Author's Note: I'm glad everyone is happy to see Mike again. I promise I'll address some of the backstory there in future chapters, but I'm trying to keep the story from becoming too full blown PIKEcentric and give the other characters some time as well, so this chapter goes to Sid. Big thanks for all the reviews! Seriously even the little "Hi I'm reading" ones make my day.
Enjoy the consistent updates while you can, because even though I swore I'd take the rest of the year off from theater, a certain role I love may have come along and... I'm considering it.
The sun is not even peeking over the horizon as Sid Markum walks down the halls of the police precinct. He likes to be one of the first in the office each morning. Needs to stay on top of things, especially now that they've had to replace half the police officers on the fourth floor due to the shooting that went down at Solano's.
He reaches down and subconsciously adjusts the bandage on his side. It's healed, the gunshot was clean, but it still stings every now and then. He has a feeling it will be a pain in his side long after the actual trauma.
Kind of like Mike Warren. He'd been dead for two months, and Sid still was dealing with the mess he'd made. Solano was dead. Carlito was an idiot, but was so far managing to stay in business and out of trouble. Sid's whole team was dead so he didn't fear of any leaks in information from that angle. The only possible problem left was Paul West aka Paul Briggs, but he'd conveniently been arrested without any interference from Sid. Apparently he'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had been arrested for the murder that Sid had committed.
Sid hadn't decided what he would do about the rest of the agents at Graceland. Part of him wanted to slaughter them just to give the finger to the dead cocky kid who'd caused him so much trouble. The other part of him didn't know if it would be necessary. He didn't want to kill them if he didn't have a reason to, and so far they hadn't given him a reason. He wasn't sure exactly what the other agents knew about him. That alone might be reason enough to hunt them down, but he had to do it right. Had to do it in a way that didn't attract too much attention to himself.
He'd been biding his time. He didn't want to make a move right now, Not with Clark at the FBI still suspecting him after Warren had smeared his name to whoever would listen. Granted, Warren's own reputation was disgraced, so there was no investigation on Sid now, but he didn't want to attract any attention to himself. So for now he was simply monitoring the events at Graceland, which short of Mikey's funeral and Briggs arrest, had been pretty dull.
He'd assigned a rookie cop to the investigation as a private project so it wouldn't seem too obvious he was spying. Every morning he would meet Franks for coffee and Franks would debrief him on what was happening in the house.
"So what's my daily update?" Sid says, not looking up from the coffee he's pouring into his mug at Franks who comes up beside him.
"Tuturro-" Franks begins, but Sid cuts him off.
"I'm not worried about Tuturro, Carlito will keep him in line." Sid dismisses the news quickly, moving on. These morning briefings can't take too long or people may get suspicious. He wants his information in the quickest way possible. Prompting the younger agent he asks, "Paul still locked up?"
"Yes sir." Franks answers.
"He would have made a play by now if he had anything up his sleeve." Sid ponders aloud as he takes a sip of his coffee and grimaces. The new cop they hired didn't know how to make coffee compared to Martinez. Damn that Warren for forcing his hand and making him lose his team. Shaking his head to forget his fallen team members he continues, "Anything new with his girl? The mouthy one?"
"She went to visit him. They've got her doing desk work due to her condition-"
"She's pregnant you idiot. Just say it. The word "condition" makes it sound like she's mutating. You have any kids Franks?" Sid asks for the first time about the officer's personal life and it seems to take Franks off guard.
"No sir." Franks stammers back nervously.
"Good. Don't have 'em." Sid's voice is brisk and dismissive. Franks was way too incompetent to be in charge of human life. Also, Sid's pretty sure he's a fairy. Ok enough small talk, back to the case. "Ok, so did Briggs and his baby mama discuss anything of interest?"
"No sir. Just the pregnancy and general small talk. She was less weepy this time." Franks says, looking disgusted by the thought of a woman crying. Definitely gay.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure even pregnant and crying that dime could kick your ass, Franks." Sid says distractedly. "What about the other two?"
"ICE has it's hands full with the current ebola scare." Franks says, still pouting a little at Sid's insult.
"Are they worried about it coming up from the Mexican border now too?" Sid asks flipping through the file, not seeing how this would affect Agent Dale Jake's.
"No, but they've diverted a large portion of their human resources to handle possible containment and exposure and are cracking down on immigration. They have Agent Jakes covering almost all the overflow from the smuggling cases the other agents can't take."
"Ok, translation, he won't have time to scratch his ass let alone be planning to give me trouble." Sid says as he flips through Jakes file in front of him and then sets it down crossing his arms and leaning back against the desk. "What's blondie up to? She's the one I'm most worried about."
"Mostly been quiet, but there is a possible new development. It could be nothing."
"Since the day I first heard Warren's name, nothing has been nothing." Sid groans as he remembers what a pain the ass that little shit was. The thought is reinforced as he takes another sip of his terrible coffee. Dammit Warren. Continuing on, he asks, "What is it?"
"A few days Agent Arkin went under in a new case. She made contact with a Pedro Perez who has a weakness for easy blondes and easy money."
"Don't we all? But I've never heard of him." Sid says as he looks at Pedro's picture in the file Franks has handed him.
"Don't know why you would have. He's small time, but word on the street was he was going to be making a deal with Mateo Jimenz."
"Jimenz I've heard of. Ok, little bigger of a deal, but still seems pretty standard procedure. Go under as bait for one of the small fishes and use that one to catch a larger one. Sounds like blondie's staying out of my hair. Why do I care Franks?"
"A meet was supposed to occur last night and Agent Arkin was scheduled to be present for it. A few hours ago Pedro was found shot to death in an alleyway behind Mad Flutters club."
"Who names these dives?" Sid mutters aloud to himself, "What's Arkin's story?"
"I don't know. Agent Arkin has not been seen since she left for her meet last night and hasn't checked back in with her handlers yet."
"So blondie might be dead too. Well that could tie up another problem all on it's own then. I don't need to chase these assholes if they're gonna keep up with this level of self destruction. Keep me updated." Sid says, passing the file back to Franks, and dumping the rest of his terrible coffee in the trash.
