It's been less than a week since Zahra left and I'm already drowning when it comes to these kids. Zia's had a million and one play dates that I've had to keep straight, Dastan has been helping me out with her but she's still a handful and then some. Dastan's been even more distant lately, I'm not sure what happened but this last week I've barely seen him, I get the distinct impression that he's hiding from me. According to Kiera, who I grilled at our Monday lunch she doesn't know anything. Naturally, I would've believed that since she and Dastan aren't on the best of terms now that he's back but the blush I spotted creeping up her neck made me doubtful. Something more is going on there, I know they all went out together on Saturday night before Anne left and since then they've all been acting strange, secretive.
Speaking of secretive, I'm not exactly sure why Kiera's been lying to me or what she's been lying about but I'm convinced that there's something she isn't telling me. She's been jittery and skittish around me for weeks now. I don't particularly remember exactly when it started either. I guess I've kind of dropped the ball with her. With everything that's been going on at the precinct, taking the lead on the Hell's Kitchen Hacker case, Zahra having to go back to Ankara since her cousin passed, and me taking on more responsibility ay home; I've let a few things slide.
Dastan's been acting out if the way he behaved at the gala two weeks ago is any indication, he's been allusive and flighty, barely spending any time at home when he's not watching Zia, and I know he's been getting into trouble. One of my beat cops on patrol last Saturday told me there was some kind of scene outside a club called Delirium. He didn't say much just that he saw Kiera and Dastan outside and she seemed like she was trying to calm him down. He didn't stay to watch the whole thing, once he was sure Dastan wasn't in trouble he left them to it.
It's quite perplexing, Dastan claims to hate Kiera, but then officer Suarez tells me he saw them hugging outside Delirium. Kiera being so taciturn every time I've seen her since the night of that gala. Not to mention the show those two put on that night, I was sure those boys were about to fight because Dastan was jealous she'd brought Connor. Then she practically dragged Dastan out of the room. Everyone there that knew their history was convinced it had something to do with their unresolved feelings for each other, myself included. I've got a sneaking suspicion that they've been fooling around again. Normally, I wouldn't get involved but if they're both already in relationships that's not something I can endorse. Poor Anne's already been through enough with my dumbass son, I've seen the disinterested way he treats her. I didn't raise him to behave like that with his girl, but he's an adult now and if she's okay with being treated that way and she doesn't want to walk away from him then there's nothing I can do about it.
God, I'm in way over my head on this one. These kids are a nuisance. There's always something going on with them. It was so much easier when one of them was halfway across the world. My only saving grace is Emma. Knowing she keeps an eye on Kiera, that she's always checking in on her, making sure she's eating and keeping to her schedules eases that little knot in my chest. She's the only one of that whole brood that doesn't nearly give me a heart attack on a daily basis. Even Tommy, before everything happened, was as chaotic as Dastan and Kiera. He'd get himself involved in the most asinine situations and then call me to bail him out so that his dad never had to find out. He was a terror if I'd ever seen one, but if I'd had to pick one of them to have my back it would've been him. Tommy was always so dependable, studious. He was a good influence on Dastan and I fear that now that he's no longer here to steer my boy in the right direction, I might have just lost him entirely.
My computer pings with a notification, the sound so unexpected in the silence of my office that I startle. It's been a rare quiet day around here. I'd been reviewing previous notes on the Hell's Kitchen Hacker case, having already finished my work for the day. My detectives are all out, and the few officers I've got in the precinct today are being unusually docile. I'd decided to be grateful for small mercies and enjoy the peace and quiet, I guess I got distracted because now my computers telling me my search got a hit. Confusion barrels into me, what search?
Clicking open the notification, I wait for the page to load. It's a mugshot of a man I've never seen before almost six-feet tall, Caucasian, unremarkable blue eyes, dark facial hair and bald. There's a huge eagle wing tattooed on the side of his head, it curves around from the back and the next picture shows and even bigger eagle body, the entire thing done with strange little lines, swirls and geometric patterns. The name in the file reads Nicholas 'Nicky' James Barnes. Not a name I'm familiar with. Why would I have searched this, yeah sure the guy is a violent offender. From what I can tell he's been brought up on various assault, attempted murder and murder charges over the years but nothings stuck for more than a few months at a time. But he's not involved in any of the active cases I've been overseeing.
I didn't make this search, I'd had no reason to look into some gang member with a mile long record. Which means someone's using my access to the police database to run searches. For a split second I panic about compromised investigations and sensitive information leaks; then it hits me, Emma. This whole thing has her fingerprints all over it. Whatever false lead she's got Kiera chasing is tied to this guy, my heartbeat stalls. So much for Emma being the only one not to regularly give me a heart attack. What is she thinking, this man has murdered people and gotten away with it and she willing got Kiera mixed up with him.
