Summary: The chapter in which time starts to run out for the team…
Disclaimer: The Mentalist doesn't belong to me, unfortunately.
Warnings: Some graphic descriptions, naughty words and dirty thoughts.
Spoilers: No major ones, but I would probably say this is set before the end of Season 3 so spoilers for who's in charge etc. And I guess therefore it's a little AU…
Authors note: Just a couple of chapters left of this one now. The investigation starts to draw to a close from now on, but that's not the end of the tale by any means!
Feedback is always appreciated, it always puts a smile on my face when I get a new notification of any sort :)
Hope you enjoy...
The team had gathered in the bullpen as soon as Lisbon and Grace had returned from Needham's apartment. Jane sat on his couch, full of almost nervous energy, watching as Lisbon paced across the floor, looking determined. He knew she had spoken to Hightower and arranged for someone to be stationed at Mark and Sarah Needham's house, and another couple of agents had been sent to keep an eye on Thomas Heights, just in case Tony Needham was stupid enough to think that the college could be used as some kind of sanctuary. Van Pelt was looking through the diary for any indication of what Needham's next moves would be, while Rigsby was still out the office. Jane knew that Lisbon had called him to go over to Frank Mendes' home address, in a bid to reach him before Needham did. The man's life was at risk and he probably had no idea.
Cho had managed to find some information on Frank Mendes which he had presented to the team upon Lisbon's arrival. He was a 54 year old doctor who owned his own small private practice in downtown Sacramento; no family, seemingly few friends and the only person who had been able to shed any light on Needham's probable target was his receptionist, and even she hadn't really had much to say. He lived in a small residential area in southern Sacramento on his own, which was where Rigsby had been sent.
Jane watched as Cho sat on the phone trying to get through to Mendes on the couple of phone numbers they had been provided by the receptionist. A quick background check into his work history had revealed that the doctor had indeed worked at Sunny Hills Orphanage, the time frame overlapping when Needham and Abbott would have been born and subsequently adopted. The revelation of the doctor's previous work at the orphanage, and the fact that the Needham's were already under CBI supervision, meant that Mendes had jumped straight to the top of their 'most likely to be tracked down and possibly murdered by a serial killer' list. Jane knew that Lisbon was pissed off that Needham had been released, and was probably even more frustrated by the fact that he seemed to have disappeared off the face of the planet.
Simon Abbott, however, was still sat in Interview 1. His council had arrived and had been informed of the latest updates in the case, including Lisbon and Van Pelt's discovery of the gruesome scrapbooks. So far though, Abbott had refused to say anything, even in light of the new evidence. Still, Jane supposed, there wasn't much the man could do now, the evidence that they had against him now was pretty concrete and it was only a matter of time before he was charged with numerous offences, including the assault on Lisbon.
It was late afternoon by now, and Jane watched as the tortuously hot summer sun started to sink below the taller buildings of Sacramento. On the horizon though, he could spot a few dark clouds. Maybe the weather was going to break and there would be some relief from the heat the last few weeks had brought.
Jane was drawn out of his introspection by Lisbon's voice calling across to Cho, who had finished his phone call.
"Any luck?" Lisbon said, looking at her second in command.
"Afraid not Boss. No one's picking up at his workplace and the home and cell numbers we have are ringing straight through to answer phone."
"Shit."
Lisbon turned to face Jane. "Any ideas?"
"He knows the noose is tightening; it's the last opportunity for him to take his revenge. He'll have definitely gone for Mendes; he's the one he and Abbott probably hold the most resentment for."
Jane watched as she nodded and turned back to Cho while pulling her cell phone out of her pocket.
"Get someone over to the practice, just in case Mendes is there." The other man just nodded and picked up the phone again, preparing to get someone over to the doctor's place of work as soon as humanly possible. Lisbon had put the phone to her ear, waiting for the person on the end of the line to pick up.
"Rigbsy? It's Lisbon. What have you got?"
