Wolf in the Big City

Chapter 29 - Live

Fuck!

I rushed forward as Benjamin tussled with Dylan, the two men grappled with each other and struggling for control of a single handgun. I couldn't get a clear shot off without Dylan in the way, but the next best thing I could do was attempt to break up the fight and separate both of them.

I holstered my handgun and dashed in, grabbing at Benjamin's wrists to remove his death grip on Dylan's gun. But he was strong; not as much as when Evelyn and I had fought him, but there was still considerable energy in him. Enough that he shrugged me off like I weighed nothing and he tossed Dylan into the concrete wall with a loud thump.

I heard Dylan grunt as he collapsed to the floor, his gun clattering onto the concrete. From Benjamin's shove, I staggered back a few steps and had to catch myself on one of the nearby vents before I tripped on the ledge behind me and fell down to the street below. My breath caught in my chest and I could only watch as our quarry leaped over the wall in the centre of the roof before I recovered enough to check on my best friend.

As Dylan raised himself off the ground with a hand, I dashed over and helped him up, taking his arm so I could haul him up onto his feet. He snatched up his fallen sidearm and gestured with his head at the wall.

"Let's hop that and see if we can catch him while he's still in there."

I nodded and holstered my pistol so we could climb over the wall. One short hop and a quick vault later, both Dylan and I were on the other side of the concrete barrier that separated us from our quarry.

The interior of this place was pretty similar to the rest of the roof; one single raised shed-like area that held a lot of air vents for the generators down beneath our feet, completely surrounded by the concrete wall we'd just climbed over. I knew Benjamin was up here somewhere; that scent of fear-induced sweat, something I could smell easily with my canine senses.

"Come on out, Benjamin! We really aren't here to hurt you!" I called out as I advanced along the left of the shed in the middle. Dylan moved along its right, ensuring that if he ran, he'd bump into either of us. The only other way out was over the walls and we could see them. If he hopped the furthest wall, he'd drop back down to the street where other officers were waiting.

"Just come out with your hands behind your head and we'll make sure you're treated with care!" Dylan raised his voice to be heard over the noisy air vents as he kept pace with me, walking forwards until I lost sight of him past the vent walls. It was hard to make out much else over the din of the loud fans to my left, but I kept my eyes and ears open. Wouldn't be a good look if I let our suspect get away from me that easily.

Silence, save for the bustle of cars nearby, the whirr of the air vents and the sirens in the distance that signified more backup on its way. But he was here, I could feel it.

The moments passed by like they were in slow motion. Our footsteps soft on the concrete rooftop. To be really cliche about it, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. We reached the end of the centre shed and rounded the corner in unison, handguns drawn and pointed towards the middle, where I knew Benjamin would be hiding. And true enough, there he was.

The young man was huddled up against the metal vents in the middle of the rooftop, his hands raised up over his face. He was visibly shivering in fear and I couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the guy. I lowered my pistol and held my other hand, palm up, towards him.

"Look, Benjamin. I'm not going to hurt you, okay? We just want to make sure you're okay. Everything's going to be fine, alright? Just trust me. That's all I want you to do. Trust me." I said to him, low and slow. He gave me a nod and I walked over to him, keeping my pace slow so he didn't get spooked by any sudden movements.