Power of Will, a SAW Fanfiction

Ch. 2 Pre-Saw: Start of Something New

Mark Hoffman

"Hoffman," Captain Grissom called out to the new detective, coming out of his office towards the floor of desks on the main level of the Metropolitan Police Station. It was a typical Monday morning, the smell of burnt coffee, shoe polish, and aftershave greeted the senses. Hoffman slugged back his first morning cup of coffee, got to his feet and strode towards his supervisor. It was his first day in plainclothes, the shirt and tie feeling looser and alien after five years in the uniform. He had just been promoted that Friday to Detective. It took five long years, but he finally made it.

Angie had baked him a cake, it was a good weekend.

"Sir," He waited expectantly, looking down at the shorter man. Captain Grissom was five foot six, stocky, and full of sass. The man had a mustache that gave him a walrus-like appearance. The big round glasses didn't help his case.

"In my office," Grissom went in, striding to his chair behind his large desk piled with mountains of case files. A small woman with reddish brown hair was standing in black dress slacks and a light blue button-down, a badge dangling along a chain around her neck. A Smith & Wesson was at her hip, small caliber, probably because her thin wrists couldn't support the recoil of a gun with thicker ammunition.

"Who's this?" Hoffman wasn't in the mood to wait for either person to explain.

"Detective Wilhelmina Maddox," the woman introduced herself, holding her hand out. "Everyone calls me Will."

"Detective Mark Hoffman," he warily studied her face. She was barely reaching his shoulders, and he wasn't that tall. She had thick red curls tied back into a bun that gave her a frizzy helmet look. Amber eyes looked up at him, large but sharp with attention. She had a firm handshake, surprisingly strong for her size. She at least had muscle. He saw the tendons in her arms flex, biceps that were more impressive than imposing, but at least they existed.

"Maddox is from California. Folks out west have said good things about you, Maddox."

"Thank you, sir." She broke eye contact first, pulling her hand out of Hoffman's grip and placed the hand on her hip, next to her gun. He kept watching her, already feeling a tightness in his chest of where this was going. "I look forward to being part of the team."

"Excellent. Well, Hoffman is one trustworthy son of a bitch. He'll show you the ropes. This city ain't the suburbs and you'll need someone who will have your back while you get your bearings out here as you transition from handling cartels to our shade of crime families."

"I understand."

"Good." Grissom flashed warning eyes to Hoffman. "Bradshaw is the blond to the right." He pointed outward toward the windows that showcased the chaotic sea of desks just outside his office. "Closest to the windows. He'll take you to your desk."

"Thank you, sir." The woman nodded her head towards the Captain and left.

"Shut the door, Hoffman," Grissom leaned back on his chair.

Hoffman did so and quickly turned to the man. "She can't seriously be my new partner. She'll break like a toothpick in two days."

"She's got a cool head and a track record that'd put all you oafs to shame."

"It takes just one time. One time for someone bigger to have the drop on her. And everything's bigger than her. She seriously can't expect to work the city. Why was she transferred here?"

"She made the request."

"Get out. She's delusional."

"She has yet to not solve a case put in front of her. Though," he held his hand out, "they've been small change compared to what we get here. She's hungry for more. And she's a professional. Hasn't caused her supervisor any headaches with the paperwork that you've been fucking me with. She doesn't use excessive force. She keeps her nose clean."