There was a pause as Lisbon listened intently to what Rigsby had to tell her. Jane could see from the frown that appeared on her face that it was not good news.
"Jane?" He turned his attention to Grace, who had wandered over to the couch, Needham's diary in hand.
"What's up?"
"There's something written in here that's seems to be important to Needham; what do you make of it?" She handed over the diary, indicating a line of text that Needham had underlined several times.
"'Looking at the past to help the future'… I've heard that before." Jane paused when the memory came back to him. Needham had said the same thing to him when they'd had their strained conversation in the hallway of Thomas Heights. He continued to study the page in front of him.
"Hmm, it's definitely interesting; must be significant. Why such an emphasis on it though?" He furrowed his brow in concentration "Oh. Wait! They've been linking it all together, their past and their future!" He looked up at Grace, a look almost akin to enthusiasm on his face. "They've been using the orphanage!"
He stood up, almost knocking Grace over in his haste.
"Lisbon! Lisbon! They've been using the orphanage, that's where they've been taking them!"
Lisbon turned to look at him, ignoring his almost schoolboy enthusiasm. She'd obviously just finished on the phone with Rigsby, and Jane could tell by the way she held herself that the news she was about to share with them was not promising. She nodded, just barely, but enough to signify that she'd heard him.
"Ok, then we've got somewhere to start. Rigsby's just arrived at Mendes' home. It's been trashed, clear signs of a struggle."
Cho looked up, his own phone call over.
"Mendes?"
"Gone. There's a lot blood on the floor too, so Needham must have hit him pretty hard with something to subdue him. If you're right," she said, looking pointedly at Jane, "then he's taken him straight to Sunny Hills to kill him."
"Why not just kill him at his house? It's obviously secluded enough that he could have killed him without too much alarm being raised." Grace had returned to her desk, looking up at her boss in question. Jane, however, answered before Lisbon had the opportunity.
"It's become almost ritualistic for Needham and Abbott I think. The orphanage was where they were split up when they were born, and I guess they feel that by killing the people who caused their separation at the original 'crime scene' as it were, that the two of them will be able to move on together. Using the past to help the future," he said, waving Needham's diary in Lisbon's direction.
Jane noticed that Lisbon almost looked like she was sorely tempted to roll her eyes at him. Ok, so he wasn't a criminal psychologist, but he knew how to read people, and knew the lengths that someone would go to get revenge, to receive some closure. In fact, he was probably the poster boy for those kinds of actions he thought morosely.
"Right, Van Pelt; I need you to stay here and watch Abbott and keep an eye on his council. We're formally charging him with abduction, assault, murder, everything. You process it all and make sure it's airtight."
Jane watched as Grace just nodded and stood up to begin making her way over to the interview rooms, then turned his attention back to Lisbon, who was now addressing Cho.
"Right Cho, you, Jane and I will head to Sunny Hills; see if we can track down Needham before he kills Mendes. I've asked Rigsby to meet us there asap, and he's got Sac PD on their way to set up a cordon. If Needham's there, we'll get him."
Cho answered with a 'yes Boss' and disappeared, leaving Jane and Lisbon alone together in the bullpen.
Jane smiled softly at her as he stood from the couch and made his way to stand next to her.
"Ready?" he asked as they headed, side by side, towards the elevators.
"Yup. Let's go close this case."
Jane stayed silent, deep in contemplation. He had a feeling that the case would soon be over and done with, and he hoped that they would reach Needham and Mendes in time to prevent any further deaths; too many people had already lost their lives in the course of their investigation.
He, Lisbon and Cho talked quietly as they made their way over to Sunny Hills, discussing potential plans of actions and trying to cover every base in terms of likely scenarios. Jane looked out of the window as Lisbon drove, taking in the scenery. The sun was beginning to set over the Sacramento skyline, and he noticed a gathering of dark clouds on the horizon. He allowed a small smile to grace his lips; maybe the change of weather would bring a change of fortune. One never knew.
