‘I’m sure he’ll live’ Says Frank who’s growing impatient with the detective.
‘Yes he will Frank, but I’m not sure whether or not you will. See, Terrorism is a serious crime, let alone Treason. Seeing you blew up a building in your own country, and you work for the government. Those are some serious charges Frank, the sort of charges that result in the electric chair.’
Frank gets up and walks over to the detective.
‘Look here pal; I don’t know why you’re wasting my time here. I did what I had to do. If I didn’t do what I did, you would be looking at a lot more than a few scuffed rent a’ cops and some hurt feelings’ Says frank.
‘Calm down Frank. You seem edgy. It’s a shame that you can’t take one of your pills now isn’t it? Oh that’s right; Frank here has a drugs problem. You should have been a tad bit more careful, handing yourself in with those pills in your pocket.’
‘Those are prescribed by my doctor, Sherlock’
‘That may be so, but I’m pretty sure that the department would frown upon your needing of such drugs. I think that sort of dependency doesn’t bode well for a high score on you psychiatric profile’
Frank smiles back at the pressing detective. The door to the interview room opens. DA Eddie Smith walks in. He signals detective Loupe out of the room. Smith waits for everyone to leave and closes the door behind them.
‘What took you so long?’ asks Frank.
‘I’m here now aren’t I?’
‘Okay, I’ve already explained what happened’ Says Frank.
The DA stops him from talking and undoes his cuffs.
‘Look this isn’t my doing for once; it seems as if you have friends in high places who understand your reasoning. That being said, they want you to carry on the investigation. It seems that you are the one that Chase seems to be comfortable talking to. Call it crazy, but you have a rapport with the guy.’
‘I beg to differ, but I won’t turn down a case for a jail cell.’ Frank says
‘Good because I need to get you down to the incident room.’
‘Why’s that?’
‘It’s Connor, He’s on the phone and he wants to talk to you’
Ten
Frank and the DA walk into the incident room where the sight of the chaos is all too familiar to them. Cops and detectives are gathered around a phone, staring at it like it was possessed. Truth is it was. It was possessed with the voice and soul of Americas most wanted man, Connor Chase.
The DA gives a cautious look to Frank before he picks up the phone, as if to say be careful what you agree on doing for this psycho this time. The swarm of officials around the phone make way for Frank as he walks over and grabs it. He raises the phone to his ear and coughs to clear his throat. The whole room goes quiet.
‘Ah, you’re here then’ Connor says
‘Yeah, what was so urgent that you had to call me? I’m sure you should be concentrating on getting yourself ready for being on the receiving end of the biggest man hunt in history.’
There is a pause on the other end of the line.
‘Well that may be true but me and you have unfinished business. The thing is, I need some more jobs doing, and I need them done today.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong Connor. I’m not doing any more jobs for you. It nearly got me sent down for life.’
‘Well I’m sure I’ll be able to convince you Frank. After all, most people only need a subtle nudge in the right direction. The thing is, when I nudge you, there isn’t going to be anything subtle about it.’
The phone goes dead and Frank slams the receiver down onto the table. Eddie walks up behind him and puts his hand on his shoulder for comfort.
‘He’s trying to mess with you, don’t let him get to you Frank.’ Eddie says.
‘I’m just worried about what he’s planning to do. He’s already done so much in one day, so many acts of pure evil that I doubt it could get any worse, but I know for sure that it can., and it will. Mark my words Eddie.’
Eddie pats Frank on the shoulder sympathetically and walks off. Frank is left feeling helpless. Not for himself but for which ever poor soul Chase gets his hands on next.
Eleven
Frank had felt like this before, by now he was a pro. He knew how to mask his feelings when interviewing people. He knew that a slight hole in his tactics would be an invitation for a showdown. Well, in the interview room that is. This time however, he was masking something else. It was more of a side effect then a feeling. It was a side effect that Frank was all too familiar with, after getting high on Veratril for 2 years he knew how to “be himself” in front of people. The thing is, he didn’t know how to be “himself” at this moment in time.
He takes the needle out of his arm. A slight sucking sensation is felt when the needle pops out of his vein. Although it is the first time that Frank had felt this feeling, he sure as hell knew why people were hooked on their first spoonful. A certain euphoria was surrounding him as he got himself up from the floor in the bathroom. He felt dizzy, but for the first time in a long time, he felt calm. He knew that there was a tolerance built up to things the body consumes regularly, but he wandered if he would ever grow tolerant of this new sensation. It was a telling day, a day that would always be remembered by Frank. The day he realised that his edge was gone, and the only salvation he had to regain that edge, was being put away into a baggie that diabetics would usually carry around. Frank didn’t have diabetes though.
He embraced the euphoria for a few more moments until suddenly there was a knock on the door. He shook himself back into control. He took a deep breath in and exhaled, invigorating as heroin was, he doubted that his colleagues would embrace the idea of a smack head detective. You got to do what you got to do he thought to himself.
‘Yeah be one minute, Just whipping’ Frank shouted to the person on the other end of the door.
There was a slight amused laugh at the other end, but the knocking continued. Frank opened the door and saw a female detective at the entrance to the men’s bathroom. She smiled.
‘Excuse me sir, they are asking for you in the incident room. It’s urgent; I suggest you come down there with me…’ The women said, Looking Frank up and down. ‘Unless you’re busy’ she continued.
Frank smiled at her, whipping the sweat from his forehead, he realised what a mess he must look to the officer, so he cracks another smile at her.
‘Spicy food doesn’t agree with me Mam’ I’m truly sorry you had to witness this’ Frank says playfully.
The women smiles and walks off in front, Frank follows suite, hoping that everyone else buys the spicy food line.
Twelve
Turns out the people in the incident room were too wrapped up in what was on the TV then to take too much notice in Frank’s Appearance. Frank caught onto the Disturbing scenes on the TV and realised that he recognised the person talking on the box.
Connor chase was on the Telly giving a speech on what looked like a handheld camcorder. He was surrounded by militia like men with heavy weaponry, all of which who were staring into the screen. Their eyes were only visible because of the fact that they were wearing ski masks. All but one man, Connor was wearing no ski mask; his face was bare and proud as he ranted into the camera. The news headline flashing underneath him read:
“M.I.T building taken over by terrorists”
Frank watched and listened to what Chase was spewing out on Live TV. The profanity in his speech was being censored out by the news channel, which said at least to Frank that the message was pre-recorded.
‘I stand here before you today America, as a victim of the Free world’s Liberal ways, A world where information is exchanged for the almighty Dollar. A world where people are numbers and their true value is measured in equity. I stand here today as a man that will be branded as a terrorist, a serial killer, and a lunatic. But I stand here today, in front of my fellow people, people who are the same as me, people who work for a living, even people who are unlucky enough to have not found a job; I stand here today in front of my United States of America. I have transgressed, according to the laws of the land that is. I have killed my fellow man, but let it be known that those people who died are better off dead than witnessing one more day of Americas and the worlds ludicrous price on so called freedom. You may ask why I am on the TV and I’m here to answer that. I’m here to declare my war on America, a war that will divide the tyranny that this country so fondly embraces, and I’m here to teach them all a thing or two. My mission has already started, and on the hour every hour I will digress a little more information until 12 hours’ time, where the talking stops and the business begins.’ Connor says his voice remains stern through the TV.