Dissociative Psyche ✦ J. Riley | ✓ [book 2]

7~ Both Sides of the Line

"If the great American people will only keep their temper, on both sides of the line, the troubles will come to an end, and the question which now distracts the country will be settled just as surely as all other difficulties of like character which have originated in this government have been adjusted."

~ Abraham Lincoln

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lex had just gone out for a breath of fresh air, just a moment to clear his head. But he should have known he wasn't going to be that lucky. It seemed as though Lenny Weinman was waiting for him, with his recorder and that sly smirk at the ready. He approached Lex, eager to get the latest scoop on the murders.

"Hey, Lex. How's life?" he approached, at first with a friendly smile. Lex glanced at him, then huffed.

"What do you want, Lenny?" he asked.

"Why do you always assume that I want something? Maybe I just want to catch up," he said.

"You're a white supremacist tabloid writer. All you want is some big story that'll catch you the front page and earn you points with the NRA," he replied.

"What can I say? It's a harsh world out there," Lenny said, "I don't make the headlines, I lose my job. And you can't even try to link me to any white supremacist groups,"

"Don't try to tempt me, Lenny," Lex said.

Lenny chuckled and pulled out his voice recorder, "I'm currently standing here with Senior Officer Alexander Carnahan of the Atlanta Police Department, who is taking the lead on the murders of Freddie Bronson, and most recently, Travis Nolan. Officer, do you have a clear idea of just what went down between these boys and the officers they slayed?" he said. Lex looked at him with wide eyes.

"Those boys didn't 'slay' anybody," he replied.

"But there are several eye witness accounts that Freddie Bronson took shots at Officer Tucker before being shot dead himself," he said.

"Who are your witnesses?" Lex asked.

"I'm a journalist, Lex. You know I can't reveal my sources," he replied. Lex rolled his eyes.

"This is garbage," he started to walk away, but Lenny was getting frustrated with him.

"Can you explicitly say that these shootings were gang related?" he asked. Lex turned to him, sudden shock across his face.

"What did you just say?" he said.

"You heard my question, Alex. Are these shootings gang related?" he asked again. Lex marched over to him and grabbed the recorder out of his hands.

"You think because these boys were black they were in a gang?" he said, "Are you really that thick?"

"I'm a journalist, Lex. All people want is the truth," he said, "I lose my credibility if you give me fake news,"

Lex's anger then reached its boiling point. He grabbed Lenny and threw him against the dumpster; where his thin little body fell limp onto the ground. He groaned and clutched his back.

"How's that fake news!?" he snapped. He was about to throw his foot into his gut, but he was suddenly grabbed and pinned against the wall.

"Lex! Stop!" it was Jake, "Breathe!" he snapped at him. Lex fell against the wall as Jake went over to Lenny and pulled him up onto his feet.

"I want him charged!" Lenny said, "He assaulted me!"

"You don't get lost right now, I'm going to do so much worse to you," Jake growled, "Leave," he shoved him forward. Lenny suddenly tripped and his recorder fell out of his hand, smashing to pieces on the ground.