Vigilance (Grizzly and ChampionRed007) [18+]

[grizzly]

Name: Jayce Bouchard

Age: 24

Height: 6’1”

Background: Jayce has been involved with organized crime for as long as he could remember. As a hitman for the biggest drug lord in the city, he has close tabs on anyone who could be a potential target. He is more than effective at his job and never leaves a trace at every crime scene.

Personality: Outside of work, Jayce is a lighthearted man who enjoys a few beers in front of a tv playing football. However, when it involves work, he is a stone hearted man who cares little for mercy. He has a knack for pushing people past their limits, both physically and mentally, just for the sake of curiosity.

---

 

Jayce Bouchard adjusted the scope on his sleek black M2010 sniper rifle, wincing when the brightness of the sun was glaring up the lenses. It was a sunny Sunday morning in New York. The winds were blowing through his short black hair, but it wasn't enough to hinder his shot. His target had been in his sight for a couple hours; a white male in his mid thirties with a strong receding hairline. He had just walked out of a deli with a few mustard stains on the collar of his wrinkled shirt. The man was a slob at eating, but an even bigger failure when it came to keeping his mouth shut. He was a dead man walking since he was suspected of ratting out one of Jayce's comrades. There were rumors of the pig before his scope being responsible, but the two disguised feds behind the man only confirmed the conjecture. He had to be quick he reminded himself while he loaded his rifle ceremoniously. Whisper .300 was his personal choice of a bullet, since it always lived up to it's name. It left the end of his suppressor like a whisper, making it effective for stealth attacks.

 

He had assembled the rifle from a suitcase on the rooftop a couple blocks away from the deli. He focused the rifle towards the man's chest and held his breath before slowly squeezing the trigger. It only took another blink of his eye to see the man keel over, but he didn't stick around to make sure the man was dead. There was no need, he was the best sniper on his team, which meant he could guarantee never missing a shot. The chances of the man to survive a .300 caliber to the chest were none if not very slim.

 

On the way to the green paint chipped door that led down the stairs of the apartment, Jayce took a deep breath as he carried the steel suitcase now containing his trusty rifle. The building was in rough shape with the interior's wallpaper already peeling. The doors were all closed and there were no signs of anyone out but a very intoxicated homeless man sleeping on a cardboard box by the stairwell. Jayce simply ignored the pungent smell of urine and gin as he continued out of the building and towards a parked black Mercedes with tinted windows. By the time they were away from the general area of the assassination, it had only been ten minutes since he had first fired from his rifle. It was a rather simple procedure to end a man's life for Jayce. He was in and out of the crime scene, leaving no trace of evidence but the shell of the bullet. The same exact bullet seen at multiple crime scenes, specifically ones that Jayce himself was responsible for.

[ChampionRed007]

 

Name: Alexander Sterling

Age: 23

Height: 5’8”

Background: Interested in crime at a young age, Alexander (Xander) pursued his career through detective work, forensics,and criminal justice. He became a police officer not too long after his father was murdered by a drug lord. Catching criminals, and hopefully the one who took his father’s life, peaked his interest.

Personality: Alexander takes his job seriously and loves what he does. He is an analyst which makes him exceptional at crime scenes and detective work. Outside of his job, he enjoys reading (mostly fiction or nonfiction detective/police cases that he finds interesting), and exercising to keep up his physical and mental strength to be sharp on the job. When necessary, he allows himself to stray away from work-related things and just relax.

 

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

 

It felt like Alexander's work was never done. It wasn't mandatory, but the young officer come in to the police station and quickly secluded himself in his office. He had been working on different cases, but each crime seemed to lead to the same man. Xander was the only one that believed this. His partners told him that he was hopelessly chasing a false lead, but he refused to think so. It was all thanks to his love of forensics that he had even made it this far.

Alexander ran a hand through his brown hair as he sat down at his desk and filtered through his field notes and evidence. This criminal was too good at hiding his traces. There had been no witnesses to go on and the only thing that the policeman had ever been able to gather from examining the bodies was the cause of death and the type of weapon that did it. Not being one to give up, he stood and made his way to his car.

 

The officer finally arrived at the scene which was taped off to keep ordinary people from tampering. Alexander stood in the chilled air at the deli, and based on what he had gathered from the angle of bullet entry from the body, was able to trace the trajectory to a nearby rooftop. He squinted his eyes as he visioned what had happened, and soon made his way to the building. The brunet looked for evidence as he traveled up the stairways and eventually came to a paint chipped door. Alexander ran the back of his fingers across the door around its handle, feeling for any scratches or marks that might indicate if anything or anyone scraped up against it. Most of Xander's co-workers often ignored small details unlike himself. Through all his experience, these clues were key to winning or losing.

