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-Chapter Eight-

I've Got A Gun

THE DAY AFTER THE SIEGE

“Here the town is still reeling from the shock events of yesterday, and already there has been strong criticism of the police handling of the siege,” Behind the reporter, two policemen stepped out of a cruiser and walked up to the door of the taped off newsroom. “In which one of the Coastal Junior’s staff members was shot and killed.”

***

Aden looked down in shock at the shards of mirror lay at Belle’s feet, he slowly looked up in fright to see Belle had turned white as a sheet; her jaw had dropped open as the bullet flew past her head and hit the mirror that was behind her. She took a deep breath as she looked at the clown who had a gun pointed in her direction.

“Sorry,” The clown said to her apologetically. Aden scoffed and walked over to Belle in concern.

“Are you alright?” He asked her soothingly. Angelo stuck his head out of the door and saw the clown, he looked around, Belle and Aden both saw him as he ran back into his office before the clown could see him and pressed the button that revealed his secret exit.

“Look, I didn’t mean to...” The gunman began nervously. Belle still didn’t look away from the man who had tried to kill her. Aden wrapped his arm around Belle’s shoulder.

“Look, are you okay?” He asked again. Belle didn’t answer, and Aden assumed it was the shock of almost being shot that was doing it to her. The clown stepped forward and pointed the gun around the room.

“Now everybody stay calm, just stay calm!” He demanded, pointing the gun at a few people, Annie and Drew were two.

“Are you okay?” Aden whispered to his ex-girlfriend again. Belle inhaled again deeply and turned to face the American.

“Bet you got a bigger fright than I did,” She said to him as she turned to look at the broken mirror behind her.

“Well you’re not kidding,” Aden shot back, also looking at the mirror. “What am I going to use for a mirror now?” The gunman pointed the gun at the pair.

“Okay that’s enough!” he shouted, raising his thumb to the hammer again, “Just – just stay calm!” Belle looked at the barrel of the gun; it was pointed right at her. She noticed the man’s hand was shaking. She looked away from him and at the broken mirror behind her.

“This is the kind of thing that could make a girl insecure about her looks,” She joked, Aden laughed nervously.

“Well what have I told you about smiling in reflective surfaces?” Aden asked her. Belle narrowed her eyes.

“And who knows better than you?” She shot back. The clown advanced towards them, pointing the gun from Aden to Belle.

“Look, no talking, okay!” He shouted as he did this, “Just shut up!” Belle tilted her head in anger.

“Sorry,” She said nervously as the gun was pointed directly at her.

“Right, right, good. Now, who’s in charge here?” He asked, gripping the revolver tighter. Belle opened her mouth to answer.

“I am,” Aden said, Belle’s jaw dropped in shock. “I’m the editor.” The clown pointed the gun at Aden.

“You?” He asked suspiciously. “You’re Belle Taylor?” He said sarcastically. Aden clenched his teeth.

“Well – well Belle’s not here right now. I kind of take over when she’s not around,” The clown shook his head and looked around the room, stopping at Annie, Cathy and Ruby, all were wearing very casual clothes, he turned back to Belle and pointed the gun at her.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” He asked her. Belle exhaled deeply.

“Wrong day to power dress,” She told him, the clown nodded.

“I want to talk to you,” He said, moving closer to her, the gun still held out in front of him.

“Why?” Aden asked, the clown turned the gun to him,

“Because I do, and I've got a gun,” Aden sighed in defeat, the clown nodded again and turned the gun back onto Belle, “You, over here, slowly,” He demanded, pointing to Ruby’s vacant desk. Belle nodded and began to walk over to the man, pausing after each step. Aden stuck his arm out to stop her when she reached him.

“No,” He said to her, the clown pointed the revolver at him,

“Look, nothing’s going to happen, alright?” he asked, “If we’re all just nice and sensible and people do what I say,” Aden turned his face to Belle and she nodded. Reluctantly, he lowered his arm to let Belle past. “Good, now, over here.” Belle continued walking over to the clown. When she reached him, he pulled out a chair from under the desk, “Now sit.” Belle looked up at the clown and saw that his hands were shaking.

“No,” she said, sounding slightly more confident. The clown groaned.

“Sit down now!” he shouted, Belle folded her arms across her chest. Geoff gulped as he watched his best friend.

“Belle...” he began nervously. Belle rolled her eyes.

“No,” She repeated. The clown reached for the gun’s hammer again.

“I said sit down!” He shouted. Belle turned towards the graphics room and placed her back up against the wall. She folded her arms across her chest again. “What are you doing?”

“Well I’m not sitting down,” Belle told him. The crown took a few steps towards her.

“You’ve got until the count of three, don’t think I won’t!” He yelled, raising his thumb back to the hammer. Belle tilted her head.

