Post by Michael on Feb 15, 2009 5:53:07 GMT -5
Day 1. The home of Jack Harper.
Jack Harper was asleep on the couch, the same way he usually spent his days off. He hadn't slept in his bed since Samantha had left, although he would never tell her that. His goverment issued cell had been going off for over a half hour. He had turned the ringer off, and contemplated ignoring the call. After all he had had his last two days off interupted. Nonetheless, he forced himself to his feet. He yawned as he stretched, and rubbed his still half sleeping eyes. Clad in an undershirt and boxers he hit the button on his answering machine, and lumbered into the kitchen. As he fetched a carton of milk and drank from it, he listened to the machine.
The newest one was from Diana, the captain's secretary, " Jack the captain really needs you to come down today. We have almost every available unit on call. It's one of those days. Call the station as soon as possible the captain wants to speak to you."
Yeah, it was life or death Jack thought. He had given his all to the Brenshaw Police Department for thirteen years, and had risen in the ranks, only to be yanked back down the ladder. He had achieved his dream of making detective, only to be punished for doing his job. You never go against your own kind, no blue on blue. He knew the unwritten code, that the law was different for cops. He sometimes thought maybe things would be different if only he had looked the other way, but he knew he couldn't have lived with himself. He started his career in law enforcement, what seemed like ages ago, to do the right thing. To serve and protect as cliched as it sounded. His mind found it's way back to the present moment as he heard the sound of Samantha's voice. There had been a few messages from the precinct all fairly similar in nature. He paid closer attention to this one.
"Jack, hello Jack! You can't keep ignoring me Jack."
How could I he thought.
"This is really happening, you have to deal with reality."
That one almost made him smile, she could never know the reality he had "dealt with" the things he had seen.
"Elizabeth would like to see you on your day off if you aren't too busy."
With that he yelled back as if he was actually involved in a conversation. "Yeah, Samantha I'm too busy for my own daughter! I'm a real as$hole!"
"Anyway, I need money. My parents can't handle watching Lizzie while I work, which means I need to pay for daycare. We are still in Brenshaw if you decide you want to see her Jack."
Click. That was the last message, and what a way to start the day. He still loved Samantha, but she couldn't seem to stand him anymore. He did understand the sacrifices he made for work had impacted their family life more than his wife and daughter deserved. He still hadn't signed the divorce papers and that only served to anger her more.
He slipped into the blue uniform he thought he had left behind upon making detective. He smiled as he tossed the cap onto the bed, he wouldn't wear that regardless of the consequences. He took one last look in his bathroom mirror as he prepared to leave. He could have shaved, put on that face that the powers that be wanted to represent the BPD. Nah, he had to make them a little mad.
Jack closed the door behind him and stepped out into the sunlight. He squinced his eyes and put on his shades as he glanced at his watch. 12:45 pm. Wow, you're getting an early start Jack, he thought as he stepped off the porch. He walked out to the black and white cruiser parked in the driveway. Unit 3, this wasn't a shift car, Jack was the only guy who drove it. He was Unit 3. Samantha had used to say he was Jack until he sat in that car and then he became Unit 3 again. He remembered her saying before she left that he had began to be Unit 3 all the time, even at home.
As he got in the car, before taking off he pulled out his phone to call Captain O'Brian. O'Brian had long been a friend of Jack's, he knew Jack was a good cop and a good man. In fact O'Brian may have been the only reason Jack's enemies weren't successful in getting him booted from the force. As the phone rang he started the car and got on the road.
"O'Brian here." Captain O'Brian answered.
"It's me Cap" Jack responded.
"Where the hell have you been Harper. We're stretched thin today. The city's bein' a real as$hole."
"So what's going on?" He asked, half dreading the answer.
"Well, I originally called you in because we're short on man power, but now I've got a job for you. Somethings going on at the Thorne Tech building."
"The Thorne Tech building?"
"Yeah, that place is the money in town, and I know the cheif and the mayor want the best on it. That's why I called you. Get there quick, the on scene guys'll bring you up to speed."
