The spinning red and blue lights were the first to capture his attention through the haze of rain. Then it was the sheer number of police vehicles lined along the streets. Norman fought to suppress his laugh. It couldn't be.
An officer stepped to his car as he braked and rolled down the window. "I'm sorry, sir, this is a police zone," said the officer. Norman held out his badge automatically.
"Have they arrested Ethan Mars?" said Norman, ignoring the officer's scowl. The officer shook his head.
"We're staking the place out. Patrol found a Crown Victoria matching the suspect's vehicle."
Norman pulled the car forward, heart pounding. He didn't know what was better luck─ that he'd stumbled on the stakeout in the process of an impossible search for the well, or that he'd gotten there before the police had time to arrest Mars. He scanned between the police cars, and spotted Blake's form next to an old sedan parked near a burned apartment building. Without bothering to pull over, Norman stopped his car in the middle of the road and stepped out into the rain.
The roar of the rain was almost deafening. He was standing next to Blake before he could hear the conversation.
"...front and back. Remember we want a fight, not a fugitive."
"Come on, have a little faith. They're not going anywhere."
"What's going on?" said Norman.
Blake turned to him, his back against the side of the car. Blake's head dropped and Norman could hear his groan over the tapping of rain.
"What does it look like, idiot?" said Blake, motioning to the apartment building. "We've got the killer surrounded. Looks like the Origami Killer is finally gonna be brought to justice."
Norman looked up at the building. This definitely wasn't the place he'd expect to find the Origami Killer holed up. But definitely the sort of place to hide something a killer didn't want to have discovered.
He pressed his hand to the back of his neck to stop the flow of water from dampening his suit. "You haven't gone inside yet?"
"Of course not," said Blake. "Then we'd have to arrest him. Nah, this Origami Killer is going down the police justice way. Just the thing he deserves."
A blaze of fury shot through Norman's body. Blake was taking his arrogance to a whole new level. But Norman could tell despite Blake's fantasies of being a hero cop, he hadn't counted on Norman showing up at the scene.
Norman moved past the sedan, stepping up onto the curb. There was a bustle of movement behind him.
"Jayden, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"I'm apprehending the suspect," said Norman over his shoulder. Two policemen moved in on either side of him as he walked to the entrance of the building.
"Are you a fucking imbecile? I just said we're waiting!"
"I'm tired of waiting." Norman placed his hand on the doorknob. Quick splashes moved behind him, and he stumbled sideways as Blake shoved him out of the way.
"What do you think you are, some sort of god damn hero?" Blake stepped up to him, and Norman forced himself to look him in the eye. "Gonna take all the credit for finding the Origami Killer? You've been here one day. I've been doing this for three years. So you can just fuck off, Norman."
Norman felt wicked energy flow through him. He gazed up at Blake and felt a sly smile tug at the corner of his mouth. "Having your team shoot the Origami Killer on the spot isn't going to get you a Medal of Honor either, Blake. The only thing that's going to get you spotlight is a confession, and Ethan Mars can't exactly do that if he's dead, can he?"
Blake was silent for a moment, but Norman could see the gears turning in his head. Despite his confidence, Norman felt a river of terror. He didn't know where this plan of his was taking him, but all he knew was the Ethan had to stay alive no matter what.
A fierce smile spread across Blake's face. "So this is the kinda war you want, Norman? Okay. Two can play this game." Blake turned and motioned to the police behind him. A group of officers moved forward, and Blake set his hand on the doorknob. Then with a quick nod to the other officers, he threw the door open and stepped out of the way.
The officers rushed inside one by one. They shouted to one another as they disappeared into the building. Norman drew his pistol from his jacket and darted through the doorway after them.
The first room was empty. As he moved to the stairway, there was a frantic shout above him.
"There! She's climbing out one of the windows!"
Norman bolted outside again, stepping sideways as he gazed up at the windows of the apartment. There was no sign of Ethan Mars, or anyone for that matter. Frantic apprehension gripped him, and he sprinted around the side of the building, vaulting over a low wooden fence. Splashes around him told him police were following, and he slid in the mud as he reached the back of the building.
The area was clear. Tall buildings enclosed the back of the apartment, creating a network of alleyways flooded with water. Norman moved down the alleyway to his right, holding his gun steady. It sounded as if Ethan wasn't alone, and Norman couldn't take the chance that whoever was helping him wouldn't simply fire at police on sight.
He turned a corner and saw the pantleg and shoe of someone quickly moving out of sight. Voices shouted around him, and he quickly ran down the alley, sending up explosions of water as his feet hit the ground. The police were moving quickly, but Norman had to be quicker. This was his only chance to keep Ethan Mars alive, and he'd be damned if he was going to let Blake wallow in self-infatuation.
Norman pushed off the wall as he turned, jumping over fallen trashcans as he sprinted down the alley. The sounds of the police were getting further away, and his anxiety grew as he realized he was alone. He reached another crossroads between the buildings and paused a moment, looking in all directions. The trail was fading quickly. Ethan had vanished.
Making a quick decision, Norman turned and moved quickly to the left. It would be just his luck if Ethan Mars got away entirely. It wouldn't be the first time Norman had lost all hope of getting answers.
