Shots In The Rain

A "Magna Carta: Tears of blood" AU story

Note: Since this story was written for a Film Noir contest, it is kinda different from what I usually write – I hope that you'll still enjoy it and will drop me a review!

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Atlus.

Chapter 1

Rain

It was just another of thosedays that go on forever; no real beginning, no real goal to work for. The prospect of going home was as dull as the prospect of having to go to work again in the morning. I considered sleeping in my office – it didn't look less chaotic and comfortable than my flat, anyway.

The rain had been dripping at the windowpane mercilessly for hours now, filling the room with a monotonous melody of gloominess. I had been looking at her picture, again, like I had done too many times lately and the rain was a fitting companion – it always seemed to me like the falling drops were the tears I seemed unable to shed… I blamed the dirty rain for being able to cry when I couldn't and that's why I hated it even more. There had been a time when I liked the rain, though. I had believed then that it could wash the town clean – but then I realized that when the little drops splash apart on the ground of the city, they get as dirty as the streets.

It was the same with our dreams – once they burst, there was nothing left but a filthy mass that filled our mind and heart…

"Mano, what's the matter? You were supposed to report this morning, remember?" A voice dragged me out of my self-dug pit.

Mano… Only one person still called me by that name: Hugo Agreian, one of the best cops in Notia. He was ambitious but still had a kind heart; he was trustworthy and composed and I was fortunate enough to be able to call him my only and best friend. Unfortunately, in his position as Major at Lester Department, he was also my boss and had a right to be pissed off about me, since I hadn't shown up that morning in his office…

"I'm sorry," I told him and truly meant it. "But honestly, I didn't know what to report… You know that there haven't been any new cases lately."

He pointed at my desk that was covered with a dusty mess of papers, unopened letters and files. "There is a bunch of new cases, but you don't seem to be interested in them. That cannot go on, Mano. I know how you feel, but you are a Captain! The Chief wants to know what you – what we – are doing here for our money and right now I don't know what I should tell him!"

"These are no cases, only jokes." I picked up a file and read it to him aloud: " 'Mrs. Justina Born, Amabat Str. 4, has reason to believe that her prize-winning tom cat by the name of Raul has been stolen.'" I threw the paper onto the pile again. "Hugo, this here is the section for organized criminality and corruption, not for petty offences! I'll tell you what we should be doing for our money – we should go out and destroy this damn Yason clan, once and for all!"

The mention of the name "Yason" never failed to set my blood boiling – nowadays it was, next to whiskey, probably the only thing that gave my life a meaning. The Yason family was one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Notia – and a criminal network that spanned over the whole city and suffocated it. Corruption, black-mail, smuggling, murder – you name a crime and you could be sure that someone of the Yason was caught up in it. Hundreds of files in my and Hugo's file cabinets were about the atrocities of this mafia-like clan, but most of these cases had never been closed. Every time we had tried to bring a Yason before court, witnesses disappeared, victims withdrew their accusations or one of the city fathers himself paid the bail for the arrested culprit – the Yason had good connections.

The clan saw itself in the role of the great benefactor of Notia – they owned companies, bars and restaurants and offered plenty of jobs to anyone who wasn't asking many questions. Notia's government shut their eyes to their doings as long as they kept the city calm and held the other clans at bay.

I knew, though, that the Yason were not the gentlemen gangsters they were playing – they were cold killers and, in my opinion, lower than the lowest robber.

"Mano, I know how you feel – I want to get my hands on them, too," Hugo said, "But in order to do that we need this section and if we don't show them that we are working, they'll transfer us to another department!"

I did my best not to laugh out loud – Hugo knew, as well as I, that Lester Department was no longer what it once had been. It had been founded during a time when the city wasn't as depressed and engrossed in corruption as it was now; in a time when the people had cared for the truth and had been willing to stand up for what they believed in. I had been one of those people, too – but then, with the election of a new government and the rise of the Yason, the downfall of Notia and Lester Department had begun. Only to give the citizens a false sense of safety, they hadn't closed the section for criminal corruption yet, but had "only" limited our authority severly. We were like fish in a bowl– we could see the outside world, but couldn't influence it.

"If you don't want to take on some of the smaller cases, I have another job for you. The chief informed me that we have a new officer… He's waiting outside. Take care of him before Sergeant Haren does, will you?" Hugo said, grinning.

"They sent us a new officer? Was it a transfer for disciplinary reasons?" I sneered sarcastically. "Anyways, what am I supposed to teach him? How to reach the sad state I'm in?"

"Captain Calintz," Hugo put a hand on my shoulder and gave me an encouraging glance, "you are still my best man and there's a lot you can teach this young officer. I want you to make of him a good addition for our section. You could straighten out your trench coat, though – if you refuse to wear a uniform, at least try to take care of your street clothes." His tone was official, but his mouth was smiling. Before he left the room, he gave one last look at the picture on my desk.

