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Golden Shields ( Katy1008 & CrimsonMaster )

Tom had a feeling Evie would have said no last night. He couldn't blame her for wanting some alone time. She just spent three days with McWilliams. Living at his place and being his woman. Had Lou arrived a couple days later, Tom was sure Evie wouldn't have minded having a threesome with Lou. It was clear from the looks Lou gave Evie when she left the table. He would have enjoyed getting to know Evie better. Becoming closer friends with her. Evie had a pointed when she said inviting Lou to the boat may not have changed anything. Yet, it was possible the killer would have waited until Lou was alone. The killer only struck at the officers when they were alone. No one else was ever with them. It may or may not have made a difference to invite Lou to boat. No one would ever know for sure. " You're right. " Tom said before kissing Evie on her forehead. He pulled back from the kiss wearing a sad smile. A friend was dead. Tom had been to more funerals then he cared to remember. This would be the first out of town funeral though.

Tom decided they wouldn't be just going to San Francisco for Lou's funeral. He and Evie would be going there to help bring this cop killer down. The MCU helped the San Francisco police bring down one killer. It seemed they would be helping them one more time. Tom asked Evie to call the airport and book a couple of seats on the next flight to San Francisco. He would call James to let him know they were heading out of town on a case. Tom crushed out his cigarette before climbing into the car. They headed back to the boat to pack a couple of bags. They would also need their dress uniforms for the funeral. Tom called James, told him what happened and said he & Evie would in San Francisco. He then called the coroner's office. Tom said they were to send Lou's body to San Francisco once it was released. It would be picked up there by the SFPD. Lou didn't have anyone to claim his body back in Los Angeles.

After packing their bags and grabbing their dress uniforms. Tom & Evie headed to the central station. They were there long enough to do paperwork on their trip and to inform Chief Beck. Tom & Evie left the station, arriving at LAX in time to catch their flight to San Francisco. Before leaving from Los Angeles, Tom called Chief Ironside. He reported Lou's death and spoke of being on the next flight to San Francisco. Ironside knew of the friendship Lou had with Tom & Evie. He understood Tom's reason for coming. Chief Ironside said Tom & Evie would be met at the airport and brought to his office. Ironside would be sending two of his own people to greet Tom & Evie. Detective Sergeant Ed Brown and Officer Fran Belding. The SFPD started their own version of the MCU after the butcher. This version was led by Chief Ironside. It didn't have the same powers of jurisdiction as the MCU. Only the Governor of California could grant such powers. Ironside's team was primarily used within San Francisco, unless a request from a nearby police department asked for help.
 
Evie didn't disagree with Tom whe he said they were going to San Francisco for more than a funeral. She was as keen to be involved in the investigation as he was. She was perhaps a little more concerned about what SFPD's likely reaction would be although she kept her concerns to herself. If the investigation were an LAPD affair she was pretty sure that Chief Beck would have benched them both on the basis that they were too emotionally connected to the investigation. She was also sure that if a couple of SFPD detectives arrived in LA looking to get involved in what would almost certainly be something considered as personal for every cop in the department that LAPD would not be putting out the welcome mat.

Evie called the airport as Tom pulled away from the crime scene. Two tickets one way on American Airlines. Flight time was a little over an hour so with check in it would probably be close to three. She also booked a room at the Handlery Union Square Hotel. Once at the boat they worked efficiently in packing bags and taking their dress uniforms which were each protected by their own suit carrying cases out of the closets. High days and funerals were pretty much the only time cops wore their dress blues.

After stopping in at the station, they arrived at the airport 90minutes before their flight was due to take off. They had time to get a coffee before boarding but that was about it.
 
There was noway anyone in either department could stop Tom & Evie from getting involved with this case. The MCU had jurisdiction in the state. They could go anywhere and investigate any crime. Only the governor could pull them off a case. He was the one who gave them their powers. The governor had no reason to pull the MCU off of anything. They were great press for him during a time when he needed it most. With the drought and the wild fires causing such problems. The last the governor needed was his prize task force being pulled off a case. He gave Tom free rein to do whatever he felt was right. If Tom felt the MCU could help bring down this cop killer in San Francisco. The governor wouldn't stop him. Having the MCU involved with the case would only help the governor.

A normal flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco was less then an hour. Tom & Evie were back on the ground just after lunch time. They were greeted at the airport by Sergeant Brown and Officer Belding. After a stop at hotel Evie made booked a room at. The officers all went straight to Chief Ironside's office. Tom & Evie met Chief Ironside during their last trip to San Francisco. Robert Ironside was a 20 plus year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department. Several years ago, a sniper shot and paralyzed Ironside from the waist down. Although he was now confined to a wheelchair. No one thought Ironside couldn't remain on the job. He continued his work as Chief of Detectives. He was also in charge of the SFPD's version of the MCU. Beside Ironside, Sergeant Brown and Officer Belding. They were also joined by Officer Mark Sanger. This was Ironside's hand picked team. Everyone called Ironside "Chief" or "Chief Ironside."

Tom & Evie greeted Chief Ironside after entering his office. On the far wall, there was a board with pictures of the fallen officers. Lou's picture was already on the board. Under each picture was the number the killer gave to the officer before their death. It seemed like it was alphabet related, but things aren't always what they seem. Tom asked how often the killer was striking. There was certain information not released to the press. Ironside said someone was getting a letter every few days. In fact, an officer got one before Lou was killed in Los Angeles. They had the targeted officers under surveillance, but you can't watch a person every second of the day. Days would go by until the officers made one mistake. Getting caught alone. Ironside confirmed each officer was alone when he was killed.
 
As Tom and Evie walked through the arrivals gate, they were quick to see Ed Brown and Fran Belding. They shook hands and exchanged apologies... Tom and Evie that their visit couldn't have been under better circumstances, Brown for the loss of their friend. Ed drove them to the Handlery and he and Fran waited in the lobby as Tom and Evie booked in and dropped their bags in their room. Their room was in the premier section with views overlooking the city. At that moment though they weren't interested in sight seeing. They dropped their bags, gave the room a basic once over and then headed back down to the lobby, with Evie taking one of the complimentary bottles of water with her.

