Tensions grew and the air seemed apparently thick with discomfort while the officers on the floor kept their guns strained at the strange and cocky fellow. Detective Jake eyed the menace from head to toe, taking into sight and context his shabby dressing but meticulously neat outfit too. His shoes, albeit old, shone brilliantly like he had taken ample time to polish them.
To make things worse, he had not realized it earlier but the man bore a mix of rough, yet clean as hell outlook which only seemed to mystify the befuddled agent some more.
The staunch voice from Captain Luke broke through from the distance and everyone turned around momentarily. “Stand down men! This is a friendly!”
Mike Rondon turned back around to look right into the nozzle of a magnum being pointed right in his direction. “Don’t ever turn your back on me when you’re holding a gun!”
The words, as cocky as always seemed to impress their Captain who beamed with a warm and odd smile on his face as he approached. Slowly, everyone looked from their captain to the strange fellow, wondering about what was going on and awaiting an explanation fervently.
Sean decided he’d put them in more misery by simply shoving aside Mike Rondon’s gun and walking towards Captain Luke.
“Did you know?” he asked without wearing a smile. “Did you know or you only just found out?”
Captain Luke barely parted his lips to speak when the punch rammed into his face and slit his lower lip. The action brought gasps and raised arms in the direction of the assailant.
“Stop this instant!” Mike Rondon ordered while Detective Luke found himself too perplexed to even mutter a word.
Captain Luke brushed aside the blood forming through his slit lip before staring at his opponent in the face. “I didn’t know Sean… I swear it to you that I didn’t know!”
He had underestimated the man’s madness but it was in full view now and there was just no telling how far off he had fallen off his rails. Sean Stein shook his head abruptly, reached for his back pocket slowly while remaining vigilant of his surroundings.
“Everybody stay calm!” Captain Luke commanded with his hands raised.
Mike Rondon pointed out the obvious immediately. “This man is dangerous Sir!”
Captain Luke responded immediately. “You have no idea and for the sakes of your safety and mine, I order you all to keep your guns down!”
Sean nodded pleasingly before folding his fists into balls. “Why didn’t you call me? What the fuck were you thinking?”
His next punch met absolute air and the Captain showed good reflex to evade it and try to return his. His attempt, failing ultimately only heightened the professionalism in his opponent’s fighting skills as the man had begun moving like a butterfly across the floor while also ignoring the guns pointed in his direction.
“What the fuck is this Sean!?” Captain Luke growled. “I just found out okay? I never knew!”
Sean didn’t look or seem convinced as he led with some more punches, catching the Captain in the jaw and unsettling him as the entire room got filled with gasps and screams. Sean aimed for one more shot at the Captain whose insistence on not allowing his men shoot the assailant only baffled them some more, but something struck him first.
It came hard and fast from behind and sent him stumbling to the floor.
Captain Luke looked distraught and yelled. “What the hell did you do that for!?”
Detective Jake could only respond with a perplexed look as the entire station seemed to share in his surprise.
“You should leave here right away and don’t come back until I ask you to”, Captain Luke commanded. “Somebody should help get this man up and taken care of right away!”
Unsure of what had happened and feeling rather left out, Detective Jake slowly exited the building, with the sound from the door swinging open behind him indicating he was being followed.
“That was one weird shit!” Mike Rondon said to himself, ignoring his partner and heading to his own car.
Detective Jake continued to walk away, looking like a man lost and equally baffled by his demons. Something didn’t feel right and he could feel it. The brewing storm was upon him and the husky wind it came with had slowly begun rearing its presence.
***
In subtle groans and his hand reaching for the hurting spot behind his head, Sean awakened to the dim light seeping into the room. His skull felt like it was on fire and the events that preceded his black out slowly cleared back into his memory as he felt for the impact spot once again. The sting prompted him to take his hand away and look around the room for any clues as to where he was.
Tossing an ice pack from the kitchenette in his office where he stood, Captain Luke spoke, “Welcome back buddy… you were out a while”.
“I’m going to kill him… or her… whoever knocked me out cold back there!” Sean growled and felt the headache grow intense before reaching for the ice pack and helping his sore skull to it.
Scoffing, smiling and heading for the mini bar with the hidden scotch, Captain Luke poured himself some into a glass and reached for another before hearing Sean groan and prompting him to stop.
“Give me the damn bottle!’ he demanded.
Obliging, the Captain handed him the bottle and halted. “Promise me no harm comes to the guy that did this”.
Sean struggled to give an assuring smile, as he pictured himself falling flat faced to the floor and being the source of mockery to every single police officer on the floor at the time of the incident.
“Who is he Luke?” he asked instead, pressing his ice pack against his skull while waiting for the bottle of scotch to be in his hand.
Adamant and watchful, Captain Luke shook his head. “I need your word on it Sean or you