"As hard as it is, you have to move on, Mano. She wouldn't want you to feel responsible forever. And the next time you have an appointment with me, I'd like you to appear in my office regardless of whether there is something to report or not. I'm also your friend, you know, and we can just talk, as well…"

"Thanks, Hugo..." I knew that he only wanted to help me – after her death he had been the one who had saved me from giving up my job by talking the Chief into making me Captain. Otherwise, I would have probably landed in the gutter and drowned in alcohol – now I was only drowning in bitterness and boredom, although occasionally I still preferred a drink to it. Maybe more than occasionally. Right now, I felt like deadening my senses with a stiff drink, too, but I had to follow Hugo's orders – I did not want to let him down, again.

It was enough that I had let her down.

xxx

In the hallway the rhythmic clatter of a typewriter greeted me, but then was drowned out by a loud voice:

"What shit is that? Yamean to tell me that I have to work together with this little kid? He's even skinnier than Calintz!" That not really flattering comment – I had to admit that I didn't look like the most muscular of men, although size did not say anything about strength – could come from no other but Sergeant Haren, one of the people who was unfortunate enough to work with me.

"Do I have to remind you that it was the "skinny" Captain that beat you last time in training?"

The calm voice who defended me belonged to Eonis, secretary and always reliable girl-for-everything at Lester Department. She had the rare ability to pacify even the most heated character and was also the only one who really got along with Haren.

The clattering of the typewriter stopped as I entered the lobby. Eonis greeted me with a friendly nod, looking pretty as usual with her perfectly fitting grey outfit and her brown hair that was neatly styled inwaves after the newest fashion. Hugo had once remarked that if Haren had as much brain as he had muscles he would have made her a marriage proposal long ago. From the way Eonis was always smiling even at Haren's most offensive remarks, I was sure that she would agree immediately, although I wondered if she wasn't too good for him.

Haren was leaning on the wall with crossed arms and was looking reproachfully in my direction. He was a grim and muscular giant and it was a mystery to me where they had found a uniform for him big enough to fit. Due to his uncontrollable violent temper, Sergeant "The Bull" Haren, as he was called respectfully and fearfully from both police officers and criminals, had been sent for disciplinary reasons to this section half a year ago. The change had not really calmed down his temper, though – in fact his hate for the Yason was nearly as big as mine. One year ago, his fiancée, Felicia, had gotten caught in a shooting between two clans and had died. Since that time Haren had secretly sworn to destroy every clan in town.

"Why are they sending us someone new?" Haren complained. "I thought they wanted to close this section?" For the first time I noticed the black haired, slim officer that was standing next to the Sergeant – he looked very young, nearly like a child.

"Captain Calintz, this is Officer Azel. He volunteered for the job here." Eonis informed me and started to type again.

"Volunteered, eh?" I took Azel's file from Eonis' desk and scanned it. "It says here that you were under the top three of the Police Academy absolvents. You had a great career waiting for you, so why did you choose to work here?"

Working in our section was a road to nowhere – that was if you were lucky. If you were unlucky, it could even be the road to ruin.

The new policeman took a step towards me and saluted. "Captain Calintz, Sir, I wanted to work under you! You are my idol!"

My lips cracked into a little smile. Another one who believed that the "old" Calintz still existed: an ambitious young policeman who believed in his work and in justice and who had solved the cases quickly, and had risen in rank even quicker. He had lived in the old Notia, in other times, however, and those were long gone. It seemed that Azel had not realized this, yet, and thus I decided to dampen his enthusiasm a little:

"Well, Officer, let's see if you are fit for the kind of work you will sooner or later do here. Take the following question into account: You were able to track down a clan head. After an exchange of fire, you have only one bullet left, but are still surrounded by several armed gangsters and the boss. How do you escape this situation?"

"I hope that other units will come to my aid. In the meantime, I try to negotiate to buy time," Azel answered.

"Wrong, kid!" Haren let out a disdainful chuckle. "You wait for a backup? Boy, if any cop in this town realizes that you have tracked down a clan boss, he will take to his heels and do everything possible not to get involved in the affair. No sane person will risk his rank and, even worse, his life by helping you!"

The answer seemed to confuse the young officer and he gave a questioning gaze towards me – his eyes were, despite his young appearance, intelligent and open-minded.

"So, Captain, how do I escape?"

"There is no escape." I told him matter-of-factly. "But since you are going to die anyway, you could as well try to get the boss with your last bullet."

"But we learned at the Academy that you shouldn't take unnecessary risks when--"

"I never said that this was the answer the academy would give in such a case," I interrupted him coldly. "It is my answer, though. Welcome to my team."

I gave him one week in the section. No more.