of it, looking up at Alex in a daze, a hitch in my chest.
“What?”
“Who? Who will be next? You and me, or CJ?”
“What?” I repeat, still dazed.
He walks around Lilian’s prone body, still wielding the knife in his hand. I watch his every move
, too scared to look away, too afraid of what he will do next.
“Me and you, or CJ. I can’t let him win. You’re mine. We’re meant to be together.”
“No, Alex, we aren’t,” I whisper, looking away. Seeing Lilian’s body—Lilian’s dead body—has numbed me. I can’t feel anything.
He tilts his head to the side, his gaze seeing through me. “You said yourself, I was like your brother. I heard you, time and time again.”
“That was before she knew what having a sibling meant to you, you fucking sick bastard.”
“I’m not choosing,” I whisper. “This is unspeakable—what you’re doing is unspeakable. I won’t do it. You’re just going to kill us all, anyway,” I tell him, feeling dead inside.
“You belong to me,” he screams.
“So you keep saying,” I scream back. “But I don’t. I belong to CJ—we belong to each other. And you want to know why? Because he loves me. Because I love him. Because he wouldn’t hurt a fly, unless it was to protect the ones he loves. You want to know why I don’t belong to you?” I ask, then look to CJ, gazing at him through watery eyes. “Because he only has to walk into a room and my heart stops beating and I get butterflies in my stomach.” I smile, placing a hand over my stomach. “I could be having a bad day, and the first person I want to speak to is him. He can bright up the darkest of days by just being there.”
I look at Alex, really look at him, and with shaky limbs, I get up from the floor, my gaze never faltering. “I’m sorry you didn’t have the right upbringing; I’m sorry you were born into this. I’m sorry. But it doesn’t excuse your behaviour. It doesn’t justify your atrocious actions. You need to the put the knife down. You need to stop this and hand yourself in. Give those families you’ve destroyed, peace. Give them something, because you’ve taken everything from them. Just stop.”
“You don’t mean that,” Alex whispers, looking so wounded, so like the Alex I know. My heart aches. If someone had noticed what was happening, if someone had helped him, raised him with a real family, then maybe he would have had a chance.
Maybe.
“Yes, Alex, I do,” I tell him softly, wiping my cheeks.
“We belong together,” he tells me angrily, slamming his fist on the floor. “We do. He deserves to die. He does.”
“She doesn’t deserve this, Alex. Lilian over there—she didn’t fucking deserve this. You won’t get away with any of this. The police will catch you and you’ll never see her again. Listen to her. Just listen to what she is telling you. You can’t be this delusional.”
Alex angrily turns his narrowed eyes to him. With shaking limbs, I get ready to stop him, but before I can, he slashes the knife across CJ’s chest.
“You did this!” he roars.
I scream out for CJ, something snapping inside me, and the next thing I know, I’m moving. I charge at him, using the move I’ve watched CJ use a thousand times when he plays rugby, my upper body gunning for his chest.
The second my body hits his, everything around me disappears. I don’t hear CJ yelling. I don’t smell the metallic, coppery scent of blood. My senses focus on the thumping of my pulse and the feel of my blood rushing through my veins.
We tumble to the floor, and I roll, reaching for the wrist in which Alex holds the knife. A crazed look moves across his expression, his eyes dangerously close to black. There’s no soul, no remorse, no guilt for what he’s done or is doing. There’s nothing.
I’m stunned, frozen for a split second at the sight, which helps him take me by surprise. He kicks out at me, and I fly backwards in the air, landing into the chair CJ is tied to and knocking him over. I cry out, but don’t let it stop me. I get up, looking around for a weapon.
The room is mostly empty, but from the corner of my eye, I notice a stool in front of a vanity mirror and rush over.
“I’m going to end this. It’s meant to be us. You turned her against me. You brainwashed her,” Alex yells.
I whimper, picking the stool up by the legs, surprised by how heavy it is. My hair whips in my face when I spin around, and I find Alex getting up from the floor, his eyes on CJ with so much hatred a shiver runs up my spine.
“Allie, run. Now!” CJ screams from the floor, where he’s lying on his side, blood covering his clothes.
I shake my head, my legs moving across the room before I can even think of what I’m about to do.
But it’s him or us. And I’m not about to give up. Not now. We’ve been through too much together.
He bends down in front of CJ, holding the knife in the air. I cry out, feeling my life flash before my eyes.
My chest hurts, aches. A life without CJ isn’t a life at all. I push harder, my legs feeling like jelly and my knees threatening to give out.