Lisbon imagined that Sunny Hills Orphanage had been a very imposing building in its day. Three stories high, painted in a soft cream colour and with slated shades, it loomed over the other buildings on the street. The sign above the arched door was faded, the previously bright lettering of the words "Where new lives begin!" were now nothing but a pale yolk colour. Lisbon thought she heard Jane snort slightly at the miserable state of the building. The orphanage had fallen into disrepair in the 12 years since it had been shut down, but a cordon was now set up around the perimeter warning of the impending demolition of the site. A fitting place for Needham and Abbott to have taken their victims, Lisbon thought as she cautiously made her way towards the red tape surrounding the site. Jane followed closely behind her, his presence both a comfort and a hindrance. The weather had finally broken just before they'd arrived, the humidity of the previous weeks culminating in a refreshing rain shower that had certainly been a welcome relief to Lisbon as she'd exited the car.
"Cho, you and Rigsby at the location?" Lisbon said into her radio. Their progress towards the target was slow, Sac PD had cordoned off the street a block either way, with no one, especially she and Jane, entirely sure how the situation would play out. One thing that had made itself apparent during the investigation was that Needham was certainly as much of a livewire as his twin.
"Yes Boss," Cho replied, his voice crackling slightly through the radio. "Approaching the back entrance now. Waiting for your signal to enter."
Lisbon turned to the man behind her as they approached the corner of the building. Jane was soaked, the normally bouncy curls on his head looking almost flat and his suit looking very much worse for wear as it became saturated with water. Lisbon had to hold back a laugh at the almost forlorn look on his face, water dripping down his face and off his nose as they stood under the awning of the orphanage. She had a sudden thought, about Jane, about the situation, and about what was likely to happen. She didn't know what it was, but she had a bad feeling about letting Jane follow her inside. Lisbon made a split second decision and looked up at him.
"Wait here," she said, a determined look in her eye. "Don't move unless I call for you; we don't know what Needham is capable of and I can't be spending time thinking about how to get you out of trouble. I'm going to have enough paperwork at the end of this anyhow."
"You know it would just be easier if I came along now right? Needham won't listen to cops, he resents them enough as it is. I can talk to him, prevent him from killing Mendes." Jane had a confused look on his face, fully aware that he was usually allowed to follow them in when apprehending suspects.
Lisbon shook her head, "No, it's too much of a risk. We know what Needham's capable of, but we don't know how he'll react to this particular situation. I can't guarantee to keep you safe in there this time Jane, and I'll be able to focus more if I know you're out here and out of potential trouble. The three of us will handle it; we know where he's holding Mendes thanks to the info from Sac PD. I need you to stay by the car and let Van Pelt know if we need any extra backup."
The rain was coming down more heavily now, bouncing off the dark red roof tiles, landing to their right in waves as they crept under the awning. She handed him a spare radio.
"Keep this on you. You'll be able to hear everything we say, and maybe you'll be able to help us out when we get a bit closer."
Jane merely nodded, not looking particularly pleased with this turnout of events. But, for once, he kept quiet and followed her instructions, looking back at her only once as he jogged back to the SUV. Lisbon sighed and continued to move along the side of the building, heading towards to front door of Sunny Hills Orphanage.
Jane retreated to the safety of the car and opened the door, hoping to find some shelter from the persistent rain. He searched the car for anything to dry himself off a little and spotted a small towel in Rigsby's bag. He grabbed it and wiped his face and hair in a bid to soak up most of the moisture. He slipped the earpiece in and held the radio as if it was his lifeline. He hated not being with her, offering her some kind of protection. Not that he was able to carry a firearm, but he could at least provide her with a reassuring presence as she wandered through the abandoned orphanage. He wasn't entirely sure why she'd sent him back; but he trusted her, especially in situations such as these. As good as his negotiating and manipulation skills were, there was no guarantee that Needham would be willing to listen to anything he had to say, and he knew better than to put Lisbon's or the others' lives at risk through his need to play games with suspects. He had a feeling that Needham would prove to be a greater danger than any of them have ever anticipated.
