A Great Leap (First Draft) - Outer Realms Book 1

Chapter 18

The last few grey clouds were clearing under the persistent pressure of the weak sun as Mikayla drove the car toward one of Gary Worth's previous addresses. They were turning into the suburb of their destination when the radio hailed them and Joel answered.

"We've got an emergency call from the address that the system says you're on your way to," the person on the radio said, "A neighbour has called in a domestic and they said it was pretty bad. Claimed there was screaming and things breaking but there's never been anything like this from there before."

"We're only a few minutes away," Joel said, "We've got another car on the way as well. We're in pursuit of a suspect with a history of mental health problems. Can you send an ambo and a counselor?"

"Sure can."

"Thank you." Then he ended the communication before taking out his phone and dialing someone. "I think you might have been right about Gary going home to somewhere he felt safe."

"Being right all the time really sucks," Mikayla said, "Just ask the kids."

"Don't want to know. The girls still think I walk on water and I'd like it to stay that way."

"Yeah, you've got three more years of that at most."

When Mikayla pulled up outside the cottage style house from the fifties a shiny silver sedan caught her eye down the street and her stomach fell but she had little time to consider the vehicle. As soon as she opened the car door she heard a crash from inside the house. She shared a look with Joel and both rushed to prepare for danger, strapping each other into their armoured vests, checking their body cameras and readying their guns. They were just about to approach the house when a marked car pulled up and uniformed officers jumped out to join them. It was less than a minute before the four officers were ready to enter the house.

"This was the suspect's grandparents house?" one of the officers asked.

"Lived here after his family went missing," Mikayla replied, "At least until he was hospitalised for the first time at fifteen."

"I was looking into his previous addresses," Joel said, "Grandparents died a few years ago. Completely unrelated family lives here now."

"We think the suspect has come back to somewhere he feels safe," Mikayla said, "Someone's certainly making a mess inside. Thought we might be able to beat him here."

"The guess about him going home was a good one though," Joel said, "We think he actually broke in?"

"I think we have to assume the worst until we know otherwise," Mikayla said.

"How do we approach?" One of the officers asked.

"His history says he's more likely to hurt himself than anyone else," Joel answered.

"Gents," Mikayla said, "One of you go with Joel and find another point of entry around the back. Try that gate there. We'll go in the front and see what's going on. I think we have a real chance of talking this guy down without too much trouble if we approach it right so let's not crowd or corner him unless we have to."

"Okay," Joel said, "Be careful going in there."

As Joel and the one of the officers went around the side of the house, guns at the ready, Mikayla and the other constable deliberately approached the front door, guns out but down at their sides. Mikayla knocked firmly on the door but there was no response. She looked to her companion whose face was set in a hard mask of determination. Mikayla knocked again, harder this time.

"Help!" Came a shaky female cry, "Somebody he-" The panicked voice broke into a scream and there came the sound of something ceramic smashing.

"We're police!" Mikayla called out, finding the door unlocked, "We're coming inside."