Police

CHAPTER 14: POLICE

The massive army truck sped down the deserted streets with Louie in the driver's seat and Jimmy sitting behind the machine gun. His face and body were protected by the blast shield.

"Heads up, kid," said Louie, "We're approachin' the district. They'll be expectin' us, so be ready for 'em."

"No problem," said Jimmy.

"Piotr and his boys will come in once we clear out the patrols," Louie continued, "We only get one chance to do this right, so let's not fuck this up!"

As Louie turned at the next intersection, two police cruisers approached from behind.

"See 'em, kid?" said Louie.

"Yup!" said Jimmy.

Jimmy clutched the machine gun tightly and opened fire on the cruisers. The force of the bullets shattered the windows and killed the occupants, causing the cars to spin out of control and crash.

"They're comin' at us from the left!" Louie cried.

Another cruiser was barreling at them from a nearby intersection. Louie swerved, not only to avoid the assault, but to give Jimmy a clear shot.

"Open wide!" yelled Jimmy.

Jimmy pumped the cruiser full of bullets, utterly destroying it.

"Sir," said one of the officers over the radio, "They're in a fuckin' tank or somethin'! We can't..."

"If they get anywhere near this station," Roark threatened, "I'll slice off each o' your goddamn limbs!"

Another two cruisers approached from behind. Jimmy wasted no time obliterating them.

"How's the ammo situation?" Louie asked.

"Still good," Jimmy replied, "More than half."

For the next while, Louie and Jimmy circled the block, taking out any cruisers they encounter. Most were not even trying to fight anymore, and were instead fleeing the area or retreating to the police station.

"What are ya imbeciles doin'?" Roark demanded, "Stop them pricks! Stop them before I..."

Roark's speech was interrupted by a nasty coughing fit.

"Ready, kid?" said Louie, "I see the station!"

"Born ready," said Jimmy.

Louie drove down Williams street, which led directly to the police headquarters. As expected, a blockade of cars and officers stood in front of the entrance.

"Hang on tight!" Louie yelled.

Louie spun the truck so that it was parallel with the sidewalk in front of the entrance. As the officers opened fire on the truck, Jimmy returned fire with his machine gun, killing most of the assailants and forcing the rest to retreat inside.

"ACK!" Louie yelled, "Son of a bitch!"

Louie was struck in the shoulder by a stray bullet while attempting to bail via the driver-side door. As soon as he was outside the truck, he put his back up against it and observed the damage.

"Fuckin' Christ," he muttered.

Having run out of ammunition, Jimmy leapt down and joined Louie.

"You alright?" he asked.

"I'll live," Louie replied, "Come on, we have to save Lucia and Lenny!"

"You slimy little..." Roark said over the radio.

"Kidnapping is a new one for you, Roark," said Jimmy, "Sure you don't wanna just release our friends so we can be on our way? Wouldn't wanna hurt anymore of your guys."

"Don't ye threaten me," Roark said, coldly, "I'm the law in this Godforsaken town, not you. I...I..."

Roark was interrupted by another wet coughing fit.

"You alright there, Chief?" Jimmy taunted, "You sound a little sick."

"Oh, I'm fine, boyo; better than fine, I'm alive! Yeah, had a run-in with one of them jumpers, but I survived. Ain't nothin' that can stop me now, not even the likes o' ye!"

"We're about to make your day a whole lot worse, pal," said Louie, "Gettin' slimed will be the least of your problems!"

"Shaddup!" Roark snapped, "I still have plenty o' men who'll die for me. Ye want your friends, ye better come and get 'em 'fore I...Ugh!"

Once again, Roark began coughing violently, even vomiting slightly at the end.

"We have to hurry," said Louie, "Roark turns, he won't be able to control himself no more. Lucia's as good as dead."

"Right," said Jimmy, nodding, "I just hope the Russians hurry the hell up!"

"They're about two minutes out. We can wait or..."

"Fuck that!"

Jimmy kicked down the front door and entered, with Louie right behind. The lobby of the police headquarters an architectural marvel with marble flooring and giant columns lining the walls. At the rear of the lobby stood the reception desk, flanked at either side by staircases leading to a second floor balcony that overlooked the lobby. Several officers stood upon this balcony and began firing down at the duo.

"Eyes up, kid," said Louie, taking aim, "They're everywhere!"

Louie and Jimmy stood back-to-back, picking off the cops standing on the balconies. Additional officers were making their way down the stairs at the rear.

"Take cover!" said Jimmy.

Louie and Jimmy fired potshots at them before retreating behind one of the columns. Jimmy grabbed one of the two remaining grenades on his belt and cooked it momentarily.

"Stay back," he warned Louie.

Jimmy hurled the grenade towards the officers.

"Fuckin' shit!" cried one of them, "Watch out!"

The explosion rocked the lobby, injuring several of the officers. The rest survived by diving out of the way. Louie and Jimmy used this opportunity to fire more shots at them.

"Ammo's runnin' low," Louie said, "Goddamnit, where are the Russians?"

Just then, a large black van crashed through the front entrance. The impact shook the entire lobby and distracted the officers.

"Uh," said Jimmy, "You rang?"

