Hi Guys and welcome to Rush and Response. Basically, I'm really in the mood to upload something and since nothing else is written, apart from Love, James which I'm keeping until Thursday, I thought I'd give you all this to read! So, this will be the story that replaces Class Vs Character when that finishes, which I think is a long way off, but like I said, I want to upload for some reason.
As usual, I'm a rambling mess, so give this a read and let me know what you think!
Everyone's heard of Hyperion Falls, the metropolis of the West coast, named after the waterfall that sits right in the centre of the city. The city itself a cosmopolitan, with many wealthy people living in the mansions in the northern border, or some even in the penthouses in the city itself. Skyscraper dominate the skyline, each with their own business, and during the night, the city seems to glow with the abundance of light produced. The waterfront is host to all kinds of water sports for tourists as well as private marinas for the wealthy to harbour their yachts. Schools are renown worldwide for their prestige, with the city being host to some of the best private schools in the country, and university in the area are also of a similar mantel, with the alumni being some of the best and brightest minds that now exist.
Of course, every city is a two-sided coin, and with Hyperion Falls, that other side is just as well-known. Many refer to Hyperion Falls as the Underworld, for when the darkness rises, all the fun in the city begins. Street racers ravage the streets and motorways, each trying to prove their worth in the City of Chance. Men, Women and depending on how you look at it, even children compete in these races, each wanting to earn the money necessary to either move on or move up. While the races themselves occur, anything is allowed, making it one of the most dangerous places to be. Well for the residents that is. For the racers, the winnings always out way the risks. What a risk of a broken leg when the winnings are $250 million. Car shows are also a staple in the City, with racers wanting to show of their rides in order to gain the chance for some action, not just on the track, and every good racer in the city seems to a rival, a nemesis in which they compete to take down. The races are long, fast and on many occasions bloody, with the racers showing no mercy against each other.
What is probably most baffling about this situation is that the police have so far been unable to capture any of the street racers or stop any of the events from occurring. When the police receive a call about a suspected street race, they are always quick to respond, and yet when they arrive at the scene, no one is there, not even pedestrians who stumbled into that area of the city. If the police are so lucky to even see a street racer, they are unable to catch the suspect due to the performance and intensity of the vehicles used against them. As if that wasn't enough for the police to deal with, the city's Crime Boss has started to become bolder with his dealing, now getting his employees to actively sell drugs on the street corners instead of back alley dealings. If only to add to the severity of the situation, the wealthy and influential have started being involved in a large number of crashes, and even to the naked eye, it would be clear that the attack on these people are no coincidence. At each crime scene, a calling card has been left, in order to taunt the police further. Tire Tracks litter the scene of the crash, and each time the police analyse them, they are always from a brand of street racing tire that isn't sold in any of the garages in the city, leading no trace to the suspect.
Finally, the police had had enough, and with a new officer being available from New York City, they crafted a plan that would finally net them the results they needed. Hopefully this officer would be as good as his record suggested, as he is their last and only chance at success.
As the sun set of Hyperion Falls, his alarm began to blare throughout the room, the noise piercing his ears as he attempted to ignore the sound and what it meant. As if to taunt him, a second alarm went off, only amplifying the annoying noise he was already hearing. Resigning himself to failure, James rolled over, and cancelled the alarm on his phone before pulling himself out of bed and walking over to his chest of drawers to cancel his alarm clock, finally silencing the infernal noise he was hearing.
He knew himself too well, and if it was just as easy as turning his phone off, the brunet knew that he would never make it out of bed, just in time to watch the sun set. Damn, he hated night shifts and he hadn't even worked one yet. He felt his routine was completely offset due to them and he feared that may degrade his mental and physical stability.
'You'll get used to it' His friends voice rung through his head, as if only to taunt him further. Sure, he probably would get used to it, but since it was something he has to get 'used' to, didn't that imply that it wasn't natural?
James groaned at his own thoughts, knowing that he wasn't ready for philosophy this early, late…this soon after waking up, and pulled himself into the kitchen of his apartment. It was nothing special, one bed with a small living room/kitchen and a bathroom, yet his served his purposes well and he didn't have to pay for it either, so he wasn't too fussed. As the began to brew the coffee pot, the brunet found himself staring out onto the city, watching as it seemed to hum with light.
