Upstate – Police Department
Detective Michael Nash

Andrea Carter stood in front of the SWAT team. She went over the operation’s objectives and execution. It was a semi-silent bust since they only have three important targets, the middle-man and the two local hot-shots. The other party goers i.e. dealers are of little importance but nonetheless they would arrest them after they secure the targets. Carter showed her experience, she had a plan for every scenario even for scenarios that doesn’t go according to plan. The SWAT team will only move out once her agents confirmed the deal which could happen any moment. Her agents already spotted the two hot-shots and were simply waiting for the middle-man.

Detective Nash sighed and lit a cigarette. He stood at the very back since he was not an actual part of the operation and was simply a bystander. Earlier, Carter gave him only one rule: Do not meddle with my operation. She made it sound like she has a gun pointed in his head. Nash didn’t took offense from it, he just wondered how she and Westhuizen worked together. Maybe they had some bad cop duo dynamic which probably worked since Narcs normally deal with scumbags in a daily basis.

A suit went up to Andrea interrupting the briefing. It could mean one of two things and Nash suspected it was the one he doesn’t want to hear. When Andrea addressed the crowd his guessed right, the bust was going through. Damn it. The detective quickly pulled out his phone and sent a text to officer Harmsworth, telling him of the recent development. Nash was able to hide his phone before Andrea could notice when she approached.

“Remember Nash, you’re taking the back seat on this operation. A simple bystander to the whole thing.”

“You warned me twice before and that makes the third. You don’t have to always remind me. I ain’t stupid.”

“I don’t doubt your intelligence Nash. I however question your means. You didn’t only caught the FBI’s attention when you crack the cult few years back. I read the file. You acted on your own and that bothers me.”

Nash smirked and took a drag.

---

Upstate – The Manor
Officer Sam Peters and Richard Harmsworth


Sam has been with the 6th unit for some time. He enjoys pissing on other department’s jurisdiction – it’s pretty much a requirement for the unit – but this was his first time doing it off duty and nonetheless his first time doing a look and see. In all honestly, he was actually enjoying all the spy work.

After giving the low down to his partner Richard ‘Wily’ Harmsworth, he picked up the trail of the trio who went upstairs. It wasn’t hard since one of them broke the face of another guest before entering a room. The guy was still spewing obscene curses and blood when the officer came across him. With the crowd present he can’t hope to eavesdrop into their conversation and simply decided to wait close by and to keep both eyes on the door.

It didn’t took long before he could hear a commotion inside. From the sound of things, they seem to be arguing which lead to bodies hitting the floor. Soon after a drunk girl, who he recognize as his partner’s mark, came stumbling and entered the room, leaving the door open allowing Sam to catch a few glimpse of the exchange.

He made out a fight while the drunk girl tried to remain standing but always tip over. He caught a name, Reed, which Sam believed to be important asides from the PoI who seemed to be on the point of passing out if he’s not already. The fight abruptly ended when ‘Reed’ tossed the girl, who was giving him a beating, aside. At the same moment when the Reed fellow tossed the girl over his shoulder and helping the drunkie up to her feet, the officer’s phone ringed. It was a text message from Wily warning him that the party was about to be busted and to get out.

Fuck! It was a judgment call, to leave the PoI go and ran into safety or stop him and deal with shit-storm of his actions afterwards. The PoI was already meters away from him when he finally decided to prevent the kidnapping. He pressed the speed dial for his partner: “Fuck man! Damn PoI is kidnapping –“ A fist connected on his face. He felt his nose breaking and before he could react he buckled by a kick on his knees. Then another kick, this time on his ribs. Sam felt a stabbing pain which only could mean they broke. A punch came next, hitting the officer straight on the jaw.

Damn fucker is fast! It took a moment for Sam to compose himself but by that time the PoI was out of sight. He found his phone which slipped his hands during the beating. “Fuck, fuck, fuck! Damn asshole broke my ribs and nose. I’m going to after them.” If I can find them again.

“Fuck it! Don’t be a goddamn hero! The bust team will come any minuet and we shouldn’t be in the party in the first place!” Wily buzzed. Sam could hear the sirens on the background. Wily started the engine. “Sam they’re here, we got no time! Head out back, we’re taking the long way around.”

His partner hanged up, leaving no room for an argument. Sam limped out the backdoor and crashed into the passenger seat. Once inside, Wily didn’t hesitate and moved the vehicle along. They were just a few meters away when the first SWAT van arrived. Turning the raging party into Cops’n’Robbers. The two officers followed the action on the rearview mirror as they drove further away.