“In your own time then,” She said coolly. Aden and Geoff looked over at each other in worry.

“One...” The clown said, Belle noticed his hand grow shakier.

“There are twenty people in this room, and I think you might be about to start a major panic,” She told him,

“I've got a gun!”

“Think you can handle a riot?”

“Two...”

“No, I don’t either,”

“I've got a gun,” The clown repeated. Belle shook her head.

“I've got a stampede, and you’ve got your back to it,” She shot back, the clown looked around nervously, everybody was looking at him in fright, he turned back to Belle.

“They won’t do anything,” He stated, Belle nodded.

“You’re probably right,” Belle agreed, not looking away from the gun, “Three,” She said for him. The clown didn’t shoot. Belle watched as his hand continued to shake, “So let’s just stay calm and sensible, and no one will get hurt.” Aden grinned and looked around him; he saw a random sheet of paper lying next to his arm and picked it up.

“Belle,” He said. Both the editor and the clown looked over to him in shock, “This stuff you gave me. The university story?”

“Yeah,” Belle responded, sounding like she always did, as in, not in the least frightened of the gun wielding clown.

“It’s a dead duck!” He exclaimed, “I told you from the start.” Aden turned to a bewildered Geoff, “Geoff, have you got the interview stuff we did last time?” It took Geoff a moment to realise what Belle and Aden were doing. He smiled weakly and nodded.

“Yeah, hang on, I’m sure we filled it,” Geoff answered. He walked over to the filling cabinet and pulled open the top drawer. He began rummaging around, looking for the non-existent interviews. “Ed, didn’t you do some photo stuff for that?” He asked the new photographer. A tall and lanky boy looked over at the clown nervously.

“I’ll check,” He replied. Cathy, the head of graphics looked over at the clown also before turning to Geoff.

“I still don’t know what to do about the centre spread,” She told the deputy editor. Geoff smiled at her.

“We’ll get to that,” He told the girl. Cathy smiled and began walking towards her graphics department.

“Well it’s not exactly front page stuff, is it?” Aden called out from his desk. Nervously, ruby walked past the clown and sat down at her desk and loaded her typewriter. The clown watched in disbelief as one by one, the news team began working again. Annie walked right up to him and pulled the chair back to her desk and sat down.

“Stop!” He shouted out to the news team. Nobody paid any attention. “Stop!” Again, nobody paid any attention. He looked over at Belle, whom was grinning at him. He raised the gun into the air and pulled the trigger. The newsroom became silent for a moment, but soon they were all back to work. Angrily, he turned the gun on Belle. “Make them stop!” He demanded. Belle shrugged.

“Twenty people – one gun.” She reminded him. Unbothered, she walked past the clown and sat down at her desk. “Geoff, get a chair for our friend here. I believe he wants to talk to us, and I have a feeling that it’s going to be a complaint.” Geoff nodded and walked over to an unoccupied desk. He grabbed the back of the chair and wheeled it over to Belle’s desk. The clown followed him, pointing the revolver at the deputy editor. Nervously, Geoff turned to face the clown.

“When I became deputy editor, I hoped there would be some chair fetching opportunities.” He whispered timidly. The clown scoffed and turned the gun back on Belle.

“I’m warning you...” He began. Belle took no notice of him. She picked up the arm of the Garfield she had brutally attacked earlier that morning and looked over it.

“What do I call you?” She asked him, the clown looked at her, slightly taken aback. “Mr. Clown?”

“I've got a gun!” He repeated, “You’ve got to show me respect.” Belle nodded in agreement.

“Fair enough,” She told him. She stabbed the arm of the Garfield down on the waste-paper spike. “I’ll call you ‘Mr. Garfield’.” Geoff had to fight his laughter as he picked up the newsroom phone.

“What are you doing?” The clown snapped at him, shifting the gun from Belle to Geoff.

“Phoning,” He replied, the clown placed his thumb back on the hammer.

“The police?”

“What’s he got to phone the police about?” Belle asked him, the clown pointed the gun back at her.

“I've got this.” He raised the gun. Belle shrugged.

“But you’re not going to use it, are you?” She asked him. She turned to Geoff. “Geoff, could you make our friend some coffee?”

“Coffee making, that’s another thing I've always wanted a shot at,” He looked down at the gun the clown had clenched in his hand. “If you’ll pardon the expression.”

“What do you take?” Belle asked him. The clown rolled his eyes and jerked the hand he had the gun in.

“What do you take?” Geoff asked seriously. The clown looked up from Belle and pointed the gun at him.

“Milk, no sugar.” Geoff nodded and turned top the news team.

“Have we got any milk?” He asked. Ruby nodded.

“There was a bottle in the fridge.” Aden looked up from his typewriter.

“Hey, that’s mine!” He called out, “I spat in it,” He added. The clown looked at him in disgust.

