The 5th Cycle

You win this round

"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.