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The car was left unattended for anyone to take. Fiona was freaking out over the dreadful feeling of the looming demise of the one woman she truly loved. There, she’d said it. She’d loved Sophie from the first time she met her. The theory was true; she had fallen in love at first sight. She silently gestured for Gregory to follow. There was no need to cover the front door or the fire escape route as Phil would not leave before he performed the sacrifice, no matter what the difficulties or circumstances. Phil lived in a five-apartment building. His unit was on the third floor, not far from the precinct. Fiona was almost certain the distance was just a few blocks. Why was Phil living there? His father was wealthy, so money was not the motive for residing there. Perhaps it was convenient to his workplace? Fiona thought, like these ideas were vital. She continued with the superfluous thoughts in her head, wanting to remain occupied and avoid shouting into the night about the pain that was penetrating her soul.
Attempting to gain access to the building, they decisively rang all the bells except Phil’s. The intercom exploded with requests and inquiries from all the tenants that were home.
“Police, please open the door,” they requested, although they were both unsure if anyone would believe it and buzz them in.
They waited for the sound, any sound, indicating that the door was opening. Gregory glanced at the lock, preparing to break it and gain access to the interior of the building. Unexpectedly, the door opened, and an older man appeared at the entrance. Was fate on their side? He was all business-like and serious, and explaining the situation to him was not of any importance at that moment. Fiona presented her badge, pushed him to the side, and ran like the devil was chasing her, taking steps two at a time as Gregory followed her.
When they reached the third floor, they approached the door of apartment four, which was located to the far right of the stairway. Fiona drew her gun. She was out of options.
“What are you doing?” The old man had followed them and placed his body in front of the door.
“Keep quiet. This is a police investigation. Please go to your apartment,” Fiona murmured.
“I’m the owner of this building. Do not,” he emphasized his words, “break the door. I’ll bring the keys,” he reassured them.
Perhaps unlocking the door quietly was better than breaking it? Fiona grabbed the keys as soon as the old man returned. She inserted the key and heard the bolts turning. She gently pushed the door open. The old man was watching like a hawk to make sure damage was not done to his building. Gregory motioned for him to go. The stubborn man refused to leave and held the door as they both progressed inside. The apartment was a contradiction of what Fiona was expecting. The apartment was luxurious and just the right fit for a wealthy man’s son.
They passed the kitchen and walked the short hallway to the living room. There was no one to greet them, and that was a good thing because a bloodbath would have been unavoidable. They had the element of surprise on their side, and a surprise attack could avoid a deadly encounter. When they thought they were in the clear and poised to enter the bedroom, the old man interfered by calling Phil’s name. Phil appeared and took aim at the intruders. His gun discharged twice, hitting the old man precisely in the head and heart. He was dead, but those shots proved to be Phil’s downfall. Gregory was now aware of Phil’s exact location, and he had no intention of missing his target. He pulled the trigger four times, finding his target with each shot. They cautiously approached Phil’s body, which now grotesquely soiled the floor and checked his pulse. His heartbeat was gone, silenced forever.
Fiona was still on the floor next to the bedroom door where Phil’s body lay, and she quickly looked inside. What she witnessed was her worst nightmare coming forcefully alive. Their person of interest, the older, bottom-heavy woman with the distinctive, short hair was holding a gun, presumably one of Phil’s, to Sophie’s head.
“I promise to destroy you. Now, hush for good, you fool.” Her utterance was perplexing and sounded crazy to Fiona. Who was she talking to?
Nevertheless, seeing Sophie’s unmoving, naked body messed up Fiona’s mind, and she didn’t give a fuck if she made it out alive. She retreated to the side again, stretching up against the wall next to the bedroom’s door. She checked her gun and jolted forward, firing her weapon. She didn’t ask the woman to surrender or drop her weapon, and that reaction was out of character. She had always promoted safety for both the perpetrators of crimes and their victims. Today, her fairness switch was turned off, and her rage was as vast as the cosmos.
She took aim and killed the woman, who was threatening the one she loved. The woman’s body landed at Sophie’s side. Fiona placed the woman’s body on the floor and checked Sophie’s pulse. Sophie was still alive and Fiona gently stroked her face. She turned to Gregory and screamed, “Eighty-five!” The dreadful code had to be dispatched. She kissed Sophie’s forehead while her eyes watered. “Please, please,” she whispered, “stay with me.”