Gavin was right in the middle of a nightmare. The first in a while. His heart still pounded just thinking about it in his semi-wakeful state. He'd been back in the darkness. Dazed. Disoriented. He'd felt the pain of his stitches tearing as VB pressed his thumb against the wound. He still considered himself lucky that he'd only pushed the surface and hadn't thought to press any deeper inside. If he'd found the tracker, he'd probably be dead. His head snapped to the side as VB slapped him. It stung. VB tried to pry out details. To find out what he knew. Gavin kept to the plan. He knew he only had to hold out a little longer. Just long enough for Nines to arrive. Nines would come. He'd never doubted him.
"Tell me what you know, Sergeant!" Gavin had refused. The panic had set in at about the same time his chair tilted forward and his face was shoved into the ice-cold basin of dirty water. The shock almost made him gasp. He spluttered and choked on water in the darkness for a few seconds. The first time had just been a warning of what was to come. "Give it up, Sergeant. It's not worth a slow and painful death." His chair clattered back to the floor, wobbling as he gasped and spluttered a breath or two.
"Go to hell!" It had continued for a while. Each time his head had gone under, it had been held a little longer. He'd choked down more water each time. He'd felt it. It fucking hurt! His chest ached with the strain of breathing around it. He still felt sick. That was probably the drug from earlier. VB knocked him around a little more. He hadn't really caught the question, but after griping at VB to bite him, he'd obliged. His shoulder still burned with the ache where his teeth closed.
"One last time, Gavin…What did you find?" Aaron's voice asked in a silken purr. Gavin swore he almost vomited at the change as he looked up to see the black-clad figure leaning over him. Like last time, he couldn't make out the details, but it was him. The Hickory Killer. He was leaning over him. Suddenly, he couldn't move. His body was frozen in place. He wanted to scream, to struggle, to get away. "Tell me…" Aaron's voice rumbled as a sharp blade slowly dragged up his exposed stomach. Nines! Phck, help-me! He felt the knife press against his navel, pushing firmly. No-no-no-no!
"Gavin…Gavin, wake up…Gavin…" He jerked awake, immediately finding his head nestled in the crook of Nines' shoulder as he straddled his thighs and wrapped his arms around him. He was still clinging tightly as a hand laced in his hair and a gentle voice assured him he was safe and awake. He followed Nines' breaths, tilting his head back to accept the gentle kisses that were pressed against his lips. Nines eased his dazed body back down and stretched out alongside him. "I'm here…You're safe…" Nines kept his voice soft as he laid an arm across his waist.
"Phck, that was phcking rough," Gavin grumbled as he turned on his side and leaned his head against Nines' chest. Nines didn't ask about it. He didn't always. He knew he'd tell him if he wanted to. It was around five in the morning. Not too long before they were due to be awake. They needed to prepare for the hearing. Gavin was speaking in court that day about the incident. Since catching VB and finding the necklace in his possession, they'd managed to pursue their case. Fifty-Seven hadn't been charged with murder, but they had found the other trophies hidden in his apartment. Upon hearing that they'd found the evidence, VB had confessed to all five crimes. The other androids from the scene were being charged as accessories since they'd all admitted their involvement in the kidnapping.
The AHL itself had co-operated completely, especially once Markus had spoken out to condemn the violence and separate the Jericho movement from any potential fallout. The damage to the AHL had been done, and there had been a sharp rise in android attacks over the weeks immediately after the news broke. It may have died down, but Gavin was pretty sure there'd be some sort of demonstration at the courthouse. The AAL wouldn't miss an opportunity for positive media attention. They'd make the most of getting their view across. They'd probably even get a few new members out of it. The AHL had put itself in the line of fire by not reporting the disappearances and allowing their members to run amok.
"You should shower." Gavin sighed as he curled further into his chest. He hated court. Sure, he was good at it, but he hated it. Being on the stand always made him feel so exposed. He wasn't a charismatic smooth talker. He spoke a lot of sense, and he knew people responded well to that, but he always felt like he was doing or saying the wrong thing. This would be his first time on the stand as a sergeant, too. He had to set a good example. He had to say and do the right things. "Shower, then breakfast," Nines prompted as he stroked comforting circles on his spine.
"Alright…Will you help me prep after?" Gavin asked with a defeated sigh as he leaned back. It wasn't that he really needed to prepare at this point. With over a decade of experience testifying in court and all the relevant details he knew of the case, he should be fine. He wasn't even anxious about seeing VB face to face in court. He'd interrogated him shortly after his arrest and they'd passed each other in the hall as he'd been taken to prison before trial. Unsurprisingly, he'd been refused bail.
