CHAPTER EIGHTY - Bullets, Bloodshed and Brothers Bonding

WE LEFT POOR CIVILIAN 911 DISPATCHER RICKY ALVAREZ SCREAMING AND CRYING FOR MERCY AS HE WAS PULVERIZED BY PERILOUS PUB-DARTS BY TWO HENCHMEN JUST OUT FOR A FRIENDLY GAME OF SKILL. AFTER THE FIRST ROUND, THE DARTS WERE PULLED OUT OF HIM AND THEY WANTED TO GO TWO OUT OF THREE, THEN

"HEY! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Cheese it - it's the boss!"

"I told you idiots to watch this kid. Why is he crying and screaming?"

"He's homesick - he just wants to get outta here."

"I don't think so."

LOOKING OVER RICKY'S BODY, HE SEES FRESH WOUNDS ON HIS ARMS AND HANDS AND TINY RED PINPRICK HOLES IN HIS TEE-SHIRT.

"The boy's bleeding - what did you do to him?"

HE WAS ABOUT TO SAY THE WORD "DARTS", BUT REMEMBERED THIS GUY WASN'T A COP - WASN'T ANYBODY WHO COULD HELP - ANYBODY WHO WOULD CARE WHETHER HE LIVED OR DIED DOWN HERE. THE BOSS EYED A PAIR OF DARTS STICKING OUT OF ONE OF THE HENCHMEN'S HANDS AND GRABS THEM "DARTS? You were using him as a dartboard?"

"We couldn't help ourselves."

"Excuse the fuck out of us, we got bored."

"Oh, yeah? Well, my miscreant minions, I get bored, too. How would you like it if I did THIS!"

WITH THAT, HE PLUNGES A DART IN EACH OF THE HENCHMEN'S SHOULDERS AND THEY SCREAM IN PAIN AND GO DOWN.

"COME ON BOSS - GIVE US A BREAK - PULL THESE THINGS OUT - FUCKING THINGS HURT!"

"Of course you didn't think about that when you were throwing them at Ricky a few minutes ago - DID ya!"

ONE OF THE NOW SOBBING HENCHMEN ASKS, "What're ya doing back so soon?"

"I never left - I was upstairs the whole time, monitoring you morons. I came right back down when you started playing your sick little game."

"And as for you..."

THE BOSS TURNS TO RICKY AND RAISES HIS HAND AS IF TO TAKE ANOTHER SWING AT HIM, THEN HOLDS BACK AS RICKY STARES RIGHT AT HIM WITH MOIST RED EYES. HE'S QUIVERING.

THE BOSS STARES RIGHT BACK AT HIM THEN SOFTENS HIS GAZE

"No. I can't do this."

HE KISSES HIM SOFTLY AND PUTS HIS HANDS ON HIS SHOULDERS.

"I can't go on with this."

RICKY'S HANDS AND FEET ARE UNCHAINED. THEN HE TIES RICKY'S HANDS TOGETHER IN FRONT.

"Don't let him go!" YELLS ONE OF THE HENCHMEN

"Maybe he's finally gonna finish him off!" YELLS THE OTHER.

THE BOSS TAKES A GUN OUT AND AIMS IT AT THEM BOTH.

"No, it's you guys who are finished. I have other plans for the kid."

BOTH HENCHMEN ARE SHOT TO DEATH

RICKY SCREAMS IN HORROR, COULD HE BE NEXT?

"No. It's not your death I want. It's your loyalty. You're staying with me."

HE TAKES THE BOY TO ANOTHER ROOM - A BEDROOM - AND CUFFS ONE OF HIS HANDS TO A BEDPOST.

"You'll stay here for a while. I have a couple of things to do, but I'll be back for you."

MEANWHILE, BACK AT MIKE AND EDDIE'S;

EDDIE - I went through all those traffic-cam photos - it was getting frustrating going through all those pictures of basically the same thing. But I had to find out what happened before the dash-cam went on. I, for one, would never want to pin anything on a police officer, but he wasn't in much of a position to be interviewed at this point in his recovery. We had to have hard-core evidence. We had to win this thing. We had to hang in there, though - sure it was monotonous, but this is what we had to do to save Ricky Alvarez's life.

MIKE - Dash-cam video stills are pretty blurry sometimes. I was going through all the photo manipulation programs I had, trying to clear up this number once and for all. Problem was there are tons of vehicles out there that look exactly alike at first glance. We were up for hours. Holy midnight oil as Eddie would say. If it wasn't for my Boy Friday, I don't know how I would've gotten through this. A case can sometimes really take a lot outta you. After I got what looked like the number, I ran it through DMV records and found there were several names attached to it.

"How are ya comin' along, Eddie?"

"My eyes are gettin' a little irritated, a little itchy, but I gotta stay focused. I don't care if this takes all night."