Despite gathering no evidence from the door, the policeman stepped out onto the roof and took in his surroundings. Alexander knelt down and slipped on a rubber glove before picking up the carelessly placed bullet casing. Just like all the others, he was dealing with the same man. He carefully placed the shell into a small paper bag and continued his search. Nothing. He would have to work with what little he had.

 

Soon returning to his office, Alexander closed the door behind him and took the bullet casing out of the bag. He could gather a partial fingerprint from where the man loaded the bullets into the magazine. It wouldn't give him a certain print, but it would hopefully narrow down his search. The officer dusted the shell to make the print show up better and scanned it with a device that would run it through the police files on his computer. He watched as several people came up on the screen, some would be innocent and some would not. That was for Xander to conclude.

As he scrolled through the people on the computer that even slightly matched the scanned fingerprint, a few caught his eye. A large man with a scruffy beard, another man who had committed a few crimes before, but one stood out more than the others. A white man appearing to be in his mid-twenties with dark hair. Xander had seen him somewhere before, but where? Quickly jotting down his possible suspect's address, he shut down his computer and put away all his evidence. It might not be the correct address, but all he could do was try and ask the man a few questions to see if he had a lead.

[grizzly]

The bitter taste of stout beer flooded his senses as he relaxed on his leather recliner in his living room. Jayce lived in a high rise apartment, where he was able to look out the window to see the busy streets of New York on a lazy morning. He was currently watching a game between the New York Giants, his favorite team, against the New York Jets. On his days off from work, he enjoyed mundane activities such as watching sports as well as reading. It kept him grounded with reality with his line of work.

 

In his past he was everything from a loan shark to a drug dealer, but such trivial work didn't sate his needs. It wasn't until he proved himself as an amateur hitman that he caught the attention of a certain drug lord. The drug lord was John Sven, leader of the Nordics, a white supremacist gang that was the center of the drug circle in New York. Jayce wasn't interested in the racial prejudice the Nords supported, but they paid him well enough to keep him in his high rise flat. Go where the money is was what his father always told him. But his father was in prison for a triple homicide, so he made sure not to follow his father's footsteps when it came to being sloppy with covering his trail. Though, he always did enjoy tormenting the police force by leaving a simple bullet case, knowing that it can't possibly be the means of his downfall. But little did he know that they were catching on quick to his antics.

[ChampionRed007]

Alexander hadn't always been so persistent when it came to his cases. Before his father was murdered, Xander was just getting into the groove of police work. Since then he never gave up a case even when his superiors suggested it. These kinds of actions were quickly helping him climb the ladder with rank, and he was often given the most difficult cases. It wasn't popularity that appealed to the young officer, but justice in what he was doing. Alexander always told himself that he would find the man who killed his father. He wasn't bloodthirsty nor revengeful, but it would let him sleep better at night knowing that criminal couldn't hurt anyone else.

 

New York was the perfect place for his line of work, despite it being so dangerous. He got to see a little of everything in such a large city. Alexander drove his private car on his way to the address; a rather stylish, sleek black BMW. The officer preferred not to drive the police cars unless it was necessary such as a pursuit with lights and sirens. This way he could almost blend in at least. The young policeman parked his car outside the large apartment building and concealed his Glock pistol in his long coat, a pistol he had always deemed as sturdy and dependable. With one last glance at his post-it note, the officer made his way up to the building. Alexander made it to the correct apartment number with ease and cooperation of the people in the lobby with a flash of his badge. It wasn't that he liked to show off, but it made his process quicker than to try and explain who he was. The policeman gathered himself before knocking on his suspect's door.

[grizzly]

(Hey, heads up, I might not be able to reply as much this weekend.)

The knock coming from his door startled him when all of his attention was focused on the large flat screen television he had hung up on his wall. He swiftly grabbed the remote to pause his game before sitting up from his recliner to inch over to the door, curious as to who it could be. It wasn't unusual to have strange people come over to visit for strange requests, but he made it clear to be left alone on his day off. It wasn't often he had time to himself, so he begrudgingly looked through the eye-hole of his door to see who his guest could be. What he saw was an almost familiar face, one he couldn't quite put his finger on. Immediately he assumed it was a previous client he had, but with the man's guarded posture, he wasn't so sure anymore.

