Brink by Mikel Parry

CH-EXOTIC DETAILS

The precinct looked to be bustling like always. His memories of the comings and goings of the place brought on a warm blanket of nostalgia. It had been his home away from home at one point in his deranged life. Now it was inaccessible. Long gone were the days of simple cases. One John Doe left in a garbage can—a white collar suicide turned homicide—seemingly pointless details to others that had locked many evils away. But now was pointless. Success meant nothing compared to the current tragedy unfolding. Walking up the stairs towards the entrance he saw all the familiar faces; at least to him they were. The normal people around him only gawked at him to speculate on his unusual hat. It, as always, was drawing in some unwanted attention. But as soon as he opened the front doors, a booming voice erupted that caught him off guard.

“As I live and breathe! Tommy Gun, here in my office? The hens have come home to roost!”

Two thousand, four hundred, and thirty eight times; that’s how many times, his brain calculated, he had heard that phrase.

Doing his best to blend into the scene, he put on a falsified smile.

“Pete, it’s Pete,” Thomas responded, slurring the words slightly.

Pete came at him like a sweaty wall of uniform mass. The abrupt noise alerted all of the surrounding men and woman to Thomas’ prodigal return. Each eyed him curiously as if expecting an answer of some kind.

“You sure know how to ruffle the feathers. But one’s got to ask, what brings you here? Last we spoke of this place it was on your burn-it-to-the ground list. But don’t let my greasy wheels speed ahead.”

Pete looked winded despite the short distance he had come. But like always, he was pouring the social charm on loftily. It was acutely strange to Thomas how Pete had ever come to the position he was in. But politics eluded him; there was no logic to it.

“Just stopping by. It’s been awhile.”

Out of the corner of Thomas’ eye he saw Vaun. He was wearing a rather disturbed look before trading it for one more suited to a meet-and-greet. He nodded, placed some papers down, and headed over.

“Good old family reunion we’ve got going today. Remiss that I didn’t prepare for the occasion,” said Pete, pulling out a white cloth to rub the sweat from his forehead.

“It’s fine. Like I said, just stopping by.”

“Tommy Gun, give me one reason why you’d come back to embarrass yourself? Thought you’d never come back.”

Thomas cringed at Vaun’s tart remark. The blatant jabs had returned. Time hadn’t faded their toxic relationship. He preferred Vaun drunk.

“It’s good to see you, too, Vaun. I was telling Pete that I was just stopping by.”

Immediately, Vaun’s face contorted to one of pure disbelief. It was obvious that he didn’t believe a word of it. The vibe was mutual. Pete also looked like he was swallowing glue.

“Let’s head to my office. I’ve got a minute. We can catch up there,” said Pete, slapping Thomas’ back.

Thomas’ smile faded as he caught Vaun’s eyes. Although silent, there was a sense of anger lingering about him. His eyes were glaring and focused.

“Age before beauty,” said Thomas playfully.

Vaun put on a sliver of a grin. Slowly he nodded his head.

“Sure, Tommy; sure.”

Walking through the office, a wave of eyes swept over Thomas. It was the same wave that carried on it the hatred of each member of the office who knew him. His special treatment and long leash had always fed festering jealousies. How many of them would like to see him fall quietly off a cliff?

“I’ll tell you what, Tommy . . . it’s been hard around here lately. This city just won’t sleep. Which reminds me, you were but a waltz away from watching that fed get plowed like a corn field. You holding up?”

Thomas looked up at Pete, who was holding the door to his office open for him. He saw Pete’s pudgy face mold into a serious look of concern. It appeared that Pete’s almost parental instincts for his officers hadn’t been dampened by Thomas’ absence.

“I do alright. Never was one much for sleeping.”

Pete shook his head before closing the door behind them.

“Look, Tommy, I love you like a son . . . I do. But you and I both know you’re not here to just say hi. You look like a train wreck. Vaun’s filled me in on everything he knows. Tommy, it just sounds downright paranoid—you stalking around the city, hanging out with the Feds—just what on earth is going on here?”

