Bobby was in the process of walking to his car, pulling his scarf
tighter around his neck, and puzzling over the weather, when a rumble of
light thunder broke the silent sky abruptly, bringing him to an immediate
halt. His eyes travelled skyward at once, and he watched as the heavy
clouds simply sat unmoving above, failing to drop rain, as it seemed they
wanted to. Bobby thought it was going to pour for a moment, before he
forced himself to continue his journey. He could make out his car just down
the road.
But before he could reach his vehicle, a figure burst out of a nearby alley about six feet away from him, and almost collapsed, seemingly in a state of mild shock. They bent over, and vomited suddenly, and then took one look at Bobby, before bolting without a word.
Bobby watched the young man go for a second, blinking, and then let his head turn in the direction the figure had erupted from, his feet taking him the distance without even realising. He poked his head around the corner, narrowing his eyes to try and make out something down the dark alleyway.
Taking a couple of steps in warily, he gave a heavy sigh in realisation as to what had caused the understandable reaction in the young man, and reached immediately for his cell.
* * *
He had managed not to get absolutely soaked on his way to work, and he was amazed the sky hadn't broken open and tipped all the rain out yet. It was still dry outside, but from the looks of the thick dark clouds, it wouldn't be for much longer.
Sully had just finished changing when Davis came up to him, hat turning over and over in his hand. The young officer already had a radio, which surprised his older partner, considering they hadn't even had roll call yet, and their shift was only just starting. There was a look in his brown eyes that told him something wasn't right.
"What is it?" Sully asked at once. He turned to Davis, and -without looking- shut his locker simultaneously.
Davis bowed his head for a moment, before he looked back up, and his eyes met Sully's as he replied, "They found a body in an alley near Bobby's place this morning. A woman... she'd been stabbed... about eight times."
Sully whistled quietly, and then fell silent. That wasn't all, and he knew it. There was something more on Davis' mind. He didn't have to wait long to find out what that something was.
"It's Hinds."
Sully let out a long and mournful sigh, eyes downcast. "Damn," he mumbled.
Davis stood before him for a moment, before turning and leaving the room, Sully soon in tow. The two walked towards roll call, and were silent the whole way. They would find out what they needed to know when the briefing started. They arrived at the room, and stood at the rear upon seeing that the seats were all filled. No one even noticed them enter.
"Officer Elizabeth Hinds was found dead at around one o'clock this afternoon. She was stabbed to death in an alley. After yesterday's incident involving Officer Daniel Spencer, her partner, we're not taking any risks on the safety of our remaining officers, at least until we find out more information. We don't want anyone to travel anywhere alone. Stay with your partners at all times, and be on your guard."
Bosco sat near the rear of the room, leaned back in the chair, Yokas seated beside him, but never looking at him. Her eyes were on the desktop before her, her face saddened. The young male cop shook his head, even as he blurted, "There were three of us in that alley yesterday... it didn't help any."
The Lieutenant's eyes locked on Bosco for a moment, before he leaned forward on the platform before him, and added, "Just be careful, all of you. We don't want any more casualties. We've already lost two fine officers, and that's two more than we ever want."
They were all dismissed, and Bosco was the first to leave the room, huffing quietly, and shaking his head, Yokas right behind him. She shared a silent look with Sully, sighing lightly, and then left also.
Sully glanced at Davis, and led the way out to the squad. They arrived outside in the bitter cold just in time to see Yokas climb in the car, moments before it sped away, Bosco behind the wheel.
Sully groaned, knowing that working anywhere near Boscorelli until this whole thing was resolved wasn't going to be easy for anyone.
"What do you think is goin' on?" Davis inquired tentatively as they closed the unit's doors, and the younger officer activated the heater, rubbing his hands together immediately afterwards to try and warm them.
"Some nut has got something against cops," Sully grumbled, even as he steered away from the station. "That, or it's two random killings, which just both happen to involve police officers... two halves of a partnership to boot."
He saw out of the corner of his eye that Davis shook his head in disbelief. He could tell the young man was a little scared, but he would make it his responsibility to see that his fear didn't hinder his work.
Sully needed his partner alert.
* * *
"Hey, Bobby, you okay? I heard you were the one who found Hinds dead this morning," was the first thing Kim Zambrano found herself saying gently to her partner at the start of their shift, cursing herself afterwards for her lack of tact.
Bobby didn't look at her, his eyes fixed on a cooling cup of coffee on the dash as he sat in the passenger seat. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Kim settled into the driver's seat, and checked that the paramedics' bags were easily accessible as she asked cautiously, "What happened?"
