Cause a Riot

Chapter 13

Cuzo felt his heart stop. He didn't even know if he was living for the second the initial panic had strung through him. But once the panic had left his brain, he shot a glance behind him from the corner of his eyes. Officer Leroy blocked the door to the warehouse, gun pointed square in Cuzo's back. A literal backstabber, Cuzo would have joked in this usual situation. Right now, however, he couldn't feel anything but anger and hurt chaining down his heart.

"Liar," he growled, staring over his shoulder at Leroy. "Rooting for me? Yeah, right."

"I apologize," Leroy said, though there didn't seem to be any regret in his voice at all. "But it's my job to bring you to justice, no matter what. My orders are absolute."

Cuzo whirled around, facing his own gun at Leroy. "I never wanted to do this," he growled. "To this day, it never crossed my mind to actually kill you. But... you're inhumane. Manipulating people - is that ethical, Leroy!?"

"Sometimes it's necessary," Leroy frowned. "Besides, if you kill me, you'd be breaking your own ethics, am I right?"

"Damn you!" Cuzo's fingers quivered on the trigger. "Damn you to hell, Leroy!"

Officer Leroy looked undaunted by Cuzo's anger, though Cuzo knew he was deep down. Cuzo growled, eyes shaking wildly in madness. He glanced up and made a sprint for the warehouse. He leaped above Officer Leroy, grabbing hold of a low roof and swinging himself up. The officers all shot at once, not wasting a second to ground him. They wouldn't let him get away again.

Cuzo felt the wave of bullets bore into his body and he coughed blood, pupils shrinking. His fingers almost lost grip of the roof but he pushed on anyway. He jumped frantically higher and higher onto the roof, finally climbing into a window large enough for him. He leaped for a pole a meter away and smacked into it, another cough bursting out of his chest. He panted, body quivering, hot tears stinging his eyes. Cuzo blinked to refocus and looked up. He climbed the pole to the ceiling ledges. He found an attic door and ran for it, sliding it aside and jumping up onto the roof. Pain vibrated through him and Cuzo fell to his knees, out of breath. He coughed again, feeling the warm blood trickling down his back. He took deep breaths to calm himself, and with fierce eyes burning with hatred like never before, pushed himself back up. Cuzo walked to the edge of the warehouse and glanced down. Some police officers were still out there, though many had gone inside after him. Cuzo suddenly knew what bloodlust felt like. All this time he had been killing for purpose because of logical reason.

Now, he just had the dire need to kill someone.

He looked down at the officers standing there, so vulnerable under his aim in their goggles and stupid blue uniforms. He gritted his teeth, but his hand shook on the trigger like it had when he had pointed it at Leroy.

No, a voice echoed in his brain. It sounded like Malroy, but seeing as it was coming from within Cuzo, it was his own mind speaking. Don't kill them. Only murderers.

Why, though? If I die here, they will be murderers.

No, the voice said again. Save it. Get out of here and stick to the plan.

Plan? Cuzo gritted his teeth, warm blood trickling down his cold fingers. What plan?

You cannot hurt police officers, the voice argued fiercely. Now, get out of here. There are people waiting for you.

Cuzo felt a tear drip down his cheek as he lowered his gun. He knew the sensible part of him was right, but he desperately wanted to kill them. He sighed and looked ahead at a transmission pole a few meters away. It blurred and wobbled in his eyes, but he took the chance regardless. Cuzo approached the edge of the building and made a wild leap. He barely managed to grab onto the transmission pole, a gush of blood exploded from his back when he did. He held on desperately, fighting through the pain in his back, and put one foot on the transmission lines. Black spots dotted his vision but he would not let himself fall unconscious yet. Breathing harshly, he unwrapped his scarf and threw one side over the line. He narrowed his eyes and grabbed both ends, pushed off from the pole, and ziplined down the lengthy wires to make his stealthy escape.