Page 93 - The Chronicles Ser2 (6-10)

the Force would stand firm and deliver the perpetrators into the hands of the Justice
system. Cop killers would never be tolerated. The Chief’s Eulogy was masterpiece, Krank had
helped there. And the Honour guard paid their respects with due diligence and solemnity.
The Mayor gave a speech after the event vowing to make the city safe and woe betide any
Syndicate that broke any agreement to keep the peace out of respect. Not that City Hall
could really do anything if a Turf War did break out. But it looked good for the press.
Secretly the Mayor would be seeing the setting up of a “special duties” squad comprising
members who all had a grudge of one form or other against the various Syndicates. The
Blind Justice Squad as it would later be called would have unprecedented powers and could
act “outside the Law” when it deemed it needed to. But for now; Lomax, Hurden, Krank and
Dreck were the best people to handle the criminal element’s activities. Dreck would
eventually, further down the line, head the Blind Justice Squad.

After the service the respective families gathered for a joint farewell wake. Nancy
was in a wheel chair, still weak from her ordeal; thankfully no harm had come to the tiny life
growing inside her womb. Their Patrol car had taken the brunt of the force, but she had
been left with burns, bruises and cracked bones in her left leg, hip and ribs. One of the other
younger officers in Jake’s shift had been in the Honour Guard at the service; he had
promised her that he’d do everything he could to live up to her brother’s standards and
reputation. He was one of the few Achenazi members of the Force and a recent recruit. He
had admired Jake’s dedication and would also try to emulate Jake in his role in the Force
Jinderball team in his memory. She felt sorrier for Chief Wilson and his family, David was the
youngest serving from that distinguished line. There was one surprise in the attendees to
the wake; Old Man Silas Carnegie had been at the service and had asked if he might see the
families after the wake was over. He offered to help with any investigation into the bombing
purely as a concerned citizen,

“My time and life with the Syndicates and crime are well and truly over. I have little time left
to me and I want to repay my debt in some way. Although my body may be weak, my mind
is as sharp and as bright as ever. The perpetrators of this crime are little more than animals,
no decency behind the thought of the action. I want to put things as right as I can” he said in
an interview later that evening broadcast over many of the Networks. When Dreck and
Hurden had a “chat” with him about the practical joke, he had been furious “Sounds like
someone taking the Mickey at my expense. If I had done such a prank you can bet it would
have been done with style. I have a shrewd idea who might be behind it though. He’s a
young whippersnapper from the Gildar system who thinks too much of himself. He was
probably trying to make a name in the crime circuit. No style, no… panache! He goes by the
“business” name of Danny the Vamp, my old colleagues keep me informed on the business,
but these days I’ve had my fill of crime. Danny’s into that old Goth syndrome thing. He’s
over in Pelador Plaza, taken control of the illicit substance trade there. I would love to see
his face, but my Doc says I have to take it easy or I’d put the young whelp over my knee and
spank him hard, he’s nothing more than a “poor little rich boy” playing at being a gangster.
Do me a favour and give him what for” Silas told them before he had a coughing fit. It was
obvious that Carnegie was not capable of the prank, and the courier had been a young man.
The two detectives left, but not before Silas managed to show them the latest gag in his
arsenal of pranks he used on the staff at the Care Home. He’d caught out more than a few
young nurses with it. Hurden thought it a bit cruel, but Dreck found it amusing.