Your name is Arabella Elliot. You are 25 years old with a unique skillset: fast hands, excellent agility, and incredible stamina. With your skillset also comes a tragedy: you are the daughter of two thieves who died on a job, and now, you must follow in their footsteps to make a life for yourself.
That's how you met Alexander La Russa. Alexander, for all intents and purposes, is your employer. He's how you get the different sorts of jobs you're assigned, whether they be something as simple as a robbery or as complex as a heist. You think you've earned his trust, but this is just the beginning.
You receive a text from him with instructions to check your email. In it, you find an airline ticket to Baltimore, Maryland.
[[Go to Baltimore.]]You go to Baltimore, Maryland and you're given other instructions of where to go. You follow like a good employee and end up on a street a few blocks from a hospital, and behind you is a lavish hotel. A luxury sports car speeds past you, about to pull into the fancy hotel. You turn around and start walking toward them. By your estimate, by the time you get there, the woman wearing expensive looking clothes would be getting out, and it would be easy to take a piece of jewelry from her wrist or hand.
But before you get there, Alexander's voice sounds off in your ear through the earpiece you're wearing, "You're not here to rob a couple, princess."
"Then what am I here for, besides burning a few calories, hm?" You ask. "You haven't exactly been clear."
"You're here because there's a pathetic private investigator and wannabe journalist in the city that you need to... how do I put it nicely? //Take out.//"
[[You stop in your tracks, surprised at his words. "What?!"]]You feel your heart stop as you step a bit closer to the building you're walking beside in order to get out of the way. "That’s not what I do, you know that. If you want me to steal something, fine. But I can’t just take someone out. I don’t have the skillset."
You can imagine Alexander rolling his eyes and glaring at you. "Now, we both know that's a lie. When you agreed to be part of our organization, we taught you a variety of different skills. This is one of them."
You sigh. "It's broad daylight. How do you expect me to carry this out cleanly?"
"Easily," Alexander says. "Keep walking until you reach the end of the block. There’s a hospital across the street. Right across from the hospital is an art shop. Go in and ask for an order for Alexander La Russa. I have a contact there, an associate will allow you access to the rooftop and provide you with the necessary tools. Are you in, or out?"
[["I'm in."]]
[["I'm out."]]
Before you start walking and following orders again, you need to confirm your payment to see if it'll all be worth it. "How much?" You ask.
"How much is a life worth to you?" Alexander asks.
"Twenty grand minimum," you demand. If you're going to kill someone, you might as well have your rent for the next ten months taken care of. After all, it's your conscience that will suffer. If you still have any left, that is. Sometimes, you're not quite sure.
"You've got it. Now hurry along, you don't want to miss your mark," Alexander tells you.
[[You start walking again and into the art store.]]After you tell Alexander you're out, you remove the earpiece and crush it beneath your foot. It feels almost cathartic to do so, as if to show that he doesn't own you, and that you can control your destiny. In a world like yours where you're just a pawn, it's difficult to remember the choices you make are your own.
You buy yourself a plane ticket and return home to Portland, wondering how you're going to pay next month's rent. But, at least you get to walk away knowing you've never killed anyone and you don't have blood on your hands. After all, the worst thing that can happen is for you to end up like Lady Macbeth and spend your entire life trying to wash the blood away when it's no longer there.
Even though you also know that by not following orders, by being disloyal, it means you would die.
The End.
[[Two months later.]]You enter the art store and see there's all sorts of different art on display. There are also supplies on the shelves
In the art store, you see a tall young man with a scruffy beard and round glasses. He looks exactly like the kind of guy you expect to see in a shop like this, which is to say he looks like a hipster with his blue plaid button down shirt and band tee underneath it. The sleeves are rolled up to reveal some tattoos on his forearms.
You walk up to him confidently with a small smile on your features.
[["I'm here to pick up an order for Alexander La Russa."]]//Loyalty Test//
Written by Kristine Zapitan,
[[Begin]]The man looks at you as if he were sizing you up. You can tell Alexander didn't give him much information, the usual need to know basis you're given. This shouldn't surprise you, after all, you've worked with Alexander before.
The man walks to the entrance of the shop and locks it. He turns back to you and sees the concerned look on your face. "Just for precaution," he says. "Some of the things here are expensive." He walks to the area behind the counter and reaches down to grab a backpack. He places it between the two of you and says, "This is for you."