The Sac PD officers on the scene had seen a light flicker on in one of the offices upstairs after they'd set up their cordon, so Jane knew that was where Lisbon and the others were heading. The local officers had wisely given the orphanage a wide berth, having been informed just what Needham was capable of.
Grace was back at CBI, co-ordinating with the DA on the charges being pressed against Abbott. Jane wondered briefly if she was feeling as frustrated by her inability to take part in the final showdown as he was. His eyes wandered to the radio, temptation to talk inanely into Lisbon's ear about stupid little things almost proving too much. However, even he understood that he probably shouldn't distract her as she was trying to take down a serial killer with a hostage. It didn't seem like a situation that would end too well.
The radio crackled to life, and Jane paused, waiting to listen to what was going on.
"Rigbsy, Cho. I'm outside the office on the second floor. What is your location?" Jane smiled. Lisbon sounded confident. That was always a good sign.
Cho replied that he and Rigsby were on the floor below, and that they would be there shortly. However, they had found that one of the staircases had become damaged and they were unable to reach the second floor from their current location. They needed to double back and head up a different route.
"Ok, I'll wait for…" There was a loud crack and a scream and Jane jumped with a start. It wasn't Lisbon; it was definitely a male cry of pain. Mendes then, he presumed. Which wasn't good. It meant that Needham was getting restless and would soon bring about the Doctors demise. Not a good ending to this already bleak story.
"Shit. That's Mendes," Lisbon confirmed his suspicions. "I can see Needham through the window. Cho, Rigsby, I may not be able to wait for you two…I can't stand here and let him kill Mendes while I wait for you guys."
Jane wanted to shout down the radio at her. What are you doing you stupid woman? Wait for the others!
"Yes Boss, we're making our way there now. Should be a few minutes at most, this place is like a rabbit warren, loads of staircases and hallways damaged and impassable. No wonder it's condemned."
Jane looked around. He needed to be there. Needed to back her up, she couldn't face Needham alone, even if she was armed. But what could he take? He spotted something out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it would have to do. He grabbed it, threw open the SUV door and ran towards the building.
Lisbon took a deep breath outside the office. There was a small amount of light visible through the dirty window that looked into the room, and some leaked out under the bottom of the door. She could hear the rain tapping against the roof on the floor above, the staccato beats matching her own racing heart.
She knew she had two options: wait for Cho and Rigsby to arrive so the three of them could enter together or enter solo and hope that she could take Needham down on her own before he killed Mendes.
Judging by the scream that had just emanated from the room, she and Mendes, likely didn't have that much time. She didn't know how long Cho and Rigsby would be. If the building was in that much disrepair, it may be that they would have to double back right round to where she had entered, and who knew how long that would take them.
She breathed deeply again, knowing deep down that there was only one option. Time was running out, Needham was right there and there was no telling how long it would be before he caught Mendes with a fatal blow.
She carefully placed her hand on the door handle, and called through the door.
"Tony Needham! This is Agent Teresa Lisbon from CBI. We have you surrounded. We know you have Frank Mendes in there; release him and give yourself up, or we may be left with no option but to use deadly force."
Lisbon listened carefully, hoping that Needham would see sense and turn himself in. She knew, however, that it was an extremely unlikely outcome; there was little chance that Needham would give up his chance for revenge so easily. As if to confirm her suspicions, a voice called out to her through the doors.
"Not a chance in hell, Agent Lisbon. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Doctor Mendes and I have got a bit of catching up to do. He was just in the middle of explaining a couple of things to me, and I'd hate to miss the rest."
There was a loud 'thwack' and a horrifying scream and Lisbon could hear Mendes pleading with his attacker, "Please, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything by it, they only wanted one baby, only one!"
Lisbon heard Needham shout at the poor man he held prisoner, telling him to shut up. It was at that moment that she knew for definite what she had to do. She couldn't wait any longer, she had to go in and try and save Mendes from being beaten to death.
