Ahead

Edmund Steiner is well known for his efficiency to solve headaches of Chryso city. For 27 years Steiner built his reputation of a relentless, yet stoic detective who always knew how to sort out even the hardest cases, like the human trafficking behind the charitable healthcare provided by Golden Foundation, which name was faultless due their ties with the government; that almost cost his career but in the end, Edmund reached the headlines and the mouth of everyone.

Chryso wasn’t ready to let him go, not without a last dance. Steiner got a call from an old friend of work, Arthur, who required a meeting in Opes, elite of restaurants in downtown. Edmund went well dressed, prepared and with just a handshake, he heard “Maybe you can handle this”.

Edmund listened carefully about a man called Lucas Blair who disappeared one week ago, last seen in the train station after leaving work and his briefcase was not found, just his cellphone and wallet when the police examined the scene. Arthur begged him to accept and with that, Steiner knew there is something wrong.

Steiner’s implacable spirit made him examine the entrance of the train station and use his influence to gain access to the records before the event. Silence to every question and reproach of the security staff is inappropriate but Edmund remember well grim experiences for speaking to wrong people.

Next, the Federal Police Headquarters, where the chief, Dave Nilsson, received him saying “the old dog, sniffing again”; Edmund greeted his old partner and went to the office to talk.

The chief said that Lucas Blair is nowhere to be found and they are thinking to drop the case. Steiner expressed his surprise but the chief explained their lack of resources, however, the detective reminded him worst crisis to leave a case just like that.

He left the place only with the same information but was just the beginning. After that day, He went to the apartment of Lucas and checked every corner and every paper even from the trash can, finding a pamphlet about living abroad.

A clue to start. Next step, Lucas’ computer, naturally codified but giving him more ideas. Steiner gathered information from the neighbors and after spending an entire morning, briefly ate to continue. He went to Prometheus Lab Industries, the top of computer industry, not without noticing a strange car behind him all the way.

Edmund spoke with the receptionist, and after 10 minutes the human resources manager, Cole Newman, came to answer his questions. Cole expressed that Blair’s behavior was normal until the two days previous his disappearance. “Lucas displayed a laid-back conduct but for his eyes I inferred that something was happening, sadly I didn’t ask about that” but Edmund said that is okay. After getting Lucas’ documents, he left, not without a warning “Be careful”.

The hard days of Golden Foundation case are back and there’s no going back. Steiner sent his family to a motel in the city’s outskirts after long problems with his wife, who knew that Edmund is going to put them in danger but he wasn’t ready to give up, not without know what is going on. Alone in house, he examined the documents, building an entire scenario of what happened to Lucas for over an hour.

Hours of careful examination ended. Steiner believed that he had everything to at least convince the headquarters to investigate but more sooner than later his instincts triggered, two cars appeared in front and four men started to shoot, creating a shooting between him and the mysterious guys until it stops.

“Let’s check” said one of the shooters. Edmund didn’t take the gloves out but crawled silently as fast as he could with only five bullets left until his library to use it as a cover. He stayed behind, watching how those henchmen walked over the shattered glass, debris and broken wood.

Experience against number didn’t wait when one of them gave the back, Edmund killed him, following another thanks to the books and fine vessels till just one was in the floor, bleeding.

With book and glass remains removed, Edmund took the guns of the dead ones, every cap he could see cursing the neighborhood knowledge about him, picked his attacker up over his shoulders and took him till being in front of the steering wheel, with Steiner as co-driver, just to say “Drive, now”.

Was just a matter of time to the police to arrive to the scene and examine everything, gathering information from the neighbors but when one of them tried to notify the chief, the secretary stated that he left the headquarters.

Steiner and the dying guy were considerable far, separated with just 35 minutes of distance and increasing. The man claimed that Edmund’s actions are going to kill him but the detective remarked that is not his first time playing with fire. The man begged for help, leading Steiner to promise first aid when they arrive.

“They will get you” wasn’t enough to scare the detective, who reloaded his gun and prepared the others for an eventual gunfight and assisted for a moment the man, just to keep him driving.

After 25 minutes, they reached the highway 65 of the city, near to the industrial port warehouses and stopped there. The guy said that the fifth warehouse is where the boss is and claimed for more aid, just to have a “do it yourself”. Steiner, under a tense afternoon, slowly approached to the warehouse, pretending to surprise them but he got surprised, Arthur tied to a chair.

 “To the point, leave the fucking case, hand us everything about that, leave the city and he will live or even better, your family”, was enough to scare him but make him to think quick. With the deal accepted, one of the henchmen escorted him to the car, where the man, after losing much blood, passed away.

The police sirens were approaching, giving him time to move forward and use the dead man as a shield when the henchman started to shoot. Just two bullets were enough. The first patrol appeared and the agents tried to stop him from save his friend but by the moment that they neutralized the hostiles, Arthur was dead.

Steiner feared the worst and tried to reach the car but the police held him until the chief ordered them to release him after taking those pistols he took. Nothing was said, the old authorities got into the car with three agents as backup.

They are reaching the outskirts, Steiner tried to keep his mind cool but the Nilsson stated his mistake to accept the case, saying that he is not the invincible detective of the past anymore and that he had to retire when he could but the detective just ordered with a loud voice to accelerate. The time has come, Diamond motel is the place.

Nothing could stop him from taking the gun of the driver, running upstairs to the room 208 and open the door; his family was alive but it wasn’t over. Steiner demanded their freedom, but the men stayed on silence until Dave appeared holding the documents.

“You killed him, for that reason you tried to drop the case”, Nilsson wasn’t impressed, after all, for the best detective was just a matter of time to get it. Only said that instead of worrying about what happened, ordered the police to take his cellphone and reminded his need to focus on what’s going to happen.

“Arthur is dead for your fault and look, your wife and sons are going too, so, what’re you going to do?” Edmund asked what he wants but the chief said that there’s nothing and leaving the city isn’t an option anymore and that the only thing he could do to save his family is face the charges for the dead, including Arthur.

Steiner showed disappointment, remembering those years serving together but Dave expressed that the times changed and that his mood is going to change if he doesn’t accept.

Edmund begged to let them go anywhere, swearing that nothing will be said but the chief claimed “and who is going to pay? You pushed too far and this is what you get”. 27 years of protecting and serving the justice to this, the hardest decision of his life.

Edmund Steiner turn from detective into an infamous prisoner, condemned to the rest of his life. His family is gone just like everything he had done but he knew something, the city is not going to forget him so easily, he is back to the headlines and mouths of everyone, especially for the disposable calls he did during his way to the warehouse to some old friends. Was just the beginning and alive or dead, Chryso will tremble.

Written by Alfredo Alcantar EIP 2019 UAPA