 

He placed his beer on a kitchen counter-top before opening the door, hoping his appearance wouldn't be offensive. He was only wearing a pair of sweat pants and a loose shirt, a look he rarely showed his clients. "How can I help you, sir?" He asked almost ceremoniously. He brought a smile to his lips that didn't reach his eyes, but he tried to keep up with the hospitable act for as long as he could. Immediately he allowed himself to get a better look at the man before him. He appeared young and able, but there was something uncanny about the familiarity of the man's face. He also highly doubted he was a potential client, which could only mean one of the worst case scenarios he could think of.

 

He opened the door more to reveal his large and clean apartment. With how busy he was, it was impossible to keep the place as tidy as it was without the help of his house keep. She only came early in the mornings and was extremely reliable when it came to keeping her nose out of his business. "I'm Jayce Bouchard," he announced while extending his right hand.

[ChampionRed007]

(Alright, that's fine. Thanks for the heads up.)

Alexander peeked through the door, making sure he had the right man. "I would just like to come in and ask you a few questions if it's convenient. I promise I won't take up much of your time." The officer thought it would be wise not to announce that he was a policeman or show his ID. There was no telling what the man was capable of, and it would only worsen his situation so he kept it a secret for now. Xander only hoped he hadn't fallen into a trap, but he could usually get out of tight situations.

 

The officer nonchalantly observed the man and returned the gesture with a slight smile of his own. This guy really didn't act the part, but it could be just for show. Alexander hesitantly stepped into the apartment when he was invited. He stayed close to the door since he didn't want to intrude past his welcome. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Bouchard. I'm Alexander Sterling." The young policeman smiled, taking the man's hand to shake. "I appreciate your time." Xander thought carefully of how he would approach the situation.

 

"I've heard from a few people that you're the man to go to when you need a favor." Alexander looked at Jayce with a curious expression. "I don't want to interrupt your game, but..." He started, pacing slightly before turning to face the man again. "I can pay you generously of course." It was all part of his plan. He would lead on like he was a client, hoping to get Jayce to talk a little. The officer didn't underestimate the man of course, it was a possibility that he could see right through his fake act. "I mean if you're too booked up, I understand. But I don't know where else I could go for help, and I hear you're the best man for the job." Xander had a troubled expression, almost a genuine one, and he didn't make direct eye contact for a few minutes. "See. Someone close to me was murdered, so I wondered if you could possibly help me out." He hinted that he wanted the man responsible to disappear.

[grizzly]

There was something very unsettling about his new guest, but the topic of money had instantly sparked his interest. Jayce inspected the stranger's every move, hoping he could read more into the intentions he had. He seemed so familiar, yet he acted as though it was their very first meeting. If he had any previous contracts with him in the past, it would all be in record. And how convenient that he was being visited shortly after his latest contract. It didn't seem to add up to well with the hit-man, but he could never refuse a generous amount of cash.

 

"Have a seat," Jayce said in response to the man's offer. He waved his hand to the leather couch in his living room, adjacent to his recliner before he grabbed his beer. He grabbed another stout from his fridge and walked over to the living room to place it on the coffee table. "For you, if you want," he stated before sitting across from Alexander. "So Alexander is it? I was not aware of your unexpected arrival. Who exactly referred you to me, and have we met prior to today?" He sipped from his beer, savoring the bitter taste as he steeled his eyes towards the stranger in his home. There were many precautions to be made before he disclosed any information that could lead him into trouble. It was already bad enough to allow the man into his home, but he looked like he was a man of his word, that he could pay off his debts. Well paying clients were becoming more scarce to come by now that the Nords have almost complete control of the city.

 

 

He tried to keep his professional appearance, but he felt vulnerable in his lounge clothes. He relaxed into his recliner and softened the look in his face. "And if it's appropriate to ask, who exactly was murdered?" It wasn't strange to have clients coming to him for revenge. In fact, a majority of his work was based solely on revenge and shows of power. He was the bullet that reminded people of what their place was in the world and the fine line between life and death.

[ChampionRed007]

This was probably one of Alexander's most dangerous cases he'd ever taken, and being in the man's home alone with him put the young officer at a disadvantage. His pistol and police badge were safely tucked away in his long coat. The thought of backing out had crossed his mind, but he continued persistently.

 

Alexander hesitated momentarily before moving to take a seat on the couch, although he kept the man in his peripheral vision. One could never be too cautious, but he tried not to appear too suspicious. The policeman eyed the beverage as he accepted it. He didn't drink too often and couldn't recall a time that he had been drunk. "Thank you. I appreciate your time and hospitality." The young officer opened the beer and took a few sips of its bitter taste. "Yes, Alexander. You can call me Xander if you wish." He gave a slight smile and licked his lips a bit to moisten them. Alexander had to be careful when accepting drinks from his suspects, but this one was sealed so it didn't pose a threat. It had happened to the officer a few times where he'd been drugged, but it was mostly due to his carelessness when he was new to the field of work.

