0.7 - Quiet

This was something I was good at.  I was good at shooting, and I was good at scaring people.  To be fair I wasn't the most amazing at saving people, but I could always pick up new skills.  I saved Shaun, didn't I?  …Through killing his parents, but that's beside the point.  I had Eris cornered.  She was on the other side of the room, her revolver shaking in her hand as it floated beside Amin's head.  She wouldn't dare shoot him while I was here, at least not yet.  She hadn't convinced me that she was better than him.
For the record, she wouldn't ever be able to convince me of that.
I saw ideas flash in Eris' eyes.  She could kill Amin, then I'd kill her.  She could run, but I'd still kill her.  She could try to take me and Amin, but I'm fairly certain an automatic pistol like mine could take her down long before her revolver reloaded, but that also meant she would still be able to kill Amin…and no matter what I really didn't want him to die.
Eris was starting to control her shaking and shivering.  I had to get her attention and try to make her relax, and pull the gun away from Amin.  As soon as I could get a clear shot the better.  
Though I loathed offering the option, "Let's talk."
Eris' baby blue eyes darted between my face and my gun.  While every nerve in my body told me not to, I bent my arms and pulled my gun down.  The girl seemed to relax slightly.  I wanted to blast her head off right that second, but she still had her revolver's barrel pressed against Amin's temple.  The girl nodded her head at me, suddenly silent now that she had the man she had been trying to impress for months, maybe even longer.
I would have to word this conversation just right.  I had to be sincere or else she was going to kill Amin and then try to take me.  Taking in a deep breath, I put on my best calm, sweet, and thin smile on my face.
"I'm sorry I didn't see your work earlier.  It's impressive."
Eris looked like she was trapped between distrusting me and sheer enthusiasm that I was here.
"I was overworked by those damn cops."  I took one hand off my berretta and let it hang by my side.  "But I can see what you've been trying to show me.  What you've been doing for me."
A thin smile twitched across Eris' face, but she wasn't pulling away from Amin yet.
"I did it for you."  She purred.
The hairs on the back of my neck pricked up.  There were few people I hated this much in this world.  And there were even less of those select people alive.
"I know you did."  I was good at keeping my voice steady in dangerous situations.  "And I thank you, truly."
Eris' grip tightened around her gun.  "I can make you another one."
"Don't do that."  I whispered slowly.
"I need to.  To finish it all."
"No, no you don't.  He doesn't have to die."
"Why?"  She shouted.
It wasn't what I wanted to say, but what I had to.  I already hated myself for the words as they crossed my mind.
"Because then the police will catch you.  And I can't have that."
Amin's amber eyes grew wide.  I focused my gaze on Eris.  She started to smile sweetly, her eyes got misty.  I really hated myself right now.
"Why not?"  She rested the side of her face against the back of Amin's neck.
"We need to get out of here.  Killing him and disposing of his body would take too long.  We need to get out now.  So, put the gun away, hop on over here, and we jump in the truck and are home free.  On the way out we use a pay phone to notify the police of our deeds once we're on the outskirts of town.  All of us get a happy ending."
I tried not to focus on Amin, but it was getting painfully difficult since he was right next to Eris.  I saw his expression change from soft joy and a glimmer of hope to the pain of betrayal.  He made a soft noise, like a dog whimpering after being beaten.
"He'll tell the police."  Eris pressed the barrel against Amin's temple.
Amin shut his eyes and leaned against the gun.
"No he won't."
Eris glared at me and started to inch away from Amin.
"How do you know?"
"It's not in his nature.  He doesn't like or trust the police.  When we went to the police picnics he hung onto me for dear life.  He wouldn't go to them for help."
The girl looked down at Amin.  I had to admit, Eris was rather pretty.  The girl could have been a Chanel super model if she wasn't psychotic and homicidal.
She wasn't moving away from him.  Her gun was still pressed against his temple.  I had to get her to move.
