[ WP ] He had n't planned on hurting anyone . Plans had changed

The room was dark, as dark as the night sky. Jason's head was hurting as he lied on the floor. He was desperately trying to go over the previous night's events in his head. 
 
 `` I said I would never hurt anyone. When I became a cop, I vowed to protect the people, not hurt them.'' Jason thought to himself. His thoughts echoed and echoed throughout his head, each of them referencing the scream and the blood. Jason's mind goes numb as last night's events become clearer and clearer. The numbness taking over everything, his face, arms, legs, then sleep overtook him. 
 
............. 
 
 `` Dorsey! Asleep on the job again?'' Jason's supervisor, Ethan, was standing over him, graven and humorless as usual. Ethan was a large, bulky man, about what you'd think for a cop, with the moustache to match. Jason flinched and jumped up in his seat. 
 
 `` No sir, mister Forney! Just resting my eyes. I have a bad feeling about the Bauers' place tonight.'' The Bauers' place is a huge mansion filled with Lord Bauers' treasures and heavily guarded, but is very susceptible to theft, and there are records of thievery there about every week but there has n't been a crime there in a month. 
 
 Ethan clears his throat with a loud `` har-umph'' before responding. 
 
 `` The Bauers' place? Tonight? It does have a bad history, but there has n't been any criminal activity there in a month, Jason.'' 
 
 `` That is true, sir. But is n't the Mayor going to be there tonight to do his annual *Beautification*?'' Ah, Mayor Smalls. That old windbag. Smalls is a corrupt politician who has a thing for `` beautifying'' a piece of property every year, to `` improve the appeal of the town'', but only Smalls' rich friends, such as Lord Bauers, ever get their property `` beautified''. 
 
 Again, Ethan clears his throat with an obnoxious `` har-umph'' before responding. 
 
 `` I suppose you're right. That'd make the place a pretty big target, huh? Fine, take Moores with you and stake the place out tonight. 
 
 `` Yes, sir. I'll get right on it.'' Jason hurries out of the room to debrief Alex on the situation. Alex Moores is about as mysterious a man as you might find. His past is shrouded in mystery, other than that he got perfect scores on all of the tests he took in both high school and college. He's usually the brains of the operation, which is why Ethan assigned him to Jason's team, if it can so be called. Alex has more of an athelete's build, as opposed to most of the other cops. 
 
 Jason, on the other hand, has a build much like Ethan's, but has the quickest reflexes out of anyone in the academy and the precision to match it. However, he has always vowed to wound someone rather than kill them for personal reasons, and has always done so, to a T. 
 
 Dusk breaks on the horizon and Jason and Alex are stationed outside of the Bauers' place in their cop car. All is well, for now. Smalls is delivering some bullshit speech on how he is `` helping to benefit the town'' by beautifying the town, the same one he gives every year. Wait, what was that? Something just moved in the shadows. 
 
 `` Jason, did you see that?'' Alex questions Jason, who was eating a doughnut and watching Mayor Smalls, completely unaware of anything else. 
 
 `` No, what was it?'' Jason replies anxiously. 
 
 `` I thought I saw something move in the shadows over there behind the mansion.'' Alex contests, pointing to where the movement was. 
 
 Jason shrugs. `` Let's check it out.'' They grab their flashlights and pistols and go towards the area. They start looking around. 
 
 `` I guess there was nothing here after a-'' All of a sudden, a horde of dubiously cloaked and armed men surround them, completely mute. Actions speak louder than words, after all. The leading figure motioned Jason and Alex to drop their guns or else. They oblige, not having much of a choice in the matter. Two of the leader's cronies take a gun each. The leader starts to speak, his words slightly muffled through his mask. 
 
 `` It was foolish of you two to come here alone. The Harlan clan has been planning this gig for a month now, ever since Smalls stated his intent to beautify this place next. Did you really think an overweight mall cop and some pal of his could stop us on their own? If so, then you are even more foolish than I thought.'' The figure sneers through their shroud. 
 
 `` What could you possibly stand to gain by taking out Smalls?'' Jason asks. 
 
 `` I'm glad you asked that. You see, we've been waiting to rise to power for a long time. We've been gathering our strength and biding our time. We have one of our members in place to take over once Smalls is out of the picture. Once we do, this town will be ours and we can stop turning to petty thievery to make ends meet.'' The ringleader replies. 
 
 `` That's pure evil.'' Jason states. Alex is trembling in anger. 
 
 `` You would destroy all of these families and citizens just to gain POWER?'' Alex exclaims, lunging forward and tackling the masked figure to the ground. Much of what happened next, Jason regrets. There were shots everywhere and so much blood. Jason recovered his gun from one of the cronies and shot him through the temple, instantly killing him. Jason then shot the rest of them to death, but it was too late to save Alex. All Jason could do was sit there next to Alex as he choked on his own blood and died. Jason just sat there in the pool of blood for what seemed like forever before going back to his apartment and passing out on the floor. 
 
............ 
 
 `` How could I have done that? How could I have killed all those people? I could n't save Alex. That was all my fault... If I did n't agree to go and check back there, Alex would still be alive...'' Jason kept pondering and pondering his decisions that night and wondering `` Why me?'' Jason looked at his gun and caressed the trigger with the barrel pointed at his temple, just wondering what could happen if he pulled the trigger. 
 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
