Chapter 22 - Not Her Tank

Brian allowed a triumphant smile as he watched Chase’s smug, arrogant expression melt when the jury gave the verdict of guilty on one account of murder and two accounts of attempted murder. He nearly jumped for joy when the sentence was life without a possibility of parole.

“This isn’t over,” Chase shouted and glanced at Maggie as two of the courtroom officers dragged him out of the room.

Brian turned his attention to Maggie. She stood with Marcus, who was appeared to be congratulating her. He felt a sense of relief and got up from where he had sat; wanting to talk to her but the crowd of people didn’t allow him to get closer to her. Suddenly someone grabbed his arm and tugged him over to the side.

A woman gave him a flirty smile before jamming a microphone in his face. “You’re Brian Hunter aren’t you? One of the city’s most decorated detectives right?” She asked and he nodded, still looking for Maggie. “Great, Mr. Hunter you’ve been chasing Hancock for years, how does it feel to finally see him going to prison?” She asked and he frowned at her.

“I’m heartbroken,” he replied sarcastically. “Seriously how the hell do you think I feel!” he snapped.

The woman made a slashing motion across her throat to the camera man and glaring at Brian, but he didn’t care. He always hated the press and the way they stick their noses, risking cases, all for a “good” story. Brian was stopped by at least five reporters asking the same question until he finally found Marcus. He was giving a wordy speech to the female reporter that he’d snapped at first.

Brian sighed as he leaned against the wall, waiting for Marcus to finish so he could ask him about Maggie. He rolled his eyes as Marcus detailed how this was a victory that the whole town should be proud of and so on. When he’d finally finished, Brian had to practically jump him before another reporter captured his attention. “Where’s Maggie?” he demanded.

“Don’t worry about her and her “affliction” Brian, I made sure she got past the reporters to a taxi without too much trouble,” Marcus explained and gave his full attention to a reporter who was shouting questions at him.

Brian frowned at the reporter but left the courthouse, feeling disappointed. He wanted to speak to Maggie before she’d left. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but he wanted to talk to her all the same. Maybe it was for the best, he thought as he walked down the steps of the courthouse and down to the street. Maggie and he didn’t have a whole lot in common to be honest and he’d started to wonder if his feelings for her weren’t a result of the situation.

Either way, he would’ve liked to, at least, say goodbye to her and tell her thank you for going through all this to make sure Chase paid for what he’d done. He cringed as he turned on his phone and noticed he had several missed calls from his new boss. Brian shook his head and called him back, dreading every second of it.

“Where’ve you been Hunter? I’ve tried to reach you all morning,” Ryan Tyler demanded.

“Sorry sir but I couldn’t miss seeing Chase leave the courtroom in handcuffs,” Brian replied with a little irritation.

“I wanted you here today, but I guess I can understand, Chase has been “the one” for you for some time now but now that it’s over get over here. We don’t want to give Chase’s organization a chance to recover from this blow,” Ryan barked and Brian did what he could to suppress a sigh.

“Yes sir, I’m on my way,” Brian told him with a frown.

“Fantastic, I knew I could count on you,” Ryan stated and he frowned.

“But Sir I’d like to take some time off as soon as possible because if you haven’t noticed I’m still recovering from a bullet wound,” Brian snapped heatedly.

“How about you go a little above and beyond the call of duty for the moment Brian, you must know how important it is that we act fast,” Ryan lectured him and Brian took a slow deep breath so he could avoid telling the man to go screw himself.

“Yeah well I think I’ve been doing a lot of going above and beyond the call of duty lately,” Brian shot then ended the call. Later that evening he entered in his small apartment feeling ready to just collapse from exhaustion but he also needed to eat and take a shower before he could allow himself to do that.

He had been performing a heated interrogation of Chase’s right-hand man during most of the afternoon and evening, but the man was terribly loyal of terribly terrified still of Chase, or maybe even both.