"Good boy."

"You havin' any luck?"

"I finally did get the image cleared up, but there's a bunch of names attached to the one plate. I dunno if it's a bunch of other people or maybe a bunch of aliases."

"Read some of the names. Maybe there's a pattern."

"Let's see - Floyd Pinkerton - Jerry Fillmore - Jeff Butterfield - Rubin Hoffman - Joe Fisher - Mitchell Woods...all in their late 20's"

EDDIE - Oh, there was a pattern all right. As Mike read off the names, a funny feeling came over me - all of those names sounded familiar for some reason. Then it hit me. Then I hit the desk I was sitting at and I blurted out:

"Holy psychedelia!"

"Huh? I don't getcha."

"Mike, think about it - Floyd Pinkerton? Pink Floyd - Jerry Fillmore equals Jerry Garcia playing at the Fillmore West - Jeff Butterfield becomes Jefferson Airplane and the Butterfield Blues Band - Joe Fisher, Country Joe and the Fish - Jerry Rubin, Abbe Hoffman.."

"OF COURSE! These all represent the 60's counter-culture, where...COPS WERE PIGS!"

"And the ages, Mike - think about the age..."

"NEVER TRUST ANYONE OVER 30!"

"This guy's a throwback! A COP - - OVER 30 yet - was shot and the younger guy, also with the police department, even though he's not really a cop, they just thought he was, was kidnapped."

"If that is the pattern, that is the sickest thing I ever heard of - corrupting our law-abiding youth and murder, attempted or otherwise, of the establishment."

"But Ricky is NOT gonna be corrupted and Officer Burke is NOT gonna die!"

"NOT IF WE HAVE ANY SAY IN THE MATTER - LET'S GO, EDDIE! THESE DUDES ARE, LIKE, BUSTED!"

"I dig yer message, man!"

AS OUR HEROES RACE TO THE SCENE, OUR VILLAIN HAS JUST LEFT RICKY UP IN HIS ROOM, HANDCUFFED TO A BEDPOST. ALL OF THIS HAS HAPPENED IN LESS THAN ONE DAY. RICKY BEGINS TO THINK OF WHAT WAS GOING ON WHEN HE GOT UP THAT MORNING, GOT READY FOR WORK, JOYFULLY RODE ALONG WITH OFFICER BURKE. A DAY THAT HAD STARTED OUT WITH SUCH PROMISE IS LOOKING TO BE THE BIGGEST NIGHTMARE OF HIS LIFE.

"Oh, God, what's gonna happen to me?"

HIS QUESTION IS ABOUT TO BE ANSWERED, AS OUR HEROES ARRIVE UPON THE SCENE. OUR VILLAIN IS WALKING OUT TO HIS CAR AS A VOICE HE WOULD RATHER NOT HEAR CALLS OUT.

MIKE - We spot the bad guy comin' outside, ready to head out somewhere, but he's not goin' where he thinks he might be. Oh, no, me-n-Eddie have a chage of plans for him.

"Get the shields ready, kid, he could be armed,"

"Right, Boss-Man."

We fold up the shields behind us before we make our approach.

"Floyd Pinkerton - alias Jerry Fillmore, alias Jeff Butterfield, alias Joe Fisher"

"What the hell do you want?"

"I want you - behind bars - you're the ringleader behind the shooting of Officer Jack Burke and the kidnapping and shooting of Ricky Alvarez, and you're coming with me - right now."

EDDIE - The bad guy reaches for his piece - I warn Mike

"Watch it, Boss-Man, he's got a gun"

The shields come out. I fire a lucky shot, knockin' his piece outta his hand. He flees back inside, we go running after him.

EDDIE - I catch up with the bad guy, land a punch in the face and demand to know where Ricky's being held.

"You'll never get that out of me. He's mine now!"

He takes off running again, with me almost right on top of him. He heads into a room and I follow suit, kicking the door in and see Ricky handcuffed to a bedpost. He uncuffs him, holds his body up in front of him and aims a smaller, more concealed weapon at me.

"Hands up, boy. Make one move and the kid cop gets it!"

"Holy human shield"

"You - kid cop - search Prince Valiant for any weapons - and don't try to pull anything or else this'll be one bullet I won't try to remove."

Ricky walks over to me to search me - I have my hands up. I'm loking right at his abductor, with weapon in hand. I plot my next move. I figure gettin' popped with a gun of such small size can't do very much damage, and I'd kinda be a movin' target, anyway, so the odds of dodgin' gunfire are in my favor, more or less. We're standing at a distance that's narrower than my height, if I could just leap up nd try to kick the gun outta his hand. I whisper to Ricky, "grab my right hand - and duck."

He does just that, and I take my leap. It worked! My feet kick the bad guy right in the face, and he fires a shot, but none of us are hit. He's knocked against the wall and I move in for the kill, so to speak. As I cuff him to the bedpost, I shout out, "how many more of you in this place?"