“Yeah, I did too,” Annie called out. The clown turned to her.

“And me,” Ruby added with a smile,

“Me too,” Cathy said, sitting down to an uninterested Drew.

“Oh, I didn’t,” He said, looking up from the comic in his hands, “I didn’t realise it was yours.”

“You guys really disgust me!” Aden shouted at them, discreetly, he gave them all a grin, “You know that?” He added. Drew shrugged.

“Look on the bright side, that bottle’s really lasted.” He laughed. Cathy, whom was sitting next to him nodded.

“That’s true,” Aden whispered in agreement. The clown watched on in bewilderment.

“Are you guys out of your head?” The clown asked them. Aden, Drew, Ruby and Cathy all nodded in unison. Shocked, the clown turned back to Belle. “You did a thing about the gun club?”

“And?” She asked coolly, not looking up from the new spending proposals. The clown raised his thumb to the hammer yet again.

“You said people who like guns are nutters and weirdos,” He snapped. Belle looked over at Ruby.

“Is that what we said Rubes?” She asked. Ruby shook her head. The clown turned around to the head of features and aimed the gun.

“ I suggested that the kind of people who get a kick out of tools for killing people are just the sort of people who shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near them.” Ruby explained, she looked at the clown who was pointing the gun at her. “Sounded like sanity to me. Speaking from the receiving end.”

“Well I’m going to prove something to you,” He snapped at the girl. He turned the gun back on Belle. “A gun makes you a man.” Belle opened her mouth to respond, but closed it again. She struggled to hold back laughter.

“I think you’ve got your biology a little confused there,” She told him. Aden nodded and rose from his chair.

“Absolutely,” He agreed. “It’s a car.” The clown looked at him, slightly take aback.

“You’re pretending like this isn’t happening!” He shouted, “This is happening.” Aden placed his back against the wall near Belle’s desk.

“You sure?” He asked. “You went a little crazy today, just long enough to get here with a gun. But you also got lucky too, because nobody’s gotten hurt, and no one outside this room even knows what’s happening.” Belle smiled at the courage her ex was displaying. Aden noticed, and opened his mouth to continue. “You’re just back from the edge. If you’re smart, you’ll stay there.” Aden watched as the clown began lowering the gun.

“You just have to put the gun down,” Belle said, “We won’t tell anyone this happened, you put the gun down and your family don’t ever have to know, your friends, no one.”

“One little moment of craziness, what the hell?” The clown lowered his head in shame, Aden looked over at Belle hopefully, “Nest time you get mad just be mean to someone you love and throw plates at them like a civilised person. The clown sighed and sat down in the chair Geoff hand placed next to the editor’s desk. The news team had gone very silent during Aden and Belle’s speech, and were now watching the clown, hoping that he’d take their advice. Geoff entered the main building from the break room. He had a mug of coffee in his hands. He placed it down in front of the clown, whom was still holding the gun.

“And after all that, we seem to be out of milk,” He laughed. The clown smiled.

“Never mind. I’ll just spit in it myself.” Relieved, the newsroom broke into a fit of laughter. The siege was over.

“So why not leave the gun here?” Belle asked him, “You have my word that no one will ever know.” The clown looked down at the revolver in his hand and moved forward to place it on the edge of Belle’s desk.

“Attention!” The clown looked up, it sounded like somebody outside. He gripped the gun in his hand tightly, “This is the police. We have the building surrounded, I repeat, the building is surrounded!” The clown rose from his chair and pointed the gun at Belle’s head.

“Nobody move, okay?” He called out to the now silent news team, “Nobody move!”

“Angelo,” Belle whispered, looking across the room into Angelo’s now empty office. Belle and Aden looked over at each other, both thinking the same thing.

“All armed persons please make your way out through the main doors, with your weapons...”

“Look, come on, we were getting somewhere!” Aden said. The clown pointed the gun over at the American.

“The police are here!” He snapped.

“I know, but...”

“How are you gonna keep this a secret now?” The clown asked him. He turned to Belle and pointed the gun back at her head. “Might as well go out with a bang, right?” He asked, pulling the revolver’s hammer back. Belle watched on in fright as he reached out for the trigger...

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:o Angelo! OMG, they had managed to get him to calm down, and this!? :( Well, I guess we knew that he owuldn't give in cos someone dies, but still...

I loved this chapter! All the characters were just hilarious in the way that they just carried on as if having a guy dressed up in a clown costume with a gun is an everyday occurance! :lol:

Cannot wait for more. I don't wany anyone to die...

xoxo

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This sequel just gets funnier and funnier with each chapter. This chapter was definitely one of the most hilarious ones I've read. Almost every line made me laugh.

