Title: Test of Time (8/12)
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.
Rating: R for language and violence
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)
Chapter 8
Bosco quickly parked his car in front of his apartment complex. It had been two days since the Lieutenant had insisted that he take some time off of work. Since then, he had been trying to find out everything he could about the man who had so brutally murdered his younger brother. Although he hadn't found out anything worthwhile, most people he tried to befriend either shook their heads when he mentioned the name Krychek, or looked at him with a hint of fear in their eyes before denying that they ever head of him and walking away, he felt that it was only a matter of time before he found him. He was just coming back from the precinct, having met Faith after her shift to see what she had been able to find out on her own. Unfortunately, she wasn't any closer to tracking down Krychek then he was. He clenched his jaw in frustration before getting out of his car and quickly made his way into his apartment building to change his clothes. He was planning on frequenting a couple of bars later to see what he could find out.
Deep in thought, he pulled his keys out of his jacket pocket. He brought the key up, intending to slip it into the lock, when he stopped abruptly. He stood in front of his apartment in shock for several seconds, noting that his front door was slightly ajar. He knew that he had locked it when he had left the house that morning. He quickly removed his gun and eased the door slowly open. He waited a few minutes, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, trying to see if there was anything or anyone in his apartment. His back against the wall, he stuck his arm through the front door, moving his hand blindly along the wall searching for the light switch. Finally, his hand made contact and his apartment was flooded in light. He took a deep breath before slowly making his way inside, noting that his belongs were strewn all over the place. He briefly considered calling for backup but quickly dismissed the idea. He didn't want the added attention or to have to answer the numerous questions they would undoubtedly have once they took a look at his place. He quickly checked each of the rooms, noting that they were all empty. He even went as far as to check all his closets and under his bed. When he realized he was alone, he looked around his apartment, digging through the rubble. He noticed that nothing was actually missing. His apartment had simply been ransacked. The message was clear though; whoever had done this wanted him to know that they knew who he was and where he lived.
It took him a moment to notice the white envelope leaning against his telephone. He quickly opened it. He looked at the photograph and felt his jaw clench in anger. It was a picture of his mother serving a client from behind the bar. From the way she was posed, Bosco could tell that she was oblivious to the fact that someone had taken her photograph. He quickly scanned the note, telling him that if he didn't back off something tragic might happen.
The shrill sound of the telephone caused him to jump. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was 12:50 am and wondered who could possibly be calling him at this hour. "Bosco?" Faith asked uncertainly when she heard the phone being picked up but no voice on the other end.
"Faith?"
"Bosco, look I'm sorry. I know that I promised I'd help you but I can't." She said, her voice trembling ever so slightly.
"Why? What happened?" He asked, immediately concerned. He knew it took a lot to scare Faith. He heard her take a deep breath before speaking.
"When I got home there was an envelope slipped under my door. Fred was sleeping when I came in so it must have been placed there after he had already gone to bed..." Faith said trailing off.
"What was in the envelope?" Bosco asked his partner. He heard her take in another deep breath before continuing.
"They had pictures of Em and Charlie, taken of them at school today playing in the school yard. The note said that I'd better back off unless I want something bad to happen." Faith said trying to keep her voice neutral but Bosco easily picked up on the fear hidden there. "Did you get -" She began before she was cut off.
"Yeah, I got an envelope with a picture of ma and a message attached as well, saying basically the same thing yours did." Bosco told her, purposely leaving out the part about his trashed apartment, not wanting to scare her further.
"Look, Bosco..." Faith began before trailing off. He waited for her to continue; knowing what she was going to say. "Bosco, I would really love to help you track down Mikey's killer, I would but -"
"But you have a family to take care of and their safety and welfare come first." Bosco said, finishing her sentence for her. Faith expected his words to come out angry but noticed that they were full of understanding and concern.
"Yeah." She said softly into the receiver. "Look, Bos maybe... maybe you should lay off too for awhile. I'm not telling you to give up looking." She said quickly. "I just think that maybe it would be best to lay low for awhile, you know? Get these people off your back."
"Yeah." Bosco heard himself saying. "Yeah that sounds like a good idea. Look, take care of yourself and your kids and be careful, okay? Try to get some sleep. I'll see you in a couple of weeks."
"Yeah." Faith said, momentarily stunned by Bosco's lack of resistance. "I'll see you soon." She said and quickly hung up. Bosco stared at the receiver for several minutes before placing it back on its cradle. He replayed the conversation over in his mind as he made his way into the kitchen to get a beer. Although he was planning on staying in tonight, he had no intention of backing down. He was too close. If he was being warned to back down, it meant it would only be a matter of time before he came face to face with Krychek.
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Faith checked that the front door was securely locked before going into the kitchen to make herself some chamomile tea, hoping to soothe her frazzled nerves. She thought about the conversation she'd just had with Bosco. She realized he had been too agreeable on the phone and had no intention of dropping his search. She knew she had to do something but didn't know what. She thought briefly about speaking to Lieu but quickly dismissed the idea. She knew that Bosco would only continue to search for Krychek no matter what she did. What she needed was to have someone follow him around and watch out for him -- someone not from the precinct. Of course, she thought to herself. She quickly got up from her seat and made her way to the living room where the Yellow Pages were kept. She skimmed through the pages under "D" until she found what she was looking for. She quickly scanned the list of choices, finally narrowing it down. She would call the detective first thing in the morning. She went to bed shortly afterwards, secure in knowledge that she was taking the necessary measures to keep her partner safe.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allan Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I don't know.