It wasn't anything that he wasn't used to, if anything the feeling made him feel more at home, but he could feel the weight coming off of this light, almost like there was something lingering within it. Something he couldn't put his finger on. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the brewer dinged, and after pouring himself a cup of coffee, the brunet made his way back into his bedroom and the connecting bathroom. He placed the coffee on his chest of drawers, before stripping off and getting into the shower, knowing that by the time he was done, the coffee would be cool enough to drink, part of his usual morning routine.
With the towel strung low around his waist, the brunet made his way back into the bedroom, taking a sip of his now cool coffee, as he shuffled through his clothes. For whatever reason, he'd been told to dress 'casual' and while he loved being in his own clothes, this certainly raised suspicion as to what his assignment would be. The brunet settled for a simple, yet effective look, a white t-shirt covered by a leather jacket, and black skinny jeans to accompany the boots that he was wearing.
Dressed, ready and recently caffeinated, James made his out of the apartment and hailed a cab to take him to the station, something once again that made him feel at home. The fleeting thought of this not being so bad passed through his mind but it was too early to agree with that, especially considering he didn't even have his assignment yet.
Walking into the station felt like a breath of fresh air for James, and he could already feel the difference just by being there. It was providing him with a fresh start, and one that he was ready to take, especially after everything that has happened in New York. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the blonde sat at the reception desk. She didn't look up at first when he approached, instead typing away at her computer like there was no tomorrow, and it wasn't until James cleared his throat that she glanced up at him. As soon as her eyes caught sight of him however, he could feel her rake her eyes across in, savouring every inch as she took it in for the first time. James wasn't usually self-conscience, but this definitely did the job at making that feeling return.
"And how may I help you sir?" she said, a flirtatious smile on her face as she spoke.
"Um, I'm Detective James Diamond, I'm starting here today" he replied, causing the smile on her face to grow.
"Oh, of course! Well, let me be the first to welcome you to HFPD, and I for one am certainly grateful to have you" Standing up from her desk, she unlocked the door that lead to the station itself and allowed him through before locking it once again. As the blonde rushed back over to her computer, James took a quick glance to see what she was typing before computer was locked. He internally groaned slightly when it was that she was looking up nail salons in the local area, but as she walked back, he forced a smile in his face, hoping to stay polite.
"So, I'm Jo, and I'm the receptionist here at the station. I'll collect any post for you, forward any phone calls you need to take, or inform you if any witnesses come forward about your case" she began, causing James to roll his eyes. One, because he knew exactly what her purpose was, and two because she was walking rather close to him, which he just couldn't stand. "So, your desk is on the second floor, but before you settle in, the captain has requested to see you, so good luck, he can be a bit explosive." Raking her eyes over him one last time, she finally finished. "And if you need anything, don't hesitate to come see me" Luckily the lift door opened just as she finished, so he was quick to get into it, and press the button to the second floor.
With another flirtatious smile and wave, he finally saw Jo leave as the door closed, and he couldn't help but press his head against the metal walls of the lift. He certainly didn't need that in his work environment, but at least if it was from a male, he may have got a kick out of it. Now, he just felt dirty and he hadn't even been the one to do anything. Knowing that the lift door was going to open at any moment, he was quick to ready himself and get back into the professional head space.
With a quick check of his hair in the mirror, the doors opened, revealing his new work space. It wasn't any different to what he was used to, with a load of desks sat in a large area and right at the back was the only walled office, with contained the captain. On the left was a small break room, which James could see contained a kitchen and a few vending machines, and against the right wall was the holding pen which at the moment contained quite a good number of criminals.
'At least the cops are capable' James thought to himself as he began his walk through the space. Only a few officers were working at their desk, and when one guy saw him, he was quick to stand up and get in James' way.
"Woah, there. You don't expect to get by without introducing yourself, do you?" The guy asked, James internally groaning again, before he spoke.
