"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
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Every gun in that room was drawn and pointed at Max's head, every owner with itchy trigger fingers. Everybody, except Jake. Jake didn't draw his gun, he didn't become hostile; he just slowly began to remove his helmet, then his vest, then his jacket.
"Jake, what're you doing!?" Lex asked him.
"It's okay," he assured him, "It's okay everybody. You can all stand down,"
"Is he serious right now?" Vicki asked. Jenna met Jake's eyes, seeing the seriousness and sincerity of his plea.
"Listen to him," she said. The others looked at each other, adrenaline pumping through their veins, but they slowly put their weapons down. Jake took off his gun and tossed it to the side, then he put his hands up, warily eyeing the trigger in Max's hand.
"Max, think about what you're doing here," he said.
"I know exactly what I'm doing, Jake," he sneered back, "I've been wanting to do this for a long time,"
"Do what? Kill yourself, and take several million people with you?" he took a step forward, but Max held the trigger higher.
"I'd watch my step if I were you, Jake. This device is filled with particles extracted from Virus 1-8-6-4-9. One wrong move, and the virus spreads at the rate of a hydrogen bomb, all across the state, maybe even the East Coast," he said, "I believe many of you are quite acquainted with this virus, right Lex?"
"Max," Lex took a step forward, "I get that you're angry for what happened to your family. Like Jenna said, it wasn't right, it wasn't fair. Believe me, man, I know how you feel," he said.
Max gave a pitiful chuckle, "You know how I feel? You know how I feel!? You have no idea how I feel! You don't know what it means to have everything ripped away from you, to have an entire city turn its back on you for the color of your skin and the stigma behind your culture. You have no idea what it means to be truly out-casted from society, and bounced from home-to-home like a dog! You have everything, you don't know how I feel at all," he spat, "You all wanted me to be a terrorist, well fine. Now, I'm a terrorist,"
Jake looked at Max with sad eyes, but not out of pity, out of compassion, "I know how you feel, Max," he admitted. Max glowered at Jake.
"Oh, do you now? Your family was accused of being terrorists?" he asked.
"No. Just hear me out, okay? I know why you're angry," he took another, slow step forward, "You're not angry at these guys for making a mistake, because let's face it, Slater was still a rookie detective sixteen years ago," he said. Everybody then turned to look at Slater, who's face was scrunched up in confusion.
"You're not angry at the government, you're angry at life," Jake continued on, "I get it. Life seriously sucks. You know, you start out as a young kid, you're playing pretend in the backyard with your buddies, and then all of the sudden, you're cramming for finals, or you're sweating over your job interview. You're stressed at work, you have bills to pay, you keep letting the milk run bad. We work hard for years and years at a time, and how are we rewarded?"
Max's eyes were glued to Jake's, he gulped back the pain in his throat as he answered, "We die,"
"That's right, Max. Everybody in this room is going to die one day. Who knows, by the looks of it, it might even be today," he took another step, "I know what it means to be pissed off at life. I grew up in a cold home, with cold parents, and not that many friends. I had my issues, and I tried to numb my issues through other things. Booze, girls, I even tried pot once. And then, the first outbreak occurred, and I was caught in the middle. Throughout that first day, I just kept thinking to myself 'Jesus Christ, this is it! This is how my crappy life ends'. And then I met somebody, and she... she gave my life a whole new meaning. I fell in love with her because she wasn't just another face I'd pass on the street, I could see my life revolving around this girl, my life could actually have a purpose. But then she died, life took her away from me, and I was back to crappy," then he took another step.
Max's eyes began to gloss over with fear-stricken tears, "You turned out alright though," he said.
"No I didn't," he said, "Sure, I still have Quentin, and Lex, and the others, but for a year, I've been on automatic mode. Just acting and not thinking for myself, doing the same damn routine every day, closing myself off to everybody and just being so, so angry. There were days when I even thought about popping a few sleeping pills and calling it quits. But I didn't, because my anger, my fear didn't matter. I had a kid to look after, and I wasn't going to leave him alone. He needed somebody to help him guide his way through this cesspool we call life. I hold on because Quentin's holding on, because he is the bravest kid I know. And I'm not going to let life take any more shots at me, because this kid needs me. And I need him,"
Now they were only five feet apart, "You can't keep reaping over the past and wallowing around in your pain, but you can fix yourself by meeting new people, and making new memories to bury the old ones," he looked at Jenna as he spoke, almost seeing her veins pulse beneath her skin at every word he breathed.