She held her gun out in front of her, and carefully twisted the handle of the office door. She threw open the door and shouted as she entered, demanding that Needham drop his weapon. As soon as she saw her suspect, Lisbon trained her gun on him. But she knew in a split second that she wouldn't be able to take a shot, wouldn't be able to rescue Mendes as easily as she hoped. Anger flowed through her as Tony Needham stood before her, arm almost casually flung round Frank Mendes' neck as he used him as a human shield. She could see a baseball bat discarded on the floor, and Lisbon could see that it was already covered in Mendes' blood. It must have been the weapon that Needham had used to knock out his victim and torture him with here at Sunny Hills. Lisbon kept her weapon trained on the pair of them, but she knew that Needham now held all the cards. Mendes was bleeding, and hardly coherent; he was now mumbling apologies and pleading with Needham to free him. Lisbon knew that if he didn't get medical attention soon, the doctor was going to be in serious trouble.
"Let him go Needham, there's nowhere you can go, nothing you can do. Let him go." She repeated, keeping her voice firm and determined, knowing that any slight break or change could cause Needham to lash out, either at herself or at Mendes. She watched as Needham merely shook his head, before turning his gaze back at her. What she saw in his eyes disturbed her; this was a man who had nothing to lose, and was willing to die for the revenge he craved.
"I don't appear to be as surrounded as you claimed Agent Lisbon," Needham said mockingly, glancing around her to look at the open office door. He pulled Mendes with him as he moved, preventing her from taking a shot. "Didn't you know it's wrong to lie to people?"
Before she could answer, someone interrupted from the doorway. "Actually, you are surrounded. SWAT's preparing downstairs and there's two more agents just waiting outside this door ready to blow your brains out, so I suggest that you do as the good Agent Lisbon asked."
Lisbon almost gasped at the sound of the familiar voice. The stupid son of a…
"Ah, nice of you to join us Mr Jane. I was wondering if you would show up, you just can't seem to keep your nose out of other people's business."
Lisbon couldn't see him, but she sensed that Jane shrugged at Needham's observation.
"It's what I do. I watch people, try and see what makes them tick, press their buttons when they're holding hostages until they give themselves up." Oh God, Lisbon thought, he's going to get himself into trouble in a minute. She'd kill him when they got out of here. She briefly wondered how long Cho and Rigsby would be, she really needed some back up here, and Jane wasn't likely to cut it. Needham was still preventing a clear shot, even to his arms, one of which still hung around Mendes' neck, the other obscured by his human shield. Lisbon knew that if Mendes suffered a gunshot wound, with the amount of blood he had already lost, he wouldn't last long. She would just have to wait for the opportune moment.
"So, you figured it was pretty symbolic to kill those you thought responsible for your situation here did you?" Jane appeared to be unfazed by the anger in Needham's eyes, and was apparently going to start pushing the buttons straight away. Great.
"Jane…" she hissed at him, still unable to actually see him from her position in front of him. She couldn't risk turning to face him; there was a chance that Needham would lash out given an opportunity.
Jane ignored her, his attention apparently on Needham. He was obviously moving slightly closer, as she began to see him out of the corner of her eye. He continued talking at the man before them, his voice filled with a taunting tone.
"I mean, it's a bit overdramatic isn't it? Bringing them here? That's how we found you, you know. You could have killed him," Jane said, waving his hand as Mendes, "in his own home and escaped. But you had to bring him here didn't you? Couldn't kill him anywhere else."
Needham shook his head at the consultant, and Lisbon could see his eyes flicker with doubt for just a second.
"No, that's not true. I could have killed him at his house. I just didn't want to. He deserves to have his life ended where mine did 20 years ago."
Lisbon was shocked to hear Jane laugh at Needham then. Not just a slight chuckle, but an actually bark of laughter. What was wrong with the man?
"Honestly, you really think your life ended here? Just because you got separated from a brother you didn't even know existed until recently? Tell me, what was the hardest part Needham: growing up with the loving parents or the comfortable lifestyle you've always been able to afford? Because, if I'm honest, I'm struggling to see how your life 'ended'. You and your twin have been killing people for nothing."
