---

Amitywood
Last Chapter ~ Next Chapter

10th April 1999: 07:21pm :- The Presidential Offices

The last thing Argee needed was "voices in his head" bothering him. Truth be told they had been for the past month or so but it seemed today of all days they were louder than usual.
Truth be told they were more feelings than voices.
Truth be told that didn't give him any less a headache as he sat in the Presidential chair staring with uncertain dread into the cold dark lens of a television camera. He rubbed his head, took another sip of Scotch and took his twentieth pace around the room, carrying his glass as it rattled in his shaking grasp.

"Mr President? 2 Minutes till broadcast, sir." came a face that peered it's way around the doorframe

"Hmmph" affirmed Argee as he strolled back to the Presidential chair, finished his scotch and hurled the empty glass at the wall in frustration

Staring again blankly into the Camera lense, the words began to flow through his head again...

Let them know who is to blame...

7:23pm - Amitywood Police House

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Officer Stocks peered up from his paper-work at Thomas Baxter who was sitting by the coffee machine looking quite translucent across the room inside the police station.

Thomas didn't react, he just stared into space and seemed to be mumbling to himself

"Mr Baxter!" Stocks almost shouted and Baxter blinked a few times and looked at him quizzically, "Perhaps it's time you got some rest, Mr Baxter?"

"Oh... yes, good idea"

Officer Stocks ducked his head back into the paperwork he was relentlessly flicking through while Baxter took hold of his staff, pulled himself to his feet and walked slowly out the police station door and into the deserted street outside. everything had been left exactly as it was this morning, except for the few items the police had to remove. The banner welcoming Governor Galloway draped with a sadness against the wind and a few chairs were scattered, everything just seemed to add to the abandonment of the centre of Amitywood.
Baxter let a slight grin grow across his face when he noticed the girl in her bloody white gown still standing at the back of where the crowd once was, still pointing up at the stage, looking vaguely transparent in the light. He hobbled over to her and as he neared she turned, dropped her hand and looked up at Baxter, who calmly waved his hand and the apparition disappeared. He rounded on himself to head to the Inn where he was staying but jumped as he found someone standing right behind him.

"Something the matter, Baxter?" said Rebecca Englund, her face keeping cool and calm, only just showing the anger that seemed to be boiling underneath

"Oh... it's you", said Tommy regaining his breathe "what do you want?"

"The money, Baxter... we've done our part"

"I told you! Once things have started to go in motion you'll get your money!" snapped Baxter

"Oh but they have...", came the voice of Bobby Englund now behind Baxter "The President is on T.V. right now..."

Tommy rounded on him and looked at his badly burnt face, a result of being caught in a fire some years ago.

"He is?! Already?!" he looked panicked but excited "I need to see..."

He pushed past Bobby and towards the alley that nursed Del Sinclair's bar, shortly followed by the impatient looking Englund's.

Sinclair's bar was almost full to breaking point, it seemed most of Amitywood had gathered here for the new President's address. The entire bar had sat in silence listening to the enangered President Argee talk of the joing 'assassination' of the President and his brother, the Governor, and calling for the people to be united in rooting out those groups responsible.

Baxter barged in, much to the scornful looks from the customers in the bar that weren't engrossed in the speech and most of all Blue Canary who was standing by the doorway and got a healthy thump from the door as he slammed his way in. But Baxter paid no attention and immediately drew his attention to the Television, where Argee was currently talking about the 'groups responsible' still, it seemed reluctantly, not naming anyone.
The Englund's entered just behind Baxter, somewhat more carefully, with polite apologetic nods to those closest to the entrance, they took their place next to Blue Canary so they could keep an eye on Baxter.

"... these groups, and others like them, have caused the death of a great, great man and a brilliant President of this fair nation. Few times have we had the grace to see such brilliance in power, and I can only hope that while I take his seat as President I will even live up to a shadow of the man that President Galloway was. Much as most of us would like to forget the tragedy that has befallen us on this day, we must not overlook it... and we must make sure it doesn't happen again..." the T.V. was crackling out, at this moment Argee dropped his head slightly and looked almost on the verge of tears

"COME ON!" Barked Baxter, thumping his staff to the ground, much to the queried looks, hushes and angry exchanges from the bar, but they were all too intrigued to let it distract them too long

Argee suddenly looked up, with a glint of realisation in his eye. As if he suddenly had realised what he must do.

"Citizens," he began "it is clear to me, as it is probably clear to many of you who is responsible for this. The President had virtually no enemies, both in this nation and our neighbours but there is one group who always stood against him. At almost every turn. At every decision he made to better this great nation..."

