Kill him

It was past 6 p.m. in New York City, and the sun was beginning to set. Dr. Ken's plan to get rid of Carl McAlester was going smoothly. Everything was falling into place.

After failing to lure Carl into a trap with Anne, Dr. Ken came up with a new plan. He would use his bodyguard to take Carl out once and for all.

The bodyguard had a wire in his ear, connecting him to Dr. Ken's voice. He also had a tiny camera in his shirt button, allowing Dr. Ken to see everything that happened. The bodyguard was ready to strike at his boss's command.

Right now, Dr. Ken was in the comfort of his home watching the entire scene unfold on his laptop with a look of glee on his face. He watched as Carl was surrounded by armies of men, all ready to carry out his orders. Carl was trapped, and Dr. Ken couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The excitement was almost too much to bear.

"Fifteen men, just to take me down? Not fair at all," Carl said to himself.

Despite the fact that he was outnumbered and in danger, he appeared to be in control of the situation. He was not panicking or showing any signs of fear, but instead, he was focused and determined.

Everything is going to be fine so far as none of these men would hurt Anne.

Carl lifted his hands over his head, addressing the bodyguard. "I'm ready to cooperate. Just tell your men to drop their weapons." He spoke clearly and confidently, his eyes never leaving the bodyguard.

The bodyguard gave a subtle nod to his men, and they lowered their weapons.

Meanwhile, Anne was watching the entire scene through the windscreen of the car. Her hands were clasped tightly together because of how scared and frightened she was for Carl.

Though Anne was relieved to see the men lower their guns, her heart was still racing inside her chest. All she could think about was Carl and his safety. She had no idea what he was up to, but she prayed that everything would work out in the end.

The bodyguard approached Carl, stopping just a few inches away from him. The rifle was still pointed at Carl's chest, the barrel unwavering. The tension in the air was intense.

"Where is the girl?" The bodyguard demanded in a husky voice.

"What girl?" Carl feigned ignorance and it made the bodyguard clench his jaw in anger.

"Don't play dumb with me," he snarled. "I know you're harboring Anastasia. I want her here, right now!"

Carl let out a frustrated sigh feeling agitated already. "I thought you were after me, why drag her into this?" he questioned.

The bodyguard gave a sly grin. "Oh, we do want you, Carl," he said. "But having Anastasia is the icing on the cake. And my boss will be quite pleased by that"

Carl's rage was building inside of him. It took all his self-control not to punch the smug brute standing before him.

How dare he and his boss think of having Anne?

Carl took a deep breath to steady himself "If you want to hurt someone…" he said, trying to keep his tone even, "...Hurt me. But leave Anne out of this. She's done nothing wrong. I'll cooperate with you and your boss, just leave her alone," he said, trying to reason with the bodyguard but the bodyguard laughed.

"You're forgetting, I'm the president of the NYPD," Carl sneered "If anything happens to me, you can bet the entire police force will be after you and your boss. So I suggest you take me seriously," he spoke with so much authority.

Dr. Ken, however, was losing his patience as he was watching the scene unfold on his laptop screen. This drama was taking far too long for his liking, and he hated to hear Carl talk about how powerful and untouchable he was. It felt like bragging but it was a fact. If they hurt Carl now, the NYPD would hunt them down without mercy.

Dr. Ken could no longer stand Carl and his pep talk. With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair and uttered the two brutal words: "KILL HIM"

The bodyguard needed no further encouragement. As soon as he heard the two words from his boss, he pulled the trigger and shot Carl straight to his chest.

"Noooo!!" Anne cried out loud in the car as she heard the gunshot rang out.

She watched in horror as Carl staggered backward with a look of shock on his face. It was as if time had slowed down, and her own body felt numb and cold. She couldn't believe her eyes.

Was this really happening?

Carl's eyes widened in shock. He brought his hand to his chest, where he could feel the warm blood seeping through his shirt. It was like a nightmare, but he knew it was all too real. Adrenaline rushed through his body as he searched for some way to defend himself.

In a moment of panic, Carl reached for the gun he had hidden in the back of his pants all along. He pointed it at the bodyguard and fired. The shot hit the bodyguard's chest, but he didn't even flinch. The bodyguard stood there, motionless and unharmed because he was wearing a bulletproof vest.

The bodyguard's eyes were cold and hard, and a chill went down Carl's spine.

He came well prepared for this operation and the men surrounding Carl were part of a carefully laid plan, ready to act if Carl had any allies coming to his rescue. They had thought of everything and Carl's chances of escaping were zero.