He paused at another crossroads, stopping to catch his breath. He had no idea where he was, and he ran a frustrated hand across his wet face. It'd be a miracle if he was even able to find his way back to the apartment again.
There was a sudden splash to his right, and Norman turned, breath caught in his throat. He raised his gun. "Stop! Police!"
Two figures stood several meters away behind a tall chainlink fence. They clenched eachother side by side, and as they turned, Norman was able to distinguish the frame of a small woman supporting a slumped man around the waist. Norman's hands shook as he moved slowly forward. It was Ethan Mars. Ragged, bloodied, and barely alive.
For a frantic moment, Norman struggled to decide what to do. He had them pinned, but the chainlink fence was too high for him to climb easily, and the woman would no doubt be able to drag Ethan to safety in the time it took Norman to climb over it. He stared at the figures, gazing at the woman's face. Her short hair was plastered to her skin from the wet rain, and her eyes were weary in defeat. She held Ethan's arm over her shoulder and slouched, panting heavily from the effort of holding him up. As he watched them, a calm resolution spread through his body. These people had been through one hell of a fight. He thought he knew what despair and hardship was. The slumped and moaning man in front of him was the embodiment of it.
Norman made a quick decision before he could talk himself out of it. He tilted his gun sideways, and dropped his arms slowly. Then he took a deep breath. "Help him find his son," he called over the rain.
The woman gazed at him, her expression barely changing. Agonizing apprehension tugged at his nerves, and the woman turned away, helping Ethan to limp down the alley. Norman could hardly believe what he'd done. He'd just let Ethan Mars go. And the only hope of discovering the location of the well.
Norman turned slowly back the way he'd come, pressing his hands to the side of his head, barrel of the pistol pointed upwards. Then his heart stopped in his chest. A figure was standing in front of him, firearm raised.
Ashley's hands shook as she pointed her gun at him, fierce bewilderment alight in her eyes. Norman lowered his hands, feeling his body go numb. Panic racked his brain as he fought to say something. Anything. She had to understand. It wasn't what it seemed.
Her eyes flicked past him at the stumbling figures on the other side of the alley, then locked on him again, fiery accusation lined in her face. Norman moved toward her slowly, holding out a hand in protest. He had to stay in the way. At least prevent her from being able to fire on them until they turned the corner. Yet at the same time, he felt as if he was tearing open an already bleeding wound. If she didn't hate him before, she would certainly hate him now.
As much as it made the shame burn in his chest, he continued to gaze into Ashley's eyes. They narrowed at him, her innocent face betraying a combination of frustration and confusion. Then her hand moved to her belt, bringing a walkie-talkie to her mouth.
"Blake─" Her head tilted sideways into the walkie-talkie as she continued to look at Norman. All his hope dashed away. He'd really made a mess of things this time. Ethan Mars was half dead and lost in the crowd of the city. The chances of him finding his son were slim at best. Norman might as well have condemned both of them to death.
"What is it? Did you find Ethan Mars?" Blake's voice rang through the comm.
Norman lowered his eyes to the ground, unable to take the guilt anymore. He couldn't explain why he'd made the decision so quickly. There were so many other things he could have done. For the first time in his career, he made a choice that felt right, not what was logical. He was going to have a hard time explaining that to the judge. Especially after the ninth body was found.
Ashley breathed in deeply next to him, and Norman felt his body freeze. "We lost them."
For a moment, time seemed to stop. He looked up at her, and the expression on her face had changed. Her eyes were softer. More understanding, yet still untrusting. She lowered the walkie-talkie and her gun, standing in the rain as if defeated.
"What the hell do you mean 'we lost them?'" Blake's frustrated voice was garbled. "God damn mother fucking fucker…"
The sound of the rain overtook the silence. Norman gazed at Ashley, not knowing what to say. She had no reason to help him. Not after the way he treated her. And yet here she was, helping an FBI agent that her whole department hated. He felt an overwhelming gratitude, but a cloud of shame still hung over him. He moved closer, reaching his hand to her shoulder.
"Ashley…" He stopped as she took a step backward, moving her arm out of the way. The frustration returned to her eyes, and she put her gun back into her holster. Before Norman could say another word, splashes echoed down the alleyway. A group of police entered the crossroads, looking left and right with their guns in all directions.
"Did you see where they went?" asked one of the officers. "They couldn't have gone far."
Ashley threw Norman an anxious glance. "They didn't come down this way. We searched."
"God damn it." One of the officers pulled at the chainlink fence. "We had them fucking surrounded. How the hell did they get away?" They moved around, dropping their hands as they filed back down the alley.
Norman turned to Ashley, his throat sore. He waited until the police were further away. "Thank you," he said.
Ashley shrugged her shoulders and pursed her lips. "Pretty sure I'm gonna regret it later. This could cost me my badge." She looked at him and opened her mouth as if to continue, then she sighed, turning away.
"You saved two lives just now, Ashley," said Norman. "That's not something to regret."
"No one can be sure of that," she said. Then she stopped suddenly, and tilting her head. "And Norman…"
He took a step toward her. "Yeah?"
She twisted to look back at him, her eyebrows narrowed. "Fuck you." She strapped the walkie-talkie to her belt and continued down the alley, leaving Norman alone in the rain.