"You'll find out soon enough, and you won't like it!"

"We'll see about that."

MIKE - With piece and shield at the ready, this is gonna be some bust, all right, but then, I'm sucker punched, and fall to the ground, but I bounce right back up again. Bullets fly, but none hit me.

EDDIE - Ricky and I take off to look for other possible henchmen, then I hear Mike's voice and some shots.

"Holy blitzkrieg! Mike's in trouble - we gotta get 'im out!"

We see him being pummelled by two thugs. I say to Ricky, "the shield's gonna hold out - it always does, but we gotta get one of 'em to start shootin' over here - lighten the Boss-Man's load. Here, get behind me behind this - grab onto my waist - I got a plan."

I took out a flash grenade - nothing lethal or harmful, but just something to put them off their aim, but unfortunately, when the flash cleared, one of the goons started firing on us, but fortunately, we had the shield to protect us -

Ricky started to panic - his breath was rapid and labored, as was his heartbeat, which I felt pumpin' away as he was right on my back, I felt every breath, every heartbeat, even every drop of sweat.

"Just hang in there, kid, this'll be over before ya know it."

See, I knew they were bound to run out of ammo and have to reload - and THAT'S WHEN WE GOT 'EM! As soon as they took out the empty magazine and reached for the other, Mike jumped on one and I shouted to Ricky, "MOVE! NOW!" and the three of us beat the bejesus outta the two of them. Ricky continued to wail on our guy as I'd seen that the kingpin, the big boss-man himself was fleeing for his life. I tackled him but good.

"Oh, no you don't!" I shouted as I slammed him into a wall and cuffed him right then and there. As I was subduing the suspect, I heard a cracking noise. I called out to Mike who said he was okay - he subdued his guy, then I turned around and caught Ricky standing above his guy. The kid was shaking.

"Ricky, what's up there, pal? What's the matter?"

"He's - he's dead, Eddie - I snapped his neck."

We called the cops, who came and got 'em all.

MIKE - They were about to grab the cuffed kingpin but then I snarled at him, "well, well, well...you guys were out to snag all of us, but it's the other way around, now, isn't it!"

EDDIE - I added to the mix, "cop-nappin', cop-shootin', not good stuff, Maynard"

But then Ricky stepped in.

"No, that's not true - sure he had me kidnapped, but he didn't want me shot. In fact, he even removed one of the bullets."

MIKE - Of course I asked, "why not both?"

"The risk of nerve damage to the leg was quite high. I thought it would be best to just leave it in."

"Just like Officer Burke."

"See, I used to be a Surgeon."

"I love it, goin' from a saw-bones to a psycho. Guys, take this away, it's makin' me sick."

"Kid, I'm not sure ya shoulda said that - it might give 'im a lighter sentence."

Eddie interjected, "he had to, Mike - it was the truth. No matter what, we always have to be just and righteous."

"Sad but true, kiddo. Sad but true."

- - - - -

IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS SINCE THE WHOLE EPISODE PLAYED ITSELF OUT. RICKY GETS CALLED INTO THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE.

"You wanted to see me, Chief?"

"I sure did - I'd like to know the meaning of this."

"Hey, it's just as it says - it's my letter of resignation."

"Uh-huh? Why's that?"

Ricky drew a heavy breath and explained, "After my ordeal out there - while I was recovering from everything, I got to thinking this might not be a good line of work for me."

"I see. You have plans after this?"

"Yes, sir, I do. I'm going to work for my cousin's insurance agency - I'll be in Sales."

"I don't know - Where's Ricky and what have you done with him?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're taking up his body, whoever you are, but this is not Ricky Alvarez, the kid who'd do anything just to be involved in public service - sayin' it was in your blood."

"Well, sir, I guess it wasn't after all."

"Sure it was!"

MIKE - Yep, that was me. Me-n-Eddie were standin' in the chief's office doorway hearing everything- believin' nothing. See, the Chief called us in to see about this little matter.

"It still is. How long's it been since this whole thing happened - two - three weeks, is it?"

"Uh, something like that."

"Uh-huh - and in that time, you went to a proper hospital and were told the same thing about your leg, that they have to leave the bullet in there to avoid nerve damage. How's it feelin', kid?"

"My foot doesn't really hurt or anything - just a little tender."

"Hmm, I see."

I walk over to him, stickin' my hands in my pockets, my coat open, behind my arms, Eddie - same thing. My head tilted back a little, a sinister look on my face that says, "yer fulluvit", the occasional raised eyebrows. I got this kid - I got 'im. I always do. Eddie does, too.