"What in blazes is going on here?" yelled an officer, "Where did these assholes come from?"

"This is for Anton!" Piotr screamed as he exited the vehicle, "The Zolotoy cries for vengeance!"

"URA!" cried the other Russians.

With help from Piotr and the Zolotoy, the duo were able to gun down the officers and make their way up the stairs.

"Blast it all to hell!" Roark was throwing a tantrum over the radio, "You couldn't have just...Gone down with dignity, could ye? Had to make everythin' complicated!"

"Last I checked," Jimmy began, "We gave you the chance to work with us but you chose to kill us instead. Consider this your just reward."

"NO! I'd never work with the likes o' ye! Fuckin' criminal scumbags! Goddamn thugs! You ain't the bloody heroes o' this story, I AM! YA HEAR ME?"

Roark then began coughing again, followed by the sound of slime gushing.

"Roark," Jimmy pleaded, "It's over. You need to stop this. For our sake, the city's sake...Hell, for your own sake!"

"Since when did you care about me so much, boyo?" Roark asked.

"I don't, but you should know those leaper things are searchin' for a new Alpha to lead the Slime...If you really were infected by one of 'em...Well, you're lookin' at a fate worse than death. But you can still avoid by taking your life now while you still have..."

"NEVERRRR!"

With that, several monstrous noises could be heard coming from the radio. Loud banging could be heard on the floor above them.

"We gotta hurry," said Louie, "He must be in his office upstairs."

"Right," said Jimmy, "Let's do this!"

The duo, along with the Russians, ran through the second floor corridor looking for a stairwell leading up. Along the way, they encountered more officers, only, these ones were infested.

"Shit," said Jimmy, "He's already begun turnin' 'em."

The officers fired upon the duo, forcing them to take cover in an office.

"By here!" yelled Louie.

The group ran through the office, using the desks and cubicles as cover.

"Go comrades," said Piotr, "We will take care of these pigs. Find your friends and end this!"

"Ya sure?" asked Louie.

"We will meet with you once we are done here," said Piotr, "Now, go!"

Louie and Jimmy nodded, then made their way through the office and out a rear door. This brought them to another corridor, where they found a stairwell.

"Roark can't hide no more," said Louie, "He's finished!"

The duo reached the third floor, which was quiet and abandoned. Jimmy and Louie each drew pistols and kept them at the ready in case of any surprises.

"I think this is it," Jimmy whispered.

Jimmy drew Louie's attention to a giant office with two large windows and a secretary's desk in front.

"I don't see no one inside," Louie noted, "But let's check anyways."

Jimmy and Louie entered the massive office and looked around. Roark's desk, which sat at the back of the room, was completely trashed with papers and folders scattered about. Slime trails and claw marks coated the walls of the room. As Louie and Jimmy slowly approached the desk, they failed to spot Roark standing right behind them.

"Sh," said Louie, "You hear somethin'?"

Suddenly, Roark struck Louie with all of his strength, sending him flying into the wall and crashing onto a table.

"You son of a..." snapped Jimmy.

However before Jimmy could fire his gun, Roark grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground. Jimmy glanced down at Roark's face, which caked in slime and locked in a maniacal smile.

"Ah, yes," said the Chief, "I remember ye now. The kid from the park. The thorn in me side all fuckin' night long. Well, it ends now!"

Roark brought Jimmy's face close to his own and began licking it with an inhumanly long tongue.

"That's where you're wrong, asshole!" said Jimmy.

Jimmy delivered a vicious headbutt to the Chief's face, forcing him to drop Jimmy. Jimmy then followed up with a knee to the groin. He then drew the second M1911 he had holstered in his belt and fired several rounds into Roark's body, taking him out.

With Roark down, Jimmy turned his attention over to the closet door to the right of Roark's desk. Jimmy approached and opened it, revealing both Lenny and Lucia, handcuffed, but unharmed.

"Oh, Jimmy!" Lucia cried, "I'm so glad you're here."

"Y-You came for us?" said Lenny, "D-Despite the obvious d-d-danger?"

"We lost too many people tonight," Jimmy lamented, "I'll be damned if I lose anymore."

Jimmy approached Roark's fallen body and grabbed the key from his belt.

"He can't hurt you anymore," said Jimmy, "Come on, let's..."

Suddenly, they heard a noise. Jimmy glanced behind him and saw Roark standing back up, despite his injuries. His body trembled violently.

"Shit," said Jimmy, undoing both Lenny and Lucia's handcuffs, "Listen to me; you have to get outta this room, ASAP. Ya hear me?"

"B-But," began Lucia.

"Go!" Jimmy ordered, "I'll keep him distracted."

After releasing Lenny and Lucia from their bonds, Jimmy turned his focus back to Roark. Several slime-coated tentacles emerged from his spine while the colour faded from his eyes.

"Goddamnit," said Jimmy, firing more rounds into Roark "Why won't you fuckin' die?"

"Me thoughts exactly," Roark spoke in a distorted voice.

When it became clear his pistol was ineffective, Jimmy bolted from the room, with Roark giving chase.

"Aye," Roark taunted, "Ye can't run from me, boyo!"