You grab the backpack and put it on your back. The man gestures for you to follow him, so you do, and he leads you to the back of the shop, to a storage area. He grabs a ladder from the side of the room and places it beneath a trap door that leads to the roof.
"Last chance to back down," he says jokingly.
[[Continue.]]
[[Leave.]]You blink when the man makes the joke. He's right. This is your last chance to back down, to keep your hands clean, to keep being the thief, and not a killer.
You swallow hard, knowing how this will look for you, knowing Alexander will want you dead after this.
"You're right," you tell him. "I'm out. I'm sorry."
You walk away and unlock the door then leave the shop. "Did you hear what I said?" You ask Alexander.
"I heard. You quit," Alexander states. "It's too bad, Arabella. I really liked working with you."
"No you didn't," you snap. "You constantly punish me, even when I'm doing the right thing, even when all I've ever done was try to impress you. You never liked me. You constantly make me miserable."
"I'm just trying to shape you to be the person I know you can be," he says. "You have great potential. Not that it matters now. You're dead if you don't go back into that shop and climb that ladder. And I'd hurry if I were you. Or else you'll miss your target, and someone else will be given your prize."
You sigh and swallow hard. You walk back toward the hotel and take off the earpiece and toss it into the trash.
[[Later on.]]You laugh a little as you start climbing the ladder. "Thanks," you tell him.
"No problem," he says. "After it's done, you have to go down the back of this building. There's a dumpster there that'll make climbing down easier, and you'll make a cleaner getaway."
"I hope you're getting paid well for this," you say as you open the latch and push the trap door out.
"Yeah, me too," he says.
[[You climb through the opening and crawl onto the roof.]]You sit down on the roof and open the backpack. "Alright, I'm here," you speak, knowing Alexander's still listening. The backpack reveals a collapsible sniper rifle and scope. You sigh. "Really? You couldn't give me a weapon that's already assembled?"
"Do you intend on getting caught, Arabella?" Alexander asks, annoyance clear in his tone. "Your lessons covered weaponry, remember that. If we gave you a regular sniper rifle, you'd eaily get caught for having it. This way, it's easier to conceal after you're done. You might wanna hurry. I'm sure your target's appointment is concluding right about now."
You hurry up and lay out the contents of the bag in front of you and start putting the rifle together. As you do so, you figure it's a good time to hear more about your target. "So, what is this person wearing? What do they look like?" You ask curiously.
"One of my men spotted her going into the building earlier. She's wearing a grey sweater. Dirty blonde, fair skin. She's also wearing leather ankle boots and a grey satchel."
"Got it," you say.
[[You finish setting up the rifle.]]
Once the rifle is complete and the scope is attached, you lie on your stomach on the roof, one eye shut as the other is looking right into the magnified scope in search for your target. So far, there's nowhere in sight.
"So, why are you after this woman?" You ask, curiosity piqued.
"This particular target is a reporter. A journalist who's discovered some things regarding my business that she should not know," Alexander explains.
"Oh, like the fact that you have people killed?" You joke.
"Exactly," he says. "This particular reporter knows too much, she's too close. I can't risk her letting the public know of what she's found against me and my colleagues. It would ruin us. And you know how the saying goes, Arabella. If I go down, you go down with me."
[[Right then, a woman wearing the same clothes as Alexander described appears.]]You look at the target and zoom in to get a closer look. When you recognize the target, you're taken aback. Suddenly, you're a little girl again, when your parents are still alive and you used to visit your cousin, when the two of you would play at the park with her dolls, pretending to have tea and laughing and joking with one another. You haven't seen your cousin, Heart, in years, but that's your own fault. She's just a casualty of you trying to run away from your past.
Your throat thickens and your mouth dries. "Are you sure that's her?"
"Oh, I'm sure," Alexander confirms. "I've hired a private investigator to stalk her these past few months. This P.I. was able to confirm her doctor's appointment, and I figured now would be as good a time as any."
"There's a problem," you tell him.
[["Oh, I'm aware," Alexander says.]]You blink, unable to speak. Alexander continues talking.
"This is why I wanted you to do the job specifically. As you may recall, when we first met, I told you that I need my employees to be loyal. They need to be strong and get the job done. This is your chance to prove that to me. You know, your cousin Heart has gained quite the reputation for sticking her nose in other people's business. I mean, it was fine when it was all just gossip, but now, well, she might have actually found her way into some trouble."
