‘Is everything okay Sir?’ asks one of them

Eddie nods. The guard notices Frank’s bleeding nose and smiles. He walks out with the two other guards and slams the door.

‘I’ll let you have that one for free Eddie’ snarls Frank while whipping the blood off his nose

‘This isn’t about me getting one for free Frank. It’s about me trusting in you and putting in a good word to get you back on the force. Then what do you do. You go and break the chief of police’s nose. Then to make matters worse, you are suspected of being in a damn fire fight with the secret service’

‘What do you mean the secret service?’ asks Frank

‘Don’t play stupid Frank. Did you not go and see Jacob Reach in downtown Boston earlier today?’

Frank shakes his head while whipping at his face once again.

‘No I did not. And even if I did I wouldn’t be fighting the damn secret service.’

Eddie seems unconvinced. He stubs out his cigarette on the metal table and stands up.

‘So you’re telling me that all this chatter about you being involved in a shootout down town is bullshit? And the fact that I found you down in a warehouse not too far away from the alleged shooting is pure coincidence?’

Frank shakes his head.

‘You’re Goddamn right it’s a coincidence. Ever since I came back all I’ve been hearing is how I’m in it for me and not one of the team. Truth is it was my own team that sold me out and made me look that way. So you tell me Mr DA, who’s really to trust, the Goddamn department, the people who seem to have a raging hard on over me and my business, or me, a guy that has done nothing but his job, a guy that has nothing but dedication and balls. I admit that I am not perfect. Heck I’m imperfect! That doesn’t mean that I’m the person people seem to be pinning me for. All they do all day long is speculate if I’m a good cop or a bad one. Truth is Eddie I’m the cop I need to be, the cop that Boston needs me to be. Nothing else, if they don’t like it, then they can kiss my ass because quite frankly if you’re going to arrest me then do it now, if not then un-cuff me. I have an ass hole to arrest.’

Eddie walks over to Frank and unlocks his cuffs.

‘Look Frank I understand where you’re coming from, all I want from you is the decency to not make me look like an idiot. If you have to do what you have to do, then make sure that it doesn’t lead back to me or you. I know that sometimes the rules have to be broken. But I don’t want you to think that gives you the right to go out and cause havoc. When you’re on those streets you are representing the City of Boston and its law enforcement. Don’t you forget that’ Says Eddie

Frank nods as he gets up from his seat, rubbing his wrists.

‘Is Shaw okay?’ Asks Frank

Eddie laughs

‘Yeah he’s alright. His nose isn’t broken, just his pride.’

‘Well the asshole deserved it. All he does is bark orders. He should keep his fat mouth shut when it comes to mentioning me and my life’

Eddie nods in agreement, patting Frank on his tatty shoulder.

‘Frank you need to get some hot food in you and have a shower. A change of clothes and a belly full of food will do you good, a lot better than no food and half a bottle of Jack.’

‘Yeah I hear you.’

Frank walks towards the door.

‘One more thing before I forget, keep away from Shaw. He wants blood, and I’m not talking about a punch up. The guy wants your career Frank.’

‘As far as I’m concerned he can have the darn thing, less problems for me to deal with.’

‘True but just be prepared that after this shit storm is over, he’s coming for you. I’ll put in a good word with the FBI or some other agency and get you transferred out of this crappy department’

Seventy Two

Jason is pacing the train’s cabin once more. His eye line never leaving the direction of the hostages. He watches their every move. Processing each of their face’s in an attempt to recognise everyone. He’s sure about this situation. He’s never been surer of anything in his life. He leans against the train’s cabin next to the large window and peers outside. He notices the fast moving landscape. He stares long and hard into the windows view losing focus of his current situation. The hostages are quiet as they watch his every move. Clearly shaken and distraught, most of the hostages dare not look at each other at running the risk of making Jason think they are conspiring. The mangled corpse a few feet away from the grief stricken group is reminder enough of the danger of this situation. One man sits and watches Jason with calculating intent in his eyes. The man has long dirty brown hair, amidst with grease and grey hairs specked throughout his sparse hairdo. He is wearing a black hooded jumper, unbranded. His blue washed denim jeans are of the norm. Overall he is the sort of man you wouldn’t notice in a hurry. The sort of man Jason wouldn’t notice in a hurry. The man staring at Jason is slim and slender. He is notably tall while sitting down. The herd of hostages surrounding Jason disguises the tall hooded man. No one notices him except the pregnant women sitting next to him. She turns her head slightly, slanting her vision from Jason while she addresses the hooded man.

‘I wouldn’t stare at him like that you know.’ states the dark pregnant women. Her deep brown eyes are comforting to the man as he snaps out of his intense surveillance and is welcomed with her melodic tone and safe eyes.

‘I’m not staring’ explains the man

‘You could have fooled me’ she says softly

‘I wasn’t, trust me. I was planning. Situations like this have to be thought out. There’s only one of him. It’s going to take a lot more than an AK to stop me.’

The woman shakes her head in fear as she eyeballs the man., her face telling him not to be a hero, but her heart saying otherwise.

Seventy Three

Officer Mullins is leaning against the wall next to Chief Shaw’s office door. He is staring at the name engraved on the foggy glass. He takes a deep breath in and knocks on the door with two swift heavy thumps. A muffled voice on the other end acknowledges the knock. He opens the door and is met by a bruised Chief Shaw. Shaw is holding a tissue to his bloodied nose. He nods at Mullins, holding his hand out pointing towards the seat facing his desk. Mullins takes the invitation and sits down overlooking the Chief’s brown chair. Shaw plods along the width of the room and pours himself a drink. He looks at Mullins. Mullins shakes his head, declining the two fingers of whisky. Shaw makes his way back behind his desk. He sighs deeply and sits down, chugging heavily on the whisky as he removes the bloodied tissue from his nose.

‘What happened?’ Asks Mullins

Shaw smiles while taking another sip on his tall glass.

‘We found Frank’

‘Okay, I gathered that. After all that’s why I’m still here and not out on a search party leading my convoy. I mean, what happened to you sir?’

‘We found Frank that’s what happened.’

‘Frank did that to you?’

‘Yes. That’s beside the point though; we need you and your men to form an extraction team. You will be working with Frank. You will follow his lead and go into the M.I.T building and rescue the hostages. Any resistance you encounter must be met with lethal action. You have my permission to use whatever means are necessary at securing the safety of everyone in the building.’

‘So we are a go on this then? Washington agreed to the extraction team?’

‘Not exactly, I’m still working on that. I’m scheduled to have a conference call with the secretary of defence in a few minutes. I will run the plan through with him and see if we have the go ahead. I need you to be ready with your team so if they comply with our plan then we can execute it immediately.’

‘Understood Sir’