"Just because it worked for you doesn't mean it's going to work for me," he said, "Look at me, Jake. There's nothing left for me after this. I'm a dead man anyway,"
"No you're not, Max! You always had something in you. That first day at the marathon, you were excited, and eager, and ready to go to work. I don't know how sincere you were, but damn! I knew that whatever you had, we needed more of it in the force," he said, "You're not alone, Max. You're always going to have people around you, who'll be there for you. You just need to know where to look,"
Surprisingly, Max began to smile, and he nodded, "You know, you're right, Jake. You're a real jackass, but you're right,"
Jake smiled too, feeling a pang of relief come over him. But that relief was short lived, because Max raised the trigger again.
"Here's to those who wish us well, and those who don't can go to hell. I'll see you guys there," he lifted the trigger, about to press down on the red button, but suddenly, there was a gunshot.
"AAH!" blood splattered out from Max's arm, and he dropped the trigger. Jake dived and caught it just in time. and Lex and another officer tackled Max to the ground.
"Alright! Suspect is down!" Lex announced.
"We need the EMTs in here!" another officer announced.
"Get the bomb squad,"
Jake snapped the trigger off the device with a set of wire cutters, and Lex began to cuff Max. "Max Ridley, you are under arrest on several counts of treason, murder, and terrorism. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."
Jake stood up as they carted Max out of the base, relief and angst washing over him. But, where had the shot come from? He turned, finding Slater standing a few feet away, looking just as confused as he did. But behind the lieutenant was a small, dark-haired brown-eyed girl, who had a knack for picking pockets and watching too many movies.
Jenna.
She had the gun in her hands, pointed down at the ground as she kept her eyes glued to the spot where Max had fallen. She shot him, and she saved everyone.
Jake immediately took the gun from her and tossed it back to Slater, while Jenna hardly made a move.
"Jenna! That was amazing!" he exclaimed happily. Jenna then snapped out of her trance, and she looked up into Jake's ecstatic blue eyes. And she smiled, then she started to giggle.
"Would you believe me if I told you... that I was aiming for his head?" she asked. Jake scoffed back.
"Not in the slightest," he didn't care who was watching, or what questions he'd face later. He just pulled her into his arms, and he kissed her.
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It was almost instantaneous. Immediately, the fences began to come down, and people were released from the district. There was screaming and crying, but not out of fear, out of joy. The crowd immediately made a beeline for the outside, running into the arms of loved ones, finally feeling free.
Almost by magic, the cold, empty environment of the district and its borders disappeared, and the angst of death was replaced by the excitement of unification. Families were reunited, patients were taken to hospitals, people were going home. They were going to be safe.
The officers all flooded out of the isolated city, removing any trace of presence, leaving behind dust, rubble, and debris. There was going to be a lot of mess to clean up in the morning. Lex was walking with pride, as him and the officer escorted Max and the paramedics out of the district and into an emergency ambulance. Vicki had a proud smile on her face, letting her hair loose from her tight pony tail and taking a deep breath of the free air. Slater looked around the citizens of his city, feeling quite proud of his officers for their hard work; surely, those who gave their lives to the cause were going to be honored with the greatest of respects.
And Jake? He had his arm around Jenna's waist, holding her tightly while he watched the mass exodus of people file out like ants from a farm. He felt free, like someone had broken the chain of duty around his neck and he was able to breathe freely again. Jenna couldn't stop smiling, watching the younger kids race each other to the other side, reuniting themselves with their mothers and fathers. She couldn't wait to do that herself.
Large, black SUVs pulled up in front of the evacuation site, and several men in suits filed out and escorted the lieutenant inside.
"What's with the fancy cars?" Jenna asked.
"The mayor's probably inside that one with the chief commissioner. We get to go home, Slater has to give them a brief report before he can," Jake replied.
"So Slater doesn't get a break too?" she asked.
"We get the rest of the week off. He gets a two-week paid vacation to Hawaii, I'll bet," he chuckled in reply. Jenna laughed with him, and they crossed into the land of the living, integrating themselves back into a live society, where they could finally be together.
They got into an SUV, following another car that held Lex and Max, carting them back to the police station. People celebrated around them, cheering, clapping, and holding big, beautifully bright signs that welcomed them all home. It all had tears welling up in Jenna's eyes; she let her head rest of Jake's chest, hearing his heart beat rapidly. It gave her comfort, feeling the warmth radiate from his skin, his scent surrounding her like a blanket, and just knowing that he wasn't going anywhere.
And neither was she.
"We just have to make a quick stop at the station before we can drop you guys off," the driver said. Jake looked down at Jenna, who looked back at him with giddy eyes.
"No rush," he replied.