Against my better and far sounder judgment, I put my berretta in my pants pocket.  I straightened and tried to look as relaxed as possible.  Eris seemed to be calming down, she looked far less tense.  I put on a charming smile and glided across the room to my rusty chair.  I leaned against the back of it.
"What are you still doing over there with him?"  I purred.
Eris smiled and took a step away from Amin, the gun still too close to him for my liking.
"I told you."  Eris hissed at Amin.
He whimpered and I saw few tears roll down his cheeks.  It took all of my energy to control the need to jump Eris and tear her limbs off.
"He doesn't love you.  Because you're just not right for someone like him."  Eris used the barrel of her gun to brush some of Amin's dark hair.  "Now I get my happy ending."
The girl finally moved away from Amin.  She let her gun drop down.  It bounced off her pant leg as she sashayed across the room to me.  Eris walked painfully slow across the room, trying to show off to me.  To be honest walking mannequins never did much for me.  Also, she did kidnap Amin and tried to kill him.
Eris was almost to me, maybe ten feet from me, when Amin wanted to get his two cents in.  I really wish he didn't.
"That's not fair."  He sniffled.
I strained to keep my emotionless smile.  I raised my eyebrows at Amin, as if I found him amusing.  More tears rolled from his eyes.
"You said you loved me."
"I said a lot of things."  Please shut up I've almost got her.
Eris looked over her shoulder at Amin.  I saw her hand tighten around her colt.  Amin needed to be quiet now.
"Everything you did, everything you said was a lie!"  He screamed at me.
It was best I didn't say anything.
"I loved you!"
I didn't like how he was using the past tense already.
"You're a monster!"  He choked out.
Those words meant less when a victim said them, but they felt like daggers when Amin said them.  My expression started to falter.  Eris wasn't looking at me, she was turning towards Amin.  She wasn't going to let her prey just insult her love.  I knew she loved me, I knew she was obsessed with me, which was why I had to lead her away from him.  She would kill him at all costs because no matter what he was a threat to her.
"Be quiet."  Eris hissed like a coiled cobra.
"NO!"  He screamed.  "I believed in you!  Even when she showed me PHOTOS of everything you've done!"
Eris' back was to me, she was growling under her breath.  I was trying desperately to give Amin a subtle sign to shut up with my hands and expression, but his eyes were shut and he was throwing a temper-tantrum.  An understandable temper-tantrum but I really didn't need it right now.
"I said be quiet."  Eris bellowed.
"I was going to die for you!  To keep you safe!"  Amin was shaking in the seat he was duct-taped to.  "And for WHAT?!"  He screamed through tears.
Eris was shaking with rage.
"So you could just run away with that crazy BITCH?!"
"I'M NOT CRAZY!"  Eris exploded.
I lunged onto the thin girl and tackled her to the ground before she could get her arm up.  She started screaming and clawing at my arms.  I tried to slam her head into the concrete floor of the warehouse but she slammed her gun down on my hand.  I shrieked as she had a sudden surge of strength and threw me off her back.  Amin was shouting but I don't know what.  Maybe he was still yelling curses at me.
I rolled across the floor and scrambled to my feet.  Eris was getting to her feet at the same time.  My hand fished around in my pocket for my gun.  As soon as my fingers found it I whirled around at Eris and fired it.
Not aiming has its advantages and consequences.  Normally, when someone gets shot at they scream and start running in another direction.  Even if the bullet didn't hit anywhere near them people are scared and head to the hills.  Of course, without aiming there's a slim chance it hit the target.  And when you're dealing with someone badshit crazy and has their own gun its definitely bad to waste bullets on empty space.
Case in point: I didn't hit Eris.  I have a berretta, a nice automatic gun.  Eris had a revolver, while slower it was far more powerful and sent a message.
