Author's Note: Thanks for all your reviews. I have been having trouble coming up with an ending, but suddenly I got a few reviews, and I'm getting motivated. I hope you enjoy the turns this is going to take.
"Understanding Steven"
~Chapter Five~
[The day after the crash]
Martin has been called in early and is now in Lieutenant Swersky's office.
"Sit down Dale." Lieu says, motioning to a chair with his hand.
"This is about yesterday, right? I'm sorry Lieu...I forgot to turn my radio on after my dinner break. It was just an oversight. I guess I'm a little rusty. I've got to get back into the old habits again. I've been off for..."
"I want to know exactly what happened yesterday. Where were you?"
"I had some personal business to handle at dinner and it took a little longer than I expected."
"You should have told Gusler where you could be reached. More importantly...you need to have your radio on. Some of the other officers that responded were concerned about that."
"I know Lieu...like I said...It took longer than I expected. I thought I'd be back in an hour."
"So, where were you?"
"I had some personal business. I'd rather not discuss it."
"I see...how long were you gone?"
"I guess I was about a half hour, maybe an hour late. Look Lieu...I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to take some action on this Dale. You were away from your post, you were unreachable, and you put your partner in danger. That's unacceptable."
"Lieu, we were on traffic detail...who would have figured there would be trouble."
"You're a cop...you always have to expect trouble. What concerns me more is the fact that one of your fellow officers has expressed some concern to me, that you may be having some difficulties adjusting to being on the job again. It was suggested that you may need further counseling."
"Jesus Lieu. I've been in counseling for a year now. I'm over it for Christ's sake. It was Yokas that complained to you, wasn't it. She's over reacting."
"I'm not at liberty to say who voiced the concern. But it was just that...concern...it was not logged as a complaint."
"Yokas has a mother complex. She treats Gusler like he is one of her kids."
"I didn't say it was Yokas who complained...and that's not the point Dale. You broke a lot of rules yesterday and endangered your partner. You were not even there to accompany him to the hospital. Your RMP was destroyed. And on top of it all...you could not be reached by any of the officers that responded to your post. I have two choices here...I can either write you up for all of those violations, which would mean suspension, loss of pay, and an investigation by internal affairs which could lead to a dismissal...or...I can follow up on the recommendation that you need further counseling and were not ready to return to duty. That would mean that you go out on disability again, and get more counseling."
"Damn it Lieu...you can't do this to me. I don't need more crap in my life." He squirms around in his chair, trying to think of how he can get around this. "Ok Lieu...let me tell you where I was yesterday...I went to see my wife...she left me. She left because she was sick of the counseling. I wasn't working...always home...and it looked like they were never gonna clear me to go back to work. I'm ready...I've been ready. I went to see my wife to show her that I am back to work. To try and work things out. I want my life to just get back to normal."
"How did it go with your wife?"
"Great! She was really happy to see me in uniform. We talked about getting back together...I've been staying in an apartment. This will fuck it all up for me Lieu. Honest to God...what I need is to get out of counseling and go back to work. The problem is...you gave me the worst cop to work with. Gusler doesn't know what he's doing. I don't expect to get another partner that is as good as Maria was, but give me someone who can at least figure out how to get their gun out of their holster."
"I'm sorry Dale. This is too serious to overlook. I'm going to send you to talk to the counselor...meet with him as soon as you can, and on his recommendation, we'll see about getting you back on duty. For now...I need your badge and your weapon."
Martin stands up angrily and slams his badge down on the desk. He looks at Lieu for a moment, as if he's about to say something more, but he doesn't. He storms out of the office and heads towards the locker room.
******************
Faith has just arrived for work and sees Gusler at his locker.
"Steve...how do you feel? You could have taken today off ya know."
"No...I'm ok." He says nervously.
Suddenly the locker room door opens and Martin storms in. He sees Faith and starts yelling at her. "You just couldn't stay out of it could you! You son-of-a-bitch!"
Faith, along with everyone else, looks over at him and she says, "What the hell is your problem?"
"I don't like you Yokas. You just can't mind your own business."
Faith turns and walks towards him, and the other officers all start walking closer. "When you endanger another officer, I'm gonna make that my business."
He stalks up to her and barks, "I lost my partner because of you....but that wasn't enough. You just couldn't mind your own business. You won't be happy until I lose my job, will you."
