RELENTLESS PURSUIT

Maddie went back to the arcade room and saw the leader bleeding to death. She leaned against an arcade machine and shook her head.

"You are not going to die on your own," Maddie said, "I love having the pleasure of killing the ones who deserve it. You see, I'm going to slice off your head, slowly. You will feel every cut; you'll feel the blood run down you."

"Fuck you," he said.

"Are you gonna beg for mercy? Like your victims did?"

Maddie laughed and took out her katanas. The leader quickly grabbed his machete and stabbed himself in the chest. He died instantly.

"NO!" Maddie scream with disappointment. "Son of a bitch!"

Rusty finally made it to the amusement park and was walking around with his gun drawn. It was now cloudy and the sound of thunder could be heard. He passed the gift shop and saw a gruesome sight. There were three severed heads on the counter and each of them had blood running down. Rusty was in shock and ran out of the area. He saw a headless body near the Ferris wheel which was moving. When he approached it, one of the seats contained a severed head. He backed away and continued to search the area.

Maddie held the head of the leader by the hair and was swinging it around, causing blood to splatter on the arcade consoles. She giggled and ran to the party room. She placed his head on the band stage and looked around with sinister eyes.

As Rusty continued to search the area, he kept alert for any surprises. The fact that it was his last day as a detective had been pushed to the back of his mind. He needed to find her and nothing would stop him. He entered the game room and saw the arcade consoles and the pool of blood on the carpet. He also saw the blood splatter. The Leader's head was place on one of the arcade consoles. Then, he heard a laugh. With his gun ready, he walked towards the party room and saw an even more morbid sight. Maddie was there, sitting on the band stage with her legs crossed with six heads placed near her. She was smiling.

"Hello," she said, "I've been expecting you. Welcome to my gallery. I'm so glad you could make it. Can I give you a tour?"

"Get on the ground now," he said, "You're coming with me."

Maddie laughed.

"I don't think so," she said.

Maddie got off the stage and walked towards the tables. Rusty saw that there were severed heads on the tables and more blood splatter on the walls and floor.

"What kind of sick person are you?" Rusty asked.

"These people kill innocent lives," Maddie said, "They deserved their fate."

Maddie laughed. Rusty tried to stomach the morbid display around him. The dead eyes kept staring at him as Maddie's chilling laugh echoed in his brain. She walked closer to him, but Rusty pointed his gun at her.

"You sick psycho," he said, "You're coming with me."

"That last person that pointed a gun at me no longer has a head. You don't want that to be you."

Maddie took out a katana.

"Drop it!" Rusty yelled.

"Not a chance."

"I need you to come with me."

Maddie smiled.

"Are you a bad person?" Maddie asked. "Have you ever shot anyone in cold blood? Are those people right about you?"

"None of that matters to you," he said. "Get out the ground now. Last chance."

Maddie laughed and quickly ran out of the party room. Rusty followed her outside even though he was no match for her speed. She ran out towards the gate and Rusty ran back to his car. Maddie had put a bloody smile on his windshield. He used the wipers and fluid to remove the blood as he sped out of the amusement park. The chill was still going through him as his heart raced. Something about Maddie gave him a feeling that he had not felt in years.

Maddie ran across the rooftops as the rain clouds and the sound of thunder hovered over her. She needed to get back to the bunker. Her best bet was to find a subway. As she leaped across the rooftops, she saw someone in black clothing with a sniper rifle. It was the SWAT team. Then, a helicopter was seen in the distance. Maddie climbed down to street level. She entered the seemingly empty streets. Then, a SWAT vehicle drove near her. She ran back down the street as the SWAT officers exited the vehicle. Before they could engage, she turned around a street corner. To her surprise, a sniper was on the roof. He had her in her sights as Maddie flipped him off. He fired a shot, but Maddie moved. He fired another one and she moved again. She laughed at him and then ran down the street. She ran down another street corner. Just then, Rusty drove up to her.

"Get in!" He yelled as he exited the vehicle.

Maddie was confused.

"There gonna kill you. This is as safe as it's gonna be."