Never would I have imagined this situation to play out like this. I loved Belle just continuosly shrugging of his threats and not paying much attention to him. She was awesome in this chapter. I bet the gunman probably thought they were all nuts considering the way they went back to business as usual while he was still standing there with a gun in his hand threatening them. Poor gunman, here he is trying to be intimidating and scary with a point to prove and no one is paying attention to him. Even firing the gun in the air wasn't good enough.

Oh and I enjoyed the bit of Belle and Aden banter in the middle of all this. These two just can't help themselves around each other, can they?

Angelo, he really knows how to stuff everything up. Still love him though.

While Belle and the gunman was definitely the highlight of this chapter Aden, Geoff and Ruby were great as well.

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Thanks Taniya, Laura and Jody. Writing this chapter, I grew tired of one of the characters, and am having trouble thinking up new things for, so I may write them out.

-Chapter Nine-

The Final Five

“With me now is Detective Inspector Peter Baker, who was in charge of the police siege.” A reporter said, turning to Peter. He was sitting to her right. “Detective, there’s been a lot of criticism as to the way you handled the siege. How would you respond to that?”

“We handled the situation as we thought best, given what we knew at the time.” The Detective Inspector replied. “Obviously this kind of situation is never really predictable in anyway.”

“It’s been suggested that the killing of one of the newspaper’s staff was a direct result of the police intervention. A panic reaction. Do you have any regrets about how conducted the siege?”

“Obviously the loss of life is very regrettable,” He replied sadly. The reporter nodded.

“As was the way the killer was able to escape from a building that you had completely surrounded at the time.” She added. Peter nodded,

“We are currently pursuing lines of inquiry into how this happened. It’s not clear at this stage how it was possible.

“And do you have any clue to the identity of the killer?”

“Not at this stage, no.”

***

Belle rose from her chair and folded her arms across her chest. She watched as the clown inhaled and exhaled deeply. His hand was shaking. The telephone began ringing and the clown turned to it and pulled the trigger. He missed the phone and got the bullet through Belle’s ‘in’ folder. Belle jumped in shock. He turned the gun back on the editor.

Behind the team, Aden looked around and noticed Belle had left her alarm clock out on one of the desks. It was a blessing she spent so many nights sleeping in the newsroom. He reached out and lifted it up slowly, hoping not to make a noise. He looked at it curiously.

Belle looked down at the telephone. It was still ringing. She turned back to the clown who was still pointing the gun at her.

“It’ll be the police.” She told him. The clown gripped the gun tighter.

“I don’t want to talk to them!” He shouted. Belle grinned.

“Smart move. Ask me why?”

Geoff watched on as Aden began changing the clock’s time. He raised an eyebrow curiously.

“What are you doing?” He asked nervously. Aden looked over at the clown before looking back down at the clock.

“He’s jumpy, isn’t he?” He whispered loud enough so that Geoff could here, but quite enough so that the clown couldn’t.

“Why?” The clown asked the editor. Belle folded her arms across her chest.

“They mustn’t here your voice,” Belle replied, “They’ll tape it and later they might be able to identify it, and there’s still a way out of it for you. Ask me how.”

“If we just knew when he’d get his next fright,” Aden whispered, changing the time on the alarm clock. Geoff looked down at him. Like eleven o’clock,” Aden finished changing the alarm time. It was now set to five to eleven.

“Okay, how?” The clown asked Belle curiously as he began to loosen his tight grip on the gun. Belle jerked her head towards the ringing telephone.

“Don’t you think I should answer the phone first?” She asked him, “You don’t want them getting restless.”

“I want to hear what you’re saying!” The clown shouted. Geoff looked up as Aden passed him the clock.

“Belle, do you want me to put the phone on the speaker?” He asked. Belle nodded in agreement, and turned to the clown.

“That way you’ll hear every word,” She told him.

“Fine. Right.” Was all the clown said. Belle turned back to Geoff.

“Set them up, Geoff,” She said. Geoff pushed his way through the crowd, concealing the alarm clock behind his back. He walked behind the clown and placed the clock down on a desk.

“Hurry up!” The clown commanded. Geoff jumped and the clock banged against the side of a typewriter. He stuck his hand in the ‘out’ tray and pulled out an article before walking over to Belle’s desk. He plugged in the speakers and turned to Belle.

“It’s ready to go now, boss,” He said. Belle smiled and watched as Geoff walked back through the crowd and over to Aden. She walked over to the telephone and picked it up.

“Hello, Coastal Junior,” She said.

“This is Detective Inspector Peter Baker, Yabbie Creek Police, who am I speaking to?”

“Belle Taylor, editor,”

“What is your situation, we heard a shot.”

“No one was hurt and our situation is relaxed, we have a slight problem, but if you guys go away, it might too,” Belle shot at the detective.

“I want to speak to the man who is holding you.” Belle looked up at the clown. He shook his head.