EDDIE - I pull out a chair for him and motion him to sit. He does have a bad foot, now, don't forget. Me-n-Mike stood on either side of him, the Chief standin' nearby with his arms folded. This wasn't just a "gave it the ol' college try, now I'm movin' on" type of deal. Naw, once you get a taste of this life, you're ready for the banquet. Oh, uh, one thing, instead of all this he-said he-said hooey, I'm jottin' down our initials by what we said, so you can get the whole picture as it happened. This is the last "I said", here, so I said:

"So, when you were in the hospital, and recovering at home, betcha told everyone about what happened."

RICKY - "Yeah."

E "I can hear it now - 'see? I told you this was a dangerous job - I knew you were gonna get in trouble - you have got to leave the police department and get a job in an office'..."

M "...settle down...."

E "....meet a nice girl...."

M "...do the 9 to 5 thing, scramble to make that bottom line and maybe you won't get an ulcer by the time you get laid off..."

RICKY - "Hey, this is my cousin's insurance company - I'm not gonna get laid off."

M "Oh yeah? What about profits? What happens when they go down? You sell this and that, but a customer might find a better deal somewhere else."

E "This great cousin of yours is sweatin' it out - lots of closed-door meetings, lookin' worried all the while, but he sees ya walkin' in and suddenly it's , 'Hi, Ricky, how ya doin'!' You say 'ya look a little down - you all right?' 'Aw, yeah, couldn't be better - heh-heh- couldn't be better...' and guess who's got a bottle of booze in his bottom drawer then he gets the picture he's gotta cut the crap with ya..."

M "...as he sits ya down in his office, wipin' the sweat off his forehead and sayin' this is the end of the line, kid..."

E "...and ya collect 5 minutes of severance and stand in the unemployment line and pound the pavement - with a bullet in your leg."

M "Lookin' for all the world like a little professional with a briefcase, the resume, the I'm Gonna Get That Job Today attitude - with a bullet in your leg."

E "You may get two, maybe three interviews - get asked if ya got any illnesses, accidents, anything of that nature..."

M "And you say no..."

E "But then ya get a little irritation down there, maybe your skin breaks out.."

M "...you get a cramp as it shifts inside you..."

E "Hey, there, what's the matter - you okay? What's wrong with your foot?"

M "Ah, it's nothin' - got a bullet in my leg, that's all."

E "(GASP) Holy Workmen's comp - ya think he's gonna pin that on us, make a few extra bucks?"

Finally Ricky cracks wide open - knew he would. Me-n-Mike look at each other and wink "Yep - we're gettin' 'im"

"What's all this about? Where're ya getting all of this?"

EDDIE - I take a chair, turn it around, sit on it backwards, I put my hand on his shoulder and peer eye to eye.

"What we're doin' is the same thing your folks are probably doin' with you. In the outside world, a young kid like you hobbles around on one of his bad days, people always askin' about what's wrong and all, and ya gotta keep explaining it to 'em. A couple of yuppies might go on about 'hey, check it out - he got shot! Can we see it?' But you won't get any of that here. We all know what happened. We've all been through it. You're a member of the family here. We're your brothers."

Mike bends down to his ear and says right into it, "and brothers are thicker than cousins and yuppies."

"You - you guys have been through this? You all got hit on the Job?"

"You bet. Me-n-Eddie got popped twice in the ribs the first real case we worked together. You think he quit?"

"Naw, no way I couldn't wait to get back out there!"

"You think I quit? I'm still standin' here with a porkpie hat and a trench coat, always at the ready - my head spinnin' about clues, light bulbs goin' off, me-n-the kid leapin' into action."

"I - I was also tortured with darts and chained to a wall..."

"Us too"

"I got smacked around a lot - tied up..."

"Haven't we all!"

"But you guys are real strong - nothing gets to you - you were born for this sort of thing. I was screaming and crying and trying to break loose when they were throwing those things at me, and laughing and carrying on like that. I wasn't very strong about it - I couldn't take it!"

"And we could, huh?"

"We don't like the things that happen to us out there. We rather they didn't, but it's all par for the course."

"And we all get hurt - and we all feel it - how many soldiers in war get hurt and captured, beaten, shot, and re-enlist as soon as they're okay..."

"How may cops get clipped - run to the repair shop and are back on the beat the minute they're okay?"

"It's their life, Ricky. It's in their blood. They have that same love for the public, the wanting to protect them, to serve them, to be there for others the way they'd want others to be there for them, just like Sweeney was on the phone when you called about your pop."

"Sweeney thought a lot of you - Jack Burke does, too. When he heard you were free, he couldn't wait to see ya, but ya didn't go visit him."

"It didn't seem like a good idea - I wanted to"

"Then why didn't ya? Man, you missed out on the best bonding experience ever. There you are, two guys - each with hearts of gold - - and bullets in your legs."

"Every time you walk on it, put your shoes on it, press the brake and the gas pedals with it, you'll know it. That bullet will always represent what you did for the Job and the life you love the most."

