Chapter 55: Gunfight

"Captain, scouting the back yard reveals two doors. The one on the left leads into the kitchen, and there's currently no one in the kitchen. We can sneak in."
"Negative. No action allowed. Wait for backup to arrive before we coordinate our next steps."
"Captain, this is a prime opportunity. If there's only a single suspect, two of us going through the kitchen can definitely take him down."
"Denied. No action allowed, that's an order. If you refuse to follow instructions, leave the premises immediately."
"OK, OK. Your call."
Jimmy handed the radio back to the LRPD officer, then found an empty patch of ground, sat straight down, and began to rest.

Before long, the SWAT team had arrived. The captain briefed them on the current situation, as well as the vulnerability via the kitchen identified by Jimmy at the back door.
A SWAT team leader walked around to the back by himself to find Jimmy, asking him to repeat his findings.
"Captain, stand right here and look. From the inside looking out toward the back yard, the kitchen window only provides a view of about two-thirds of the yard at most. If we enter from the right side here and hug the exterior wall moving left, even if he's in the kitchen, he won't be able to see our movement. As long as we keep it quiet and don't alert him, we have a clear shot at entering the house through the left kitchen door.
There's only one suspect. As long as more than two of us get inside, subduing him won't be a problem. The only real issue is firearms. He used a handgun when he shot at the police earlier, but we can't rule out the possibility of long guns inside my friend's house. So once we're in the kitchen, we need to locate the suspect immediately and neutralize him with gunfire."

Drawing a quick diagram on the dirt for the SWAT captain based on his observations, Jimmy focused primarily on the kitchen's layout. Although he already knew the path from the kitchen to the living room, he couldn't sketch it out for them because the deeper interior was completely invisible from the window.
Since he had "visualized" it using his mind's eye, the kitchen's location was spot-on. Jimmy roughly mapped out the route from the back door through the kitchen to the living room, explained his assault plan to the team leader, and was then left hanging. The captain headed back to the front entrance to coordinate with the precinct and see what the negotiators decided regarding a forced entry.

Jimmy had no idea what the negotiators were saying up front; they weren't using a loudspeaker. Consequently, the few officers stationed behind the house had no choice but to keep waiting for instructions to be broadcast over the radios.

***

"Bang! Bang!" Two shots fired up front, immediately followed by a barrage of gunfire. The suspect at the front door must have opened fire first, prompting the surrounding police to return fire in unison.

The two LRPD officers at the back door ducked and pressed themselves against the wall. Jimmy, however, dashed straight into the back yard, ran to the rear of the house, and stationed himself right beside the door. Activating his mind's eye, he began checking the suspect's position. Strangely enough, both people inside the house were down on the floor. The person near the window was motionless, while the plump shadow—Jon—was wriggling and crawling forward. Judging by his direction, he was heading toward the door.

Jimmy tried the back door; it wouldn't open, but he managed to pull it ajar just enough to peek inside. The suspect was already down on the floor, and a significant amount of blood had pooled around him. From that angle, it was impossible to tell where he had been hit, but with that much bleeding, a major artery must have been severed.

Without going in, Jimmy turned and beckoned to the two back-up officers, signaling them to come over.
When the LRPD officers reached Jimmy, he said, "The suspect is down, blood's all over the floor. Radio it in and have them come in through the front to clear the scene."
Stepping aside from the back door, Jimmy let one of the officers verify the situation through the gap, then left the rear entrance and walked around to the front.

The situation was resolved. Jimmy hadn't contributed at all; he had simply been a spectator. Of course, he had been shaken by the sheer volume of firepower at the front. By a conservative estimate, well over a hundred rounds had been fired. That wall of gunfire sounded just like New Year's firecrackers.

When Jimmy reached the front of the house, Jon had already been untied and was being checked over to make sure no ricochets had grazed him during the chaotic shootout. A firefight like that caused a massive adrenaline spike, and it was entirely possible someone could be hit without realizing it at all.
Once Jon was cleared, Jimmy stepped up and gave him a hug.
Neither of them said much. Jimmy just needed to confirm Jon was safe, and that was that. He returned to his patrol car, headed back out to the suburbs to resume his patrol, and remembered to call Cagle to report back from leave.

About half an hour later, Jimmy's phone rang. It was Jon.
"Jimmy, thanks."
"I didn't do a thing, the LRPD handled it. By the way, Jon, what on earth happened?"
"Bad luck. This afternoon I heard noises downstairs and realized someone was trying to break in. He caught me, and then it turned into a hostage situation. Thank God my family is safe."
"Your neighbor said they called the police after hearing gunshots. Did you shoot?"
"Yeah, I fired twice, but I've never practiced, missed completely, and got grabbed instead."
"You should find time to hit the shooting range. Today was way too dangerous."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just wanted to call and let you know. I've got things to do, gotta go. Bye."
"Bye."

Knowing Jon was all right put Jimmy's mind at ease. In the few months since his rebirth, he had met plenty of people, but true acquaintances who could be called friends were few. Those people from the restaurant originally were arguably the ones Jimmy knew best. If the suspect hadn't already been shot when he arrived, he definitely would have forced his way through the kitchen to effect a rescue.
With his perspective-cheating ability, shooting a man from behind would have been a walk in the park. Of course, had he intervened, he would have been knee-deep in trouble. He lacked the legal jurisdiction, and firing his weapon would have made the ensuing investigation a nightmare.

Slacking off until shift change, Jimmy returned to the precinct, handed over to the night shift colleagues, and packed up to go home. Having worked two consecutive days, he was exhausted, especially after activating his mind's eye multiple times today, which left him feeling drained.

After a night of rest, Jimmy returned to the precinct the next day. Before heading out on patrol, the FBI agents showed up again. Two days had passed, and Johnny still hadn't been found. Jimmy and the others still had to keep their eyes peeled during patrol. Since the white pickup truck had already been spotted, Johnny might be hiding somewhere in the city, or he might have used alternative transportation to leave Little Rock. The good news was that all train stations, airports, and Greyhound bus terminals had been provided with his wanted poster, so Johnny shouldn't be escaping through those channels.

Jimmy took the M16 with him this time, returning his original shotgun to the armory. Even if he didn't necessarily end up using it, carrying it didn't take up much space, and nobody was asking him to lug it around all day anyway.

His patrol zone remained the same old territory: the western suburbs. With so much going on lately, Jimmy's focus was entirely on the murderer Johnny. He parked by the roadside, keeping his eyes glued to cars heading out of town. Any vehicle that looked suspicious earned a quick flash of his lights and a chirp of the siren. Lately, even minor issues he would normally have overlooked were turning into major priorities.