“All you have to do is squeeze the trigger Ian. Squeeze it and we can get out of here…”
“Ian, don’t give into him,” shouted Karl as he walked across to them.
“You can beat him, you have to try!”
“Detective Peterson, what an unexpected and to be honest unwanted pleasure.” Forcing Ian’s hand, The Hacker moved the gun back towards Reed’s head.
“Come any closer and I blow the old timer’s brains out.”
“Ian, I know you can fight him. Drop the gun and I’ll take care of everything.”
“Take care of everything? The moment you drop that gun they will kill us both Ian. You have no choice now but to kill both Karl and Reed to ensure we’re safe.”
“Karl I can’t fight him, he’s too strong!” shouted Rivers, forcing the words out against The Hackers resistance.
“You have to Ian, for all our sakes,” advised Karl as he neared their position.
With a swift and sharp movement, Reed managed to free his restrained wrist from the bonds which secured it. With The Hacker distracted he took the opportunity to make his move. Reaching down the side of the chair he quietly grabbed hold of an old metal pipe which lay discarded on the ground. Slowly standing up he raised it behind The Hacker as he took aim at his head.
Seeing Reed making his move, Karl tried to keep him distracted. Calling out for Rivers’ attention he just hoped he could keep both The Hacker’s and Rivers’ attention for just a little longer.
Still clasping the pistol in Rivers’ hand, The Hacker kept his aim on Karl. Out of the corner of the eye he controlled he could make out a black silhouette as a figure approached him from behind. The figure raised something above its head which it brought crashing down towards him.
With a sudden move The Hacker forced himself and Rivers to drop to the ground. Reed found the sudden move unexpected as he fell forwards with the force he exerted into the metal bar he was wielding. Squatting on the ground, The Hacker raised an elbow and cracked Reed sharply in the throat. With Reed now incapacitated he dragged Rivers onto his feet as he took aim and fired at Karl.
The muzzle of the pistol flashed brightly before a loud bang rang out across the warehouse. Karl, now close to The Hackers position felt a sharp pain in his leg. He tried to continue unabated by the weapon being pointed at him but found his leg crumbling beneath him. With a crash Karl came to a stop on the ground, his leg bleeding badly.
“I warned you not to come any closer Karl. That mistake may have just cost you your life.”
“Now Ian, time for you to finish Reed off,” said The Hacker with a raised voice.
“I wont do it,” pleaded Rivers but he found he had little choice against The Hackers strength.
Gripping Rivers’ hand tightly, The Hacker forced Rivers’ arm down to point the weapon at the back of Reed’s head. Burying the barrel in the back of Reed’s head, The Hacker began to apply pressure to Rivers’ finger which rested on the trigger.
“Just a little squeeze and its all over Rivers,”
Rivers’ hand trembled as he fought against The Hacker to prevent him from pulling the trigger.
Reed regained consciousness to find a pistol pointed at his head. Turning against the barrel of the gun he looked Rivers in the eyes so that he had to see who he was going to shoot.
“After all I have done for you Rivers? If you feel you have to kill me then get it over with…”
Looking Captain Reed in the eyes, Rivers knew he could not let this happen. He had already shot his best friend; he could not hurt his mentor too.
The Hacker increased the pressure against Rivers’ trigger finger as Rivers fought back. He was not going to let The Hacker continue his savage campaign. It was time for him to go and if he had to go too, then so be it.
Pushing with all his strength, Rivers pushed the Pistol away from Reed’s head. As he did so The Hacker pulled the trigger which sent a single bullet firing towards a distant wall.
“Did you hear that?” asked Troy as he stood close to the old industrial building. The sound was quiet but definitely sounded like gunfire.
“Didn’t hear a thing,” replied Steve as he sat by the wall of the warehouse.
“Sounded like gunfire; I think we should go in,” suggested Troy.
“Karl said he would give us a signal before we go in and not a moment before.”
“The sound of gunfire is a signal, especially when he went in unarmed!”
In a panic Steve got to his feet as Troy and the rest of the police with them burst through the door to the warehouse. As they did so a second shot rang out loudly ricocheting off an adjacent wall. As they piled in, the hot twisted metal from The Hackers gun hit Steve’s thigh with a thud.
Screaming loudly, Steve collapsed to the ground in pain as the rest of the team took up position.
“Rivers, chuck me the pistol!” shouted Karl as Rivers wrestled The Hacker for it.
The pistol waved wildly in the air as it was fired a third and forth time. The sound of gunfire sent wild birds and bats into a frenzy in the rafters of the old building as they tried to escape.
Pulling the pistol out of The Hackers grip, Rivers whacked The Hacker in his side of the head. Dazed for a moment The Hacker fell to the ground pulling Rivers down with him. Landing awkwardly on the ground the pistol left both of their grasp as it fell just out of reach. Both reaching out for the weapon they hit each others hands to try and prevent them from reaching the weapon.
Lying on his side, Reed watched as Rivers and The Hacker fought each other. The fact Rivers had fought The Hacker back showed that in his eyes, that some of Rivers was still left in there, that he wasn’t just a mindless killer. Although he possessed the mind of a killer he still held onto the mind of a cop. Rivers’ body rolled across the dirty concrete ground as he and The Hacker struggled for the pistol.
“Don’t move a muscle old man, once I've taken care of Rivers I’m coming for you,” shouted The Hacker as he continued to wrestle Rivers.