That message was that in the heat of the moment Eris would shoot at me.  It was a reflex for her, probably, to shoot at whatever shot at her.  I watched her spin in slow motion and the hammer of her revolver slam down on the gun.  I saw a puff a smoke and heard a loud BANG as the bullet left the chamber.
"RALEIGH!"  Both Amin and Eris screamed.
I stumbled backwards, clasping my left hand to the side of my neck.  I was confused.  For as many years as I had been killing no one had tried to shoot me.  Maybe I got a few punches thrown at me, a kicked shin, or maybe even a black eye, but never shot.  Most of the time I made sure my prey was alone and weak when I caught them.  I tied them up so they couldn't hurt me.  I was so meticulous I generally never got physically injured.
I really don't like getting hurt.  So getting shot was something new.  I learned that I really didn't like getting shot.  Eris shivered in place, her arms falling down.  The girl looked terrified, her big blue eyes seeping tears.  Why the fuck was she crying?  She didn't get shot!
Suddenly Eris' fear turned to rage and she spun around pointing the gun at Amin.
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"  She screamed.
BANG.
Nothing moved in the room.  There was a pleasant silence among the three of us.  I could hear my ragged breath.  I could see my hand shaking.  I'm not accustomed to seeing myself so undone.
Eris collapsed on the floor.  There was a whole blasted in her right shoulder.  The girl was quiet on the floor.  She wasn't dead, I could see her eyes darting about the room.  Her gun fell away from her, skidding a handful of feet from her hands.  I was starting to feel dizzy.
I lowered my arm.  My berretta was smoking lightly.
"There."  I mumbled.
I stuffed the gun into my hoodie's pocket.  Amin's amber eyes were wide as I stumbled across the room to him.  I stopped in front of him, scanning his body for his injuries, watching his expression range from gratitude to bewilderment.  I took the liberty of talking for him.
"I love you."  My voice was hoarse.
At the time I wasn't aware that the bullet had more than skimmed my neck.
"Don't…don't you ever fucking question that."  I shook my hand at him like a teacher to a child.  "I meant all that.  I didn't just…come down here because I thought it would be a grand old time.  I came…I came here for you."
Amin stared up at me.  I swallowed and knelt down to his level.  I let go of my neck, wrapped both hands around his face, and pulled him in for a gentle kiss.  He sighed happily and pressed his lips against mine.  A moment later I pulled away from him.  Amin sniffled and nodded his head.  I smiled and kissed his cheek to reassure him.
"I love you, alright?  Just…"
"I love too."  Amin whimpered tiredl.y
Eris was murmuring something from the other side of the room.
"Are you going to…?"  Amin asked.
I turned slightly to see Eris.  It rather hurt to move my neck at the moment.  The girl was reaching pitifully for her gun.  It wasn't anywhere close to her.
"…No."
I took a small pocket knife from my pants pocket and cut Amin free.  Eris was still crawling for her gun.  I made my way to her, kicked the colt to the other side of the room.
"Raleigh, the bin under the table."  Amin said quietly, as he rubbed his raw wrists.
I looked at the bin.
"…It has the photos…"  He explained.
I grabbed the bin and pulled it out from under the table.  I pushed it in front of Eris.  She shivered and looked at it.  The girl started to reach for her bin of photos.  I let her for the moment.  I was busy fishing a cig from my pocket and lighting it.
A good few puffs made me feel far less dizzy.  My head was fuzzy but somehow the world was clearer to me.  Eris was trying to get into her bin.  I kicked her hand away and opened the bin for her.
"I took them…for you…"  She whimpered.
"Thank you."
I tossed my cigarette into the box and shut it.  I swear I could hear her mind snapping, but she was too weak to fight back at me.
"I don't fucking care."  I hissed at her.
Dragging myself back to Amin, I pulled him to his feet and he slung an arm over my shoulders.  I supported him with my shoulders and pressed a hand against his chest.
"Let's go home."  I announced.
As we left the warehouse I listened to Eris cry as she watched her photos burn.