"Shoot him again!!!" Dr. Ken yelled at the screen, his eyes glued to the laptop in front of him. He was wringing his hands, his knuckles white from the tension, and his brow furrowed as he watched the scene unfold. He didn't want Carl to have even the slightest chance of survival. He was determined to see this through to the end, no matter the cost.

The bodyguard immediately pulled the trigger again and shot Carl right in the stomach.

Bang!

The force of the bullet slammed into Carl's stomach, knocking the breath from his lungs and sending shockwaves of pain through his body. He collapsed to the ground and the gun slipped from his hands, clattering to the ground. His hands went to his stomach where the wound was which was throbbing and burning. He felt like he was on fire, and all he could do was lie there, gasping for breath and struggling to stay conscious.

The bodyguard looked down at Carl, a cruel smirk on his face as he watched him writhe in pain. There was no sympathy in his eyes, only cold satisfaction at the job he had done. It was nothing personal, just following orders.

Carl's head spun, and through the haze of pain, he could hear Anne's voice calling his name, high and panicked. He tried to respond, but the only sound that escaped his lips was a strangled groan.

"CARL!!" Anne screamed his name. Her voice was shrill with terror as she ran towards him. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she had forgotten the instructions to stay put in the car. Nothing else mattered but getting to Carl. She couldn't just sit back and watch him get hurt like this. She had to do something, even if it meant putting herself in danger.

Carl saw as Anne raced towards him and his heart sank. "No, no, no," he whispered, shaking his head in despair. He had tried to keep her safe, but now she was putting herself in danger. He had hoped that by putting himself in harm's way, she would be out of trouble. But now, she was running straight towards the men who would hurt her without hesitation.

Nevertheless, Anne couldn't be blamed for her actions. She loved Carl too much to leave him alone, especially in that condition. The thought of the consequences didn't even cross her mind. She was willing to risk everything for the man she loved, even her own life.

When Anne reached Carl, she fell to her knees and covered his body with her own, shielding him from the men's view. Her shirt was soaked with his blood, but she barely noticed. All she could focus on was protecting him, no matter the cost.

The bodyguard and his men stood frozen, staring in shock at the scene before them. They couldn't believe that Anne would do something so reckless and selfless. But they knew they couldn't move, or she would be harmed.

"Anne get out of here!" Carl said, his voice rough with coughing. But Anne wouldn't budge, refusing to leave him. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her hands were shaking as she tried to apply pressure to his wound.

"I said get out!!" Carl rasped, struggling to push her away. "I can't let you get hurt," he said but Anne couldn't bring herself to leave him. She couldn't just abandon the man she loved, not even if it meant putting her own life at risk. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving him to die alone.

"I don't wanna leave you" Anne sobbed, holding onto Carl "I can't leave you to die,"

"Boss, are you seeing this? What should I do?" the bodyguard said to Dr. Ken's hearing.

Dr. Ken slammed his fist down on the desk in anger. He couldn't stand to see Anne so close to Carl, showing him such affection. He also hated the fact that Anne didn't care if she'd die with him. It made him so envious of Carl because he wanted Anne for himself. He was sick with jealousy.

"Drag the woman out of there and finish the prosecutor off," he ordered, through the bodyguard's earpiece.

"Understood," the bodyguard responded. "Get away from him," he warned "or else I'll shoot," he said to Anne, pointing the rifle at her. The threatening look on his face was enough to make Anne gulp.

Carl's heart leaped into his throat as he saw the gun pointed at Anne. He had never been so afraid in his life.

"No, please!" Anne sobbed. "You can take me instead. Just leave him alone. I'll come with you… isn't that what your boss wants? Just spare him, please," she pleaded. Even though the rifle was pointed at her face, she couldn't leave Carl. She was ready to go back to Dr. Ken in exchange for Carl not getting hurt.

Carl groaned as another wave of pain racked his body. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a choked gasp. It was like his body was collapsing in on itself, and he could feel his first consciousness slipping away.

"Anne no! Don't do this," he managed to rasp out. The thought of Anne giving up her life for him was more than he could handle. He knew she would do anything to protect him, and it broke him to see her put herself in danger.

Carl felt like he was dying. The pain was just too much to bear and he could no longer endure it. Everything was going dark, and he knew he was on the brink of losing consciousness. It was a terrifying feeling like he was at the edge of a bottomless pit.

Suddenly, Carl's vision went black. He couldn't feel anything anymore, and everything went silent.