Crash and Burn

Chapter 2 – Fifteen Minutes of Fame

At the station, the first task of the day was to brief all the officers involved in the surveillance exercise on what they were looking out for. Goldsmith had been able to provide them with vague descriptions of the men he had seen loitering around his house on several occasions and so these were relayed to the men and women involved in the hope that any of the suspects foolish enough to return would be apprehended immediately. Very few cops actually liked going on surveillance and so in compromise for enlisting the services of the other officers, Ryo and Dee had agreed to take the late shift, which neither man was particularly looking forward to.

The day dragged on as the two detectives worked at the station, periodically fielding calls from the current surveillance team who had very little of interest to report. As the detectives heading the investigation, there was little they could do other than research into the activities of the notorious De Luca family. Dee was becoming increasingly belligerent as Commissioner Rose continued to query exactly what they were doing for their part in the investigation and so Ryo was extremely relieved when nine pm rolled around and they left the station to take over the watch at the Goldsmith's mansion.

"You know," Dee said sometime later when idle conversation was about the only thing keeping them awake as they sat in the car watching the minutes ticking slowly by, "There are people out there in their seventies and eighties who still smoke and have never got lung cancer and then you get a twenty year old, fit as a fiddle, who gets hit by a bus and killed. Life's one big gamble anyway Ryo."

The blond man frowned as Dee lit yet another cigarette, drew on it with a great amount of satisfaction and blew the smoke out of the window he had opened just a crack to stop the car being filled with the acrid fumes. "Let's change the subject," Ryo muttered, hating the way Dee was so resistant to stopping this unhealthy vice whenever he mentioned it.

"No problem," Dee agreed. "My subject."

"Fine."

"Okay… who was the first person you ever fantasised about?"

"What?!" Even in the darkness, Dee could tell Ryo was blushing.

"Yeah, you know. Who was the first person you ever had a crush on?"

Seeing his lover was waiting expectantly for an answer, Ryo sighed deeply in resignation. "His name was Ken and he was the star athlete at my high school."

"Really?" Dee replied, clearly interested as he turned in his seat to get a better look at his partner. "What did he look like?"

Ryo looked thoughtful for a moment as he recalled the face that he had fawned over for several years when he had first begun to question his sexuality. "It sounds clichéd but he was tall dark and handsome. Deep blue-green eyes and shaggy brown hair..."

"… and totally straight, yeah?"

"Actually no," Ryo replied with a smile, "Totally out of the blue he outted himself at graduation and as far as I know he's still living with the same guy that he got together with at high school."

"Wow," Dee said, clearly impressed. "So you could have been in with a chance after all."

"But then I might not have met you," Ryo reminded him.

"Good point."

There was a pause where each man fell into quiet reflection until Ryo said finally. "Okay, your turn. Who was your first crush?"

Dee opened his mouth to speak but stopped as something caught his attention and his eyes narrowed in response as he tried to see it better. "Ryo," he said quietly, his stare never wavering, "can you see something out there?"

"Oh no," Ryo replied, assuming Dee was joking, "you can't get out of it that easily…"

"I'm serious!" Dee muttered through gritted teeth as he nodded in the direction of the movement.

Only ever needing telling once, Ryo straightened up in his seat and followed Dee's stare to where he too could see movement just beyond the open gate. "Security guards?" he asked doubtfully.

"Shouldn't be," Dee replied as he stubbed out his cigarette and checked the weapon in his shoulder holster. "The grounds are monitored from within the house at night."

Ryo nodded, having checked those particular details himself earlier that day. "Let's go and check it out then." For the first time since Dee had mentioned seeing something Ryo glanced across at his partner, a grim expression creasing his handsome features. This was the part of police work that left him with a total feeling of ambivalence; he couldn't deny that chasing down bad guys was exhilarating but the awareness that either he or the man he loved with all his heart might not make it out alive was almost unbearable. Sensing his partner's reluctance, Dee reached across and took Ryo's hand. "Come on," he said, "This is what we're good at right?"

Ryo smiled and nodded as he reached for the door handle, his gun already drawn. "Yeah, let's go so we can get back and you can tell me all about that first crush."

