I woke up to the door swinging open. A gruff man unchained my ankle and tied my hands in front of me. I did not resist.

He led me down a winding hallway and down a set of stairs, into a large stone room. The room was empty except for a few guards and the door. He shoved me into a kneeling position, and the man in the suit entered.

“Hello Ashley.” He said. “This is your last opportunity to tell us what you know of the file.”

I knelt in silence.

“Very well then.” He said. “Prepare to meet your fate.”

He drew a gun and pressed it to my head. I looked him strait in the eyes. If I wasn’t going to give in, I was going to go all the way.

But suddenly the door crashed open, and Hannah entered with a gun. She shot down the guards and pointed her gun at the man.

“Put your gun down.” She hissed.

He kept pointing it at me.

“I said put it down!”

“But why would I do that?”

She pulled out the flash drive.

“Give me Ashley. I have the file.”

He grinned. “Now there’s a reason.”

He pulled me up and pressed the gun to my temple.

“File first.”

She looked worried.

“Give Ashley to me first.”

“File.”

“Ashley.”

He cocked the gun. “I think the girl is secondary.”

I felt like I was going to cry, but I didn’t. Looking weak was the worst thing I could do at this point.

Hannah held the file carefully. “Promise you’ll return her?”

He smiled that cold, twisted grin of his. “Of course.”

She tossed the file, and he caught it while shoving me forward.

Hannah grabbed me in a tight hug and I started to cry.

But I heard the gun too late, and the bullet hit me like a thousand knives.

I crumpled in her arms and I could hear her gasp.

“Ashley?”

I looked up at her, my vision starting to fade.

“You’re going to be okay.” She said, starting to cry. When she saw I had been shot in the stomach, she bit her lip.

“Hannah, I’m okay.” I said. I couldn’t see now, but I could tell we were both crying.

“I’m sorry.” She said, and I slipped away.