Hank Voight could see how close Kurt Hollister was to losing control, and with a pistol pressed against a seven-year-old child’s head, nobody could afford to provoke him.
“Everybody back up!” Hank shouted while raising one hand toward the surrounding officers.
“I said back off!” Adrian Knight kept his Glock 17 trained on Kurt for another moment before reluctantly taking several steps backward with the rest of the line.
Hank immediately grabbed his radio and requested additional support.
“5021, get SWAT and a crisis negotiator moving.
I also want aviation overhead as soon as possible.” Even while speaking, his eyes never left Kurt or the terrified boy trapped against his body.
Once backup was on the way, Hank slowly stepped forward and kept both hands visible.
“Mr.
Hollister, I’m Sergeant Hank Voight with the Chicago Police Department.
How about you lower that weapon and we talk?” His voice was firm but controlled, giving Kurt as little reason as possible to panic.
Kurt nervously scanned the park.
Officers had established positions throughout the area, while patrol units continued pushing civilians farther away from the standoff.
More than twenty weapons were trained in his direction, yet nobody fired because Connor was still directly between Kurt and the police.
“I don’t want to talk to you!” Kurt shouted.
Off to one side, Alvin Olinsky had taken a supported position with an M4-style patrol rifle fitted with an optic.
His sight remained centered on Kurt, but he kept his finger controlled and waited for a clean opportunity.
With Connor pressed against Kurt’s body, there wasn’t one.
Hank remained focused on keeping Kurt talking.
“I know you’re looking for Damien Boyd, and I know what happened to your son.” He took another careful step and added, “But Damien isn’t standing in front of you right now.
You’re holding his innocent kid.” Kurt violently shook his head.
“No!
Don’t lie to me!” His voice broke with anger as years of grief came pouring out.
“They watched my boy get shot, and then they left him under that house like he wasn’t even human.” His grip tightened around Connor.
“He bled there all night!” Kurt screamed.
“He was just a kid!” Hank’s expression hardened.
“And the boy you’re holding is also just a kid!” His voice carried across the open park, forcing Kurt to look at him.
“You want another child bleeding on the ground because of something that happened eighteen years ago?” Kurt suddenly stopped shouting.
His entire body trembled.
For the first time, he looked down at Connor rather than at the police surrounding him.
The boy was crying silently, too frightened to move while Kurt’s arm remained locked around his chest.
Hank immediately softened his tone.
“I understand why you’re angry.
I understand why you wanted somebody to pay.” He shook his head slightly and continued, “But nothing you do here is going to bring your son back.” Kurt’s expression twisted with pain.
Hank pointed gently toward Connor.
“Don’t do to him what happened to your boy.
He didn’t kill anyone.” Connor looked toward Hank.
“He’s innocent, Kurt,” Hank said.
“Let him go.” Kurt slowly loosened his arm.
Connor’s feet touched the ground properly again, though the child seemed unsure whether he was actually allowed to move.
Kurt still held the pistol, but the muzzle was no longer pressed as tightly against the boy’s head.
Hank noticed immediately.
“Connor, he’s letting you go.” The boy looked toward him.
“Can you come over here?” Hank asked.
Kurt’s breathing became uneven again.
“I can’t let him win.” Hank shook his head.
“Nobody wins here, Kurt.” His voice remained steady.
“Connor is a victim.
He doesn’t deserve this.” Kurt stared at the child for several seconds.
“Let him go,” Hank repeated quietly.
“Just let him go.” Finally, Kurt’s gun hand began to lower.
Connor immediately sensed the opening.
The boy broke away and ran toward the police.
Antonio Dawson rushed forward and pulled him into his arms.
“You’re okay.
I’ve got you.” He quickly crouched and turned his back toward Kurt, using his own body to shield Connor while moving the child farther from the line of fire.
For one brief moment, it looked as though the standoff might actually end without anyone else being hurt.
Kurt stood alone in the open, his arm hanging low and his pistol pointed toward the ground.
Hank remained focused on him and prepared to continue talking.
