I can see you (waitin' down the hall from me)

Chapter 7

   A thud rings dowm the hall, two officers trudged to where Cole awkwardly stood.

   "Hey! Is this area clear Cole? We checked out our tunnel, there was no one there." Officer Geo said. Cole bit his tongue. The obvious, logical, realistic, option was to tell him about seeing the criminal here, but something held Cole back. Almost as if saying it out loud would take the moment away. Does that make sense? No, not really, Cole thought.

   "No, its all clear here," Cole said. The three walked back to the entrance together. With the sun down, the dim lighted warehouse was practically pitch black. Cole informed the other officers to head back using the walkie-talkie. The place would be barricaded to keep civilians out. It was apart of an ongoing police investigation. Although to anyone who isn't Cole or Kai, it would seem like a dead end. Detective Cole failing once again, who would've thought?

   The drive back was uneventful and filled with pouts (from Cole specifically).

   "I could've caught him today," Cole muttered under his breath. At the precinct he jotted down what he'd found. It wasn't much, but something is better than nothing. The computer screen glared at him. It had been six months since he got the case. Nothing had changed. He was at the same place as all the other mediocre detectives. His one chance to catch the criminal (saying Kai felt odd, intimate) and all he did was flirt. Hell, he even let him run away. Then, oh worse of all, Cole lied!? His whole department thinks the mission was a bust. He could hear distant sirens in the background. It was getting late. Most surrounding desks were empty. When Cole reached the parking lot the spaces echoed the precinct above.

   Home had very few changes since the break in. Cole barely spent any time there, constantly thinking about the case. Work was his second home, it had more people too. He ruffled his hair and placed the keys to his truck next to a vase filled with red tulips. They've survived a while, huh, Cole thought. The board hung on Cole's wall was filled with photos and reports of recent crime. There was red yarn attaching a photo of Kai to crimes he had participated in, orange ones attaching him to ones that he could've committed. Safe to say the board was filled with sticky notes and red string.
  It was interesting though. Most crimes he committed were impressive but seemed almost impossible to do alone. Was Kai in kahoots with some other criminal? Partners in crime? The thought put a sinking feeling in Cole's chest. His phone screen blared an incoming call from Nya.

   Cole picked up the phone and Nya started her sentence, "Hey, did Lloyd come into work today? He hasn't answered any of my messages."

   "No, he didn't. He has a break right now, I'm sure he's fine," Cole said.

   "Really? It's not like him to ignore me."

   "I will check in with him, ok?" Cole stifled a yawn.

   "Sure. Call me if he responds, kay?" Nya asked.

   "Yes, I got you," he nodded although Nya wouldn't be able to see it. Cole walked back to his bedroom, grabbing his phone and sending a quick text to Lloyd before passing out on the comforter.

   The elevator doors opened and Cole stepped out to the open floor of the precinct. He looked around and headed over to his desk. There was no sign of a cop with platinum blonde hair. Lloyd didn't respond to the text either... odd. He doesn't come to work late. Zane stood at Cole's desk.

   "Hey, whats up Zane?" Cole asked, taking a quick look at the doors just in case.

   "Nothing much, however you're getting a new case. There has been rumors on the street about a gang, they have committed several suspected offenses already and will be our new first priority." Zane smiled and passed a folder filled with information to Cole.

   "I've been working on the other case for six months, I can't just let that go!" Cole answered back.

   "You're going to have to. Captain's orders. She wants the new one as top priority," Zane countered. Cole opened the folder and read what he needed to. The mechanic, in his forties, owns a vehicle shop, and suspected to be the leader of the new gang. Bringing them together. Like a really weird family. The door snapped open. A few stomps and there were shouts ringing around the precinct and a red gloved hand grasping Cole's shirt collar.

   "Where is he?" The criminal asked. Breathe, Cole! Wait, what is he talking about? Cole was thinking that the next time they'd meet it would be under different circumstances, like one of them (cough, Kai) would be in a jail cell. Zane grabbed Kai's arm and pulled him away. Cole dusted off his leather jacket and straightened up the collar.

   "What are you talking about?"

   "Lloyd. You saw him last," Kai pointed. "Where is he? Is he okay?" Cole's face scrunched up. What did the criminal want with Lloyd? Is Lloyd okay, should Cole be worried? Cole kept eye contact with the angry man.

   "Lloyd was reported missing this morning," Zane said. His shoulders slumped and Cole saw the dark eyebags formed around his eyes. This was taking a huge toll on Zane. "Luckily we seem to have a lead. I checked out some surveillance footage this morning of the past night, Lloyd was seen being taken into a noodle truck by three masked men." Noodle truck? Could Skylor know anything? She owned a large noodle empire by this point. Zane took a deep breath before saying anything.

   "Don't get mad, but we think Kai here has ties to the Mechanic. The captain called him in." Cole felt like exploding. The criminal! He looked back at Kai who was frowning grimly, he clearly cared a lot about Lloyd. As long as every criminal is put away by the end he will be fine, and its just getting a little information out of Kai, right?

1021 words