"Of course." A small smile pulled Nines' lips as he gave him a final lingering kiss. Gavin hummed into it, a hand snaking up Nines' bare spine to grip and tease his thick locks. "Shower," Nines prompted with a few parting kisses as he drew back and sat up. Gavin sighed his defeated agreement before rocking himself into a sitting position. He stretched lazily, being careful of his slowly healing shoulder.
A day or two after the arrest, he'd finally gotten around to having Elijah remove the tracking device. He knew Nines had been disappointed with the decision, but keeping it wasn't an option. He wasn't some pet to be chipped and followed around. Seeing Nines so down about it had been tough, so in the end he'd compromised. The small chip had been altered and was currently fitted to his watch. The tracker could read his mood through his temperature, pulse, and blood pressure. He was okay with that. It was only Nines linked up to the chip permanently, and he now had the freedom to remove it whenever he chose. It wasn't that different from the GPS signal he had on his phone. That's what he told himself anyway.
"I'm going…" Gavin grumbled tiredly as he rolled to his feet and headed into his bathroom. They'd slept in his room that night, and he didn't need to look to know that Nines was already stripping off the dirty sheets. He also didn't need to look to know he was staring at his ass. "Perv-bot," he grumbled, looking over his shoulder with a fond huff. Nines gave him one of his usual unapologetic smiles as he snapped an internal image. Gavin was surprised he still did that. He must have thousands of images of his naked body at this point. Not to mention the video playback…
It didn't take him long to shower and dress. By the time he was out, Nines had already changed the bed and disappeared downstairs. He could hear the washing machine as he arrived in the kitchen, where Nines was busy scrambling eggs in a pan. He'd timed it perfectly as always and tipped the eggs onto some toast just as he arrived. Since the weather had warmed somewhat in the past couple of weeks, Nines led the way out onto the patio. The pool was still covered, but since it was heading towards the middle of May, it wouldn't be too long before they could start using it. Roland had already mentioned getting it ready for them.
Nines hurried to get a glass of fresh orange juice for Gavin to drink with his breakfast and returned to find him leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. He took the opportunity to examine his relaxed face. The small lines across his forehead and around his eyes softened out as he relaxed. His stubble had been neatly trimmed for the court appearance and he'd chosen a neat navy-blue V-neck and black jeans. He planned to wear his smart blazer over the top to seem more official than usual for the jury. The hearing was set to be rather small on the inside. A few androids from the AHL would probably be there, as well as Nines, Connor, and Hank. Gavin would do most of the talking since he was the one who'd been kidnapped, and it was his case.
Gavin's eyes blinked open lazily as Nines lowered the glass to the table with a gentle tap. He mumbled out his thanks as Nines sat with him and they went over the details again. The evidence he'd found, the items he'd known were missing from the crime scenes, his deduction of where Ashton's necklace had been stashed. Nines was careful to ask uncomfortable questions. They went into his personal dislike of VB, but Reed did a good job of deflecting that.
"My personal feelings for your client are irrelevant. I found a lead, and I did my duty. The interrogation footage will speak for itself. I never attacked or mistreated your client, and the evidence was found in his possession." His reply was professional. Nines gave a small nod of satisfaction. It was simple and to the point, backed up by video evidence. Gavin wasn't even sure why this back and forth was necessary. VB had confessed the moment Fifty-Seven's name came into it. Either they were a team, or Fifty-Seven had simply been hiding the evidence. Either way, VB was confessing to cover his friend's back.
With Gavin's clean record and reputation as an excellent officer, it was unlikely that he would be accused of planting the evidence. It wouldn't make sense anyway, what with VB's confession and the other items that were found stashed away with Fifty-Seven. Gavin had been off work during that time, and he'd had little to do with the case since the interrogation. It had been in the court's hands for the past few weeks. Setting up meetings, looking over details, preparing for court. This hearing was pretty much just a formality. VB was going down. They just didn't know for how long.
Nines volunteered to drive. He wanted Gavin to be as relaxed as possible before taking the stand. He parked in the lot by the courthouse and they were greeted by the loud cries of angry protestors and waving placards. The AAL was out in force. Shut them down! Justice for Humanity! First our jobs, now our lives! Repeal – Reset – Recycle! Those were just a few of the messages on display. There were placards, posters, flags, and banners being waved mostly by angry men. They were clearly out for blood. They were shouting. Demanding that VB be reset and have his deviancy revoked. Prison was too easy for an android. Hardly a punishment at all. Time wasn't so precious to a machine that could just change bodies and keep on living afterwards. Gavin hated that they had a point.
