“Listen,” Captain Banes started speaking, glancing around the briefing room and keeping his voice low, not ready to speak to anyone else just yet. “I think we might have to start scaling back on the prevention tactic and switch to a more protection-based system. We can’t stop all the bad from taking place, but we can protect those in danger or those who are hurt.”
“What do you mean, sir?” Walter questioned, believing he knew what his captain was leaning toward but eager to hear it from the man’s mouth himself.
“We don’t have the manpower to be going after petty thieves and looters like we have been anymore,” Captain Banes put it simply. “You know I’m the last person who would tell you to stop doing your job, but I think now if we have to decide between chasing down a carjacker or helping an injured child, we have to choose the child. We have to be there for the vulnerable and just hope that the bad people in this city don’t start to overrun it.”
Walter furrowed his brow. He wasn’t happy with the captain’s suggestion, but he knew it made sense. He had been thinking the same thing as he made his way back to the precinct that day, forced to turn the other cheek on a couple of occasions due to not carrying his gun with him anymore. Walter understood that he was just one man and as New York became more and more unruly, it did make sense to try and help those in trouble rather than seeking it out for themselves.
“I think it’ll be a hard pill for some of the guys to swallow,” he replied to Captain Banes. “But it makes sense. We’ll be more use to those who need it this way and hopefully be able to do some more good.”
“Exactly. I’m glad you’re on board, Lieutenant.”
“Are you giving the order now, sir?” Walter asked as he downed the contents of his cup of coffee, hoping to quickly get to the weapons room first so he could find a new gun. He needed to report his as stolen as well, the precinct still trying to keep track of their paperwork while they had the means to, though he could hopefully keep that off the Captain’s desk in the meantime.
Captain Banes looked up at the clock on the wall. “Ten minutes,” he replied, “spread the word if you can. Let’s get as many bodies in here as available and then get you all out onto the streets.”
“Yes sir,” Walter replied. “I’ll report back in ten.”
Making his way to the weapons vault, Walter thought through what the captain had told him again. It wasn’t like they were being asked to give up their posts, simply look after them in a different manner. The oath Walter had taken when he joined the police force was to serve and protect and if that was best done by focusing on the latter part then so be it. People in his city were in trouble and Walter Davies would always do whatever he could to help them. His only slight concern was whether he would have the willpower to walk away from a blatant crime if he came across one, but only time would tell in that case.
“What can I do you for?”
The officer on duty at the armory was a woman Walter didn’t recognize. He smiled at her and bowed his head slightly, addressing her in a calm and courteous manner. Her name badge identified her as Jenkins, definitely a name that Walter wasn’t familiar with.
“I got jumped,” he explained, tapping his empty holster by his side. “I need a replacement.”
Officer Jenkins huffed and rolled her eyes, aware to keep her mouth shut even in the middle of a crisis. “I bet these people wouldn’t have dared try something like that a couple of days ago. They’ve lost all their respect; I don’t care how desperate they are.”
“It is getting out of hand,” Walter agreed. “But we’re doing everything we can.”
“I know,” she replied, reaching underneath the desk and handing Walter a form to fill out. “I think we need firmer measures in place though. It’s been days since Trident collapsed and we’ve lost far too many men to count now. We need to do something to keep our guys safe, otherwise we’re not going to stand a chance.”
“The captain’s giving a briefing in five minutes,” Walter replied, reluctant to encourage the woman’s frustrations when he knew the briefing wasn’t going to give her what she wanted. “I can take over your post here for a bit if you want, we need as many people as possible to hear it.”
“Oh yeah? Thanks,” Officer Jenkins replied, a hopeful expression on her face. She stepped out from behind the cage and headed toward the briefing room.
When Walter had finished filling out his forms he left them underneath the desk and made his way into the armory.
He found a replacement Glock 19 and grabbed a spare one just in case and left the armory. There was so much more available to him, but Walter had always been a pretty simple man and he carried out his duty in the same way. He knew he could do his job with the reliable standard issue handgun and – if needed – his fists; adding anything else into that mix usually only complicated matters and Walter knew he needed to be staying as sharp as possible now.
He couldn’t deny he did want to listen to the briefing Captain
