MR. MANIAC

CHAPTER 8

Matthews and the team stood outside the crime scene where Dean had blown up the hospital. Flocks of media crews surrounded the perimeter covering the details of what happened. Layla Prescott sat wrapped in a cover, she laid inside an ambulance asleep from the drugs paramedics gave her for the concussion. Tug's look was fixed on the scene, the other crews of paramedics were busy still trying to save the 1/4th of victims that the bomb didn't kill. Montgomery shook his head in disgust at the amount of stretchers going back and forth, it seemed to have hit a deep spot in him to see the one place people go to for safety and recovery, get killed in that same place. Chase couldn't bear it at all, he looked away. Agent Doyle wasn't officially on the case but was added for more depth that same night, he stayed in the ambulance with Prescott, waiting for her to awaken for a full report, and more importantly, to secretly hug her closely and thank god she was alright.

┼

The next morning... Layla awoke from her long sleep. Dreams of Dean torturing her and the thousand screams of those people from the hospital. From the children, to the women, to the elderly, to the good husbands and fathers, even the nurse she yelled at. They haunted her as if she were the one who murdered them. She could only imagine what dreams Dean might have at night, maybe none at all. Maybe he slept like a baby, she thought. It was possible he went to sleep at night thinking only of what terrible number of lives he would take the next day. She was thinking too much. Agents Chase, Doyle, & Montgomery walked into the room. She sat up in the hospital bed, she looked around, Matthews was nowhere to be found.

"How's your head?" Chase asked first, beating the overly concerned Doyle to the punch

"I feel fine, where's Matthews? Is it really safe to be in a hospital after what just happened?" she said, not wanting to linger on the subject of her health without Matthews present

"Harris isn't dumb enough to try and pull a double act in twenty four hours. We have local authorities and spare agents all over large hospitals within the city limits. He's not going anywhere undetected." Montgomery barked, obviously upset over the events

"Do the locals have that kind of manpower?" Layla asked with concern

"We're only targeting large hospitals like Agent Montgomery said, it was a stretch but we should be fine. Security agencies are helping out as well. Everyone's on full alert." Chase said reassuringly

"What happened to you when he took you? We need to debrief you as soon as possible. Make sure you're alright." Doyle said, trying to mask the care in his tone

"Where's Matthews? I thought he'd be here." Layla didn't want to partake in the confusion of this case just yet. She needed guidance, she needed the father figure in her life

"He's attending to other matters involving the case. He sends his well wishes. Get some rest Prescott, you got some time before we need you back out there. For right now, this guy isn't going anywhere near a hospital. But Doyle's right, you need to be debriefed ASAP." Chase said with authority

"What's being done about the survivors? I know we have got to have something on that bomb too." She pressed, not happy with the idea of being sidelined any longer than she already was

"Forensics is looking at the debris as we speak, we'll keep you updated on Prescott, just focus on getting better." Montgomery chimed in

"I'll feel better when we catch this guy. I'm fine." she retorted stubbornly

☨

Not many tend to understand the blueprint to what makes a killer, kill. Most is more often than not, merely the interpretation of a killer through medical files and confessions. But to understand killing is to understand the darkest regions of human nature. For Dean Harris, it wasn't really in his nature to kill. But more so an addiction, an unwanted addiction. The kind of addiction the mind becomes a slave to. With drug addicts, it is not for the love of the substance that keeps them coming back for more self destruction, but the mind's dark side presiding over the mind's reason. One who fights addiction fights an internal battle that is never truly won. The evil of the mind vs the good of the mind. Right now, Dean was fighting on both sides, and each kill only prolonged the battle. Dean thought about Lucy the entire time as he ripped off his license plates with a crowbar. He regretted everything, he hated every act he did. But he reasoned for it, he wanted nothing more than to simply get his hands on the men that raped and killed his wife. He wanted nothing more than to have been dead when he put that gun to his head. He wanted nothing more than to turn himself in and hold himself accountable for his crimes. He also wanted nothing more than to kill her. single. living. human being on earth.