Bobby sighed, and then explained.
Kim listened tentatively, playing her usual role of understanding friend and colleague, unable to believe just what had happened. She remembered being present at the crime scene of Officer Spencer's death yesterday afternoon, and now his partner had been killed as well. It was a little bit of a shocking coincidence.
"You gonna be okay?"
Bobby forced a smile, and nodded. "Yeah. I'm just a little stunned, you know? Wasn't what I expected to see on the way to my car."
Kim nodded, and started up the bus, driving it out, without saying another word. If Bobby didn't want to talk about it, then that was his choice. She wasn't going to push him for explanations, and revelations on what he had been feeling, or whether or not he would be able to sleep the following night.
If he wanted to talk, then she was there to listen.
They had been warned at the start of the shift to be on their guard, and not go off alone, just in case this was a personal vendetta or something, and someone was out to take down the King & Arthur crew. That scared Kim a little, and she made a promise to herself there and then that she wouldn't go anywhere without Bobby at all today.
But remembering Bosco's brief account, Kim wasn't so sure that was enough.
* * *
Faith sat on her side of the squad car, and clung to her seat every now and then as Bosco took a corner too quickly or too sharply. He had been driving like a maniac since they had left the station, and it was starting to push her a little.
"You wanna slow it down? You're gonna cause an accident," she said to him without meeting his eyes as they flickered in her direction.
She felt the car slow noticeably, and she nodded her thanks, and let out a relaxed breath, allowing her body to loosen somewhat. That last thing she wanted right now was to be involved in a car accident.
"It's too much of a coincidence," Bosco mumbled quietly, only just on the verge of audible.
Faith looked to him for a moment, scanning his features for clues as to his deeper implication, before she inquired, "What do you mean?"
"Spencer and Hinds," Bosco replied abruptly, and then continued at once, "two partners taken out of action in the space of a day. A little odd, don't you think?"
Faith didn't want to believe that this was more than a coincidence. That thought frightened her more than she was willing to admit to her partner right now. After an instant of serious consideration, she responded, "Maybe they were both just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Her words were quiet, her intentions not to provoke Bosco, but to try and ease him. She failed, and she had known that before her voice had even sounded moments before.
"Are you kiddin' me? Something's not right here, Faith, and you know it. You're just in denial." He shook his head as his eyes stared out the windshield. He gripped the wheel in his gloved hands, and turned it a little too hard each time they took a corner.
Faith seriously considered for a moment that it might be wiser if she drove. She kept quiet though. "What do you want me to do, Bosco? We can't prove anything. People die in New York every day."
"How can you be so... blasé about this? You're usually so analytical about this sorta stuff."
Faith was amused by Bosco's mixed language for a moment, before she quickly reminded herself of the situation, and she shrugged. "I dunno, Bos', maybe I'm just not ready to face the possibility of someone out there hell-bent on killin' cops." She paused, eyes fixed on Bosco. "I don't know whether or not you noticed, Bos', but we happen to be wearin' NYPD uniforms."
Bosco sighed to himself, and gave a quick shake of his head, letting the conversation pass almost as quickly as it had started. He didn't say anything else for quite a while.
* * *
The bus was parked outside the restaurant, and he and Carlos were grabbing a bite to eat. It amazed him that he was even hungry, considering all the stuff that was going on around them recently.
Carlos had piled up a plate of foreign cuisine that Doc didn't even recognise, whereas he himself had settled for a light salad. He was picking at it, eating a forkful occasionally. He sporadically watched his partner eat heartily, seemingly unfazed by the events. Doc knew Carlos was just trying not to let it interfere with his work.
Doc sipped at his glass of chilled water, and ate another stab of salad, hearing Carlos speak to him.
"Is it me, or is it extremely quiet today?"
Doc looked to his partner, and nodded. "We get days like this sometimes. The day before, we've been run off our feet with calls, and then we get the next shift that just drags. You'll get used to it. You could use the opportunity to catch up on your studies."
"I'm not behind on my studies," Carlos corrected him before shovelling in more rice.
Doc sighed with a smile, remembering their polite conversation the previous shift, before he agreed, "Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm just forgetting things right now. It happens, you know?"
Carlos stared at him with understanding, then nodded.
Just as Doc was finishing off his food, he heard the call come over his radio.
"Adam 5-5-3, we've got an MVA on Roosevelt Square involving three vehicles."
Doc snatched up his radio and responded, "This is Adam 5-5-3. We got it."
Carlos nodded in preparation, ate another quick bite, and then left as Doc tossed some money on the table lightly to pay off their bill.