"I don't think I can do this," you tell him. "Please, Alexander. Please don't make me."
"I should've been more specific about the cost of this assignment. How much do you value //your// life, Arabella? Because if you don't do this, that's what it's gonna cost you."
[[Kill Heart.]]
[[Save Heart.]]Your hands tremble but you draw in a deep breath and steady them. In theory, what you're doing is easy: all you have to do is point and shoot, to pull the trigger and kill Heart. So what if she's your cousin? The two of you have never really been close, anyway. Sure, you used to play together as kids, but you used to spend time with a lot of people you wouldn't take a bullet for or die for these days.
You have to do what it takes to survive. You will not suffer your parents' fate. You'll do what it takes to live another day. Even if it means taking the life of someone you consider family.
You look into the scope and aim at Heart. She has her back turned now as she's heading toward the garage. You aim for her head and pull the trigger. She falls instantly, and the few people around her start to scream. You immediately move out of view on the roof and quickly disassemble the rifle and place it in the backpack.
You get off the roof on the other side of the art shop like the employee there said to and get far away from the scene of the crime.
[[Two weeks later.]]You feel tears start to form in your eyes. "I don't get why you're making me do this. I'm a great thief, you've said so yourself."
"But you're weak, Arabella. You have this weakness inside of you and you need to find a way to kill it. You better hurry now. Your cousin will be out of your sight soon. Although, whether you kill her or not, it doesn't really matter. One way or another, she'll be dead in the next few minutes."
You stop for a moment. "What do you mean by that?"
[[Alexander laughs and it sends a chill down your spine.]]
"You don't actually think I'd trust you to pull through this, do you?" Alexander asks. "No, you can't be that naive. I have what you call a failsafe in case you can't get your act together."
"You hired an actual mercenary?" You ask, your voice hoarse.
"Of course I did. Good luck. //Tick tock.//"
You look away from the scope for a moment to look at how far Heart was from the entrance of the parking garage. [[You observe your surroundings with the scope in search of the failsafe.]]In a parked car on the street, you see a man wearing all black. He is bald and wearing all black outfit with a black shirt and leather black jacket. There is an assault rifle in his hand, aimed toward Arabella. You know him, you've seen him before. Sebastian Doran. You know his reputation, the terrible things he's done to torture someone or just kill them overall. He's good at what he does, you know this well.
You still have a few more seconds before Heart would reach the entrance and she'd be out of time. You have to think quickly.
[["Screw it," you mutter to yourself.]]You aim the rifle toward Sebastian and shoot. A warning that he's been found and that if he continues with the task, he'd get caught since the shot you fired has attracted some attention.
You look into the scope again after preparing the rifle but Sebastian's already ignited the engine and is speeding away. Heart remains standing on the street, watching him flee. Soon, though, she snaps beck into reality and runs into the parking garage.
You disassemble the rifle and stuff everything in the bag. You climb down the front of the art shop, thankful that it wasn't a far drop from the roof as it's only a one-story building. Once on the ground, you pull off your earpiece so Alexander won't have a way to track you anymore, and crush it beneath your feet.
[[You race across the street and into the parking garage.]]You look around the parking garage quickly, looking for Heart. When you don't see her on the first level, you run and keep going. You locate her and her car in the third level, and she's preparing to leave when you run up and knock on her window.
Heart jumps but unlocks the door when she recognizes you. You get into her car.
"Arabella?! What are you doing in Baltimore?!" She asks.
"Long story," you say. "You're in danger."
"What? Why?" Heart asks.
"Because of your investigation. Apparently, you have enough information to ruin businesses and throw criminals in jail," you explain.
Heart looks at you with wide eyes. "How did you know about that?"
[[You look at her and sigh. "Because one of them is my boss."]]Heart looks at you with wide eyes. "Arabella, were you hired to kill me?" She asks, a hint of betrayal in her tone.
"Yes. But in my defense, I didn't know it was you until just seconds before." You swallow hard. "Look, we need to get out of here and figure out what we're going to do next, how to take them down. We need to find somewhere safe before Sebastian comes back for you."
Heart ignites the car's engine and begins to pull out of the parking space. She heads toward the exit and pays the cost of the parking and drives around the city, following the signs toward the freeway.
"We can go back to my place," Heart tells you.
