Everything I Do
After the incident at the elementary school, Katie lived in fear of being committed back to the psych ward of the Atlanta clinic. Running low on cash, she started camping on park benches after leaving the motel where Bobby and Melissa had tracked her down. Her renewed purpose kept her warm at night, especially since Kevin had turned even more territorial after the shooting. She had screwed up her first chance to help her family and was determined not to let it happen again. Even worse than her low cash reserves, the fact that she was also short on lithium since leaving the clinic where it was in ready supply. Katie clung to her sanity by reciting Kevin's work schedule to herself. She aimed to figure out the safest time to sneak to the house and meet with her sister. But first, her every instinct screamed at her to eliminate the biggest obstacle to that peace and safety her family craved.
Katie's moment came after almost a week of this grueling existence, lying in wait for her chance to make the move her sister needed her to. It had reached the stage where she could see Bobby's desperate expression every time she closed her eyes. That fuelled her determination to seek revenge more than anything else. The walkie-talkie she had swiped from a distracted police officer on Career Day at the school became her window into Kevin's comings and goings. When she heard dispatch sending Kevin and his partner to a storefront near the park where she was camped out, Katie knew immediately her best chance would be to intercept the detectives before they got to their actual crime scene. She could be no less formidable than anything they might face in a petty thief, pathetic lowlifes!
"You know, I think this is why the boss keeps you on desk duty so often," Oliver muttered to Kevin, who was driving the police car. "Robbery is hardly a siren-worthy offense; chill out!" But Kevin kept the sirens blaring and sped towards their destination, his senses tingling with a strange feeling that more than a normal case awaited them.
"You really love telling me to chill out, don't you, Ollie?" The tires screeched when Kevin braked in front of the store. "Maybe this isn't the right job for you. Have you ever thought about that?"
"Nice try, Riley. Somebody's gotta keep you from losing your shit over every little thing. Alright, are you ready for this?"
"I was born ready for this," said Kevin coolly. He stepped out of the car, caressing his holster in preparation for the action. "All that desk work is such a waste of time! Let's go have some fun."
"Your idea of fun is disturbing," said a taunting voice suddenly, and Kevin scowled when Katie came into view. "Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me, didn't you, asshole?"
"I had foolish hopes," Kevin growled. "Are you stalking me, Katie-Cat?"
"I have far better things to do with my freedom." Katie glared at him; "But as long as you're a threat to my family, I do what I have to. We wouldn't want a repeat of what happened at that school, would we? Whatever happens now is between you and me."
"Ollie, could you call someone else for backup to catch that robber?" Kevin asked his partner. "I'm a little busy with this bitch."
"This can not end well," Oliver muttered to himself. "Didn't you learn anything at that school Career Day incident?"
"Considering his own son was involved that day, your dear partner is a slow learner." Katie's malicious words ignited the primal urge in Kevin to take her down, and he tackled her furiously. Katie dodged just in time, barely aware of Oliver's voice calling for backup on the police radio. She and Kevin moved in a bizarre cat-and-mouse dance, circling each other, both equally determined to triumph over the other.
"Once I get rid of you, nothing stands in my way of doing the same to the rest of the family. How does it feel to know that?" Kevin's evil intentions grated on Katie's every nerve, making it harder to remember how her sister always tried to talk her out of doing the reckless thing. "I've been waiting a long time for this chance, Katie-Cat."
"Leave them out of this!" Katie snapped. "I swear to God, Riley, if you ever touch my sister again, I don't even care about consequences. I will end you right now!"
Hurling menacing looks and threats at each other, neither Kevin nor Katie noticed that Oliver had done more than call for backup. Both looked up at the sound of a new vehicle screeching to a halt near the police car. "Things just got interesting," Kevin mused out loud when Melissa stepped out of the cab and snapped the door shut behind her. "Don't you get enough action at home, Lissa?"
"Enough!" his wife snapped. "I won't let my sister become a murderer over you, Kevin. It's so not worth it." She reached into her handbag and pulled out a folder. "An innocent boy almost died because of this rivalry; I'm done letting Katie fight my battles for me." She shoved the folder at him. "I want a divorce!"
Kevin's mirthless laugh made Katie's blood boil, and her fingers twitched on her gun. "Good joke, babe. What do you think you'll be if you try cutting me out, huh? Ungrateful bitch! Your sister is a bloody terrible influence, I should have got rid of her years ago. You interrupted me before I could do just that."
"That interruption was all I needed," said Katie darkly, her pulse beating in her ears as she took aim and fired at the detective. Melissa's scream almost broke her concentration, but Kevin's little grunt of surprise before he dropped to the ground was still immensely satisfying. "Should have gone for bigger armor," she added nastily when the bullet hit him right in the thigh. "I've been practicing."
Melissa turned quickly and placed her hand on Oliver's arm when he moved to call an ambulance. "Pretend you didn't see this," she begged. "Please!"
"Nobody will believe that, Mel," he pointed out. "We never patrol individually. I have to call it in."
