"Oh, for crying out loud…"

Mike had barely muttered those words when several dozen homeless guys turned around and began to head back toward the Basilica in a mad dash, some of them pushing him along in unspoken solidarity.

For a few steps he pedaled along, trying to remain undercover even if the rest of the operation was blown, then he slowed down, before turning around again, keeping a close eye on Rick and Albert who had sped up significantly as they headed down the sidewalk, seeking cover behind other guys to blind the patrol units.

Knowing that time was of the essence, Mike moved into a jog, slowly gaining on the pair despite the labyrinth of bodies he had to duck. From his distance he could hear the raccoon chit-chatting away in obvious agitation, as if to warn his owner of the impending danger.

Rick must have managed to break the language barrier, understanding the advice from his overweight vermin and sped up, dragging Albert along with him while the racoon settled into a hasty trot.

About the time he saw a couple officers get out of the patrol cars to join in on the chase, Steve brushed past him, taking the fraction of a second to rest a hand on his shoulder before rushing after their suspects, his lean frame almost disappearing in between the homeless men who were now doing everything in their power to slow them down.

Bumping into a few of them while trying to dodge legs and feet in his way aimed to make him trip up, Mike charged ahead, dreading to see Albert and Ricky split up near the corner of 16th, one man heading left toward the front entrance of the Basilica, Ricky and his racoon jaywalking through the busy intersection, nearly causing a car crash when the light turned green.

Steve was hot on his tail, jumping across the hood of a parked Fairlane to cut a few steps of distance, then disappearing behind the trail of cars altogether. Deciding to go after Albert, Mike took a sharp left, immediately able to see the maroon cape a few hundred feet out, simultaneously wondering how the chubby suspect had evaded their foot pursuits earlier considering that running wasn't exactly his forte.

As such, Mike was grateful for the divine intervention when Albert tripped and landed chest-first on the hard asphalt, struggling to get back on his feet just long enough for one of the patrol officers to catch up and kneel on his back, keeping him secured on the ground until he could be handcuffed.

"I didn't do anything", Mike heard the young man plead from afar and slowed his pace, eventually ending up next to Albert and an officer he didn't recognize. Subtly reading the name plate, he cleared his throat, slowed his breathing and faced his first prize of the day.

"Thank you, Officer…Harris.", he said, excusing the other man while grasping Albert's upper arm tightly, "As far as you are concerned, we just want to talk to you. I can take the handcuffs off if you promise not to run. We just need to ask you a few questions."

Even though he'd kept his voice quiet and genial, he could see the terror in the other man's eyes as he tried to wiggle his way out of Mike's firm grasp to no avail.

"I swear I didn't do anything."

"Well, then you won't have anything to worry about, Sunny."

Deciding to leave the cuffs on considering his suspect didn't appear to be handling his predicament too well, Mike ignored the angry curses thrown in his general direction from the few homeless people who hadn't scattered when the unis rolled in, partially understanding their attitude.

Albert slowed his pace considerably, as if wanting to cause a delay in being brought to the Hall of Justice Building for the overdue interview Mike had thirsted for since he first heard about the illusive protégé.

By now, three other uniformed police officers flanked him, ensuring that no scuffle was caused from sides of the homeless population while a patrol unit took up a parking spot near the corner, ready to load up their person of interest.

Mike felt his heart drop at the sight of his partner standing on the corner again already, talking to one of the officers in an agitated fashion, as though he was planning a secondary net around the area where he'd lost Ricky.

But at least they had secured Albert; he told himself, one bird in hand was always better than two in a bush.

Growing tired of dragging the slightly smaller man around, his gave Albert a good push that nearly made him trip, starting a whole slew of whiney noises he didn't understand nor cared to deal with at the moment.

Along the street, several crowds had gathered, following the scene ahead, car horns were beeping when patrols shut down the intersection temporarily.

All in all, he knew there'd be hell to pay for this adventure.

"Here, Ray, taking him to the office.", Mike said when he arrived at the black and white, his glance drifting over to his partner who cocked his head slightly, enough to let him know he was alright, then shoved Albert into the back seat, before closing the door with a resigned grunt.

"Well, that plan derailed quickly…"

"Something tells me you're going to have a phone call from Father Tenpenny waiting for you when we get back to the office.", Steve countered with a wily smile and slapped his partner's arm.

"Never mind him at the moment.", Mike scoffed in return, growing frustrated at how things had turned out, "Where'd you lose Ricky?"

"Oh, somewhere back there past the intersection. He jumped down a small embankment and disappeared into the bushes."

"Well, I am glad you didn't follow him this time and hurt your ankle all over again.", Mike countered, trying to calm down somewhat and yet perplexed at the relieved expression that never left his partner's face, "And why in the world are you so giddy?"

With a smirk, Steve reached over to tap one of the Officer's shoulders, then retrieved a purple leash.

"Because I may have lost Ricky, but I did catch Linus!"