The weather eased up upon the rain while the sky continued to look ever gray. Steve and the GBOP agents are all back inside the police car.

“Yeah, we're going to be on our way to Wilson Road.” Steve communicates to the chief at the driver's side.

Ricky askes “Any clue if they’re going to be considering upgrading their hardware in case?”.

Ally, sitting at the passenger side, looks out into the window. “It's Kevin!” She points light at the window. “Only without his suit but his casual attire.”

“As I suspected, Chief.” Steve said, looking at sad soul. “The manager wasn’t happy with how their security head was running his position. Currently watching the poor

bastard do a walk is a shame.”

“As bad as it is to find suitable work.” Ricky said. “Businesses can do what they want with their workers. We get involved if only one of

theirs is a harmful suspect.”. Steve nods while starting up the car. “Need any back up, Steve?”. He peaks a bit at Ally before looking to his left backing out.

“If he is just sitting at his place still.” Steve said. “Shouldn’t be too much with the agents around me.”

“You say so but call in if anything happens.” The call ended as the detective had his attention fully on the road.

“Hey, Miller.” James asked while sitting once again behind the cage in the back. “Think it's a good idea to change our gear?”.

Ally, looking out into the city’s shopping walkway bursting with people that look to have come from all walks of life, responds. “Considering the fact, he only gave the

criminal weapons from the security's own inventory. Don’t think the suspect doesn’t have many resources that could be used to revolt against us three.”

Steve laughs. “I can tell you really don’t come to this city as much, Gal.”

She looks at him with slight annoyance and goes. “Pardon me?”

Steve stops the car behind a red muscle car obeying the stop light. He takes a quick glimpse towards Ally and says “Always suspect people to have motives. Having to bust open a few apartment complexes with crimes varying with drug trafficking and gang hideouts. Don’t give people with bad intentions the benefit of doubt.” Ally responds rather empathically.

“Quite the outlook on people here. a shame if that's how things are recently.”.

the Greenlight changes and as the red car in front moves forward. Steve turns his car left and continues near the destination.

“Things have always been like this long before I started.” He spoke. “With the aftermath of the fourth World War ten years back. A ton

of people have been dealing with an increase in job losses to robotics due to it being cheaper than waiting and hoping for bodies to return from warfare.”

“Makes you think.” Ally responds while leaning deeply in thought. “What are the city’s officials doing to support their citizen’s well-being?”

Steve laughs again before continuing the conversation. “Jack shit. We have decades with companies having more rights to do away with their employers as they please. It's tough for a simple mom and pop store to be even remotely successful without some huge company like “Shop four life” taking multiple landmarks.”

“Seem to really know this city.” She complimented.

Steve continued. “That's only because of some of the people I've turned in. They’re what I like to call Victims of circumstance. Locked up with a guy named Zuke

Weger. He used to own a store up north near the beach simply selling T-shirts in a small shop. Next thing you know a “shop four life” location opens up and slowly but

surely his business goes down in profit. He met a man named Jason Lander who noticed the shop was a ghost town. In total desperation to save his passion. He had

talked Zuke into starting to sell drugs on the side. I’m sure you can piece together how I caught him.”

James took the guess. “Busted him at his own joint.”

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“Ding!” Steve shouts. “Caught him there while also having to carry guns illegally. He ratted out Jason and two days later we brought him in after trying to sell drugs to some homeless people around New Haven Central Park.”. Steve makes a right turn off the street name, Wilson Road, He asks then “Coming up close to the location. Are you two ready?”

Ally looks to the back. “James, for the sake of our protection. Let's make a quick trip towards the truck making sure stock up our dart shots and gear is

intact.” James nodded.

Three minutes Steve waits on the side of his car.

“Wander, what's the hold up?” He says to himself looking at the gray truck parked from across the building. As the man breathes out a puff of smoke. The back of the gray truck opens. He witnesses a change of clothing with the agents. “Well, you two look prepared!”

James and Ally arrived with the two wearing dark camo suits with black vests around their outfits, both wearing dark helmets and multiple displays of flash smoke nades. Ally approaches the detective who still is withholding his cigar with the tip of his right fingers. Steve notices that both Ally and James have gray looking rifles. He scans the weapons out.

“Dart rifles?” Stev askes.

James nods and explains “Yep, G700, top of the line deescalate tool that can pierce through armor too. Can stop a target without killing

them.”

“You two make me feel like we're disarming a bomb.” Steve lightly jokes, still feeling a sense of disbelief at what he is witnessing.

“The history of your city convinced us of a “quick” wardrobe change.” Ally said. “Ready to head in?”

The detective blows out a puff of smoke before tossing the remains of the bud to the ground.

