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♙Kai Hamilton♙
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For the next two weeks, nothing new came up. No new body, not a hint towards Sarah’s whereabouts, just nothing. It was setting the station on edge a bit. Jonas was tethering on the edge to just close the case and call in the Feds. No results with how long it had been probably paid a big factor into this. By this point, the public had been informed of who the killer was and was instructed to reach out to the police with information. But it was like Sarah had become a ghost. No one matched her description or even close to it. It was assumed that she was in disguise early on, but even then Kai was sure that if the higher-ups really wanted her gone, she would’ve been, disguised or not.
So that meant that not only was she evading police, but she was also avoiding anyone who was after her in the upper district which Kai knew was a lot. In some ways, he kind of has a bit of respect for her being also someone from the lower district. It was very rare that someone who had virtually nothing could make those in power sweat.
For his part, he was keeping a close eye on Frank. Both on duty and off, trying to track who he met or dealt with. Frank was just as much of an asshole as he was at the station as he was outside it. In the office, he was more or less a by-the-book bully. Being on the force for a while, he has that seniority arrogance that he likes to throw around at every given moment. Also, he was disgustingly misogynistic which was something that kind of made sense given the bitter divorce he had two years ago.
To say it was ugly was an understatement.
No one mentions it around the station obviously but it is clear to anyone that since then he’s become particularly nasty towards women in general. For instance, he was with a group of other (male) officers and was making rather crude statements about women and his female team member was right there. She held herself like nothing was wrong like a professional but if it was Kai, he would have punched him in the face so kudos to her.
However, as time drags onward, Kai was getting to a point of realizing that while yes, Frank is a raging asshole, he wasn’t the one who was hounding Ameer. It wasn’t a great realization as it was another step back in getting anywhere forward in this case.
They’ve been combing over all and any information gathered regarding the case for the past few weeks, from the cryptic notes that had been left for Kai at each scene down to the most recent bit of information.
Kai knows without a doubt in his mind that those powers to know much more about this case and the reason why any of this was even happening. The issue was proving it, as it tends to be with any cases as big as this.
The bigger the case, the more resistance that the police face even for those supposed victims. They still believe themselves untouchable, like gods merely peering down at mortals as they scrambled about their lives. While Honda and Price may have had some standing, they were very much small fish in a big pond.
Those in power could care less how many of the little fish died as long as it didn’t disturb their way of life. They would sooner poison the waters than give a shit about anyone else than themselves.
It’s frustrating and makes him constantly wonder why the hell he is doing this. Why was he still sticking his neck out and trying to save these people? They didn’t care for him and thought of him like an amusing toy if anything.
Every single one of them.
“Hey.. You’re still here?”
Kai’s head snaps up from his musing, Rafeeqa is at his side looking down at him with concern written on her face.
“You look awful.” She says rather bluntly as she takes a seat next to him.
“Gee, thanks..” He responds with a humorless laugh.
Her observation wasn’t far off, he had been very focused on the case as he was sure everyone else was. The major difference was he was fairly certain everyone else was more or less betting that and probably hoping it goes to the feds, less stress overall. It doesn’t benefit the department at all, especially when the “powers to be” are telling them to step down.
Don’t bite that hand that feeds you and all that.
That very system is one of the many reasons Briagas is like the way it is. The corruption is not be on the outside but it’s just dressed up in a fancy suit and saying big words.
All hypocritical and just exhausting.
“…I’ve just been thinking what the point of all this?” Kai says as his gaze just wanders.
Rafeeqa seems to understand immediately and her expression takes on a bit of dry humorous look.
“..You’re gonna have to be a bit more specific than that. Are we talking about life in general or..?” She trails off jokingly.
“Come on Rafee, you know what I mean..”
She looks even more amused at the nickname Kai uses. It was one that Jaivon came up with and would call her on the occasion. It kind of spread from there. However, this is the first time Kai had ever done so.
“..Hmm no I get where you are coming from.” She muses with him.
Her eyes take on a distance far away gaze.
“..This city takes more than you can give some time.The people in it are all infected with some kind of sickness hell even us. I mean what else would explain why anyone here keeps trying?”
Kai couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that came out. However, she was correct in that statement. This is at the heart of what Kai was stressing about anyway. In the beginning, his drive was a deep burning revenge, to find out what really happened to his friend but now? The flimsy mission for good that the Father gave to him never felt right, his own stubbornness was more a factor than that.
But something kept him going. Maybe Rafeeqa was right, maybe everyone in this city was just terminally sick or something.
“..But what I will say is this. You are doing something, even if it is just barking up at the moon.”
“If you ask Jonas, he would wish he could put me down.” Kai jokes.
“Hmm, Jonas is someone who among many other has gladly sold his soul. Whatever it’s worth at least you still have that.”
“My soul eh?” Kai says with a grin quite amused by her statement.
“Oh shut up!” Rafeeqa says with a laugh and gives him a gentle shove.
“My point is that even if it feels like the very city is against you, at least you are trying. Even if it’s all in vain.”
“How encouraging..” Kai murmurs with a small smile.
Rafeeqa just gives a shrug and small smile of her own.
“Take what can you get, that’s my motto.”
“…And what about you? What do you think about all this?”
An arrangement of emotions comes to her face before settling on a cool acceptance.
“..I don’t get you either if I’m being honest.”
Kai looks at her curiously. Her words and expression almost make her seem like she was impressed in a way.
“At first, I thought you were crazy.”
“Jury’s still in debate about that one.”
“But! I can’t help but be impressed by your tenacity. Even if I don’t understand it myself.”
The smile she gives him does warm his heart a bit. As a person who has always kept everyone at a distance here, Kai can honestly say that he was… happy to have …well whatever they are. Even if the relationship had stayed strictly platonic, Rafeeqa was different than others at the station. While she doesn’t have the same ideas of justice in this city (and honestly he doubts many would given the circumstances) she isn’t someone who will actively stand in its way like many others. She wants change in the city which is more Kai can say about a lot of others.
Many just want to have their life continue as is, if it doesn’t affect them then it doesn’t matter. Out of sight, out of mind.
“Well, maybe the universe will give me a win for my good behavior and give us a clue to solving this case?”Kai says with an almost hopeful expression.
“Oh, I wouldn’t hold your breath on that one. Pretty sure God overlooks this place every damn day.”
Kai was about to respond with a joke of his own but then suddenly his phone rang. And not his office phone but his police cell. He pulls it out and looks at the number. It wasn’t one he recognized and given the time, it could be a spam call for all he knows. But he answers anyway.
“Hello Officer Hamilton, how can I help you?” He answers the phone.
For a beat, there is nothing but stumbling background noises. Some shuffling, and the sound of something being moved. Very faintly he could hear the sound of someone breathing hard. He turns to Rafeeqa who starts moving the instant she sees the look on his face. She waved over a few others who were also working and they got to tracing the call.
“Hello? This officer Hamilton.” Kai repeats again hoping that he got something more of a response.
The sounds are still rather muffled but this time the huffing voice is a bit closer. It croaked out a few mumbled words. The voice was vague but for some reason familiar to Kai.
“…H..lp…”
The voice was just above a whisper but it was loud enough for Kai to both recognize it. He felt his blood freeze as that information sunk in.
“…Ameer?”
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