Brown then drove them to Police Headquarters and to the offices that Chief Ironside worked out of. After meeting him and exchanging the same 'hellos' that had passed between Tom, Evie and Ed at the airport, Evie wandered over to the board. She looked at each of the cases....at each of the victims and the letters and numbers they were associated with them.

"what's the victimology here? All men? All experienced cops... 10 years plus service? Did they all work on the same case by any chance? In the same squad? Anything to go one to try and get ahead of this?" Evie turned around, looking at Ed and the Chief.
 
Chief Ironside sighed before rolling his wheelchair closer to where Evie stood. He said this case was most troubling because there didn't seem to be any connection between the dead officers. Ironside said Lou had the most experience at 12 years. Officer Spinali had 5 years, Detective Urban had 8. Ironside said none of the men had every worked together on any case. Lou & Spinali worked out of the Central Station. The same station everyone was standing in. Urban worked out of the Mission Station. One of the desk phones started to ring. Mark moved over to his desk and answered it. Ironside continued to answer Evie's questions. He said none of the officer ever worked on the same squad and they were all men. Mark hung up the phone before moving over to the board. He announced the death of another officer. Early this morning while on traffic duty. Officer Jill Manners was rundown by a speeding car. Mark added her name to the on the board. Fran checked the copy they had of the letter sent to Officer Manners. She said Jill's number was 2. Each of the numbers listed on the board were 7,9,6 and now 2.

Tom had stayed back to just stare at the board. No matter how hard he tired, there was no pattern to be found. At least not yet. Tom knew there must be some reason for all this. Killers only play elaborate to get press and to confuse the police. " The killer assigned a number to each of his targets.......Therefore.......The numbers must have some meaning for the killer.......This all just can't be some random game for the press.......I'm guessing there's a message here somewhere. " Tom spoke as he walked towards the board. There wasn't enough of the puzzle pieces here to see the image. The killer was moving at his or her own pace. Unlike the Los Angeles Ripper. Tom doubted this killer would speed on the body count. It took a very dangerous person to kill a cop. Such a person was a greater threat to the general public. This person was targeting cops for a reason.
 
Evie folded her arms and looked back at the pictures as Ironside answered Evie's questions. Nothing seemingly connected the victims. Not time served. Not station house. Not the case. Just men...and then suddenly even that was no more as the next victim was announced. She listened to Tom's comment. It made sense. There had to be some meaning behind the numbers.

"Spinali. Urban. Cullen. Manners. 7. 9. 6. 2." She stared at the numbers. Evie was no mathematician. Numbers were not her thing; she was much more comfortable with language. She could see nothing that connected them.

" 7 is the fourth prime number. There's something about 9... Multiply 9 by something and if you then add the numbers in the answer together, they always total 9. 2 X 9 = 18. 1+ 8 = 9.... 5 X 9 = 45. 4 + 5 = 9. 121 X 9 = 1089. 1 + 0 + 8 + 9 = 18. 1 + 8 = 9.... 6 is the smallest number that is neither prime nor a square number. It's the smallest perfect number. 2... Smallest prime number ... Only even prime number. And that's about me done I'm afraid." She shook her head not seeing anything that would given them a lead.
 
Evie may not be a mathematician, but she had everyone's attention while speaking. It was possible she was on to something, or perhaps may stumble on an unseen connection. Sadly, it all just seemed like random numbers. Even Tom was beginning to doubt his thoughts of a connection there. Still, he felt in the back of his mind, the killer was using these numbers for a reason. They were just missing the one puzzle piece which would bring the whole picture into focus. Mark said witnesses at the scene of Jill's death got a good look at the car. The patrol units were on the look out for that car. He said the witnesses couldn't identify the driver, other then to say he was a man. So, they now knew that much. Unless the killer was a female and paid a male to drive the car. Anything was possible in this crazy world. For now, they would assume the killer was male.

Chief Ironside said they gathered a list of known cop haters. People who held some type of grudge against the police department. Ironside told Tom & Evie his team was about to check some of these people out. He asked if they wanted to join in? Hitting the streets was better then waiting around the office. Tom agreed. Ironside called down to the garage. He ordered an unmarked police unit for Tom & Evie to use. Ironside then gave Evie a list of suspect to check out. He warned her that some of these people had made threats in the past against police officers. Ironside pointed out that number one on Evie's list was Joe Ortega. He was one of those threat makers. Tom looked over Evie's shoulder, checking on the list. He nodded while Chief Ironside spoke and replied they had this. The two team left Ironside's office. They all went down to the garage. Ironside had his own private van outfitted like a police car. The two teams broke up. A mechanic was standing near a dark blue sedan. He was holding keys in his hand waiting for Tom & Evie. Tom took the keys, thanked the mechanic, then tossed them to Evie. They wouldn't have any trouble getting around San Francisco. All the police cars had computers in them. The computer in this car was already set for GPS. All they needed to do was punch in the address and the car would guide them right there. Ortega owned a pawn shop in the Mission District. Tom typed the address in and direction came up on the screen. Easy as pie. " Alright Evie......Let's go. " Tom said while buckling his seat belt.
 
As Evie pulled out of the garage, she looked over at Tom for a moment as he settled into his seat. As she looked at the Sat Nav and then back to the road she spoke.

"Would you be doing it this way? A list of cop haters? How come they have such a short list? And how do you even start to make that list. We'd finish up with so many names on it. Pretty much everyone in prison and anyone whose been released from prison. In LA we'd probably have to include an awful lot of people from ethnic communities who feel cops are racist thugs. You'd then have people who didn't get into the academy and people who got kicked out of the academy. Then you have everyone who may have a grudge for other reasons. Our list would be huge. How do we get down to so few?" She shrugged as she took the next turn.

"There has to be something about the victims - either collectively or individually. They're not random. They can't be. They have to have been chosen for a specific reason and no-one else would do. The killer followed Lou to LA. Once Lou was picked, it had to be him. Why? What did he do...or what was it about him that got him picked out by the killer in the first place?"
 