Jimmy led Roark in pursuit down a long hallway. Using his tentacles, Roark hurled a couple of objects at Jimmy, including a potted plant and a bench. The latter object struck Jimmy in the back, knocking him down. Roark raised one of his tentacles and slammed it down on the floor, with Jimmy narrowly rolling out of the way. Jimmy fired another few shots at Roark before retreating to a locker room.

"Gotta figure something out," Jimmy muttered.

Jimmy moved about the maze of lockers, using them as cover from the ever-persistent Chief of Police. He checked the ammo in his pistol and saw he had about three-to-four shots remaining.

Meanwhile, Roark cautiously surveyed the room. Part of his left ear was missing from one of Jimmy's earlier gunshots, but his injuries hardly fazed him.

"Come on out, kid," he warned, "Ye can't hide forever!"

"You ain't the hero of this story, Chief," Jimmy taunted, "Never was."

"Yeah?"

"I'm no saint myself. In fact, I ain't even gonna pretend I'm any better than you. But there is somethin' I have that you don't."

"And what would that be, son?"

"Friends. People who respect me and are willing to die for me."

"I have me men. They..."

"Your men don't give two shits about you, Roark! They're either afraid, or they're in this for themselves. If any of 'em are even still alive, you can bet your ass they won't be takin' orders from a monster!"

"Shaddup, kid. What do you know about me?"

"I know that your glory days are over. Now, you're just a miserable, washed-up old cop who has to take bribes from criminals to support your wife."

"Grrr..."

"Sorry, EX-wife."

Enraged, Roark slammed a locker with his fist, denting it.

"Ye little prick!" he yelled, "Where the hell are ya?"

"Right behind ya," said a voice.

Roark turned around in time to see Louie to firing several pistol shots into him. Jimmy then emerged from cover and fired his last remaining shots at the fire extinguisher on the wall right next to Roark. The resulting explosion rocked the room, sending Roark flying into a locker, hard enough to dent it.

"Nice one, kid," said Louie.

"Thanks," said Jimmy.

The duo approached the fallen Roark. Half of his face had been blown off by the explosion, exposing muscle tissue and even bone. Despite this, he was still barely alive, gasping for air.

"Well?" he said, "What are ye waitin' for? End it, already. Lemme die a man."

With that, Louie handed Jimmy the M1911 he had dropped in Roark's office when Roark attacked him.

"Ya dropped this, kid," Louie said.

Jimmy nodded and took the gun. He then pointed the gun at Roark's head and fired, killing the Chief of Police once and for all. Immediately after, Louie and Jimmy took a seat on a nearby bench.

"Glad that's over," sighed Louie, "Why don't we check on our Russian friends, eh Legs?"

Jimmy grabbed his radio and hailed Piotr. After a few seconds, they could hear laboured breathing on the other end.

"We did it, friends," Piotr spoke in between breaths, "We have avenged Anton. The pigs, they are no more..."

"Glad to hear it," said Jimmy, "We couldn't have done it without you. Thanks."

"Don't...Don't...Mention it..."

With that, Piotr ceased responding. Jimmy sighed and tossed his radio aside. Shortly after, Lenny and Lucia appeared at the door.

"Is he..." began Lucia, "Is he dead?"

"Yeah," said Jimmy, kicking Roark's corpse, "He's done."

"Oh, Jimmy!" Lucia cried.

She then ran to Jimmy and embraced him. The two locked eyes for a moment, then kissed.

"Oh," said Lenny, "H-How romantic, l-like two..."

"Shaddup, you!" snapped Louie, "You're ruinin' their moment!"

"Wait," said Lucia, looking around, "Where's Manny?"

"Aw geez," said Louie, rubbing the back of his neck, "I don't quite know how to say this, but..."

"He's gone, Lucia," said Jimmy, "The Slime got to him. But he went down, fightin'. Without him, none of us would be here."

"Nooo!" Lucia cried, "How could this night get any worse?"

"It's been rough on everybody," Louie lamented.

For the next minute, Jimmy consoled Lucia as she sobbed.

"At least you guys are alive," Lucia said, once she gathered herself, "At least someone I love made it out tonight."

As he held onto Lucia, he glanced down at her wristwatch. The time read 7:06 AM, which meant that less than 90 minutes remained until Hammer Protocol was enacted.

"Oh shit," Jimmy said, "Please tell me that watch is correct."

"Huh?" said Lucia, glancing at her wrist, "Yeah, it don't look broken..."

"Aw, fuck! We need to get on outta here, now!"

"Jimmy?" said Louie, "What's goin' on?"

"Louie," Jimmy commanded, "Grab some stuff from that first-aid kit on the wall. We gotta treat your wound and vamoose!"

"Told ya, Legs," Louie insisted, "I'm..."

"I know you're 'fine'," said Jimmy, "Just grab it anyway. Hurry!"

"W-W-What's going on?" Lenny demanded, "W-Why the big rush?"

"I'll explain everything along the way, I promise," Jimmy said, "But right now, we need to get the fuck outta here"

"Where to?" asked Lucia.

"To the last safe place in this goddamn town..."