They entered the bus swiftly, and Doc drove them to the scene, lights and sirens flashing and wailing, causing traffic to move aside and pull over for them to pass.
Carlos had to call through the speaker for people to get out of their way twice, which surprised Doc, considering they usually never had to do such a thing. Drivers were normally extremely responsive when they saw an ambulance bearing down on them from behind.
They were soon at the scene of the accident, and Doc shook his head at the sight of three cars tangled together. The first was a black BMW, with a single person inside, who was writhing around and calling out for help. The second vehicle was an old rusted Ford, toppled over on its back, one side crushed in, the wheels still spinning as though someone had their foot pressed on the gas. Doc couldn't see anyone inside. The roof was caved in, and the windows smashed. The third and final car was a silver four-by- four, the large vehicle seemingly having veered off to avoid the other two, and colliding with a rather resilient lamppost. The hood was dented in badly, and steam was pouring out from beneath it. The front windshield was cracked in two places, and three people were inside, one of which did not move.
Another bus soon arrived on the scene, and Kim and Bobby leapt out from it.
Doc and Carlos moved to the first vehicle, and the second, the former taking the BMW, seeing that the man inside was dressed in a rather expensive suit with blood down one side of his young face. He was calling out for help, even though a paramedic was practically right beside him.
"Sir, I need for you to calm down now. We're here to help, we're going to get you out, okay?" Doc told the man gently, noticing he eased his calls almost at once. "Can you tell me where it hurts?"
The man nodded, and then winced, holding a hand up to touch his head. Doc stopped him. "My head mostly. Cracked my head on the dash when we hit. But my side's aching like crazy."
"Okay, we'll have you out of here in no time," Doc said with a smile, and then raised his head to glance over the roof of the car, calling to his partner, "Carlos, what have you got?"
Carlos emerged from crouching to peer into the toppled Ford, and he looked grave, before he slowly shook his head.
Doc sighed, and noticed Kim and Bobby at the third and final vehicle, just as the fire truck arrived. Jimmy, Sampson, and a couple of others leapt out, ready to help. Carlos moved over to tell them what was going on.
Kim yelled for help suddenly, able to open one side of the four-by- four. It was a woman, and she was sobbing frantically, reaching for what had to be her husband. He was slumped forward on the steering column, but he did not move. There was a child screaming in the back of the car, and Bobby was going about assessing the youngster's condition.
"Carlos, call for another rig!" Doc yelled, and saw his partner nod. Three patients, two busses... Doc was no mathematician, but he knew that didn't work in anybody's favour. They needed some help here.
But before he could reach his vehicle, a figure burst out of a nearby alley about six feet away from him, and almost collapsed, seemingly in a state of mild shock. They bent over, and vomited suddenly, and then took one look at Bobby, before bolting without a word.
Bobby watched the young man go for a second, blinking, and then let his head turn in the direction the figure had erupted from, his feet taking him the distance without even realising. He poked his head around the corner, narrowing his eyes to try and make out something down the dark alleyway.
Taking a couple of steps in warily, he gave a heavy sigh in realisation as to what had caused the understandable reaction in the young man, and reached immediately for his cell.
* * *
He had managed not to get absolutely soaked on his way to work, and he was amazed the sky hadn't broken open and tipped all the rain out yet. It was still dry outside, but from the looks of the thick dark clouds, it wouldn't be for much longer.
Sully had just finished changing when Davis came up to him, hat turning over and over in his hand. The young officer already had a radio, which surprised his older partner, considering they hadn't even had roll call yet, and their shift was only just starting. There was a look in his brown eyes that told him something wasn't right.
"What is it?" Sully asked at once. He turned to Davis, and -without looking- shut his locker simultaneously.
Davis bowed his head for a moment, before he looked back up, and his eyes met Sully's as he replied, "They found a body in an alley near Bobby's place this morning. A woman... she'd been stabbed... about eight times."
Sully whistled quietly, and then fell silent. That wasn't all, and he knew it. There was something more on Davis' mind. He didn't have to wait long to find out what that something was.
"It's Hinds."
Sully let out a long and mournful sigh, eyes downcast. "Damn," he mumbled.
Davis stood before him for a moment, before turning and leaving the room, Sully soon in tow. The two walked towards roll call, and were silent the whole way. They would find out what they needed to know when the briefing started. They arrived at the room, and stood at the rear upon seeing that the seats were all filled. No one even noticed them enter.
"Officer Elizabeth Hinds was found dead at around one o'clock this afternoon. She was stabbed to death in an alley. After yesterday's incident involving Officer Daniel Spencer, her partner, we're not taking any risks on the safety of our remaining officers, at least until we find out more information. We don't want anyone to travel anywhere alone. Stay with your partners at all times, and be on your guard."
