by G. O. Grason
“Wait! I need more! Who are you? How do you know me? Wait!”
They were gone onto the roof and back into the chaos.
A swarm of rioters spilled from the street into the alleyway.
“How do you know me? Wait! Who are you? WHO ARE YOU!?”
“Christine!” Thompson shouted running up behind and taking her hand. “We have to go now!”
“Wait! Wait!” Christine screamed trying to pull herself away. “Who are you!? Let me go Thompson. I know that voice. Let me go. Who are you!?!”
Her words fell on nothing but the chaotic air around them. The masked photographer was gone. As they turned a corner and hid in a liquor store, Thompson’s phone began to ring. Halloway took a bottle of Jack Daniels, cracked the cap off and pulled back on it hard.
“Hey!” the store owner shouted at her. “You’re paying for that!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Christine said waving him off.
“Quiet!” Thompson boomed. “It’s Baggins.”
He stepped away from the door and went into the back room. Christine followed.
“What is it?” asked Thompson. Hearing the answer, Christine watched as his entire body slumped in defeat.
“Thompson?” Christine asked. She wanted to hold him, to comfort and protect him from whatever Baggins had told him, but she didn’t know how or even if she could.
Obviously, this wasn’t the right time for any of that.
“Brian?” Christine asked again, trying to sound softer and more gentile.
“It’s Controller DiNapoli…” Thompson mumbled. “He’s gone missing.”
“What?” Christine gasped.
“Whoever took him is a pro…we need to get there right now. This shit is getting real.” Thompson stated worriedly
Chapter 5
A horde of press was outside Mr. DiNapoli’s home when Thompson and Christine arrived. They couldn’t understand how they were always one step ahead. At that point it was irrelevant. Everyone in the city of New York was connected one way or another be it through Twitter, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or however else big tech had lured the masses in, people knew what was going on at all times. Seeing it was the press’s job to be in the know before the public, Thompson and Halloway weren’t in the least bit surprised to see the camera flashes and the reporters rambling into microphones.
“Detective! Detective!” one reporter asked running up to Thompson. “Can you tell us anymore about the disappearance of Comptroller DiNapoli?”
“Now why would ask me first when you have a higher-ranking detective right here?” Thompson asked getting in the reporter’s face. “That’s a little bit sexist of you isn’t it?”
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” the reporter struggled to say.
Thompson’s rage flared. “You mean you didn’t think!”
He shoved the reporter back. Christine inhaled sharply. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had defended her like that, if ever. More and more she was learning things about Thompson that surprised her. Was he just caught up in the chaos of the moment or was this who he really was? Christine didn’t know, but she wanted to find out.
“Alright macho man,” Christine chuckled grabbing Thompson’s arm. She felt a pang of excitement and a school girl light headedness at the tone of his muscles. “Let’s get you inside before you cause another crime scene.”
“Hey buddy!” the reporter shouted through the fray. “Don’t think I won’t get a lawyer and sue your ass for that. I’m just doing my job!”
“So am I!” Thompson shouted over his shoulder as he flipped him the middle finger.
They made their way inside through the yellow police tape and found Baggins in the spare living room. There was nothing but a small couch, a recliner, and a television on a plain stand. There were two bookshelves with dusty spines spaced with some normal looking frames. Christine immediately noticed none of them were with a wife or kids. Then she remembered DiNapoli was single and had no children of his own. For an older man with a stand-up job, she found this peculiar and perhaps a little bit sad, though she knew she shouldn’t judge, she was in the same boat after all. Having children was a huge responsibility, especially when it came to raising them.
Christine’s mind started drifting, she suddenly felt herself falling, the roar of the wind in her ears mixing with the scent of the trees surrounding her and the rush of the river below.
She saw her father’s face, remorseless and evil.
An unbridled, unrelenting need for revenge surged through her when the cold water slapped against her skin.
Christine shrieked and looked around the living room.
Everyone was staring at her.
“Christine?” Thompson murmured going to her. “Are you ok?”
“Sorry,” she said. “My mind wandered to somewhere I thought it didn’t go anymore.”
“Well snap out of it Halloway, and come back to earth goddamn it.” Baggins barked. “We need you to stay focused.”
They looked around the apartment, growing more and more depressed as the investigation went on. There was nothing of note in the living and dining room, no prints anywhere, and the kitchen was basically empty. The only thing in the fridge was a pint of expired milk. Defeated, Thompson and Baggins discussed what the next plan of attack was at the front door as Halloway made one more pass upstairs. She checked the bedroom. Clean with a normal made up bed. It felt strange to see no photographs around the bedstand or anywhere else.
This man has no one, Christine thought. Before a drop of empathy could be shared, Christine noticed a ticking coming from the closet.
“What in the world?” Christine murmured.
She opened the double doors and picked up a small teddy bear. The ticking grew louder. She felt behind the tiny plush toy and felt a small metal wind up, like something one would find on a jack and the box. The little thing had some weight on it. She turned it back around and noticed, around its neck, it was wearing a tiny red bow tie. In the knot was a small piece of paper. Christine plucked it out, transfixed on the entire scene. Not for a second did she sense the danger.
