Our youngest informant, Masen, has been eager to get started helping us out. It's only the next day but so far he's doing well at the hospital. His room is on high security since he is working for us. While no one knows he has ties with us, we aren't taking chances. We also sent out protection for his family as well. Gang members will do whatever it takes to keep their information from getting out. I don't want to lose anyone and I don't want to lose valuable information.
"Hey, how's it going", I said.
I stopped in to see Masen for the first thing this morning. It's a change from the usual stop at my office. Since he's ready to help, I won't make him wait.
"I'm doing better. My leg still kind of hurts but they got the bullet out. I've decided to keep it, maybe I should put it on a chain", he said with a laugh.
I raised my eyebrow.
"How about you save that idea for later. Right now you need to keep a low profile. You don't want people asking you too many questions."
"Yes sir", he said in a slightly disappointed tone.
I'm glad he found some positivity from this. I still feel bad about shooting him but I didn't really have much of a choice. I'm just glad things turned out the way it did.
"Well, I came by today to get started. I guess the first thing to do is to get the names of anyone involved in this, especially who recruited you."
He gave me the names of some people but had a hard time remembering who recruited him.
"I'm sorry officer, I really don't remember his name. I saw his face once. An adult for sure, brown eyes I think and brown hair, about hmm...5'10...like your height."
"I am 5'10. Good guessing."
He smiled.
"It's okay if you can't remember his name, you did a good job describing him. So, he's the one people report to."
"Yes, I think so."
"Does he report to anyone else?"
"Yes he did, and I think I saw who he was. I was brought along with their recruiter once and there was this guy. He looked kind of scary and was giving out orders. He seemed like some kind of boss type person and the guy who recruited me answered his questions."
"Maybe you could have been a gang leader", I asked.
"Maybe! He looked older than the other recruiters. More experience, kinda like he's been in the game for awhile and everyone looked to him as if they respected him. Usually people like me, the kids, we never get to meet the leader so maybe it was a mistake for me to even see him in the first place. After that, I didn't hear back from my recruiter in awhile I wonder if they...you know, took him out."
"Gang Leaders do whatever it takes to keep their identity confidential since they are a high target. We'll keep that in mind. Anyway, how long were you with this gang?"
"Hmm...I think about six months. I'm pretty new."
"And you're only 14 years old?"
"Just turned 14 two weeks ago."
His age gave me even more reason to protect him. He deserves a better life. It's disgusting how this gang just uses these kids knowing they are so easy to get into their heads.
I finished jotting down what Masen was telling me. While vague, this information is still useful.
"I think I have everything I need for now. I'll get back with you if I need something else."
"Okay. Glad I could help", he said with a smile.
"Of course."
I went back to my car, I didn't take off right away though. I wanted to go over what Masen told me. I like to work when information is fresh and then sleep on it later if I get stuck. I couldn't go off much based on what he told me but after we interviewed the other guys we arrested, I can see if there is a connection with the man Masen described.
"Officer Hanson come in", I heard an officer say over my radio.
"I'm here."
"We have a problem, the kid, Masen is gone."
I dropped my papers.
"What?! How? I was just there! Did he just leave?"
"No...I-I think someone took him...a nurse did but it wasn't a nurse..."
"Damn it", I said to myself.
I didn't reply, I just rushed out of the car and ran straight to his room. There were officers and some nurses gathered there. I saw that his bed was empty.
"What the hell?! How did he get taken? What were you guys doing", I shouted angrily.
"We were here the entire time sir. The nurse said she swapped with this woman that came in to check on him. She said she was taking him to run a test."
We made sure only one was allowed to treat him. How the hell did he end up with a different nurse?
Masen's nurse came over, she looked nervous and worried. Her voice was shaky as she spoke.
"I-I was told I-I was being relieved for a break...that's normal for them to switch us out. I know I was supposed to treat him but I didn't think much about it so it wouldn't be a problem for me to take a break. I-I'm not familiar with the entire staff since we currently have new nurses. I was going to be right back. One of the doctors came in and saw that the nurse who took Masen, her name that was on the chart didn't ring a bell. He looked it up to find she wasn't in the system. Not even registered as a nurse in the country."
"God damn it! Lock all the doors now! No one goes out, get to the cameras, I want to know where she took him. She has to be working for that gang. They have been watching us ever since we got involved in the case."
"On it!"
I thought I was careful, that I had everything figured out. My fault was that I was thinking these gang members were all men. Of course there are women in gangs as well. While not strong like men, women are used in different ways such as seduction and when they befriend children to follow them. When you think of a criminal people think of men not women. I don't blame everyone for getting fooled by her.
Officers rushed to the exits and doors, security guided some of the officers to the cameras.