Then Kurt raised the gun again.
Adrian reacted instantly.
His Glock came up.
He fired.
Several other officers opened fire almost at the same moment, and the quiet park erupted with overlapping gunshots.
Kurt’s body jerked under the impacts before his legs finally gave out beneath him.
He collapsed onto the grass.
Hank immediately moved forward and kicked Kurt’s pistol away from his reach.
The weapon slid several feet across the ground while other officers closed in and secured the area.
Hank looked toward Antonio and called, “You good?” Antonio remained crouched over Connor.
“I’m good.
Kid’s good too.” Hank gave a short nod and raised his radio.
“5021, shots fired by police.
Suspect down, hostage is safe.” He glanced toward Kurt before adding, “Start EMS and crime-scene personnel.” Adrian slowly lowered his Glock.
Kurt had been struck by multiple officers and was no longer moving.
Whatever sympathy anyone might have felt for the father who had lost his son had ended the moment he raised a gun again after Connor was safely away.
The officers on scene had seen an immediate deadly threat and reacted almost simultaneously.
Then the familiar system notification sounded inside Adrian’s consciousness.
[Buzz.] [Kill punishment completed.] [Reward obtained: $100,000 cash.] [Level increased.] [Current Level: LV2.] [Rank: Private First Class.] [Level-up attribute reward: Vitality +100%.] [Skill acquired: Microscopic: Perceive Criminal Detail.] [Microscopic: Perceive Criminal Detail — Improves awareness of small investigative details and helps identify criminal clues more quickly.] Another wave of warmth spread through Adrian’s body.
It flowed through his muscles and limbs with surprising intensity, leaving him feeling lighter and more energetic than before.
His already enhanced physical condition seemed to take another noticeable step forward.
Vitality increased by 100%.
Adrian then focused on the new skill.
Microscopic: Perceive Criminal Detail.
He didn’t immediately understand exactly how much it would change his investigative ability.
Even so, Adrian could already feel something different in the way he saw the world around him.
Shapes seemed slightly clearer, movements easier to notice, and small details that would normally blend into the background appeared more distinct.
Adrian opened his personal panel.
[Name: Adrian Knight] [Level: Private First Class — LV2] [Attribute: Vitality +100%] [Skills:] [1.
Lethal Gunfire — Within 15 meters, pistol accuracy increased by 70%.] [2.
Microscopic: Perceive Criminal Detail — Improves perception of criminal and investigative details.] The panel remained as simple as ever.
There were no complicated statistics or dozens of attributes, only his current level, vitality enhancement, and acquired skills.
Adrian closed it and returned his attention to the real-world scene around him.
Because he had fired his weapon, Adrian remained at the park while supervisors and investigators documented what had happened.
Several officers had discharged their weapons after Kurt raised his pistol, so every participating officer would need to provide an account of the same rapidly developing incident.
Adrian completed the required initial statement and waited until he was finally cleared to leave the scene.
By then, evening had settled over Chicago.
Adrian found Alvin after finishing his paperwork and stretched his shoulders.
“Want to grab a drink?” Alvin looked at him.
“My treat,” Adrian added.
After the day they had just endured, Alvin didn’t need much convincing.
He shifted the toothpick in his mouth and said, “Sure.
There’s a place near the 21st called Bruce’s Place.” He gave Adrian a tired smile.
“Beer is decent.” Adrian adjusted his jacket and replied, “I was thinking more along the lines of a Martini.” Alvin shook his head.
“Of course you were.” Adrian laughed.
Alvin started toward the exit.
“Fine.
Order whatever rich-guy drink you want.” He glanced back over his shoulder.
“You’re paying anyway.” The two walked out of the district together and headed toward the parking lot.
Before they reached Alvin’s Sonata, however, Adrian noticed someone standing beside the car.
Michelle Sovana was waiting there with her backpack, looking irritated and uncomfortable.
Alvin stopped.
Michelle looked at him for several seconds before speaking.
“I was robbed.” [Chapter Rewards]