“That isn’t a possibility.” She told the man. “But I’ll tell you what he wants.” Behind the crowd, Aden walked over to his desk silently and picked up a metal rod he had been using to investigate a story the previous day.

“We’re listening,” Peter responded.

“He wants out of here scot-free. Just remove your men and the situation will be over.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t a possibility.”

“That’s all it would take for this problem to vanish!” She shouted. Aden and Geoff looked down at the clock nervously.

“I’d still like to speak to the man holding you.” Peter retorted.

“Let me be clearer, Detective Baker, you are the problem! Go!” Belle snapped.

“I’m sure you know we can’t be sure of the situation at...”

“I’m telling you!”

“At gunpoint!” Belle rolled her eyes and placed her hand over the bottom of the phone. She looked up at the clown.

“Ignore what I’m about to say, there’s still another way out.” She told the clown. She removed her hand from the bottom of the phone. “Detective, please listen to me! If you don’t give this guy a clean way out, somebody’s going to get hurt. Maybe badly.” She told the detective.

“Belle, we don’t know what effect our withdrawal will have. Put yourself in my position!” Peter pleaded.

“I would dearly like to!” Belle snapped back. She looked up at the clown, he was getting agitated. “Look, I’m going to have to hang up, okay?”

“If you must, but we’re keeping this line open, so if you do need to talk to us, you just have to pick up the phone to speak.”

“Understood.” She replied, she went to hang up.

“Wait!” Belle placed the phone back to her ear. Aden and Geoff exchanged worried glances as they looked at the clock again. “There’s someone here who wants to talk to you. Your boss.” Belle moved the phone away from her ear and turned to the clown.

“Mr. Damons. He edits the parent paper.” She informed him.

“What! Where did he go?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Just a moment Belle.” Peter told her. “Well stop him!” Aden let the metal rod slid down into his hand as he watched the clock change over. Two minutes. “Belle, it appears your boss may have done something stupid.” Belle placed the phone down as she heard the main door slam open. The masked gunman turned to the double doors, waiting for the arrival of the older man.

“Don’t shoot! He’s coming in!” Belle shouted.

“Who?” The clown asked in shock.

“My...” Angelo pushed the double doors open. He saw the gun pointed in his direction and raised his hands.

“Don’t shoot!” He shouted in fright.

“Angelo?” Aden asked in shock. He looked down at the clock again. Still two minutes. He glanced over at Geoff and they shared a look on unease.

“What the hell do you mean ‘my boss’?” Belle snapped at him angrily. Angelo smiled.

“You may be the editor Belle, but I handle the money!” He called out to her as he continued walking over to the rest of the hostages.

“Who is this?” The clown asked Belle.

“Don’t shoot,” Belle told him sadly. “He’s just a jerk.”

“Belle,” Geoff warned her. Angelo pointed one of his hands at the gun.

“Do you have to keep pointing at me? Gun wise, that is,” He asked, walking closer to the clown slowly. “It’s just that I've got a – a naturally high fear level. Probably if you were just a bit angry at me, that would, um, that would do it.”

“Is this some kind of trick?” The clown snapped. Angelo was still walking towards the masked man.

“Hey, no, I’m with you!” He laughed, clenching one of his hands into a fist and making circular motions. “I’m on the team with fire power!”

“Is he some kind of idiot?” The clown asked Belle. Geoff shrugged.

“Welcome to the Costal Junior,” He replied.

“Angelo, what are you doing back here?” Belle asked him, “You’ve put yourself in danger and you’re not exactly helping us either.” Angelo laughed nervously.

“Her and me, we’re always fighting like this. It’s a soul mate thing.” Belle scoffed in disgust. “Do you know what’s going down out there? There are a lot of big guys with batons and they’re getting kind of bored. They haven’t heard a lot from you guys and they’re starting to talk about getting a little more direct.” He stepped right in front of the clock, his hands still in the air.

“They’re going to move in.” The clown stated. Angelo nodded and looked down nervously at the gun.

“Promise me you’re being extra careful with that gun,” He told the clown, “Erm, I’m closer now, the bullets don’t have that far to travel.”

“Why are you here?” Belle asked her financial manager. Angelo shrugged.

“I thought you guys might need a smooth talking negotiator,” He replied.

“You came in here to do that, knowing that I had a gun?” The clown asked suspiciously. He raised his thumb to the hammer again.

“That was brave of you Angelo, but we had it under control.” Belle told him.

“Like the last budget meeting?”

“Listen, I did not throw the ashtray!” Belle shouted. Geoff looked down at the clock. It would be going off any second. He looked over at Aden nervously, and then at Angelo. They both nodded.

“Listen, something’s about to happen here...” Aden began to say. The clown interrupted him.

