OK, this is the prologue for my sequel to Tough Love. See what you reckon.
If I get some reviews, I'll post some more.
Friends like you - A sequel to Tough Love
~Prologue~
It was 2am. He had been sat in some dingy bar for three hours now, drinking one glass of whisky after another. The barman had attempted to tell him at least three times that 'perhaps he'd had enough' but one quick snarl had sent the interfering busybody on his way.
The drinker was in his thirties. He looked like a man who no longer cared about his appearance. His blond hair had grown far to long and had become scraggy. It looked as if it's owner didn't have any interest in how it looked but somehow, this hadn't always been the case. He was unshaven and was wearing dull, unwashed clothes that also smelt bad. Most people kept a good distance away from this sad loner who was in the bar at this time every day. He looked pathetic and he knew it. He just couldn't bring himself to care. He had lost everything. His job, his girlfriend, his life. He didn't care about anything. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He cared about revenge. Revenge against the people who had put him in his dire position.
That night, something was different. He felt weird, like something completely unexpected was about to happen. And sure enough:
"Is this seat taken?" came a gruff voice from beside him. He jumped, having been taken by surprise.
"Be my guest," he slurred. "I warn you though pal, there's a reason why people like to keep their distance from me." He swallowed the rest of his whisky in one gulp and then slammed the empty glass down on the bar.
"Fancy another?" the newcomer enquired, pulling himself up onto the next stool.
The drinker shrugged. His visitor ordered two more drinks and then gave the man a smile.
"You look like you've had a rough time of it lately, my friend," the man stated.
The drinker chuckled. "You have no idea," he replied softly and then added with a glare, "And I'm not your friend."
The stranger smiled again. "You may well be once you have listened to what I have got to say, Mr Peters."
Peters turned quickly. "How do you know –," he began but the other man interrupted him.
"Lets just say," he said softly, "I know quite a lot about you and you interest me greatly."
Peters eyed his new companion suspiciously. "Is that so? Well buddy, you are beginning to bore me so I suggest you tell me what the hell you want with me."
If the stranger had noticed Peters threatening tone, he didn't show it. Instead, he leant in closer to the suspicious man.
"I've read a lot about you Detective," he hissed. "You were at the top of your game over in Las Vegas. Made some really impressive busts."
Peters laughed. "Well," he replied whilst knocking back his whisky in one, "that's all in the past. If you've read about me, then you're probably also aware that three months ago, I was thrown out of the force." These words were spoken with real venom."
The other man shrugged. "That doesn't matter to me."
Peters was losing his patience. "Look fella," he snapped, pointing at the guy's face, "I don't like playing games. Tell me what you want."
The stranger turned and faced him. "What if I told you I could get you back in the force, the past forgotten?"
Peters stared at him for a moment. He then cursed under his breath and shook his head. He got carefully to his feet.
"Find someone else turkey," he hissed, "I'm not interested.
The stranger reached out and grabbed his arm. "I'm not fooling around Peters. I have some contacts in high places. We have all agreed you are the man we want." At the look from Peters, the man removed his grip but added hastily, "Damn it man! I'm offering you your life back!"
Peters hesitated for a moment, trying to figure the guy out. "Ok, say I believe you, where am I supposed to go? What precinct?"
The man smiled. "Bay City," he answered.
Peters frowned and then began to laugh. "You're kidding me!" He exclaimed.
The stranger shook his head. Peters sighed. The other man knew he had him and he smiled with relief. Peters sat back down. "Can you tell me who you are buddy?" He asked.
The man moved his head to one side. "Erm, right now, no. But soon."
Peters nodded. "If I agree to this," he continued, "I want what is rightfully mine. I want the credit for the Monty affair."
The other man paused. "That may not be within mine or my colleagues' powers, Mr Peters," he said finally.
Peters shrugged and stood again. "Then I'm outta here," he snapped.
His visitor jumped to his feet too. "Wait! I may be able to give you something better than credit for the Monty bust," he hissed in earnest.
Peters scoffed. "Tell me pal, what could you give that's better than recognition for exactly the cracking the biggest case of my career?"
His contact grinned at him for a moment and then said softly but clearly:
"The man who stole it from you. Detective David Starsky."
Peters froze, his eyes staring into the face of the other man for a few minutes trying to read it. Then, he smiled and it was a smile of pure evil.
"Why don't you get me another drink now buddy?" Peters said pleasantly. The other man returned his cruel smile and they both sat back down, ready to begin their plans.