My fists clench in the oak of my desk, snatching my cellphone from beside the computer I make a note of Nicky Barnes' address and rush out of my office while dialing Emma. She picks up on the third ring. "What are you doing?" I demand while sliding into the first available cruiser I see.
There's a beat of silence, it's pregnant with vacillation. I can tell she's weighing her options. Deliberating how much to reveal to me. No dice princess, we're not playing your game today. "Working," she says, her voice goes up at the end. A false note of confusion I'm not nearly dumb enough to fall for.
"What do you want with Nicky Barnes, Emma?" I hear the anger in my own voice, the hard edge that I'm sure she interprets as me being pissed right off. Good, because whatever it is she's playing at is dangerous and she's putting Kiera right in the middle. "Why are you running searches on Burner gang members? Are we back to doing that again?" That ones unfair. I know she's been keeping her nose clean since her last run in with the criminal underbelly of the city but right now I don't give a damn about being fair or remotely pleasant.
"Relax, it's just a new development in that false lead I've got K chasing down." Her voice is exasperated, petulant, as if I'm being unreasonable. Oh, I want to wrap my hands around her skinny little throat right now. I swear nobody tests my patience like these kids. I exhale slowly through my nose, the motion is deliberate. I count to three before responding.
"And you thought it was a good idea to put Kiera in direct contact with a man who's been accused of murder?" I'm practically shouting now, the car is zooming down the street at breakneck speed. There's a rising dread, a sense of trepidation that's slowly growing like a mass in the center of my chest. If these girls keep chasing ghost stories they're gonna land themselves in serious trouble soon.
"It's fine," I can almost hear her rolling her eyes. "Nothing's going to happen stop being a paranoid old man."
Gritting my teeth, I force the words from my mouth; " If anything happens to her, Emma, I'm going to throw you in a cell to rot for the rest of your natural born life." And then I hang up. I'm gunning the cruiser as fast as I can within reason down the streets, weaving through traffic and taking turns that has my stomach lurching up into my throat from the force of being tossed around the cab.
God, I hope I get to Nicky Barnes before Kiera or Emma do. Those girls will be the death of me. I swing the car around into an open parking space a block from Nicky's house and then I'm sprinting down the street, I distantly recognize I should've probably brought someone else with me incase he isn't alone and I'm about to walk into a gang den. It's too late for that now, I lock my sights on the dilapidated brick house halfway down the street and keep going.
Someone's yelling when I get to the house, it's a man. I'm panting from the run but my mind is sharp enough to control the impact of my steps on the wooden porch so they don't hear me coming. I creep up to the front door, the voices are more distinct now. The man is yelling about someone being crazy. So far he's the only voice I've been able to make out clearly, it must be Nicky Barnes. "I'm not crazy, I know you were there. Just tell me what I want to know."
Kiera. Shit. That was definitely Kiera. God, what is she thinking? My heart is racing and it's got nothing to do with the Olympic sprint I just did. Now what? There's no way I get in there and get her out without either spooking Nicky or escalating the situation. I can't risk either. "I don't know who you are, you psycho. Now get out of my house. We're done here."
Leave, Kiera. Just walk out please. "No," of course not, you stubborn fool. Her voice is angry, unrelenting. I wonder how long she's been in there harassing a known gangster. I don't get paid enough for this. "Just tell me what I want to know!" she yells, there's a thump and I assume she's smacked something or slammed something down. This girl is tempting fate.
There's a pause, a stilted silence. Then, "Leave." A spine-chilling click. That's a gun being cocked. I hear it going off like a bomb right beside my head. I don't stop to think before kicking in the door and pulling my own gun from the holster at my hip.
It all happens so quickly then, they both turn to me. Nicky's gun swings in my direction, he sees my gun pointed directly at his chest. I don't remember if I'd taken my badge when I left home. Kiera's eyes are huge in her ashen face, she looks terrified. I'm about to offer her some form of reassurance, tell her it's okay and I won't let anything happen to her. God knows she been on the wrong end of a gun before and that was one time too many for my liking. Before I can utter a word, there's an explosion. It's the loudest sound I've ever heard, my ears pop I blink, twice. Kiera's looking at me horror-struck and I don't know what's just happened. I stumble back a step from the impact of the bullet hitting me in the abdomen and then fall to my knees, no longer able to keep my legs beneath me. I think she screams. Somebody, Nicky I presume, runs by me to the front door but I don't have the capacity to stop him right now. There's a burning pain searing through my gut.
It's slowly getting worse. I've just been shot, the thought comes to me absently as if it's happening to someone else. Kiera's beside me saying something. She sounds terrified, I reach for her and notice my hands covered in blood, my blood. When did that happen. She's starting to freak out and I've got just enough control of myself to grab her face in my hand, my fingers digging into her cheeks smearing the blood over her bleached skin. "Look at me, it's going to be okay. Breathe." I'm not sure if she listens because it all goes black then.