-Current time. 2023
-1:30pm
-Mepalton police department 219
After visiting brookevilla Town, we head straight to our departure centre. Its only been a week since I've gotten on this case, I need to breathe and lay down, It's only fair I submit everything I've find till today as I'm all done for today.
I need my medication so I stop at a store on my way back home, as I'm locking my car, I feel a strange movement of someone behind me, I quickly turn to take a look. "Hello?" It's a stormy and misty night.
Bell rings-
I walk in doors, grabbing my Lunesta and Ambien tablets, I drop them down on the counter, I see a pack of gum, cute- I add it to bill, when I see the store is entirely empty, quite literally.
I notice the cashier's staring at me.
My hand subconsciously reaches the back side of my waist where my gun is hanged. He's glaring nonstop, smirking disturbingly as he plays around with my tablets when he's supposed to be making my bill.
He's doing that on purpose.
Men- They see a young woman outside alone and all they wanna do is creep around. I don't lose focus, I keep my sight on him.
A strong radiation swirls up my neck, in an instant he pulls out a gun and aims it at my head.
"Take out all the money little girl" robbery- the theft Act of state laws, 2111. He should probably get prepared for his corporal punishment. His aim to shoot my forehead doesn't bother me- what bothers me is that he called the wrong woman little girl.
I'm standing with my feet shoulder-width apart, with no obstacles between me and the attacker.
Deep breaths in.
"Do it!" He Yells repeatedly.
"Remember Faiza, a Detective should always pay close attention to these Considerations. Utilize march training in tactics, firearms, and hand-to-hand combat, strategic positioning and movement to gain an advantage, Leverage knowledge of human behavior and psychology to anticipate the attacker's actions! Stay focused and adaptable, adjust the response to the evolving situation"
My brother's voice- echoing inside my brain.
I Quickly assess the cashier's intent weapon, and surroundings when I shift my body position to create an angle, making it harder for Cashier to maintain a clear shot, as I use verbal commands. "You don't want to do this!" For distractions to divert Cashier's attention, creating a split-second opening. I Spin around, targeting his forearm making his gun fall down, Once he's neutralized, I quickly secure the gun and aimed right at him in a blink of an eye. "Don't move! put your arms where I can see them!"
. . . . .
The whole aresst procedure team showed up including Ali, to arrest that cashier. I'm here on watch as well, looking through the cameras for evidence. After that being done I leave the room to get some fresh air. "Are you okay?" Ali asks. "Why wouldn't I be. Do I look like a rookie to you?" Fine, I'll admit, I'm harsh. That's a given.
"I just thought you looked a little uptight."
"Yeah I know" I sigh.
People call it care. I call it pitying.
The feeling I can't get rid of, even after it being said. "I didn't mean it how you got it." His tone gets tangled. "Of course you didn't." He did but what's the point of bringing that up anyway.
"Have you eaten today?" He asks again. Come to realise it- I haven't. But does it matter? I've stayed without food being in my system several times. That's how it is being a full time detective.
"I haven't." I reply. He smiles. "Then let's eat something." His eyes matches his smile. That's cute.
"I'll eat at home." I'm exhausted. "Let me drive you home and we can get something on our way." He's offering for the third time now, I can't deny. Plus I'm not really in the mood to cook. "Samir" Ali tosses his car keys over to Samir our fellow officer. "Take my car home, I'm with Faiza." He turns to me. "Your keys." He drops his hand to me. "Yeah." I put it on his palm.
It's 10pm, Cloudy. The stars aren't visible, where did you go moon?
I play the radio of my car on.
"Currently, we're seeing heavy clouds on the block, prediction of rain showers is increasing via each minute."
"So do you want to talk about what happend or should I keep my mouth shut?"
"The second option is better." I sigh.
"Or I should ask what happend."
"No, go back to where you said you'll shut up."
He laughs.
"You can talk to me you know, you don't always have to keep things to yourself."
"I can talk to many people, I choose not to." I look at him. "It's my choice to keep things to myself." It's how I feel safer, that's how the world remains quiet and I like it when everyone's quiet.
"Your choice it is."
Now because I don't say thankyou alot to many people, but he did respect my boundaries, I should at least try to appreciate it. "Th-" I inhale a deep breath in. "Yes? Did you said anything?" He looks at me. "I- uhm did not- disliked.. how you kept my boundaries." I think I did pretty good- I thanked him, in one way or another.
"Your welcome." He chuckles. "Anyway, your house is just around the corner." He parks my car inside my garage. "How will you go back now?" I didn't thought of that when he offered.
"I'll take a cab."
I should offer him tea or at least water.
"Would you like some tea-"
"I'd like some tea-"
We both stare at each other. What in the sync world.
"Sure." I say. "Come on in."
In the history of my career, I have never been this ashamed. He has been to my house plenty of times, for work purposes, obviously. We've been friends since academy. But i feel awkward now.
"I'm sorry if I'm acting differently." He walks in.
"Why would you say that?" I drop my purse down on my sofa, inside my living room.
"I don't know how to console people when they're frightened."
"Who's frightened?"
"You are."
"Who said I was?"
"I felt like it, which is why I tend to be a little awkward since you don't like people pitying you."
"I'm a professional officer who isn't afraid of anything." I walk to him. "I knocked him with one hand, don't even get me started."
"I know, I didn't mean that." His eyes deepens. "It's just, I know you don't like being alone after a fight."
