Captain Ross surveyed the court house floor. He was stationed directly across from the garage elevator where Goren and Eames and Mikey would soon appear. Logan was to Ross' left, seated and reading a newspaper. Wheeler was to his right, in a small group of female officers, exchanging stories. Captain Jeremiah had made eye contact when Ross and his two detectives entered the area. The four officers from Internal Affairs were, he hoped, also scattered in the throng of NYPD that had gathered for the trial. He had also spotted Upshaw and Costa. The two were not together, and appeared to be making a concerted effort to stay as far apart from each other as possible. As Goren had predicted, the media were everywhere. Television cameras with their portable light rigs were set up in different locations on the court house floor, several blocking key access points which might not be a bad thing, Ross thought. Radio and newspaper reporters were attempting to mix with the other officers, hoping to get sound bites and comments that could be used to fill a story.
Suddenly, the elevator doors opened and out stepped Detective Robert Goren. Dressed in a navy blue suit, Ross was struck by Bobby's size. He knew the flack jacket didn't help, but Goren was, in general, an imposing sight. For a man he knew who could be extremely gentle and charming, he was also quite lethal. Following behind Bobby was the little rookie. Mikey, he noted, was also dressed in a navy blue suit. It would be like Robert Goren to have chosen what he wore to match the little guy. Detective Alex Eames stepped out next. She looked down at Mikey and smiled, taking his hand. Still smiling, she then looked up at her partner, who had watched them step off the elevator. Goren smiled back and it struck Danny Ross that it may have been the first time he had ever seen that kind of genuine, unguarded gesture between the two friends. It also registered with Danny Ross that he had lost sight of their primary targets, Captain Lupe Costa and Detective Brett Upshaw.
When Goren stepped off the elevator, he had immediately surveyed the area. He knew Ross was directly across from him; Logan to his right and Wheeler to his left. He did not, however, see Costa or Upshaw and that made him nervous. He turned to watch Mikey step off the elevator. He was glad he had picked up his blue suit before they all had returned to Eames' dad's house. It was fun being able to tell Mikey that he had actually copied him, rather than Mikey copying Bobby. Then, he saw Eames step off and take Mikey's hand. The smile that she gave the little boy was stunning and when she turned it on him, he remembered the pleasant interlude they had shared just moments ago in the parking garage…
After they had parked, Goren got out of the SUV and opened the back passenger door for Mikey. He was quickly joined by Eames, who did the last minute details of combing Mikey's hair and straightening the little clip on tie. She looked at the boy and then back at Goren.
"Well, I can't remember the last time I was in the company of two such handsome men," she said.
"Thank you, Detective Alex," Mikey smiled.
"Yes, thank you, Detective Alex," Goren parroted.
"And now, you're supposed to say, and you look very pretty today, too, Detective Alex," she coached.
"But you look very pretty everyday, Detective Alex," Mikey answered innocently.
"Yes. You look very pretty everyday, Detective Alex," and Goren reached out and took her hand and brought it to his lips for a quick kiss. Eames blushed and quickly turned back to Mikey.
"Okay, rookie, Detective Goren, let's go do our jobs."
Mikey nodded and jumped down from the car to take Eames' hand. Goren closed the door behind them, still holding Eames' other hand and they walked to the garage elevator to enter the court house.
And like that, he was back to reality, when he heard someone call out, "Look, there's the little kid!"
Suddenly, they were surrounded. Lights and microphones were everywhere. People pushed forward and Goren pushed back, trying to clear a path for Mikey and Eames. He saw the movement at about the same time he heard the question, and he moved to block Mikey.
"Hey, is that a gun?" came from the confusion, somewhere to Goren's right. The silencer deadened the normal pop-pop of gunfire, but Bobby and Alex still heard the sound and reacted. Alex pulled Mikey behind her at the same time she pulled her weapon. Bobby tried to respond but the burning sensation in his left leg was too intense and he dropped to the ground. The press, shocked by the sounds and the scene, stopped their pursuit. Some even dropped to the ground, thinking they were the targets.
Goren turned to Alex, "Get him out of here, now!" he shouted.
Out of nowhere, Wheeler appeared. Gun drawn, she grabbed Mikey's other hand, and she and Eames ran Mikey down the length of the hall to the judge's chambers, where they disappeared.
The plain clothes officers, two each, had been shadowing Castro and Upshaw. As soon as they registered the shots fired and Goren fall, they tackled the two senior officers and had them in cuffs. The gun and silencer were on Castro.
Logan and Ross were suddenly on either side of Goren, dragging him back to a safe position. Ross heard Captain Jeremiah call for an ambulance.
"Damn, Goren. Have you put on weight?" Logan groaned as he grabbed the big man under one arm to help him maneuver.
"Shut up, Logan." Goren mumbled, as he leaned his head back against the cold marble of the wall where the Captain and Logan had situated him
Ross interjected, "Hope this suit wasn't new." Goren looked at his left pantleg which was covered in blood.
"You're gonna owe me a new tie." Logan answered as he removed it from his neck and tied it as a tourniquet around Goren's leg to stop the bleeding. In the distance, they could hear the sirens getting closer to the building.
"I need to go check on Mikey," Goren tried to stand up, against the two squad members who held him in check. Goren was suddenly dizzy. He turned pale and his last words, "That was a mistake," was all Ross heard before the big guy passed out.