Mirror, Mirror on the Wall ✓

15 | Unbroken Barriers

Chapter 15: Unbroken Barriers

Sanchez and Clark were ready to set their plan in motion. The only dilemma was: there was no plan. If truth be told, they had never tackled such a large-scale situation. Actually, there had been no need: Roxlow was swarming with wannabe criminals who seemed to have no common sense whatsoever. There had been no need for elaborate planning required to catch these petty crooks, who did not realize how foolishly and clumsily they had committed their "crime" and how they easily walked into the traps set by the police. But this was different, and they did not know what to do.

They finally settled on a surprise raid: the most plausible option they seemed to have. But there was a major drawback—they had very less manpower. Granted, there weren't many people in the "gang" according to Clark's pictures. All the same, you couldn't anticipate the strength of something utterly unknown, especially an unknown and unseen gang of outlaws. The Detective and the Sergeant were two strong men but they could not take down a whole bunch of gangsters on their own. They needed force and for that, they needed to have a case in the first place. In the end, it all came down to the Chief's permission: they had to convince him to re-open the case. The photographs taken by Clark were their last hope. If they couldn't convince the Chief, nothing could.

Sanchez voiced his thought to Clark after the full discussion. Clark nodded in assent and started walking toward the Chief's desk with the photographs, which he had still clutched tightly and had never kept down for a moment. But no sooner than he had taken one step that the Chief appeared himself, obviously pleased to find Sergeant Clark with Detective Sanchez. Clark and Sanchez were both equally surprised and apprehensive.

'Sergeant! I knew you would be here. I've still not gotten quite used to the fact that Detective Sanchez has found a friend in you after sulking alone for so many years in the force. I didn't think you'd quite recover after what happened to Kim.' 

Sanchez felt a bubble of anger burst inside him. The Chief had touched a soft point. But nevertheless it was true: Sanchez had never fully recovered from the shock of Kim's death, and his socializing capacity had suffered. But it was not the time to think about that. Sanchez wasn't sure whether the Chief was being glad, sceptical or plain sarcastic. Facing Clark, the Chief continued:

'There's been a robbery at the Hewitts'. The third house on Penn Street? They were out yesterday and found that their house had been ransacked and several valuables were stolen. You're in charge. You have to go collect their statement. Now.'

There goes our plan, Sanchez thought. Clark hadn't gotten even a chance of showing the photographs.

Clark said: 'But, sir, I have something to tell you.'

Sanchez was becoming more and more doubtful of their success by the second. He also felt irritated at Clark's choice of terminology--if he had used "show" instead of "tell", then perhaps he could have convinced the Chief. But the Chief was as sure of re-opening the case as much as Sanchez was sure of pigs flying in the sky.

At Clark's words, the Chief looked at Sanchez. It was a clear look of contempt. He again turned to Clark, 'If this is about the Scott Morris case, I will say it for once and for all: I'm not re-opening the case. Now you are to go about your work. And that, my dears, is an order.'

The Chief seldom employed the use of such a tone. Evidently, both Sanchez and Clark understood what he meant, for they didn't try to pester him anymore. 

Clark and Sanchez looked at each other in the eye. There was only one option left now: for Sanchez to go alone.

Just then, in the midst of planning a strategy, a thought flashed in Sanchez's mind. If this wasn't a workable idea, then nothing was. Motioning Clark to follow him, he again started walking towards Morris's cell.