"Have you finished interviewing those witnesses?" Ray asked.
"Yeah." Vecchio answered.
"All of them?"
"Yes, all of them! But I got nothing we didn't already know."
"Nobody saw anything? Nobody even heard anything?"
"Didn't I just say that?" Vecchio asked angrily. "You don't listen
to me. Why don't you listen to me? Sometimes you're as bad as the
Mountie!" He shook his head. "What about your end of it? Have you had
any success interviewing the businesses and homeowners?"
"I haven't done any better than you have."
Before either one could say anything else, they were interrupted by
Welsh. "I'd like to see both of you for a moment," he said,
motioning to both Ray and Vecchio.
Both Rays complied and came in the office, still exchanging angry
glares at each other. Ray knew that Welsh must have heard the
argument and that both of them were probably going to be yelled at.
He didn't make eye contact with Welsh for a long moment, and neither
did Vecchio.
"What is it?" Ray asked.
"I know this case has a lot of personal meaning for both of you, but
I don't like the way you're both exhausting yourselves day after day.
I appreciate your willingness to keep searching, but don't overdo it.
Got that?"
"Yes. I'm only pushing myself so hard because I made a promise to
myself and Fraser that I'd bring this guy in and I'm gonna do it. If
I don't, he may also try to kill me."
"Or me." Vecchio spoke up. "He said `Vecchio…' I don't really know
who he's after, so we may both be in danger. I just want him off the
streets."
"I can place some protection on you…" Welsh began.
"No, that's all right, thank you." Kowalski answered. Vecchio nodded
at the same time.
"You're sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Both men answered at once.
"You two are acting as partners on this case, I'm sure I don't need
to remind you of that. I don't need you arguing."
"I understand," Ray said, but inwardly he felt differently. He didn't
want another partner. He still considered Fraser his partner, but he
knew if he brought it up Welsh wouldn't buy it.
"Dismissed, gentlemen. Just don't forget what I said. Don't push
yourselves beyond your limits. We will get him. I want both of you to
knock off for the day."
"Understood." Ray answered.
Vecchio and Ray did a little more searching and then drove toward
Ray's apartment. Ray noticed that Dief was acting a bit nervous, but
didn't think much of it. The wolf glanced nervously about and kept
looking out the back window.
Upon arriving at the Ray stepped out of the Riv and pushed the front
seat forward, allowing Dief to jump out. He walked into his apartment
building and up the stairs to the apartment as Vecchio drove away.
As he opened the apartment door, something pushed against him,
shoving him inside. He looked over his shoulder to see what was going
on. He immediately recognized his assailant.
"You." Ray growled
"I told you I wasn't through yet --."
Before Bower could say anything else, Dief lunged, snarling. The
impact knocked Bower off his feet, and as he fell toward the ground,
he squeezed the trigger.
Ray was forced to his knees, then to the ground as a sharp pain
ripped through his stomach and chest. The bullet had slammed into the
left side of his upper abdomen. He tried to breathe, but each breath
was a painful struggle. He gasped for air that just didn't seem to
want to come. He reached for his cell phone and dialed the police
department.
"Detective Kowalski. . ." he rasped. ". . .Shots fired. . .officer
down." He glanced at the now motionless Bower and the wolf on top of
him. "Suspect status unknown," he added, then struggled to relay his
address, He couldn't speak anymore. It was just too painful. He knew
they had the necessary information to be able to find him.
There was a second of silence, then the voice of Lt. Welsh. "They're
on their way, Detective. Try to stay on the line. Don't hang up if
you can help it."
"Can't breathe. . ." Ray managed.
He fought the unconsciousness for as long as he could, but there came
a point where he simply couldn't any longer. Everything around him
was disintegrating into a confusing mass of dim sights,
indistinguishable sounds and the unrelenting pain that was now so
intense that he wanted to pass out. After a second more, the
darkness surrounded him and he slipped into the relief of
unconsciousness.