She looks him sternly in the eye. "You...are mentally unstable. I'm not gonna listen to this shit." Then she turns to head to her locker.
"Don't you walk away from me!"
He rushes up to her, and as she turns back towards him, he shoves her hard into the lockers. She falls to her knees against the cages and as she tries to get to her feet he throws a punch to the side of her head, but Davis and Sully are suddenly there. Sully steps in front of Faith, and helps her to her feet, then blocks her from retaliating, and Davis grabs Martin by his arm and pulls him backwards away from Faith.
"Knock it off!" Sully barks, while Davis yells at Martin, "What the hell is wrong with you man?" Davis holds Martin back, as he reaches his arm around to grab at Faith.
Steve stands there in shock, staring with his mouth agape.
Martin says, "I'll kill you before I lose my job because of you..."
Steve is blinded with a flashback.
Suddenly, Steve is standing with Benny Ross in a warehouse. They were called to meet with two undercover cops that Benny said were from the 63rd . They were angry with Ross, and Steve didn't understand why...it was something that had happened before Ross was appointed to be his training officer.
Steve offered to wait in the car...thinking that it was a personal thing, but Ross said to come with him...he may need his help. This made Steve proud and scared at the same time...and he had a feeling that this would be a life changing experience for him. He was right.
The two men asked Ross who Steve was, and he answered that Steve was his new partner, and anything they had to say to Ross, they could say in front of Steve. The men told Steve that if he knew what was good for him, that he would leave now and get far away from Ross. Steve opted to stay...not really out of devotion, but out of fear that Ross would be mad at him for deserting.
The two men told Ross that they were being investigated, and that Ross would be too. For what, Steve did not know. They told Ross that he needed to lie and say that they were not with him, where ever the 'event' took place.
Ross told them he wouldn't lie, because that would leave him as the scapegoat for what ever illegal thing they were all involved in. Then the men jacked Ross up against the wall and threatened him. He still refused to do what they wanted. Then they got rough with him, and he yelled to Steve for help. Steve froze. He didn't know what to do, so he did nothing, except watch in horror as the two men bullied Ross for a while. Then they let him go with a warning to do as he was told.
Ross started to leave, but when he got near Steve...near the door, he bent down and pulled out a gun that was strapped to his leg and waved it at the men. He told them he 'would kill them before he lost his job because of them', and then he proceeded to fire the gun. He shot each man once and they fell over.
Steve was horrified. He started crying and backed himself into a corner so hard, he's surprised he didn't go clean through it. He then relieved himself. He heard what he thought was Ross crying, but when he finally opened his eyes, Ross was staring at him furiously. And the sound he heard was the two shot men...not crying...but laughing.
It was all a put on. Or as Ross explained it...a test...to see if Steve would defend his partner unconditionally, even over something that was possibly illegal...because that is what partners do. Ross was testing him to see if Steve had his back, and obviously, Steve failed the test.
Ross told him he was a disgrace. He was ashamed. He would not take him as a partner, and for that matter no one ever would. He told Steve that at the end of the shift they would go in to see Lieu and tell him that they had a mutual dislike for each other and needed to have new partners. If Steve was to mention anything about the test, Ross and probably all the other officers would beat the shit out of him. He also suggested that Steve quit the force.
Steve didn't quit...he was too ashamed to explain why, and since he worked the desk for a long time...it was never an issue. And then he worked with Faith. And she not only never tested him...like Ross said all cops do...but she was nice to him. She was patient, and really taught him things. And he was hopeful about being a cop for the first time...until Boscorelli came back and took her away again.
And now here he stands watching in horror as Martin threatens, and attacks Faith...the only true partner he's ever had. Martin is crazy...crazy enough to shoot her. And if this is some sort of test...he can not fail. Gusler begins shaking. His expression changes from fear to anger, and his eyes squint into a stern look of hatred.
Martin reaches around Ty and points a finger at Faith, and says again, "If I lose my job because of you...your dead!"
Gusler suddenly lunges at Martin, surprising everyone. And then Steve gives out a yell that can only be described as a war cry, and attacks Martin with a fury that even Steve didn't know he was capable of. He hit him square in the back, knocking Davis backward and throwing Martin, with Steve on his back, over the bench, and onto the floor. He was so angry that his hands were shaking as he grabbed him by the neck and tried to squeeze his miserable life out of him.
Davis tries to pull him off and finally, with the help of Sully, he does.
