Tough Love

Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy

Eli

I've been back at work for 3 weeks now. As Ash and my dad keep telling me, I need to get back to some form of normal. I've been spending my days at work and my nights at Dani's bedside. There hasn't been much change with Dani, except that her brain activity has spiked a few times. The doctors are pleased with that and they say she's making good progress, all things considered. There's been no complications with her gun shot wounds and no major infections have arisen. The swelling in her face is starting to go down and she's starting to look a little more like Dani, she's even less gray in her color, but her bruising is very prominent now. I suppose I should be grateful for the small things, but I can't seem to get my hopes up. Until Dani is speaking to me again, I don't think I'll be able to release this great weight that seems to be constantly sitting on my chest.

I'm just looking at the blueprints for a building we're supposed to be raiding later on, when the Cap calls me into his office.

He tells me to sit before he continues, “Baker and Jones need to bring Babkin in. I need you to call Arrow and find out where he is.”

Arrow picks up immediately, “LT? What's wrong? What's happening?”

I haven't really spoken to him since the incident, so I'm guessing he thinks something has gone wrong.

“Hey man. You still on Babkin?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Jones and Baker are on their way to arrest him. Where is he?”

“He's stepped out of work for lunch, but he's at Subway on West End Avenue.”

“Thanks. Cap, Subway on West End Ave, near his work. Arrow, once the detectives have him in the precinct, then I need you to come in.”

“You're sure, LT? You don't think he's going to slip out of their grasp like the other times?”

“No, not this time. Come in, soldier.”

“Yes sir. I'll call when I'm outside.”

I hang up and look at the Cap expectantly.

“We have his prints on the money. We also have a warrant to get his DNA. He'll be with us at least 12 hours, providing he can go through Central Booking and get an arraignment that quick. I have a feeling the DA's office will want to push this through quickly to try to save themselves the embarrassment of one of their own being brought in again.”

“Hold him as long as possible. If the detectives are questioning Arrow, I don't want Babkin getting out before he's through. I refuse to let him disappear.”

“I'll do what I can. You need to get ready for the raid.”

“I want to watch the interview.”

“No.”

“What?! Why?!”

“Because I don't think you can handle it. Besides, that's a serious break of protocol. I can't be sure you won't walk in there and beat him to a pulp...”

“I'm not going to ruin the case by doing that. Cap, I need to watch.”

“No, you don't. You need to get to that raid and get some other bad guys. We'll deal with this. You don't want to know the details and you don't want to do this to yourself. Just trust me. Captain Greggson and I will oversee the interview. Go get ready for the raid.”

I storm out of the Cap's office, making sure he knows just how furious I am about this. Ash takes one look at me and he lets out a low whistle. “Guess you found out about not watching the interview then?”