I pulled out my phone.
"Josh, get over here now. Masen is gone."
"What? How?"
"They were onto us all this time. They have him. If we don't hurry...they'll kill him."
"Okay. I'm on my way now."
Amongst the commotion, I had to compose myself. I walked until I found an empty hall. I closed my eyes. I could feel my heart racing as well as my breathing. I needed to calm down, but I couldn't. I promised this kid I was going to protect him, I assured him his life was going to be better. I can't be mad at everyone else; I should have done better.
"Damn it!"
My fist collided with the wall. I would give anything to fix this or even not make this happen in their first place. I'm the top detective of this city, one of the best in this state. I cracked major cases, won awards. When people come to me for help, they know I can be the one to trust. With years of success...I guess it was too good to be true. I was bound to hit a wall, one which I won't be able to climb over.
"I should have planned better. I didn't do enough for him. I never do enough...", I whispered to myself.
I slid down the wall, folding my knees into my chest.
This all feels familiar. A familiarity I hoped I would never experience again, especially when it involves someone else.
"Tyler."
I was brought back out of my thoughts when I heard Josh's voice.
"This isn't over yet. We will get him back", he said in a stern tone.
He's right. There's still a chance we can get him back alive and that's what will happen.
We joined the rest of the officers, one approached us with information.
"We spotted a car leaving, there was a woman and patient. It's them."
"Get that plate number and get all available officers on them right now. We are going too."
"Yes sir. I-I'm sorry I fell for this sir...that he got kidnapped and-"
I placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry. You're not the only one. We were not expecting this to happen, especially so fast. Right now we will focus on getting him back. You're doing great."
The officer smiled and then went off to continue doing his part.
Josh and I rushed to his car. Just in case this becomes a high-speed chase, Josh is the one for the job. He is one of the best drivers in the department. Also, it's because he loves the rush of high-speed chases. He always loved doing things that were risky ever since we were kids. That got him in trouble with his mom all the time.
"Don't worry about his family. I had officers head over there just in case. I don't know what their reaction will be about this but that doesn't matter. They will be safe", he said.
"Good."
With sirens blazing and Josh's excellent driving skills amongst the traffic, we were able to catch up with the rest of the officers on pursuit.
"I see them, up ahead", I said.
"I'm getting up front. How do we stop them? The condition Masen's in is unknown. If we try anything, it could put his life at risk", he said.
This is risky. They have no reason to keep him as a hostage. They want to keep him quiet and to do that they will kill him.
"I'm wondering why they are going through all of this if they want to keep him quiet. They could have killed him by now. There has to be something, maybe they want something", I said.
My mind started searching for information I remembered, anything at all that stood out.
"...the kids we never get to meet the leader so maybe it was a mistake for me to even see him in the first place."
"That's it", I said loudly.
"What?"
"Earlier, Masen told me that he might have met the gang leader when he shouldn't have. He also said the guy who recruited him wasn't heard from again. Since the gang found out Masen's with us, they see him as a threat now."
"That he's going to tell us about the leader. Those sons of b—"
"They've just proved to us that he met the leader. We need to save him, he's the only one we have who can identify the leader", I said.
"We won't let anything happen to him", Josh said. "I'll pull up next to them, see if you can get them talking."
Once we were next to them, I rolled down my window. The back-seat driver did the same. I could see Masen. He was sitting between a woman and a man who had a gun pressed against his head. My heart sank. I felt furious but I knew I had to compose myself because if I say the wrong thing, it could mean Masen's life.
"Let's make a deal", I shouted.
"Like what?"
"Whatever you guys want in trade for him. Take me instead if you want."
"Oh yeah? It would be nice to kill a cop but it won't do much for us. Y'all gonna keep cutting us down. Boss said to get him back to keep his mouth shut. Bet he said too much too."
"He's just a kid. Let him go and take me, you want money too? I have it."
The guy talked to the driver in front of him and then got back with me.
"We're pull'n over. Follow us, only you guys."
"Yeah, sure."
I radioed the other officers to fall back but stay close. Josh followed the car under a highway that's under construction. Currently there are no workers present.
They got out of the car with Masen, we did the same.
I could see the fear on Masen's face. I wanted to run to him but I knew that wasn't possible. I gave him a look, ensuring everything will be okay.
"What did you guys decide on", I asked.
"Money, how much", the guy holding Masen said.
"Name the price."
He scoffed.
"You don't have what I want."
"How do you know? You don't know me. You either believe me and get your cash or things will get a whole lot worse real fast."
He took a moment to think. Yeah, I did have money but there's no way I will give it to this piece of shit.
"A million. We'll wait here until you get it and this punk is all yours", he said.
