I pull up to the location the killer told me to meet him at. An old, rusted, broken down warehouse in the middle of nowhere, just looking at it seems like a trap but I have no choice but to do this. I sit in the car for a little bit, just getting myself together. I text some of my family members, telling them how much I love them, who knows if I'll ever get a chance to say it again, I throw my phone in the passenger seat after sending the texts and take a deep breath before stepping out. I stand in front of the warehouse, the sun starts to set and a cold air blows through sending a chill through my body, why do I get this feeling I'm about to die? Maybe I deserve it after not coming forward with all the evidence, as I'm standing there I hear cap in my ear
"Alright Sanchez, we're waiting, just give us the signal when you're ready"
"Ok… I need to get him to reveal everything just in case"
"Good thinking officer"
"Alright here I go"
I walk towards the entrance to the warehouse and open the door, walking into a dimly lit building with remnants of an old fabric factory. I walk towards the center and see Krystal sitting on a chair tied up
"Krystal!!"
"Ant!!"
I start walking forward when I see the killer come out from the shadows, pointing a gun at Krystal, a deep voice coming out his mouth
"Ahh ahh stay right there. Officer Sanchez, you made it"
"Let her go"
"In due time, like I said I just want to talk"
"Then talk!"
"Easy officer, you're in no position to make demands, you have no power here"
I just look at him with a disgusted look and he laughs
"Ohhh Mr Sanchez, the rookie, the towns new golden boy. I must say, you're very persistent. So much ego, so much confidence"
"Yeah I've heard that before"
He gives a little chuckle
"But I like that, the world needs more people like you"
"What's the point of this?"
"Let's just say you're not like the other sinners of this town, you never gave into temptation, always kept your focus…. But you started to know toooo much"
"Oh did I?"
"You started to figure out why I killed these people, then figured out why I wrote what I wrote in blood. You started getting too smart for your own good, so I had to figure out a way to bring you here. So I took what you cared about most, your precious little whore of a girlfriend"
"She has nothing to do with this"
"Oh I know… but I figured without her, you would never agree to show up alone. You see officer, we're not so different you and I"
"How so?"
"You joined law enforcement to help make the world a better place, well I did what I did to make the world a better place"
"That's not nearly the same"
"Sure it is… we both help rid the world of evil"
"You killing innocent people isnt helping the world"
He starts laughing
"Innocent?!? Oh Jay, so ignorant, none of those fools were innocent. If anything I should be praised for taking out the trash… do you even know what they did?"
"Enlighten me"
"Adultery, a sin, I was merely doing gods work"
"Of course you would be religious"
"Not religious… just merely an instrument sent by god himself"
"You're a sick fuck"
"Perhaps… it's alright officer I knew you wouldn't understand. So young and dumb"
"Oh trust me I do understand…. Mark"
He turns his head fast, then takes off his mask
"How did you know?"
"At first I didn't know, but then everything came to light. All the people you murdered fucked your fiancée at one point in time, then I figured out the hourglass, your former gaming team that kicked you out after you started losing it. Then the lyrics, songs you constantly played in your videos and streams. See you found out Elena was cheating and you couldn't handle it, but instead of leaving her you just let it eat at you until your team got tired of you and removed you. That pushed you over the edge and you decided to kill everyone that was involved in the affair with Elena and then Elena herself"
Mark starts slowly clapping and smiling
"Bravo… you figured it all out, you got me"
"Why?"
"WHY?!?! You're really asking me why?!? I was a good man and she cheated on me, if I couldn't have her then they couldn't either. Now nobody can have her"
"Mark… listen to me, let's talk this out, let Krystal go and it'll just be me and you"
"No… im doing you a favor Ant, taking this whore out before what happened to me happens to you"
"Mark, Krystal is not like Elena"
"Yeah sure she ain't, they're all the same"
"No they're not"
"Give me one good reason why i shouldn't put a bullet in her head right now and save you from heartbreak"
"Krystal is with me out of love…. Elena was with you for money. Me and Krystal fell for each other and took things slow, until it was the right time, making it official while the sunset at the beach"
Mark looks at me with a somber look
"No I don't believe you.."
