Jace grabbed a bandage wrap and runs next to Lia until they run into Ella, Griffin and the ringmaster. Jace immediately runs over and stands next to Griffin, putting a strong foot on the ringmaster's stomach. "You're not going to get away with this."
"Ella, please, let me put this bandage on you. Please." Lia sobbed. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let you come with me. I shouldn't have brought up the idea."
Griffin pointed the gun at the ringmaster again. “Should I do it, guys? It’s not only up to me.”
Ella looked up and slowly nodded. In a daze, she leaned back against the wall.
Leo was by Ella's side in a moment. "Hey, Ella, look at me," he said softly. She obeyed and smiled up at him. They had arrived at the same time in this place and were surprisingly close friends. He put a hand to her cheek. "You're gonna be fine. We'll get you out of here." He looked at Lia. "Wrap it tight."
Hey guys, I gtg)
Lia nodded and forced herself to stop crying. She grabbed the bandage and pushed Ella's shirt up a bit to be able to wrap the bandage around. "Stay still, please. Hold on," she whispers, carefully wrapping the bandage tightly around her abdomen. "I'm so sorry."
(ok see ya later)
Hey guys, I gtg)
see you soon!
Ella winced as the bandage was secured. "Ouch." The blood quickly seeped through the gauze: it looked like internal bleeding.
Lia looks over to Leo. "What do we do!?"
Jace looks at the three of them, and back down at the ringmaster. "Where's your phone! Tell me!" He yells and pushes his foot harder into his stomach. The ringmaster grins evilly and spits. "You think I'm going to tell you, a stupid seventeen-year-old boy?"
Ella gripped Lia's arm. "I don't want to die here."
"You're not going to. I won't allow it." Lia promised. "I need to go find a phone to call the police. You guys stay here. Make sure he doesn't move," she tells Jace and Griffin who are still at the other side of the room, holding down the ringmaster, who looks to be fading in and out of consciousness. She runs to his study, hoping that she would find a phone or anything to call the police.
Griffin presses the gun against the ringnaster’s chest, his eyes cold. “Jace? Should I shoot him?”
Ella leans into Leo, breathing heavily. She blinks slowly and curls up. "Don't, Griffin," she murmurs.
“He hurt you, Ella. You really want him to get away with that?”
Jace shook his head. "As much as I hate saying it, we need him alive." He looked down at the now unconscious ringmaster. "He deserves to suffer. Death would let him go easy." He heard running footsteps and saw Lia run back into the room.
"I got it! I found his phone!" She gasped then stopped to catch her breath before calling 911.
Griffin turned to Jace. “Could you hold this for a minute?”, he said, jiggling the gun.
Ella sat up and gasped. "Ouch," she rubbed at her stomach. She leaned against the wall, grimacing, as Lia ran in with the phone. "Oh, good." Her eyes fluttered shut.
Jace took the gun from Griffin, pressing it to the ringmaster's chest.
Lia called the police, told them where they were and what was happening, and then walked over to Ella. "Ella? Please, stay with us. The police are coming. Please, please, we're going to get you out of here."
Ana had been trying to shake Eli awake for several minutes. "Eli! Elliot! Get up!" He groaned. "I'm up! I'm up! What happened?" She helped him out of bed. "I don't know!" She pulled him down the hallway, stopping once she saw what was going on. Eli gasped.
Griffin ran to Ella crouching down next to her. “Oh, Jesus, Ella I’m so sorry we’ll get you out of here, I promise—“ He was in tears.
Ella's head lolled to the side. I know, she mouthed.
Leo stood up, shaking. He paced the room, raking his hands through his hair. "Oh my god, oh my, i told you all this was a bad idea…"
"What the hell happened?!" Eli exclaimed, looking around at the scene in front of him. Ana let out a little squeak when she saw Ella.
“Stay with us, Ella please, oh God—“ Griffin frantically tried to patch up the wound some more, tears running down his face as he cupped her face in his hands.
"HE SHOT HER! HE FUCKING SHOT HER!" Leo shouted, pacing faster.