Chapter 25: A Year Later

"After you, Captain Shaw," Mark Calaway said opening the door to the grocery store letting John exit the building first.

"Why thank you, Captain Calaway."

"Still calling me that after I've been away from the precinct for a year?"

"Some habits are just hard to break. This is one habit I don't plan on breaking."

Mark chuckled.

"Hey, thanks for coming with me to pick up these cupcakes for Maxwell's birthday."

"No problem. I needed a few extra things for the birthday backyard barbecue party."

"Did you forget anything?"

"No."

"Meat?"

"Got it."

"Ketchup?"

"Got it."

"Chips?"

"Doritos and Lays."

"Veggies for the burgers? Onions and tomatoes?"

"Yes and yes."

"Cucumber?"

Mark stopped mid-stride towards John's white truck. He exchanged a glance with John. John snickered.

"You do not mention that word in my presence."

"Onion?"

"No."

"Tomato?"

"John..."

"Oh. Cucumber."

"Smart mouth," Mark said before he continued walking towards the truck.

John stiffled a laugh as he followed Mark to his vehicle. John unlocked the door and placed the cupcakes in the back seat before taking Mark's groceries from him and placing them next to the cupcakes. After the groceries were stowed away in the back seat, both men took their places in the truck, Mark in the passengers seat with John at the wheel. They shut their doors, then put on their seatbelts.

"Homeward bound," John said turning on the ignition.

"You know, I have to say. I'm digging the white cowboy hat."

"Oh," John chuckled. "Thanks. Maxwell wanted a cowboy themed party. Last year was dinosaurs, the year before that was pirates."

"Boys and their imaginations. Getting back to the hat. I think it's something you should stick to. You pull it of quite well."

"Well, Renee says I remind her of Chuck Norris. Remember? 'Walker, Texas Ranger'?"

"Of course. That was a great show. I've seen every episode."

"Me too. Plus, between you and me...Renee thinks it makes me look extra sexy."

"Haha! Then I take it to be a definite decision. The hat stays."

"You got it. Speaking of which, you're pulling off the black cowboy hat quite nicely."

Mark gave his hat a tilt. "Thank you, sir."

"Sure. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you could be an...um...dang. The name slips me. What was another name for 'grave-digger' in the old west?"

"Undertaker."

"That's it. Undertaker. You could totally pass off for an undertaker. You wear a lot of black anyways, just find you a long trench coat and there you go."

"Halloween costume idea for this year. Cool."

"Yep."

"All available units respond to a bank robbery at Cincinnati Federal." came a voice over the police scanner.

John and Mark looked at each other.

"We're only a couple of blocks from there," Mark stated.

"Yep." John picked up the hand-held remote speaker and pressed the button. "This is Captain John Shaw. I'm headed that way."

Mark glanced at John. "Um...I don't need to say anything, do I?"

"Nope," John said knowing that Mark was referring to his son's 8th birthday. The expression on his face said it all: he was ticked.

John pressed hard on the gas and flipped on the sirens letting people know he was coming. As they approached the bank, three robbers in had run out of the front door of the bank. Cops were already surrounding the building. They already nabbed 2 of the robbers; the third took off on foot. John saw this and pressed harder on the gas.

"Mark? Do me a favor and call my wife?"

Mark did as was requested. She answered on the second ring. "Hey, Renee. It's Mark. Somethng's come up and we're gonna be late getting back...Duty calls."

John saw the robber go down the alleyway and chased him. When the robber, all covered in black clothing including a black ski mask, got to the end of the alleyway, it was blocked by a wooded fence. John, with his truck, blocked the robber from running any further. John put the truck in park, then exited the truck and walked towards the man.

"Are you kidding me right now? I'm late for my boy's birthday party because of you?"

The robber cursed at John bringing him to a stop.

"Did you just call me a stupid S.O.B.? Come on. That's not nice. That's not even Christian."

The robber replied with a hard punch to the face; John's head snapping back from the force of the blow. John groaned at he turned to face the robber. He sniffed. Using the back of his left hand, he wiped blood away from his nose.

"Come on, buddy. Surely, you can do better than that."

The robber threw another punch, but it was blocked by John's right arm. He threw a punch of his own to the robber's face knocking him backwards. He landed a kick to the man's gut, then performed a back-spinning heel kick to the face knocking the criminal out. John shook his head back and forth. Mark exited the truck with a pair of handcuffs. John rolled the man onto his stomach, then cuffed the hands behind his back.

"Truck bed for this guy," Mark asked.

"He ain't crushing those cupcakes."

After loading the criminal in the back of the truck and grabbing the green duffle bag of money, John and Mark made their way back to the bank. One of the officers took the criminal from John's truck and put him into their own car.

"I'll head to the station and fill out a report, then head on home."

"We've got this, Captain Shaw," a male officer replied. "It's Maxwell's birthday. The report could wait till tomorrow."

John tipped his hat to his men and women behind the badge, then walked back to the truck. Mark looked at John smiling.

"What?"

Mark's smile grew bigger.

"What?" John asked again with a laugh.

"Nothing," Mark said. "Just enjoy seeing you in action." Mark waved his cellphone in front of John's face. "Can't wait to show my girls and Renee."

"I didn't know you recorded that."

"Are you kidding? How could I not? Chuck Norris would be proud of that kick."

John laughed out loud. "Right."

"And your nose..."

"It's fine."

"I can hear Renee now. 'Oh, honey...'"

"Mark..."

"Oh, honey..." Mark repeated in a falsetto.

"Oh, honey..." John echoed with his own falsetto.

Both men laughed.

"Dang, I love her," John stated.

"I know you do," Mark said. " And she loves you. Do you by chance remember our last case together?"

"Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"

"I remember what you said before leaving my office that day. You said you got to celebrate Maxwell's 7th birthday and you hoped that you would survive to see him turn 8."

John nodded. "Yep. I did say that."

"Well now, let's go back and celebrate your son's 8th birthday. Pick up the speed, Captain."

"Copy that, Captain."

THE END

I would like to thank you, the readers, for taking the time to view this story. I apologize for the lengthy pause in the middle. Again, this story was tricky for me to write. I like to think strongly on the scenes and the way the characters were potrayed during that scene. But, like the other stories, this one was fun to write. Also challenging to write like the other stories. It's you, the readers, that keep me writing and I thank you all so much. Much love and God Bless.