My body shakens a little at his comment, because that's true. A bit of correction might I add is that I normally don't feel like being alone at nights, ever since my ex finance broke of the engagement. But ali, He's been there with me for almost every case.
I earned my high-school diploma at the age of eighteen, I then completed my bachelor's degree in criminology at the age of twenty two- later on I finally become an officer after five years of practice and experience. That's when the incident happened- And I decided to get my promotion directly to Detective.
And here I am now- four years later a professional detective. It's not easy joinning law enforcement, making it your profession. Because it not just takes hard work- it takes away a part within us. But I did it. When I was practicing for a promotion, there I met Ali, in my academy. I don't think back then I ever noticed him. It was when we started our first project when I saw you fully.
"How long have we been friends Ali?"
"I don't remember, close to five years maybe. Why do you ask?"
"Because if it's really been five years since you've known me, I'm surprised how you don't seem to know me at all."
"You're tired, you should get some rest." He's avoiding discussion again.
"And this is a part of why I say you don't know me"
"I know that you're acting fussy because you're tired."
"Correction- I'm in a fuss because-" I inhale a deep breath.
Because he's not listening.
"Because?" He asks. "Because I'm in a need of some cherry wine." I walk to my kitchen.
The smell goes right through my heart.
I love how cherries are sweet, luscious and rich. It smoothens my heart rate when I'm anxious.
"You don't-" He follows me.
"Why do you think those villagers denied to recognise them?" I pour myself a glass. "They're either being threatened not to speak or they're just loyal and faithful to them." Ali takes a seat across my kitchen counter. "Faithful to Faisal? Hard to believe." I pass him a glass as well. "I don't want to drink, I have to drive back, remember." He denies. "One sip won't make you drowsy." I take a sip from my glass. "I think these boys are one hundred percent working for Faisal today." I say.
"Funny how you call them boys." He says.
"Why's that funny?"
"Those photographs are from eight years ago-"
"Even if- they'll still be younger than us." I roll my eyes.
"But not boys"
"Men than." I say. What a stupid argument.
"Yeah." His lips parted.
"You should head back now, it's getting late." I say, as I stood up, walking to my room. "Lock the main gate on your way back." I announce as I fell on my bed.
"Goodnight" He yells from outside. I hear door locking after a few minutes.
Why did that cashier affected me so much.
I've seen way worse- I've been in way worse situations, I've been in this field for ages.
"I'm sorry, the accident was horrible, he may not be able to walk or even sit- ever again."
-
-
I flinch to the sound of knocking. I'm at my office desk- was I daydreaming at work? isn't that just amazing, no matter how much sleep I get, I'm always sleep deprived.
"May I come in?" Ali peaks through the door. "Yes you may" I don't look up, I keep on switching files between 2009-2010.. to further figure out what actually did happen in 2002, And everything in between those two time periods. Right before I start to drop my head down, Ali pulls the file out of my hands and leans back to read it all again.
"How many times have I told you not to cross the boundaries?"
"I technically didn't. you were about to knock everything away, I just saved you again"
"Ali your fantasies about saving me is getting on my nerves, cut the crap okay?"
He doesn't say anything. He rotates the file. "Maybe try the 1996-7 file one more time detective Faiza" Ali takes a seat at my desk. "I've already done that" I say.
"What's the harm in trying one more time"
Ali tries to convince me. If I do- that means he's right but because Him and I have completed courses together, it'd make him satisfy if I agree on being wrong and I refuse to be wrong.
But I'll have to admit, he's an excellent officer.
Hard work paid off, we both reached our destinations in the end. "Mehnat ka phal phir kehta hai na metha he hota hai."
Translation:
"The fruit of hard work is said to be sweet"
My father always used to say this before my promotion.
Ali's purpose seems to be coming up all together, where as mine- mine doesn't feel any near. I don't see my sweet fruit dad. My reason to become a detective leads a long way back. I hope I get my sweet ending in the end.
"Let's recap everything we've gathered up so far." I slide those files in my front drawer. "Okay" Ali straightens his posture.
"We know that there are not one but four highly paid hubs, let's say batches of drug dealers, and one of them witnessed a terrible accident in 1997 in which hundreds of people died." I say.
"Theoretically it is said to be a conspiracy of events that occurred, by their own leader who later died anonymously."
"In 2010, a similar accident with a huge fire happend in the Brookvilla town which led many people injured but only one man died that night, coincidence? Or target?" I tap my pen. "On top of that, his wife four years later died the same way, In a fire, but the son survived, what are the odds?" Ali nods and then speaks futher about the case.
"The fire wasn't natural, it was a trap, a strategy far beyond for a human eye to witness." Ali takes out a paper from a cabinet near my desk. "Suppose, this is their kid, in 2006, who must be now 25 to 26 years old, what proof do we have to say he might be working in one of those four hubs today?"
"We don't have a visual ID, but we've secured the target's genuine identity, which still on the contrast is not enough as because the underworld has a different identity for him which we haven't discovered yet, but we do have his name now- the real one. It's highly unlikely He's never set a foot in this city, we should ask for a thoroughly sweep of local records, and surveillance feeds. It would be Impossible if he had never been here." Ali's right, I order.
"Send the sreach team to examine the whole city, corner to corner and gather up anything related to Samiullah Sarfraz Ahmed Yilmaz."