Chapter 17
Captain Mark Calaway was in his motel room after leaving the Cleveland Precinct. He had instructed Captain Glenn Jacobs from Cleveland and Captain Erik Rowan from Dayton to call hiim immediately if either of them received a call from either of them if anything, absolutely anything, changed. So far, things had been quiet so Mark, Glenn and Eric just played the waiting game.
Mark had just finished his Chinese take-out of Chicken Lo Mein with hot and sour soup. It wasn't bad, however, any take-out didn't compare to Michelle's cooking. How he missed her cooking on assignments like this. But, he knew that this assignment would be his last. He would be retiring from the police force after this was all said and done. He wanted nothing more than to end his career on a high note and that's what he was hoping to accomplish. He had already had his replacement chosen for captain and he knew this individual would have what it takes to run a successful police precinct; he was absolutely positively sure about it.
Mark reached for the remote and turned the tv off. He had had enough of bad news and decided to turn to the Good News; the Holy Bible. It was his safety net, his bullet-proof vest, his anchor. It was what helped him get through the day. He grabbed the Bible from next to the tv, then went back to sit on the bed. He read all of chapter 3 of Galatians, then folded his hands in prayer. Before putting his Bible aside for the night, he opened the front cover and removed two pictures.
The first picture he removed was of him, his wife and daughter. How he hated being away from them. It was so hard for him to be gone. He wondered if they were okay. He wondered if they were safe. That's why he would have his officers go over and check on them form time to time while away on a case. He made sure that any officer who had to be away from their families that another officer would go over and check in on that family to see if they were safe or if there was anything they needed. That's what the Cincinnati Precinct was like; a big family. Lots of love and support. Everyone had each other's backs.
Mark then glanced at the second picture in his hand. The photo was of John Shaw, Renee and Maxwell. All three of them smiling widely for the professional photographer. He prayed for John and his safety. He prayed for Renee and Maxwell in John's current absence. His eyes locked on Maxwell. There was no doubt that Maxwell was their son. He had inherited his mother's blond hair and his father's eyes. Mark then remembered the promise to Maxwell that he would not return home without John. He remembered the tears in this young boy's blue eyes. How that look of sadness broke Mark's heart. Then, another memory came back to Mark. It was when Maxwell was only 6 months old. He remembered the argument that he had had with John that caused him to turn in his badge. Although the argument was years ago, for some reason, it was fresh in his mind, even to this day.