Bosco sat near the rear of the room, leaned back in the chair, Yokas seated beside him, but never looking at him. Her eyes were on the desktop before her, her face saddened. The young male cop shook his head, even as he blurted, "There were three of us in that alley yesterday... it didn't help any."
The Lieutenant's eyes locked on Bosco for a moment, before he leaned forward on the platform before him, and added, "Just be careful, all of you. We don't want any more casualties. We've already lost two fine officers, and that's two more than we ever want."
They were all dismissed, and Bosco was the first to leave the room, huffing quietly, and shaking his head, Yokas right behind him. She shared a silent look with Sully, sighing lightly, and then left also.
Sully glanced at Davis, and led the way out to the squad. They arrived outside in the bitter cold just in time to see Yokas climb in the car, moments before it sped away, Bosco behind the wheel.
Sully groaned, knowing that working anywhere near Boscorelli until this whole thing was resolved wasn't going to be easy for anyone.
"What do you think is goin' on?" Davis inquired tentatively as they closed the unit's doors, and the younger officer activated the heater, rubbing his hands together immediately afterwards to try and warm them.
"Some nut has got something against cops," Sully grumbled, even as he steered away from the station. "That, or it's two random killings, which just both happen to involve police officers... two halves of a partnership to boot."
He saw out of the corner of his eye that Davis shook his head in disbelief. He could tell the young man was a little scared, but he would make it his responsibility to see that his fear didn't hinder his work.
Sully needed his partner alert.
* * *
"Hey, Bobby, you okay? I heard you were the one who found Hinds dead this morning," was the first thing Kim Zambrano found herself saying gently to her partner at the start of their shift, cursing herself afterwards for her lack of tact.
Bobby didn't look at her, his eyes fixed on a cooling cup of coffee on the dash as he sat in the passenger seat. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Kim settled into the driver's seat, and checked that the paramedics' bags were easily accessible as she asked cautiously, "What happened?"
Bobby sighed, and then explained.
Kim listened tentatively, playing her usual role of understanding friend and colleague, unable to believe just what had happened. She remembered being present at the crime scene of Officer Spencer's death yesterday afternoon, and now his partner had been killed as well. It was a little bit of a shocking coincidence.
"You gonna be okay?"
Bobby forced a smile, and nodded. "Yeah. I'm just a little stunned, you know? Wasn't what I expected to see on the way to my car."
Kim nodded, and started up the bus, driving it out, without saying another word. If Bobby didn't want to talk about it, then that was his choice. She wasn't going to push him for explanations, and revelations on what he had been feeling, or whether or not he would be able to sleep the following night.
If he wanted to talk, then she was there to listen.
They had been warned at the start of the shift to be on their guard, and not go off alone, just in case this was a personal vendetta or something, and someone was out to take down the King & Arthur crew. That scared Kim a little, and she made a promise to herself there and then that she wouldn't go anywhere without Bobby at all today.
But remembering Bosco's brief account, Kim wasn't so sure that was enough.
* * *
Faith sat on her side of the squad car, and clung to her seat every now and then as Bosco took a corner too quickly or too sharply. He had been driving like a maniac since they had left the station, and it was starting to push her a little.
"You wanna slow it down? You're gonna cause an accident," she said to him without meeting his eyes as they flickered in her direction.
She felt the car slow noticeably, and she nodded her thanks, and let out a relaxed breath, allowing her body to loosen somewhat. That last thing she wanted right now was to be involved in a car accident.
"It's too much of a coincidence," Bosco mumbled quietly, only just on the verge of audible.
Faith looked to him for a moment, scanning his features for clues as to his deeper implication, before she inquired, "What do you mean?"
"Spencer and Hinds," Bosco replied abruptly, and then continued at once, "two partners taken out of action in the space of a day. A little odd, don't you think?"
Faith didn't want to believe that this was more than a coincidence. That thought frightened her more than she was willing to admit to her partner right now. After an instant of serious consideration, she responded, "Maybe they were both just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Her words were quiet, her intentions not to provoke Bosco, but to try and ease him. She failed, and she had known that before her voice had even sounded moments before.
"Are you kiddin' me? Something's not right here, Faith, and you know it. You're just in denial." He shook his head as his eyes stared out the windshield. He gripped the wheel in his gloved hands, and turned it a little too hard each time they took a corner.
Faith seriously considered for a moment that it might be wiser if she drove. She kept quiet though. "What do you want me to do, Bosco? We can't prove anything. People die in New York every day."
