Prologue

"What do you plan to do to me?" Sylvia asked in earnest wondering how she could be so foolish as to expect a proper answer. Most of the female police officers here usually sneered at her and ignored her. William had gotten away and that she was thankful for, but there was not even the slightest hint that he had distributed the million years to the people in the Ghetto.

She was an unusually observant person and would have noticed any looks of trepidation on the women officers that guarded her cell if William had done such a thing. But there was not a breath. Not even a whisper and that in turn filled her with anxiety. Had something happened to him? Had he been caught? Did he die? Was the million years back in her father's hands?

Sylvia didn't want to think about and since it was no use tuning out the man in front of her, she chose to listen instead. Why he had come all this way was a complete mystery of course. Although she could hazard a guess. Most likely he wanted to rub salt into her wounds. "You look very calm," Raymond Leon noted. She refused to dignify that with an answer.

Better to stay silent she thought. He smiled.

She felt sick.

"As per your question, I think you already know the answer to that." His voice held a hint of …smugness and it made her grit her teeth. "I see," she mumbled almost feeling resigned. Almost. Raymond straightened up, his expression returning to all seriousness as he scrutinized her. "That is why I am here," he offered and she found the remark so condescending that she had to resist the urge to spit in his face.

The idea was tempting though and she kept it lodged in her thoughts. "Not even a trial?" She deadpanned although surprised, not really lamenting the loss to plead her case. Her father had all but abandoned her as she had abandoned him and she was somewhat glad for it. It wouldn't do well to give her a guilt trip that even after she had all but robbed and destroyed him, he would still try to help her.

"Well you have been in here for a month so naturally the government would create a story, but you are not worth the time as they say. After all you are considered one of the worst criminals in America so it is only natural you will be executed. They will take away the rest of your time so that you are left at but a minute and you will be executed by firing squad."

Sylvia swallowed hard doing her best to contain her fear. Normally they simply took away your years and that was how you died. It was quick with the heart stopping immediately and the neuron electrical connections severed in the spinal cord. A quick death. Although the firing squad was much the same… if they hit her in the head first.

"Rare," she remarked dryly since it was bizarre she was going to be executed by gun shot and by a firing squad no less. "Never heard of," he agreed and bid her to rise. She did still in her chains with the cuffs around her wrists and ankles. She walked past him without glancing, finding it quite amazing just how cold and ruthless he could be.

Cocky bastard must have asked for special permission to escort her to her death sentence and the thought alone had made her sick. After all she had been vomiting for the last week and they had only allowed her to see the doctor yesterday who strangely enough took pity on her. She supposed her nerves had gotten the better of her and even though she didn't feel that scared, her body knew anyway.

She only hoped she wouldn't vomit again. She wanted to die with dignity. One of Raymond's men was walking in front of her, Raymond casually behind her. It was as if he had all the time in the world. Bastard. She stood quietly in the elevator downwards making sure she didn't make eye contact with anyone lest her courage and resolve be abrogated.

The elevator doors chimed and Sylvia was pushed forward to be led out. Suddenly she was surrounded by numerous amounts of police in heavy armour and transparent shields. Raymond stayed close to her and she gave him a questioning look, but his grim expression was focused on what lay ahead. It wasn't long before she realized why.

There was a huge mob outside. Hundreds? Thousands? They lined either side of the wide concrete stairs of the government building she had been confined in for the last month. Time keepers lined the stairs too and the nearby road to keep the people at bay. All this security was for her protection and it painfully reminded her of her family.

The mob was shouting for her blood. Cursing her for disrupting the order. Blaming her for putting the country on the brink of economic ruin with a supposed Ghetto madman on the lose running around with a million years' worth of currency in his pocket. So it seemed he hadn't done anything with the years, but it was still in his hands.

Then…what was he planning to do? It would be impossible for William to share the years down in the Ghettos now. No doubt they would be heavily guarded. How would he distribute the life giving currency with this impediment? She didn't want to think about it. Sylvia was placed into one of the bulletproof police cars with Raymond and one of his Time Keeper's on either side of her.