Tom wasn't ready to question the actions taken by Chief Ironside, or the San Francisco Police Department. He and Evie were here to help them with the case. They weren't taking it over. However, Tom did say he would do things differently. Depending on what information was available of course. The San Francisco Police had been working on this case long before Tom & Evie got involved. It was only natural to assume they started on the list of cop haters and other suspects before Lou's death. Going out, running down suspects was better then sitting around the station. Tom & Evie could always snoop around on their own later. Perhaps they would check in with friends and family members of the victims. Ask around with neighbors to see if anyone was lurker around. It was always possible the SFPD missed something while interviewing witnesses.

Evie had some valid points about the killer, but they wouldn't know what the motive was until the killer was caught. They wouldn't know why the victims were picked until the killer was taken down. As much as Tom hated the idea of it. It seemed they would have to wait until the killer made his next move. Until that one piece of the puzzle came in which made the picture clear. They were just groping in the darkness hoping to catch something. Beside, it was possible they could get lucky. While on route to the pawn shop, dispatch called Tom & Evie with a general description of the man who ran officer Jill Manners down. It wasn't much to go on. A male, late 20's, early 30's. Wearing a black stocking cap and a grey coveralls. The type a mechanic or other type pf workman would wear. The car was reported stolen. It was a late model 90's ford, light blue in color with damage to the front passenger side. California plate, IO9651S.

Tom & Evie pulled up just short of the pawn shop. There was little doubt they'd be spotted as cops by Mr. Ortega. Parking just down from the shop would give Ortega less time to react to police officers entering his place of business. After leaving the car, Evie got a text from Greg back in Los Angeles. He said the explosive that killed Lou was homemade plastic, set off by a very crude detonator. Greg guessed it was a rewired remote control for an RC car or model airplane. Tom & Evie stood just a few feet from the pawn shop. In both front windows were remote controlled cars and model planes. Tom looked at the pawn shop windows while saying the Mission station wasn't far from here. " Maybe this place isn't such a wild goose chase after all. " Tom spoke while holding his gaze at the window displays. He knew such devices could be bought anywhere. But, it would be easier to pick up such items cheaply at a pawn shop. It was worth looking into since they were here.
 
Evie nodded as Tom spoke. He had a point she supposed. Who knew what the SFPD had been doing up to this point. And it wasn't as if they had anything better to do at that moment. As they approached the shop, Evie saw a space to park a few doors down. They could see the doorway from where they were but anyone inside wouldn't be aware of them at that point. Evie switched off the motor and climbed out of the car. As she waited for Tom on the sidewalk, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. They two of them started towards the shop as Evie pushed a few buttons and brought up the text message. And read as she walked. Then she started reading paraphrasing the message for Tom, telling him what Greg had found. They came to a stop at the store front. Evie looked up at Tom and saw him staring into the shop window. She followed his gaze... Saw what he saw.her eyebrows raised a little in surprise.

"Oh." She looked at Tom. "It can't be this easy. Surely this has to be a coincidence." Tom shrugged with a 'let's see' kind of look as he moved to the door with Evie a few steps behind.
 
Tom & Evie entered the pawn shop. They approached the counter, but didn't see anyone around. A male voice came from the back saying he's be right out. Curtains covering the doorway into the back parted as a scruffy looking man appeared. He eyed Tom & Evie up before moving towards the counter. The man was Joe Ortega and he guessed these two were cops. Though, he'd never seen either of them before today. " I didn't order any bacon. " Ortega said while moving his eyes from Tom to Evie and back again. If looks could kill, Ortega would have just murdered both of them. Tom gave a slightly annoyed chuckle while saying that was funny. He laid his ID and badge on the counter. It was now Ortega's turn to laugh and he did. " I don't deal with the pigs around here......I certainly won't be talking with any out of town pigs. " Ortega said while drew a smile and a shake of Tom's head. He didn't realize the term "pigs" was back in use.

Tom looked at Evie while saying again that Ortega was a funny guy. There was a quick and sudden movement of Tom's right arm. He grabbed Ortega by the back of his head., then forced his head down towards Tom's badge. " You see the letters mcu?.......Those letters mean I can go anywhere and do whatever I damn well want to do......If that means I kick your ass.....Then your ass gets kicked. " While Tom was speaking, Ortega was struggling. He was half Tom's size. Not a large man, perhaps a bit taller and slightly heavier then Evie. Ortega protected Tom's actions. He called this police brutality. Tom then laughed at Ortega. " Haven't even started to become brutal.........Besides........I'm the good cop.......My partner here is the bad cop.......And she isn't someone you'd want to piss off........She tends to hurt people really badly. " Tom's words caused Ortega to try and look at the female cop again. She didn't seem like a threat, but looks can be deceiving. Tom told Ortega they could have a nice meeting, or they could drag him into the alley behind his shop. The choice was Ortega's to make. He decided to talk with Tom & Evie.

Tom let Ortega raise up from the counter. He spoke of him being a suspect in the cop killings. Ortega admitted to hating cops, but he also said he wasn't stupid enough to kill any. Ortega said he had two kids to care for. He couldn't do that behind bars. It made sense, if he was telling the truth. Tom was willing to believe him at this point. Ortega was no supporter of the police department, but he had a lot to lose by being involved with the killings of cops. Tom asked how model cars and planes Ortega sold over the passed month. Ortega said only one. He said a man in his late 20's came in last week. Ortega said the man seemed more interested in the remotes then the cars and planes. The man seemed to know what he needed, Ortega said. Tom asked for a description. The description which Ortega gave matched the one given by witnesses at the scene where Officer Manners was rundown. Tom asked if Ortega kept any records of his sales. He replied, only receipts. This wasn't surprising, buy at least Tom was sure they found where the remote control came from. Not that it was any major help. Tom warned Ortega to keep his nose clean, or they'd come back for him.

