MR. MANIAC

CHAPTER 14

Tomahov waited at the doorway for Tom's wife. Tears flowing. The door eventually opened. And suddenly Tomahov was at a lost for words, wanting to utter something but finding herself unable to speak. She cried. The silence was confirmation enough. His wife balled out in tears. They embraced. Breaking down in the doorway on that lonely old porch. Crying in the silence they found themselves trapped in.

An hour went by. They were now in the living room saying nothing. Just laying on the couches, stuck. Stricken by it all. Jessica's cell phone rang, she entertained the thought of not answering it, but it was Adrian.

"Yeah?"

"We got that fuckers location, Jess. He's holed up in some abandoned theater o two seventy-eight. Get down here to the station. We're gonna get this asshole."

"Be there in ten."
Jessica hung up, and got up. Almost leaving without a word, but looked back at the new widow.

"I promise that fucker will pay for what he did."

Tom's wife nodded, they shared a sullen stare, Jessica wiped away the remaining tears and headed o.

It didn't take long for SWAT and the New York FBI Division to show up, assisting Layla. They surrounded the theater. Jess insisted on getting a vest, Prescott allowed her, she wasn't going to deny her just due. Not for Dean Harris. Tug was there last minute, startling Layla a bit

"Flight had a long layover. I rushed here soon as I could. I tried calling you."

"You're fine. This is Ocer Tomahov, she's gonna be assisting. Our intel says Harris is holed up in there."

They shook hands.
"Special Agent Tug Matthews, pleasure."
"Pleasure. This son of a bitch killed my partner. I was the arresting ocer."

Tug gave her an understanding look "We'll give him one shot."

Tug grabbed a megaphone, preferring to be short and curt

"Dean. Harris. We have you surrounded. Come out, or we're coming in. You got twenty seconds. First and final warning."

Tug turned his attention to Tomahov and Prescott

"Let's get in there. Even if he is coming out. This bastard doesn't deserve any soft treatment."

"My thoughts exactly." Tomahov said

Layla nodded in response, she instructed the police and SWAT to keep a perimeter, not to come in unless one of them calls for backup. The three of them went in, guns forward.

"FBI! Where are you, Dean?!"

They split up, covering ground in the large theater. Dean lurked in the shadows, watching them, narrowly avoiding being seen. Tug took to the restrooms, opening with caution

"Harris! Show me your hands, or I'll blow your fucking head o!"

🗡

Silence.
"Harris! Come easily, this doesn't have to get ugly."

Silence.
"But it damn sure can if you want." under his breath

The men's room was clean, he checked the women's, also clear. Next the bar, nothing. Dean hid behind the large pillars, biding his time. Tug cleared the concession stand, nothing. He radioed Tomahov and Prescott

"Matthews here, lobby is clean so far. Gonna look at the employee break room. Ove-"

Dean pounced on Tug, tackling him to the ground, wrestling with the gun. Tug punched him in the face, Dean bit down hard on his knuckle, Tug yelled but focused on keeping the gun. Dean head butted Tug ruthlessly, taking his tie and strangling him while they rolled around wrestling for the gun. Tug quickly began to turn red. He let o a shot, richoquet. Dean released the tie and used two hands to force the gun towards Tug. Dean smiled wickedly, Tug struggled, but Dean's strength was too much, he let o two in Tug's chin. Then another two in his chest.

Tomahov ran hard back into the lobby, Dean shot her. It hit her in the vest she fell back regardless. Layla came running, Dean has disappeared. She saw Tug's body and screamed

"Ocer down! Backup, backup, GET YOUR ASSES IN HERE!" Jess screamed into the walkie, she got back up. Running to comfort Layla.

Layla shook o Jess,
"Let's get this motherfucker."

They ran upstairs, covering the separate stairways. They led to dierent rows of theater rooms. Tomahov still had her vest on, her abdomen stung badly. She cleared the first auditorium, making her way to the next, Dean came from behind. Pressing Tug's gun to her back and letting o four shots into her lower back, underneath the vest. The SWAT busted through the main entrance where the three had originally entered. Dean heard it, Layla heard it. He took Jessica's vest and her gun, licking her face as she laid there in a pool of her own blood. She began to choke on it, Dean rolled her over. Slapping her butt. Layla ran up the other stairs, finding Tomahov's body

"UP HERE! OFFICER DOWN! OFFICER DOWN!"

Layla was running o instinct at this point, she hurriedly opened the closest theater door, Dean was vaulting over the balcony. She let o a shot, it narrowly missed him, he bolted for the exit. She vaulted after him, as Dean opened up the theater door he was tackled by SWAT team

member. Who turned him over and put a knee in his back, handcung him. Layla rushed to them, flashing her badge.

"He's mine boys. Get o him."
They hesitantly dispersed. But Layla didn't like ginger they were about it

"BACK THE FUCK UP! You have one of your own bleeding out upstairs, get an ambulance."

They complied this time. "Dean. Harris."

She lifted him up, taking him to the cars outside

"I wish they would've shot you. You're under arrest for escaping imprisonment. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you. You have the right an attorney, if you can't aord one, one will be aorded to you."

She shoved him in the back of the SUV.
"For your sake, you better hope that woman lives."

Layla slammed the door, walking away to get alone time. She quickly snapped herself out of it before she could give herself the chance to mourn. She walked back towards the SUV, expecting a chatty Dean Harris.

Layla stared at Harris through the mirror in the interrogation room. He hadn't said a word since she put him in the car. His hair was black, long, and dirty. His eyes were empty and yet filled with so many conflicting emotions, all crashing together at once, He looked a mess. A confusing mess. She couldn't read him. An ocer came into the room,

"You coming to the hospital?"
"Yeah."
"What about him?"
"Keep his ass in there. Turn the lights o while your at it. Let that fucker sit there."

They left. As she instructed, the ocer turns o the lights to the interrogation room where Dean was. He didn't even flinch, he preferred the dark. Embraced it. Layla and the ocer went to see about Tomahov. Hoping she'd pull through this. At the hospital she hid herself away in the bathroom, locking herself in the stall to cry alone. Missing her mentor, Tug Matthews.