"Of course not. I was just going to check in with the captain first, then make the rounds" he replied, glancing over at the captain's office once again in a hope that this obstacle would move out of his way.
"But since I'm here already. Why don't we introduce ourselves!" the guy sounded cheery, as he sat on the edge of his desk pretending to act all cool. "So, I'm Jett Stetson, and by far the best detective in the station, if not also the best looking."
"James Diamond, pleasure" James replied, rolling his eyes at the narcissism of this guy.
"Oh, that's right! You're the new detective!" Jett said, tapping James on the arm slightly as he continued to speak. "You know, I reviewed your file. It was impressive, if not a big sparse" Jett replied, causing James to roll his eyes again.
'So, he's this type of cop´ James thought to himself. He'd dealt with these before, so he knew how to handle it. "Well, that's what happens when you bring down one of the biggest drug cartels in New York City. There's not a lot of time for other cases, like…the burglaries I see that your filing" James replied, glancing down at Jett's desk to see the file. "Let me guess, did the perp leave fingerprints for you to follow?" he continued, and that caused Jett to growl slightly at him. With a smug smile on his face, James concluded their conversation. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to talk to the captain. I'm sure he's going to want to assign me a real case" As he made his way past Jett, he could feel the anger seething off of the brunet, and James couldn't help but smile about that.
No one dared try to put him in his place, especially a stuck up detective such as Jett. He didn't need to be dealing with that, especially on his first day. When he reached the office door, he knocked twice before waiting to be called in, knowing that he definitely shouldn't just let himself in on the first day. When he received a gruff enter, he opened the door to reveal the captain staring at the TV screen on his wall with the news being displayed. Before James could even introduce himself, the Captain spoke up.
"What do you see here" the man asked, still not turning around to face James. The brunet raised his eyebrow at the image and the man before continuing.
"A car crashed into the central reservation of the dual carriage way?" James replied, stating exactly what he saw. There was a black car that was crashed into the concrete barrier, with the obvious point of impact being the front of the car which had crumpled. The windshield was smashed, with half the drivers body hanging out, which to James indicated that the driver didn't have his seat belt on, or that the crash was so powerful that it freed him of the restraint. There was a set of tire marks behind the crash, which suggested that the car had braked rather rapidly before crashing, but that didn't add up in James' mind.
"The tire marks behind the car don't fit into the equation. They are running parallel to the barrier, which would indicate that the car emergency stopped, turned ninety degrees and then drove into the barrier at high speed" he continued, and it was only then that the captain finally turned to him. He was a larger fellow, and James saw how he was balding on the top of his head, probably due to the stress of the job. Some would say that his beard made up for it, but James didn't count himself among them.
"You're better than they initially said detective. Captain Gustavo Rocque" the captain said, extending his hand which James met for a handshake. When the two of them pulled out, Gustavo gestured to the seat in front the desk, while taking his own. James followed suit, sitting in the chair as he spun round the paperwork that was sat on his desk. "This isn't the first crash that has happened like this" he began, opening the file to show James that there had been three other crashes just like this. "At first, we assumed the tire tracks were the victims and that it was just an unfortunate accident, but when they appeared at the two other scenes as well, we knew that it must have been something more. When we got them analysed, we found that the tracks match a high performance tire. Now, I don't know about you, but I wouldn't class an Escalade a high performance car, and when we checked the tires, they don't match. I'm guessing you know what Hyperion Falls is famous for in the criminal world"
"Street racing." James replied, finally looking up at the file. "You think the street racers are somehow involved with the murders?"
"When we searched the garages in the city, none of them sold the tires we found, but they all said that they were used on street racing cars. The only problem is we don't know why they are involved in these murders, and we need you to find out why" Rocque finished, closing the file and pulling it away from James, who was currently staring at Rocque with his eyebrow raised. Placing his hands on the desk with his fingers interlinked, he continued. "We don't have any solid leads, but I'm convinced that the city's Crime Boss is somehow involved in this. I don't know if you read the descriptions of the victims, but all of them are wealthy and influential, and I can guarantee you the same same thing about the latest victim. We need you to go undercover in the street racing circle and try to find out anything you can about who this Crime Boss is, or even who is committing these murders. We need more leads than just the tire tracks, and our usual officers have been unable to get them. We're too well known, but you, you're new" Gustavo continued, as James took in all of the information.
