Chapter Five
Ellie’s face contorted openly. “Y-you…you what?”
“I told him what I thought. I didn’t say anything I didn’t think was true…or at least something that I thought Orion would take as truth.” He shrugged openly again as he watched the house burn. “Though in hindsight I might have said too much.”
“You were the one who told Orion that Dev was sleeping around.”
“I did.”
“You lied!” she screamed. “Why would you say that? Did you know that Dev’s in there?”
“I’m assuming she is.”
“Well she is! Archer, did you really say Dev was sleeping with Micah?”
“I did,” he said in a low voice as the wail of sirens began to fill the night sky. “Now shut up about it.”
“I’m not just going to shut up! Archer, please!” she screamed, running up to him and shaking him. “Devony’s dead, you asshole!”
“I can’t believe she’s still alive in there,” Mason said sadly.
“Yes. And his words killed her,” Ellie said.
“They have eyes, Ellie,” Orion said as he walked back to the group. “Everyone can see what’s happened.”
“His words might have caused this, but Archer didn’t set her house on fire,” Gavin said.
“You!” Mason shouted to Orion. “How could you believe him?”
“Because he’s a monster!” Ellie wailed. “He must be! I thought something odd was going on, but I…I never suspected this! Archer, you have to tell him the truth!”
“Go home,” Archer said. “Unless you want to be involved with this, I’m telling you to leave.”
“Orion, Mason, Gavin, you have to listen to me! Archer’s been the one spreading rumors around! Orion, he lied to you! He lied and convinced you that Devony was cheating!”
“I don’t believe it,” Orion said. The fire trucks grew closer. “Archer wouldn’t lie.”
“He did! He’s always been lying to you! He’s jealous of you. He always has been!”
“I thought I told you to shut up!” Archer growled.
“Did you really lie to me?” Orion asked, his eyes finally coming into focus. “You did all of this because you’re jealous?”
“As if I’d be jealous of a poor black kid,” Archer sneered.
“Oh God,” Orion muttered, falling to his knees. “You…you lied to me. I…I refuse to believe it! Devony was unfaithful, she must have been.”
“She was a saint, you idiot. You killed her! I hope you rot in jail for this! Better yet, I hope they burn you alive just like you’ve done to her.”
“Hell’s fire will be worse than this,” Orion said, the anger in his voice gone. A fire engine pulled up and he could only watch with empty eyes as the men ran out and began to set up the hoses.
“Anyone in there?” a burly fireman called over to them.
“At least one!” Mason shouted over.
“More than one,” Orion said. “One of the maids was there. I didn’t see anyone else.”
“I’m on it,” the man said, then attached his respirator and disappeared into the smoke.
“She was seeing Micah,” Orion said to Ellie. “Gavin, you must know what I’m talking about. You’ve heard that she was sleeping around. Archer told me everyone knew.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gavin said. “I can only think about how her father will be when he learns of this. This news will kill him.”
“And then he’ll kill you!” Ellie shouted through her anger and tears. “You’ll die for this, you asshole!”
Orion was still looking at Gavin with a puzzled expression. “I forgot, you go to college now. Devony was seeing Micah for some time now. Archer told me and even Micah was bragging about it. He was wearing the ring I gave Devony on a chain around his neck. I saw him take the promise ring I gave to Devony and give it to another girl, as if it meant nothing!”
“R-ring?” Ellie uttered in a hollow voice, her face growing even paler. “You think she cheated on you because someone else had your ring?”
“Enough,” Archer said, going to grab her. “You’re sick. I’ll take you home.”
“N-no! He has a right to know!”
“If you have a single brain cell in your head, you’ll leave now. I’m giving you a chance. Take it.”
“I’m not going anywhere, you psychopath!”
With no hesitation Archer reached into the back of his jeans. A heartbeat later, Ellie found herself looking down the barrel of a snub-nosed revolver. She stared at it dumbly for an instant, then glanced around. The firemen and police were too busy with the fire to notice. “Go home, Ellie. Don’t make me shoot you.”
“What the hell are you doing, man?” Gavin said in a low voice, not wanting to trigger him.
“Put that away,” Mason said.
“You moron, Orion!” Ellie screamed once she found her voice again. “Devony dropped that ring in the hall this morning! I picked it up and gave it to Archer! Did you know how many times he’s begged me to steal it from her?”
“So you’re betraying me now?” Archer asked, pulling back the hammer. “Once a bitch, always a bitch, I suppose.”
“Did you really think that Devony gave your ring to Micah?” Ellie went on as though he hadn’t spoken. “Is that what you believe? Archer must have given it to him.”
“She’s lying, Orion,” Archer said. “All women lie, it’s in their nature.”
“I’m not lying! You didn’t deserve her, Orion. She always treated you well! You’re a coward for what you’ve done!”
“It…it can’t be!” Orion gasped out. For a moment he seemed likely to fall, and then he suddenly lunged towards Archer. A gunshot rang out, freezing him in his tracks. Ellie crumpled to the ground.
“Police, help!” Gavin screamed as Archer turned the gun on Orion with an expression of hatred on his face.
“You won’t get off so easy, Capetown. You’ll have to live with what you’ve done,” Archer sneered. He lowered the gun and turned to flee.
As he took his first step, a gunshot grazed his arm just as a white-haired police officer shouted, “Drop your weapon!” Archer dropped the revolver in surprise and sprinted towards the woods. The older police officer chased him, already puffing loudly.
“She’s in trouble,” Mason said, falling to his knees at Ellie’s side and looking at the wound. “He got her in the neck. There’s nothing we can do.”
“He got away,” Gavin said. “There’s no way that old cop can catch him.”
“He can’t,” Mason said, stroking Ellie’s head gently on the ground, “but I sure as hell can.” He took off running towards the woods at a full sprint.
As Gavin turned to follow him, he heard the gun cock again.
“You’re not going anywhere.”