The captain ended the call with that and Jack hit the blue lights and the sirens. This was going to be interesting.
Jack Harper was asleep on the couch, the same way he usually spent his days off. He hadn't slept in his bed since Samantha had left, although he would never tell her that. His goverment issued cell had been going off for over a half hour. He had turned the ringer off, and contemplated ignoring the call. After all he had had his last two days off interupted. Nonetheless, he forced himself to his feet. He yawned as he stretched, and rubbed his still half sleeping eyes. Clad in an undershirt and boxers he hit the button on his answering machine, and lumbered into the kitchen. As he fetched a carton of milk and drank from it, he listened to the machine.
The newest one was from Diana, the captain's secretary, " Jack the captain really needs you to come down today. We have almost every available unit on call. It's one of those days. Call the station as soon as possible the captain wants to speak to you."
Yeah, it was life or death Jack thought. He had given his all to the Brenshaw Police Department for thirteen years, and had risen in the ranks, only to be yanked back down the ladder. He had achieved his dream of making detective, only to be punished for doing his job. You never go against your own kind, no blue on blue. He knew the unwritten code, that the law was different for cops. He sometimes thought maybe things would be different if only he had looked the other way, but he knew he couldn't have lived with himself. He started his career in law enforcement, what seemed like ages ago, to do the right thing. To serve and protect as cliched as it sounded. His mind found it's way back to the present moment as he heard the sound of Samantha's voice. There had been a few messages from the precinct all fairly similar in nature. He paid closer attention to this one.
"Jack, hello Jack! You can't keep ignoring me Jack."
How could I he thought.
"This is really happening, you have to deal with reality."
That one almost made him smile, she could never know the reality he had "dealt with" the things he had seen.
"Elizabeth would like to see you on your day off if you aren't too busy."
With that he yelled back as if he was actually involved in a conversation. "Yeah, Samantha I'm too busy for my own daughter! I'm a real as$hole!"
"Anyway, I need money. My parents can't handle watching Lizzie while I work, which means I need to pay for daycare. We are still in Brenshaw if you decide you want to see her Jack."
Click. That was the last message, and what a way to start the day. He still loved Samantha, but she couldn't seem to stand him anymore. He did understand the sacrifices he made for work had impacted their family life more than his wife and daughter deserved. He still hadn't signed the divorce papers and that only served to anger her more.
He slipped into the blue uniform he thought he had left behind upon making detective. He smiled as he tossed the cap onto the bed, he wouldn't wear that regardless of the consequences. He took one last look in his bathroom mirror as he prepared to leave. He could have shaved, put on that face that the powers that be wanted to represent the BPD. Nah, he had to make them a little mad.
Jack closed the door behind him and stepped out into the sunlight. He squinced his eyes and put on his shades as he glanced at his watch. 12:45 pm. Wow, you're getting an early start Jack, he thought as he stepped off the porch. He walked out to the black and white cruiser parked in the driveway. Unit 3, this wasn't a shift car, Jack was the only guy who drove it. He was Unit 3. Samantha had used to say he was Jack until he sat in that car and then he became Unit 3 again. He remembered her saying before she left that he had began to be Unit 3 all the time, even at home.
As he got in the car, before taking off he pulled out his phone to call Captain O'Brian. O'Brian had long been a friend of Jack's, he knew Jack was a good cop and a good man. In fact O'Brian may have been the only reason Jack's enemies weren't successful in getting him booted from the force. As the phone rang he started the car and got on the road.
"O'Brian here." Captain O'Brian answered.
"It's me Cap" Jack responded.
"Where the hell have you been Harper. We're stretched thin today. The city's bein' a real as$hole."
"So what's going on?" He asked, half dreading the answer.
"Well, I originally called you in because we're short on man power, but now I've got a job for you. Somethings going on at the Thorne Tech building."
"The Thorne Tech building?"
"Yeah, that place is the money in town, and I know the cheif and the mayor want the best on it. That's why I called you. Get there quick, the on scene guys'll bring you up to speed."
The captain ended the call with that and Jack hit the blue lights and the sirens. This was going to be interesting.