text: [Themes: modern]
  
  If there is any chance to save Victoria and yourself this man has to die. It's not fair but if it's one thing you've learned today it's that life isn't fair. Swiftly you pull the gun out of your waistband, Ryan notices this and tries to take out his own gun hidden in a holster under his bathrobe, but you get the jump on him and fire. The bullet hits him in the stomach and you turn away to avoid the horror of watching him die. Before you leave you remember Westfield wants you to take a photo of the body to prove Ryan's death. As you are about take out the phone you hear a strange gurgling noise.
  
  Turning your attention back to Ryan you discover he is still alive as blood come out of his bullet wound and his mouth. With the gun in one hand and the other covering your mouth in case you vomit, you approach Ryan. Your hands tremble but since Ryan isn't in any position to move, accuracy really won't be an issue. Just like before you fire a round and it hits Ryan in the stomach. He continues to gurgle for a few more seconds until he stops completely.
  
  Now that you're sure he's dead you take your phone and snap a photo of the body, since the police are Westfield's pocket, having this piece of evidence on you really won't matter to them. You run out of the house as fast as you can and get back into your car. The ride back to Versweyveld Chemicals is less tense although only just. The only way you're able to maintain your grip is to the thought of Victoria being freed soon. Entering the main gate of the chemical plant, several armed men approach your car. One comes up the driver's seat and you roll down the window.
  
  "The gun," He demands. You comply and hand over the gun to him. "Follow me," He further demands and you once again comply. You get out of your car and the man leads to the warehouse that you and Victoria were held in earlier. The man takes you to the room in the back where Westfield and your sister who is now untied from the chair are waiting. Victoria seems to perk up upon seeing you, almost making a smile.
  
  "It's done," You confirm to Westfield.
  
  "Are we happy?" Westfield asks the man who brought you in.
  
  "Yeah, Miller responded to the scene, Walker is dead." The man informs.
  
  "Wait if you had the police tell you Ryan's dead then what the hell was the point of me taking the photo?"
  
  "That was just in case an honest cop got there before one of mine did," Westfield explains.
  
  "He did what you wanted, now let us go," Victoria demanded.
  
  "A deal's a deal, go to your brother," Westfield allows.
  
  Victoria runs up to you and hugs you tightly. "Let's get out of here," she pleads.
  
  "Before you leave can I have a word with you Ben?" Westfield requests.
  
  You are about to walk up to Westfield when Victoria grabs your arm, "I'll be fine," You reassure her.
  
  "I prefer to have this conversation in private," Westfield directs towards your sister. Reluctantly Victoria leaves the room.
  
  "What's this about?" You ask with dread.
  
  "While you were out dealing with Ryan your sister told me quite a bit about you, how you hide from a world that doesn't understand you, no friends, no girlfriend, it's kind of sad."
  
  "What are you getting at?"
  
  "After the events of tonight I see you have potential that is going to waste to be blunt I want you to work for me, no longer will people shun you instead they will tremble at the mere sight of you, the world has been pushing you around for years, I say it's time you pushed back."
  
  > decline Westfield's offer
  "Look Westfield, I don't want to get involved in this, all what I did was to save Victoria, I don't care what you do just leave me out of it," You point out to Westfield.
  
  "What a shame, you would have been great addition to the team," Westfield expresses his disappointment. "Well I guess you'll be leaving now."
  
  You head out of the room and out of the warehouse, fearing any moment you'd feel a bullet hitting you. Your worries turn out to be unfounded as you get in your car still parked in front of the main gate, where Victoria is waiting.
  
  "What's wrong?" Victoria asks upon noticing the nervous look on your face.
  
  "You know what I had to do tonight was to save you right?" You ask Victoria.
  
  "That was an extremely painful thing you had to do but it was us or him, this may sound horrible but I'm grateful for what you did, you saved my life, thank you Ben."
  
  Driving home your mind races from thought to thought. Guilt over the fact that you've killed someone who was almost certainly innocent of any wrong doing, the fear of Westfield coming after you one day and how close you came to almost losing your sister. For now you take comfort that you've rescued Victoria and the night is yours, tomorrow however could be a different story.
  
  > Four years later
  You sit in the auditorium watching your sister walk across the stage getting her diploma from the Dean and shaking her hand. Your mind wanders back to the events of the past few years that lead you to this point. For next few months after the night you killed Ryan and turned down Westfield's job opportunity you lived in fear that one day Westfield's goons would knock down your door and kill you. When Victoria headed off to college, you too left Van Hove and bought an apartment near the campus where Victoria went. At first she wasn't too keen on you moving into the same town where she went to college but she understood the situation. You continued to work from home fixing people's computers online. As the years went on the horrors of that day became a distant memory and life went to back to normal. About a year ago Victoria visited your apartment to introduce to you her boyfriend Nicolas Masters, six months later he purposed and the wedding is going to be held a few weeks after graduation. You don't like Nicolas but you put up with him for the sake of your sister. In all fairness you wouldn't like whoever was going to marry Victoria.
  
  Your thoughts are interrupted when your future brother-in-law puts his hand on your shoulder. "C'mon Ben, let's go see Victoria," He suggests. You get up off the seat and follow Nicolas to the hallway where there is a sea of people. Finally you find your sister still wearing the cap and gown. She runs up and gives you a hug and then kisses Nicolas.
  
  "Congratulations honey," Nicolas praises Victoria as he puts his arm around her.
  
  "This is so exciting, but we should get to Luca's before they give our reservation away, we can celebrate there," Victoria advises.
  
  "We can celebrate with a few rounds of scotch," You offer.
  
  "Well Victoria can't," Nicolas mentions.
  
  "Vic since when do you not drink?" You wonder aloud.
  
  "Hun we were going to tell him at the wedding," Victoria chides.
  
  "Tell me what?"
  
  "Ben...you're going to be an uncle," Victoria revels to you.
  
  "What?"
  
  "Uncle Ben, the name suits you," Nicolas teases. You hug Victoria as your eyes begin to tear out of happiness. You're not the loner you think you are, you have family and that's all you need to know.