Tom & Evie left the shop. While heading back to the car, Tom had a thought. It was something that he should have wondered about before. It was also something which no one else seemed to pick up on, but Evie had spoken of it just before they went inside the pawn shop. " Lou went to LA.......He came to visit us down there........How could the killer have found out Lou left town? " Tom asked Evie before they reached the car. He knew it was possible the killer was stalking Lou and just followed him there. However, Tom also knew it was possible the killer found out through the police department. Tom pointed out both possibilities before saying the killer maybe inside the SFPD. It was doubtful, although possible the killer could be a cop, or an ex cop. It was more likely the killer was a civilian working inside the department. It would have to be someone who could move freely around from station to station and not be noticed, or seen as a threat. Someone everybody trusted. Tom leaned against the car while asking Evie for her thoughts.
 
When Tom looked at her after Ortega's initial comments, Evie looked back impassively. First at Tom and then at Ortega. Ortega wasn't saying anything they hadn't heard a thousand times before. By the time any cop was at the end of their first year on the streets they had heard it thousands of times. Verbal abuse was part of the job. Even Tom's sudden move to pull Ortega down onto the counter didn't generate any change in Evie's expression. Tom's techniques were something she was equally familiar with. The suggestion that she was the bad cop did nearly make her laugh but as it was, Evie simply folded her arms and kept her gaze firmly on Ortega. Expressionless. In the end she wasn't surprised that he decided to help them with their enquiries. In the end what he gave them was disappointing. Sure, it seemed to confirm the source of some of the components of the bomb that killed Lou but that was about it. No name unfortunately.

On the way back to the car, Tom picked up on the fact that Lou was killed in LA so must have been followed. Evie leaned on the car roof, looking across at Tom as she listened then thought about what he said. It made sense. A civilian inside the SFPD.

"Okay... Logic says there are three ways the killer got to LA. They drove. They flew. They went by train.

"Let's say they found out from someone with the department - maybe a memo, maybe talk, maybe Lou himself. If they drove, nothing we can check. If they flew... There might be a paper trail. Let's check the passenger manifest on Lou's plane...maybe a couple either side... And match that against the PD employees list. We might get lucky. We could check the trains too although the ticket might have been bought for cash so might not be the paper trail." She shrugged. "We can't be any worse off than we are now."
 
Evie was on the same track as Tom. After he brought up his thoughts on Lou and the killer. Evie took the ball and ran with it. She gave them several ways which the killer could have gotten to Los Angeles. There was little hope they could track a car. The airport did seem like their best chance out of the remaining two ways. There would be a paper trail and possible pictures taken by security. Tom called Chief Ironside, asking for a list of all civilians who worked at all the SFPD Stations. Meanwhile, he had Evie contact the airport in San Francisco for lists of passengers on Lou's flight, plus the one ahead and the one after he left. Once they had all the lists, they could see if any name popped up. Gathering the lists from the police department took some time. There was quite a few people who worked for the SFPD. Each station had to make up their own list. Tom & Evie were able to get the lists from the airport first. They spent the remainder of the afternoon, going from station to station, picking up the lists.

That evening, back at their hotel room. Tom & Evie poured over each list of flights going to Los Angeles. They then matched the names against the lists of civilian workers. It was a long night. A night which ended in disappointment. None of the names on any of the flights to Los Angeles matched any of the civilian workers. This didn't change Tom's feelings or mind. He still believed the killer was a civilian inside the SFPD. " The killer could have covered his tracks by using a fake name. " Tom spoke while walking slowly around the room. He knew that would have been the smart move. This killer wasn't stupid. He was playing a game with the police. " This killer knows how the police operate......He knew the lists would come up sooner or later........We need to get ahead of him somehow.......Figure out what his end game is...........Figure out where this is all heading. " Tom came to a stop at the bed. He sat down while rubbing his hand over his chin. Tom could feel the stubble starting to grow there. Somewhere in the city, the killer was plotting his next murder. Another innocent cop would end up in the crosshairs.
 
With lists in hand, they headed back to the hotel. They ordered room service - burgers and fries and a couple of beers - and worked through the lists. Each of then had half a dozen and the took each name from the passenger lists and looked through each of the staffing lists which thankfully had been presented to them in alphabetical order. There was nothing challenging about it; it was simply laborious. And ultimately pointless. There was no civilian police employee on any of the three flights.

Evie sat back in one of the chairs as Tom walked around the room.

"Way I see it there are only three ways to go here - and I think they're all linked. We either find the link between the victims... fBI serial killer investigations always start with the victimology. We tried that and got nowhere. We find a motive... Why are these particular cops being killed? I don't think we're anywhere on that. Or we work out what the numbers are. If it's a sequence...and if we know what it is, then maybe we can get ahead of him that way. Other than that I gave nothing."
 
Tom liked Evie's idea of the numbers. He always believed those numbers weren't random. There was a meaning to them. Possibly, a hidden message as to who the killer was. Maybe the numbers meant something else, but had a connection to the killer. Tom wasn't sure. He was sure those numbers couldn't be random. The trouble they faced, what those numbers could mean. Evie worked the numbers up before while in Chief Ironside's office. They added up to nothing. Tom asked Evie if perhaps this was a code? That was possible, but they didn't have a key. There was nowhere to start from. Every code has a key which is used to decipher it. Without the key, any code is just a jumble of letters. This one happened to be numbers. Tom thought about giving Sam & Callen a call down in LA. Being a Navy Seal, Sam was schooled in such matters. Tom noticed how late it was getting. He decided against calling them right now.

Tom & Evie turned in for the night. They enjoyed being together, in each others arms. Tom asked Evie if she thought about their next vacation. Where they may go and what they may do? Tom knew of their terrible luck with vacations. It always seemed trouble followed them, or they found trouble easily. Still, he was sure this time would be different. This would be the year they had a peaceful and restful vacation without gun play. Besides, their luck had to change. Tom had two ideas he shared with Evie. The first was a trip to England. The second was a Pacific cruise. Tom looked into both and thought either one would be great. If they went to England, they could travel around, see London and the beautiful country side. If they went on the cruise, they would enjoy dancing every night. Relaxing in the sun. Stopping in different ports where they could dine and shop. Each one held it's own special charms. Each one held hidden dangers as well.