 

The policeman thought briefly so he wouldn't over think his response. "I don't believe we have met before, but I have seen you in passing. I was actually in the deli for lunch when I saw your last client sitting at a table by himself. I looked out the window and saw that victim fall. That's when I asked the man if he had arranged for it, because it was like he knew it was going to happen. I briefly told the man my story and he referred me to you." Alexander calmly took another small sip of the beverage as his gaze went to the man across from him. "It was actually my father who was murdered. I hope you don't mind that I'd rather not mention his name, but he was a Sterling as well." The young officer was cautious with giving out names in case they sounded familiar and the man traced him to being a policeman.

[grizzly]

Jayce furrowed his brow, trying to recall the name Sterling. The name wasn't familiar to him, so he believed Xander's story so far. But, he was still feeling skeptical with having a stranger in his home unannounced. He had to be absolutely careful with what he said in case this man was not who he claimed to be. If he was a threat, no doubt he came armed. The idea of being vulnerable in the comforts of his own home disturbed him, which was why he stood up to return to the kitchen.

 

"Excuse me," he said while picking up his now empty bottle. He moved his way over to the kitchen to grab another stout. in a drawer closest to the door was a small two barrel derringer. It was easily concealable, which was why he opted to reach for it and placed in the band of his pants, right at the small of his back. After that, he opened his new bottle and returned to his seat where he saw adjacent to Xander, sipping his beer with a sigh.

 

"So who was this man you're referring to? Not a lot of people know me personally, much less know where I live. That's not information I'm willing to give out freely." He leaned his head back on the cushion on his recliner and felt the cold metal of the derringer dig into his skin. "Also, just for precaution, I'm going to have to ask you to remove your jacket. It's a safety procedure of mine to ensure my clients aren't bugged." His lips stretched into a smile that was as fake as the license plates on his car behind the neck of his bottle. He didn't exactly do anything to reveal his illegal lifestyle, but a quick sweep of his house would show unlicensed weapons and a drawer full of Cuban cigars in his office. Any record of his work was stowed away on his laptop, which was heavily secured.

[ChampionRed007]

It was clear to Alexander that he was quickly running out of time and that he was already suspicious. There would be no telling what Jayce had planned and what he was capable of if the secret slipped out. The officer kept a hand ready at his coat in precaution that he had to retaliate. Xander watched the man carefully out of the corners of his eyes, sensing the uneasy feeling between them.

 

The policeman reached for his drink and took a few more sips as he tried to play off his anxiety. "It was an educated guess actually. The truth is, I've been following your trail after quite some time of research. My co-workers thought I was chasing a pointless case, but I never gave up." Alexander figured the truth would get out eventually so it might as well be now. "I'm not your next client, I'm a police officer." His gaze fell calmly on Jayce, but it was only an act in hopes of hiding his fear.

 

The policeman felt his heart race as he shrugged his overcoat off his shoulders. He had to do something quickly before it was too late. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bouchard. I really can't take anymore risks at this point." Alexander swiftly retrieved the pistol that fell out of his coat and focused it on the man across from him. "You were catching onto my lies much too fast and I couldn't keep them up." The young officer had a slight grin across his lips, but in truth he was nervous. "I have to say you're pretty sharp, but I'll have to arrest you for the crimes you've committed." Alexander didn't plan on shooting Jayce unless he absolutely had to. "Who knows. Maybe you were the one that killed my father." His gaze on the man became a glare.

[grizzly]

Jayce felt his smile quickly slip away and turn more into a frown as the man before him revealed his true intentions. He guessed it was his fault for being so careless, but he was in the center of his den, a place where he felt the most comfortable in. Now he was being breached, and he didn't take that too well. "Officer," he said grimly while placing his bottle carefully down onto the wooden coffee table. "I'd appreciate it if you just put your gun down. I'll cooperate," he said lying through his teeth. While he could read through lies easily he was even better when it came to lying himself. He could still sense the apprehension surrounding the officer and hoped to take advantage of it.

 

"I won't resist arrest, but don't you need a warrant to be here?" Jayce raised his hands above his head and stood up, hoping the derringer would remain hidden in the band of his pants. If it fell out, there was no telling what could happen next. All he had to do was get the gun off of him, then he could decide on his next set of actions. Taking one more look at the man, he saw that he looked young and somewhat experienced. Yet, he could see the fear in his eyes. He probably never fired a shot at a person, which was why Jayce had the advantage. Hesitation is the biggest flaw to have when pointing a gun.