Thomas looked at Pete, and then over at Vaun who was sitting silently. The baying dogs wanted reprieve.

“It’s nothing. You been following me, Vaun? You can’t be serious?”

Vaun frowned.

“I haven’t been following; just watching. I hear things, Tommy. The city’s full of little birds. What with you just up and leaving us here, what was I supposed to think? I was looking after you.”

Now Thomas frowned.

“Looking after me? Vaun, that’s the last thing you’d ever do. You’d rather light me on fire and burn me at the stake.”

“Boys, keep the tantrum down. And Tommy, Vaun’s got a point. This is a precinct, not a coffee shop. Now, I suggest that you put down the mask so we can get this ball rolling. Everybody knows you’re into something, Tommy, so what is it?”

Tommy looked down at the floor. A logical dilemma was facing off against his moral self. The truth was beyond belief. Even he still struggled to believe it. But to lie would mean turning his back on those he used to call family. He knew what he had to do, but just didn’t know how to do it. A mind like his own wouldn’t allow him the comfort of an easy passage through the web of lies he was spinning.

“I’ve been searching for Jena’s killer. I want to find him and make him pay. It’s possible, but I’ve made some deals with the devil to do it.”

Both men looked repulsed by the answer. Vaun, even more so, looked incredulous. His time with Thomas had made him question almost everything; even Thomas.

“Tommy, he’s gone. She’s gone. That guy was a junkie. Trash like that always ends up in the gutter. We all did our best and you did your best. You’ve got to come to grips; what was done was done.”

“Don’t say that! There’s always another way. You can’t expect me to just let it be. There’s no justice in that!”

Vaun started to speak but was promptly cut off by Pete.

“That’s exactly what you need to do. It ain’t about justice anymore. What you’re talking about is revenge. Nobody’s gonna win that game, Tommy. There’s no justice in revenge.”

“To hell with justice! It’s justice that got me into this in the first place! Always trying to do what’s right just gets you burned.”

“But that’s what we do; we do what’s right. That’s what we took an oath and swore to protect,” continued Pete.

“I’m not under that oath—not anymore. I walked away from all that.”

“You never walk away,” said Vaun soberly.

Thomas closed his eyes. His emotions were getting the better of him. What was happening to him? Were the layers on the surface slowly being eroded away to a rotten core? Was he not the gallant hero he so desperately dreamed of being all those years ago? Perhaps reality was far greyer than he realized.

“I need help. I’ve gotten into something I don’t understand, but I know I can’t do it alone.”

Pete looked out of the door to his office. He caught a few eavesdroppers who quickly scurried away.

“Tommy, you know I can’t do that. You’re not thinking straight. Why don’t you just walk away and we’ll forget this conversation ever happened,” whispered Pete, trying to calm the tempo.

“Pete, I’m not asking you on a professional level. I’m asking you as a friend. I need this.”

“You know that’s wrong, Pete. We can’t dish out favors to old personnel. If anyone outside this room ever caught a sniff of this we’d be through,” pleaded Vaun.

“He’s right, Tommy. Whatever it is you’re going to ask for, I just can’t give. I’m afraid it’ll have to be no.”

Thomas felt sick. But he couldn’t falter; he needed them too much.

“Just give me one last favor. I’ll never ask anything of you ever again.”

“Tommy, it’s not that simple.”

“Please, Pete . . . for me and Jen.”

Pete looked at Vaun, who turned away.

“Tommy, you’re putting me in a bad place here. I don’t much appreciate it.”

Thomas kept his silence. He was affirming his stance by doing so.

“Just do it, Pete. If you don’t, you and I both know that he’ll just keep asking,” said Vaun.

Pete chomped his mouth as he slowly closed the blinds on his office window.

“You realize those people out there want your head; right, Tommy? It’s things like this that keep the pitchforks coming—but I know you—you wouldn’t press this if it wasn’t important.”