I reach them, and with a roar so loud, I lift the stool above by head and swing. I swing with all my might, all my strength, and hit Alex across the head. I hit him so hard the vibrations of the impact cause my hand to spasm. I drop the stool to the floor, breathing heavily, and watch with a sick feeling in my gut as Alex’s body sways from side to side.
I feel sick. I feel sick at myself for being capable of doing something so brutal. But I can’t look away. So, I wait, watching with suspense and shock.
I wait.
I don’t even know if he’s dead or alive.
I just watch, clutching my chest and trying to even my breathing. It doesn’t feel real. It doesn’t feel like I’ve just smacked a stool round someone’s head.
Alex’s body sways once more before dropping to the floor with a sickening thud. I whimper, sobbing uncontrollably as I move into action, taking the knife out of his hands.
“Allie, it’s okay, it’s going to be okay.”
I nod, my entire body shaking. I cut through the rope, feeling my body about to collapse with relief. I move onto the other, my mind on the task and not on what CJ is saying.
The second his hands are free, he takes the knife from me and pulls me into his arms, his face resting in the crook of my neck. The dam inside me breaks, and I cling to him, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Shh, Cupcake. Shh.”
Sirens pierce the air and we pull apart, both turning to the door. “How?” he murmurs, and I glance down at my hoodie, now covered in blood, and thank God for Jordan.
“My phone is tucked into my bra,” I whisper, and help him pull the rope from around his ankles, grateful the chair legs had snapped from his fall and I won’t have to pick up the knife again.
“I love you, Allie. I love you so fucking much,” he tells me fiercely.
I cry harder, and through my sobs, I tell him, “I love you too.”
We glance at each other, relief that we’re ok pouring out of us. When a look of terror and horror flashes across his face, I pull back, confused.
My hair gets pulled so hard I feel like it’s ripping my scalp. I scream out, turning a little to see Alex, crazed and inhuman. Blood cakes his teeth, and half his scalp is missing and dented from where I hit him with the stool.
I freeze, incapable of doing anything but staring on in horror, not knowing what will happen.
Alex opens his mouth, but not one word or breath escapes. His eyes roll to the back of his head, and he slumps over me.
His body is covering mine, and it only takes a second for me to register it and start screaming, pushing him off me.
“Get him off me. Get him off me,” I cry out.
He’s rolled off me, and above me, CJ breathes heavily, sweat and blood covering him. I roll my head to the side, whimpering at the lifeless eyes staring blankly back at me. A knife is sticking out of Alex’s back—where his heart is.
He’s dead.
He’s gone.
“Game over,” I whisper, unable to look away.
We don’t get a moment to register what just happened, to comfort one another, before police are knocking the door down. CJ helps me sit up, keeping me steady in his arms.
I watch the scene before me, wondering how life go
t to this point. I think of how one person could destroy and take so many lives, without remorse or guilt, and get away with it for so long. Right under our noses.
A stab of guilt hits me for a split second for feeling like the world is a safer place now Alex is dead. He was my friend, someone I cared deeply for. But I can’t seem to care. I’m glad he’s dead. I’m glad he can no longer hurt another soul. But look at the cost. Look at how many lives have been ruined in the process.
I feel guilt for thinking about our future; a future where CJ doesn’t have the stormy cloud of his past hanging over him or his mum. I should be thinking of Lilian, of the other six girls he murdered.
Justice has been served, their killer has been killed, but in the end, it doesn’t bring any of them back. His death doesn’t mean anything. Not really.
I lift my head from CJ’s shoulder and watch his mouth move as he speaks to the paramedic, forgetting about everything else.
I might be selfish—heartless—but I’m just glad he’s alive. Because if it came down to it, really down to a choice of who should have lived or died, I would have happily of died for him.
He’s my everything.
My life.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CJ
Life has a way of changing with a blink of an eye. Whether something incredibly amazing happens to you or something tragic, that moment can change the course of your life.
I always thought I knew how the world worked. There was good, there was bad, and there were good people who did bad things. I thought I understood how the human race worked. Experiencing first-hand the part of the world I didn’t fully understand or comprehend has blinded all my senses.
On the news, you hear of horrific events; shootings, bombs, accidents, but you never fully feel what the victims are going through. You care, you’re sad, but you never fully know what they went through or what they felt.
The world is a scary place. But until tonight, I never realised just how terrifying it could be.
I knew Alex Cliff. I ate with him, hung out with him, and I never saw the real him. Until tonight. He always came across as a geek, a geeky nerd who stuttered when spoken to, and seemed shy and distant. Never did I suspect he was a killer, that he had it in him to take the life of six people.
Game Over (Whithall University Book 2) Page 27