TBC
Friends like you - A sequel to Tough Love
~Prologue~
It was 2am. He had been sat in some dingy bar for three hours now, drinking one glass of whisky after another. The barman had attempted to tell him at least three times that 'perhaps he'd had enough' but one quick snarl had sent the interfering busybody on his way.
The drinker was in his thirties. He looked like a man who no longer cared about his appearance. His blond hair had grown far to long and had become scraggy. It looked as if it's owner didn't have any interest in how it looked but somehow, this hadn't always been the case. He was unshaven and was wearing dull, unwashed clothes that also smelt bad. Most people kept a good distance away from this sad loner who was in the bar at this time every day. He looked pathetic and he knew it. He just couldn't bring himself to care. He had lost everything. His job, his girlfriend, his life. He didn't care about anything. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He cared about revenge. Revenge against the people who had put him in his dire position.
That night, something was different. He felt weird, like something completely unexpected was about to happen. And sure enough:
"Is this seat taken?" came a gruff voice from beside him. He jumped, having been taken by surprise.
"Be my guest," he slurred. "I warn you though pal, there's a reason why people like to keep their distance from me." He swallowed the rest of his whisky in one gulp and then slammed the empty glass down on the bar.
"Fancy another?" the newcomer enquired, pulling himself up onto the next stool.
The drinker shrugged. His visitor ordered two more drinks and then gave the man a smile.
"You look like you've had a rough time of it lately, my friend," the man stated.
The drinker chuckled. "You have no idea," he replied softly and then added with a glare, "And I'm not your friend."
The stranger smiled again. "You may well be once you have listened to what I have got to say, Mr Peters."
Peters turned quickly. "How do you know –," he began but the other man interrupted him.
"Lets just say," he said softly, "I know quite a lot about you and you interest me greatly."
Peters eyed his new companion suspiciously. "Is that so? Well buddy, you are beginning to bore me so I suggest you tell me what the hell you want with me."
If the stranger had noticed Peters threatening tone, he didn't show it. Instead, he leant in closer to the suspicious man.
"I've read a lot about you Detective," he hissed. "You were at the top of your game over in Las Vegas. Made some really impressive busts."
Peters laughed. "Well," he replied whilst knocking back his whisky in one, "that's all in the past. If you've read about me, then you're probably also aware that three months ago, I was thrown out of the force." These words were spoken with real venom."
The other man shrugged. "That doesn't matter to me."
Peters was losing his patience. "Look fella," he snapped, pointing at the guy's face, "I don't like playing games. Tell me what you want."
The stranger turned and faced him. "What if I told you I could get you back in the force, the past forgotten?"
Peters stared at him for a moment. He then cursed under his breath and shook his head. He got carefully to his feet.
"Find someone else turkey," he hissed, "I'm not interested.
The stranger reached out and grabbed his arm. "I'm not fooling around Peters. I have some contacts in high places. We have all agreed you are the man we want." At the look from Peters, the man removed his grip but added hastily, "Damn it man! I'm offering you your life back!"
Peters hesitated for a moment, trying to figure the guy out. "Ok, say I believe you, where am I supposed to go? What precinct?"
The man smiled. "Bay City," he answered.
Peters frowned and then began to laugh. "You're kidding me!" He exclaimed.
The stranger shook his head. Peters sighed. The other man knew he had him and he smiled with relief. Peters sat back down. "Can you tell me who you are buddy?" He asked.
The man moved his head to one side. "Erm, right now, no. But soon."
Peters nodded. "If I agree to this," he continued, "I want what is rightfully mine. I want the credit for the Monty affair."
The other man paused. "That may not be within mine or my colleagues' powers, Mr Peters," he said finally.
Peters shrugged and stood again. "Then I'm outta here," he snapped.
His visitor jumped to his feet too. "Wait! I may be able to give you something better than credit for the Monty bust," he hissed in earnest.
Peters scoffed. "Tell me pal, what could you give that's better than recognition for exactly the cracking the biggest case of my career?"
His contact grinned at him for a moment and then said softly but clearly:
"The man who stole it from you. Detective David Starsky."
Peters froze, his eyes staring into the face of the other man for a few minutes trying to read it. Then, he smiled and it was a smile of pure evil.
"Why don't you get me another drink now buddy?" Peters said pleasantly. The other man returned his cruel smile and they both sat back down, ready to begin their plans.
TBC