Lisbon watched as anger flashed in Needham's eyes then. Jane's button-pushing trick was obviously working, but perhaps it was too effective; Needham was clearly on the verge of snapping.
"IT WAS NOT FOR NOTHING!" Needham shouted, shaking Mendes as he turned his anger towards Jane. Lisbon still couldn't get a clear shot, but she knew that time was running out. She was going to have to make a decision one way or the other very shortly. Needham was glaring in Jane's direction, his words harsh and full of venom.
"You think it's nothing? That I can just forget that I was separated from my only remaining family? I've been lied to my whole life! All because everyone decided to abandon me and Simon." Needham's eyes seemed to flicker then, as if he was struggling to make a difficult decision. Lisbon was worried; Jane had obviously succeeded enough with his plan to push Needham's buttons, but all it had achieved was to make him incredibly angry, and the realisation hit that this situation was not likely to end peacefully. Jane, seemingly having realised he'd made a mistake in pushing Needham as far as he had, was thankfully remaining silent.
Now, Lisbon thought, if I can just distract him enough to get a clear shot, I can get us all out of here. She could faintly hear footsteps walking cautiously down one of the nearby corridors; Cho and Rigsby had finally arrived on the right floor.
Needham appeared to have made his decision and he suddenly turned to face her, obviously having had enough of Jane and his games.
"You know, my brother likes to use things to smash peoples head in. He always said it made him feel more satisfied that he could swing and use his strength to take someone's life. Me? Not so much. I've always preferred guns." Needham, one arm still around Mendes' neck, suddenly raised his other hand, the one that had been hidden by Mendes' body and Lisbon immediately identified the Glock 9mm in his hand, aimed at herself and Jane. Lisbon sensed Jane's unease beside her, his distaste for firearms well known, but was unable to offer him any assurances of his safety. Honestly, she would have thought he had the sense not to follow them into these situations knowing that they generally ended up with guns or other weapons being waved around in his general direction. She'd be sure to give him a thorough reprimand when they returned to headquarters. She might even let Hightower have words, just to put the point across.
"Look Needham, I know what it's like," Jane said, looking at the man in front of him, changing tack, his voice soft and almost sympathetic. "I know what it's like to be abandoned by someone you love. My mother…"
"Don't try that bullshit with me; I know how these things work. Good cop," he pointed the weapon at Jane, "and bad cop," he pointed the gun at Lisbon. "I know you're just trying to get in my head, trying to find common ground so that you can get me to surrender peacefully. That isn't going to happen I'm afraid, Mr Jane." Needham once again pointed the gun at Lisbon, keeping a steady eye on her.
"Meh," Jane said almost casually behind her. "It was worth a try, guess you're slightly smarter than we thought. So Needham, please, explain to Agent Lisbon and I just how we all ended up here in this snug little office. I bet it's a fascinating tale. Go on. Prove it's not all been for nothing."
Lisbon suddenly realised what Jane was doing. He was trying to keep Needham distracted enough so that he let his guard down so she could either shoot him, or let Cho and Rigsby help take him out when they arrived. It was a good idea. Good, but incredibly dangerous. She and Jane had both seen how close Needham was to losing it in the last few minutes. There was no telling what he would do next.
Fortunately, Jane's words had seemed to encourage Needham to start talking. Lisbon kept her gun trained on him as he spoke.
"I tried to speak to my Mum and Dad about it all you know, when I found out. Well, not my actual Mum and Dad. Mark and Sarah Needham. The lying bastards that they are. They lied to me for 20 years. Never thought to tell me I was adopted. That I wasn't even their son. So I went looking through all their old files, tried to track down any mention of where they got me from. Got the name from the official files they kept in an old box in the basement. Found this place, abandoned, ruined. But I found some old files; stuff that hadn't been shredded when they shut the place down. I found a staff list, and tried to track people who might have known about me, might have met me when I was a born, knew what happened to my mum. I found Freeman. She was the only one still around who I could speak to.
