Page 119 of Gunslinger Girl

The elevator shuddered and stopped. A moment later the doors opened, revealing Selene’s living room.

But there was no Selene.

Adora sat on one of the couches, her back rigid. She looked over as the three of them spilled into the room.

Halcyon stood behind her, a gun leveled at her head.

CHAPTER 40

Pity drew.

“Don’t!” Halcyon’s arm stiffened, his normally jovial face sagging with panic.

Fingers on the triggers, Pity aimed one gun at Halcyon and the other at Adora.

“Which one of you?” Her gaze swept back and forth. “Which one of you is a traitor?”

Halcyon didn’t answer, his brow beaded with sweat.

Adora scoffed. “You know, I really thought you had half a brain in that country head. Max, you want to tell your girlfriend not to shoot me, please?”

“Don’t listen to her!” Halcyon found his voice. “Lower your weapons… uh, please!”

“Lower yours.” Siena stepped into Pity’s peripheral vision, her shotgun raised. “If you ain’t a traitor, then we’ve got her plenty covered.”

When he didn’t move, Pity felt a sick slither in her stomach.

“Boss, please.” The pleading grief in Max’s voice made the feeling worse. “Halcyon, put down the gun.”

Halcyon’s jaw tightened. “I can’t.”

“You lying, conniving son of a bitch!” Pity was moving before she knew it, descending the steps to the sunken floor, advancing on Halcyon. “How could you?”

He retreated back several steps and swung his weapon toward Pity. “Don’t come any closer!”

“How could you?” She stopped a few feet away, both barrels trained on him. First Santino and now Halcyon. The betrayal seared like a hot iron.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” he said, his words weak. “You’re supposed to be… Max… I…” He trailed off.

“What is he talking about?” Max said.

Realization came to Pity in a flash of orange. The notes. “He means this wasn’t his part in the plan. We were supposed to be in the theatre this morning. I’m right, aren’t I? You were going to get Max and me together and then deliver us to Siena, weren’t you? Max so Sheridan could fulfill his deal and me so he had a way to force Max to cooperate.”

He didn’t respond, but the truth was painted on his features. “I—”

“You better be about to speak one hell of an explanation.”

The gun dropped an inch. Halcyon smiled, sad and sheepish. “The Theatre,” he said simply. “I only wanted to share it with the world. I wanted to share you with the world, Pity—you and the rest of them. Selene refused to acquiesce, but Sheridan, he promised me…”

Pity holstered one of her weapons and closed the gap between them, grabbing Halcyon’s wrist and twisting the gun out of his grasp. It fell to the couch as she brought up the butt of her other gun, smashing it into his face. He cried out and fell to the steps. Blood gushed from his nose.

“Pity, dammit!” Max appeared beside her. “That was the stupidest thing I’ve ever—”

“He wasn’t gonna pull the trigger,” she said icily, staring down at Halcyon. “Even if he had the guts to do it, he wouldn’t shoot one of his best acts. He betrayed Selene for the Theatre.”

Halcyon groaned. Red dripped over the lower half of his face and onto his suit.

“Well, aren’t you clever.” Adora picked up the gun beside her like it was a dead rat and tossed it to Siena, who added it to her arsenal.