Rating: R for language and violence
Feedback: Well, it will make me write faster ;)
Chapter 8
Bosco quickly parked his car in front of his apartment complex. It had been two days since the Lieutenant had insisted that he take some time off of work. Since then, he had been trying to find out everything he could about the man who had so brutally murdered his younger brother. Although he hadn't found out anything worthwhile, most people he tried to befriend either shook their heads when he mentioned the name Krychek, or looked at him with a hint of fear in their eyes before denying that they ever head of him and walking away, he felt that it was only a matter of time before he found him. He was just coming back from the precinct, having met Faith after her shift to see what she had been able to find out on her own. Unfortunately, she wasn't any closer to tracking down Krychek then he was. He clenched his jaw in frustration before getting out of his car and quickly made his way into his apartment building to change his clothes. He was planning on frequenting a couple of bars later to see what he could find out.
Deep in thought, he pulled his keys out of his jacket pocket. He brought the key up, intending to slip it into the lock, when he stopped abruptly. He stood in front of his apartment in shock for several seconds, noting that his front door was slightly ajar. He knew that he had locked it when he had left the house that morning. He quickly removed his gun and eased the door slowly open. He waited a few minutes, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, trying to see if there was anything or anyone in his apartment. His back against the wall, he stuck his arm through the front door, moving his hand blindly along the wall searching for the light switch. Finally, his hand made contact and his apartment was flooded in light. He took a deep breath before slowly making his way inside, noting that his belongs were strewn all over the place. He briefly considered calling for backup but quickly dismissed the idea. He didn't want the added attention or to have to answer the numerous questions they would undoubtedly have once they took a look at his place. He quickly checked each of the rooms, noting that they were all empty. He even went as far as to check all his closets and under his bed. When he realized he was alone, he looked around his apartment, digging through the rubble. He noticed that nothing was actually missing. His apartment had simply been ransacked. The message was clear though; whoever had done this wanted him to know that they knew who he was and where he lived.
It took him a moment to notice the white envelope leaning against his telephone. He quickly opened it. He looked at the photograph and felt his jaw clench in anger. It was a picture of his mother serving a client from behind the bar. From the way she was posed, Bosco could tell that she was oblivious to the fact that someone had taken her photograph. He quickly scanned the note, telling him that if he didn't back off something tragic might happen.
The shrill sound of the telephone caused him to jump. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was 12:50 am and wondered who could possibly be calling him at this hour. "Bosco?" Faith asked uncertainly when she heard the phone being picked up but no voice on the other end.
"Faith?"
"Bosco, look I'm sorry. I know that I promised I'd help you but I can't." She said, her voice trembling ever so slightly.
"Why? What happened?" He asked, immediately concerned. He knew it took a lot to scare Faith. He heard her take a deep breath before speaking.
"When I got home there was an envelope slipped under my door. Fred was sleeping when I came in so it must have been placed there after he had already gone to bed..." Faith said trailing off.
"What was in the envelope?" Bosco asked his partner. He heard her take in another deep breath before continuing.
"They had pictures of Em and Charlie, taken of them at school today playing in the school yard. The note said that I'd better back off unless I want something bad to happen." Faith said trying to keep her voice neutral but Bosco easily picked up on the fear hidden there. "Did you get -" She began before she was cut off.
"Yeah, I got an envelope with a picture of ma and a message attached as well, saying basically the same thing yours did." Bosco told her, purposely leaving out the part about his trashed apartment, not wanting to scare her further.
"Look, Bosco..." Faith began before trailing off. He waited for her to continue; knowing what she was going to say. "Bosco, I would really love to help you track down Mikey's killer, I would but -"
"But you have a family to take care of and their safety and welfare come first." Bosco said, finishing her sentence for her. Faith expected his words to come out angry but noticed that they were full of understanding and concern.
"Yeah." She said softly into the receiver. "Look, Bos maybe... maybe you should lay off too for awhile. I'm not telling you to give up looking." She said quickly. "I just think that maybe it would be best to lay low for awhile, you know? Get these people off your back."
"Yeah." Bosco heard himself saying. "Yeah that sounds like a good idea. Look, take care of yourself and your kids and be careful, okay? Try to get some sleep. I'll see you in a couple of weeks."
"Yeah." Faith said, momentarily stunned by Bosco's lack of resistance. "I'll see you soon." She said and quickly hung up. Bosco stared at the receiver for several minutes before placing it back on its cradle. He replayed the conversation over in his mind as he made his way into the kitchen to get a beer. Although he was planning on staying in tonight, he had no intention of backing down. He was too close. If he was being warned to back down, it meant it would only be a matter of time before he came face to face with Krychek.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Faith checked that the front door was securely locked before going into the kitchen to make herself some chamomile tea, hoping to soothe her frazzled nerves. She thought about the conversation she'd just had with Bosco. She realized he had been too agreeable on the phone and had no intention of dropping his search. She knew she had to do something but didn't know what. She thought briefly about speaking to Lieu but quickly dismissed the idea. She knew that Bosco would only continue to search for Krychek no matter what she did. What she needed was to have someone follow him around and watch out for him -- someone not from the precinct. Of course, she thought to herself. She quickly got up from her seat and made her way to the living room where the Yellow Pages were kept. She skimmed through the pages under "D" until she found what she was looking for. She quickly scanned the list of choices, finally narrowing it down. She would call the detective first thing in the morning. She went to bed shortly afterwards, secure in knowledge that she was taking the necessary measures to keep her partner safe.