After a few minutes they were on their way. Sylvia wanted to know exactly where she was going to be executed but decided not to ask. The whole thing was bizarre to say the least. Even the worst criminals received a trial and depending on the seriousness of their crime were on death throw for several years (assuming they managed to work hard enough to keep their daily time although most didn't) and executed privately to achieve that sense of justice for those who were wronged.

No one was executed by gunshot anymore as a punishment. It was unheard of in most countries especially in a time like this let alone have the government feed a fake criminal trial to the media and order a public execution for those over eighteen to view by a firing squad. Sylvia knew this was a conspiracy through and through and it must have cost a lot of years to cover up William's intentions of giving time.

This was what this all had to be about. Covering up the very fact that they had tried to give people time. The notion of hope. The government was walking on eggshells since William hadn't done the deed yet. Now all they could do was wait until he made a move and stop him before he unleashed pandemonium. No doubt the warrant for his arrest was on red alert and every able officer and citizen was duty bound to look out for him. They didn't want to shoot him on sight in case he had put the million years into himself. Sylvia doubted that such a man could even be considered that selfish. Those were the theories that ran through her head as the car drove on at a moderate speed with inward silence. Out of the corner of her eye, Sylvia took the chance to catch a look at Raymond who was sitting as stoically and calmly as possible. His face was devoid of emotion of course.

Sylvia returned to looking at her hands feeling the queasiness rise up in her stomach again. She supressed a groan not wanting to look weak in front of these Time Keepers or give them the satisfaction that they had triumphed over her resolve. Her life maybe, but not her resolve.

All that was left was fear and regret. Not for running off with William, risking her life or destroying the basic principles she had grown up with. It was regret for been a fool. Letting Raymond entice her with such pretty words and believing him for it. It was the very reason she had landed in his custody in the first place.

Raymond wasn't the type to gloat in words it seemed. Only in actions as he was portraying right now, but still…he was unpredictable. It was definite that he and William would cross paths again and she was worried about what Raymond would say to him. Rub her death in his face or something worse?

'That girlfriend of yours. That upper-class little side kick that helped you with this mess. Do you know what I did when we were stranded in the Ghetto? I fucked her.' Contemplating on such a thought, it seemed a little too out of character for someone as serious as Mr Leon, but it was a possibility and a feat she never wanted William to know about. If Raymond did reveal it to him if they ever crossed paths again, she only hoped he wouldn't believe it. Perhaps William would throw it off as a lie.

Because she couldn't imagine the thought of the betrayal he would inevitably feel and the hurt in his eyes when he realized the woman that had died for him had let herself fall victim to a Time Keeper's false pretences of sympathetic understanding to their plight. Letting out a quiet sigh, Sylvia rested back in her seat doing her best to ignore the rising nausea in her stomach. All humanly pain she felt would be over soon.

The ride was another twenty minutes from which she was led out from what appeared to be time square. She almost scoffed at the irony. Public execution indeed. Absentmindedly she wondered if any members of her family, particularly her father, were somewhere in the midst of the crowd. Probably not. This scandal would be a huge blow to their company.

She noticed there were several politicians on the stand observing the spectacle with slight distaste. Even the crowd that had come to view the execution were the upper richest class and they too didn't seem too pleased although they were not inclined to protest against the matter. It was her very actions that had put their wealth and their whole lives in jeopardy.

There was a speech conducted by the mayor of the town who ignored the numerous flashing cameras. Her execution was probably going to be broadcasted nationwide. Perhaps even internationally. Sylvia was then led up some stairs to her would be 'scaffold' when the sound of Raymond's phone ringing slightly made her stop. She was pushed forward without him.

Biting her lip, she was led up. The firing squad was in wait. There were eight of them. Sylvia was turned to the side just in time to see Raymond's expression as shocked and wide eyed as she had ever seen it. He was stiff and was holding the phone deftly in his hand. What had caused him to have such a reaction? He wasn't a man that could be easily surprised or shocked and it left her curious. However she didn't have time to ponder over the fact much.

She was given the blindfold, her time was taken and left at what she guessed was a minite and helpfully turned to face the firing squad.

This was it.