Disclaimer: Still don't own Max… dang it! 'The Bill' belongs to someone else too. Dang that too!
The Noble Fight
Chapter One;
Family
"Oscar, get down off the roof." Oscar frowned, shaking his head. He liked the roof of the cubby house, but Millie didn't. It wasn't safe. Still, having inherited his father's stubborn streak, he wasn't about to budge without good reason. "Oscar, get down, now."
"Do you want my Nick to go up and get him?" Millie's friend from the Preschool, Penny, asked as she joined her. Penny's eldest son was eight and old enough to get up there and drag the two-year-old down, but Millie knew that wouldn't do. If Oscar didn't come down by choice, he'd simply go back up again. She told Penny this and the blonde woman smiled. "He's at that age."
"It's not just the age…" Millie sighed, looking back at her son. "Oscar, if you're still up there when daddy comes he won't be happy." Oscar ignored it, his attention turned to a broken piece of plastic cladding on the roof of the child's play equipment. "This is your last warning Oscar…" Millie threatened, lowering her tone to almost a growl.
"Oscar, get down." A voice spoke up from behind Millie and she glanced back to find Max walking towards the play equipment, frowning a warning at his son. Oscar beamed and scrambled off the roof, running right past Millie to his father. Max held him at arm's length. "No, first you apologize to your mother." He ushered the child back to Millie's side.
"Sorry mummy." Oscar frowned, not trying the bottom lip trick but giving an actual, genuine frown. Seemingly the rejection by his father had affected him and Millie wondered if next time he'd be smarter about ensuring Max wasn't around before he ignored his mother. But Millie had to reward the sorry and crouched down, giving her son a hug.
"Thank you sweetheart, but next time come down when I tell you to, okay? It's not safe up there." He nodded then looked back at his father with a look that said 'there, happy now?' and Max ruffled the boy's hair as Millie stood again and looked to him. "You're late."
He shrugged. "Paperwork." He looked at Oscar. "Having a good time buddy?" Oscar nodded feverishly, beaming up at his father. "Go play with the other kids while I talk to mum okay?" The child started off but Max stopped him. "And stay off the roof of the cubby." Oscar just beamed again and ran back to play. Max looked back at Millie. "What did I miss?"
"Not much, just singing 'happy birthday'. It's probably for the best – you're not much of a singer anyway." She gave a small, cheeky smile and he shook his head.
"So, where's the cake?"
"Who's the child here?" Millie laughed as Max gave a warm smile in return. "This way you big kid."
*
Police mode never really went off, Max knew that. It was why, as Millie chatted inanely with the other women from the preschool, Max's eyes fluttered over the areas surrounding the play equipment, just watching for any sign of trouble. A child led astray by a stranger, a dark figure in the bushes just watching, any older children prepared to let weapons or drugs fall into sight of inquisitive youngsters – his eyes peeled for all. It wasn't that he didn't trust the dads left in charge of watching the children. It was more that he didn't trust this park.
Years of obbos and chasing suspects through here had ensured that no one at Sun Hill took the largest park in Canley, the aptly titled Canley Community Park, for granted. The dead, drugged, dangerous and delirious called this place home. It was unfortunate that the innocent children of Sun Hill had to as well.
Especially his son.
It was in this moment of assessing dangers that he saw the figure at the entrance to the park. Having just spent the last five minutes deeming the grandfather by the swings just senile (plus his wife had just turned up with a five-year-old and a lollipop in tow), the two teenagers by the trees just searching for a lost football, and the woman with a baby on a bench just, well, a woman taking her baby for a walk, his eyes fell on the figure in the entrance. Tall and thin with dark eyes. His gaze pierced through Max and, with shock, he realized the dark figure was watching him right back.
Then the man turned and hopped into a deep maroon car outside and drove away.
As he drove out of sight a shiver went up Max's spine.
This man had been watching him and his family.
And Max knew why…
*
Millie frowned as Max joined her, grabbing her elbow just a little too forcefully and telling her he had to go. She glared at him. "You just got here."
He nodded. "I know, but…" he paused and Millie sensed something was wrong, dropping her glare.
"What is it? Has something happened?"
But as usual Max told her nothing. "It's not an issue just, have a good afternoon, I'll come pick you and Oscar up around four. Stay here until I come back, okay?" He pecked her on the cheek and left quickly, not even responding when Oscar called after him.
Penny joined Millie, frowning after Max. "Is there a problem?" She asked, giving Millie a supportive touch on the shoulder.
Millie shook her head. "Nothing, just…" she fished for an excuse for him. "Just work." She put on a brave smile. "So, what were we talking about?" She turned her back on her husband as he got back into his car and drove off, pretending nothing was the matter, but in her mind were so many questions. What had just happened? What was wrong? What had Max seen that had left him looking so spooked?