“I need some information. What can you tell me about the docks? I need to know everything. All the cases you’ve had in the past months. Things going on, rumors, even a hiccup if you’ve heard it. I know we keep that stuff compiled and locked up.”

“Locked up for a reason. Not just anyone can go poking around there,” said Vaun.

“Don’t you think I know that? I just need to go through what you’ve got. Filter some things out and see what’s connected or not. After, I’ll put it all back like nothing happened, I promise.”

Pete looked largely displeased with the request.

“That’s it? You came here with all that hype and build up just to proofread some of our case files? Tommy, you had my last working artery ready to pop!”

“I’m sorry. I just don’t—”

“Understand human beings? Yeah we know,” interrupted Vaun.

“The docks, Tommy; things haven’t been so squeaky clean that way. You sure you want to go digging around that place alone? A lot of rats hiding in those cracks, Tommy.”

“I’m sure, Pete. This is bigger than me.”

Pete looked at Vaun who shrugged.

“There’s been the usual illegal trade coming in and out of there. Nothing unusual, but recently things have picked up. Word on the street is there’s some high ticket event coming up with only the top tier scum getting the invites. Probably just another shark den swimming with prostitutes. The DA is pretty good at snuffing those out.”

“Vaun’s playing it lightly. Those suits pack heat. But we’re so bottlenecked by paperwork that we’ll probably only get around to it by the time the dust settles. We’ll clean up a few bodies, roll the yellow tape, and take pictures,” added Pete.

“But anything strange? Out of the norm for such a place?”

Pete let out a bellowing chuckle.

“You gotta wax those ears, Tommy! There’s nothing normal about that place. You’ll be walking to your grave if you catch the wrong eye.”

“Sorry, sometimes I can’t hear what I’m saying,” replied Thomas.

“Never have, never will. One reason we mixed like oil and tequila.”

Thomas glanced at Vaun who gave him a tiny smirk.

“I’ll watch my back down there. I’ve been in worse.”

Vaun shook his head.

“That damn pride.”

“Tommy, don’t want to be the one to put the lid on a boiling pot, but Vaun’s right. You’d be writing your obituary.”

“Just let me see the files. I need the history on this place and I’m losing valuable time.”

“Have it your way. But if you wind up another body in the river, I’ll never forgive myself,” sighed Pete heavily.

Cautiously, he peeked through the blinds then swung open the door.

“Wait here. If the docks don’t kill you, these people will.”

“It’s unbelievable, it really is. You always get special treatment. I’ll just never understand why,” Vaun huffed.

“Vaun, let’s just forget our past. I know I’ve done some stupid things. I can be a real prick,” Thomas answered in response.

“Now you’re speaking some sense for once.”

“Can’t we just put it aside?” Thomas asked. “I’m not doing this for me. I never was.”

Vaun looked repulsed by the statement.

“Tommy, it’s always been about you. Your little gift has always kept you in the spotlight. You never cared what the rest of us normal people had to do. A bull in a china shop, that’s what you are. You just leave the rest of us behind to clean up your messes.”

Thomas began to answer but was cut off by Pete staggering into the room holding a large box of file folders. He squirmed his foot around in order to shut the door.

“This is all we’ve got that you might find of any interest. But to be honest, there’s nothing here that hasn’t already happened a thousand times since. That place is a broken record, Tommy.”

Pete sprawled the folders out onto the table. Immediately, Tommy pounced on the files, looking for trigger words, contrabands, arms, drugs, illegal trade, and murder. Then he focused on the things he had seen himself. The one thing that stuck out more than anything else was the tiger. What place did a caged tiger have sitting alongside crates of illegal weapons?

“What about exotic goods? Any surge in those?”

Pete looked like he’d just swallowed a sour grape.

“Just what type of exotic are you talking about?”

Thomas looked up at Vaun who eyed him carefully.

“A big cat.”

Pete put a hand up to his sweaty face.

“A bit of overkill just to find your neighbor’s pussy cat, don’t you think?”

Still locking his eyes on Vaun, Thomas replied.

“This one could take your head off.”