The bar seemed to draw a single breath and hold it simultaneously, except for Baxter who had unwittingly sported a sideways grin, thankfully most of the customers who saw this took it as nerves but to Blue Canary it looked like something more sincere and evil.

"... Citizens. It is the Catholics", Argee sighed, as if a sudden relief had been lifted, but then gained an eery serious look in his eyes as he leaned forward on the desk he was now standing behind "These hurtful organisations have, for years, tried to first of all stop Galloway becoming President and then hounded his every move since his election. It can be no-one else, and therefore I ask all Catholic organisations, which are not directly related to worship, to disband and cease all activity on a possibly permanent basis, while our investigations into the death of our President are carried out. Those who refuse will be forced to disband, though we would rather not need to resort to any tactics that could be seen as forceful. Thank you for your time citizens. Now I would ask you to observe a 2 minute silence in honour of the great Mr Stephen Galloway and his brother Mr Alistair Galloway. May they rest in peace. Goodnight."

The national anthem began playing quietly in the background as a gasp came over the crowded bar.

Baxter then turned and slammed his way out the bar again, shortly followed by the Englunds. Blue Canary took this opportunity to edge his way out the bar, a few moments after the Englunds left and to stand in the doorway, in case the three were up to something.
Sure enough there was a somewhat muffled but audible conversation between the three, just loud enough that Blue Canary could make out the words. He peered round the corner and surmised that they had all entered the next alleyway along from Sinclair's, so he stepped out the doorway to listen.

"What's this, Baxter?" came the angered voice of Bobby englund

"That's your money, Englund, now go home and leave me alone! I'm a busy man"

"This is half what was agreed!"

"Half is all you get! You almost ruined things with the discovery of the girl!"

"I think you'll find I get all the money now, Baxter" there was an air of arrogance in his tone, Blue Canary guessed that he had done something to gain the edge over Baxter

"Put that away, idiot!"

There was a gun-shot and almost immediately afterwards an un-expected fiery sound, as if the bullet had caused something to explode. Blue Canary started to walk towards the alley, picking up a plank of wood that rested on the side of the bar on his way but long before he got near there was a second fiery noise and this time the alleyway where the noise and voices had been emanating lit up slightly and an instant later Bobby Englund came hurtling out of the alley, propelled by some great force and thumping limply into the stone wall opposite the alley's entrance, his gun dropped out his hand and he slumped sideways against a bin, Blue Canary noticed with alarm a lot of blood on Bobby's chest area. There was then the distinct coughing, almost a wheezing, of Baxter from the alleyway and the splash of a body hitting the ground.

Blue Canary dashed over to Bobby Englund but it was clear that he had been killed, the blood on his chest was coming from what looked like a crater that had ripped through him, revealing the charred-ends of some of his lower ribs and his half-cooked innards, surrounded by a black and charred mess of skin and shirt combined. Blue Canary covered his mouth and nose quickly and turned to face the alleyway, where he saw Baxter lying on his front in a puddle, still breathing, merely looking like he had fainted or passed out. He headed towards the alleyway, somewhat edgily keeping a strong eye on Baxter, though it appeared he wasn't going to be moving anytime. He uncovered his mouth and nose as he approached Baxter and he knelt down to turn him over. As he did Baxter woke up, blinked a few times then looked alarmed at whatever it was behind Blue Canary. When Blue Canary turned round, he too was alarmed to catch just a glimpse of Becky Englund before she had slammed a plank of wood into his face and sent him rolling over Baxter and into some bin-bags a few feet away. He tried to get to his feet but couldn't manage it, instead he just turned his head to see if Becky was still there, which she was. She had the plank of wood realised above her head about to crash down on Baxter. As she lowered the plank at top speed Baxter raised his arm and grabbed it, but not without a great deal of pain, it sounded to Blue as if his arm had broken with the impact but relentlessly he held on while his other arm reached for his staff.
After much a struggle he grabbed the staff and clocked Becky around the head with it. Given the impact, it didn't seem like he had swung it with enough force to knock Becky off guard but he had and she let go of the wood and stumbled, giving Baxter enough time to stand up and run.

"Running?" thought Blue Canary

But the thought didn't linger as he soon decided that was probably the best course of action himself and forced himself to his feet. Once he stood it seemed like the world was spinning around him and he stood still to regain his balance, but just as he was about to make a break for the direction he had established to be forwards there was a sharp pain in the back of his head and he fell over, followed by another sharp pain, this time in the base of his spine and then again shortly followed by another blow to the head.

And after that he couldn't see or feel anything as he faded deep into an unconscious state.

(to be continued)