Maddie stood still as the SWAT vehicles blocked off both sides. Another sniper appeared on the rooftop and was ready to engage.

"Please, get in the car," he reiterated.

Maddie chuckled.

"Listen to me. I don't want you dead," he said.

"Says the guy who points a gun at me," she told him. "Fuck you."

The SWAT officers were coming closer with their guns drawn. The sniper had her in the scope. Rusty turned around and saw him.

"Don't shoot!" He yelled.

"Briggs, get out of the way!" The sniper yelled. "She'll kill you!"

Rusty held his arms out, blocking the shot. The SWAT officers surrounded Maddie.

"Get on the ground!" One of them yelled.

Rusty turned around.

"Just do it," he said.

Maddie was irritated as she laid on the ground. The SWAT officers removed her knives from her corset and the ones she had holstered on her belt. She was placed in cuffs and taken to a SWAT van. Maddie looked back at Rusty who was sadden. The officers threw her inside. Then, Buford approached Rusty. He had a shaved head, goatee, and was muscular.

"Briggs, that was a close one," he said.

"Yeah, we finally got her."

"What were you doing? You almost got shot."

"She's just a teenager."

Buford then realized why Rusty prevented her from getting shot.

"I see," Buford said. "But that's a hell of a risk to take."

"I know."

"Look, Briggs, I'm taking her to the station. Enjoy your retirement okay."

"Thanks Buford."

Buford approached the van that was holding Maddie. The SWAT officer was trying to secure her to the seat. Maddie kept laughing. Buford grabbed her hair as the other officer secured her legs and attached her to the seat.

"I'll ride with her," he said.

The officer exited and closed the doors. Maddie was smiling as the van drove off.

"You think this is funny?" He said.

Maddie nodded. Buford slammed his fist on the van. He had taken Maddie's dagger; the one Tim gave her years ago and began twirling it.

"What's your name?" He asked.

Maddie stuck her tongue out.

"A real life psycho killer."

"That's right. I like when people fear me."

"Oh, I'm supposed to be afraid of you. Well I'm not."

"Not yet."

"I should do the word a favor and snap your neck."

"You're too afraid to do it. I'm all tied up and your still afraid of me."

"You like to cut off heads. What's the matter? Daddy issues?"

Maddie became irritated and then smiled. She had kept a small metal pin in a hidden pocket located in the back of her pants. She loosened the cuffs.

"You know how I can tell that someone is a coward?" Maddie said, "By the look in their eyes. Every one of the decapitated heads has that scared look. I put the fear in them before I killed them. First, they let out a soothing scream as they shiver in fear, then they beg. That's something you will do. And then, I'll drink your blood."

Maddie laughed. Buford was trying not to become irritated.

"I know the police are afraid of me, "she continued, "That's why you needed, what, a hundred guys to catch me."

"I'm not afraid of you," he said, annoyed.

Maddie laughed.

"I know you are. I can sense your nervousness. I can see you shiver. All the little movements you make. In a way, you are a bigger coward than all those people I killed."

He quickly got up and grabbed her by the neck as Maddie giggled.

"I'll do it, I'll snap your neck right now," he yelled.

"No I can feel your fear," Maddie said.

She giggled.

"No one will care," he continued.

"Then do it, coward."

Maddie grabbed his shirt and slammed him into the van wall behind her. She coughed and then let him fall to the ground. She grabbed his keys and unlocked herself. Buford tried to get up, but Maddie kicked him in the face. She struck him with her knee while on the ground. Then, she placed him in a chokehold until he fell unconscious. Maddie took the dagger from him and holstered it. She opened the door and saw another SWAT vehicle following them. Maddie quickly leaped out onto the street, rolling as she hit the ground. If Brandon was not against her going after the terrorists, she would be able to call him so he could pick her up. Maddie realized she should have kept in contact with him.

Rusty was also following them. He saw her run down an alley and immediately stopped his car. He pursued her. Maddie climbed up the corner of a brick building. She grabbed onto an air duct but it broke apart. She fell to the ground and laid there. Rusty found her and slowly approached her. Maddie laying on the ground reminded him of Clara. He saw an image of her and knelt beside her. He felt her face and then cradled her head in his arms. Then, he hugged her.

