They picked the warehouse in the industrial area, not far from downtown. He could look upon flurry skyline of the city but the lights felt so far away. Out of all of them, Voldemort chose the darkest place in the broad, complicated maze. The street lights were broken or blinking where the criminals gathered when twilight hits, and there were not enough policemen to catch them and secure the area.

However, that was not the case tonight. Bright headlights from the police cars were everywhere. The darkness of the maze had disappeared. They didn't ring the sirens but suppressed noises, holding their breaths and waiting for the darkness to crawl out and preparing to hit first. Sirius put on a bullet-proof vest. The snipers were all set and the strike team was ready. Everyone walked towards the storage facility in front of them. It was blended with the others but the windows were too dirty to look inside. The steel gate was locked tight, and there were no other exit or entrance.

Nobody could go in or out.

Voldemort went into the very same storage building a while ago and hadn't come out, according to the surveillance report. The house looked empty through the heat detector, but he was with someone. It was hard to guess who the person was; a hostage? Or is it another follower of his? But they had arrested all of his followers- the Death-eaters. Maybe it was someone else who Sirius or James didn't know about.

James. Sirius thought. Yesterday afternoon was the last time they talked and Sirius hadn't heard him from since. He didn't have time to check whether James was on the arrest list. A uniform informed him the strike team was ready. Sirius nodded. He charged the gun and headed to the warehouse. The plan was to break into the house and arrest him and the other person, quick and bloodless. The entrance door broke down with three pounds. Sirius went inside with the team. They shouted names and the light came through.

He, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lord Voldemort was standing in the middle of it. He had no sign of panic despite the blinding lights and pointed guns. Rather, he was calm as he was expecting all of those. But the other guy, he was sitting on a chair in front of Voldemort. He tried to raise his arm to cover his face but a gun, pointed directly to him, made it impossible.

It took a few seconds to recognize him.

His face was messed up. His eyes were swollen pretty badly, probably from beatings and his cheeks were bleeding. That wasn't the worst of it. His clothes were stained with dusts and bloods. Thanks to the light he brought in, Sirius could see the scratches through his tore clothes. It was like some kind of weird Déjà Vu.

He blinked a few and their eyes met. Sirius fixed his eyes to him as he found out who he is. His lips were moving but Sirius wanted to tell him not to.

"I thought you never come."

It was James. The voice was too subtle that it almost sounded like he was amusing. Sirius ordered the man behind him to stay back. He took a step to get a clear shot. In his place, he could barely see James. Voldemort, unlike Sirius expected, did not back down. Instead, he took a shot at the floor. A slug rolled on to Sirius' feet.

"Step back."

Or else I will shoot him. Voldemort shot his gun once again until Sirius eventually went one more step. Sirius adjusted his gun. He could see both of their faces and arms but James was blocking the target. It wasn't enough to get the shot.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle, you are under arrest," Sirius shouted. It was no small; the words hit the wall and echoed back to him. "Put the gun down, and release-"

Sirius took a glance of James again; the eyes weren't blinking fast enough, bloody, untidy hair with a cold metal hold on to it.

"- the hostage. There are cops everywhere. Your followers are all under arrest. You are nowhere else to go and you wouldn't get out of here. And we don't have to catch you alive."

"Yes, but."

Voldemort held James' shoulder and took the gun into his head closer. James frowned with a pain.

"Is he?"

Sirius had fixed his eyes on James all along. He tried so hard to focus on the gun, the hand holding the gun, and the person holding the gun but he failed miserably. Sirius wanted to ask James if he is okay, tell him he would rescue him and everything will be okay. But Sirius suppressed it all. James wasn't like any other hostages after all.

James mouthed. Shoot Him. Sirius almost shook his head. The gun was too steady to do that and had never been an inch away from his head even before they came in. If Sirius shot him or ordered to shoot, Voldemort would pull the trigger and James' head will be blown. Sirius would take his- James' blood. Sirius returned the focus on the target.

"Forget it. You can't get out of here."

"Yes, I should have killed him myself, but Malfoy screwed up."

"What the hell are you-?"

"Contact." said James. "You sent me there."

"Of course I did. What, did you think you were that special enough to go out there?" said Voldemort. Sirius stepped forward fast, twice at a time. James was distracting Him.

"I put a tail on you for months. I knew you were going out with that. You two look nice on black and white, I have to say."

"Put the gun down."

Now, Sirius had a clear shot. Voldemort raised his head and saw Sirius and the guns behind him. He twisted his pale, thin lips.

"Turn yourself in, Riddle. You're done."

"Not just yet." Voldemort pulled James back. Sirius shouted, going after. "I said, put the gun down!"

"Say good bye to your boyfriend."

And the shots were fired.