Minutes later, the parade of SUVs pulled up in front of the police station, welcomed by an ecstatic crowd, more officers had to keep them back while the passengers were let out and filed into the police station. Lex led Max out first, who got a round of insults, slurs, and threats in response. He wore a bullet-proof vest over himself, but it just made him look smaller. Jake watched as Lex led him inside, and he kept his head down the entire time, trying to drown out the mob outside. Jake began to feel sorry for him, because after all, Max didn't want this. He just wanted happiness.
Slater got out of the car, immediately being bombarded by questions from the press. Jake and Jenna were able to squeeze by, but not without hearing Slater speak about Max.
"Lieutenant! Over here!" a reporter called, "What's going to happen to Max Ridley now that you have him in your custody?" he asked.
"Max Ridley is going to be tried at a federal court, just like all other criminals who decide to commit heinous acts," he replied.
"Lieutenant Slater, what do you think made Max Ridley become a terrorist?" a press-woman asked. Slater opened his mouth, but he closed it again, unsure of what to say really.
"Well, it's always hard to say. There are many factors to take into consideration when facing an issue such as this one..." he wasn't even answering the question. Jake stopped just at the door, watching Slater fumble his way through the mob of questions.
"Lieutenant, how does this victory for the Atlanta PD contribute to America's fight against terrorism?" another reporter asked. This time, Jake decided to step in.
"Max Ridley is not a terrorist," he stated. The crowd then fell silent, every camera was focused on him, every set of eyes on him as he spoke out. He felt a lump of nerves boil up in his throat, but he wasn't deterred to speak. If these people wanted a story, than he was going to give them a story.
"Max Ridley is just as much a victim as anybody caught in this mess. He never wanted this life, he never wanted to hurt anybody. The problem was that he had been hurt by the people he thought he could trust, and the country who should've protected him. He was thrown away like trash, and abused, and hurt, and he had nothing left to contribute to this world but anger. This wasn't just terrorism, this was also a cry for help. A cry to show America what is wrong with us, an eye-opener to the consequences our actions can cause,"
Inside, Jenna watched from the monitor in the front office, completely mesmerized at Jake's speech, "We've lost so many people over these past five days: mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. But so did Max Ridley, and he just wanted us to hurt as bad as he did. Because sometimes, you can only feel better about yourself if you inflict your pain onto others. But the truth of the matter is that it never helps. You will never be truly happy, you will never move on and look to the future if you continue to dwell in the past. What happened this week, it may as well as been the same as a teenager walking into school with a gun and shooting at his classmates. I don't believe Max Ridley is a terrorist, or ever wanted to be a terrorist. Max is just as American as you and me, the only difference is the way he was judged, because of the color of his skin, and the religion he worshiped. And for that, he suffered unbearably. We can only push someone so far before they break, and when they break, we might just go with them. Thank you,"
He turned and went back inside, while the reporters shouted after him for more questions. Slater was right next to him, looking very impressed, as well as pleased.
"That was very content, Officer Riley," he said. Jake just shrugged back.
"I was just speaking the truth, sir," he replied.
"Well, you keep up the good attitude, you might just be able to promote yourself to a lieutenant one day,"
Jake smiled to himself as Slater strode off, probably to go home and take a well-deserved rest. Jake went into the main precinct, greeted by his fellow officers and friends.
"Jake!" and even Quentin. Jake's eyes lit up at the boy ran up to him. He scooped him up into his arms and gave him the tightest hug he could give, thanking God for letting him come home to him.
"Oh, my God! I told you I was coming home, bud," he said as he set him down.
"I knew you would. Nothing's going to stop you," he replied.
"You got that right," another voice said. Jake looked up, finding Lex and Jana standing before them, both with bright smiles on their faces. Jake smiled back and hugged Jana.
"Aw. I missed you too, Jana," he said.
"Likewise, my friend," she replied.
"Hey. What you said out there, spot on," Lex said. Jake shrugged back.
"Well, they wanted a story. So, I gave them one," he replied.
"Does this mean we're going to go home, now?" Quentin asked.
"Of course! We just need to make one more stop before we do," Lex replied.
"Where?" Jake asked.
"2332 Rupert Street. I couldn't get Peter's wheelchair into my car, so we opted to bring Jenna home instead," Jana replied.
"Where is Jenna?" Quentin asked.
"We just went to the bathroom; said something about fixing herself up for the cameras," Lex smirked. Jana elbowed his side.
"More like she didn't want her dad to freak at the blood and dust she was covered in," she said.
"But then can we go home?" Quentin pressed on.
Jake smiled and ruffled his hair, "Yes. We are going to go home, and do absolutely nothing," he said.
"Can we get pizza, too? I'm sick of eating grandma's spinach surprise," he asked. Jana and Lex both scrunched their noses at the thought.
"Spinach surprise?" Lex asked.
"It's more of a surprise than you think,"