“Got it. Keep my head down and stay out of sight.” Looking away from Alexis I muttered, “I can manage that.”
Sensing my misgivings at placing all the risk upon Alexis, he reached for my arm. “Francis, this is a good plan. It takes you out from under the eyes of the Dempsey’s goons, not to mention places their boss in jail.”
Alexis waited until I looked up to meet his eyes before continuing. “Yes I am taking a remarkable risk to myself. But that’s part of what I do. There is no reason to fear for my life because nothing will happen. I’m in no danger of dying. If Dempsey manages to actually pull the trigger on his own to try and take me with him, he’ll miss. Trust me.”
The words did nothing to help ease my guilt even the smallest bit. I was fine taking risks with my plans, always have been. But I was never comfortable with others shouldering those risks for me. Even when there was no other choice, like now. I would just have to hope Alexis was right. “Either way we should position Dempsey so you can get started.”
With a half-hearted smile he said. “Sounds good to me.” With that, we positioned Dempsey he was pointing his gun right at my double’s chest. “This should be as good as we’re going to get. Just hold the fort until we get back.” Alexis finished with a broad smile across his face.
Alexis walked towards his front door. He quickly laid a hand on the frame and, without breaking stride, he walked through a portal straight into Dempsey’s bedroom. Now I just had to wait for Alexis to run a car through his own front door. I’m sure that wasn’t going to be easy for him to do. While I waited I tried making a few more air marbles. I was determined to become well-versed in forging air.
The process was getting easier. I made and then unmade that one marble over and over again, until I no longer had to think about the strange new procedure. Of course then I got a little too cocky and had to completely walk through the new steps in order to make a quarter sized marble in my hand.
Just as I was finished unmaking the marble I heard a loud crash. That would be Alexis returning home, rather that would be him ramming into his home. After some sounds of falling debris I clearly heard a car door open, that was my cue to stand up and get ready to assist Alexis before hiding myself away in his invisible closet. Before I could do much more I saw Alexis walk into the room wearing his illusion of Dempsey.
“If I didn’t know that was you Alexis I would have had a heart attack.”
“What makes you think I’m Alexis?”
The smile that had been on my lips quickly disappeared to be replaced by a look of shock and horror. I took a slight step backwards as Alexis’ laugh rang out, “I’m sorry, Francis I couldn’t resist. Hey, you walked into this house with the intention of killing me. I should be allowed to have some fun with you, isn’t that fair? Now I don’t need any help for this so into the closet with you.”
“Are you sure?” I asked hoping that there would be something for me to do besides more waiting.
“I’m sure, Francis. Now get in!” Alexis commanded as he forced the gun in Dempsey’s hand to fire twice into my doppelganger. The body instantly slumped to the floor. If anyone were to enter they would believe that Dempsey shot and killed me. I rushed into the closet and closed the door.
Once I heard the click I turned back only to find that there was no handle on this side of the closet. Well I guess we didn’t have to worry about my leaving the closet anytime soon. The closet must have been soundproofed because I saw Alexis grasping his arm in pain and Dempsey was coming to. It was surreal to look through the transparent cabinet door and see my lifeless corpse and Alexis lying right at Dempsey’s feet. I was dimly aware of the police sirens blaring. Wait a second, how was it I could hear the sirens but not the gun shot? I was going to have to remember to ask Alexis about that when this was all said and done.
For now I just had to wait for the cops to show up and arrest Dempsey, hopefully, before Dempsey had the chance to force Alexis into sharing the fate of my double. At least there would be nothing to hinder their entering the house, not with the giant hole in Alexis’ front door. Provided everything went according to the plan it was going to cost Alexis a great deal of money to repair the damage. What is keeping the police?
As I looked away from the wounds on my double and towards Alexis’ injured body, I sought out Dempsey’s face. And when I found it I saw something ripple across Dempsey’s normally stone-like face. Is that excitement? If it was, it only proved that the man was demented. I watched as Dempsey look down at the gun in his hand, he was no doubt looking for whatever comfort he could find. And as if to answer one of my questions another explosion erupted from the barrel of that gun. As I blinked Alexis must have fallen to the floor, because he was there, grasping his now bleeding arm. And that shot answered the other question I had, Dempsey must really be enjoying himself to have shot Alexis in the arm. Where are the cops? They aren’t going to make it.