Later that night, Tom & Evie drifted off to sleep. They slept, holding each other until the alarm rang in the morning. Tom groaned while reaching to turn off the alarm. He smiled after seeing Evie was still where she had fallen asleep. Her head on his chest. Tom said they needed to get up, get showered and dressed, then head for the station. They needed to see if anything new happened. It was almost time for another letter to arrive. The letters were sometimes in the officer's mailbox at the stations they worked at. Other times, the letter was slipped under their front door, or dropped into their home mailbox. The killer was being careful about delivering his notes of impending doom. No DNA was ever found. Nothing was left which could be easily traced back to who the killer was. That would be to easy and this killer didn't want the game to be easy. However, even the best thought out plans can hit a snag and even the smartest killer can make a mistake.
 
Evie scribbled the numbers on a piece of paper on the desk.

"7 9 6 2... You could play around with these numbers and get nowhere. Spinali was 7. 7 letters in Spinali. Seventh letter is I. Any link between name and number falls apart with Urban though. That's not 9 letters, 7th letter of the alphabet is...G...9th is I. 6th is F. 2nd us B. That doesn't seem to get us anywhere. 7+9+6+2 is 24 but if the total us the important number, we'll only know that at the end when we gave the total. Could be some kind of cypher ... Chapter 7 paragraph 9 line 6 2nd word ... But if what book? The Bible? One of the great American novels? Hamlet? If he's trying to say something to us like that, it's gonna be a long time before we get the message. We don't know enough to see it." Evie looked at Tom and shrugged.

For now they put it aside and moved into bed. Evie lay next to Tom and listened as he talked about the next vacation. She smiled and shook her head a little. "We live on a boat! Maybe we should think about something other than going on a bigger boat for a vacation. Besides....too many people crammed into not a lot of space." She pushed herself up, and turned a little resting her for arms on Tons chest.

"Have you ever skied before." Tom looked at her. "I've never been anywhere near a set of skis. Always thought it would be fun. Maybe we could go up to Whistler. If you want to top up your tan though...how about Cancun?"

They didn't decide anything there and then but each fell asleep thinking of possible places to go. The following morning they got up and got ready then caught breakfast in the hotel before getting into the car and driving back to Ironside's HQ. Their thoughts and their conversation was now very firmly back on the case at hand.
 
Tom & Evie left their hotel, heading for the SFPD Central Station. While sitting in morning traffic, they continued to talk about their vacation. Evie's idea of going to the mountains wasn't bad. Tom wasn't much for skies, but the idea of cuddling up with Evie in front of a roaring fire held some charms. They could rent a cabin, share a bottle of wine. Maybe have sex in a snowbank. Who knows? With their luck, they would get attacked by a Yeti. Cancun was another good idea. It was also one of the stops on the cruise which Tom had looked into. Tom joked they could always go back to Hawaii. He said they could run into those two girls from the bar again. Tom couldn't remember their names, but they were in the hotel bar where Tom & Evie had stayed while in Hawaii last year. The traffic was moving slowly because of a fender bender up ahead. Tom was driving and as he slowly came up to an alley, he looked down it. Parked several feet down the alley was a car which looked like the car used by the killer yesterday. Tom wheeled the car into the alley. As they grew closer, the license plate came into view. It was a California plate, IO9651S. The plate matched as did the car. It was a late 90's model ford.

Tom left the unmarked police car to check if the car they found had a damaged front end. Evie called SFPD dispatch on the police radio to inform them the car which ran down Officers Manners was found. Tom walked to the front of the stolen car. Sure enough, there was damage on the passenger front side. Tom noticed Evie climbing from the car to join him. He told her there was damage. It was the murder weapon. Tom started looking around the alley. Not far away, laying near a dumpster was an old man. One of the many homeless people all big cities have. Tom knew from interacting with homeless people in Los Angeles. Most have set places they go at certain times. Tom walked over and knelt down in front of the sleeping man. He pulled his badge and ID before waking the older man. Tom show this man his badge and asked if he'd been here long. The old man looked at the badge for a long moment before saying since yesterday afternoon. Tom looked up at Evie. It was possible he'd seen the driver of the stolen car. Tom asked if the old man saw who parked that light blue ford over there. The old man nodded while saying it was the food man. Tom asked who the food man was? The old man chuckled while saying the man who has food.

Tom continued questioning the homeless man. He found out this food man had a grey van parked in the alley. Tom asked if this van had food in it? The old man said yes. He said the van carried potato chips, candy bars and snack cakes. The old man reached into his shabby coat and pulled out a package of twinkies. One of which was missing and had been eaten by the old man. He said the food man gave it too him yesterday. The old man then remembered something. He reached into his coat once again and pulled out an envelope. It wasn't sealed or marked in anyway. The old man said the food man dropped it while getting into his van. He was planning on returning it to the food man when he saw him again. Tom asked if he could see the envelope? The homeless man thought for a moment, then decided since Tom was a police officer it would be okay. Tom tool the envelope and stood up. He reached in and pulled out an unfinished note. It was the same type of note delivered by the killer. The letters were all cut from magazines & newspapers before being pasted on. There was no name, but there was a letter U. This was followed by your time is coming, your number is 42. They had a 6, 2, 9, 7 and now 42. It was the only double number to appear. Tom reached for his wallet. He pulled out a $20 dollar bill and handed it to the homeless man. Tom thanked him for his help and said they would deliver the envelope back to the food man.
 
Tom and Evie headed back to the car with Evie thinking through the numbers again. 6 X 7 is 42... The first and last number used to make the new number. But what of 2 and 9. Should they be worried about 18 maybe next? 6 + 7 + 2 + 9 was 24... Reverse the numerals and you get 42. 6-2-9-7-42... 6-2-9-7-42... Spinali. Urban. Cullen. Manners. Now they had another U. Someone else with a name beginning with U.

Tom pulled into the parking garage and they headed up the stairs to the office. Tom filled Ironside and his team in on what they had come across while Evie asked Ed if she could borrow his computer for a while. She had an idea but wanted to check something out first. She tapped away on the keys as Tom explained, stopping every so often and reading a screen, noting something down and then clicking onto the next screen. After a couple of minutes she started to smile. Ironside's team were discussing possible meanings of 42.

