Chapter 4: A Dangerous Arrest
"Listen, Jill, don't be reckless. Every move we make must follow the orders from above, understand?"
Veteran officer Hank spoke firmly as he adjusted the grip on his small handgun. His tone carried the weight of decades of service, though his eyes betrayed worry as he glanced at the eager rookie behind him.
"Understood, sir!" Jill responded quickly.
But Hank wasn't convinced. The spark in her eyes told him she hadn't taken his warning to heart. Young officers always came in with fire in their veins, eager to prove themselves. He had been the same once—brash, hungry, desperate to show he mattered.
Age had burned that fire into embers. Experience had taught him the truth: heroics often led to funerals.
Still, he didn't press further. He just sighed inwardly and turned his gaze back to the looming silhouette of the abandoned factory—the target of tonight's operation.
"Inside the factory!" the commanding officer bellowed through a megaphone. "You are surrounded! Drop your weapons and surrender immediately!"
Dozens of armed police advanced, fanning out through the rain-slick yard. Their footsteps splashed through puddles, rifles raised and eyes sharp.
Hank's stomach twisted. He was three months from retirement. Three months. He had dreamed of finishing his career quietly—pension papers, a gold watch, long walks with his dog. Instead, fate had thrown him into a gunfight with gangsters.
"God help me," he muttered, dragging his boots forward, slower than the others. He kept to the middle of the formation, hoping to melt into the crowd.
But when he glanced to his side, Jill was gone.
His heart sank. She was already sprinting toward the front line, leading the charge.
"This girl…" Hank shook his head, half in frustration, half in reluctant admiration. In her fearless rush, he saw a reflection of himself from decades ago—young, reckless, unafraid of death.
His jaw tightened. He couldn't let her face danger alone.
Cursing under his breath, Hank forced his aging legs to move faster, though each step was heavier than the last.
By the time he reached the outer gates of the factory, Jill was already there.
"Put down your gun! Hands on your head!" she shouted, voice cutting through the rain.
Tommy stepped out of the shadows, drenched in sweat and blood. The factory floor behind him was littered with bodies. He raised his eyes—and found a tall blonde rookie officer pointing a pistol squarely at his chest.
He raised his hands slowly. "Alright, Miss Police Officer, no problem."
With a casual flick, he tossed the Thompson to the ground. The clatter echoed across the yard. He didn't resist as Jill rushed forward, cuffing his wrists with trembling hands.
"Don't be nervous," Tommy said calmly, almost mockingly. "You caught me. No big deal. But maybe lower that gun before it goes off accidentally. That wouldn't be fun for either of us."
Even while surrendering, his sharp gaze studied her. Close up, he could see the delicate features of her face, her straight nose, the neat cut of her short blonde hair. She was tall—nearly eye-level with him—and her blue police jacket, soaked by the rain, clung to her body. From his angle, even the faintest line of her pale skin peeked through where a button had come undone.
Jill noticed his eyes.
"Hey—watch it!" she snapped, cheeks flushing red as she quickly buttoned her jacket.
By then, the rest of the officers had closed in. Rifles and pistols surrounded Tommy, the circle tightening.
Even Hank finally arrived, stumbling forward, lungs burning, sweat mixing with rain on his wrinkled face. He bent over, clutching his knees, wheezing. It had been years since he last ran this hard. His body—softened by age and too many donuts—wasn't made for this anymore.
When he finally looked up, Jill was gone again.
"Where—?"
He spotted her across the yard, already escorting the suspect into a waiting police car, her posture straight and proud. Her superior was praising her, while the other officers began packing up, leaving a handful of forensics to comb the scene.
"Well done, Jill Valentine," the commanding officer said, his tone warm. "It won't be long before I see your name in a promotion report."
Jill's heart swelled—not with ambition, but with pride. Tonight was her first big case. She had faced danger head-on and arrested a dangerous criminal herself. Even if he had surrendered willingly, the moment would stay with her forever.
And as for Tommy?
Sitting quietly in the back of the police car, his wrists cuffed, his eyes narrowed.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Everything is going according to plan."