Bosco took a long drink of beer as he stared at his mother wiping down the bar. He looked at some pictures she had up of him and Mikey back when they were little. Back when Bosco was about 8 and Mikey was 6. They were both holding small fishing poles and Bosco was carrying a small perch in a net.
He remembered that day, how great it felt to go up to northern New York and spend a day fishing. He felt on top of the world when he had caught that fish, and the memory still stayed with him.
"It's funny what pictures can do." Rose lit a cigarette and directed her eyes to where Bosco's stare had been for quite awhile.
"Huh?"
"I was just saying, it's funny how pictures can bring back so much." She exhaled the white smoke.
Bosco nodded and took a quick drink of bourbon that was recently brought to him.
"Something wrong Maurice, you usually don't drink this much?"
He shook his head no. "I just felt like drinking tonight."
"Bull. You can tell me." She sat down across from him.
"I can't tell you, it'll worry you too much. I gotta get going, I need some sleep." He kissed her on the cheek and began to walk out, when he was interrupted by her voice once again.
"You have me worried by not telling me what is wrong."
He sighed. "Just watch the news tonight, you'll see what has me bothered." After that comment he walked out, his eyes peeled for any suspicious activities around him.
~~~~
Faith walked into the house the next day, hoping for some reason that she'd get to work with Bosco. She wanted to rekindle things that had happened. All of the violence happening within the department had her worried and she didn't want anything to happen to him. She smiled at Swersky as she walked past. Her smile turned into a frown as she saw Cruz walking towards her.
"What's up with Bosco?" Cruz's snarl was so clear in Faith's mind. It was like a violent picture painted by a talented artist.
"I have no idea."
"He's been short with me lately."
Faith smiled slightly. "Maybe he's learning what the rest of us already know." She walked away, not even waiting for a response from the so-called sergeant that had already caused enough trouble.
Faith smiled to herself as she entered the locker room, happy about what she had said. She noticed Bosco already changing and approached him.
"You okay?" Her face showed concern for him.
"Suddenly you care?" He didn't look up from his boots.
"Boz, look, I'm sick of fighting with you. All of this violence and stuff has had me thinking. I don't want something to happen to one of us, especially if we are fighting. Never leave each other angry, that's the way it should be."
Bosco leaned back, his eyes tired and red from the sleepless night before. "Never leave each other angry. Faith, I was never really angry with you. You know how I am, saying stuff I don't mean. It's just my way of venting."
She placed her purse in her locker. "Yeah, I know how you are. Just like you know how I am."
"That's why I never left angry Faith. You are my best friend, always." He spoke in almost a whisper as he finished zipping up his pants.
"You too Boz." She smiled, feeling relieved about how the conversation went.
~~~
On the way to the RMP Cruz who had the same, negative look across her face greeted them.
"Boscorelli, you are working with me today."
Bosco stopped. "No, I'm dressed for 55 David."
"You don't wanna work with me?" Her voice squeaked and she smiled her arrogant smile.
"No. See you later."
~~~
"So, why didn't you wanna work with Cruz today?" Faith leaned against the car while Bosco took a long drink from his water bottle.
"She can't be trusted. Besides, I like it out here in the squad better. Anti crime was fun, but you know Cruz."
"Yeah I do."
"All units available, we have a 10-13, one officer down, 8-7-4, Arthur and 123rd."
Bosco's stomach sank as the words echoed in his ear. "55 David, 10-4."
~~~
They pulled up on scene. 55 Edward and 55 Boy had already responded with Carlos and Alex working. Bosco peaked over, trying to catch a glimpse of the fallen officer. He couldn't see the face, just the body. He looked at Lieutenant Swersky who came to pull him away.
"Bosco, get away."
"Who is it Lieu?"
Swersky looked at the ground, then back up at Bosco and Faith. "It's Sullivan. They already took Davis in, he just had some glass pieces in his arm.
Bosco felt nauseous. He stared at Faith who had tears forming in his eyes.