Dee laughed as he also drew his weapon but his merriment soon faded as they prepared to face the unknown yet again. They managed to open the car doors without alerting the suspicious shadows crouched further up the perimeter wall but the floor surface they stepped out onto was not conducive to stealth and the intruders quickly realised that their presence had been detected.

"Police, freeze!" Ryo yelled as the shadows, of which they counted two, set off running towards the street with the two detectives in hot pursuit. The chase took them away from the affluent street Henry Goldsmith lived on towards the more seedy part of town, where the suspects no doubt hoped to lose their pursuers in the maze of alleyways and poorly-lit streets. As they rounded another corner Dee was leading slightly, his tall athletic figure helping to shorten the distance between him and the fleeing suspects. They had long since given up commanding the men to stop; they were obviously guilty of something and had no intentions of being caught despite the knowledge that the two men chasing them had guns. They were still in sight as the chase took them into the yard behind a row of boarded up shops. As they were starting to tire slightly, the two detectives were relieved to see that the yard appeared to be a dead end but their relief was short-lived as the suspects used a rusting dumpster to scale the wall and disappear over the other side. Taking their lead, Dee did the same, quickly followed by Ryo; the two men bracing themselves for the landing as they dropped down into the alleyway beyond. They landed almost simultaneously but as Ryo straightened up to begin the pursuit anew, Dee crumpled to the ground, clutching his right leg, clearly in a lot of pain.

"Ahhh, shit!" he cried, holding the damaged appendage, his gun lying forgotten at his side.

"What's wrong?" Ryo asked, instantly down on the floor beside his fallen lover.

"Never mind," Dee urged through gritted teeth, "Don't let them get away."

Knowing he had to make a split-second decision, Ryo set off running, calling back to reassure Dee that he would return as soon as possible. It was several long moments before the pain eased enough for Dee to haul himself into a sitting position and when he did, the movement was accompanied by much unrestrained profanity since his lover wasn't around to hear it. Staring distastefully at the mud now coating his long black overcoat and trousers, he re-holstered his gun and debated what he should do. An attempt at standing up was quickly abandoned when the white-hot pain returned and Dee braced himself against the wall he had just jumped off as he waited for the stars that danced before his eyes to disappear. Knowing there was little he could do while he was unable to walk he contented himself with a cigarette, while silently praying that Ryo was okay. The minutes ticked by with agonising slowness until Dee was greeted by the blue flashing lights of an ambulance that edged its way up the alleyway towards him. An emergency worker jumped out as Dee stubbed out his cigarette and shielded his eyes against the glare of the headlights. "Detective Latener?" he asked as he came to kneel beside the injured man.

"That's me," Dee replied, somewhat embarrassed by his predicament as the paramedic set his bag down in preparation to treat him, but relieved at the same time that Ryo must be safe if he'd managed to send help. "I've done something to my leg."

"Your partner said you broke it last year?" the man queried as he began to palpate the limb.

"Yeah," Dee replied, then hissed as the man hit a tender spot. "I guess jumping off that wall wasn't the greatest way to help it heal."

The man offered Dee a wry smile as he took in the height of the wall behind the fallen detective. "Not really," he laughed as he concluded his examination. "Well it doesn't feel broken but we better get it x-rayed to be on the safe side. I'll just go and get a splint so we can get you to hospital," he said, standing and heading back towards the ambulance. He returned promptly and fitted the brace, held in place with wide strips of Velcro, before helping Dee to stand. "I'll give you a couple of painkillers to take when we get you in the van," the paramedic said, seeing Dee's pinched expression as they inched their way towards the back of the stationary vehicle.

Two hours later in the emergency room of the All Saints Hospital, Ryo stood as the double doors opened and Dee emerged, on crutches, wearing a full length leg brace and a large scowl across his handsome features. His green eyes flashed with annoyance, which Ryo correctly attributed to him receiving a severe dressing down for not taking better care of himself from the doctor that had set and pinned his broken leg only several months previously. "Well?" Ryo asked, anxious to know what the damage was.