"It's not 42. It's 6-2-9-7-42... The the start of a social security number... Specifically the number for a former cop. Sergeant Mark Razzio. Shot and killed on duty 10 years ago. But not by a con. He was the victim of an accident. Friendly fire. He was shot and died at the scene. Now ask me where the scene."

Ed obliged. Evie smiled at him and went over to the board. She picked up a pen and wrote out a series of dashes, as if she were playing hangman. C _ _ U M _ U S

"Cullen. Urban. Manners. Spinali. And now the second U..." She paused a minute and turned back to the board filling in the missing letter. C O L U M B U S.

"Officer Razzio was shot and died on Columbus Street." She waited for a moment giving the others chance to process what she was saying. "Razzio has a son. For most of the time since his father's death, he has been in a institution. He didn't do too well after his dad was shot. He was pretty sure that it wasn't an accident and that his father was murdered ... By a cop. He apparently has a thing about cops... He doesn't like them very much. He was released a year ago." She looked around the other who were stood staring back at her. "Oh.. And the 10th anniversary of his father's death is next week."
 
There was a hush over the room as Evie took the floor. Tom stood beside Chief Ironside, Ed, Fran and Mark all stood in different positions surrounding the board where Evie was standing. All eyes were on her as she broke the case wide open. Evie explained that the numbers were apart of a social security number. The only number which came close to those numbers used by the killer was Officer Mark Razzio. She even picked up on the letters used by the killer. Mark Razzio was shot on Columbus Street. This all pointed to someone out for revenge. That someone was Mark's only son, Derek. Both Chief Ironside and Ed remembered Razzio and how he died. It was a sad case of mistaken identity. One officer shooting another in a darkened warehouse. When Evie finished, Chief Ironside thanked her. " An amazing piece of detective work Evie.......You are a credit to the MCU and the LAPD. " Ironside spoke, then gave a sigh. He wished they had this information 30 minutes ago. Chief Ironside said Derek was standing in this office at that time. The young man had been delivering the chief's morning coffee cake. Ironside shook his head while saying Derek was good, but troubled boy. He admitted to helping Derek get his job of delivering cakes, chips and other snacks. Ironside said he wanted to help Derek after his release from the hospital. He got the young man a job delivering snacks and such things to vending machines all over the city. Fran pointed out that Derek delivered to all the SFPD stations. It all added up. The numbers, the letters and even the name spoken by the old homeless man.

" Since Derek could enter each station without concern.......He was in a position to find out what the plans were to protect officers targeted by the killer.......He knew Lou was being sent to Los Angeles and all he had to do was follow Lou there. " Tom said before asking if anyone knew where Derek would be now? Mark said Derek didn't have a set schedule. His route was different everyday. Derek traveled around the city making stops at the hospitals, the fire stations, the police stations, city hall and a dozen or more other businesses. Chief Ironside was visibly upset and hurt by Derek's actions. He had hoped the young man beat his demons, but it seemed those demons never went away. Ed said it was possible Derek could have gone home. Back to the apartment he had in the mission district. " Let's go see. " Chief Ironside said while starting to wheel himself towards the office door. He told Tom & Evie to follow them there. Ironside and his team would take their van.

About 45 minutes later, both teams arrived at Derek's apartment building. Chief Ironside sent Tom, Evie, Ed and Fran up the stairs ahead of him and Mark. Ironside & Mark used the elevator to reach the second floor. Everyone gathered outside of Derek's apartment. Ed was going to breakdown the door, but he was stopped by Evie. She laughing said this was Tom's thing. Evie joked he loved kicking in doors. Tom flashed Evie a sly smile as he moved into position. Pulling his Desert Eagle, Tom lifted his right foot, then put a well placed kick inches from the door handle. The door almost came off the hinges as it flew open. " POLICE! " Tom yelled out as he went through first. The others quickly followed, moving around the small apartment checking for Derek. He wasn't home, but his work over the past two weeks was on full display. Derek had a board, like the one in Ironside's office. It had pictures of all the dead officer. Under each picture was a letter and number. Only the unused letters were without an officer's picture. It was clear Derek hadn't picked his second "U" officer yet. However, the word "Columbus" and Mark Razzio's social security number were there.

Derek was driving towards his apartment building and ready to pull over and park. He then noticed Chief Ironside's van parked out front. Derek became agitated. He knew the only reason why Chief Ironside would be here was because he found out Derek was behind the murders. Derek expected this, but not this soon. He suspected those two LA cops had figured out his scheme for revenge. Derek heard officers talking about Tom & Evie arriving from Los Angeles yesterday. He'd over heard they were friends of Lou Cullan. Derek became angry. He slammed his fist against the steering wheel before speeding off down the street. Derek knew it wouldn't be long before Chief Ironside put out an APB or all points bulletin to all city police officers. They'd be looking out for Derek soon. But, Derek could make one big splash before going down. If the game was going to end, then it would end on Derek's terms, not the corrupt San Francisco Police.

Derek drove straight to the Mission district station. He was aware his time could be very short, but Derek had a back plan ready just in case. That just in case happened and Derek was ready. He went into the station, people greeting him right and left. Just like another other time. Derek went to the vending machines. He opened the soda machine and planted a surprise inside. Several pounds of his homemade plastic explosive. It could be set off by remote, or when someone selected the right soda. There was enough plastic inside the machine to destroy the entire first floor of the west side of the station. Many officers and civilians would be hurt, others would be killed outright by the blast. While Derek was working, Ironside had Ed call dispatch to put an APB on Derek. He also had Mark & Fran call each of the stations to warn them.
 
Evie felt pretty good and she was pleased that everything seemed to hang together well enough for everyone else to see it too. Obviously her timing sucked though. Thirty minutes and they would have had the guy in the station. The fact that Derek had no set route was going to make finding him a little more complicated but maybe starting with apartment might see them get luck. If not, at least they could put someone in there to wait.

The apartment had been empty but there was plenty of evidence to show that Derek was definitely the guy they were after. At the moment, the one piece of luck they seemed to have was that the next victim wasn't know. As they looked at Derek's board, Evie was thinking about who was next.