He led the way towards the front steps, where tired officers were holding the crowds back as reporters gave interviews and made live broadcasts. Gavin inwardly cringed as he noticed the flock of reporters heading his way. His stiff smile of greeting was more like a grimace at being caught. He was immediately hounded with an endless stream of questions he couldn't catch as Nines steered him up the steps. He caught the gist of what they wanted. A comment. Any comment on the case and the likely outcome. It was his case, so he knew he should probably say something, but nothing that would damage the precinct.
"I have faith that justice will be served," he replied to a question about the hearing. "I parted ways with the AAL some time ago, but that doesn't mean I agree with the murders. VB broke the law and will be punished accordingly." They were closing in on the doors now. He was almost home free. "I can sympathise with the AHL…Much like the AAL, it's only a few hardcore members giving the organisation a bad name. I'm sure the majority of members are just looking for somewhere safe to vent their frustrations." They paused as a large, armoured truck pulled up at the bottom of the steps. It was the vehicle used to transport prisoners for hearings and such. The reporters left Gavin and flocked to the bottom of the steps, where officers moved to hold them back.
The shouts and cries intensified as the prison guards stepped out to collect VB from the truck. Gavin watched, frozen to the spot, as VB was guided out. He wore the standard orange jumpsuit, wrists and ankles chained together with specially produced cuffs. The metal had to be much stronger to restrain an android. The guards held tasers instead of batons. A taser would do a lot more damage to an android. VB wouldn't chance running, knowing that his circuits would be fried. The reporters were loudly asking questions, microphones held out to VB for a response. He raised his head to level a smirk at Gavin as he was slowly led up the steps. The officers did their best to hold back the pressing crowd as they went.
"Gavin, we should head in." Nines didn't want to risk an encounter between them. Gavin nodded his agreement as he tore his gaze away from VB. He didn't have anything else to say to him. He'd just started turning towards the doors when he heard it. There was an almost collective gasp, a millisecond of silence, and then all hell broke loose. He didn't even know what had happened, but he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle.
"Shots fired! Down-down! Everybody down!" The loud male voice was probably one of the courthouse officers. Gavin wasn't aware of anything besides his body slamming the concrete with Nines shielding him. Nines' hand on the back of his head kept him from cracking his skull, but he was pretty winded when his back hit the ground. He considered himself lucky that Nines hadn't crushed him in his urgency to take him down. Nines was covering as much of his body as possible, shielding him from the open air away from the courthouse.
"Stay down!" His LED span red as he remained above him, scanning the area. Gavin automatically reached for his sidearm, gripping it ready in the event he needed it. He pulled it free of its holster and clicked the safety off, ready for anything. His heart pounded as the screams and cries pressed in. His shoulders and tailbone were pretty sore from the fall. Nines was leaning on one arm, hand still cradling his skull as the other held his own firearm, ready to fire.
"Nines, report!" Reed called above the anarchy, more confused than worried. The AAL members and reporters had either ducked or scattered. From what he could see, the other officers were all low to the ground with their weapons drawn. They were looking around cautiously, sweeping the surrounding rooftops. Reed did his best to squint at the buildings from his place on the ground. It was a clear day, so the sun was glinting on the windows across the street, creating a glare that was pretty much impossible for him to see through.
"Shots fired…Judging by the point of impact, I believe the shooter is on the rooftop of that block. The one above the convenience store…" Nines replied cautiously, silvery eyes staring up at the rooftop. It was diagonally across the street from their position. Reed could see it by raising his head a little. Nines' LED was spinning yellow as he scanned, though it soon returned to red as his jaw tightened. Reed squinted at the rooftop, but he couldn't see a damned thing. It was too far, and the sun was in his eyes. Which is probably why our shooter chose that spot. "The assailant is no longer in sight…I believe it was a targeted attack." Nines finally pushed himself up, giving Reed a hand up and staying close as they headed down the steps to the scene.
Seeing Nines and Reed on their feet, the courthouse officers slowly followed their lead. They remained cautious as they began shouting out orders for civilians to follow their directions. They needed to clear the immediate area. It had just become a crime scene. Nines was already making calls internally to alert the precinct and have a forensics team sent out. His LED span red as he looked at the dim LED and vacant green eyes that had been so vibrant just moments ago.
