25

                                    

                                          
Amanda walked back into John's room. She widened her eyes. John was holding onto Lynn's hand.
                          
No, no, no, no! She screamed in her head.
                          
"We're fine, Amanda." John said. "We don't need you." Amanda's breathing became uneven again.
                          
"I said we're fine." He repeated.
                          
Amanda stormed back out of the room. She walked around, confused and lost.
                          
"In my desk...in the center drawer. An envelope, with your name on it." She remembered John telling her. She opened the drawer and there it was. A yellow envelope, her name neatly written on it.
                          
Something's wrong here. She thought. Something's very wrong. She thought about not opening until Lynn's game was over, but curiosity got the best of her. She opened the envelope. She flipped through a few papers until she found a handwritten note. She recognized it as Hoffman's writing. It read:
                          
Amanda,
                          
You were with Cecil the night Jill lost Gideon. You killed their child. You know it, and I know it, so do exactly as I say. Kill Lynn Denlon, or I will tell John what you did.
                          
Amanda read over it multiple times, hoping her eyes were lying. Each time she read it, it said the same thing. Her breathing became heavy and uneven. Her heart pumped faster and she felt dizzy.
                          
No, no, no, no, this can't be happening! She thought. He wouldn't do this. He cares about me.
                          
"You know how I feel about you right?" What if that was his way of telling her he didn't care about her anymore.
                          
First John, now Mark? I can't do this....I can't. He mind was screaming to her. But what if he tells John? How did he even find out?
                          
Amanda thought about what she had to do. She could kill Lynn, and lose John. Or she could keep Lynn alive and lose John and Hoffman. She didn't want to lose either of them, but there was no in between. What did she have to live for now anyway? Hoffman didn't want her anymore. And John....she didn't know yet.
                          
Finally she decided what she was going to do. She walked into John's room. She was smiling, but crying inside.
                          
I'm so sorry, John. She thought.
                          
"He's completed the third test." She informed him.
                          
"Congratulations, Lynn." John said. "You're free to go." Lynn looked surprised and relieved.
                          
"Yeah, but he's not all the way out yet." Amanda said.
                          
"Undo her collar, Amanda, and let her go." John ordered.
                          
"No, he's not finished. He's not all the way." Amanda argued.
                          
"Amanda, Lynn is more important than you know. Unlock her collar, and let her go."
                          
"I said no." Amanda calked her gun.
                          
"Amanda, there are rules-"
                          
"I said no!" Amanda yelled. "She doesn't deserve to go free!"
                          
"You promised!" Lynn defended herself.
                          
"I didn't promise you shit!" Amanda told her.
                          
"Amanda, even with that gun, it is Lynn, who holds your fate, in her hands." John said.
                          
"Fuck you." Amanda said to John. "You give her control over me? Fuck you!" She kept her gun pointing at Lynn.
                          
"I won't tell anyone, I promise I won't!" Lynn said, she squirmed uncomfortably. "Please! I have a family!"