Martin gets to his feet, alarmed. All the fight has been knocked out of him being totally outnumbered.
Bosco walks in and looks around confused, "What's going on?"
Right behind him is Sergeant Christopher. "Five minutes to roll call." Christopher looks around, feeling the tension in the air. "What's happening here?"
"Nothing." Martin says. He and Yokas stare at each other intensely.
"Martin...what are you still doing here?"
"I came to get my coat."
"Then get it." He looks at the others and says, "The rest of you now have four minutes till roll call." Once everyone starts to disperse, he turns and walks to the door, and waits for Martin to follow before he leaves.
"Are you ok?" Sully asks Faith, who is wiping blood off of her left hand.
"Yah. I scraped my knuckles on the locker. Thanks Sully."
"What happened?" Bosco asks.
"Nothing." Faith says. "We're gonna be late for roll call."
He looks to Sully for an explanation. "That crazy bastard Martin. I don't think he should have come back to work."
"What did he do?"
"I'll tell ya later...we're late." Faith tells him
*******************
After handling a traffic stop and a fender bender, 55-David pulls off to get coffee. Faith is leaning against the car when Bosco walks over with two cups, and after handing her one, he leans next to her.
"So...you wanna tell me what happened in the locker room?"
"Martin is an asshole."
"Well...what did he do? How did you cut your hand?"
"I was talking to Gusler and he burst in and started yelling at me that I wasn't gonna cost him his job. He said I killed his last partner and that he'd kill me if he lost his job."
"Were you bitching at him about yesterday...because I told you..."
"Bosco...I asked Gusler if he was ok...you know...from yesterday, that's all. Then Martin came in and attacked me from behind."
"You mean he verbally attacked you?"
"No...I mean...I turned my back and he physically attacked me. Sully and Davis pulled him off of me. The guy is crazy. I think he's really lost his mind...I don't know what he was even talking about...he wasn't making sense."
"That son-of-a-bitch...why didn't you tell me? I would have..."
"You didn't have to...the weirdest thing happened..."
"What?"
"Steve jumped in and defended me."
"Gusler? Are you serious?"
"I never saw him like that...it was...scary."
"Go Steve!" Bosco says.
"I think Martin got suspended...I think that's what he was talking about. He thinks I reported him. I should have."
"Oh shit. This is all my fault."
"Why? What did you do?"
"I went to Lieu and said I didn't think he was fit for duty."
"You what! After all the lectures I got from you to stay out of it..."
"I know...but he...I saw him come out of a bar on my way to the hospital last night. That's why he wasn't with Gusler. I didn't tell Lieu that. Just...that I thought he needed more counseling. Lieu said he'd keep it anonymous. I didn't think he'd blame you."
"Blame me? He attacked me. Threatened to kill me."
"That Bastard...I'm gonna have a few words with him."
"No Bos...don't. The guy is a loaded gun. Just leave him alone now. Let the councilors handle it."
He doesn't argue with her...there's no reason to. He will handle it in his own way, when the time comes.
***** [Later that night - Closing time] *****
Martin staggers out of the bar and turns the corner heading to his car that is parked in a lot behind the building. He walks up to his car a little unsteady, and as he stoops over, trying to fit the key in the lock, he hears a familiar voice say, "Martin, I need to talk to you."
He turns, startled, but then his expression changes as he looks at the familiar face that has approached him. "What the hell do you want?" he growls.
"I understand that you threatened my partner." he says calmly.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" He barely got the question out when he is shoved hard against his car, and punched square in the nose. "Hey...back the fuck off, you asshole." He shouts in a slur, as he puts his hand up to his face. He looks at the blood on his hand that he wiped from his nose. "I'm gonna kick your ass, you little son-of..."
His eyes are now tearing from the punch and he never saw the nightstick before it made contact with the side of his head, spinning him around and causing him to drop face down onto his hood.
"Nobody threatens my partner...do you understand?"
"Fuck you." Martin says, trying to stand. He takes a swing at his attacker but he misses, and is punched hard in the face again. He slides off the hood and lands face down on the pavement in front of his car.
"Am I making myself clear? You stay away from Faith."
He rolls over and hisses at the man, "I'll fucken kill her...and you...you son-of-..." His words are stopped again by a kick to the face. He is just barely conscious as the officer crouches down and whispers to him that he just made a fatal mistake. "I don't like the way you've been treating Steve, and I could have stayed out of that, but I will never let you hurt Faith. You have just become extinct."