"I love her, she loves me. She didn't give anyone the time of day… until she met me"
"You're…. You're right"
Mark walks over and cuts the ropes off Krystal
"Get out out of here before I change my mind"
Krystal looks at me
"Just go… it'll be ok"
She nods and runs off. I hear cap over the earpiece
"Alright Sanchez just give the signal and we'll take care of the rest"
I think about it for a second and then I turn off my microphone, I can still hear cap
"Sanchez… Sanchez!!!"
Me and mark look at each other before he speaks
"Out of all the people… you were the one that resisted Elena"
"Yeah she wasn't really my cup of tea"
"I appreciate that… but I can't let you go"
"Why?"
"You know too much, you have the evidence you need to put me away, I'm not going to let that happen. I told you not to be a hero and I won't let you be one at my expense"
"Don't do this"
He throws his gun away and takes out a lighter
"It's just gonna be you and me"
He tosses the lit lighter and a circle of fire encloses us, nowhere for either of us to go.
"Before I die… I said I was going to kick your ass at my house, now I'm going to do it and kill you before I ascend to heaven"
"You definitely ain't seeing the gates"
He runs towards me and starts throwing punches at me and I block them as they come in, I grab him and try to restrain him
"Calm down! let me help you"
"There's no helping me Sanchez, I love the way I am"
He breaks free and lands a few punches on me, I throw my own punches back and knock him back, I start getting the best of him when he throws a piece of wood at me, he jumps back up and tackles me to the ground and takes out a knife
"Look in my eyes, what do you see…. Well when I look in your eyes you know what I see. I see fear, I see a scared little man and I see a coward. It's end of watch for you officer"
I lift him up with all my strength and manage to knock the knife away, I headbutt him and then throw him off me into the flames around us. He is immediately engulfed in flames and I can hear the screams until everything goes silent. I sit up against a metal container and turn my microphone back on
"Cap.."
"Sanchez what the fuck is going on?!?"
"He's dead, he attacked me and I took care of it… but he set the inside on fire"
"Just hang tight we'll get the fire department here"
"Yeah… I don't think it's going to happen cap"
"Don't say that Sanchez"
"Don't worry about me… don't risk anyone else to save me"
"Bullshit we're getting you out of there!"
"It's ok.. I've already made peace with this"
"SANCHEZ!!"
"Just tell Krystal and my family I love them"
"No you're going to tell them yourself!"
"Mark told me not to be a hero…. Well looks like I didn't listen, but i guess that's not a bad thing"
"You are a hero Sanchez.."
"Thanks cap…. Goodbye"
"SANCHEZ!! Fuck!!"
"What are we doing cap?"
"Get fire down here now!! We have to save him before this building comes down!…. Wheres Krystal?"
"I'm here cap… where's ant?"
"I'm sorry…"
"Don't say that… please don't say that"
The building goes down after being engulfed in flames. Everyone looks on at the ashes, not seeing a sign of life anywhere
"NOOOOO!!!"
"Dammit Sanchez! Why didn't he call for help?"
Captain looks out toward the rubble and out the corner of her eye sees someone walking towards everyone
"Sanchez?!?!"
"What's up cap?"
Krystal runs up and jumps on me and gives me a kiss and just holds onto me. Cap looks at me in disbelief
"How did you make it out?"
"Well… where I was laying the floor fell out from underneath me, at that point I decided this isn't how I want my story to end. I still got a lot more to do"
"Well I must say, you're a damn fine cop…. For a rookie"
"Does this mean I get a raise?"
"Yeah I think all that smoke got to your head"
I laugh and then Krystal looks at me
"You saved me"
"Yeah well I told you I'll always be there for you"
She gives me a passionate kiss
"You'll always be a hero in our eyes"
"Yeah I'm sure everyone here thinks so too"
"I wasn't talking about them"
"Then what do you mean by our?"
She looks down at her stomach and then at me
"Wait… are you saying.."
"I'm pregnant"
"Yeah imma need a minute to catch my breathe"
"Not the right time?"
"Well I say after almost being burned alive, hearing this news makes me feel better… I see why you were always tired now"
Krystal just smiles at me
"Alright can we go home now, I need a shower and a massage after all this"
"You definitely earned it"
We walk away holding hands, the building still in flames behind us as sirens approach.