by Andrew Hess
Every fiber in my body was filled with anger. There was no hesitation as my finger pulled the trigger back and fired at the suspect. I watched the bullet fly through the air and pierce the middle of Nick’s back. His body fell to the floor and remained motionless.
I was frozen to the spot. In all the years of being a cop, I only fired my weapon at two people and now Nick was lying on the floor dead.
“Ali,” Matthew gasped as he stretched out his bloody hands.
I ran to his side and knelt beside him. “Don’t move; I’ll call for help.” I took my cell and called it in; telling them about Matthew’s stab wound and that the suspect had been shot.
“I’m sorry,” Matthew whispered.
“Don’t be sorry; you saved a woman’s life. Just lay still and keep pressure on the wound.” I looked down and found his usual pristine neatly pressed white shirt had large crimson stains.
It took several minutes before backup arrived. The Lieutenant led the charge into the airport and stepped over Nick’s lifeless body.
“Ali, are you okay?” He surveyed the horrific scene and shook his head. “What the fuck happened?”
“I-I don’t know. It all happened so fast. Nick pulled a knife on a woman. He was almost out the door, but Matthew stopped him.”
“And then what happened? How did DeFalco get shot?”
“He stabbed Matthew and was about to get away. I had no choice. I had to stop him. I had to do it.”
The medics rolled a stretcher into the airport. One led Matthew from the building to tend to his wound while the other checked on Nick.
Lieutenant Esposito threw his arms around me and pulled me in for a reassuring and consoling hug. “Everything will be all right Ali. You’re safe; Amanda’s safe and Matthew will be fine. It’s all over.”
But it didn’t feel over; not to me. Something felt wrong. Nick swore he had nothing to do with the attacks on Amanda and myself. I had to wonder; was he telling the truth? And if he was, who was responsible?
I didn’t want to tell the Lieutenant anything Nick said. I didn’t want to worry him or to make anyone believe there was a second killer or second guess Nick DeFalco as the man who murdered seven people. Instead I kept my mouth shut and let him comfort me while I watched helplessly as Matthew was loaded into the ambulance.
Chapter 124
I stayed at Amanda’s bedside for the next two days while she recovered; alternating between her room and Matthew’s which was down the hall. I know it was obsessive, but I didn’t want to let either of them out of my sight.
I spent half the time playing TV commando and controlled the remote in Amanda’s room; telling her it was a privilege I only had because I was the big sister, but I think she just tolerated it because she got to spend more time with me.
As we laughed at a stupid commercial, the hospital room door opened letting Lieutenant Esposito poke his head inside. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“Not at all,” Amanda replied. “Come on in and join the party.
I knew the Lieutenant was sorry and had been apologetic since Amanda was taken, but I knew the look in his eyes and he was there for business.
“Um Ali, can I have a word with you in private?” He escorted me from her room and took me outside. “I know this is a rough time for you but…”
“Lieu, I already gave my statement and talked with IA.”
“I know and after careful consideration, the department has decided not to press any charges against you.”
A surge of relief washed away any doubts that lingered in my mind. I was almost certain I was done. After the comments I made and my actions once I confronted Nick DeFalco, I was sure they were going to suspend me or worse; remove me from the force completely.
The Lieutenant leaned in close and whispered in my ear. “Off the record; I’m glad you killed that sick bastard. I would’ve pulled the trigger too.”
“You know I wanted him dead, but I did my best to bring him in alive. I tried to at least until Matthew got involved.”
“Ali, I know you did. I knew you’d do the right thing despite everything you and your family have been put through. And I promise, once you come back from your mandatory leave of absence, I’ll try to listen to you and your theories a little more.”
“Wait, mandatory leave? I thought I was cleared.”
“You were, but because you fired your weapon and killed a suspect, you are required to undergo psychiatric evaluation and mandated therapy until you are cleared to return to the field.”
Part of me was appalled at the thought of being placed on administrative leave. After everything I did to bring down a homicidal maniac and everything my family had been put through; this is how they repaid me.
“Look on the Brightside Ali. You get to spend some time with your sister and your boyfriend and stay the hell away from us for a while.”
“Is it paid?”
“I’m sure it can be arranged.”
I let a small smile creep across my face. “You know what; I could use a vacation after all of this.”
“Good, you can start it off by coming to my house for a small Christmas party. Bring your sister and your boyfriend with you and we can kick back and relax for once.”
“So now I have permission to raid your fridge this time.”
“Yes, but if you touch my car again, I’m throwing your ass in jail for a month.”
I saluted the Lieutenant saying yes sir and hugged him again before returning to Amanda’s room. I poked my head out through the door and said thank you again; knowing he must’ve omitted my comments about wanting to kill Nick DeFalco from the record. If he included them, I was sure to be brought up on charges.
I re-entered Amanda’s room and gently grabbed her by the hand as I took my seat in the uncomfortable chair next to her bed.
“Everything okay,” she asked.
“Never better.”
Epilogue
The police presence seemed to have vanished from the New Paltz campus. Now that the newspapers claimed the Campus Killer was dead and buried, there was no need for the extra patrols. The students were getting ready to return from winter break; hoping to forget about the horrific tragedies that plagued the campus during the fall semester; wishing they were just distant memories.
A man drove past the house on Prospect Street; seeing the yellow crime scene tape surrounding the house and the torn wooden planks that once concealed the doors thrown to the floor. He smiled and drove down the block to his house.
It was a spacious three room house with a hidden driveway that led up to the beige colored building. He entered it and smiled.
“Good to be home again.” He walked upstairs to one of the bedrooms, opened the door and stared at the house the police found Amanda Ryan in. “So sorry things had to end this way Nick. But someone had to take the fall, and you played the part of my pawn so well. I let you get the revenge you wanted and in return I gave you a place to stay long enough to make the cops think you were trying to kill one of their own.”
He turned down the shades and made sure the room was shrouded in darkness before turning on a small flashlight. He traced the edge of the carpet to the corner of the room and found the small piece of wood sticking up inside the closet. He pulled out a small black safety deposit box and placed the four student ID cards Nick DeFalco stole for him along with a folded up piece of paper with four names crossed off.
“Such carelessness. And to think the police almost got their hands on these. Good thing Nick left his bag in the car.” The man smiled as he added several newspaper clippings to the safety deposit box.. One included the fiery death of two New Paltz students, another told the death of a young boy who died while protecting his girlfriend as she was thrown onto the tracks of an oncoming train. Finally he added one telling the tale of how Detective Ali Ryan took down and killed the man responsible for seven murders.
The man smiled and grabbed the folded up piece of paper from the box. He stared at the cros
sed out names and added two more to the list. Detective Ali Ryan and Amanda Ryan.
The end
Feel free to check out other books by Andrew Hess
The Phoenix Blade: Project Justice
The Phoenix Blade: Awakening
Hall of the Forgotten
Chamber of Souls
