Duel At The Docks

Wearing a blue t-shirt with black skirt and white tennis shoes and a black jacket, Victoria carefully made her way into Hargeon Town and headed for the docks. She was to help the police apprehend a serial killer named Jacob Goodnight. If she could not subdue him, then she was to kill him to end the threat he posed to the town. Part of her wondered what she was even doing here. The Anlecottis and their crooked cop minions were still looking for her and she was sauntering into town like she owned the place.

It was too late to back out now. She had a job to do. But where to begin looking? As luck would have it, she would not have to look for very long because some screaming clued her in. Victoria raced towards the sound as fast as she could go... it was coming from a back alley near the docks.

Another scream sounded. Victoria paused at the mouth of an alley as she heard the sound of metal meeting flesh and rapidly approaching footsteps. She spotted a man in a dark suit running out of the alleyway, then something gray wrapping around his leg and dragging him back in as his hands clawed at the ground. Then more screaming as stabbing sounds rang out and a spray of blood leaped out of the alley before a period of tense silence. Victoria covered her mouth... what had she gotten herself into?

Seconds later a tall, bald man wearing a butcher's apron over a white t-shirt and blue jeans with brown boots casually strolled out of the alley with a bloody butcher's knife in hand. He paused in place, then calmly turned his head in her direction. This was some Grade A horror movie stuff.

"I hope you'll be more fun than those Anlecotti clowns. They weren't much of a fight." He said to her, brandishing the knife in a ready position as he walked towards her. Victoria quickly used her Brass Knuckles spell to conjure a pair of them and slug Jacob in the stomach with a punch. He doubled over and she ran down to the docks to try and put enough distance between them to draw a weapon. Unfortunately for her, he was as fast as he was bulky. Soon she heard thundering footsteps echoing on the docks.

Victoria conjured her shotgun, aimed for the knees, and fired. She hit him, but he just kept going without even flinching. Jacob slammed into her with his full weight, sending her sprawling backwards and her shotgun into the water. A deep laugh filled the air. Victoria looked up into the night sky and saw his smiling mug staring back at her.

"You're gonna be fun to kill." Jacob said as he reached down to pick her up by the left ankle.

[Word Count: 475] [Total Word Count: 475/1,000]

Victoria had to think fast before she was turned into a punching bag. She raised her left hand in the shape of a gun and used a Derringer spell, hitting him in the chest with little effect. A large hand seized her ankle and began dragging her on the wooden boards of the dock. Victoria upped the ante and used a Heavy Pistol spell, shooting him in the elbow and making him drop her. She took advantage of the opening to scramble away on all fours before getting a firm kick to the backside.

Victoria was propelled forward and landed face-down on the dock. She felt Jacob going for her legs again, but she had an idea. She used her Flashbang spell to create a small gray cylindrical grenade that materialized in her right hand, then let herself be grabbed by the shirt collar. He hoisted her into the air and laughed as she looked at him.

"I've finally got you, you little weasel. What are ya gonna do now?" He asked. Victoria moved the hand with the flashbang in front of his face.

"This!" She answered as she jammed the flashbang down between his shirt and apron, then shielded her eyes as she was dropped to the ground. It went off and she heard loud screaming. Victoria put some distance between them, then brought out her sniper rifle. She could not let him get close again. She had to finish the fight from a distance.

Victoria aimed for him and fired a shot at the right knee. She hit him and he dropped to a knee. She aimed at his left shoulder and fired, making him yell in pain. This guy was one tough customer. He soon recovered his vision, spotted her, and flung his butcher knife at her.

Victoria ducked in time to avoid it and looked down her scope to see him sprinting right towards her. She fired a Kinetic Shot just as he reached her, knocking him back with a shot to the stomach. While in a sitting position, Jacob reached out and threw a meat hook attached to a chain in one smooth motion; it grabbed her around the waist and he began reeling her in. She could not let him get her into melee range again.

Jacob yanked hard, knocking the rifle out of her hands and making her stagger towards him. He began using both hands to reel her in. Victoria's feet strained relentlessly as she vainly tried to keep herself from being dragged towards the psychopath. She raised both hands, aimed at his head, and fired a Hand Cannon shot. Jacob groaned as he fell down and released the grip on the chain.

Victoria quickly freed herself from it and threw it into the water, thus making certain he could not use that trick again. Moments later she heard shouting and whistles blowing. The brunette panicked. It was the town guard!

[Word Count: 489] [Total Word Count: 964/1,000]

Victoria was not sure which version of the town guard she was dealing with... the honest ones or the crooked mob muscle. It was too late to run. She could only pray that she was dealing with the right officers. Six uniformed men burst into view and surrounded Jacob Goodnight. Victoria raised her hands and hoped for the best.

"You must be Officer Amstel's friend. You match the description." An officer behind her said.

"I am." Victoria replied.

"Don't worry kid. We're here for Jacob Goodnight, not for you." He reassured her. Victoria did not entirely believe that, but she lowered her hands anyway. She watched as the officers stood Jacob up and prepared to haul him away. He reached behind his apron and produced a carving knife which he used to slash at the officers, making them quickly get back. One had been gashed across the chest; he fell to the dock as the others backed off and produced their clubs.

Jacob fixed his gaze on Victoria, snarled in defiance, then raised his knife and charged. Victoria picked up her sniper rifle, aimed for his head, and fired a Kinetic Shot. She hit him squarely in the forehead. Jacob was flung backwards and went head over heels, doing a partial flip before landing on his neck and making Victoria cringe when she heard the unmistakable SNAP of a neck breaking. Even the officers on-scene groaned.

"I'm sorry, Officer. There was no choice. I couldn't take the chance." Victoria apologized as she dispelled the weapon. The red-haired officer looked at her sympathetically.

"You completed the job, kid. We said we wanted him dead or alive, after all." He replied calmly. He sounded unfazed about what had just happened in front of him. He must have been a veteran officer who had seen a lot of the worst side of humanity. Victoria took him at his word.
Two officers were helping their wounded fellow to a nearby medic as another one bagged the carving knife as evidence.

"You did a good thing for Hargeon Town, kid. Goodnight had killed at least fifteen people, six of them police officers. We believe that he woulda kept on killing without you to stop him." The red-headed officer said as he produced a bag of Jewels and handed it to her.

"The crooked cops and the Anlecottis are still looking for you, kid. Don't bother going to the station. Just get outta here. Don't come back for at least a week." He counseled her in a paternal tone. Victoria's eyes met his. He nodded at her. She turned to walk away, then turned back just in time to see officers covering Jacob Goodnight's body with a sheet and a large stretcher being brought in to haul the dead man to the morgue. She then turned around and left Hargeon Town as quickly as possible.

Victoria would return one day to finish what she had started with cleaning out the police department. But that would have to wait. The job with Sassi had taught her to not rush in blindly, but to think before acting. Charging into the station now would only get her killed. The brunette would wait a week, then come back once the panic over Jacob Goodnight had worn off and the crooked police had relaxed their watch on the streets of Hargeon.

[Word Count: 560] [Total Word Count: 1,524/1,000]