"How can you be so... blasé about this? You're usually so analytical about this sorta stuff."
Faith was amused by Bosco's mixed language for a moment, before she quickly reminded herself of the situation, and she shrugged. "I dunno, Bos', maybe I'm just not ready to face the possibility of someone out there hell-bent on killin' cops." She paused, eyes fixed on Bosco. "I don't know whether or not you noticed, Bos', but we happen to be wearin' NYPD uniforms."
Bosco sighed to himself, and gave a quick shake of his head, letting the conversation pass almost as quickly as it had started. He didn't say anything else for quite a while.
* * *
The bus was parked outside the restaurant, and he and Carlos were grabbing a bite to eat. It amazed him that he was even hungry, considering all the stuff that was going on around them recently.
Carlos had piled up a plate of foreign cuisine that Doc didn't even recognise, whereas he himself had settled for a light salad. He was picking at it, eating a forkful occasionally. He sporadically watched his partner eat heartily, seemingly unfazed by the events. Doc knew Carlos was just trying not to let it interfere with his work.
Doc sipped at his glass of chilled water, and ate another stab of salad, hearing Carlos speak to him.
"Is it me, or is it extremely quiet today?"
Doc looked to his partner, and nodded. "We get days like this sometimes. The day before, we've been run off our feet with calls, and then we get the next shift that just drags. You'll get used to it. You could use the opportunity to catch up on your studies."
"I'm not behind on my studies," Carlos corrected him before shovelling in more rice.
Doc sighed with a smile, remembering their polite conversation the previous shift, before he agreed, "Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm just forgetting things right now. It happens, you know?"
Carlos stared at him with understanding, then nodded.
Just as Doc was finishing off his food, he heard the call come over his radio.
"Adam 5-5-3, we've got an MVA on Roosevelt Square involving three vehicles."
Doc snatched up his radio and responded, "This is Adam 5-5-3. We got it."
Carlos nodded in preparation, ate another quick bite, and then left as Doc tossed some money on the table lightly to pay off their bill.
They entered the bus swiftly, and Doc drove them to the scene, lights and sirens flashing and wailing, causing traffic to move aside and pull over for them to pass.
Carlos had to call through the speaker for people to get out of their way twice, which surprised Doc, considering they usually never had to do such a thing. Drivers were normally extremely responsive when they saw an ambulance bearing down on them from behind.
They were soon at the scene of the accident, and Doc shook his head at the sight of three cars tangled together. The first was a black BMW, with a single person inside, who was writhing around and calling out for help. The second vehicle was an old rusted Ford, toppled over on its back, one side crushed in, the wheels still spinning as though someone had their foot pressed on the gas. Doc couldn't see anyone inside. The roof was caved in, and the windows smashed. The third and final car was a silver four-by- four, the large vehicle seemingly having veered off to avoid the other two, and colliding with a rather resilient lamppost. The hood was dented in badly, and steam was pouring out from beneath it. The front windshield was cracked in two places, and three people were inside, one of which did not move.
Another bus soon arrived on the scene, and Kim and Bobby leapt out from it.
Doc and Carlos moved to the first vehicle, and the second, the former taking the BMW, seeing that the man inside was dressed in a rather expensive suit with blood down one side of his young face. He was calling out for help, even though a paramedic was practically right beside him.
"Sir, I need for you to calm down now. We're here to help, we're going to get you out, okay?" Doc told the man gently, noticing he eased his calls almost at once. "Can you tell me where it hurts?"
The man nodded, and then winced, holding a hand up to touch his head. Doc stopped him. "My head mostly. Cracked my head on the dash when we hit. But my side's aching like crazy."
"Okay, we'll have you out of here in no time," Doc said with a smile, and then raised his head to glance over the roof of the car, calling to his partner, "Carlos, what have you got?"
Carlos emerged from crouching to peer into the toppled Ford, and he looked grave, before he slowly shook his head.
Doc sighed, and noticed Kim and Bobby at the third and final vehicle, just as the fire truck arrived. Jimmy, Sampson, and a couple of others leapt out, ready to help. Carlos moved over to tell them what was going on.
Kim yelled for help suddenly, able to open one side of the four-by- four. It was a woman, and she was sobbing frantically, reaching for what had to be her husband. He was slumped forward on the steering column, but he did not move. There was a child screaming in the back of the car, and Bobby was going about assessing the youngster's condition.
"Carlos, call for another rig!" Doc yelled, and saw his partner nod. Three patients, two busses... Doc was no mathematician, but he knew that didn't work in anybody's favour. They needed some help here.