"Clara," he whispered.

Then, six SWAT officers entered the alley.

"Briggs, please get away from her!" One of them yelled.

He ignored them. Suddenly Maddie woke up and grabbed Rusty. She held the dagger to his throat; shielding herself from the officers.

"Let him go now!" One of them yelled.

Maddie laughed. Rusty remained still as he felt the cold steel on his neck.

"Don't make this worse, now drop it!" A SWAT officer said.

"No, you drop your weapons," Maddie said, "Or I'll splatter his blood all over you."

The officers still had their weapons ready.

"Do it!" She yelled.

There was an open hatch nearby.

"Throw them in there," she told them.

The SWAT officers approached the hatch and threw their weapons in it. Maddie moved towards them with Rusty still being held at knife point. She shoved him away and he landed on the ground by a dumpster. She holstered her dagger. She motioned for them to come forward. One of them approached her and tried to punch her, but she blocked it and spun around, kicking the next SWAT officer in the face. She kneed him in the groin and waited for the other officers. Two of them approached her and she grabbed one of the SWAT officers head with her arms and the other with her legs. She spun back and dragged them to the ground. Both of their heads struck the pavement. Rusty looked on. The next officer approached her and threw a series of quick punches. She blocked each shot and tried to punch back, but he evaded the shots. The other officers stood beside her. Maddie hit him with a side kick to the face, knocking him out. She focused her attention back to the other officer and smiled. He tried punching her but Maddie kept moving her head. She stuck her tongue out at him. He tried to kick her, but she grabbed his leg and struck it with an elbow. He grunted in pain. Maddie kneed him in the stomach and then, knocked him out with a knee to the face.

Two of the SWAT officers got up. Maddie hit him with a spin kick and then knocked him down with a sweep kick. One officer grabbed her from behind and slammed her to the ground. He placed his knee in her back, but she turned around and hooked her legs around his neck. She choked him until he fell unconscious. The officer who was kneed in the groin got up and was still in pain. Maddie grabbed his throat and delivered multiple kicks to the other officer who was standing behind her. Then, she jumped in the air and deliver a back kick to the officer, knocking him out. There were now two officers left standing. Maddie did a backflip, kicking both officers in the chin. She delivered kicks to the officers, trading shots between them. One officer tried to punch her, but she grabbed his arm and faced away from him. She delivered a backhand punch to his groin and then knocked him out with an elbow to the face. The last officer tried to punch and kick her, but she evaded each shot. Then, she stuck him with an open palm strike under his chin. She slowly walked away as he fell to the ground. Rusty was amazed by her fighting skills.

As Maddie ran back onto the street, Buford surprised her. He had a shotgun pointed at her. He smiled at her as she put her hands up. Then, she showed him a middle finger. Using her speed, Maddie rushed forward, grabbing the shotgun and using it to strike him in the face. Then, she hit him with an elbow, he stumbled to the ground. Maddie got on top of him and began slapping him in the face. He fell to the ground but Maddie picked him back up and held him by the throat.

"Please," he muttered.

"Beg me," she said, "Or you won't have a head."

"Oh please, I…I…beg you."

Maddie laughed. She took out her dagger and ran the flat side across his face as he shivered.

"I want you to be a good boy and go get me my knives," she said.

"Okay," he said, nervously.

She followed him back to the vehicle. He opened the door and handed her a leather sack. She looked inside and saw her knives.

"Good boy," she told him.

She grabbed his throat and held him against the vehicle. She sliced him on the side of the neck. He screamed as blood dripped down. Maddie leaned in close to him and began sucking the blood off. Buford was violently shaking. Then, Maddie held her knife in the air and came close to stabbing him. She stopped before the knife struck his throat and then waved her finger at him while smiling. She quickly disappeared as he fell to the ground in shock. Maddie found Rusty's car and got inside. She opened the bag and took out a few of her knives and placed them in her corset. The keys were still in the ignition. As Maddie drove down the road, she could not stop thinking about Rusty and why he was so protective.