You shake your head immediately. "No, they've been trailing you. They know where you live. We can't just go there. They'd kill us as soon as we get there."
"Okay. Well, I might know of a place to go."
[[Keep going.]]
Heart drives you two to what looks to be an abandoned building by a wooded area. You look around the place. It's not worn down completely, but it does look like no one maintains the grounds, and it's a fairly small building, like a cottage.
"Where are we?" You ask.
"My mom's old studio."
You nod. "It's nice."
"It's alright," Heart says with a small smile. "So, what are you gonna do about your boss now? I doubt he's given up the search. Who knows how long it'd take for this place to show up on any records they have on me or my family."
You sigh, knowing you only have two options:
[[Kill Alexander.]]
[[Run.]]"We're gonna have to do to him what they paid me to do," you say with a sigh.
Heart's features darken. "You don't mean..."
You nod slowly. "I do. If I don't do this, he's going to keep coming after us. We would have to keep running. We would never know peace."
Heart just stares at you, face blank. "We could end up in jail."
"I would. You wouldn't. I mean, let's face it, considering the things I've done, it'd be about time," you say.
Heart sighs. Reluctantly, she says, "Alright, fine. But how do you expect to kill him?"
You think for a moment. And then the idea comes to you. "He's gonna be at an event tomorrow to showcase the new car model. We can hit him then."
[[Fast forward to tomorrow.]]You decide to run. You and Heart embark on a roadtrip and pick up all of your belongings and keep it in suitcases in her car. The two of you become nomads while Heart holds onto the files that would incriminate the CEOs of multiple different companies all over the country.
One day, the two of you will release them. But for now, you need to make sure you're safe.
[[Flash forward.]]
The next day, you and Heart drive over to the convention center where the event would be. You check into a hotel room that's across from the convention center and pick the lock of one of the other rooms that face the building to prevent themselves from being tracked easily. The advantage of being one of your boss's under the table employees is no one knows of your ties to him, which means that you won't be painted as a suspect. At least, not immediately.
You assemble the sniper rifle once you're in the room and keep a close eye on the incoming party. Heart's responsible for keeping people away in case the room is rented out at any point of the day.
You're sitting on the chair on the hotel patio when you spot Alexander's car arrive. It doesn't take long for him to exit it and is greeted by the valet. You grab the sniper rifle and look through the scope, waiting for a clean shot. But, before you can find it, your phone rings.
You look at the caller ID and anxiety pools in the pit of your stomach. You reluctantly answer the phone.
[["Hello, Arabella," Alexander greets. "Nice hotel you've found yourself in."]]You swallow the bile forming in your throat. "You're still stalking me? I thought you would've gotten the hint, Alex."
He laughs. "I know you too well. Remember, I taught you everything you know, which is how I know that you're trying to kill me right now."
Your heart starts pounding. You don't respond.
"Well, I just thought I'd give you the courtesy of letting you know that someone's got their eye on you, too. Goodbye now," Alexander disconnects the call.
You survey the area in a panic. Whoever the hitman for you is, they would have to be somewhere you can see them, because they can see you. Your eyes squint as you look through your scope and search for any indication of another sniper.
[[Finally, you see it.]]On a building across the street to your right, on a patio, you spot the glare from a scope and see Sebastian Doran with his rifle pointed towards you. Without sparing another moment to think, you aim your rifle toward his forehead and pull the trigger. He falls instantly.
The gunshot causes a few people to look around and stop for a few seconds to try to gauge the level of danger they're in. Once that moment passes, you aim your scope toward the front of the convention center once again, where Alexander's shaking hands with potential investors. You aim for his neck and pull the trigger, and watch through the scope as blood spurts out of the wound and he falls onto the ground.
People start screaming, and chaos begins to ensue in the convention center as people start panicking, trying to determine who the next target is. You disassemble the rifle and place it in your backpack, and leave the hotel with Heart.
"What do we do now?" Heart asks.
"Now, we tell the truth," You answer.
[[Epilogue.]]
Once you and Heart are in the clear, speeding through the freeway and away from the convention center, you return to her apartment. There, she sorts through the notes and her discoveries. You read through them as Heart publishes her masterpiece.
Your focus is on the piece about Alexander. There are, of course, evidences and records of the grand heists and string of robberies you've helped him pull, but there are others that surprise you, things he's never told you or you've never found out about him from his other family members that would also participate in your crimes. Some of them being drug trafficking and bribing politicians and law enforcement to look the other way or to pass certain laws that's favorable for either their legal or illegal business.