"What do you think? AAL related?" Reed asked as he crouched down beside the blue stained body. The bullet had gone straight through VB's back. Dead centre. Exactly the right angle to obliterate his power core. Nines nodded his agreement as he joined him, scanning the gaping hole for clues. From the size, he was pretty sure it was a long-distance sniper rifle. It seemed there had been two shots. The first had struck his spine, and the second had pierced his skull casing. He'd likely been downed by the first shot and finished by the second.
"It's not unlikely, given the circumstances." Nines spoke quietly, not wanting their voices to carry to any of the onlookers, particularly the reporters. The AAL would call it slander and the reporters would take it as fact and publish it. I guess someone just couldn't wait…Reed pushed himself to his feet and looked around. Many of the AAL members were calling it a day. No one wanted to hang around with a crazed killer on the loose. The gunman could have shot anybody. They didn't want to take any chances. The reporters were less eager to leave. They wanted to get the details so they could run a story.
"Sergeant Reed! Do you have any suspects? Do you think it was an AAL attack?" Reed sighed internally as he looked at Nines for support. They'd barely started, so he couldn't point the finger at anyone. It would be good to get the press off their backs for a while, but he had to do it carefully. Nines joined him as he headed down the steps and the officers parted to let him through, knowing he'd give a comment to break things up.
"You all saw what happened just now. An unknown shooter took justice into their own hands and murdered the android known as VB before he could stand trial for his crimes…I can neither confirm nor deny AAL involvement in this travesty. Right now, all we can say for sure is that the shooter is unknown, but likely armed and extremely dangerous. If anyone near the courthouse noticed anything unusual, please get in touch with the DPD. For now, it would be safer for everyone to clear the area. We don't know if VB was their only target here today," Reed instructed loudly, knowing the microphones would pick him up. There were camera flashes, and many reporters were already scribbling notes to write a section later. "I can't answer questions about the shooting right now. We simply don't have any concrete details. Please clear the area," he added again as reporters began shouting more questions and asking for opinions. The only one who was persistent was a young brunette woman. He dropped his gaze to her badge. Shirley Greene, Detroit Daily…Aaron's replacement…
"Sergeant Reed, the victim kidnapped and tortured you and murdered at least four humans. How do you feel now, knowing he's dead?" It was a tough question, and one he really couldn't afford to answer frankly. Was he glad VB was dead? That was complicated. He was certainly relieved he'd never hurt anyone else. If he were a vigilante, he'd probably say justice had been served, but he wasn't a vigilante. He was a DPD sergeant. VB had been a piece of shit, and he totally deserved what he got. That didn't mean it was right.
"You're right. He drugged me, beat me, and tried to drown me. He was a calculating murderer and a serial killer. Are the streets safer now? Maybe. Was it right? No. Am I happy things went down like this? No. VB was due to stand trial to pay for his crimes. That's justice. Vigilante killings like this aren't justice. They're murder masquerading as justice. Regardless of my personal feelings for VB and what he was, it's now my job to find his killer." He nodded politely to Miss Greene before heading back up the steps. Since they'd gotten a story for now, the reporters slowly broke up. A few managed to sneak a few shots of the body from a distance, but at least they were no longer pressing in and trying to get closer.
"You handled that wonderfully," Nines complimented as they returned to the body. Reed huffed out his thanks. He'd been doing this shit for over fifteen years. He wouldn't have made it this far if he didn't know how to handle the press. There wasn't really much they could do besides wait for forensics. Nines had already confirmed VB's identity and the cause of death. "We should head over to the rooftop. Something may have been left behind." Reed nodded his agreement as he followed Nines' gaze. It wouldn't hurt to look.
Reed caught an officer and gave out a few orders, just the usual no one touches the body until forensics gets here deal. The officers knew how to do their job. This was hardly the first guy to be gunned down outside a courthouse. Reed and Nines crossed the quiet street. Traffic was currently being redirected as a precaution and most people had cleared out. A few reporters were doing some final interviews with onlookers and local businesses or recording segments for later. One or two noted Reed's direction, but they were currently too busy to intercept him.
"What do you think? Stairs or fire escape?" Reed asked as they stood outside the convenience store. There were apartments above the store and the usual alley to the side. Nines walked around to the alley and scanned the area. There was nothing out of the ordinary. The ladder for the fire escape was still up, but that didn't mean no one had climbed down it. He checked the side door. It was unlocked. This was clearly the entryway for the apartments. Either way, entry would have been easy.
