"Jordan. Is that you?"
I put 2 shots in the wall where I heard Katie's voice.
"That must be you. Four lifetimes and you still can't shoot for shit."
I dropped the spent mag from my Browning High Power and slammed home another. The room was dark, almost pitch black and the air smelled of gunpowder. I could barely see my hand in front of me.
I closed my eyes and listened closely. I could hear the sound of my heart pumping. I could hear the neighbor's dog barking. What I couldn't hear was movement or the sound of backup arriving. Cops never show up when you need them. If I could just hold out for a little longer, I could end this with some help. I wasn't going to make it though. I was losing too much blood. She must have hit an artery in our scuffle. If I had my way, I was taking her with me.
"Jordan. You still with me?" She yelled from out of sight.
Again I fired in her direction. This time I heard a quiet groan and something metal hit the floor.
"That. Hurt." Katie almost whispered between labored breaths.
I peeked around the corner of the kitchen island. My wound hurt as I slowly tried to move forward, pistol held tightly with both hands. I slipped on something and hit the ground hard.
I felt around and realized I was in a pool of my own blood. My time was running out.
My legs almost gave out as I struggled to stand up. I started to limp toward the entryway. As I got closer, I could hear her labored breathing off to my left. There was an opening that led to a hallway.
I lifted my gun and rounded the corner. There she was, slumped over like a sack of potatoes. I could barely make out her form in the darkness. When had I lost my flashlight?
Katie Speegle, the most elusive serial killer to ever walk the earth was wheezing as she stared up at me. I stared right back into those eyes. Eyes that had seen so much death. If a soul existed in there, it wasn't showing itself today.
"I. Guess. You. Win. This. Round." She said.
"I'll. Get. You. Next."
She had stopped breathing. I dropped down beside her and began CPR. Where the hell were the cops? I needed her alive damnit! I continued compressions for as long as I could, but I had lost too much blood. I began to feel lightheaded. I hit the floor right in front of her.
Not for the first time, I stared into those dead eyes of hers, hating her for getting away again. I had given her another chance. That's why the last thing I saw was the smile stuck on her face.
YOU ARE READING
The 5th Cycle
Science FictionWhat if reincarnation were real? What would you do? Would see all the wonders of the world? Would you fall in love with the same person? Maybe you would do something daring. Maybe you would do something terrible. A game of cat and mouse that skips t...