Leo’s Thoughts

Paul rested his head against the door.  His jeans were wrinkled; his shirt had lost its starch.  He watched his boots intently, thinking about his plans for that morning.  They had definitely not included this. 

The apartment building was a modern design, but it had never been properly cared for.  The light blue carpet now appeared gray, the white walls filled with scuffs and stains.  The corners were infested with cobwebs and the lights seemed to be a haven for hundreds of bugs.  Still here he sat.  On the floor, with his head against the door.

The day had started well enough, with a beautiful morning and a light workload.  Being the chief of police was hard work, but it certainly had its perks.  Today was supposed to be one.  His eyes scanned the hallway and came to rest on the landing before the front door.  Several of his men were in crouched position, guns drawn, ready to react.

“Chief?”  Gary whispered loudly.  Gary was his rookie.  He was two weeks fresh from the academy, and was still wet behind the ears.  He also had a new wife, and Paul knew he really didn’t want to be there.  None of them did.

Paul looked up in response.  Gary lifted his arms and shoulders in the form of a question.  Paul shrugged and shook his head. 

“Tell me again, Chief.”

Paul snapped to attention, leaning close against the door. 

“Robbie?”

“Tell me again, Chief,” he repeated.  His voice was soft and hollow, muffled as it traveled through the large door. 

“Tell you what, Robbie?”

“About your wife.”  Paul closed his eyes.  He remembered the conversation he had with Robbie the previous week.  He had come into his office a dejected man.  Ready to turn in his badge and crawl into a hole.  His wife had announced that she was leaving him and taking the baby with her.  He had not been prepared for that.  Paul had told him to hold on.  To let her go, if she wanted.  He had told him about his own wife and kids. He now wished he had given him different advice.

“What about my wife?”  He noticed movement on the first floor landing.  He lifted his head and Gary stood from his position.  He opened the building door and let several men, with hard hats and automatic weapons, in.  Paul sighed heavily.

SWAT.  The county had finally sent help.  He hadn’t wanted the situation to escalate to this point.  Two SWAT officers replaced the men on the stairs, and another two went down into the buildings lower level.  Not before long, they were in the staircase on the opposite side of the building.  One approached stealthily on his stomach, leading with his weapon.  He reached Paul and fell over to his side.

“We’re here to relieve you sir.”  He whispered.  Paul gave him a lazy stare.

“I’m not moving.”

“Sir, we’re here with a negotiator and a secure phone.”  It was an attempt to convince him.  Paul smiled.

“I’m not moving.”

“Chief, I’m under orders here.” “Go back and tell whoever gave you that order, that I’m not moving.”  The SWAT officer stared for a moment and slowly nodded.  He carefully regressed the same way he came.

“Who’s out there with ya, Chief?  Is it SWAT?”

“No one’s out here, Robbie.”

“Tell me about your wife, Chief.”  His voice had lost the steam it earlier had.  Paul remembered the call over the radio.  He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  He knew the address.

“How’s Elaine, Robbie?”  Silence came through the door. 

“Robbie?”  Paul said a little louder.  He wasn’t pushing it, but he needed to know.

“Elaine’s fine, Chief” came the weak voice.

“Why don’t you let me in there and check on her?  You know, just to make sure.”  Paul grimaced as soon as he said it.  He didn’t want Robbie to get the wrong impression.

“You don’t believe me, Chief?”  Too late.

“Of course I do, Robbie.”

“Then why ask to come in.”

“C’mon Robbie.  You’ve got a lot of people nervous out here.  Especially me.”

“I don’t need you to worry about me, Chief.”  Paul shuddered at the coldness in his voice. 

“Robbie, you know this isn’t smart.  You’re a cop, you know how this works.”

“Not anymore, I’m not.  Not after today.”  The SWAT officer was back, extending his hand.  In it a small white cell phone.

“It’s the negotiator.”  He whispered.  Paul smiled and grabbed the phone.

“Robbie, there’s a negotiator that wants to talk to you.”  He passed the phone back as Robbie laughed on the other side.

“Tell that county creep to shove it.”  Paul nodded at the officer who again regressed to his position. 

“Robbie, c’mon lets end this on a good note.  Let me in there so we can talk about this.”  Silence again filled the hallway.  Paul leaned against the door, listening.  Praying.

#

Tabby leaned against the doorjamb and listened.  She thought she had had heard him talking through the front door.  Perhaps Chief Jenkins was there.  She knew for a fact the police had arrived, she could see them through the bedroom window.  She walked over to the crib and peeked inside.  She was sleeping.  She pulled the covers over her shoulders and went back to her position at the door.