Halloway unfolded the small piece of paper.
She came for the banks, then for our guns. Without that, our revolution wouldn’t be very much fun…KABOOM!!!
“What the hell…” Christine whispered.
Thompson came rushing into the bedroom. “Christine! The bomb squad is here and they are getting readings of some kind of explosive in the…”
They locked eyes and then glanced at the bear and knew instantly.
“Window!” Thompson shouted. As they tossed the bear through the open window
everything seemed to move in slow motion. Thompson threw himself on Christine as the explosion shattered the windows and blew the wall to pieces. Thompson took the majority of the blast as Christine held Thompson with all of her strength, never letting go. Amidst the smoke, she focused on his breath, breathed with him, and listened to the strong beat of his heart. After the smoke cleared, Christine pushed the rubble and broken glass of the house off of them. Thompson’s eyes fluttered open. He smiled.
“What were you doing up here?” asked Thompson. There was a large gash across his forehead. “Catching a quick nap?”
“Doing my job,” Christine sighed. She handed him the note she had found.
“She came for the banks,” Thompson read, “Then for our guns. Without that, our revolution wouldn’t be very much fun...Kaboom”
“Any idea what it means?” asked Christine.
“I know what the Kaboom means” he said sarcastically, “the rest, not yet but I will.”
They gazed into each other’s eye, full of commitment and pride as their hands intertwined, their skin drenched in ash and blood. The paramedics rushed in. It took all three of them to pry Christine away from Thompson.
Chapter 6
“Are you sure you’re going to be OK by yourself?” Christine followed along Thompson as the paramedics wheeled him to the ambu
lance.
The media with their cameras and video recorders, along with people gathered behind the police tape, filmed with their phones. Chaotic voices shouted at them, demanding answers. They couldn’t give them any. All Thompson and Christine were focused on was themselves. A strange connection, one that had grown over the years, was starting to reveal itself. The feeling was tender yet hard, comforting yet independent, but overall, committed. They were there for each other without question or hesitation. Neither of them could fully define what they were feeling in that moment Thompson was lifted into the ambulance and their grasp with one another broke, but it was tangible, a qualified yearning that both knew they needed to feel again.
“I’ll see you at the hospital,” Christine promised.
“Not until after you find the Attorney General” Thompson told her. Halloway looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. “From that riddle, the Attorney General has to be the one they’re after next. Back in 2016 the Attorney General attempted to pressure six financial institutions, including BB&T, Berkshire Bank, Citizens Financial Group, People's United Bank, Regions Financial Corporation and TD Bank into ending its practice of providing financial services to gun manufacturers. Whoever is doing this wants revenge. And they’re going to have it if you stop doing your job.”
“Yes, sir,” Christine smiled.
The ambulance doors slammed shut and Thompson was whisked away. Their eyes through the glass, like the crowd and the traffic never separated. Not until the curve of the road broke their gaze did Christine headed to her squad car to find Baggins.
Baggins, relieved when he saw Halloway in one piece, immediately noticed the scratches and bruises on her face.
“Jesus Christ Halloway!” Baggins said. “Look at you!”
“Doesn’t matter,” Christine said quickly. “Where is Attorney General James?”
“She should be at her residence with security with everything going on…why?” A worried look washed over his face. “Letitia isn’t next, is she? Whoever is doing this isn’t trying to take out…”
“I think they are. Power cannot rule without the heart.”
“My God…they’re ripping the heart out of our great city, one official at a time.”
Baggins whipped out his cell and dialed the AG’s detail. His face pursed as he bit his lip so hard Christine thought she saw blood. She reached out to Baggins to try and comfort him, but he stepped back and glared at her. He looked like a scared wolf: fierce but afraid. The phone rang and rang until he tore it from his ear smashing the thing on the ground.
“Fuck!” Baggins shouted.
The mob of media turned their attention to Baggins and immediately swarmed him with questions. He waved them away as the two jumped in Christine’s squad car. Baggins began to punch the hell out of the dash board until he exhausted himself.
“Are you finished?” Christine asked, somewhat bored but also slightly concerned her airbag was going to deploy. She had seen men rage her entire life. It was nothing new to her. “Because hitting the dash of my squad car isn’t going to make the Attorney General any safer, is it?”
“Just drive Halloway,” Baggins ordered. “Remember who’s in charge here.”
Christine stuffed her foot into the gas pedal peeling out, leaving everyone behind her in a thick plume of smoke and rubber.
Flying through side streets, alleyways, and avoiding pedestrians, Christine flipped on her police lights. The red and blue fluorescent light that was anchored to the top of her dashboard, helicoptered from one side of the bank of lights to the other . Baggins braced himself against the ceiling, terrified but couldn’t help remembering his glory days on the force when the thrill of the job was in the danger. Being stuck behind a desk for the last ten years ordering people around had made him feel soft. He forgot what it meant to be hard. Christine obviously did not.
Christine flipped her phone onto Baggins lap. “Make the call again. Don’t break it this time. If you do, you’re paying for it.”
“Cute,” Baggins sneered.
