They both give me a gentle nod. My heart races like the whole world depending on my choice.
“Is he even awake?” I whisper.
With a grown I get an answer, “What a stupid question. Is he awake? For a moment there it even sounds like you cared,” Spence lifts his head and meets my gaze. “Should have known that you would have tie-ins with this motley crew. Tell me Miss Ashers, are you really going to kill me?”
“You're making it easier to make the choice,” I spit out. “But I'm hoping that you can at least plead your case.”
“My case?” he laughs.
“I'd watch what you say,” Jackson warns him.
“Or what? it's not like you can kidnap me twice,” he says.
I pull the chair with me and face him, “Dr. Spence, I know that we haven't shared eye to eye. But I'm a good person trying to figure out why you of all people would think so low and jeopardize so much?”
“Especially because he was up for re-election for his position.” Keola adds.
There's cruelty in his face, the way that he twists his mouth or his eyes narrowing in. He's trying to scare me. That's what he's trying to scare me into letting him live. He may think that the way he talks to me or tries to break me down will keep me broken.
“Do you want me to be the good guy because I’ll pretend to be the good guy,” Spence says.
“I know what I want is for these kids to be safe. And from what I'm told you put them in the line of fire. And again I want to know your side of the story.” I say again.
“My story?” he taunts, “My story is that with enough money things can be bought. They wanted names, I gave them names. I gave them names of students that may have been a problem in the past, maybe falling behind academically.”
“Are you really that cruel enough to risk children's lives?”
“Now you may not be a teacher in any fashion, sometimes you have to do what's best for your community or at least the schools and sometimes a lot of cash helps,” he sneers.
Anger boils and I jump from my chair and smack him across the face. My hand blazes from the impact, my voice yelling. How could a cruel man do this? The likeliness of my own father and his own evil shines in another version before me.
Easy answer, evil walks on this Earth.
Keola holds me back from clawing my way to him. I groan and grunt as I thirst for more. Spence readjusted his head as it had fallen to the side.
He laughs, “See. No good person smacks a man who's in a chair helpless.”
I spit at him, his disgusting figure. Keola holds me still, placing me on the ground.
“What are you going to do with him?” D.R asks me.
As tears threatened to run down my cheek, I wiped them away. “He has nothing but a black soul. He won't change. Discard him. Bury him. I don't want him here anymore.”
“You can’t kill me,” Spence yells. I turn my back to him.
As I walk towards the stairs, I glance behind me, “You want to bet.”
As I continue my journey up the stairs I can hear the whimpering and pleadings of Spence. I know the streets are going to be safer without him. Maybe the schools will stand a chance. But I won't allow him to stay on this Earth knowing he doesn't care one bit, that he’ll be a danger to kids. I hear the clicking of the gun and as I shut the door behind me I hear the final warning shot.
I sink down on the wall. The heavy feeling of knowing that his death is in my hands it's like a rock, maybe my own death sentence. I don't shed tears for him.
All I know is that a monster is off the streets even though there's more to come.
My hand raises through my hair. I see my own personal devil sink down to the ground. His dark brown eyes give me comfort, knowing that I'll be loved and how wonderful it will be to give him that love and return.
“How about I take you home, angel?” he says.
“As long as you’re there, honey,” I kiss him one more time before I’m swept into his arms.