"I am uncertain…" It was unlikely that the gunman had remained, so it didn't matter which way they went up. There was an old elevator down the hall, which took them up to the eighth floor. The only way up to the rooftop from there was a set of stairs. Reed was surprised as they stepped out into what seemed to be a rooftop garden. There were leafy green plants and boxes of flowers scattered around, with a couple of small potted trees closer to the edge. Someone clearly spent a lot of time up there. Lucky they weren't here during the shooting…
"If you were a shooter, where would you set up?" Reed asked as they headed to the edge that overlooked the courthouse. Nines joined him and zoomed in on the scene. Haley and Brad had arrived. They hadn't moved anything yet. Brad was currently photographing the body while Haley was taking swabs. Nines crouched, looking for the perfect angle, moving along the edge and scanning the stone ledge for anything left behind. There were scratch marks, likely from the support struts as the rifle had fired. There were no fingerprints that he could see. Either their assailant had been careful or it had been an android. It was too early to say.
"This was the place. See the marks here? He had a clear line of sight and it would be difficult to spot him with all the foliage," Nines replied, motioning towards the bushy plants clustered behind and on either side. Reed nodded his agreement. If the shooter had worn the right clothes and kept low, then he'd have easily sat without notice. That's exactly what he did…The guy had been organised. Besides the scrapes on the ledge, which he likely couldn't control, the scene was clear. No casing, no food wrappers or drink cans, no footprints. The shooter had been careful. Professional?
"Is this where it happened?" Nines looked up from his place at the ledge, LED spinning yellow as Reed drew and aimed his weapon. Reed cursed as he lowered his gun, adrenaline pumping from the surprise. Greene's dark locks bounced as she approached them. She was wearing heels but had walked on her toes to sneak across quietly. She laughed as he holstered his weapon with a frown. "This is the place, right?"
"Phck, I could have shot you! What the phck are you doing creeping around a potential crime scene?" Reed demanded as he stood with his hands on his hips. Nines got to his feet and rested his hands behind his back. He silently agreed. This wasn't the place for a civilian to be sneaking around, especially not with the risk of scene contamination. She had pep and energy. Reed would give her that much. She reminded him of Morgan. Perhaps a little too much…
"So, this is where the shooter hid then," Greene prompted with a small smirk. Reed sighed and rubbed his face. Stay calm. She's just a dumb kid looking for a story. He glanced at Nines to see him give the smallest of shrugs. It would do no harm to let her know. There was no evidence up there anyway.
"Alright, yes. We believe this is where the shooter was, but you shouldn't be up here! What if the killer was still hanging around, huh? What if there was evidence, and you contaminated the scene?" Greene seemed unconcerned about either option. She gave Reed a look. A familiar one. She bit her lower lip, dark brown eyes peering up through long lashes. Is this some flirt-technique for all Detroit Daily employees? He hadn't seen that look since the last time he'd seen Aaron, at least the last time he'd seen him alive. His stomach dropped at the thought.
"Don't be like that, Sergeant. I'm not an idiot. I followed you up, so I knew you'd be here to protect me," she added as she stalked towards him. Reed noted Nines' posture tense slightly as his silvery eyes sharpened. She's pretty good…Reed huffed and smirked as he looked down at her. She was pretty. Clearly a woman used to having her way. She was petite, nicely proportioned, clear skinned, and he liked her peppy attitude.
"Regardless of us being here, it was still a dumb move to put yourself at risk. Now go on. This is a crime scene," Reed replied as he shooed her away. She gave him an impish smile as she left, heels clicking and hips swaying. He had no idea how she'd snuck up on them, especially wearing that pencil skirt. Reed huffed again as he looked at Nines, knocking his elbow lightly. Really? You're going to get jealous over a woman? "Did you call Haley and let her know we found the shooting site?" he asked idly as he looked out at the courthouse. It was one of the few older buildings left. Pretty grand. Like a big looming city hall. It was only a couple storeys high, built in an almost Greek temple style with big columns and a triangle roof. Fancy and official.
"I did. She'll be here soon," Nines replied as he joined him in admiring the view. It was a nice day. Warm and sunny. The shooter had been lucky with the lack of breeze and the level of light. It didn't take long for Haley and Brad to arrive. They'd finished with the body and it had been stowed, ready for transport. Reed greeted them and showed them the spot before he and Nines left to head back to the precinct. This wasn't how he'd wanted the case to end, but the murder had given them a whole new one to open.