"That bitch," Needham said, obviously referring to Jessica Freeman, "she said that I had a brother… and not just a brother! A twin! A fucking twin! She said my Mum was really sick when she came in and the doctor couldn't do anything to help. This bastard," he shouted, shaking Mendes as he did so, which caused the doctor to finally groan and slip into unconsciousness. "He let my mum die and decided to sell me and my brother for the highest price. That bitch worked with him; separated us, looked after us and then handed us over so that we'd never even know the other existed. And my Dad? That bastard decided that twins would have been too much work for his 'lifestyle'. Gave his name to Freeman for the official forms, said he was popping out to get some water for my Mum and disappeared. Left my Mum right when she needed him, when me and Simon needed him. We had a lot of fun killing him; me and Simon gave him exactly what he deserved."
Needham was frantic now, the gun flicking between Lisbon and Jane. If he wasn't holding Mendes as a hostage, Lisbon would have tried for the shot, but it wasn't worth the risk now. She couldn't allow for another person to die in the course of this investigation.
"Now, I suggest, Agent Lisbon, that you drop your weapon and let make your way slowly out of this office and let me finished with the good doctor here." Needham's eyes were full of fury, and Lisbon could hear Jane's feet shuffling behind her, as if he was suddenly unsure of what to do.
"That's not how this works Needham. You need to let Mendes go. If you don't I will shoot you." She made her decision, and carefully started to edge forward, her gun still raised, aimed at the man in front of her. If she could just get him to turn with Mendes slightly. If she could just get a clear shot.
"Yeah, and if she does shoot you Needham, you'll die." Apparently Jane wasn't quite done yet. Lisbon held back a frustrated growl at the obstinate man. "And if you die, you'll abandon Simon. Just like your Mum, your Dad and everyone else you've know have abandoned you all your life. I think you want her to shoot you. You want to leave your brother alone."
Lisbon could almost Jane's sneer as his voice became almost malicious, the ugly tone directed at the killer standing in front of him.
"What is it Needham? The brotherly affection you thought would be there just not happening? Slightly disappointed in how your sibling turned out after so many years apart? I guess it doesn't matter does it; you're just not feeling the love and so want to leave your brother to face the consequences of your actions alone while you take the easy way out… what a hypocrite you are Needham. An absolute hypocrite."
The next few moments happened so quickly that Lisbon struggled to recall them in the future when recounting the story back to Hightower.
Lisbon watched as Needham shoved Mendes towards Jane with a roar, the consultant's words having finally pushed him over the edge. Lisbon saw Jane unselfishly move out of the corner of her eye to catch the unconscious man and start to drag him out of the way. The killer shot twice in quick succession at Lisbon in the same instant, but his aim was wide, his fury clearly making it difficult for him to focus. She had no hesitation in firing her own weapon back at her assailant now that there was a clear shot. A sharp burst of noise rang out, piercing the quiet of the night. Lisbon watched as Needham fell, three neat bullet wounds in his torso, unable to cause any more damage. It was over.
She heard Cho and Rigsby round the corner as she fired, their footsteps echoing off the tiled floor of the corridor. She knew that the shots would alert the Sac PD officers outside that everything had not gone to plan within the old orphanage, and that they would most likely to be on the verge of entering the building in preparation for a gun battle.
Sighing, Lisbon turned to where Jane had stood behind her, ready to give him hell for once again showing his inability to follow instructions. She had to admit, he was being very quiet; maybe he realised just how pissed off she was. It was at that point she knew in her gut something was wrong. Seeing Cho and Rigsby's shocked faces confirmed it.
"Jane? Jane!" Lisbon lowered her gun, everything playing in slow motion as she saw Jane clutch at his chest and then stumble. She would have laughed at the overly dramatic fashion of the action if she hadn't immediately realised the seriousness of it. She saw him hit the ground hard, his arm flung out to the side, his hand and chest covered in blood…