"Like the holes in Christ's hands, feet and side."

EDDIE - Ricky put his head down, stared right at the ground, then started nodding -

"Yeah...yeah...it's true - my family did talk me into leaving. It wasn't my idea. I didn't wanna quit. I even told 'em I wasn't always out on the beat like that, that I was just in training that day, that I'd be on the phone, and all...But I do wanna stay. It's a great buncha guys in the communication center. I know it looked like I was just runnin' away when they were kidnappin' me, but I was really runnin' for the squad car radio, hopin' I could call for back-up, but I was shot before I could get there."

"It's all on the video, kid."

"I had a great time ridin' around that day. Officer Burke was pretty cool."

"He still is, kiddo. He misses ya - he wants to see ya."

"I'll go after my shift. I'll go visit him - I will. Can I have my letter back?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

The Chief gives him the letter back and he tears it up.

"So, whatcha gonna tell your family?"

He looked at all three of us and said, "I'm gonna stay with my brothers."


MIKE - Ricky had a bittersweet reunion with Jack Burke, tellin' him all about the bullet they had to keep in his leg - they had that in common. They bonded over bullets.

Sadly, though, Officer Burke died of his wounds. As he and Ricky were talkin', he started to flatline. Ricky got the doctors in there as fast as they could run, but it was too late. They couldn't save him. Ricky watched him die. The funeral was three days later. Ricky was in full dress uniform, as was everybody, includin' us. He was buried next to Officer Sweeney - the sidekick who never left his hero. Ricky was also one of the pallbearers - in fact, he was one of the guys in front, pickin' up the casket and walkin' to the burial plot - with a bullet in his leg.

CHAPTER SEVENTY NINE - The Case of the Kidnapped Cop

ON AN ORDINARY DAY, SOMETHING NOT SO ORDINARY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. POLICE OFFICER JACK BURKE IS ON PATROL, ONLY HIS PARTNER IS A CIVILIAN RIDE-ALONG. HE'S RICKY ALVAREZ, A NEW 9-11 DISPATCHER IN TRAINING AND OFFICER BURKE IS SHOWING HIM THE ROPES, TAKING HIM ON PATROL WITH HIM. RICKY COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED.

OFFICER BURKE IS ABOUT 6'3, SQUARE-JAWED, BROAD-SHOULDERED, A DEEP BOOMING SLIGHTLY GRAVELLY IRISH VOICE, SQUINTED STEEL-PIERCING EYES. HIS UNIFORM SHIRT BETRAYS A PAIR OF TONED, MUSCULAR HAIRY ARMS WHICH BEAR SOME "MEDALS OF HONOR" AS IT WERE.

"Yeah, I seen some stuff out there - gets pretty rough - people don't realize bein' a cop ain't a glamorous job. It's got nothin' but rewards, though. No matter what happens to me out there, I go home at the end of my watch knowin' I was doin' somethin' real special out here."

JUST SAYING THE JOB ISN'T GLAMOROUS MADE IT SEEM ALL THE MORE SO IN RICKY'S EYES. HE'S 5'10, SLIGHTLY CHUBBY BUILD, ROUND-SHAPED FACE, BIG BROWN EYES THAT SEEM TO TAKE IN EVERYTHING AROUND HIM.

"In case yer wonderin', we don't do this with all the trainees, but I think ya got somethin' about ya - I've been hearin' about ya, you really love this line of work, dontcha."

"Gosh, I sure do. It was the best day of my life when I heard I got the job. All I ever wanted to do was to help people. I may not be a cop or a fireman or anything like that, but I'm the first guy they talk to when they call in an emergency, and if I can just be that friendly, reassuring voice that tells 'em it's gonna be okay. We had to call 911 a lot with my dad bein' sick - he had a stroke and I called it in and I was all upset and stuff, and the guy on the other end of the phone kept talkin' to me, tryin' to settle me down - heck, he stayed on the phone with me the whole time til the paramedics came to the house. I never forgot him. He even came to my dad's funeral. Sure was nice of him."

AS RICKY RELATES THE STORY, BURKE SENSES SOMETHING FAMILIAR.

"Ricky, how long ago was this?"

"Five and a half years ago - but it seems like yesterday - why?"

A LOOK OF SADNESS CROSSES BURKE'S EYES, THEN HE SMILED A BITTERSWEET SMILE, AS IF REMEMBERING SOMEONE.

"The dispatcher, he was a guy named Sweeney, right?"

"Yeah! How'd ya know?"

"My best friend. He told me about the whole thing. He had a leg injury due to a car crash and was given desk duty, so he was a dispatcher while he was healin'. Some time after that, he was well enough to go back on the beat. He was shot to death three days later."

