The Program 

Chapter Forty

You would think the almost lifeless form of the guy who'd been trying to kill me for so long, his blood leaking from his stomach and flooding the floor as he thrashed about, would make some sense of comfort run over me.

That didn't happen.

There were two reasons for this.

One, I really, really don't like seeing almost dead and struggling to stay alive people. Or people being shot for that matter.

Two, Jack had apparently forgiven him. There had to be a reason for this, and now everything was starting to go to crap.

Mary turned to me, pouting her lips and jokingly wiping at her eyes. "Don't tell me you've gone soft, Lexi. Don't cry over the guy that wanted you dead."

"Why did you do that?" I all but hissed as I gritted my teeth.

She leaned in close, her breath fanning over me and making me cringe. "I was no longer in need of his assistance. But you, Lexi, you are extremely important to me. Without you and John to help me rebuild the test, it could take me a decade at the least to make a new one. Lord knows it took me forever the last time."

Going over the test fact, I asked, "So, you're letting him suffer?"

She didn't answer, suddenly walking away, gesturing with her hand for me to follow.

"Lexi." I heard Reid croak behind me. "Please. Help me."

"Why should I?" I crossed my arms. Mary hadn't left the room yet, looking to be growing insanely annoyed by my not following her.

I could hear the tapping of her shoes as she spoke. "Hurry up."

It was around the same time that Reid said, "Because you're a good person. That's one of the reasons Jack loves you."

Reid pulled at my emotions. But I couldn't disagree with him, he was right after all.

I went over to him, yanking him off the floor and getting myself covered in his blood in the process. Reid glances at his knife in his pocket quickly, seeming to tell me to take it, so I did, sticking it in my pocket. He was heavy -not like I expected him not to be- and I had to literally drag him out of the room as he was groaning and clutching at his shirt in pain.

Leaving the room with all the beds, we walked past many the same way, leading me to ask as I was huffing for breath, "Hey, Mary. What's the point of all this? I get it, okay. The world has gone to crap, but you're just giving up." She stopped and looked at me. "I mean, haven't you ever seen that movie about the cute little robot that stayed on earth to pick up all the garbage with the others, only for the earth to never get better. They gave up on the earth too, and it didn't turn out well."

"Comparing real life to an animated movie isn't logical, Lexi."

"Yet, you didn't disagree." I pointed out. "I'm just saying, you're literally going to try to save the earth, when in reality, you're the one setting off the bombs to destroy it."

"The bombs are only there to keep everyone in line that can't get in the test. Sure, i'll set off a few to let people know I can, but everyone else will be safe in the test. It's hard to explain my vision of how things will turn out. But will be better from it."

I scoffed at her reasoning. I still didn't understand this fully, and I probably never will.

She didn't comment, only continued walking and letting me lag behind with Reid, leading me down a set of stairs.

We walked for a good fifteen minutes, my arms sore and silence among us.

But when we did walk into a room, she flipped the lights on and said, "Welcome to my office. You are one of the few people who have set foot in here, Lexi. View it as a prize for making it this far in our little game. Ben, you remember the place, right?"

"Kinda stupid prize," I mumbled.

Mary rolled her eyes and sat behind what I can only assume was her desk. "Would you like to sit? Just drop him on the ground, i'm not letting his blood stain my nice chairs." Her hand was placed forward, pointing to a chair. I sat. "Good. Now, let's get down to business."

Holding back every urge in my body so I could remain serious instead of finishing her sentence with a line of defeating the huns, I bit my lip and asked, "What business?"

"I need a test, you and John can give me that easily. Of course, you don't really have a choice in the matter. But in case you're still not for it, I have a few ways of persuading you."

I scoffed. "Oh. What are they? Hurting me? Sending me to the test? Killing my friends? I've seen it all at this point, Mary. Give me your worst."

She seemed to smile. "That's something i've always liked about to Lexi; you act tough even when there's no point in trying anymore. And you also choked up on the killing your friends part, that shows where your weakness lies. But back to the tough thing, that's something you and I share as, well, mother and daughter if you will."

My head instantly snapped to her. "I am not your daughter."

"You absolutely sure about that, Lexi?" Mary seemed to be suggesting something but I shot it down again. "Okay then. How about we see your friends, huh?"

One click of a button on her desk made a door open nearby. Two figures -two women- were hanging onto John and Jack. And they didn't look like they were in the best of shape either. They all had burns and ash covering them, but Katie and the woman i'm assuming is Jack's mom were most definitely beaten. Red, bloody sores on them.

I brought my still bloody hand to my hanging open mouth, a gasp escaping me and causing John to look my way. "Lexi. Jack, over there." He was coughing as he spoke. "Wh-What happened to you?"

I was going to answer that I was fine, but someone else spoke before I could. Well, actually, it was more like a scream. "What happened to Ben?"

It was the lady, black hair stuck to the blood on her forehead. Her breath was shaky and she was trembling.

"Oh, Diana. So lovely to hear your voice again. I thought you'd gone mute after you wouldn't speak to me earlier. It's always a hassle hurting someone yourself, but the fun goes away when they won't say anything." Mary told her, disregarding the whole Reid thing.

Diana didn't care though, already struggling against Jack -who was also looking as if he was on the verge of tears- to get to Reid. "You sick, evil woman." She spat.