“Shut up!” He shouted. Aden looked over at the clock behind Angelo; it was mere seconds away from eleven o’clock. He looked down at his hands and raised the arm holding the rod. He threw it at the window. The clown turned and fired a shot.

“Down, Angelo!” Geoff shouted as the alarm went off. Angelo dropped to the floor and curled up under the desk as the clown turned and fired another shot. Geoff seized the opportunity to attack. He clenched his hands into fists and ran towards the clown who had his back turned. Suddenly, the clown turned, the gun was pointing right at Geoff’s chest. Geoff backed away a few steps. Belle watched on in shock as the man pulled the hammer back.

“Can I just make an interjection?” Angelo asked. He was curled up in the foetal position on the floor under the desk. The clown removed his thumb from the hammer, and Geoff breathed a sigh of relief.

“Shut up!” The clown shouted. Angelo slid out from under the desk and got to his feet. “You pull that trigger and you’re going to give yourself serious image problems police-wise. And quite frankly at this point, they’re not entirely sold on the whole ‘gun siege’ concept, anyway.”

“He’s right,” Belle told the clown, “And they’d have heard the shots.” The clown loosened his grip on the gun yet again as he turned his head towards Belle.

“Talk to them,” He said simply. Belle nodded and walked over to the telephone. She picked it up.

“No one’s hurt, just stay where you are, okay.” Belle said to the detective.

“Belle, listen...” Peter began to say. Belle slammed the phone down. Angelo inhaled deeply as he looked around the newsroom. Belle noticed that he looked terrified.

“Can I just say on behalf of everybody, I’m glad you didn’t kill Geoff,” He said nervously, “Because that would have been a serious bummer. I’m sorry if I’m sounding emotional.” He finished bluntly. The clown rolled his eyes and turned the gun on Aden.

“What was going on with breaking the window?” He asked. Aden looked at Angelo and Geoff. Both had nearly been killed because of him. His hands were shaking.

“We were trying to set up something to distract you,” He replied.

“Then what?”

“Well what do you think?” Aden shot at the man angrily. Angelo began shaking again.

“Can I just make another interjection?” He asked. The clown turned around and pointed the gun at the financial manager’s chest. “Those guys out there haven’t quite made up their mind about you. I mean, maybe you’re just one of those wacky kids who likes to tease his friends with a loaded firearm. We all know one.” Angelo raised an eyebrow at his own statement. He shrugged and continued. “So why don’t we start getting them to feel positive about you? What I was hoping for when I came in here was, well, um, maybe you could release some of this lot,” He pointed top the news team. “A few of the more attractive girls’ maybe. Uh, showing a bit of cleavage. Let’s package this right. I’ll take them outside and tell them all what a sweet and reasonable guy you are if only they can be bothered to look past the gun. And the creepy clown mask. What do you say?”

“Maybe I will give them something to think about.” The clown agreed.

“Right, yeah!” Angelo exclaimed in amazement. The clown grinned menacingly. He jerked the gun towards Belle.

“Go and stand with her.” The grin on Angelo’s face fell.

“I don’t think I’m getting right behind your concept.”

“Move!” He shouted. Angelo nodded and began walking towards Belle.

“Just remember I’m basically neutral in this on going crisis situation.” The clown pointed the gun at Geoff.

“And you,” He said. Geoff obeyed, walking over to Angelo and Belle. “And you,” Belle moved her head out of the way as the clown pointed the gun at Aden. Aden also obeyed. Ruby watched on in horror, these were people she considered her closest friends.

“What are you doing? What do you want with them?” She shouted. The clown turned and pointed the gun at her.

“You want to join them, fine!” The clown shouted back. Ruby folded her arms across her chest and walked over to the small group. “The rest of you, out!” Members of the news team began walking past the group. Drew looked back in concern, before giving the clown a dirty look. Angelo stepped forwards again.

“You really shouldn’t think of me as a hostage, more a facilitator...”

“Shut up!” The clown yelled. “You stay.” Angelo bowed his head in defeat and pushed into the empty space between Aden and Belle.

***

“We mustn’t overreact about what happened in Yabbie Creek,” An oldish man said. He was sitting in a chair next to the host of the local current affairs show and Drew. He was James Ambly, the head of the National Association of Gun Clubs. “People who are interested in guns don’t see them as weapons, but as wonderful pieces of machinery.”

“Yeah right,” Drew laughed, “Just like how some people have lawnmowers, but they don’t actually have grass to cut. They just like the noise they make as they push them.” He added acidly.

“Look, what we’re talking about here is a perfectly harmless hobby.” James said slowly. Drew took this as an insult.

“Well if it wasn’t for this ‘perfectly harmless hobby’, perhaps one of my friends wouldn’t be dead.”