RICKY'S EYES AND MOUTH OPENED WIDE. HE TOOK A BREATH, SQUINTED HIS EYES, GRIMACED, EXHALED, AND SHOOK HIS HEAD. "No way."

"That's what I said at first. Right in front of me, too. We pulled someone over, just barely closed the squad car doors behind us and took a couple of steps, then I saw his chest get popped 6 times. I took cover, whipped out my piece and started firin', I got shot in the ankles, but I just kept pumpin' it into this thug. I finally blasted him right between the eyes. I wanted to run over and beat the livin' crap outta him, nobody wipes out a buddy of mine without payin' for it - but I thought better of it - my nailin' him was enough. When I was at the hospital, they saw that it was too risky to take the bullets out, that it could mean some real nerve damage if they did, so I still got the slugs in my ankles. When I walk on them, when I look down on them, changin' shoes, that kinda thing, I think of him."

"Wow - you still have bullets in your feet - don't they hurt?"

"Nah, not at all - in fact I'm glad I got 'em - I took 'em for Sweeney."

THEN SUDDENLY A CAR CAME UP BEHIND THEM, BEEPING THEIR HORNS, TAPPING THE SQUAD CAR BUMPER, THEN THEY WHIZZED PAST, SPEEDING DOWN THE ROAD. BURKE PUT ON THE MARS LIGHTS AND SIRENS

"Hang on, kid - we're gonna have some real fun now!"

HE GAVE CHASE - STAYING ON THE TAIL OF THE OFFENDING CAR THE WHOLE TIME, NEVER LETTING UP

"Fuckin' joy riders!"

BURKE PUTS ON THE P.A. AND ORDERS THE CAR TO PULL OVER AND STOP BUT THEY IGNORE HIM AND KEEP SPEEDING. THIS GOES ON FOR 5 OR 6 MILES AT LEAST. BURKE'S HAD ENOUGH BY NOW.

"Get your asses on that shoulder now!"

HE REACHES FOR HIS SERVICE WEAPON, TURNS TO RICKY AND SAYS, CHUCKLING, "Watch my smoke, boy!" AND SHOOTS OUT THE BACK WINDOW AND A SIDE MIRROR. THE CAR LOSES CONTROL, IT SWERVES, THEN FINALLY PULLS OVER.

"Got 'em!"

RICKY SMILES, "Ya sure did!"

BUT IT'S THEY WHO HAVE BURKE AND RICKY, FOR AT THIS MOMENT, THE OCCUPANTS RUN OUT AND ARE WEILDING AK-47 RIFLES, ASSUME COMBAT POSITIONS AND THE RINGLEADER RUNS OVER AND SMASHES THE WINDSHIELD WITH THE BUTT OF HIS RIFLE, PISTOL-WHIPS RICKY IN THE TEMPLE, AND AIMS HIS WEAPON RIGHT AT RICKY'S FOREHEAD.

"You get the fuck out now - hands up - hands up - hands up!"

ANOTHER RIFLE IS ALSO PRESSING AGAINST BURKE'S HEAD

"Face it, piggly-winks, you're out-gunned. You've lost this one!"

"GRAB HIS GUN!"

BURKE'S SERVICE WEAPON IS TAKEN AND HE STANDS WITH HIS HANDS IN THE AIR AS IS RICKY. THE BOY BREATHES HEAVILY, HIS HEART PALPITATES AND PANIC PAINTS HIS FACE AS HE LOOKS OVER AT BURKE WHO BETRAYS NO EMOTION - MAYBE HE'S BEEN THROUGH THIS SORT OF THING BEFORE. HE LOOKS DOWN THE BARREL OF HIS OWN SERVICE WEAPON.

"All right, you, big bad cop - ya wanna bust somebody? Cuff the kid."

BURKE SNARLS AT HIS CAPTOR, "no fucking way."

"All right, we'll do it ourselves, but you're not gonna like it."

THE KIDNAPPER AIMS AND SHOOTS BURKE IN HIS LEFT UPPER CHEST. BURKE GRIMACES AND GRABS HIS WOUND AND SCREAMS AS HE'S GRAZED IN THE HEAD AS HE GOES DOWN!

RICKY, SEEING A CHANCE FOR ESCAPE, THROWS HIS HANDS DOWN AND STARTS TO MAKE A BREAK FOR IT, BUT IS SHOT IN THE ARM AND LEG AND GOES DOWN! THEN HE'S HANDCUFFED, DRAGGED TO THE CAR AND TOSSED INTO THE TRUNK!

MIKE - So where do we come into this? About here should be good. We were called down to headquarters. The Chief of Police filled us in.

"Both of shot up, eh? How badly were they hurt?"

"Burke took one in the chest and his skull was grazed, but he was still conscious when they found him. The boy only suffered wounds to his limbs, but I worry about him most of all. He wasn't even a sworn officer, he was a civilian."

