All became silent.
The quiet stillness was more nerve-wracking than if she’d come out of the bathroom, gun blazing.
Amanda motioned for Trent to take one side of the door while she stayed on the other.
“You think you’re smart,” she said from inside the bathroom. “But I know you’re out there. From the breathing, I’d say there are two of you.”
Trent looked at Amanda, and she shook her head. They were under no obligation to announce themselves in this situation. It would expose their positions and put them in more danger.
“Fine, you want to play again. I love a good firefight. Tell me, is one of you that handsome detective who ran after me the other night?” Her shadow showed her moving closer to the bathroom door.
Amanda signaled to Trent that she would draw the woman’s attention. He nodded, getting her implication. By doing this, they’d gain the upper hand. The woman would need to put her back to Trent to face Amanda.
He moved back along the wall, putting space between him and the doorway. Amanda set out in the opposite direction to the sitting area. Once there, she said, “It’s time that you came out with your hands up. Prince William County PD.”
Silence, then the door flung open, and the woman stepped into the room. She turned to the left where Amanda had spoken from. But Amanda was no longer standing. She had ducked behind the couch.
“I’ve got a gun on the back of your head. PWCPD! Arms in the air,” Trent said.
“Sure. Why not?”
Amanda peeked around the side of the couch. Something was off. There was no way this woman would surrender without a fight.
“I’m just going to put my gunon the floor…”
Amanda braced herself to act.Come on, Trent, please see through her…
The Anaconda Killer bent over to make a show of setting her weapon down. But then she popped up, pulling a knife from a sheath. She spun and swiped at Trent, who juked out of her way. She must have nicked Trent’s arm because he cried out. His gun dropped to the floor.
Amanda jumped up from behind the couch. “I’d stop right there. I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in your head.”
The woman turned around, eyeing a new quarry. She came at Amanda like she had Trent, not seeming at all deterred by the gun Amanda held on her.
“Stop right there, or I will shoot you,” Amanda warned her again.
“Me too.” Trent had reclaimed his gun.
The Anaconda Killer was undeterred and kept coming.
Amanda squeezed the trigger.
FORTY-EIGHT
Amanda’s bullet landed where she had aimed. The Anaconda Killer’s upper right shoulder. But she’d survive, unlike her victims.
She screamed out in agony and dropped her knife. “You’ll pay for that.”
“That’s my line to you. And because of your compulsion to sign off on your kills, you can be tied to killing seven people. So, thank you for that.”
“Screw you.”
Amanda smiled at her. “You keep saying my lines.”
Trent grabbed her arms behind her back and snapped on the cuffs so hard that the woman howled.
Officers moved into the room.
“An ambulance should be here soon,” one of them said.