"It's not broken," Dee replied flatly. "But I need to keep it strapped up for a few weeks."

Ryo sighed in relief as they started down the corridor towards the exit. Now he could stop worrying about Dee he was hit by the realisation that he really needed to get some rest. Dee caught him stifling a yawn and smiled. "You could have gone home you know. I'd have got a taxi back."

Ryo looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. He's no sooner have let Dee make his own way home from the hospital than he'd have gone to work naked. Sensing this, Dee smiled. "So now we've determined I'm gonna survive, you wanna tell me what happened?"

Ryo held the door as Dee hobbled out towards the parking lot. "There's not much to tell really. I caught up with them because one of them had got his leg caught in some barbed wire. I arrested him but the other one got away."

"Still, one out of two's not bad," Dee said, knowing Ryo would be giving himself a hard time for not apprehending both suspects when he had chance. There was a moment of silence where Dee could tell something was troubling his blond lover as they reached the car.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you," Ryo said suddenly, confirming Dee's suspicions as to the reason for his worried expression. "I didn't know what to do."

Dee paused, his hand on the open car door as he gazed across the roof to where Ryo stood, fiddling anxiously with the car keys. "You did exactly what you had to do," he said firmly, "You'd have felt even worse if you'd let them get away because I'd sprained a few muscles."

Seemingly eased by Dee's words, Ryo smiled gratefully at his handsome lover before he climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine.

The following day, the two men headed into work to re-interview their suspect. Ryo had questioned him briefly following his arrest but had decided to leave the full interview until Dee could participate too.  The ebony haired man sat quiet in the passenger seat as Ryo drove, still grumbling at his lover's insistence that he bring his crutches into work. To Dee, the metal sticks were a sign of vulnerability that he could do without but he had been forced to concede that, in order to move around comfortably, he would have to rely on them for the next few days at least. He was also wearing the brace that the physiotherapist had provided after the original break but had never made use of, which fortunately fitted under his ordinary work trousers, giving the weakened limb a little strength and support.

As they arrived at the precinct, they pulled into the parking lot to find a large group of journalists and television reporters milling around the main entrance, clutching their tools of the trade waiting for that all important scoop. Ryo glanced across at Dee and frowned, unable to think what current cases would cause such media interest unless…

"You don't think they know about the Goldsmith case?" he asked suddenly, certain that it would be deemed in the public interest if the information was to have been leaked out.

His question was answered but not by Dee as one of the reporters turned, pointed and said something to his assembled colleagues before they all converged on the car. "Quick," Dee said, grabbing his crutches and flinging open the door. "If we stay here we'll never get away from them." As they headed towards the steps at the front of the building, the cacophony of questions began, confirming the detectives' suspicions that the Goldsmith case was about to become big news.

"Detective McLain! Can you confirm Henry Goldsmith Senior and his family were the targets of a kidnapping plot recently?"

"Will you give us an interview, please detective!"

"Is it true you have one of the suspects in custody?"

"Detective McLain, Channel Ten news, can you tell us how you caught the intruder single handed? Were you in fear of your life?"

As they battled their way through the melee, it became clear that the reporters were only interested in Ryo who, according to their sources, had been the one to apprehend the suspect. Like a pack of vultures they had quickly encircled their prey, almost knocking Dee over as he balanced on his crutches watching their actions in disbelief. It was as if he was invisible; evidently he wasn't worth talking to since he hadn't done anything heroic. Shaking his head and muttering several curses under his breath, he changed direction and headed towards the side entrance, not willing to risk being knocked over by the frenetic individuals in pursuit of a front page headline. He punched the code into the door and had just reached the foyer when Ryo came in through the main doors, finally managing to lock the madness outside. He looked flustered and red-faced as he swept a hand through his blond hair before his eyes lit on Dee and his expression changed to one of relief.

"Well, did you give them the whole heroic story?" Dee said, slightly caustically as he hobbled towards the stairs.

"No actually," Ryo replied, sensing Dee's anger. "I told them they were very rude for blocking my injured partner's way into work."