"Was?"

"Uh, sorry, Detective, we shouldn't presume his passing, but he was taken hostage after he was sent down."

Eddie was pacing back and forth, frustrated, "were there no witnesses? Didn't anybody see anything at all?"

"My boy, we have the best witness there is. Videotape from the squad car's dash-cam, which I will show you. Detective Batz, I know you've seen a lot over the years, as tragic as some sights may be, I know you have a pretty thick skin about these things, but I am concerned about you, Detective Robinson. After all, you are at a very young age, and you have a very soft spot in your heart for all police officers, and this is very graphic footage."

MIKE - I put my hands on Eddie's shoulders. "You sure ya wanna see this?"

"Not a problem, Boss-man. Saving Ricky's life and catching these crumbs are all that matters."

MIKE - "Good man. All right, Chief, lay it on us."

EDDIE - The video starts with the chase as the dash-cam comes on as soon as the officer turns on the lights and sirens. We see Officer Burke try to stop the car by shooting out the rear window, then the car pulls over. I see the ugliness unfold in front of my eyes. The horrible sound of gunfire, the sight of the officer falling in pain. I could almost feel the bullets hit them both, having been shot before. Ricky gets shot next. I see some skin tissue and blood fly out of his arm as he's hit and goes down. He falls out of camera range, but I can hear the bullet he took in his leg, then I see him tossed in the trunk. The bad guys drive away and Officer Burke is shown struggling to stand up and he clutches his head. It leaves me cold. I ball my hands up into fists and put my arms up to my chest as I shake.

MEANWHILE BACK AT THE POINT OF CAPTIVITY - The gang of thugs drags poor Ricky into their hideout. Their kingpin looks him over.

"Where'd you get this one? He's not in a uniform!"

"He was sitting next to the cop in the squad car - we figured he might be undercover."

RICKY MOANS, "Please - I don't know what you want with me - I'm a Civilian Emergency Dispatcher - I was only being taken as a ride-along to..."

HE'S PUNCHED IN THE STOMACH

"Enough outta you!"

SEEING HIS BLEEDING ARM AND LEG, THE BOSS SNAPS, "Why was he shot? There wasn't supposed to be any shooting!"

"He tried to get away. We tried to make the other cop handcuff him, but he refused so we had to pop him, then this mutt tried to make a break for it, so we had to clip his wings."

"Well, I guess the damage is done, nothing we can do about it now - but take him down to the infirmary and fix up his wounds. Just because he's being used as a pawn doesn't mean he has to bleed to death."

"Does this mean you're gonna let me go?"

"Wish I could, but I can't. If we're gonna bring the PD down to its knees, we gotta snatch every single one of 'em. A kid like you shouldn't have gotten involved in this. I have no interest in civilians, but you're here now, anyway, so I guess we gotta make do. Guess you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Take him away - get him fixed up."

SEVERAL HOURS GO BY AS THE BULLET IS SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED FROM RICKY'S ARM, BUT THE SLUG IN HIS LEG IS ANOTHER STORY - IT'S IN A VERY PRECARIOUS SPOT - - REMOVAL COULD SEVER A NERVE AND RICKY COULD NEVER WALK AGAIN. HE WAKES UP FROM THE ANESTHESIA AND THE RINGLEADER BREAKS THE NEWS TO HIM.

"Where am I? What happened?"

"You have been taken hostage and as you tried to escape, one of my men shot you, but your wounds have been treated. The bullet from your arm has been removed, but we had no choice but to leave the other bullet in your leg. There would've been irreparable nerve damage if we tried to extract it."

"But...why? Why did you kidnap me? What do you want?"

"That's not important for now. Just do as we say and you won't suffer any further injury."

RICKY SITS UP, RUBBING HIS ARM, "Gosh...still hurts."

"Yes...it's going to for a while. But don't worry, you'll have some company real soon. Guys, next plan of action. Boy Wonder here needs a roommate. You two stay here and baby-sit the kid, you guys - let's get rollin' - we got some more to scoop up. We're gonna bring this pig-pen to its knees yet.

MEANWHILE BACK AT P.D. H.Q., AS MIKE AND EDDIE ARE MULLING OVER WHAT COULD HAVE PROMPTED SUCH AN ATTACK. THE CHIEF TAKES THE SIMPLE APPROACH

"The thugs probably had something to hide or else they wouldn't have attacked the officer and the civilian as violently as they had."

"Oh, it's much more than that. It seems as if the bad guys acted all too swiftly."

"With emphasis on ACTED."

"Correct! I have a feeling they planned this whole thing. Too bad the dash cam wasn't activated until Burke was in pursuit."

EDDIE - Suddenly a thought came to me. I snap my fingers and point at Mike, "THAT'S IT! STREET CAM!"

