"You've got some kind of nerve to show up here!"

The hissing voice coming from behind was accompanied by a violent shove that propelled him forward and deeper into the living room. Slowly raising his hands to appear non-threatening, Mike turned around to face Erica, who took a step back and pointed the revolver at his chest, her hands shaking.

If the tears and makeup streaks on her face were any indication, she was in a heightened state of emotional turmoil, more than likely hard to reason with at this point.

"You know why we are here, Erica."

Running an anxious hand through her medium length blonde hair, the woman in her late thirties took another step backward, pushing herself against the plaster wall to the kitchen.

"Where is Stephen? He's got to be around here someplace."

"It's over, Erica.", Mike reiterated matter-of-factly, bypassing her question as his eyes scanned the frantic woman sternly, "Enough innocent people are dead. It's time we put an end to this madness."

"And who are you to call the shots around here, hm? All you ever do is stand in the background and bark orders, while others lay their life on the line and take bullets for you. No…it's not going to be that easy this time around, Stone. Not after what you did to Jim. We were only married for one month. One damn month! Do you have any concept of what it means to lose a spouse after one month?!"

"Inspector Holmer died in a tragic shooting incident, no more, no less. There was nothing anybody could have done to avoid-"

"Don't give me any of that police talk. I have heard more than enough of it!", Erica yelled, her right index finger slowly inching toward the trigger, as she grew angrier, "You failed him, Stone. That's what happened. He'd been under your watchful eye for only a couple of months, and you sent him out on a stakeout assignment alone. All that, after putting in a whole days' workload already. He was tired and he had no backup when he was killed. His death is your fault."

"I agree with you, Erica.", Mike said calmly, aiming to confuse his suspect, "I do blame myself for Jim's death, just like I blame myself every time somebody from my squad gets hurt or killed. It's a terrible thing to go through. But Jim knew the risks when he signed up for this line of work. We all do."

"That doesn't make it right."

"And killing three other policemen and wounding a fourth does? You really think you are doing your late husband any justice in murdering innocent people? Killing them point blank when they least expect it? Then starting this…this manhunt to come after me?"

"The first three were practice.", she growled with an unnerving smile on her face and brushed a blonde lock from her forehead, "I had to make sure I could pull it off, once I had the opportunity to kill you. Ten years ago, fresh out of college, I went out with Stan for a few months…but then he decided to split up with me to pursue his police career. And once I'd seen his name come through the registry again, I knew it was an omen to finish what I had been planning since the day Jim was killed. I also knew that they'd get you involved, because you always handle the high-profile cases. And Dan Robbins…Dan was personal. He is as guilty as you are. Both of you cowards should have done the stakeout that night, instead of sending Jim out."

"You do realize you're just as guilty as the man who killed your husband, Erica? Because you committed the worst crime of all by taking even more innocent lives. Alfred Mossman was a sick, sick man when he shot Jim. He was extremely paranoid and desperately needed help. What's your excuse going to be?"

Annoyed at their circular conversation, Erica shook her head decisively, then pointed at her backyard.

"Where is Stephen? I know you didn't come here alone and I know he's back in town, I've seen him downstairs. You don't have the courage to do anything on your own. You leave that to those having to report to you. So, where is he?"

Pursing his lips, Mike stayed quiet, much to Erica's frustration.

"I will not hesitate to shoot both of you, do you understand that, Stone? I will kill you. And then I will kill him too. You can't stop me."

"But I can."

Steve's raspy voice appeared from the top of the stairs at the opposite corner of the room. With his revolver drawn and pointed at Erica's chest, the young Professor slowly inched his way down, his haunted green eyes never leaving their suspect.

Grunting in both, surprise and frustration, Erica chuckled and shook her head vehemently.

"You try to shoot me Stephen, and I will shoot Stone."

"Steve…", Mike breathed, trying to reassure his old partner to take whatever steps necessary to stop their suspect.

Keeping an eye on the Lieutenant in his peripheral vision, the young Professor reached the main level painstakingly slow, his gun never moving off its target. With his features unusually stern, he approached within a dozen feet and then halted.

"Drop your weapon, Erica."

"Don't push it!", the agitated woman snapped, as her index finger began to curl around the trigger.

"There's no way out. Lower your weapon.", Steve reiterated in a cold tone of voice Mike hadn't heard before. As he watched the intriguing exchange continue, the Lieutenant nonchalantly took a step back to position himself closer to the couch, an attractive cover from potential gunshots.

"I am not playing, Stephen."

Erica's entire body was beginning to shake, her eyes moving back and forth between both men as she pushed herself deeper into the corner by the doorway.

"Neither am I.", Steve continued undisturbed and risked another step closer, "You and I both know what the outcome will be, if you don't lower your weapon."

"Don't you remember, Stephen? You almost died too when he should have been there to protect you.", Erica growled quietly, changing subjects to throw him off guard, "Where was Stone the night you got gunned down just like Jim, hm?"

"We all know the risks. Each one of us.", Mike interrupted before more could be said and briefly glanced over at his old partner, who stood there perfectly still, eyes trained on their suspect, his body language stern and unyielding, "And so did the men you killed. They knew the risks too. They too had families who loved them, girlfriends, parents, siblings. You took their loved ones from them just like Alfred Mossman took Jim from you. But no matter what you do, whether you decide to kill us or not, it will not bring him back. Nothing will. He's gone, Erica."

At his words, the young woman's eyes welled up with tears again, as her gaze drifted over to the memorial she had set up for her late husband.

"We were only married for one month…", she muttered in sheer disgust, her voice breaking as images from a happier time flashed before her eyes.

As a tense silence filled the four walls of the house, Mike nervously licked his lips, not certain how the emotional standoff would turn out.

After a while, he glanced over at Steve, trying to make eye contact but the young Professor was completely focused on their suspect, so motionless in his spot Mike could barely see him take a breath.

Finally, Erica looked back up at him, her expression guarded as she clenched her jaws and nodded.

"Like you said, Stone, it's over."

Without another explanation, she smiled confidently. Then, much to Mike's horror, she switched her aim over to Steve, whose eyes grew wide in fear.

"Don't- !"

The words got stuck in Mike's throat as he rushed forward, desperately trying to intercept. And yet, two gunshots fired at the same time stopped him in his tracks.