***

In the newsroom, Belle, Aden, Geoff, Ruby and Angelo were lined up in a row next to Belle’s desk; the gunman was pacing up and down. He pointed the gun at them.

“Right, over to those shelf things,” He said, pointing to the shelfs at the back of the room. “Line up facing me.” Belle gave the clown her trademark eye roll before obeying. Soon everyone had done the same. They turned around and face him. The clown walked closer to them and sat down in Annie’s vacant chair.

“So what happens now then?” Belle asked.

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:o Again, :o !

Another brilliant chapter! I keep fearing the end of each one because I don't want anyone to die, but you haven't killed them yet. Now it's doen to those 5. I don't want any of them to die! I love them all. They're all so funny. But if I had to choose, I'd make it Ruby... :(

Can't wait for more!

xoxo

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As usual I loved this chapter. Having Angelo there trying to act like their negotiator was definitely not going be helpful. But it was definitely funny. I can't believe one of them is going to die. As much as I don't want her to die if I had to choose between this five then I'd go with Ruby.

Please update soon.

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The last three chapters have been fantastic!! I am very worry thou about the death of one the characters especially now that it appears to be one of the five who are now left with the gunman, I love them all, but like Taniya if I had to choose I would have to choose Ruby...

Angelo coming in to 'help' and be the smooth negotiator was hilarious!!

“Can I just say on behalf of everybody, I’m glad you didn’t kill Geoff,” He said nervously, “Because that would have been a serious bummer.

I loved that line!!

Can't wait for more!!

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Thanks Taniya, Laura, Jody and Sam :)

-Chapter Ten-

And Then There Were Four

THE FUNERAL

As mourners began walking into the church, a figure from the Coastal Junior’s pew rose and walked outside. Detective Baker noticed this and followed curiously.

“Ruby?” He asked. Ruby Buckton turned around and faced the detective.

“Detective Baker,” She said. Peter walked closer to the young reporter.

“Fresh air?” He asked. Ruby nodded. Peter looked across and saw that the girl was looking anxious. “I understand the traffic in town is a little heavy. The main party may be a little late.” He looked down at his watch.

“I thought you’d have been with them,” The reporter announced. “Since you’re doing the eulogy,” She added, a tone of disgust in her voice.

“I take it you don’t approve.” The detective stated. Ruby avoided answering. “I’ll be talking about a close friend of yours who I never met. Is there anything you’d like me to keep in mind? When I deliver the eulogy, I mean.”

“Timing’s important.” Peter looked at the girl in concern before turning away.

“I suppose I seem an odd choice,” He said to the girl. “I think the family sees it as an official recognition of bravery.” He finished proudly. Ruby rolled her eyes.

“Of course it’s a nice bit of police PR.”

“Concerning a case where we’ve made zero progress catching a killer.” Peter told her. Ruby looked down at the ground. “Is that what you’ve got in mind?”

“I wouldn’t have put it that way.” Ruby turned to face Peter. “How about a case where you let a killer escape from right under your nose!” She shouted. Peter folded his arms across his chest.

“He killed a friend of yours,” He began, “Why are you protecting him?” Ruby turned her head away from the detective in shock and began walking up the church’s path. Peter followed her. “We’re not stupid Ruby! We know when we’re being lied to!”

“He was wearing a mask!”

“Which concealed his height, his voice, his hair colour?”

“We’ve done our best to remember!” Peter placed his hand on the girls shoulder and she came to a stop.

“And no two of you have remembered the same!” He shouted.

“Why would we protect him after what he did?” Ruby shouted back, tears forming in her eyes,

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Peter answered. Ruby stuck her hands into her coat pockets. “What happened in there Ruby? What really happened?” Ruby looked away from the detective. He rolled his eyes. “We will find out eventually, so don’t kid yourself.” Ruby pulled her hands out of her pockets. An envelope was in her left hand.

“Actually, we’re not so stupid either,” She handed the detective the envelope. As soon as the detective had opened it she walked briskly back to the church. Peter looked down at the note that had been in the envelope.

'Dear Inspector Baker,' it read, 'What follows is an account of the final stages of the siege at the Coastal Junior office on the 24th of October. We hope that this fuller statement of events leading up to the final and tragic outcome will at last convince you that everything we have said so far, however unlikely it may have seemed, has been the truth...'

***

Belle folded her arms across her chest as she watched the clown pace up and down near her desk. She looked down the row and saw Angelo seemed close to a panic attack. She turned her head towards the clown.

“Isn’t it about time you phoned your mother?” She called out. The clown came to a stop and turned the gun on her.

“What?” He asked. Belle shrugged.

“Nothing.” She told him. The clown lowered the gun and began pacing again. Belle turned to Geoff and shrugged her shoulders. “Just a shot in the dark.” The clown turned back to the group.