"Of course, why didn't I think of that? Chief - on Burke's beat, do you have police cams in the area?"

"Why, yes of course, but they only take still shots."

"Every 5 seconds."

"Well, true, but..."

"That's all we'll need. Give us the footage, we'll run it through a video editor and somehow animate the footage. It may be a bit bumpy, but we'll get the whole story."

THE CHIEF PLACES A CALL TO THE PHOTO LAB.

"Hello, yes...I have Detectives Batz and Robinson here - they would like the street camera footage of Officer Burke's patrol beat between the times of...."

"The kidnapping was recorded at 1:30 - let's get the footage from about 1:00 on..."

"Yes, give them the photos snapped from 1:00 this afternoon."

"We'll put all this footage together..."

"...and then we NAIL 'em! Holy open-n-shutter - let's GO!"

MIKE - My God, it felt like we were going through all those photos for days, but it was only a couple of hours, but still, it was more time that Ricky Alvarez was missing and in the hands of merciless miscreants - God only knew what they were doing to him.

EDDIE - Just what I thought it was - a total set-up. We can see now that the bad guys were really tailing Officer Burke - the way they drove up on him and slammed into him, baiting him to gice chase just so they could perpetrate their putrid plot. It really left us cold.

"Gosh, Mike. I get this awful feeling there may be more to come with this."

"I'm afraid you're right, but we do have a lead. At least the cops'll have one to go on - know what to look out for. This may not be the holy open and shutter we thought it'd be, but we are gonna get these guys - or our names aren't Batz & Robinson."

RICKY'S HANDS ARE CHAINED TO A PILLAR - HIS ARMS OUTSTRETCHED - HIS LEGS ARE SHACKLED - SPREAD EAGLE, OF COURSE.

"This sucks - we're not out on the next one - is this all we're good for, just keepin' an eye out on this one?"

"Yeah, I know what ya mean. I'd much rather be out on patrol than stuck back here doin' some stupid desk job."

THE HENCHMEN LAUGH AMONG THEMSELVES, "My God, we sound like a couple of cops."

"Who knows - maybe after we wipe all of 'em out, we can take over. I wouldn't mind struttin' my stuff in one of them uniforms."

"Yeah, they do look pretty hot."

"Hey, I just got an idea. Why don't we turn lemons into lemonade."

"I don't getcha."

LOOKING UP AT RICKY, THEN LOOKING BACK, HENCHMAN 1 SAYS, "Why don't we make our own fun here - a friendly little game of - DARTS, huh?"

"Don't tempt me - besides, the boss says not to hurt this kid anymore than we did."

"Nah, it's just gonna sting a little - we'll yank 'em back out."

"Sure, why not - no one's gonna know - besides, the kid's not gonna say anything. Who's he got to say it to?"

"Right!"

THEY APPROACH RICKY WITH BIG SMILES ON THEIR FACES.

"What're you guys up to?"

"Oh, nothing really - we're just gonna play a little pub game. A game of skill."

"Just a little game of darts, to pass the time."

EACH OF THEM TAKES 4 OF THE DEADLY MISSILES.

"Been thinkin' of improvin' my game - it's kinda quiet here, so now's a good time as any."

RICKY STARTS TO STRUGGLE - THE HENCHMEN EACH TAKE ONE DART AND AIM IT.

"No! You're never gonna get away with this!"

"Oh, really!"

"Hey, what's the point spread?"

"Chest 50 points - arms and legs 25 each. I'll be a sport - you go first."

"Why, how commendable."

"Nah, think nothin' of it."

"Hey, these ain't drugged, are they?"

"Of course not - that's too easy on him - we want him to feel everything."

"Hey. All right!"

THE FIRST DART IS TOSSED HITTING RICKY RIGHT IN THE CHEST - HE LETS OUT A SCREAM.

"Bull's eye!"

ANOTHER ONE HITS HIS LEFT SHOULDER. HE JERKS HIS HEAD BACK AND FORTH, FEARING HE'LL BE HIT THERE, TOO. HE TRIES IN VAIN TO MOVE HIS HANDS, THEY GET IT, TOO.
FINALLY ALL OF THEM ARE TOSSED, HITTING HIS ARMS AND LEGS. RICKY'S SOBBING BY THIS TIME.

"Not a bad game. Wanna go two outta three?"

"Sure."

WHAT A GHASTLY END - OR IS IT? HOW LONG CAN HE STAND SUCH TORMENT? HOW MANY MORE COPS ARE ON THE HIT LIST? WILL THE ENTIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT BE WIPED OUT? HOW LONG BEFORE OUR HEROES CATCH UP WITH THESE DASTARDLY DEMONS AND BRING THEM TO JUSTICE? THE ANSWERS, MY FRIENDS, ARE BLOWING IN THE WIND - MORE TO COME IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.