"Yeah." Vecchio answered.
"All of them?"
"Yes, all of them! But I got nothing we didn't already know."
"Nobody saw anything? Nobody even heard anything?"
"Didn't I just say that?" Vecchio asked angrily. "You don't listen
to me. Why don't you listen to me? Sometimes you're as bad as the
Mountie!" He shook his head. "What about your end of it? Have you had
any success interviewing the businesses and homeowners?"
"I haven't done any better than you have."
Before either one could say anything else, they were interrupted by
Welsh. "I'd like to see both of you for a moment," he said,
motioning to both Ray and Vecchio.
Both Rays complied and came in the office, still exchanging angry
glares at each other. Ray knew that Welsh must have heard the
argument and that both of them were probably going to be yelled at.
He didn't make eye contact with Welsh for a long moment, and neither
did Vecchio.
"What is it?" Ray asked.
"I know this case has a lot of personal meaning for both of you, but
I don't like the way you're both exhausting yourselves day after day.
I appreciate your willingness to keep searching, but don't overdo it.
Got that?"
"Yes. I'm only pushing myself so hard because I made a promise to
myself and Fraser that I'd bring this guy in and I'm gonna do it. If
I don't, he may also try to kill me."
"Or me." Vecchio spoke up. "He said `Vecchio…' I don't really know
who he's after, so we may both be in danger. I just want him off the
streets."
"I can place some protection on you…" Welsh began.
"No, that's all right, thank you." Kowalski answered. Vecchio nodded
at the same time.
"You're sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Both men answered at once.
"You two are acting as partners on this case, I'm sure I don't need
to remind you of that. I don't need you arguing."
"I understand," Ray said, but inwardly he felt differently. He didn't
want another partner. He still considered Fraser his partner, but he
knew if he brought it up Welsh wouldn't buy it.
"Dismissed, gentlemen. Just don't forget what I said. Don't push
yourselves beyond your limits. We will get him. I want both of you to
knock off for the day."
"Understood." Ray answered.
Vecchio and Ray did a little more searching and then drove toward
Ray's apartment. Ray noticed that Dief was acting a bit nervous, but
didn't think much of it. The wolf glanced nervously about and kept
looking out the back window.
Upon arriving at the Ray stepped out of the Riv and pushed the front
seat forward, allowing Dief to jump out. He walked into his apartment
building and up the stairs to the apartment as Vecchio drove away.
As he opened the apartment door, something pushed against him,
shoving him inside. He looked over his shoulder to see what was going
on. He immediately recognized his assailant.
"You." Ray growled
"I told you I wasn't through yet --."
Before Bower could say anything else, Dief lunged, snarling. The
impact knocked Bower off his feet, and as he fell toward the ground,
he squeezed the trigger.
Ray was forced to his knees, then to the ground as a sharp pain
ripped through his stomach and chest. The bullet had slammed into the
left side of his upper abdomen. He tried to breathe, but each breath
was a painful struggle. He gasped for air that just didn't seem to
want to come. He reached for his cell phone and dialed the police
department.
"Detective Kowalski. . ." he rasped. ". . .Shots fired. . .officer
down." He glanced at the now motionless Bower and the wolf on top of
him. "Suspect status unknown," he added, then struggled to relay his
address, He couldn't speak anymore. It was just too painful. He knew
they had the necessary information to be able to find him.
There was a second of silence, then the voice of Lt. Welsh. "They're
on their way, Detective. Try to stay on the line. Don't hang up if
you can help it."
"Can't breathe. . ." Ray managed.
He fought the unconsciousness for as long as he could, but there came
a point where he simply couldn't any longer. Everything around him
was disintegrating into a confusing mass of dim sights,
indistinguishable sounds and the unrelenting pain that was now so
intense that he wanted to pass out. After a second more, the
darkness surrounded him and he slipped into the relief of
unconsciousness.