He'd never done this before but the officers who'd helped him take down the drug cartel had, and he knew that he couldn't have done it without them. The brunet nodded slowly, causing a grin to appear on Gustavo's face as he continued. "Perfect!" Gustavo said, pulling himself up from his seat, and leading James back through the work area. He saw the glare that Jett had given him, responding with a smug smile once again, before Gustavo spoke up. "So, what we've done for you is deleted every trace of you from the internet. While undercover, we want you to just be yourself, minus the cop part of course. Since this is your first time undercover, it'll allow you to tell a more believable story and hopefully they won't be able to catch you out on a lie"
"Isn't that like, really dangerous?" James asked, causing Gustavo to shake his head.
"We've taken every precaution to make it safe. Our technical officers are very thorough, and we've also had some help from the FBI to make sure it's done properly. We don't need you being caught out because you forgot the fact that you were born in March instead of October" Gustavo continued, as the two of them walked into the lift. Gustavo pressed the GA button, causing the lift to start travelling downwards, and a silence filled the air that James wasn't used to. Back in New York, he knew most of the people he was working with, and always tried to at least involve himself in some sort of lift talk in order to make the situation less awkward. However, not knowing anything about Gustavo, and sensing the fact that the older male wouldn't want to share, he resided himself to a few minutes of awkward silence and was so grateful when the door opened to reveal the parking garage underneath the building.
As the two of them stepped out, James' eyes instantly focused to a brunette girl who was stood by what James presumed to be an unmarked vehicle, and yet it wasn't from a company that was used. Usually, the unmarked cars were SUV or sedans, but this time it looked to be some sort of sports car, and that's when it clicked in his mind.
"Officer Roberts, this is detective Diamond" Gustavo said, as the brunette girl offered him a handshake.
"Pleasure" she smiled, before turning back to face Gustavo.
"I'm sure everything is ready?" he asked, causing her to nod as she opened the drivers side door.
"This will be your car detective. It's an Audi TT RS Coupe, with a top speed of 174mph and a 0-60 of 3.6 seconds" she began, gesturing James to get into the driver's seat. "She's been outfitted for police service however. The glove box can't be opened unless the light switch at the top is on, and in there you'll find all your gear; handcuffs, gun, torch, walkie talkie and it's also a place for you to store your badge. You'll also notice the ear phone that comes out from the left side of the seat" she mentioned, causing James to look over at said earphone. "The car is equipped with microphones, which allows me to listen to anything that is going on, in and around the car as well as letting me communicate with you discreetly. You can turn that off however, by pressing this button on the radio" she continued, pointing to said button on the dash.
"I'm surprised she doesn't have cameras" James joked, thinking about all of the high tech stuff the car had been kitted with.
"Funnily enough, cameras are impractical for this type of surveillance" Camille replied, causing James to quirk an eyebrow at her, confusion written all of his face. "In this case, the cameras could only be fitted at the front of the car, and it already has a reversing camera. The problem is, the cameras don't provide a lot of manoeuvrability when they are installed, so unless I want to watch you racing around the streets of Hyperion Falls, they're not much good"
With that being said, Gustavo spoke up once again. "I'm allowing you extremely privileges with this assignment James, as we need to get this information but even that has limits. Also, try not to get injured. Some of these racers are extremely dangerous, and I don't want to have lost you because you picked a fight with the wrong guy" Gustavo finished causing James to nod.
"Anything else I should know?"
"Don't scratch her" Camille added, giving James a quick death glare before shutting the car door. James placed all his equipment into the glove box of the car, and with a beep of the horn, he left the garage ready to begin his new assignment.
He hadn't failed before, and he'd be damned if he was going to fail this one.
So there we go. Reading this back, I don't know if it feels a little bit rushed, but let me know what you guys think! I will see you all on Thursday for Love, James but until then,
TTFN :D