- Chapter
I feel a spectrum of emotions wash over me. The
events of the last hour or so have turned my entire
world upside down.
It should have been so obvious to me. How could I
have overlooked the fact that she had been coerced?
I was so laser focused on bringing down the Baron that I didn’t even care if brought some innocents
down with me.
Because, even if she messed with evidence, or stole the footage… well, I can’t blame her for wanting to protect her family. I….
Would I do the same thing?
It’s a difficult question to answer, seeing as I’m not like the average person. I don’t have a wife, or even a girlfriend for that matter.
I’ve been so busy over the last few years. All I
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I’ve been so busy over the last few years. All I
Jailbreak My Heart
wanted was to bring down the Baron, just as I’d
brought down some other “untouchable” crime lords
before him.
But all of that doesn’t even matter at the moment.
“Hold on. What are you saying?” I ask her.
“Look, Officer… uh, well I don’t even know your
name to be honest. But let’s take a look at the facts,
shall we?”
“Cooper.”
www
She pauses for a moment. “What?”
“Officer Cooper. Maxwell Cooper. But… just call me
Max.”
She moves her eyes around for a moment as she
processes the information.
“Okay, Max. Let’s think about this. If you were in the Baron’s shoes, what would be your next move?”
“I’d probably lay low for a while,” I say instantly.
“Yeah, maybe that would be the smart move for the smaller fish. But this guy is a tuna. He’s the top of
DC
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smaller fish. But this guy is a tuna. He’s the top of
the food chain. He doesn’t ‘lay low,‘ because if he
did, he wouldn’t be a tuna for long.”
“So you’re saying…” I think for a moment. It only
takes a moment.
“Oh shit.”
She raises her hands as if in celebration. “Finally, he
gets it!”
The sarcasm hurts a bit for some reason, but being in
the police force has toughened my nerves… and my feelings.
“So. I almost put him in prison for ever. You stopped that from happening. If he’s not going to lay low, that
means taking out the opposition and the ones who
can talk”
“Exactlyyy.” She does a quick victory lap around the
cell.
“So, what are we going to do about it?” I ask her.
She looks at me as if I had suddenly grown a second
head.
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head.
“Obviously we have to get out of here before they
manage to make their way in here.”
“Easier said than done…” I mumble.
“Of course…” I say as a thought begins to cross my
mind.
“What?” she practically yells. The tension in the cell block is mounting.
CCTO
“If they’re after you here, that means that you’ll never be safe as long as the Baron’s free.”
I recoil slightly as her body looks as if it’s been
physically hit in the gut.
“Testify!” I practically slam myself into the bars to get closer to her. “You’re the only one that can help
me to put him away for good.”
I’ve never seen a woman look so confused and
frustrated at the same time, and that’s saying
something coming from me.
“What makes you think you can take this guy down when so many others have failed, Max? How could
when so many others have failed, Max? How could you possibly think that you could keep me and Rafe
safe?”
“Don’t… don’t you know who I am?” I ask. I mean, I’m basically a celebrity in the city.
“I…I mean, I’ve seen your face, but…”
“I’m the guy who put an end to the Calzones. I took
down the Russian Union. I dismantled the Triad/
Yakuza alliance.”
I can’t believe she hasn’t heard of me. But as I tell her about my accomplishments, understanding
begins to dawn on her face.
“You’re…”
“Yes!”
“You’re Max Cooper. Like, the Max Cooper. I didn’t realize that you were a cop. I just thought you funded certain police actions, or something…”
“Well, it’s like you said. The police have a hard time dealing with certain criminals in this city. I just…
grease the wheels of justice, and make sure that the
big fish’s money can’t stop justice from happening.”
big fish’s money can’t stop justice from happening.
“Okay, but that doesn’t mean you can protect me and
Rafe.”
I smile, a little full of myself. “Oh, I definitely can.
I’ve protected people like you from worse than the
Baron. You’d be surprised how motivated people
can be when there’s a bit of cash involved.”
I can see the resolve in her eyes beginning to
dissolve as she considers her situation.
“I really think you don’t have a choice, Jenny. Not
because I’m threatening to keep you here forever;
but if the Baron’s goons are actually here to keep
you quiet, then you know that you don’t have many
options left. Ironically, he’s forcing your hand.
against him.”
I can see how much she wants to cry. I feel for her.
But… god, I admire her strength. It must be so hard
to be in this situation.
Perhaps one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced in my life happens when I see her face turn from fear, to… death incarnate.
Jailbreak My Heart
X
“If that motherfucker thinks he can hurt my boy…”
she paces back and forth across her cell, her hands
clenched into fists, and a hardened resolve on her
face.
“He’s going to wish he had never been born.”
I can’t help but smile at the energy.
“Yes! YES!”
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This is exactly what I needed. With her testimony… oh man. We can put that piece of garbage away forever. He’ll never hurt anyone as long as he lives.
At least, nobody outside of prison.
“Oh, officerrr,” a voice suddenly carries through the
open window.
Goose bumps immediately form on my skin. I feel
chills roll down my spine, and back up again.
“No way….
Jenny looks confused. “Who the fuck is that?” she
asks. She looks uncertain, and it’s a good way to
approach the situation
Goose bumps immediately form on my skin. I feel chills roll down my spine, and back up again.
“No way…
Jenny looks confused. “Who the fuck is that?” she asks. She looks uncertain, and it’s a good way to approach the situation.
I look at her as I swallow the lump in my throat.
“Trouble.”
