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Todd might be Maggie’s brother, but Will was about to put him on the ground.
He didn’t want to shoot him, and with so many innocent bystanders, he couldn’t. He’d have to find a nonlethal way to end this.
“Hey buddy. It’s me, Will.” He stepped in front of Maggie. “I’ll help you, but first give me the knife, okay?”
“You need to stay out of this,” Maggie hissed over his shoulder. “He hates cops, remember?”
“I can’t just stand here and do nothing. It’s my job to protect these people,” said without taking his eyes off Todd.
“Right. Job first, family second.” Maggie’s words did the job of Todd’s knife.
They’d come here to start fresh. Take another shot at husband and wife. But somehow, in a matter of minutes, they were right back where they’d left off.
The five-inch steel blade glinted as Todd pointed the knife at Will. “You’re one of them. You’re going to turn me in!”
Beads of sweat dotted Todd’s forehead. His Army green jacket had splotches of red. Blood.
Oh, Todd. What have you done?
“Wait.” Will cupped a hand over his ear. “Do you hear that?”
Todd flinched. His eyes darted across the room. “Hear what?”
“They’re coming. I hear the sirens.” Will pointed at the knife. “Oh man, you better get rid of that. You’re not supposed to have it.”
“That’s right.” Maggie reached out. “Here, give it to me so you won’t get into trouble.”
Todd’s face twisted into a scowl, and he lunged.
“Maggie, no!” Will grabbed her by the shoulders and swung her around behind him.
The knife caught Will’s sleeve, ripping a long jagged line.
Todd raised the blade for another strike.
Will caught Todd’s hand midair and pinched the pressure points around Todd’s thumb. The knife fell to the floor with a soft thud.
Todd growled.
Teeth sank into Will’s shoulder. He cried out, but didn’t release his grip.
Will twisted Todd’s hand behind his back and worked to get his cuffs out. The cuffs were too small for Todd’s thick wrists. He couldn’t get them to latch.
Todd swung a wild punch and Will blocked it. The blow landed on Will’s forearm.
A male diner stood and shoved Todd into a table. “Way to ruin everyone’s night!”
Dishes shattered, food splattered, but Todd wasn’t fazed. He scrambled for another weapon. “They’re gonna kill me! They won’t stop the gladiator!”
Will grabbed Todd’s shoulders and pulled him back. Face to face, Will saw fear in the man’s eyes. “There’s no gladiator, Todd. It’s just me, Will. Relax.” But the words seemed to have the opposite effect.
He broke free, sprinting towards the kitchen doors. “He kills them! The gladiator kills them!”
Will heaved a sigh. A foot pursuit was not happening. Even if he caught Todd, he didn’t have the tools to subdue him. Uniforms did.
The adrenaline started to ebb, replaced by a dull ache in his back and a throbbing headache. His gaze flicked across the toppled furniture, the broken glass, the frightened and confused faces. A wave of sadness washed over him. Todd wasn’t the monster they saw, just a lost soul trapped in a storm of his own psyche.
Will whipped out his phone and dialed dispatch. He reported the details of what had happened. “Subject is mentally unstable, unarmed.” His eyes met Maggie’s. “Do not use lethal force. Repeat, do not use lethal force.”
He disconnected and dropped his phone in his pocket.
“Thank you.” Maggie brushed her fingers over the hole in his sleeve. “Sorry about your new suit.”
“No biggie.” Will shrugged. “How’d you know it was new?”
Her eyebrows arched. “I know you, Will.”
And she did.
Better than anyone else.
They’d seen the best and worst of each other over the years. Suffered the greatest pain a human can endure and let it tear them apart. Even after everything, he still loved her. He just couldn’t tell her.
“I’m sorry. It’s so hard to see him like that.” He rubbed the sore spot on his arm.
“And it’s getting worse.” Her shoulders rose and fell with a heavy breath. “C’mon, let’s go. After this, he’ll go to the one place he feels safe. Home.”
Leaving the scene to the uniformed officers, Will ushered Maggie out a side door and headed to his unmarked sedan. The silence stretched between them during the twenty-minute drive to Todd’s house. He couldn’t shake the sound of Todd’s voice screaming about the gladiator.
The rantings of a schizophrenic weren’t always delusions.
Will parked at the curb and left the engine running. Todd’s house was on the right side of a cream-colored duplex. A single yellow porch light illuminated the porches, but both homes were otherwise dark.
“Doesn’t look like anyone’s home,” Will said.
Maggie stared through the car window. “Ray, his caregiver should be. I mean, if he’s not with Todd, he should be here. Should we wait?”
“Let me check it out.” Will opened his car door.
She grabbed his arm and he paused. “Seeing you will set him off again. I should go.”
Maggie had a good point, but he wasn’t about to send her into the unknown by herself. “We’ll both go.”
They walked up the cement driveway to Todd’s porch. Will banged his knuckles on the door.
“Do they train you guys to knock like that?” Maggie shook her head and pushed the doorbell with her index finger.
A faint chime rang out behind the door.
No one came.
Will leaned moved to the front window and cupped his hands around the glass. Mini blinds blocked his view. “Don’t you have a key?”
“Nope.” She gestured to the tiny black crossbody purse. “Oh, but there might be—”
Maggie leaned down and picked up a fake rock. She removed a silver key and handed it to Will.
“Really? I’d think someone with his level of paranoia wouldn’t leave a key outside.”
“I don’t think he knows about it.” She shrugged. “Ray’s idea.”
“Smart. Okay, stay behind me until I know it’s safe. If Todd’s in there, I’ll back up and let you take over.” As long as he’s not a danger. He flicked the latch on his holster and pressed his palm on the butt of his gun.
The key unlocked the door and Will pushed it open. “Hello? Anybody home?”
Shadows draped the room in darkness, but Will didn’t need light to know something horrible had happened. The all too familiar metallic scent hung in the air.
Will flipped the light switch and gasped.
Blood.
So much blood.