A/N: as before, italics represent flashbacks. Also, as a personal note, I'd like to thank everyone who's been so kind as to review this story, as well as the other piece I've written. I value feedback very much, so please tell me what you think of my work, whether you think it's good or bad.
"About what time was it when you got there?" asked Jaffee.
"A little after 6:00," answered Veronica.
"How do you know?"
"I checked my watch as soon as I had parked."
"So it was still light out?"
"No, it was just about completely dark."
Veronica crouched down in her car. She had a pretty good view of the entrance to Leclerc's building from here. She had already driven around the block. The building had no back door, but there was a side entrance at the end of an otherwise blind alley extending off the main street; there was a garbage can and a recycling bin right outside the side entrance. She could only see the entrance to the alley from her vantage point though. Her watch read 4:45; the sun was just setting.
"About five minutes later than the last time I checked," thought Veronica to herself. "Chances are, if he's going to show at all, it won't be 'til it gets dark."
By 5:10, it had gotten dark enough that Veronica could see that there was a light on in Leclerc's office. "An encouraging sign," she thought.
Finally, just after 6:00, a taxicab pulled up in front of Leclerc's building. A man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses got out.
"And just as you got there, you saw Aaron Echolls getting out of a cab?"
"Yes, but I wasn't sure right away that it was him. He was the right height and build, but he had his hood pulled down, and he was wearing sunglasses."
"Sunglasses? In the dark? Did you think that was odd?"
"I thought it was an attempt at disguise."
"What did you do then?"
Veronica got out of the car and drew her pistol. "Aaron!" she shouted at the figure walking toward Leclerc's door. Startled, he turned and looked at her. As soon as he lifted his face toward her, she was certain it was him. She leveled her Beretta at him at yelled "Don't move, Aaron!" He took off down the sidewalk.
"You were sure it was him? Even though you could only see the lower part of his face?"
"Yes."
"How could you have been so sure?"
"He had a very recognizable face, and I'll never forget it."
"Why don't you go on then?"
Veronica chased him down the street, but stayed on the opposite side of the line of parked cars from him, not wanting to get too close. At a distance, the gun gave her the advantage. As she ran, she could feel her heart slamming against her ribs. Her field of vision started to narrow. "Tunnel vision is the enemy," thought Veronica. "Don't let the adrenaline control you."
When Aaron reached the opening of the alleyway, he turned down it. "Perfect," thought Veronica, "running right to the dead end." Veronica slipped between the bumpers of two parked cars and stopped at the entrance to the alley.
Aaron stopped and turned to face Veronica. His hood had fallen back off his head, while his shades had clattered to the ground when he turned down the alley. She could look him in the eye now.
"Freeze Aaron!"
Aaron looked at Veronica and the gun pointed at his chest. He raised his hands and panted out "alright, I give up."
"Drop it Aaron!" shouted Veronica as loudly as she could.
"Wha—" Veronica shot four rounds.
"He reached the end of the alley and turned around. I saw him reach into his pocket for something."
"What was it?"
"I saw he was pulling a gun."
"What kind?"
"I couldn't tell at that point."
"What did you do?"
"I yelled for him to drop it."
"Did he?"
"No."
"What did you do then?"
"I fired at him."
"How many times?"
"Four."
"What did you do then?"
"I walked toward him and crouched down to check his pulse."
Veronica stalked toward Aaron's body, making sure to keep her gun on him. She knew she had hit him four times in the center of his chest, but there was a chance he was wearing body armor. As she got closer, though, she could see a dark bloodstain on his sweatshirt, right over his heart. The blood was just seeping out though, and he wasn't breathing.
As she got nearer, she turned so that her left side was facing away from the entrance and toward Aaron. She crouched, and, with one hand, she patted Aaron down to make sure he hadn't been armed. Finding nothing, she reached into her pocket and fished out the Baby Eagle. She took the pistol out of the plastic bag and placed it in Aaron's hand. She got up and put the plastic bag in the recycling bin.
"He was dead?"
"Yes. It looked like I'd hit him in the heart all four times."
"That's some shooting."
"I'd been practicing."
"What happened next?"
"Just as I was getting up, the service entrance opened and a man in a lab coat stuck his head out."
"Dr. Leclerc?"
"Yes?"
"Don't move," said Veronica, pointing her gun at him. "I'm placing you under citizen's arrest."
"I-is he…dead?" asked Leclerc.
"You're the doctor. Now get down on the ground. No, on the other side of the body." Once Leclerc lay prone, Veronica took out her cell phone and called 911.
"So I called the police and waited for them to arrive."
"What did you tell them?"
"The same story I just told you."
"Well, thank you very much. I think we're done for now. I'll just unhook you from the machine, and then I'll need to ask you to wait in here while I review the test results with my colleagues.
"Of course," answered Veronica.