[ChampionRed007]

"I'm sorry that it had to be this way, but if I hadn't taken action you would have pulled a weapon on me first. Don't think I didn't know what you were doing in the kitchen. So where's the weapon?" It was true that the officer knew Jayce had something to protect himself, but he was unaware of where the man was hiding it or what it was. Alexander took his aim off the man and lowered it to the floor, although he didn't set it down. "I don't plan on shooting you unless I have to, that's not how I do things." He was always cautious with criminals, and he couldn't be sympathetic when it came to his job.

 

"I've been following your tracks for months now. All I need is my evidence and this." Alexander kept his eyes focused on Jayce as he fumbled in the pocket of his overcoat to show his badge and ID. With his coat on the couch, the young policeman only wore a long-sleeved black shirt with his pants, belt, and dress shoes. Every article of clothing fit his athletic body nicely and made the officer appear even sharper. It was clear that Jayce held the upper hand in the situation, but that didn't stop him from trying. "So you'll really cooperate?" Alexander squinted his eyes slightly in disbelief. It was hard for him to comprehend why such a well known criminal would simply give himself up.

[grizzly]

Jayce pursed his lips out of frustration before he said, "Were you really? I'm so flattered that a guy like you was always nipping at my heels." His words were dripping with sarcasm and disdain. He could care less on how long it took for this guy to find him, because going to prison was not an option. There were many enemies of the Nords there, and he did not want to be at the end of some petty gangster feud. He was only stabbed once, and he would most definitely like to keep it that way.

 

Jayce turned his back to the officer, but rested his chin against his shoulder to look at Xander. The gun was barely visible, but in the material of his pants, it wouldn't have taken too long to know what it was. "I'm showing you the weapon, aren't I?" He said in response to Xander's skepticism. "Just take it and let's get this over with."

 

If he did land in prison, there was no telling how many hoops he would have to jump through just to get out. If there even were any. This Xander guy looked very dedicated to his case, and he even mentioned his father-a Sterling. No matter what, he couldn't bring a face to the name, but it would explain why he looked familiar. He probably did kill Xander's father, but the only way he could know for sure was if he went through his computer again.

[ChampionRed007]

"If it weren't for me, you'd have no one nipping at your heels." Alexander approached the man and slipped the gun out of his pants. He gave Jayce a brief pat down to make sure he wasn't hiding anything else. "You might find me different than all the others... Instead of carting you off to prison right away, I'd like to know a little about you and what goes on in a criminal's mind." The young officer held both of the pistols and ejected the magazines, letting them fall to the floor. Sitting back down on the couch, Xander knocked the weapons away with his foot.

 

"Maybe you killed my father, maybe you father killed mine, or maybe you have no connection to his murder." Alexander leaned back onto the couch and took a sip of his beverage again. "I'm not accusing you of that, but I would like to know why you're killing people." The policeman's curious gaze fell on Jayce's features. "I won't make a move at you unless you do first. Assuming you don't have another weapon hidden," He added. Maybe the officer had let his guard down a little, but this kind of thing interested him.

[grizzly]

(Sorry for the late reply! I completely forgot to warn you ahead of time. I'm usually not on the weekends.)

 

Jayce couldn't believe his ears. This guy wanted to hear his sob story? That was something most cops wouldn't be bothered with since nothing could possible justify cold-blooded murder. But Jayce would play his game if only for a moment. He wanted to toy around with the officer a bit more before he got to the real fun, so he simply shrugged his shoulders and plopped down onto the recliner, grabbing his own drink. "Well, you see officer," he said while twirling the neck of the bottle. "I'm no killer. Buuuuut," he dragged the word out. "If I was, but let me remind you that I'm not, but if I was a killer..." He hummed in thought to think of a good reason before he brought a finger into the air.

 

"It would have to be for the money. I heard hitmen get payed well more than an officer, and with the same amount of danger involved. Isn't that crazy or what?" His apartment the result of unwavering loyalty and long list of names that were no doubt on New York's obituary at one time or another. He didn't reveal this to the officer, and he was sure to leave any trace of evidence at the scenes save for that single bullet. He was only in the system for disorderly conduct when he was younger, but he was sure to avoid making the same mistake twice. All Xander could really do was arrest him for suspected murder, and with a lawyer the Nords would provide, he could stall his life sentence in prison for a while longer.

[ChampionRed007]

(No worries! I figured you might be busy.)