Despite the consequences that may later fall on your head, right now, you're relieved. Just relieved that you saved Heart's life, and no matter what happens, that's one thing you'll never regret.
The End.
[[Try again?]]It's two months since you escaped Alexander's group of criminals, which in your mind is generous of him considering he's had people killed for less. You're settling into a normal life quite well. You got a job waitressing, and pick up all the shifts you can to keep up with your expenses. Everything's going fine -- //too fine,// it seems. But tonight, all your wondering comes to an end.
You're in the alley outside of your apartment building, smoking like you normally would. Suddenly, from both sides of the alley, large men start to approach. You ignore them, thinking they'll ignore you, but they don't.
Instead, they start to taunt you. One of them plucks the cigarette out of your hand, and they start to push you toward each other. You attempt to run away, but one of the buff men in a leather jacket grabs you. They start hitting you and all you can do is scream. But your neighbors have always minded their own business, and no one wants the trouble.
Soon, you're lying in the alley, dying from blunt force trauma.
The End.
[[Try again?]]You find a safe place to hide, in a cheap hotel somewhere in the suburbs of Baltimore County, figuring you'll fly home after a day or so as to not waste the plane ticket. You turn on the television and flip through the channels.
There's nothing good on the screen so when the channel landed on the news, you just let it play. It's the local channel, and so it's talking about today's events. Suddenly, the site looks familiar to you as a reporter talks about a deadly shooting that's happened. You realize it's the same area that you left earlier that day.
You remembered what Alexander said, that someone else would take your prize. He must have hired someone else for the same job. He knew you wouldn't be able to complete it.
Disgusted, you shut the television off before they could talk about the victim. [[Suddenly, you hear a gunshot.]]Everything happens so fast. You're not sure where the gunshot had come from, but you know who the target of it is: you.
The bullet hits your arm and you cry out in pain. You drag your body from the bed to the floor to hide, hoping someone had just missed their mark or has accidentally fired into your room. After all, they give guns to anyone these days.
But as you hide and try to crawl into the bathroom for safety, the shooter has already knocked your door down. You look up and see who it is. You recognize him: Sebastian Doran. You know him through Alexander, since he always hires him for hits. He never fails, and this time, you know it's your turn to meet the end of the barrel of his gun.
"Sorry, Arabella. I promise it's not personal. I'll make this as painless as possible," he says before shooting you, the bullet going straight into your forehead and killing you instantly.
[[Try again?]]You received a text message a week later from your Uncle Harrison, Heart's father. He invited you to go to her funeral at the graveyard in Baltimore. He let you know that it's okay if you couldn't make it, but that he wanted to make sure you knew your cousin was gone.
A wave of guilt washed over you that day, so you decide to attend her funeral.
The day of, it's a grey, cloudy day. It's almost like the skies know you're attending a funeral. The section of the graveyard the funeral is at is full of people, from Heart's old friends from high school to college friends and old colleagues. But you and her father are the only family members. You've forgotten how small your family is, how aside from your fathers who are cousins, you and Heart are really the only family you have, at least on the paternal side. Though it seems no one on her maternal side is able to make it.
After Harrison says a few words about Heart, it's her friends' turns. Her boyfriend is first to speak. You didn't even know she was seeing someone.
[[At the end of the funeral, you go to the reception.]]The reception is at your uncle's house. You haven't been there in so long, you forgot how big it is, and how full of life it is. There are paintings everywhere. Heart's mom, before she died, was an artist who was featured in various different galleries. Your uncle kept the paintings she didn't sell and displays them in his house. You forgot how in love they were.
Being a good relative, despite the fact that you're the one who killed your cousin, you decide to stay after everyone left to clean up. It's then that your uncle drops the friendly though heartbroken demeanor and is vulnerable. You hear him sob in one of the bathrooms as you pick up the trash around the house.
Before you leave, you come up to him and ask him how he's holding up, and to see what he knows regarding what happened. He tells you there was a shooting, and she was the target.
"Do you know who would do something like this to her?"
//What do you say?//
[[Tell your uncle the truth.]]
