”In this river all shall fade to black
In this river ain’t no coming back
In this river all shall fade to black
Ain’t no coming back…”*

I can hear Alice sobbing uncontrollably, hysterically.

“Oh God, oh God, oh my God”, she keeps on repeating shaking his head in shock. Cassandra’s eyes look worried and sad. She knows his husband. Maybe, she never seen him in action and I know he can be scary. Jesus Christ. But this is the only way left.

The second gunshot fills the whole room. Its noise is devastating, withering. And, this time, Dante is the target. Or, better, his shoulder. He spins on himself – still in slow motion, everything moves in slow motion in front of my eyes – wincing. He throws a look at Francois Turmont, who’s still holding the smoking gun, then his left hand lifts, grabbing the solid black leather of his jacket. His fingers clasp to his right shoulder, where he’s been injured, but his right hand doesn’t drop the gun. There is no way out. He’s not going to surrender.

So I do it, I do it as soon as I can. It seems the only way left. The only way I can end this. The only way I can be helpful to them. To my wife, to my friends. I owe them. This is all my fault, nobody else’s.

I run toward the dead guy on the floor – the one whose throat has been slashed. I fall on my knees, grab the gun from his holster and place the barrel under my chin. I hold the gun with both of my hands. I am still handcuffed. Tears roll down my cheeks and I didn’t even know it until now.

“No!!”, I hear Jack Sanders yelling, “No, McCutcheon!! This is not how the game is supposed to go!!”. He gets up abruptly, dropping his glass. The red liquor spreads on the Persian carpet like blood. Jack Sanders seems to be panicking and I grin through the tears. This is not how your game is supposed to go, huh? Your fucking game. Your fucking fucked up game. You don’t like that. And then I’ll do it. I’ll do it if necessary.

I load the gun, I hear the metallic noise of the bullet positioning itself into the barrel. I push it harder against my skin and, when I talk, my voice comes out throaty and choked.

“Let’s end it all! Let’s end it all!”, I shout, blinking my watery eyes and staring at Jack Sanders, “Isn’t this what you want?! Isn’t this what you wanted right from the start?! You son of a bitch, let’s end it all!”.

“Shane!”, Carmen’s voice. Full of tears. Her silky voice, beautiful voice, the only voice I really adore, is full of tears and I feel sorry. I am sorry Carmen but if I don’t do that, we’re all going to die.

Another gunshot overwhelms the muffled noises of the room.

**

SOUNDTRACK:

* “In This River” (Black Label Society)