“You guys stay quite like I asked, okay?” He shouted at them. Ruby looked around the newsroom and saw that the darkroom door was opened. She turned her head to Angelo, whom was standing next to her.

“We’re going to have to talk to the police out there; we don’t want them getting restless!” Belle shouted at the clown. He pointed the gun at her for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“I said shut up!” He shouted at her. Ruby nudged Angelo with her elbow.

“Could the police get in through the darkroom?” She asked. Angelo nodded.

“There’s an old boarded up window,” He told the reporter, “Why?”

“That door wasn’t open a minute ago,” She replied. Angelo looked over at the door.

“It must have been,” He muttered. Belle’s portable began ringing and the clown jumped, he pointed the gun at the desk.

“Might be your mother now,” Geoff said, the clown turned to the group.

“Probably wants to know how long you’ll be,” Aden added, “Tell her you’re down to the final five!”

“No talking!” The clown shouted at them.

“Or the thin blue line is wanting a word,” Aden added. The clown made his way over to them.

“We’re not going to answer it, okay!” He shouted, pointing the gun directly at Aden’s chest. “We leave it!”

“Hey, that’s a great idea!” Aden shot at the clown. He took no notice of the firearm pointed at him. “Let’s anger a battalion of heavily armed police!” The clown raised his thumb to the hammer.

“Mouthy, aren’t you?” Geoff and Belle looked at each other in worry before looking over at their desks.

“That isn’t the police,” The deputy editor interjected, “The phone that’s ringing is on Belle’s desk – it’s her portable. It could be anyone.” He added. Belle folded her arms across her chest again.

“And they’re not giving up,” She told the clown. He looked over his shoulder nervously before turning back to the small group.

“And that noise could really get to bug a person after a while,” Aden added in his distinct American accent.

“It’s probably best to answer it, don’t you think?” Belle asked the clown calmly. He nodded and pointed the gun at Aden yet again.

“But he answers it,” He snapped. Aden stepped forward and folded his arms across his chest.

“My pleasure,” He snapped, looking over at Belle and Geoff. Both were watching him in concern. As Aden walked towards his editor’s desk, the clown followed him, pointing the gun at his back.

“I want to hear everything you say,” He snapped. Aden rolled his eyes and groaned.

“You’ll have to stand close; this doesn’t hook up to the speaker.” He picked up Belle’s portable and flipped the bottom open. He pressed the talk button and placed it against his ear. “Hello.” He said.

“Spike!” A male voice said enthusiastically. “It’s Lucas Holden!”

“Lucas?” Aden asked in confusion. Lucas had quite the paper only a few days before to pursue his dream of going to university.

“Long time no nothing,” Lucas replied. Aden looked at the clown nervously. He was standing less than 30 centimetres away from him, his thumb near the gun’s hammer.

“Uh, yeah, hi,” Aden said, trying to sound as casual as possible. “So, how are you doing?”

***

Lucas looked around at Annie and Cathy, both were standing with there arms folded across their chests nervously. This was their last chance.

“I’m, uh, good,” He replied, realising the clown must be listening.

***

“Look, Lucas, it’s really great to hear from you, but...” Aden began to say, the clown flashed the gun again as a warning sign, “Now’s not the time.” The clown nodded in agreement, lowering the gun slightly. “Look, I’ll call you back tonight if I’m...” He looked at the gun in the clown’s hand, “Available,” He finished. The clown nodded again.

“Look, I've got a proposition you guys might like,” Lucas pleaded. Aden looked across at the clown, he was getting impatient now.

“That’s a coincidence, we’re right in the middle of an offer we can’t refuse, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to hand up.” The clown nodded yet again. Ruby and Angelo looked over at the dark room again, the door had closed.

“I've got a really good suggestion to help with where the paper’s at right now...”

“I doubt you know where it’s at right now!”

“I don’t know, I think I've got a pretty good idea.” He heard the tone in Lucas’s voice. It hit him that he must know something. “Anyway, Annie said she’d put the suggestion on my old desk.”

“You’re...” Aden glanced over at his desk subtly. A computer was now sitting atop it. The ‘incoming message’ button was flashing, and Aden smiled. “I think I’m getting the message,” He finished.

“See you soon,” Lucas told Aden, “I hope,” He added. Aden looked at the clown anxiously.

“I hope so too,” Aden replied. He pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed the end button. He looked across and saw that the clown was angry.

“I told you to get rid of him fast!”He shouted. Aden looked over at Belle and Geoff desperately.

“He’s an old friend.” He said to the clown, “We may not talk again,” He finished, slamming the portable down on Geoff’s desk.

***

Lucas placed his phone down and looked up at Cathy and Annie.

“Here’s hoping,” Cathy said anxiously. Lucas nodded.

“If they can just get to the computer,” Annie added, looking up at the clock on Lucas’s wall.

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