Dee smiled slightly, his annoyance diminishing somewhat knowing Ryo would have done so with a certain amount of indignation. "I wonder how they found out?" he mused as they climbed the stairs to their office, Ryo carrying both their briefcases as he followed in Dee's wake.

They entered the office to find Drake and some of the other detectives hunched over the small portable television set balanced on a stack of files in the corner of the room. When they heard the door open, the group of men spun around, their faces lighting up when they realised who it was. "Just in time!" Drake laughed as he cradled his coffee cup between his fingers. "Ryo, you're just about to make your television debut!"

Ryo and Dee exchanged puzzled glances as they hurried into the room, the sea of men parting to allow them a better view of the television. The news reader on the screen finished the last article and paused before she started on the next segment. "And coming up after the break, Henry Goldsmith Senior gives his first exclusive interview after the revelation that his family were subjects of a kidnapping plot, foiled single-handedly by this man." A picture then flashed up on screen of Ryo, causing the assembled men to cheer and jest that they could have picked a more flattering shot as the channel went to the ad break. Ryo looked horrified as Dee's expression remained unreadable.

"Hey Latener," Detective Stanford said with a laugh, "How does it feel to have a hero for a boyfriend?"

"Yeah," one of the other men chipped in. "Good job McLain was around or Peg Leg here would have let them get away!"

"Easy now guys," Drake said, sensing Dee's volatility as he threw down the crutches and sat down heavily in his seat. The two men had been good friends for a long time and Drake knew when Dee was not for joking around; this being one of those times. Before anyone could say anything further, the door opened again, this time admitting Commissioner Rose who came and sat on the desk, partially obscuring Dee's view of the screen. "Sir," Ryo said as he caught the man's attention. "What's going on? Why has Henry Goldsmith gone public?"

Looking not the least bit fazed by his colleague's concern, the Commissioner shrugged his shoulders and offered Ryo a reassuring smile. "He thought by bringing it to public attention he might stop the De Lucas from trying anything else until the deal has gone through."

"So he's using it to his advantage?"

Rose nodded. "I'm sorry Ryo, I don't like it any more than you," he said not sounding like he meant it at all. "I advised him against it but he thought it was the best thing to do. You'll just have to get used to a few days of public glory and adoration." He offered the blond man a sickly smile as the ad break ended and Ryo's image flashed up again on the screen. "Nice picture. You look… very handsome."

Ryo inwardly cringed as he turned to Dee for support only to find the other man scratching angrily at a spot on his desk, glaring at the piece of furniture as if he was trying to make it explode by the sheer force of his will alone. The interview with Henry Goldsmith lasted approximately five minutes, in which time he heaped praise on the actions of the brave Detective McLain, never once mentioning the partner who had also been prepared to put his life on the line in the name of duty and protection of the innocent. After it had finished, they flicked channels and found that the story dominated most of the programmes there too. Eventually the television was switched off and the other men returned to their duties leaving Dee and Ryo alone in the office in uncomfortable silence. Dee had chain-smoked his way through half a packet of cigarettes before Ryo finally broke the deadlock. "I didn't ask for any of this," he said quietly, his dark eyes both pleading for Dee's acceptance and yet defiant that he himself had done nothing wrong.

"I know," Dee replied, still unable to grace Ryo with any eye contact. "I just hate being made to feel so useless."

Ryo reached across the desk and took up Dee's hand before he could pull another cigarette out of the packet. "You're not useless. You just got hurt."

"But how can I be a cop if I'm in danger of this happening every time we have to try and apprehend someone?" he asked, finally looking straight into Ryo's face as if he expected to find the answers there.

"You were just unlucky; you obviously haven't healed fully yet," Ryo said, trying to offer as much reassurance as he could to his troubled lover. "If this had happened maybe three weeks later, your leg might have been able to handle it, who knows?"

"And maybe it would have still happened even if the situation had occurred six months later," Dee replied, clearly not consoled as he stood and took up the wretched crutches, glaring at them hatefully. "I need some air," he muttered, and then he was gone, leaving Ryo staring at his retreating form in dismay.

TBC…