Terminator - Dying Light

Chapter Three

The man, now dressed in the police uniform, entered the school through the main doorway. As he stepped inside, he glanced from side to side, scanning the hallway with an intense focus. The students nearby noticed him immediately, their conversations quieting as they watched the officer walk through the hall.

Something was unsettling about him—something that made the students exchange uneasy glances. His movements were too stiff, his expression too cold, as if he was out of place. Despite the uniform, which should have brought a sense of security, it only heightened the feeling that something wasn't right. Whispers began to spread among the students as the officer continued down the hallway, each step adding to the growing sense of unease.

He followed the signs that led him to the administration office, his steps measured and deliberate. As he walked in, the lady at the desk looked up with a polite smile.

"Can I help you, officer?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm looking for Thomas Harris. Is he a student here?" he replied, his voice cold and stern.

She frowned slightly, sensing something off, but began typing into the computer in front of her. After a moment, she clicked a few buttons and then looked back up at him. "We have a Timmy Harris," she confirmed. "Can I ask what this is about?"

The man stood there, his mind racing as he calculated his next move. His thoughts buzzed with activity, weighing the options. Finally, he looked down at the woman and replied, "I just need to ask him a few questions. Where is he?"

"I can request that he come to the office if you'd like," she offered.

"I'd rather go see him myself," the man responded, his tone still cold.

She shook her head firmly. "No, I'll have him brought here."

The man hesitated for a moment, his expression unreadable, as he tried to figure out how to proceed.

"I can wait. I never sleep," he replied, his voice unsettlingly calm.

The woman behind the desk gave him an odd look, clearly taken aback by his strange response. After a brief hesitation, she nodded slowly and turned her attention to the task at hand. She quickly wrote up a slip and handed it to a nearby female student, asking her to go and fetch Timmy.

The student glanced nervously at the officer before hurrying out of the office, leaving the man standing there, his eyes fixed on the door as he waited, his presence casting a cold shadow over the room.

The man reached out and picked up a snow globe from the desk, giving it a gentle shake. He tilted his head as he watched the tiny snowflakes swirl around inside, seemingly fascinated by the simple motion. The woman at the desk watched him closely, her eyes filled with confusion and unease. After a moment, he placed the snow globe back down just as the female student returned with a boy in tow.

The man turned to face the boy, immediately noticing that he didn't quite fit the age bracket he was expecting. "Thomas Harris?" he asked, his voice flat.

The boy frowned, struggling under the weight of his heavy backpack. He looked up at the officer and answered while reaching into his pocket. "No, I'm Timothy Harris," he said, pulling out his student ID and holding it out for the man to see.

The officer glanced at the ID for a moment, then without a word, walked past the boy and exited the room. "Thank you for your time," he said over his shoulder as he left, leaving the boy and the woman in a tense silence.

The officer stepped out of the school and walked down the front steps, his movements steady and deliberate. His cruiser was parked nearby, waiting like an extension of himself. He opened the driver's side door, slid inside, and started the engine with a low rumble. His gaze shifted to the small screen on the dashboard.

Without hesitation, he deleted the name Timothy Harris from the list. Then he scrolled down to the next name: Thomas John Harrison. The name didn't match perfectly, but he wasn't there to take chances. After a brief moment of consideration, he looked back at the road ahead and drove off, determined to find his true target. Thomas didn't live far from where the officer was, and according to the database, he had a prior arrest for an assault charge, making him easier to find.

The officer drove away from the school, his gaze momentarily shifting to a young woman and a small child in a car that passed by. His expression remained cold and unreadable as he looked ahead again, focusing on his task. Thomas lived in a small one-bedroom house nearby, which made this mission much simpler for him.

He soon pulled up along the curb in front of the house. After shutting off the engine, he climbed out of the car, closing the door with a firm click. The officer paused for a moment, looking up at the modest house, its worn exterior blending into the quiet neighbourhood.  He walked around the car and stepped up onto the curb, his boots crunching softly on the gravel. Without hesitation, he moved up the front path, each step measured and purposeful, as he approached the door of Thomas's house.

The officer knocked on the door and waited, listening as he heard movement on the other side. When the door finally creaked open, he was met by a bulky man with a scowl on his face.

"What the fuck do you want?" the man spat, glaring at him.

The officer ignored the hostility, his voice cold and emotionless. "Thomas Harris?"

"Yeah, who wants to know?" the man snapped back.

Without a word, the officer reached out and shoved the door open with force, snapping the thin chain that had been securing it. The man stumbled back, his expression shifting from anger to fear as the officer calmly reached for his holster. In one swift motion, he drew his pistol, aimed it at Thomas's head, and pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the small house as Thomas crumpled to the floor. The officer followed him down with his aim, firing several more shots into his lifeless body.

Satisfied, the officer tucked the gun back into his holster, turned, and exited the house. As he returned to his cruiser, he noticed people running away down the sidewalk, panic spreading through the neighbourhood. He climbed into the driver's seat, started the engine, and sped off, leaving the chaos behind.

Thomas John Harris: Terminated.