 

Knowing that he could only take Jayce in on light charges, the young policeman wanted and needed more for the the sake of the man's future victims. He wanted this man to own up to his wrongdoings even though it wouldn't make much of a difference. It wasn't like the other officers were helping Xander any on this case. Alexander shook his head and looked up a moment, doubt in his fellow officers was finally getting to him. He wished they could be a close-knit group that stayed together like the criminals. That was why they worked so well together when Xander's department failed. Of course officers weren't like that everywhere, he just happened to get stuck with an unprofessional, sorry bunch.

 

Alexander chuckled lightly as he neared the end of his beer. "You might as well tell me the truth, Mr. Bouchard. I'm not buying your lies." The policeman pursed his lips together and nodded, raising his eyebrows momentarily as he looked at Jayce. "I know. It's pretty sad really. You make enough money to live comfortably, more so than me." He downed the remainder of his drink and licked his lips, thinking to himself. "And I think I have the sharpest end of the stick between us... Cops and robbers." He slowed the end of his sentence, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. "I'm constantly being hunted by hit-men, and I'm surprised there isn't a price for my head." Alexander's eyes focused on the man across from him.

[grizzly]

(Yeah, I've been real busy with work lately. How are you?)

 

Jayce finished the rest of his bottle and continued to twirl the bottle as a means of distracting himself. "Oh you'd be surprised," he said while moving his eyes from the amber glass of his stout to the blonde sitting across from him. "There's a price for everything." It sounded more like a warning than anything, but the smile on his face made his intentions unclear. But, as usual, his smile could never quite reach his eyes, making it look more empty than the bottle in his hand.

 

He avoided alerting the officer by keeping his eyes off the discarded weapons on the floor. It was a foolish thing to see someone disarm themselves in front of a killer, even if it was just based on slight suspicion. Sure, Alexander may be trained in combat, but it was nothing compared to the dirty tactics Jayce was always exposed to. He had his fair share of sand thrown into his eyes, and as a result he learned there really isn't such a thing as dirty fighting. It was all fighting in the end.

 

He gave his bottle one final twirl before he seized all movement. He hoped the officer was distracted and at ease, because not even a heartbeat later he had bolted up from his seat with the neck of the bottle gripped tightly into his hand. A few drips of the dark liquid ran down his arm, and he rushed towards the officer to smash the glass against the side of the man's head. He was aiming to knock the officer unconscious, but he wasn't afraid to used whatever remained of the bottle to end the man's life.

[ChampionRed007]

(I understand, I've been busy with a few things lately as well. I'm doing fine, thanks. How about you?)

 

Maybe Alexander had gotten himself into a dangerous trap that he couldn't escape. He was nervous, but he hid it for the most part. "I suppose maybe the men you work for would pay a pretty penny for me." A slight smirk crossed his lips as he leaned forward and set his empty stout bottle on the table. It would be one of the young officer's greatest achievements to bring in Jayce Bouchard, but it was a little too good to be true. The truth was, Xander would have already had the man in prison if he had actual evidence that Jayce was guilty.

 

Right as the man jumped up, Alexander had pulled a knife from his dress shoe which immediately fell from his hand when the bottle struck his head. Blood trickled from the top of his head, down his face. The policeman slid onto the floor and struggled to stay conscious as his half-lidded gaze fell on the man towering above him. The young man coughed and held his hand up. "Wait... Please..." He breathed heavily between uttered words in his pained effort to stay awake.

 

"You don't have much of a reason to keep me alive since I'm the only one on your trail, but.... You should." The officer groaned in pain and mumbled something before he fell unconscious. "I'm more useful to you alive..."

A voice suddenly came from the small portable police radio hooked on his belt. Alexander must have landed on the push-to-talk button when he fell. "Officer Stering? Sterling, are you alright?" The worried dispatcher questioned, but silence ensued.

[grizzly]

(I'm doing alright, I'm really psyched for Lunar New Year B) Do you play any video games?)

 

There was a moment of clarity in the midst of their skirmish. The knife that Xander had was out of his reach and beyond the obstacle of shattered glass that now surrounded them. Instead, he knelt down to take examine the wounds that were now seeping a good amount of blood from the side of Xander's head with a disapproving look. "Keep you alive?" He asked with humor ringing in his voice. He was disappointed when he passed out so soon.

 

"Oh, I could only imagine what uses I could have for a brown-nosed police officer such as yourself," he murmured to himself. What could he do with a cop that was just too devoted to his job? The officer did mention that he might have killed his father, but he had no memories of doing such a specific job. He dropped the bottle to the floor, knowing his house keep would eventually get to the mess, but jumped at the sudden sound coming from the walkie talkie on the floor. Unsure of what to do, he left the device alone and tip toed around the pile of broken glass to grab a pair of slippers. There was no telling when the man would awake, so he was quick to grab some rope.