The phone rang and rang as Christine laid on the horn.
“Watch it!” she screamed out the window.
“Where are you!?” Baggins screamed into the phone. “Attorney General James is in danger! You’re where? Where?! Alright, we’ll meet you there but don’t stop! Keep driving and we’ll help you get her inside. Whatever you do, don’t stop!”
Baggins flipped Christine’s phone back into her lap as she nearly struck a cyclist. She saw him swearing in the rear-view mirror. She said she felt bad, but really didn’t.
“She lives in Clinton Hill. They are circling around the World Trade Center area waiting for us before they cross the bridge. Stay on the 9A until we get close and then I’ll call them. Step on it!” Baggins ordered.
The traffic was thick on the 9A. They pushed through the median and somehow got across to the exit. Baggins made the call and got the location of the government motorcade. Halloway, quickly intercepted the motorcade, with Baggins navigating and drove abreast of them before signaling for them to pull head. She suddenly noticed the driver screaming and waving at them with his window down.
“He’s saying something Lieutenant!” Christine shouted at Baggins, “put the window down!”
“What is it?” Baggins yelled to the driver.
“Are they with you!?!” the driver pointed and yelled back over the rushing wind and car horns.
Halloway and Baggins quickly glanced back and saw three jet black tank like SUV’s tailing the motorcade.
“Shit…” groaned Christine. “That looks like him.”
“Who?” Baggins yelled.
“Oh… We have scrambling around so much I didn’t tell you about the masked photographer that that tried to kill Thompson and I in the riots before we met up with you at the Controller DiNapoli’s house, did I…”
“No! you fuckin’ well did not” Baggins retorted, exasperated
The left and right SUV sped ahead, ramming pedestrian cars out of their way like they were toys. The middle one stayed back waiting like a shark in a dark shadow of the ocean. The small cars jammed into the median, some of them plummeting down below. It was carnage. The middle car dodged all of it, expertly driving around the wreckage. Christine punched the gas trying to get in front of the Attorney Generals motorcade when they felt the car jerk back. Something had attached itself to the bumper of their car.
“No!” Halloway screamed.
The middle car jammed the breaks, rearing Halloway’s car back. They watched as the two other SUV’s, one in front of the other, simultaneously rammed the Attorney Generals car in one strike. It sent the car spinning off of the bridge, into the air, and down into the water below.
They had failed.
Halloway whipped out her pistol and started to shoot at the middle SUV after discovering it was already in front of them. She rushed out and saw some type of grapple hook had struck the car, holding them back. She was stunned. Baggins ran to the side of the bridge and gazed below. The Attorney Generals car had struck the water like a brick and began to sink to the bottom of the river.
The three black SUV’s lined up side by side and disappeared into the wreckage they had caused.
“Who…why…what are we dealing with Halloway!” Baggins shouted helplessly. “These aren’t your common criminals. These are professionals, military grade, super soldiers!”
Halloway rushed to the guard rail and screamed into the blowing gale seeing the Attorney Generals car – everyone inside surely dead – had sank
“I don’t know,” murmured Christine. “I don’t…”
Then, Christine’s phone began to ring. She looked at the screen. It was an unknown number.
“There you are…” the voice said on the other end. “How are you feeling about that little incident you just encountered.”
A cold tremor ran through Christine. She tried to breath and discovered there was nothing in her lungs. She clutched her pistol tight in her hand. It�
��s all she could do.
“Who are you?” Christine’s chest was trembling. She hadn’t felt that kind of hopeless, inescapable fear since she was a little girl. In it, she saw that her past was meaningless, her future nonexistent; all there was, was the present.
“I’m the one who took the mayor’s wife,” the voice said. “I’m the one who took your Controller and your Attorney General. I’m the one behind the curtain. I’m the puppet master.”
“You’re nothing but a voice.”
“You always butted up against authority,” the voice moaned. “Like a wild horse in need of being broken trying so desperately to fight against the inevitable.”
“And what is that?” asked Christine.
Baggins tried to take the phone from her but she swatted him away. In the distance both of them could see the incoming police cars with their red and blue lights and sirens followed by a mass of useless ambulances. Whoever was hurt was already dead.
“Here comes the cavalry,” the voice laughed. “For all their flare, authority, and presence, they will have little effect for the last name on my list.”
Christine once again felt the choking river water diving deep in her throat. It felt like an indifferent fist plunging for her lungs, her heart, her soul. She remembered how her arms thrashed in the white rapids. There was the sun high in the sky, apathetic at her physical pain and the betrayal of her father. Soon, Christine thought as she was dragged under, her body smashing against boulders and breaking, I will be brought back to Earth, where life always starts and where it always ends. Then, she was spit out onto the banks of the muddy river, gasping for air Christine never thought she’d feel lucky enough to breathe again.
“Who are you?” she shouted into the phone.
“Don’t play stupid,” the voice said. “I trained you better than that.”
The phone clicked. Christine heard Baggins screaming for her as the sirens overwhelmed the expanse of the bridge. Overhead, seagulls looked to be dancing with the sun. It was a cool, joyful afternoon as if nature was saying, look what you could have had if…