“Should be just a simple interrogation.” Steve said while doing one more glare at the agent's appearance.

The three enter the apartment complex office.

The appearance of the location is damped with fade out light brown wallpaper and blue tile concrete floors. The three face a single male looking at the three behind a room covered over a gate.

“Can I be at your service?” the man asked with a heavy amount of nervousness.

Steve walks up close to the gate to help ease the stranger. “Hi, I'm Detective Steve Mitchels. We’re looking for a man named Hector Pines whose workforce said he hit up this joint.”.

The man's eyes widened. “He of all people?” The man had a tone of slight disappointment. “I've been managing this place for years and of all the guests. He has always been the humblest. Hell, he gave me a gift basket for Christmas.” The apartment manager looks fearfully at the two armored GBOP agents. “Wonder what he did?”.

Ally walked up next to Steve to clue in the apartment manager. “We are here to just solely ask questions on any suspicions based around the possibility of slipping a weapon past his job’s security system. Should be a quick and easy procedure.”

The manager could see his reflection on Ally's dark helmet. None the less he spoke out on the location floor. “He lives on floor six, room is three four three.”

“Thanks, sir!” Steve tips his hat as the three take the elevator sitting at the center section of the main floor.

A quick ride up to the sixth floor, the trio arrive in a cramped and narrow hallway. Steve and the agents begin to navigate the walkway. Seeing different door numbers.

Hearing the cries of children and mindless chatter scatter across each room they pass.

“Found the room!” James shouted as the three regrouped in front of the door.

Steve walks up front and sees a fingerprint scanner embodied on the door. He presses down on it and a ring tune is heard.

“Hector Pines!” Steve shouted. “Detective for New Haven police. If you have the time. Just want to ask questions.”

There is no responding answer, so He begins to knock on the door.

“Don’t think he may be at home.” Ally suggested. “Maybe check in with the manager again.”

“HELLO!” a loud voice is heard from behind the door. The group attention is noticeably high.

The detective speaks up once again. “Mr. Pines. I assume!”.

“Yeah, that's me.” The voice responds this time with a clammer tone. “Let me get myself together for a second

and I'll chat.”

The door suddenly opens.

Ally becomes horrified at the sight of a hooded man with slightly long and graying black hair. She shouts! “HE'S ARMED!” as to then pushed herself and Steve off to the right of the door.

James, with instant cat-like reflexes, hid himself to the left standing in front of the neighboring closed

door.

Hector blasts out a single shot that pierces the door room across from him. The suspect makes a left to the end of the hallway passing James.

“Like hell you are!” James thought to himself as he quickly took his G700 from his back holster and scoffed off after the suspect.

Ally, laying on top of Steve, askes. “You’re ok, Detective?!”. She stands up and offers a helping hand.

Steve picks up his cap. “I’ll be once we catch this fucker.” He took her hand and rose up.

Ally looks at the shot-up door as it opens quickly. Revealing an overwhelmingly angry female apartment owner speaking Koren.

Steve runs up and shows his badge while being sure his words are understood as clear and precisely as he can. “I'm a cop. It's dangerous. Go inside now!”

The woman who was hot-tempered cooled herself realizing the situation. She nodded and quickly slammed her door.

Ally with a slight smile turned to Steve and said “Did some quick scans while she was out. Pretty spooked but thank the stars for no injuries.”.

Steve sighs. “Tell me about that later. Got to jet!”

“Right, sorry.” She said feeling a tad embarrassed.

The two rushed behind James and the suspect.

James sees Hector trying to run for the elevator at the far end of the room. As the suspect runs a series of doors begin to open. The agent is filled with despair as he

shouts.

“ARMED GUNNER! GET BACK TO YOUR ROOMS!”. The suspect stops in front of the elevator and points his gun at James.

The agent slides down on his rear and free aims towards Hector's neck. The doors of the elevator open as two randomly clad females are horrified by the clasped suspect drug out by a single slim dart.

The women run past James who's still standing up.

“James!” He hears Celi shouts though his cyberlen’s call interface. “Saw everything. Glad you guys made it out alive.”.

“Agree with you there, Celly.” James chuckles for a bit. “Not sure what this guy thought his endgame would turn out to be. But at least we crushed whatever

motives he had for abusing his responsibility.”

“This city is huge.” Celi commented. “Hard to think of more cases like this that don't show up often.”

James stands up. “It's all about the current, Mertez .” James said, looking down the long hallway of people grouping up on scene. “Got to set an example to some people on what is logical and hope for the best outcome.” James turns towards the down suspect whose leg is keeping the elevator open. “Time to extract.”