"She saved my life, Ollie," Melissa insisted. "You know what Kevin is like. Please, let this slide, I'm begging you!"
"You really want him dead?" Oliver pressed disbelievingly, glancing from Kevin, growing paler by the second, to his wife and back. "With a shot that direct, that's what we're looking at in a few minutes here."
"It's either him or me eventually," Melissa whispered. "And if he kills me first, nobody will be left to protect my son from him. I know you don't understand how messed up our lives are, but I need somebody on my side. Please, look the other way!"
She could see the conflict in Oliver's eyes, but with little time to plan his next move, he shivered uneasily and nodded. "Okay. We were following a stupid thief out here anyway. It won't seem implausible that the perpetrator caught us off guard. That's my story; nobody ever needs to know that you or your sister were out here. The backup I called for didn't even get here in time. You gotta love our incompetent police force, huh? I'll cancel the distress call." His gaze flickered over Kevin's body, lifeless and still now. "We've been partners five years, and I've never seen anyone complain so much about his lot in life. I'm not one to judge, but Kevin was a deeply bitter guy. I don't blame you for snapping; the dude was a piece of work sometimes."
To his embarrassment, her eyes filled with tears as she gave him a tight hug. "Thank you," she choked, holding on a few seconds longer than necessary before stepping back. With a shaky sigh, she turned and stumbled towards her sister. "I can't believe you," she murmured. Her baby sister trembled in the embrace, and Melissa could feel the fingers that had been holding the gun clenching and unclenching behind her back. "Thank you, Kate. You saved my life."
"You've saved mine a million times, Mel. I could take a bullet for you, and we still wouldn't be even. I love you. Like you told me when Mom died…I've always, always got your back!"
Melissa pressed her head against Katie's shoulder as if her adrenaline had faded. "How on earth am I going to explain this to Bobby?" she whimpered.
"Explain that the guy who resented his existence is gone?" Katie pondered. "I can't imagine he'll be too crushed." She clutched her sister tighter when Melissa gave a shaky sob. "I'll help you, alright? It's gonna be okay, I promise. You're free now!"
"I still have to worry that this is going to catch up with you," said her sister tremulously. "You shot a cop!"
"I already promised you this won't go any further." Melissa looked up at the gentle hand on her back to find Oliver standing beside them. "You ladies need a ride somewhere? I do this for a living, and today feels like it's been a lot, even for me."
"A lift would be great," said Melissa gratefully. "I wrecked my car a few months back, and Kevin never saw the need to replace it, so all we have is his police cruiser. I suppose the department will be taking that back now." She checked her watch and paled dramatically. "It's time to pick Bobby up from school. We sure have a bombshell for him today. Oh God…" her words trailed off into border-line hyperventilation, and Katie nudged Melissa into the car and clutched her tightly.
"Just breathe," Katie urged, stroking Melissa's hair in a way that made her feel like the younger sister for once. "We'll face the hurdle of telling Bobby when we get to it. You never have to deal with all that rage again. It's a good thing!"
"I hope you're back on your meds," said Melissa fervently. "I said I needed you to deal with Kevin a few weeks ago. But I mean it more than ever now. I can't do this without you!"
"You can," said Katie softly. "But you don't have to. I promise I'm right here. I'll need to pick up some lithium soon, but I've got you with or without it."
"Tree Hill Elementary, right?" Ollie interrupted briefly from behind the wheel. "A ride is the least I could do. Your kid has a doozy coming for him. I am sorry for your loss. Mixed feelings about it must be tough."
"Thank you, Oliver," said Melissa again. "This means more than you know. Kevin wasn't always the easiest person to deal with at home, but I had a feeling that work would be the same."
"Like I said, the situation at work was pretty similar," Oliver admitted. "That's why I feel like I owe it to you to help. You obviously haven't had the easiest time being married to the guy. It sucks that situations like yours can't be worked out while the perpetrator is still alive to face punishment. Cops can get away with anything. You deserve to be happy."
"I want to say that I will be," said Melissa faintly, just as they reached Bobby's school. "But I don't think I can go that far right this second. What I have to do next hurts too much."
Katie gripped her arm when Melissa took another shaky breath. "Let's go, I've got you! You can do this," she said firmly.
It wasn't long before Bobby emerged from the school building. He knew not to look out for their old red Ford anymore, but his mother didn't miss how he paled at the sight of the police cruiser. "Hey, Mom," he said softly, melting into her arms. When he drew back, he frowned. "What happened?" he demanded. "You look like you're going to be sick or something."
Katie had lingered a few paces behind her sister, and when Bobby spotted her, he knew something was horribly wrong. "Aunt Katie, what's going on? Why isn't Mom saying anything?"
Katie took a deep breath before she spoke. "Listen, buddy…you know when you said you wanted my help getting rid of your dad?" Bobby nodded, frowning, and she continued. "Well, I kind of did that today. Except it's for good…I shot him. He's dead, Bobby."
A/N Well, that was a doozy to cook up in two days, enjoy! xx