Cause a Riot

Chapter 1

A small pair of footsteps thudded on the hard gravel through a narrow alleyway. Another pair of footsteps followed, larger and louder. Heavy panting filled the quiet summer evening. The footsteps came to a halt as the young boy whom they belonged to reached a dead end. His panting increased. His pursuer stopped behind him, a nasty smirk pulling up on his face. The boy's breath began to shake.

"Wait," he wheezed. "Please don't. I swear I didn't do it on purpose."

"Forget it," his pursuer spat, withdrawing a gun from his pocket. The boy's eyes shook as he backed away.

"Please..."

"After messin' with me like that, I ain't lettin' you get away, boy."

"Someone!" The boy yelled frantically as his pursuer aimed at him. "Someone, please help me!"

His shout for help rang in the quiet neighbourhood followed by a loud gunshot.

The boy trembled. His lips wobbled as he looked at the man who had raised the gun at him fall with wide eyes. Blood splattered from his pursuer's back and his eyes froze. The boy gulped and looked behind the fallen man to find another man with his hand raised, gun firmly held in hand. The boy's back pressed against the wall as he bit his lips. "Wh-who are you?" he asked tenderly.

The second man who had come to his rescue and killed his potential killer smiled. It was strangely warm for a man who had just killed someone. He looked to be in his mid to late twenties, with black neck-long hair so wild it looked like a lion's mane and a small beard. His eyes looked bloodshot when he had pulled the trigger on the first man but appeared brown now. To a typical person, he would've looked like a mafia gang leader.

To the boy, he looked like a hero.

"It's all right," the man smiled again, walking past the fallen dead man's body over to the boy. The boy smiled back. He knew he should've been afraid. That man had just killed someone. But he felt oddly trusting and safe around this man's presence. "Y-you saved me!" the boy cried. "Thank you!"

The man chuckled and knelt down to the boy's height. "You're welcome. I'm just glad I came in time. Let's get you out of here, kid. This isn't any place for you to be. Come on." The man held out his hand and smiled. The boy looked up and reached for his hand.

"Hold it right there!"

The boy withdrew, startled. Both kid and man whipped around to see a blonde police officer standing at the entrance of the alleyway, gun raised, eyebrows furrowed. "Don't move! Put your hands up!"

The brown-eyed man smirked. "Ah, if it isn't Officer Leroy!" The dipping sun flashed in his eyes, turning them red-orange again momentarily. "I was wondering where you were."

"Hands up, Cunning!" the officer commanded. "And walk away from the boy!"

The man grabbed the boy's shoulder and nudged him forward. "Change of plan," he smirked. "The police'll take you home. I'd better get going."

The officer reaffirmed his grip on the gun. "I said don't move, Cunning! I've had enough of you."

The man's smug smile didn't falter as his hand moved at lightning speed at his side. He raised the gun and shot to his left without even batting his eyes that way. Officer Leroy's eyes flew in the direction of the bullet, which had pierced open the lock of a hidden doorway. What? Before he could react, the man had already bolted towards the door and into the building, making his escape.

"Stop!" Leroy commanded, running after the man. He stopped to look at the confused boy who nervously blinked at him. "What are you doing?" the boy asked when the officer's eyes fell on him. "He just saved my life!"

Leroy frowned and lifted his earpiece. "Ariese, Dunhill and Thornton, now!"

A cracking voice at the other end of the earpiece responded. "I'm already here."

"There's a boy here. Bring him back home and get the others to clean up the mess. I'm going after Cunning."

"Affirmative."

Officer Leroy entered the building after the murderer. He wasn't planning on letting him escape this time. His eyes scanned the inside of the shop wildly before landing on Cunning running up a flight of stairs. Officer Leroy bolted after him. "Stop!" he commanded again, gun raised and aiming at the man's leg. "That's enough running! You're coming back to prison with us!"

Cunning flashed back a smirk and jumped up, dodging the bullet, grabbing a metal ledge, and swinging himself on top of it. He ran along the thin ridge, jumping up again, grabbing a windowsill. He hauled himself up, quicker than Officer Leroy's eyes can follow.

"Maybe another time!" he responded cockily, standing in front of the window with a charming smile. "Right now, I don't have a lot of time to stand around and chat, Officer. Adios, amigo!" He gave a salute as he unlatched the window behind him, jumping backward off the sill, the bullet Officer Leroy had just shot missing him by a second. The officer gritted his teeth hard, eyes falling on the door under the window. He bolted outside. Cunning had grabbed onto a balcony under the window and swung himself higher up on top of the building. He flashed Officer Leroy one last smirk before disappearing behind the rooftop.

Officer Leroy smirked. Cunning was headed in the direction of the other police cars. He would get caught up right in the thick of them. Officer Leroy lifted his earpiece again. "He's headed your way," he whispered. "Apprehend him. At all costs."

"Yes, sir."

Officer Leroy Fleming stood where he was to block Cunning's path if he decided to draw back. The place should be surrounded by now. Ariese Hannon had turned a corner and joined him, gun at the ready. He nodded at her, waiting. Nothing happened for a long moment. Officer Leroy pursed his lips. He should have turned back by now, he thought. He wouldn't go straight into the hoard of police officers at the other end, would he?

It had been five minutes before he lifted his earpiece again. "Report," he commanded. "What happened? Where is Cunning?"

Static crackled a moment before an officer's voice responded. "He didn't show up," he said. "We didn't see him."

Officer Leroy frowned. "Wasn't the place surrounded? There's no way for him to get away."

"I don't know what happened then," the officer replied. "None of us have seen him."

Officer Leroy gritted his teeth and lowered the earpiece. If no one saw him, he must still be on the roof, waiting for them to leave. Officer Leroy walked over to the wall of the building Cunning had climbed. "I'm going up," he said, turning to Ariese. "Cover me."

She nodded, walking back to get a view of the roof. Officer Leroy grabbed a ladder and began climbing up. He could feel his heart pounding in his temples, but he was ready. Ready for Cunning to fire a shot. Ready for the fight it would take to immobilize him. Officer Leroy lifted his head slowly over the roof and scanned his eyes around. He saw nothing. Boldly, he climbed up and stood in a battle stance, moving his gun around as he searched for any hiding places. He spotted some, walking forward. He could feel Ariese's gun pointed behind him at the ready. He approached a chimney of some sort and slowly peeked around. Cunning wasn't there. He whirled around, pointing his gun around frantically but there was no sign of the dark-haired murderer. He frowned, lowering the gun in frustration.

He was gone.

They had lost him.