"God, let him be okay." Bosco whispered as he stared at the onlookers who watched as if it was a sideshow in a circus.
~~~
They followed the ambulance to Angel of Mercy. Bosco waited in the car as they wheeled the stretcher in through the ER doors.
"He'll be okay Boz. Sully's strong."
Bosco nodded and exited the car.
He approached Carlos in the ER. "Well, how is he?"
Carlos looked up from his report. "He was hit in the abdomen. We aren't sure if it hit major arteries but they are taking him up to surgery right now. I'm just glad he made it this far." Carlos closed his report and walked away.
~~~
Swersky entered Detective Larson's office not long after the accident with Sully. He sat down across from him, his eyes full of questions as Larson looked up from scattered papers in front of him.
"Can I help you Lieutenant?"
Sully sighed. "Uh, there was another picture left at this scene too, right?"
"Right." Larson handed him the picture. "So far none of the families of the victims know who the kid is. He isn't any relation to any of them."
"It's the same kid?"
"Yeah." He hand Swersky the other two pictures. "And it seems to me that the kid is getting older with every picture we receive. I just can't seem to figure out why this person keeps leaving pictures of the same kid at every scene."
Swersky looked over the pictures. Something about the eyes of the kid made him recognize him.
"Maybe this killer is sending a message?"
Larson leaned back in his chair, causing it to squeak slightly. "But what kind of message?"
~~~
After work Davis, Bosco, and Faith all went up to Sully's room. Proctor was there, checking vitals and looking over charts.
"Hey guys. He's in a mild coma right now. As of right now he's doing well. If he makes it through the night he'll be okay. These next 7 hours are vital though." She jotted down some things on a clipboard and left, leaving them alone with the fallen officer.
Davis stood over his partner and friend, tears soaking his cheeks. "Sul, stay strong. You'll get past this."
"How's your arm feeling?" Faith looked out the window into the city, enjoying the New York skyline.
"I took 5 stitches. It hurts but I'm fine."
"Why are you so quiet Boz?" Faith didn't take her eyes away from the window as she waited for him to respond.
"I'm just thinking about how I wanna catch this asshole and end all of our worries right now."
He remembered that day, how great it felt to go up to northern New York and spend a day fishing. He felt on top of the world when he had caught that fish, and the memory still stayed with him.
"It's funny what pictures can do." Rose lit a cigarette and directed her eyes to where Bosco's stare had been for quite awhile.
"Huh?"
"I was just saying, it's funny how pictures can bring back so much." She exhaled the white smoke.
Bosco nodded and took a quick drink of bourbon that was recently brought to him.
"Something wrong Maurice, you usually don't drink this much?"
He shook his head no. "I just felt like drinking tonight."
"Bull. You can tell me." She sat down across from him.
"I can't tell you, it'll worry you too much. I gotta get going, I need some sleep." He kissed her on the cheek and began to walk out, when he was interrupted by her voice once again.
"You have me worried by not telling me what is wrong."
He sighed. "Just watch the news tonight, you'll see what has me bothered." After that comment he walked out, his eyes peeled for any suspicious activities around him.
~~~~
Faith walked into the house the next day, hoping for some reason that she'd get to work with Bosco. She wanted to rekindle things that had happened. All of the violence happening within the department had her worried and she didn't want anything to happen to him. She smiled at Swersky as she walked past. Her smile turned into a frown as she saw Cruz walking towards her.
"What's up with Bosco?" Cruz's snarl was so clear in Faith's mind. It was like a violent picture painted by a talented artist.
"I have no idea."
"He's been short with me lately."
Faith smiled slightly. "Maybe he's learning what the rest of us already know." She walked away, not even waiting for a response from the so-called sergeant that had already caused enough trouble.
Faith smiled to herself as she entered the locker room, happy about what she had said. She noticed Bosco already changing and approached him.
"You okay?" Her face showed concern for him.
"Suddenly you care?" He didn't look up from his boots.