" O. L, B and U... but we're pretty sure U is next. That narrows it down some at least. And U isn't exactly common as the start of a surname. Call in every cop whose name begins with U?" She shrugged at her own last comment which was more of a question. "Maybe he would just move on. But if he is committed to the COLUMBUS plan then again, we have things a little narrower than they were before." Evie stared a little longer. She shook her head a little. "If you were pissed off at all cops, why would taken them out one at a time? It seems a damn slow way of doing things doesn't it. Why not just wait and... I don't know... take out the St. Patrick's Day parade or even take out one of the funerals of your previous victims? has to be more efficient."
 
Evie defiantly had a point. It would be easier to just take out a group of police officers at once. There were plenty of chances which Derek could have done so. However, in his mind, that would have been too easy. Derek was picking out those he felt were dirty cops. People who did something he disliked. It didn't matter if those he picked were dirty or not. Derek believed they were corrupt and that was good enough for him. Plus, a mass killing would have taken away from his enjoyment. He loved playing this game against the police. He wanted too see what they would do. How far they would go to protect those he felt were crooked. This only fueled his belief that most of cops were on the take. Working for underworld crimes bosses or running their own dirty scams. Evie's idea of a mass killing wasn't beyond Derek's thoughts. He kept that in the back of his mind. Just in case something that drastic was needed. Having Tom & Evie in San Francisco and on his trail, pushed Derek to his plan "B".


Derek had rigged one of the soda machines to blow at the Mission district station. He had enough homemade explosive to do some real damage. The body count would be high. Fran had called the station, not far from Derek's apartment. She told them to watch out for Derek and grab him if he came in. Fran was told that Derek was there now. The officer said he ran into the young man just 10 minutes ago. Fran hung up her phone while announcing that Derek was last seen at the Mission station. She said, as far as anyone could tell, he was still there. Chief Ironside told everyone to head for the station. The place would be under lock down. They could catch Derek before anyone else got hurt. Ironside and his team took their van. Evie & Tom used their car. Both teams headed for the station, lights and sirens all the way. After arriving, the teams found out no one had left or came in. But, Derek hadn't been located yet. Ironside was wheeled inside. His team surround the man. Tom & Evie were just behind. Chief Ironside asked what Derek had done while at the station? The officer said, the young man had worked on the vending machines down the hall. Ironside became suspicion of this news. Tom reminded everyone Derek had used explosive to kill Lou. Ironside then asked for a bomb squad.

Tom slowly looked around while standing with Evie. " Derek's been here many times.......He knows how the department will react and what they will do. " Tom said to Evie while scanning the area with his eyes. " He would know where to go if the building was being searched.........So?.........Where would you go to avoid a search?...........Where is the last place anyone would look? " Tom asked Evie while the others were busy with their search and finding out if the machines were tampered with. Tom felt Derek was still here, somewhere. They just needed to find him.
 
With the blues and twos going crazy it didn't take them long to get through the traffic to the Mission District station. They pulled up haphazardly outside the station and Tom and Evie went straight inside with Fran and Ed behind them mark and Chief Ironside were a couple of minutes behind. Ironside was quickly brought up to speed. As the bomb squad were called Evie suggested that maybe they had better start a controlled evacuation.

"Can we run the risk of any explosive going off whilst we have the place locked down. Better to get everyone out safe and lose Razzio Jr. right now than risk losing a few dozen officers in any explosion."

"Is he going to risk blowing himself up?" Ed asked.

"That's the million dollar question! Maybe seeing the aftermath gives him a thrill."

Tom then interrupted suggestion Derek would know the likely police response and asking Evie where she'd hide. Evie thought for a moment.

"Two options. Up or down. Depending on the answer to the million dollar question. If he wants to see it...i'd head down...look to get out through the police garage and then be on the street somewhere close by but not too close to see the place go boom. If I'm going out with a bang...literally...id go up. Get out onto the roof and then blow the place up underneath me." She hesitated for another moment.
"I think he wants to see his victims getting what they deserved. Why else go all the way to Los Angeles after Lou. And I don't think he's finished. I think he's looking to get out.... So the basement garage is where I'd start looking."
 
Chief Ironside listened as Evie spoke of her concerns. She was right with the thought that they should get people out. Chief Ironside admired Evie's detective skills and her thoughtfulness. She had proven herself to be smart, well trained and very capable of doing the job required of her. Ironside could use such a smart young lady on his team. He would offer Evie a position with his group and the SFPD, but Chief Ironside felt she'd never give up Los Angeles or the LAPD. He was aware of how close she was with Tom. Plus, Evie had family back in LA. That was a lot to give up, just for a move to San Francisco. After hearing Evie speak her mind, Chief Ironside set things in motion. He told Ed & Fran to start moving everyone outside. Well away from the station. He wanted them to call the fire department as well. In case things went badly. Ironside wanted the SFFD standing by.

Mark remained with Ironside as Tom spoke of his thoughts. Ironside nodded his head. Tom made sense. Chief Ironside again turned his attention to Evie. She was answering Tom's question too her. After hearing what Evie had to say, Ironside asked them to check out the garage and outside area. Chief Ironside believed Derek wouldn't know Tom & Evie on sight. He may spot them as cops, but he wouldn't know just who they were. Ironside hoped this would allow Tom & Evie to get close enough and grab Derek. Tom & Evie headed for the stairs. They went straight down into the garage area. Everything looked business as normal down here. Word of a possible bomb hadn't been received yet. That would happen in a few minutes. Tom looked around, picking up who was working and who was standing around or moving towards an exit. Several feet away from where Tom & Evie stood. A door to the mechanics locker room opened. A man stepped out, keeping his back towards Tom & Evie. This man was wearing coveralls and a baseball type cap, just like the other mechanics did. However, this man's clothing was clean and his cap was pulled down and pushed forwards just slightly to cover his eyes from view. Among the mechanics, this man stood out like a sore thumb. " Right there.......I'll bet my pension that's Derek making his escape. " Tom said while pointing at the man moving away from them. He was heading straight for the large opened bay doors. Word of the evacuation reached the garage. The mechanics started leaving quickly. Tom & Evie headed for the large doors. " I'll move to the right.......You stay on his tail. " Tom said to Evie before breaking off. As they exited from the garage, Tom was on the far right side. Evie was still behind the clean mechanic.