"Deal. If you try anything, you will regret it."
"Just keep your end of the deal and things will go smoothly."
The driver whispered to the guy.
"I don't give a shit what the boss wants. He barely pays us what we should be get'n. I don't care if this boy snitches, not my problem. You either want in this deal or out."
"He'll go after you. He will find you, you won't get far. Don't be stupid. You don't even know if this is a set up", the driver said.
Smart guy.
"Whatever man! Get off my back! You can go back to being a slave to that shit, I'm done!"
The driver backed off.
I spoke over my radio about the deal that was made. My officers were smart, they knew to bring a suitcase with fake money that looked very real. We used that with our undercover officers during drug busts.
It didn't take long for us to get the money.
"Okay. Here it is, you can count it and everything but first we want Masen."
"No. Money first."
I figured. I looked at Masen and gave a small nod. He already trusted me. He had a brave look on his face.
"Fine. Here."
I tossed the suitcase over. The driver ran over to get it. They opened it off and started feeling and smelling the money. The person we hired to make counterfeit money does an excellent job. It's beyond amazing how they make it look so real. The money even has water marks like the real deal but the difference is not noticeable by your average Joe. Only those who are experts when it comes to money can spot the difference. It's not possible to spot it with the naked eye. Special machines are used to detect counterfeit bills. Only officers are allowed to use it since it looks so real, it feels real and even smells real. The guy looked satisfied with the money.
Perfect.
"Okay. Good."
"Get ready for anything to happen", I whispered to Josh.
I know these things rarely go smoothly. The guy pushed Masen forward, he started walking to us. I couldn't put my hand on my gun, I needed the guy to trust me, I put my trust in Josh to react just in case this guy decides to pull one over on us. I kept eye contact on Masen so he could focus on me, he was nervous. His leg was still bothering him as he limped over to me but he pushed through it. I was proud of him. We were a few feet away from each other until my attention quickly went back to the guy. His hand quickly went to his gun.
"Masen get down!"
I closed the gap quickly between us. I grabbed his arm and spun us around, taking the bullet before he did. I pushed Masen to the ground covering him as I heard more gunshots go off. It was Josh firing back. I looked up to see officers rush in after the fire fight became quiet.
"Sir...you...are you okay? Did you get hurt", Masen asked.
"Don't worry about me. Are you okay?"
"Y-Yes. I'm okay. I...sorry...I got you involved and I-"
"That's the past. Just move forward from here, okay?"
He nodded.
I sat up and then felt where the bullet hit me, in my shoulder. I was so focused on protecting Masen that the impact of the bullet didn't hit me right away. I grabbed my shoulder and then removed my hand to see it was covered in blood. Pain was intensifying quickly.
"Sir! You're bleeding. You need to go to the hospital!"
"Don't freak out kid. I'm fine. It's just a scratch."
"That is not a scratch!"
I was worse off than I expected. I think it hit a vital part or something because I was starting to feel light headed. Masen took hold of me.
"I got you. Hey guys! He's hurt!"
I heard footsteps approaching.
"Yeah, he's hurt because of you. You better become like an astronaut or something incredible since he took a bullet for you", Josh said in a threatening tone though he didn't mean it.
I chuckled.
"Yeah, that would be a nice job."
"I-I'm not that smart to be that but I will study hard. I'll go back to school and...I'll go to college...I'll get a great job and then get married and have a family...I promise officer. I...thank you for believing in me even when I messed up..."
He looked down to hide his face as he started crying. I placed my clean hand on his head.
"You go do that then. I look forward to it all."
Two weeks later...
Over the next few weeks we found more members of the gang and put a stop to their drug production. We never ended up finding their leader but we did but a big halt to what they were doing as well as making lots of arrests. Masen was back home already since last week with his family and was doing better. He updated me today that he got accepted to a school so he can finish and is just waiting for the school year to start in August. His family is still under our protection but so far there hasn't been any threats made against them. I was worried this wouldn't turn into a happy ending. I'm glad it did though.
Getting shot was the least of my worries. As for me, I'm doing all right. I had to get surgery to get the bullet and its fragments out my shoulder, it did end up cutting something important I guess but I'm still here so it was no big deal.
It sucks that I had to report to the captain about my injury. No more top cases until I get better, I know it's for my own safety since I won't be able to move as quickly like usual. For now, he put me on rookie cop duties such as giving out parking tickets and helping the elderly cross the street. He knows how much I hate this, but I shouldn't complain. It's still works at the end of the day.
I should be good as new soon, as long as I don't push myself. I'm a guy, we're stubborn so I'll see how fast I will make a full recovery.
If I see trouble though, I'm diving in to help.