"Boz, look, I'm sick of fighting with you. All of this violence and stuff has had me thinking. I don't want something to happen to one of us, especially if we are fighting. Never leave each other angry, that's the way it should be."
Bosco leaned back, his eyes tired and red from the sleepless night before. "Never leave each other angry. Faith, I was never really angry with you. You know how I am, saying stuff I don't mean. It's just my way of venting."
She placed her purse in her locker. "Yeah, I know how you are. Just like you know how I am."
"That's why I never left angry Faith. You are my best friend, always." He spoke in almost a whisper as he finished zipping up his pants.
"You too Boz." She smiled, feeling relieved about how the conversation went.
~~~
On the way to the RMP Cruz who had the same, negative look across her face greeted them.
"Boscorelli, you are working with me today."
Bosco stopped. "No, I'm dressed for 55 David."
"You don't wanna work with me?" Her voice squeaked and she smiled her arrogant smile.
"No. See you later."
~~~
"So, why didn't you wanna work with Cruz today?" Faith leaned against the car while Bosco took a long drink from his water bottle.
"She can't be trusted. Besides, I like it out here in the squad better. Anti crime was fun, but you know Cruz."
"Yeah I do."
"All units available, we have a 10-13, one officer down, 8-7-4, Arthur and 123rd."
Bosco's stomach sank as the words echoed in his ear. "55 David, 10-4."
~~~
They pulled up on scene. 55 Edward and 55 Boy had already responded with Carlos and Alex working. Bosco peaked over, trying to catch a glimpse of the fallen officer. He couldn't see the face, just the body. He looked at Lieutenant Swersky who came to pull him away.
"Bosco, get away."
"Who is it Lieu?"
Swersky looked at the ground, then back up at Bosco and Faith. "It's Sullivan. They already took Davis in, he just had some glass pieces in his arm.
Bosco felt nauseous. He stared at Faith who had tears forming in his eyes.
"God, let him be okay." Bosco whispered as he stared at the onlookers who watched as if it was a sideshow in a circus.
~~~
They followed the ambulance to Angel of Mercy. Bosco waited in the car as they wheeled the stretcher in through the ER doors.
"He'll be okay Boz. Sully's strong."
Bosco nodded and exited the car.
He approached Carlos in the ER. "Well, how is he?"
Carlos looked up from his report. "He was hit in the abdomen. We aren't sure if it hit major arteries but they are taking him up to surgery right now. I'm just glad he made it this far." Carlos closed his report and walked away.
~~~
Swersky entered Detective Larson's office not long after the accident with Sully. He sat down across from him, his eyes full of questions as Larson looked up from scattered papers in front of him.
"Can I help you Lieutenant?"
Sully sighed. "Uh, there was another picture left at this scene too, right?"
"Right." Larson handed him the picture. "So far none of the families of the victims know who the kid is. He isn't any relation to any of them."
"It's the same kid?"
"Yeah." He hand Swersky the other two pictures. "And it seems to me that the kid is getting older with every picture we receive. I just can't seem to figure out why this person keeps leaving pictures of the same kid at every scene."
Swersky looked over the pictures. Something about the eyes of the kid made him recognize him.
"Maybe this killer is sending a message?"
Larson leaned back in his chair, causing it to squeak slightly. "But what kind of message?"
~~~
After work Davis, Bosco, and Faith all went up to Sully's room. Proctor was there, checking vitals and looking over charts.
"Hey guys. He's in a mild coma right now. As of right now he's doing well. If he makes it through the night he'll be okay. These next 7 hours are vital though." She jotted down some things on a clipboard and left, leaving them alone with the fallen officer.
Davis stood over his partner and friend, tears soaking his cheeks. "Sul, stay strong. You'll get past this."
"How's your arm feeling?" Faith looked out the window into the city, enjoying the New York skyline.
"I took 5 stitches. It hurts but I'm fine."
"Why are you so quiet Boz?" Faith didn't take her eyes away from the window as she waited for him to respond.
"I'm just thinking about how I wanna catch this asshole and end all of our worries right now."