Monica, her hair floating around her head like a halo, stood in the doorway. She gripped her gun tightly before her, even though Ken lay collapsed on the floor clutching the stump where his hand had once been. Amanda lay on the floor, clutching a bruise on her face, tears rolling down her swollen cheek. And there was George who watched Ken's gun spinning on the floor.

George crawled over to Amanda, whose eyes were empty.

"Amanda...are you okay?"

"He hit me." There was no infliction to her voice. "Why...why did he hit me?"

George closed his eyes and stood, but not before picking up Ken's gun. He grabbed the moaning security chief and shoved him onto the desk. George licked his cracked lips and looked at the man in front of him. Then, slowly, as though finding his way, he pointed the gun at Ken.

"How...how could you do this to her?" George swallowed. "Amanda...she was good...and you...you ruined her. How could you do this to her?"

"I loved her." Ken whispered. "I love her."

"You hit her!" George's hand shook as he spoke. "Look at her. Look at the bruise on her face. You hit her and you...you broke her mind. You toyed with her like she was a...a...robot. Just a device to be set to your whims."

"Better to have part of her. Better to have some part of her than nothing. She hated me." He closed his eyes. "Do you know how much it hurts to know that the person you love more than any other? To know that they hate you? Do you...do you understand what that means?"

George felt the trigger with his finger. All he had to do was pull it in.

"This is it...for me...isn't it?" Ken's eyes steadied and the grimace of pain faded leaving only a blank expression. "You know, I always considered loyalty to be my greatest trait. But in the end I betrayed Lancaster. I betrayed Amanda. I betrayed...I betrayed myself. I did it all for love, but that...well...just do it. It's okay."

George squeezed the trigger. Ken shuddered and fell from the desk to the floor. His body hit with a smack and his glassy eyes turned to stare towards Amanda whose scream echoed out across the room.

George looked down at the still smoking gun in his hand and then back at the man lying dead on the floor. Dizziness spread over him and his fingers went numb. The gun dropped to the floor.

He stepped over to Amanda and fell beside her. Together the two of them sat there, each mourning what they had lost. Monica stood in the doorway unable to comprehend what had happened.

Amanda leaned her head against George's shoulder. Her eyes were swollen and red, but when her gaze fell on the gun they worked just fine. Shoving George to the side, she made her move.

"Amanda!"

George reached out, but she had the gun pointed to her temple. Her hand shook slightly, like a butterfly quivering in the slightest breeze.

"No...no...don't you do this." George knelt on the ground, hands grasped as if in prayer. "This isn't you. This isn't you."

"You think I don't know that?" She closed her eyes. "I remember everything. I remember who I was. I know what they did to me. I know, George. But it doesn't change anything. In my heart, the man I love is dead and you are the cause."

"I don't believe that." George stood. "I don't believe that. They can mess with your mind all they want...but your heart, you soul...surely they can't touch those things?"

Amanda shook her head, but didn't lower the gun.

"Please." George whispered. "I'm begging you Amanda. I'm begging you. Don't do this to me. You're...you've always been the thing I fought for. All this time, it's been you I thought of saving. I'd have let this world burn...but for you. So...so...please...please...please..."

"Go George...keep fighting for me...remember me...remember me as I was." She opened her eyes and smiled. "It'll be okay."

"Noooo!" George made to tackle her, but found himself tackled instead by Monica. She dragged him screaming from the room.

"I'm sorry George. I'm sorry."

"I could have stopped her." He grabbed Monica by the collar, his face contorted in sorrow and rage. "I could have saved her."

"No...she would have pulled the trigger before you got anywhere near her. I couldn't...I couldn't let you see that. Some things...some things are better left unseen.

Maybe so. But when George closed his eyes he saw it all the same. He imagined Amanda kneeling down next to Ken. When she hugged his cold body to hers and rested her bruised face on his chest...George saw it. And when she pulled the trigger...well...I think you get the idea.