Martin was found the next morning, beaten to death.
***********
"Understanding Steven"
~Chapter Five~
[The day after the crash]
Martin has been called in early and is now in Lieutenant Swersky's office.
"Sit down Dale." Lieu says, motioning to a chair with his hand.
"This is about yesterday, right? I'm sorry Lieu...I forgot to turn my radio on after my dinner break. It was just an oversight. I guess I'm a little rusty. I've got to get back into the old habits again. I've been off for..."
"I want to know exactly what happened yesterday. Where were you?"
"I had some personal business to handle at dinner and it took a little longer than I expected."
"You should have told Gusler where you could be reached. More importantly...you need to have your radio on. Some of the other officers that responded were concerned about that."
"I know Lieu...like I said...It took longer than I expected. I thought I'd be back in an hour."
"So, where were you?"
"I had some personal business. I'd rather not discuss it."
"I see...how long were you gone?"
"I guess I was about a half hour, maybe an hour late. Look Lieu...I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to take some action on this Dale. You were away from your post, you were unreachable, and you put your partner in danger. That's unacceptable."
"Lieu, we were on traffic detail...who would have figured there would be trouble."
"You're a cop...you always have to expect trouble. What concerns me more is the fact that one of your fellow officers has expressed some concern to me, that you may be having some difficulties adjusting to being on the job again. It was suggested that you may need further counseling."
"Jesus Lieu. I've been in counseling for a year now. I'm over it for Christ's sake. It was Yokas that complained to you, wasn't it. She's over reacting."
"I'm not at liberty to say who voiced the concern. But it was just that...concern...it was not logged as a complaint."
"Yokas has a mother complex. She treats Gusler like he is one of her kids."
"I didn't say it was Yokas who complained...and that's not the point Dale. You broke a lot of rules yesterday and endangered your partner. You were not even there to accompany him to the hospital. Your RMP was destroyed. And on top of it all...you could not be reached by any of the officers that responded to your post. I have two choices here...I can either write you up for all of those violations, which would mean suspension, loss of pay, and an investigation by internal affairs which could lead to a dismissal...or...I can follow up on the recommendation that you need further counseling and were not ready to return to duty. That would mean that you go out on disability again, and get more counseling."
"Damn it Lieu...you can't do this to me. I don't need more crap in my life." He squirms around in his chair, trying to think of how he can get around this. "Ok Lieu...let me tell you where I was yesterday...I went to see my wife...she left me. She left because she was sick of the counseling. I wasn't working...always home...and it looked like they were never gonna clear me to go back to work. I'm ready...I've been ready. I went to see my wife to show her that I am back to work. To try and work things out. I want my life to just get back to normal."
"How did it go with your wife?"
"Great! She was really happy to see me in uniform. We talked about getting back together...I've been staying in an apartment. This will fuck it all up for me Lieu. Honest to God...what I need is to get out of counseling and go back to work. The problem is...you gave me the worst cop to work with. Gusler doesn't know what he's doing. I don't expect to get another partner that is as good as Maria was, but give me someone who can at least figure out how to get their gun out of their holster."
"I'm sorry Dale. This is too serious to overlook. I'm going to send you to talk to the counselor...meet with him as soon as you can, and on his recommendation, we'll see about getting you back on duty. For now...I need your badge and your weapon."
Martin stands up angrily and slams his badge down on the desk. He looks at Lieu for a moment, as if he's about to say something more, but he doesn't. He storms out of the office and heads towards the locker room.
******************
Faith has just arrived for work and sees Gusler at his locker.
"Steve...how do you feel? You could have taken today off ya know."
"No...I'm ok." He says nervously.
Suddenly the locker room door opens and Martin storms in. He sees Faith and starts yelling at her. "You just couldn't stay out of it could you! You son-of-a-bitch!"
Faith, along with everyone else, looks over at him and she says, "What the hell is your problem?"
"I don't like you Yokas. You just can't mind your own business."
Faith turns and walks towards him, and the other officers all start walking closer. "When you endanger another officer, I'm gonna make that my business."
He stalks up to her and barks, "I lost my partner because of you....but that wasn't enough. You just couldn't mind your own business. You won't be happy until I lose my job, will you."
She looks him sternly in the eye. "You...are mentally unstable. I'm not gonna listen to this shit." Then she turns to head to her locker.
"Don't you walk away from me!"
