The Kojak characters don't belong to me. Just borrowing them. No profit in it.
Rizzo took the call. A squeal about a Cocaine meetup in an old abandoned warehouse.
Rizzo yelled, "Saperstein we got a drug bust. A man with a gun. Let's go."
"Where is it?" Saperstein asked wearily.
"Down on 10th and 44th."
"Shit," exclaimed Saperstein. He knew that area was dark and bad.
"What were you expecting? Disneyland?" Rizzo teased.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Saperstein said as he donned his jacket.
The two men ran down the stairs and into the cold rain. They jumped into their car. Rizzo slapped the light ontop of the roof and they sped off with siren blaring.
Kojak watched them with concern from his 2nd floor window having overheard Rizzo's words to Saperstein.
The deserted warehouse at 10th and 44th loomed as a huge shadowy figure in the night. The shattered windows were foreboding. The frigid downpour was unyielding. The wind screamed resembling a creature in its last moments. Winter had seized New York City.
The atmosphere indoors was thick with dust, while the metallic scent of rust mingled with the odor of moisture. The underbelly of Manhattan, where opportunity frequently accompanied peril, was nothing new to them. However, as they made their way into the structure, the tension increased, and they became acutely aware that they were not alone.
"Mark, keep your head on a swivel," Gino said in a whisper that was just audible over the building's moan. He strained to see beyond the dim beam of his flashlight as he investigated the darkness. "We are no longer in the precinct."
"Tell me about it," said Mark, gripping his own light. "This place gives me the creeps."
A loud clatter came from someplace in the warehouse's interior as they were moving forward. Gino and Mark looked at each other, their instincts telling them they had fallen into a trap. They approached the sound warily, without a word.
A threatening tall man with a jagged scar along his cheek stepped out of the darkness. He was brandishing a gun.
The man sneered, "Welcome, gentlemen. You've been anticipated."
Gunfire echoed off the walls like thunder, reverberating throughout the building before anyone could react. Gino ducked, but it was too late. As he felt the bullet rip through flesh, a searing ache bloomed in his shoulder.
Mark instinctively rushed toward Gino, but the man was faster, his gun trained on both detectives. He fired again and struck Saperstein who yelped with the pain.
A few seconds later, they were kicked to the ground, their weapons taken away, and fear hung in the air like a dense mist.
"Two of Manhattan's South's best?" the man sneered. "Let's see if we can get some more pigs."
Lieutenant Theo Kojak was pacing the precinct like a lion in a cage. The dim light of the room was reflected by his lightly tinted sunglasses, which were resting on his nose. Stavros leaned against the wall, his heavyset figure exuding a sense of grim purpose, while Bobby Crocker, the youngest investigator, sat tensely in a corner.
"Why are they taking so long?" Kojak complained, his brow furrowed in concern.
Bobby dared to speculate, "Perhaps they simply got caught up in the city traffic," he said clearly without conviction.
Stavros grunted, adjusting his tie. "Or maybe they found more trouble than they anticipated."
Kojak glared at him. "You're not helping, Stavros. We need to get out there. If Rizzo and Saperstein are in trouble…"
"We need to leave now," Bobby interrupted, his young voice rising. "There's no time to lose. The guys may be in trouble. We only risk embarrassment finding out they're not."
Kojak pulled on his coat, grabbed his hat and the three men rushed out into the cold night, determination pushing them forward.
Back inside the warehouse, Gino struggled to stay conscious, the throbbing pain in his shoulder consumed his thoughts. Mark was beside him enveloped in his own pain but trying to assess the situation. Their captor was already anticipating their every move.
"Call your friends," the man ordered, waving the gun menacingly. I'll bring you a phone. Tell them to come get you."
Gino blinked through the haze of pain, focusing on the door that led outside. He couldn't let this man get away; lives depended on it. He had to buy time.
"Listen, we're not going to call anyone," Gino said, forcing his voice steady. "If you're smart, you'll let us go. You know Kojak will come for us. Killing cops in this state carries heavy penalties, like life in prison."
"Is that supposed to scare me?" the man laughed, his voice echoing. "He's not going to risk his squad for two washed-up detectives. To put me in prison, I have to be caught boys."
"Maybe," Mark said, his voice trembling slightly. "But you have no idea how far Kojak will go. He is relentless."
Their captor scowled, the flicker of doubt in his eyes betraying his true nature. He opened his mouth to speak, but a loud crash reverberating through the warehouse silenced him. That was followed by the sound of determined footsteps.
"Get ready!" Kojak's voice boomed as he burst through the door, flanked by Bobby and Stavros.
The scarred man looked up in surprise. Kojak was quick, his instincts sharp. He lunged forward, taking advantage of the distraction and shot the man in the leg.
Scarface fell to the floor with a thud.
"Get them out of here!" Kojak shouted, signaling to Bobby and Stavros.
Gino and Mark were helped to their feet. Gino winced, the pain shooting through him, but he managed a smile and a grateful nod to his comrades.
"Nice of you to join the party," Mark said, with a weak smile.
"Let's get you out of here," Stavros said, his voice gruff yet reassuring.
As they made their way out of the warehouse, the cold air bit at their skin, but the feeling of safety wrapped around them like a warm blanket. They had faced the shadows together and emerged into the light.
At the hospital, Gino and Mark were receiving care for their injuries. The wounds were superficial but hurt like hell. Kojak stood off to the side, arms crossed, wearing a look of pride and relief.
"You both really scared me," he confessed, shaking his head."You did good though."
"Merely doing our job Theo,"Mark replied.
"Can we just avoid abandoned structures in the future?" Gino asked, his voice tense with pain.
Kojak chuckled."Half this city is abandoned buildings and that's where the bad guys like to go. We work in dark dirty places, but we gain strength when we work together."