 

It took a while to clean the blood from Xander's unconscious body after he had moved him from the living room and to his study. He had tied him to a chair in the sound proof room where he was scrolling through his laptop. The name Sterling was in bright red across his screen, which also revealed a man that most certainly resembled Xander. He had shot this particular man in the back with a silenced pistol in a large crowd, which made for a very easy escape. With how diverse his methods of killing were, he could see why the police always struggled to predict his every movement.

[ChampionRed007]

(Sounds awesome! I do play video games, actually a good variety. Pokemon, Kingdom Hearts, Fire Emblem, Fallout, Minecraft, Assassin's Creed, etc. What about you? )

 

Alexander slowly started to wake up, and much to his surprise he was still alive. When he first squinted his eyes open, his vision was very hazy and he wasn't aware of his surroundings. The young officer breathed deeply and let his head hang down, not fully understanding his position yet. After gathering his senses, Xander tried to move his arms and legs, but discovered they were bound tightly to the chair he was sitting in. The policeman looked up as he heard clicks and taps of keys from Jayce on the computer.

 

"So you did decide to keep me alive," He stated lowly, trying to clear his throat. Alexander's blonde-brown hair had fallen partially in his face instead of staying up where he had styled it. "If all else fails you can always sell me to your superiors for a good sum of money, right? I'm sure I would be valuable to them for inside information." It wasn't a bad suggestion, one that the officer almost regretted in fear that Jayce would actually do it. "But with me dead, you lose a lot of possibilities," Xander reminded him. The policeman had to keep convincing the man to keep him alive to buy time for a plan.

 

He sat up and rested back against the chair with a small grunt. His head still throbbed in pain from the glass bottle. Tugging roughly at the ropes around his wrists behind him, Alexander finally assumed that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. His eyes fell on Jayce and watched him with a surprisingly calm gaze.

[grizzly]

(I'm a huge pc gamer, so I play pretty much anything. Also, Fallout is such a good series. I'm just waiting on any dlcs they're going to add to the latest one. I also play League of Legends like a loser, and just recently I was feeling nostalgic with Minecraft so I bought and started my own server. Just a small survival world to play with my friends lol.)

 

"Ah good, you're finally awake." Jayce turned around and pushed the screen of his laptop down to hide what he was looking at. The dim lighting of the room made it hard to make out Xander's features, so he turned on the lamp on his mahogany desk. He had wrapped a light bandage loosely around Xander's head to stop the bleeding. It wasn't even that bad of a cut, but since it was on his head, he bled quite a bit.

 

"I've already contacted my boss," he said while opening a drawer in his mahogany desk. He pulled out a box and pulled out a cigar that he prepped with a cutter. "They said I'm free to do whatever I want with you. Apparently the rest of your station wasn't aware of you pursuing this case on your own, buuut." His voice was a bit muffled with the thick Cuban cigar in his mouth, but he was able to articulate his words. He reached for a handkerchief on the desk and grabbed the walkie talkie with the cloth, careful not to press any buttons.

 

"I need you to let your buddies know that you're safe, and that you need some time off. I'm sure you can make up a good excuse." He used his free hand to reach for his zippo lighter and after he had lit his cigar, he placed the walkie talkie by Xander's face. "I wouldn't alarm them if I were you," he warned with a malicious look in his dark green eyes. He pressed on the button on the side of the device and the static sound notified the both of them that it was on. Jayce nodded his head to urge the man on as he played with the cigar in his mouth.

[ChampionRed007]

(That's awesome lol. I play on consoles and pc. I've tried League, but it isn't really my thing. We should totally play Minecraft sometime though! lol)

 

Alexander felt his heart skip a few beats when he was told that the man's superiors could care less what was done to him. He was becoming expendable very quickly, and he was running out of ideas. "It's surprising that they don't think I could be valuable for information." The young policeman flicked his eyes up to Jayce as if he was hinting that he could be very useful. "Considering all that I know. My experience and an inside view on the rest of the force." The officer was desperate at this point to persuade the criminal to consider his life.

 

The policeman slightly pulled away from the radio and cast a nervous glance up at the man. He quickly made something up to say before leaning closer to speak, hoping the tone in his voice didn't sound worrisome and that he wouldn't stutter too much. "Officer Sterling reporting in. Just wanted to let dispatch know that I'm fine, still working on a tiresome case. I'll be back as soon as I wrap things up, but it could take a little longer than expected." Xander thought it would be best not to use any codes so that Jayce wouldn't be suspicious of anything he said. The young officer pulled away from the device and lowered his head to close his eyes.

