“Put it on the ground and kick it away,” the man said.

With slow movements, Olaf did exactly what the man demanded. “You should know it’s over,” he said. “Special forces will be here soon, and I’m telling you, they won’t be gentle.”

“Shut the fuck up!”

“Okay,” Olaf said. “Okay. What is it that you want?”

The man shifted his gaze around the Altar, as if he was scanning for a potential exit route. Even though he wasn’t too close, Olaf could discern the man’s tense facial features—wide eyes, rapid blinking, sweaty, pale skin. The guy seemed to be in a full panic mode.

“We know you attacked the other three,” Olaf said. “I have no clue what they did to you, but I’m sure there’s an explanation for everything.”

“They fucked me over, that’s what they did.”

“What do you mean by that?” Olaf asked, taking a step closer to them.

“Stop moving or I swear I’ll cut her throat.”

“Okay. Please, just tell me what these three professors did to you.”

“It’s a lobby,” the man said. “The projects were distributed based on connections, not talent. I worked hard, you know? I worked my ass off to get a slot in the damn university, only to realize that it doesn’t actually matter how much you work. It’s all about having the right connections, knowing the right people.”

The man appeared desperate, and desperation often brought out the worst in people. No matter what the three victims had done to him, him attacking them had stripped him of any rights. There was now only one future path for him, one that involved the words ‘forensic’ and ‘psychiatry’. At least he was talking, and that was Olaf’s only strategy. Keep him talking, and wait until the SEK arrive. Or for a miracle to happen.

“Let’s see if we can find a way out of the situation,” Olaf said. “What do you say? I can help you.”

“No one can help me,” the man said, and then looking at Mayer: “Don’t move, bitch!”

Olaf shifted gears. “My name is Olaf Bauer. What’s yours?”

“I’m Leon.”

“Listen to me, Leon. I can see that you’re scared, and that’s alright. I’m also scared. I’m terrified. My wife is waiting for me to return right now, and I believe she’s worried about me.”

Leon said nothing, but Olaf could tell that he had captured his full attention.

“Is there anyone waiting for you to come home, Leon?”

The man shook his head.

“What about your family? I’m sure your family would love to know that you’re safe.”

Howling sirens in the distance grew nearer.

“Hear that, Leon? Those are the special forces on their way here for you, and they have clear orders to take you down. Listen to me, Leon. Do everyone a favor and surrender yourself before anyone else gets hurt.”

“They’ll kill me anyway.”

“No, they won’t. They won’t harm you if you surrender. You’ve got to trust me on this, Leon.”

The sirens were now deafening, their pitch holding steady. SEK had arrived.

“Tell you what, Leon. How about you release my partner and take me instead? I promise to stay with you the entire time and ensure no one harms you.”

As Leon seemed to contemplate the offer, the sounds of SEK entering the building were heard. Men were advancing, shouting, clearing one room after another.

“Time is running out, Leon.”

“Okay, okay.”

Pushing Mayer away from him, the man aimed his gun at Olaf. “Come here.”

Putting up his hands in surrender, Olaf moved toward the man. He gave Mayer a don’t-worry-I-got-this nod as they passed each other. Leon pulled Olaf in closer and pressed a gun against his head.

Mayer descended the stairs just as SEK stormed into the hall.

The unit operatives deployed across the Altar, a dozen guns trained on Leon.

“Do not shoot!” Olaf yelled. “He wants to surrender.” Then in a quiet voice, “Put down your weapon, Leon.“

“They’ll kill me if I do that.”

“They have orders to shoot only if you’re armed, trust me on that. Put it down, please.”

As Leon didn’t move an inch, Olaf sensed that he wasn’t going to surrender. Whatever internal voices guided him, they were commanding him to stick with the plan. Whatever the plan was.

Two SEK operatives materialized on either side of the Altar’s upper level. They had used the staircases of the other wings to reach their position, just as Olaf had. The problem was that each of them carried an assault rifle with a laser aiming module affixed to it. As the operatives assumed positions behind the columns, two red laser beams converged on the spot where Leon and Olaf stood.

“They’re going to shoot!” Leon said, his voice cracked.

Olaf stared at the laser beam positioned just inches from his head. “Whatever you do, Leon, don’t even think about pointing your gun at them.”

That did the job.

Olaf sensed the gun break contact with his skull. Realizing he had only a split second before the SEK took down Leon, he struck his elbow into the man’s stomach. Without giving Leon the opportunity to react, Olaf turned and grabbed his wrist, forcing him to the ground.

Leon fired a shot that shattered the glass ceiling above, sending shards of glass raining down on them.

With his weight pressed against Leon, Olaf hit the nerves in the man’s wrist. As Leon’s grip on the gun weakened, Olaf slid it away from him.

“He’s unarmed!” Olaf shouted, still keeping Leon in check. “Don’t shoot. He’s unarmed.”

As the SEK operatives closed in and apprehended Leon, Olaf couldn’t help but notice the fear in the man’s eyes. His story wouldn’t hold up in any court. He would likely be deemed a danger to society and confined to a psychiatric institution.

Olaf walked away, a lingering sense of empathy for the troubled man residing within him as he descended the stairs.

Mayer joined him. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “You?”