Dying For LA by Ian Jones (top fiction books of all time .txt) 📕

tonight was heroic, to say the least. It’s unheard of. Captain Truman wants to get the facts straight is all. There’s gonna be a shitload of paperwork that’s for damn sure. But right now we have a problem, with you.’

John shook his head sorrowfully.

‘Really, you do surprise me. What now?’

Brady looked at Truman.

‘Dennis, maybe you’d care to explain …’

‘Right, well Mr Smith, we have your passport. Lots of trips in and out of the United States.’

‘Yeah well, my daughter lives here. New York.’

‘Right. So, we made your passport and guess what. All we can get is your name and date of birth. Nothing else. It’s all locked down, we can’t access any more information at all. So, we go to the CIA, they’ll help us. Bur guess what? Soon as they know it’s you they tell us it’s gonna take some time. Now why the fuck would that be? It stinks. Who are you?’

‘I used to work for the government. Maybe this is over your pay grade, captain Truman.’

Truman looked disgusted. Brady laid his hand on the other man’s arm.

‘Dennis, why don’t you go see if we gotten a reply yet? Go on. We’re done here anyways, it’s getting late. I’ll get Mr Smith comfortable again.

Truman angrily stared at both men and then walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Brady looked at John.

‘Dennis has a difficult job to do. He’s quite new here, big shoes to fill. Captain Ryan ran it a long time, well liked, well respected. He was shot, some gangbanger up from South Central. He was lucky to survive, but he’ll never walk again. So Dennis has a tough job replacing him.’

‘I’m not interested chief. I don’t care.’

Brady leaned forward earnestly, trying another tack, he needed John on side and they both knew it.

‘John, you know what you’re doing don’t you. I heard what you said about the terrorists you have dealt with. Who says that? I got to say I never met anyone who deals with terrorists like you did. I’m looking at you and what happened tonight hasn’t fazed you at all. You say you worked for the UK government, what was it you did?’

‘It’s not up for discussion chief.’

‘Look, I’ve listened to what you have said and I have to admit it does make sense. But other departments are involved, obviously, we hit all the major action buttons. A bunch of guys loose with AKs in a Downtown Metro station, it’s big news. Huge. We never had it before and it’s bigger that I can deal with, that’s for damn sure.’

‘I get that chief. And I understand that something like this goes down and it just happens that a bloke with no business to decides to pick up a gun and shoots three of the men. So of course there is suspicion, maybe I’m even one of them in the first place. I get that.’

‘Well Captain Truman is …’

John had heard enough, and interrupted.

‘Truman is an arsehole. I know what he’s thinking. He has had this land in his lap. Promotion written all over it if he nicks someone early. Don’t deny it. Look chief I’ve seen his type before and I would bet my house you have too. But if he tries to do it at my expense than he’s gonna regret it.’

Brady sighed. He looked like he was about to say something then changed his mind.

‘Look John, I’m sorry about this but I need to keep you here until morning. I have to do it all properly. The CIA will get back to me and I’ve got a feeling it will be all clear. Of course we’re not looking to charge you with homicide or anything. There’s every chance you saved a lot of lives, including your own.’

He stood up, and resigned to his fate John did too and allowed himself to be led back down to the cell.

The sergeant came back down with him and fussed around making sure John was comfortable and then left. John took the easy option and removed his boots and jeans and lay down on the bunk. He wondered if he would be bothered again until morning and decided to wait and see. Sleep when you can, it had always worked well for him in the past and within a short time he was out.

Chapter Three

Surprisingly, and despite everything, in the end he slept really well, and was woken up when a different officer came in with some breakfast. Somebody had been out to pick something up for him, so John imagined there must have been some changes overnight. He ate everything and drank down the coffee and then stood up stretching and touching his toes several times. He felt refreshed and ready; it was just past seven in the morning.

He put on his jeans and boots and then settled down comfortably to wait, he was good at that.

After fifteen minutes a new uniform sergeant appeared and politely escorted him back up to the booking area and returned his belongings, he didn’t speak very much while he was doing it so John wasn’t sure if he was completely free to leave at last. He noticed a man watching who walked over as John was putting everything back in his pockets.

‘Hi John,’ the man said, ‘Care to come with me?’

John looked at the newcomer. He was older, probably the same age as Brady, but was solid with a street fighter’s face topped with unruly grey hair. He wore dark jeans, a plaid shirt and a persistent smile as he led John out the doors chatting affably about nothing in particular. To John’s relief they passed by the interview rooms and up a couple of flights of stairs. The man stopped at the top by a set of doors.

‘I should probably introduce myself, sorry I always forget that. My wife chews my ass off about it. Anyways, I’m Chief Keane, pleased to meet you. Call me Ron.’

He held out his hand and John shook it, a firm handshake.

Keane