 

There was a short silence before he heard a "10-4" from the police radio, meaning his message had been received and understood. His brown eyes caught the light flickering in from the window when he looked up again. The sun was setting and it would be dark soon. Alexander would accept that his fate rested in the criminal's hands for now. "So what exactly are your plans for me?" He shifted in the chair as he watched the man toy with the cigar. Something about the scene made him feel uncomfortable like he couldn't predict Jayce's next move.

[grizzly]

"Good boy," he said with a wicked grin. "You're quite obedient, let's hope it stays that way." He stood up and removed the batteries from the walkie talkie and stowed it away into his desk. When he turned around, he leaned against his desk and placed a hand on the surface for support. He knew the man was scared for his life, but he was strangely calm. Such bearing gave him the desire to break him and see if he really could bring out the panic in him.

 

"The Nords already have allies in uniform around New York. So you really do have no use for me." He blew some of the smoke from his cigar in Xander's face and chuckled. It was the truth; hand anyone a couple grand and they'd do anything he asked. Though, it wasn't his business to deal with the cops. He was only told that they had no use for the officer, so he was free to do as he pleased with the man. It was troublesome to hold onto a cop with all the leads that could trace back to him. But if he let the man go, he was bound to go to prison.

 

"Plans for you? Hmmm, I requested some time off from work to deal with you myself." He moved to the other side of the room and grabbed a large bag to place next to Xander. The light from the desk revealed it to be a black body bag. "We're going to have to leave the city." He laughed at how ominous it sounded and snuffed out his cigar in the ash tray on his desk. "I'm not going to kill you of course, but we really can't stay here."

[ChampionRed007]

Alexander felt like he was going to be sick when the criminal uttered the words "good boy" and spoke about his obedience. The officer coughed, hating the smell of cigarette smoke. There were several things Xander wanted to say to the man, but he had to remember his place for the moment. "I could pay you a handsome reward if you let me go. I even promise to drop the case." The young policeman offered honestly, knowing Jayce's love for money.

 

Nothing he said or offered seemed to get him anywhere with the criminal, but there had to be something. "I don't understand why you're set on keeping me. If you offered me back to the police station they would be happy to give a reward for my safety." Alexander gave Jayce a curious look before adding a few words. "I assure you I can be a handful." Even though he spoke confidently through such words, Xander was really trying to mask his fear and anxiety so the criminal wouldn't have another tool to use against him.

 

The officer eyed the body bag, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach but feeling relieved when Jayce said he wouldn't kill him. "I can't travel like a normal person or prisoner? You have to stuff me into a body bag?" Xander tried to keep his wits about him as a small smirk crossed his lips. "Very kinky, Mr. Bouchard." The young policeman teased the man, partially to get on his nerves and partially to calm himself and take his mind off of the dangerous situation.

[grizzly]

Simply turning in the officer would be no fun. Sure, he would benefit from some of the money, but he didn't believe the man when he said he would drop the case. He killed his father, and nobody would leave without at least fulfilling some form of vengeance. Or at least he sure as hell wouldn't. Jayce couldn't risk it, no matter how minuscule it could be. Even letting him walk about without any ropes on him would make him nervous since he was obviously athletic. He had to make sure he couldn't have any chance of slipping away, because it would be the end to all of his antics. But the more he looked at Alexander, the more he felt the need to push his buttons. He had his own personal agenda to fill with the man, but he was sure there will be a use for him to come up if he just held onto him.

 

The hitman smirked at the officer's comment. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He quipped before he untied the ropes that bonded him to the chair. There was still rope wrapped around his wrists and ankles and he punched the man in the gut, forcing him to collapse into his hold. "I don't appreciate it when my victims talk to me as though we're equals," he informed the man. He grabbed for the same handkerchief as earlier and stuffed it into the officer's mouth. Then he eased the man onto the floor and proceeded to zip the bag over the man's body, meeting and form of struggle with his own brute force.

 

Taking the body to his car took some work, but he settled with dragging the bag across the floor. It was around three in the morning when he was sure no one would be up to spot his suspicious act. He knew how to avoid the cameras in the garage, but just for the sake of safety he had bribed the security officer. He knew how to fill people with fear and make them acquiesce with a manila envelope filled with a few Benjamins.

 

He was wearing his casual black suit with the jacket unbuttoned. When his black Audi A8 came into view, he opened the trunk with the press of a button from his keys. The car's trunk was empty save for the suitcase that held his sniper rifle. He reached down to grab Alexander around his waist and hoisted him into the trunk. Slamming the trunk door closed, he walked over to sit in the driver's seat, reaching for a cigarette out of the pack in his pocket.