At least the screaming had stopped.  She had never seen Robbie react that way.  She never figured him for a maniac.  She had announced that she was leaving him, and he had seemed to take it well.  That had been last week.  When she began packing her bags, was when he transformed.  When the screaming began.  When he sat himself in front of the door.

She pulled the bag she had placed earlier underneath the baby’s crib.  She began to fill it with the things she would need.  If he loved her as much as he said he did, he wouldn’t hurt her.

She was sure of it.

#

“How you feeling Robbie?”  Paul had begun to worry.  No conversation could mean anything.  Even the impossible. 

“Have you ever heard of an empath?”  The question was perplexing and relieving at the same time.  Robbie was still there.  Against the door.  But what the hell was an empath?

“No.”

“I just wondered what they would say, about how I feel?”

Paul wanted to respond, but didn’t know what to say.  He didn’t talk crazy.

“They sense feeling, you see,” he continued.  “They can touch you and sense what you’re feeling.  I don’t know if it’s even true.  Just curious, you know.  What would they see?”

“Sounds like some made up bullshit to me.”

“Could be.”  Paul ran his hands through his hair.

“Hey Robbie.”  He waited for a response.  He wanted his full attention.

“Yeah.”

“I’ve been thinking.  Why don’t you let us have Elaine?  I could have Marge watch her while we sort this all out.”  He held his breath.  There was a pause and Paul began to wonder if Robbie was even there.

“I don’t think so, Chief.  They’re not leaving.  Not now, not ever!”    Paul stood and placed his hands in his pocket.  He ran his finger over the key.  The extra key Robbie had given him a while ago, just in case.  He could use it now, but he didn’t want to aggravate the situation.  He dropped the key back into his pocket.

Suddenly the floorboards by the door creaked.  He was standing up.  Paul placed his ear to the door. 

“Robbie?”  He called out. 

“What do you think you’re doing?”  It was Robbie’s voice from further inside the apartment.  He had moved.  He could hear the struggle.  Paul signaled the SWAT officers, who raced to the front door.

“Robbie!”  He yelled when he heard Tabby scream.  The SWAT officers positioned themselves with the door ram.

Then the shotgun blast. 

#

Tabby didn’t hear him at first.  She had lifted Elaine from the crib and had slung the bag over her shoulder.  As she turned, there he was.  Standing in the doorway. 

With his loaded shotgun.

“What do you think you’re doing?”  He asked softly, the tears welling.

“Robbie, this has gone long enough.  Don’t you think?”  She wanted to sound assured.  In control.  “It’s time that you let us go.”

“What do you think you’re doing?”  He yelled this time, leveling the shotgun. 

“What are you going to do, Robbie?  You gonna shoot me?  While I’m holding your baby?”  The rage poured out of her and for a moment he seemed stunned.  His hands suddenly went for Elaine.

“You can’t take her, Tabby.  She’s mine too.”  The shotgun clattered to the floor as they struggled to get a hold of the baby.  He finally clutched her to his chest.  Tabby went for the gun.

The Chief’s voice could be heard through the front door and Robbie turned to run.  He headed up the hallway, crying and yelling with Elaine in his arms.

Tabby came around the doorway and leveled the gun. The gun exploded in her hands, the vibration knocking her back.

Suddenly the front door splintered.

# 

The SWAT officers counted to three and pushed the ram suddenly into the door.  The door flew open and fell backwards, with Paul being the first one through. 

He could hear the baby crying.  But where was she?  He saw Robbie splayed on the hallway floor and ran towards him.  The SWAT officers raced in behind him.

That’s when he saw her. 

Tabby standing outside the bedroom door, shotgun in hand.  She leveled the gun, and Paul heard himself scream.  The SWAT officer behind him did not hesitate.

The flurry of bullets left his gun, and lodged into her torso. 

“NO!”

Paul watched in slow motion as she crumbled to the ground.  The baby continued to cry, and Paul reached for Robbie’s body.  As he lifted him, there she was.

Still cradled in his arms.

He lifted her to his chest, and slid to the floor.  The SWAT team cleared the apartment and then offered their condolences.  He sobbed for a moment, before rising and walking out.  Elaine snuggled against his dirty shirt, and Paul promised.  As he walked out into the afternoon sun.

Promised to always look after her.  Not because he had to, not even because he wanted to.

It would be for Robbie.  It’s what he would have wanted.

And Paul knew he owed him.