It wasn't until this man cleared the garage that he slowed down. He started looking around. Checking out those who were gathering in different places around the station. He suddenly turned and saw Evie behind him. The man's face became frightened and his body actions showed his nervousness. He looked towards where Derek's van was parked. There was no reaching that now. Derek took off running. His only hope was to out run the female cop close behind him. Derek wasn't in the same shape Evie was. There was no real hope in out running her. Derek changed his plan once again. He ran towards a group of female civilians who worked at the station. Derek grabbed one around the neck, using his left arm to hold her as a shield. Derek then pulled a snub nosed .38 from one of the large pockets of his coveralls. " Don't move a step closer!........I'll blow her brains out! " Derek screamed out at Evie.
 
Evie had gone East to college... had had 3 years at Rutgers in New Jersey and then had returned home to LA. Even when she was away there had never been any doubt in her mind that she would go home. And nothing had ever really happened that made her think that she would ever settle anywhere else. She couldn't imagine leaving her home and her family. And she couldn't imagine leaving Tom. Once Ironside agreed, the decision to send Tom and her down to the garage was the only sensible one to make. maybe they might just get a few seconds more to see Derek before Derek saw them and recognised them as cops.

They moved down to the garage together, weapons still holstered, Evie a step or two behind Tom. They stepped through and took in the room, taking note of what was going on... what was normal... looking for anything out of place... Evie looked across to the man Tom pointed out to her. He was certainly out of place although trying desperately not to look like it. She gave Tom a nod as he older her where he was heading. The two of them were going to come from different angles. If Derek picked up one of them, he may not see the other coming in to him from a different way. Evie guessed that she was the one who was likely to be spotted first. Tom suspected it too. In fact he was counting on it. She was in the more obvious position. Derek turned. Evie froze as the two of them looked directly at each other. There was a moments hesitation with both of them asking themselves a question. Was she after him? Did he realise she was after him? The questions were quickly answered and the two started running. As she did so, Evie pulled her weapon. Called out for Derek to stop. Evie spotted the group of women and saw Derek change direction and in a second she knew what was about to happen.

Heart pounding, weapon aimed directly at him, she stared back as Derek screamed at her over the top of the whimpering woman. Evie stared. She didn't want to look for Tom. By looking for Tom she would let Derek know that there was he was with her. He might guess. He might assume. But if she looked, he would know. So she stared at Derek.

"Derek. Let the woman go. You're not getting out of here either way so... just... " Evie life her weapon... held her hands up as if surrendering. Evie knew Tom would be there somewhere and Tom would have Derek in his sights.
 
Tom kept moving right while exiting the garage. He could see Derek and Evie coming behind him. Tom continued watching while staying off, out of sight. Believing Derek would have a wondering eye after he left the station. Looking out for any type of trouble. Tom was sure the young man would spot Evie long before he was spotted. Her position behind Derek made that almost certain to happen. Tom was about 20 feet away when Derek started looking around and spotted Evie. Had Derek turned his head just a bit more. He would have seen Tom moving long the side. Derek's attention was fully on Evie. This move was something Tom & Evie did often. Setting up their target for a take down. Tom quickened his pace as Derek took off running with Evie giving chase. The chase came to a sudden stop when Derek reached a group of woman. Tom slowed down as Derek took his hostage. Holding the woman as he did, kept Derek from spotting Tom easily. He would have to move his while body and expose his right side to Evie's view. Derek was busy keeping his eyes on what was before him.

Tom assessed situation quickly. He pulled his Desert Eagle from the should holster. Tom could see Derek hold the woman and pointing the pistol at her head. This caused Tom to rethink his plan. He now thought coming up from behind Derek would be a better move. That was until Evie made her move. Derek's eyes narrowed slightly as Evie raised her hands. This move took him by surprise. It was something he wasn't expecting. Derek started to laugh. He didn't mind adding some nosy Los Angeles cop to his list. Derek moved the .38 away from the woman's head and pointed it at Evie. " I thought you'd be smarter detective. " Derek spoke in calm, cool voice. He wore a wicked smile on his face while looking at Evie. Seeing Evie's move, Tom once again changed his plan of attack. He went back to his original idea. Tom positioned himself for a shot. One which only a skilled shooter could make. Derek was holding the woman in such away that Tom couldn't shot most of his body. However, Derek made one part of his body very visible for Tom. Raising his weapon, Tom took careful aim. Tom stood with his right side facing Derek's position. His right arm was fully extended, the Desert Eagle ready to fire. Tom squeezed the trigger until a loud crack was heard. Evie knew this sound very well. 9mm's, glocks, .38's, .45's all have a much different sounds then the .50 Desert Eagle. Tom's weapon of choice was much louder when fired and had a more powerful impact.

The bullet flew with great speed from Tom's pistol. Derek had no time to react when he heard the gunshot. There was a sudden rush of pain spreading through Derek's extended right arm. Derek realized he lost his grip on his pistol. It slipped from his hand as if an invisible force knocked it free. In truth, Derek lost his grip because Tom's bullet ripped through his wrist. The impact broke Derek's wrist and the bones in his forearm. Derek soon found himself dropping to his knees. This freed his grip on the woman. She broke free and ran for cover behind Evie. Derek was now down on both knees, holding his shattered wrist in his left hand. Tears rolling down his cheeks as he cursed Tom & Evie for spoiling his plan of revenge. He spoke of not being able to get justice for his father now. Tom moved over, joining Evie as other officers moved into take Derek into custody. " You weren't finding justice for your father by murdering innocent cops Derek........You were tarnishing his memory. " Tom said while holstering his weapon. Derek glared daggers at Tom while being led away. The look in the young man's eyes spoke of the hatred he now had for Tom & Evie in his heart. There was also a vengeful desire which could be seen. One which was now focused on the two detectives who stopped him.
 
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