[[You shrug.]]"I don't really know anyone who knows her," you say, which is true, for the most part. But you're not really answering your uncle's question, because the truth is that you //do// know someone who would do something like this to her. You. All because of a job. It's smart to not say anything, though. What //could// you say to your uncle to get him to understand that you traded his only child's life for twenty grand?
Harrison gives you a nod. "Well, if you hear anything. The local police did an autopsy and they're doing ballistics. They're investigating. But, I don't necessarily trust the local police, so I'm going to do my own digging. The agency I work for has better resources, anyway."
"What do you know about her death?" You ask, to try to gauge how screwed you are.
[["I know about her research," your uncle says.]]You swallow the bile forming in your mouth. You can feel a pang in your heart from the guilt you've acquired. Your uncle had always been good to you, despite the differences between your families. Your parents were thieves, while your uncle works for the government. You don't exactly know what he does, but you know he's important in his line of work because he's rarely home due to it. The few times you did see him, he always gave you a gift, whether it was a wad of cash or an actual toy. He was always kind and well-meaning. The type you wouldn't want to betray.
You can't bear to look at his sad expression and the way his lips quiver from pain as he talks. You look down at your hands and you can swear you see blood on them. You swallow hard.
[["I do. I know who killed her and I know why."]]The research makes your heart beat faster. You wonder how long it'll take him to sort through the information Heart had, and if he would come to the conclusion that she was the one who killed her. Would Alexander be as loyal to you as you are to him if Harrison shakes him down?
"Thanks for reminding me of that, kiddo. I'm gonna sort through that, and maybe I'll get some answers."
You fake a smile as you continue to pick up the trash and help him clean the house. You leave as soon as you take out the trash. There's no way you're going to stick around and help him through the research that would lead to your incrimination.
[[Three months later.]]You're in Madrid, inside of Museo Nacional del Prado. You're there with your team to attempt to steal a painting. The hacker with you, Paolo, is just about to get past the lasers that detect if someone's close to the art when the museum doors near the exhibit you're in is broken down.
Police surround the area. You hear a chopper flying over the building. You and your team all look at each other as the police are yelling in Spanish. This wouldn't be the first time you had a shoot-out with the cops. You survived then, and you'll survive now.
You grab your assault rifle that's strapped to your back quickly and begin firing at the police. One of the officers on your right side got a lucky shot and hit you in the chest. Blood comes out of your mouth as you fall on the ground. You're conscious long enough for your uncle to come in with the police captain. He recognizes you immediately.
"Arabella?" He says. You only recognize him from his voice, his figure is a blur with your fading vision.
You lie there, dying.
The End.
[[Try again?]]Your uncle looks at you like he's studying you when you say the words. It's as though he's trying to see if you're messing with him, and if you're telling him the truth. "Who? Why?" He asks, when you don't say anything else.
"Let's start with the why, so you'll understand the who," you say. You draw in a deep breath. Where would you even start? And then you remember the sole reason why she's the target in the first place, and you decide it would be the most appropriate. "Heart was doing a lot of research, trying to expose crime organizations hidden behind esteemed company. She's found a lot of evidence regarding some companies. Enough to send the people involved to jail. But no one wants to go down."
Harrison blinks. "So, you're saying she was killed because of her work? I always warned her about snooping around. Who killed her then?"
[["I did."]]"W-what?" Harrison says. "You're messing with me, right? Not funny, Arabella. God, I'm going through so much-"
"I know," you say. "I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice. I had to do this. Otherwise, he would've killed me. His name's Alexander La Russa. Uncle Harrison, I swear to you that I didn't want to do it. I begged him not to let me. But it was her or me."
"And you chose her," Harrison says pointedly. He opens a drawer to pull out a pair of silver handcuffs and puts them on you. He forces you to sit down while he calls local law enforcement. "Maybe you can get a good deal if you cooperate. Not that I care about what your life turns into now."
When the police arrive, they take you and push you into their vehicle. You get hauled off to the precinct, and the last thing you see is your uncle scowling at you as the police drive off with you.
The End.
[[Try again?]]It is a year later when both you and Heart feel comfortable enough to release the documents. She's gotten in touch with her journalist friends through a burner phone and started an email thread.
As she starts to upload the file to an email that's being sent to her friends, bullets start flying into your motel room. The two of you duck under the bed, but you know it's only a matter of time before the hired guns come in and finish the job.
The two of you are dead before Heart can send the email.
The End.
[[Try again?]]