"Diana." Reid's voice came as a whisper, and sounded so broken I wanted to cry for him. She started crying and Jack let go of her, he himself rushing to Reid's side and seeing the gunshot area.

Turning to me, he asked, "What happened?"

The only thing I could do was look at my hands, Reid's dried blood on them and my arms. I mumbled, "He um, Reid wanted me to help him. I didn't hurt him, Jack. I only dragged him as far as I could. I just-"

"Shut up, Lexi." Mary spoke, pulling me away from my blubbering moment. "Your explanation is so annoying."

At this point I had gotten up from my seat, making my way to Jack, only for me to hear John say, "I can't believe you were right. It was Mary this whole time."

Diana was near Reid, whispering sweet nothings to him and stroking his hair. I bent down next to them and ignored Mary as she continued to talk about something with John. It was something about the test, but right now, I didn't care.

Jack had tears in his eyes, watching his father in pain and glancing at me quickly before he noticed the knife sticking out of my pocket. I looked at it, pulling it out and handing it to him. I don't know why I did it, but he looked glad that I did.

"She-Mary hurt him. And my mom. I can't-I won't let her-" He breathed heavily, now staring me down. "I won't be able to live with myself if she hurts you."

Mary interrupted us then. "Oh, Lexi. You're missing all the fun. Me and John are having a very interesting discussion over here. Isn't that right, John?"

John eyed me, glaring at Mary a second later. "Just delightful." He said sarcastically.

"Right." Mary smiled, focused on me. "Well, let's get back to what we were talking about. Shall we, Lexi? I have the perfect way of persuading you to join me."

She pulled a gun on Jack and he stood up and backed up.

"Wait, no." John started to say before Mary butt in.

"You have no say here, John. I've already got you on board."

My mouth fell open, staring at John. "What is she talking about?"

John could barely look at me now, lowering his head. "Annie. She'll hurt her mom. I can't...let her lose someone else. I'm sorry. I gave up too quickly."

At that moment, I turned to Kate, now next to the door and hoping to hightail it outta here.

Me too.

"Oh, boo-hoo. Back to what I was saying." Mary interjected.

"And what is that? You gonna kill Jack to make me work for you or something?"

"Oh no, dear. Something far better than that." She moved the gun, it landing on Diana. "You have a choice, Lexi. You help me willingly and save the mother of the guy you love, or..." She aimed the gun at Diana and shot, the bullet hitting her leg and Jack started screaming, running to her side as she fell to the floor. "Next time it will be in a more life threatening spot."

John turned to me. The look on his face said he had a plan, and with a barely noticeable shake of his head, I knew he wanted me to refuse Mary's offer unlike what he had. Diana's life, Jack's mother's life, was on the line and my answer would save her. That was too much to risk.

"Do you think that Bridget will help me get her back?" Jack's words from what seemed like so long ago entered my brain. He wanted his mother to be a alive back then. He thought Bridget was the main thing standing in his way.

"Even if she won't, i'll do everything it takes to get her back for you, okay?" My own words that day came into my mind. "I promise."

I had a way to keep Diana alive so Jack could be with his mom again. All I had to do was accept Mary's offer and I wouldn't be the reason Jack loses her.

But still, John's eyes were pleading with me to trust him. And I did, because we were in this together now. Mary needed both of us if she wanted to test to be a test faster again. As she said, making another from scratch would take a decade at least. We were her only hope.

So, I gritted my teeth and nodded slightly at him, turning to Mary and saying, "Tempting. But i'm gonna have to say no."

She wore a devilish smile. "Wrong answer, Lexi. Too bad."

The second she lifted the gun, Jack slid the knife across the floor to John and covered his mom, causing his arm to get hit. It was then I realized that Jack had been in on John's little plan too.

John lunged at Mary, jabbing her side as she fired again only for it to hit the wall this time.

Jack was calling me, telling me to come to him and grab Reid again. I needed to help him get them out of here. Katie was next to me a second later, grabbing at one of Reid's arms to help me. Reid wasn't making any noise, and now barely moving.

The fight continued between John and Mary as Jack told me to follow him out. "I'll explain later. Just move."

We were out the door when I heard another fire of the gun, John wailing and Jack urging me to look away from his body that was now laying on the floor.

He wasn't moving.

And Mary saw me, blood coming from her side. She smiled again, her mouth bleeding.

"Don't worry," She said, placing a foot on John's body to keep him on the floor as she stared at me and pointed the gun in my direction. "This won't kill you."

She aimed. She fired.

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Pic in the media section was only me messing around with Picmonkey. I think it turned out okay-ish...

This is a really sucky last chapter...I know.

So, in case you didn't pick up on it, bad guys kinda won in this story. But the good guys didn't exactly lose. It's be explained more in the epilogues...

I might make another story in the future revolving around how going through with the plan changed the earth and yeah. The plan would all be explained there way better then here because it already happened in that future. Like seriously, it's a big possibility that i'll write this.

Anyway...This is the last chapter (besides for the epilogue(s) I plan to do) and I am almost completely happy with it but not totally. Hopefully I work out all the kinks before I ever plan on publishing this series...

Just please remember that i'm not exactly fond of this ending either and that technically, it's not the end yet (epilogues yay!!!)...