He rushes up to her, and as she turns back towards him, he shoves her hard into the lockers. She falls to her knees against the cages and as she tries to get to her feet he throws a punch to the side of her head, but Davis and Sully are suddenly there. Sully steps in front of Faith, and helps her to her feet, then blocks her from retaliating, and Davis grabs Martin by his arm and pulls him backwards away from Faith.
"Knock it off!" Sully barks, while Davis yells at Martin, "What the hell is wrong with you man?" Davis holds Martin back, as he reaches his arm around to grab at Faith.
Steve stands there in shock, staring with his mouth agape.
Martin says, "I'll kill you before I lose my job because of you..."
Steve is blinded with a flashback.
Suddenly, Steve is standing with Benny Ross in a warehouse. They were called to meet with two undercover cops that Benny said were from the 63rd . They were angry with Ross, and Steve didn't understand why...it was something that had happened before Ross was appointed to be his training officer.
Steve offered to wait in the car...thinking that it was a personal thing, but Ross said to come with him...he may need his help. This made Steve proud and scared at the same time...and he had a feeling that this would be a life changing experience for him. He was right.
The two men asked Ross who Steve was, and he answered that Steve was his new partner, and anything they had to say to Ross, they could say in front of Steve. The men told Steve that if he knew what was good for him, that he would leave now and get far away from Ross. Steve opted to stay...not really out of devotion, but out of fear that Ross would be mad at him for deserting.
The two men told Ross that they were being investigated, and that Ross would be too. For what, Steve did not know. They told Ross that he needed to lie and say that they were not with him, where ever the 'event' took place.
Ross told them he wouldn't lie, because that would leave him as the scapegoat for what ever illegal thing they were all involved in. Then the men jacked Ross up against the wall and threatened him. He still refused to do what they wanted. Then they got rough with him, and he yelled to Steve for help. Steve froze. He didn't know what to do, so he did nothing, except watch in horror as the two men bullied Ross for a while. Then they let him go with a warning to do as he was told.
Ross started to leave, but when he got near Steve...near the door, he bent down and pulled out a gun that was strapped to his leg and waved it at the men. He told them he 'would kill them before he lost his job because of them', and then he proceeded to fire the gun. He shot each man once and they fell over.
Steve was horrified. He started crying and backed himself into a corner so hard, he's surprised he didn't go clean through it. He then relieved himself. He heard what he thought was Ross crying, but when he finally opened his eyes, Ross was staring at him furiously. And the sound he heard was the two shot men...not crying...but laughing.
It was all a put on. Or as Ross explained it...a test...to see if Steve would defend his partner unconditionally, even over something that was possibly illegal...because that is what partners do. Ross was testing him to see if Steve had his back, and obviously, Steve failed the test.
Ross told him he was a disgrace. He was ashamed. He would not take him as a partner, and for that matter no one ever would. He told Steve that at the end of the shift they would go in to see Lieu and tell him that they had a mutual dislike for each other and needed to have new partners. If Steve was to mention anything about the test, Ross and probably all the other officers would beat the shit out of him. He also suggested that Steve quit the force.
Steve didn't quit...he was too ashamed to explain why, and since he worked the desk for a long time...it was never an issue. And then he worked with Faith. And she not only never tested him...like Ross said all cops do...but she was nice to him. She was patient, and really taught him things. And he was hopeful about being a cop for the first time...until Boscorelli came back and took her away again.
And now here he stands watching in horror as Martin threatens, and attacks Faith...the only true partner he's ever had. Martin is crazy...crazy enough to shoot her. And if this is some sort of test...he can not fail. Gusler begins shaking. His expression changes from fear to anger, and his eyes squint into a stern look of hatred.
Martin reaches around Ty and points a finger at Faith, and says again, "If I lose my job because of you...your dead!"
Gusler suddenly lunges at Martin, surprising everyone. And then Steve gives out a yell that can only be described as a war cry, and attacks Martin with a fury that even Steve didn't know he was capable of. He hit him square in the back, knocking Davis backward and throwing Martin, with Steve on his back, over the bench, and onto the floor. He was so angry that his hands were shaking as he grabbed him by the neck and tried to squeeze his miserable life out of him.
Davis tries to pull him off and finally, with the help of Sully, he does.
Martin gets to his feet, alarmed. All the fight has been knocked out of him being totally outnumbered.
Bosco walks in and looks around confused, "What's going on?"