Reed himself was unable to move. He struggled for breath from the elbow he took in the throat. All he could do was watch as the fight unfolded.
Dragging himself along the cold concrete floor, Karl pulled himself alongside Captain Reed. Behind him was a trail of crimson blood from the wound he had sustained to his leg. His face looked quite pale thought Reed as they looked each other in the eye.
“I’m sorry Sir; I could have handled this better,”
“I’m just as guilty Karl. There was so much to suggest there was something wrong with him but I suppose I became blind to it, hoping it was nothing untoward. Rivers is like a son to me, how could I ever have thought he could be this messed up.”
Holding a fist full of Rivers’ hair, The Hacker pulled his head up before pounding it against the concrete ground. Blood splattered from the impact before limply Rivers’ body got to its knees.
Blood oozed from his ears and nose as The Hacker raised the pistol towards Karl and Reed.
“Rivers is unable to save you now, he has become indisposed.”
“Can you get a shot on him?” asked Troy to a sniper who had his rifle trained on Rivers.
“I can’t get a clear shot; Karl is in the way,” said the sniper.
“Damn it,” replied Troy.
“Try sneaking round and flank him, we need to take him down now.”
“Ian, please consider what you are doing,” asked Karl as a pistol was waved at him.
“Whoever he is you can’t let him win, you need to stop him now whether he is a split personality or a psychic puppet master, you can stop him!”
“Ian has no control now Karl. It’s just me, you, the old man and this pistol.”
Crashing back through the portal, Rivers found himself back in the imaginary world. The room itself now looked different. The walls were blackening and the room filling with smoke. His head hurt from where The Hacker had whacked it against the ground. His leg was still useless from were The Hacker had injured him previo
usly. Dragging himself onto his feet, Rivers limped back towards the portal. The image visible through the portal showed The Hacker aiming the pistol at Karl and Reed.
Rivers no longer had control of the body but he was going to do everything he could to save his friends.
With a quick movement Rivers pushed his hand through the portal. Taking control of the hand which held the gun he pulled with all his strength to lift the arm.
Around him the voice of The Hacker boomed out at him.
“Ian, what are you doing?”
“I’m not going to let you shoot them.”
“Ian let go of the arm now. This has to be done.”
“You’re a disease Hacker, its time I cured the world of it.”
Pulling back on the hand Rivers pointed it at his own head. The muzzle of the gun pressed firmly against his temple.
“Ian, stop this. You’re not only going to kill me but yourself too!”
“Shut it Hacker, its time for us to check out,”
“Ian, no!”
Squeezing the trigger, a single round from the chamber of the weapon was discharged directly into the temple of Ian Rivers. Through the portal, the shocked faces of Reed and Karl could be seen disappearing above the image as the view of Rivers’ eyes blacked out as he crashed against the ground.
Karl and Reed were shocked by the scene in front of them. As The Hacker pointed the pistol at them preparing to fire, Rivers somehow pulled back on his own arm. The arm awkwardly bent as the pistol pointed directly to his temple.
“Don’t do it!” shouted Reed as the gun was discharged. Karl himself was unable to say anything. He wanted to scream, to plead him to stop but both his and Reed’s life were on the line. Although it cut him deep to watch, Rivers had done the right thing.
The imaginary world Rivers stood in began to shudder as masonry broke away and fell from the walls and ceiling. Flames licked up the side of the portal as it burnt away. Before the image had completely gone though The Hacker burst through the portal knocking Rivers off his feet.
“That was a real stupid move you know Ian. I’m fucking stuck here with you now.”
Loud cracking and banging noises boomed around the room as the structure began to collapse. Flames licked up from the base of the walls and began burning the structure.
Picking himself up again Rivers stood up to The Hacker. With everything crumbling and burning around them Rivers suspected there was not much time left.
The Hacker’s eyes flashed red as he stepped towards Rivers. Hatred and anger flashed across his face.
“I’m going to make your last few moments a living hell,” said The Hacker as he stepped closer to Ian.
“There are a lot more terrifying things than death, even in the confines of your pathetic mind.”
Before he could make a move Rivers lunged at The Hacker. Shoulder barging him, he knocked him flying into the single chair in the middle of the room.
Around them the floor began to collapse into oblivion from the outskirts of the room. Beneath them was a swirling inferno reminiscent of hell. Flames leapt from the fiery abyss burning the edges of the collapsing floor.
“I think I achieved what you have always lacked Hacker. One thing I now understand and that you could never grasp. We are all responsible for our actions, we reap what we sow.”
Taking hold of The Hacker by the throat and holding onto the chair with his free hand, Rivers held The Hacker over the fiery pit beneath them. The Hacker smiled as he was held, awaiting his demise.
“We are not so different after all Ian. You have finally found the guts to kill. Perhaps after all my coaching you have realised your full potential.”
“I’m not going to kill you Hacker; I’m going to free you from the confines of my mind.”
Releasing his grip slowly, Rivers closed his eyes before fully letting go.
“What are you doing!” pleaded The Hacker but it was too late.
As they both began to fall, Rivers grabbed a tight hold of The Hacker as he dragged him screaming into the fiery pit of hell itself.
The remains of the imaginary world collapsed in upon itself behind them as the fire engulfed everything.
Although he could not possibly know what would become of him, Ian Rivers knew one thing for certain; he would finally be free.
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Mind of a Killer Page 11