Right behind him is Sergeant Christopher. "Five minutes to roll call." Christopher looks around, feeling the tension in the air. "What's happening here?"
"Nothing." Martin says. He and Yokas stare at each other intensely.
"Martin...what are you still doing here?"
"I came to get my coat."
"Then get it." He looks at the others and says, "The rest of you now have four minutes till roll call." Once everyone starts to disperse, he turns and walks to the door, and waits for Martin to follow before he leaves.
"Are you ok?" Sully asks Faith, who is wiping blood off of her left hand.
"Yah. I scraped my knuckles on the locker. Thanks Sully."
"What happened?" Bosco asks.
"Nothing." Faith says. "We're gonna be late for roll call."
He looks to Sully for an explanation. "That crazy bastard Martin. I don't think he should have come back to work."
"What did he do?"
"I'll tell ya later...we're late." Faith tells him
*******************
After handling a traffic stop and a fender bender, 55-David pulls off to get coffee. Faith is leaning against the car when Bosco walks over with two cups, and after handing her one, he leans next to her.
"So...you wanna tell me what happened in the locker room?"
"Martin is an asshole."
"Well...what did he do? How did you cut your hand?"
"I was talking to Gusler and he burst in and started yelling at me that I wasn't gonna cost him his job. He said I killed his last partner and that he'd kill me if he lost his job."
"Were you bitching at him about yesterday...because I told you..."
"Bosco...I asked Gusler if he was ok...you know...from yesterday, that's all. Then Martin came in and attacked me from behind."
"You mean he verbally attacked you?"
"No...I mean...I turned my back and he physically attacked me. Sully and Davis pulled him off of me. The guy is crazy. I think he's really lost his mind...I don't know what he was even talking about...he wasn't making sense."
"That son-of-a-bitch...why didn't you tell me? I would have..."
"You didn't have to...the weirdest thing happened..."
"What?"
"Steve jumped in and defended me."
"Gusler? Are you serious?"
"I never saw him like that...it was...scary."
"Go Steve!" Bosco says.
"I think Martin got suspended...I think that's what he was talking about. He thinks I reported him. I should have."
"Oh shit. This is all my fault."
"Why? What did you do?"
"I went to Lieu and said I didn't think he was fit for duty."
"You what! After all the lectures I got from you to stay out of it..."
"I know...but he...I saw him come out of a bar on my way to the hospital last night. That's why he wasn't with Gusler. I didn't tell Lieu that. Just...that I thought he needed more counseling. Lieu said he'd keep it anonymous. I didn't think he'd blame you."
"Blame me? He attacked me. Threatened to kill me."
"That Bastard...I'm gonna have a few words with him."
"No Bos...don't. The guy is a loaded gun. Just leave him alone now. Let the councilors handle it."
He doesn't argue with her...there's no reason to. He will handle it in his own way, when the time comes.
***** [Later that night - Closing time] *****
Martin staggers out of the bar and turns the corner heading to his car that is parked in a lot behind the building. He walks up to his car a little unsteady, and as he stoops over, trying to fit the key in the lock, he hears a familiar voice say, "Martin, I need to talk to you."
He turns, startled, but then his expression changes as he looks at the familiar face that has approached him. "What the hell do you want?" he growls.
"I understand that you threatened my partner." he says calmly.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" He barely got the question out when he is shoved hard against his car, and punched square in the nose. "Hey...back the fuck off, you asshole." He shouts in a slur, as he puts his hand up to his face. He looks at the blood on his hand that he wiped from his nose. "I'm gonna kick your ass, you little son-of..."
His eyes are now tearing from the punch and he never saw the nightstick before it made contact with the side of his head, spinning him around and causing him to drop face down onto his hood.
"Nobody threatens my partner...do you understand?"
"Fuck you." Martin says, trying to stand. He takes a swing at his attacker but he misses, and is punched hard in the face again. He slides off the hood and lands face down on the pavement in front of his car.
"Am I making myself clear? You stay away from Faith."
He rolls over and hisses at the man, "I'll fucken kill her...and you...you son-of-..." His words are stopped again by a kick to the face. He is just barely conscious as the officer crouches down and whispers to him that he just made a fatal mistake. "I don't like the way you've been treating Steve, and I could have stayed out of that, but I will never let you hurt Faith. You have just become extinct."
Martin was found the next morning, beaten to death.
***********