Brian dragged himself into the kitchen. He prepared a peanut butter sandwich and he started to think about the time he had first pushed Maggie’s buttons. He smiled as he remembered when he’d startled her and she tossed the jar of peanut butter. His smile grew as he remembered his shock to hear her say “ew” when he had gotten close to her. Brian sat down at the table with an irremovable smile as he ate.

Once finished eating and taking a shower, Brian laid in his bed. He was exhausted, but sleep eluded him. He couldn’t stop thinking of Maggie and the month he’d spent with her. Staring at the ceiling but not really seeing it, he’d come up to a conclusion. He did care about Maggie a lot and if he had the chance he’d gladly start a relationship with her but there was one thing he didn’t know and it was driving him insane. What did she feel?

He had told her how he felt several times, but Maggie insisted that he couldn’t have any feelings for her and he was infected with some mind altering disease that if Brian remembered correctly was going to turn him into a zombie. She pushed him away several times and never outwardly gave him any indication that she felt anything for him. But she’s so reserved, he argued silently. Maybe she’s afraid to show what she feels?

He sighed rubbing his face, not sure what to do about the whole situation. The next day Brian had gone back to the place where he and Maggie had stayed to pack their things. He wanted to give them to her personally so he could ask her point blank what she felt for him and if there was ever a chance she’d give him a chance. As he walked up to the door, his palms were actually sweaty and he felt so nervous.

He knocked on the door and waited, but he was only greeted by silence. So he knocked again and spent probably a good ten minutes knocking on the door. Disappointment flooded him as the door remained closed. He tried the door and wasn’t surprised to see it was unlocked. Brian went back to his car and to get a piece of paper. He wrote a brief message asking her to call him and his cell phone number and left her suitcases in the living room, before leaving.

The next couple of days passed in a blur, his boss had kept him so busy. He’d spend hours upon hours interrogating Chase’s men, but the majority was either too loyal or too terrified of Chase to provide much information that would allow them to really put Chase out of business. Brian was to the point of demanding some time off or simply quitting. Ryan had him royally pissed, his shoulder was killing him, and he hadn’t received a single call from Maggie.

He wondered if she’d seen the note or not and debated on visiting her house again, but Brian really didn’t think she could’ve missed it. So going over to her house wouldn’t help anything and if she hadn’t called him, it must be because she didn’t feel the same for him. The thought honestly depressed him. It didn’t happen too often that he got rejected and it happened even less that he cared that he got rejected.

“What’s wrong son?” His father asked and Brian looked from the spot of grass that he’d been staring at.

“Nothing’s wrong dad, it’s been a really crazy month and I’m just glad to be able to unwind,” he told his father.

The older man suddenly belted a loud laugh that had several of the guests at his parent’s garden party turn and give them curious looks. “Boy I’ve been a hardcore detective for more than thirty years, don’t think you can pull a fast one on me that easy,” his father told him sitting down next to Brian. “That pretty little blonde over there talking with your mother has been trying so hard to get your attention and you haven’t given her even half a glance,” he said.

“When a man ignores a woman like that means he’s either one of those types, in love, or something’s wrong with him,” he added in what Brain could only guess was his attempt to sound wise.

Brian couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah well it’s been a really crazy month dad. The whole deal with Larson, getting shot, and the sudden V.I.P. status I have at work has really been overwhelming to say the least,” Brian explained and his father nodded, handing him a beer.

“Never in all my days would I think that Steve would go dirty,” he said with a sad sigh. Brian’s father had been the one to show Larson all the ropes and they were partners for the last few years his father was a detective.

“I know. Really goes to show you never fully know someone,” he replied taking a drink, enjoying the cool, bitter taste of his drink.

“Somehow that doesn’t sound like you meant Steve,” his father stated with a questioning tone.

“I was thinking about the witness, Maggie Kent. She was really…different,” Brian told him unable to stop the smile from breaking out on his face.

His father raised a bushy gray eyebrow, the smile was not escaping him one bit. “Got smitten did ya?” He asked, waggling his eyebrows.

“Maybe a little,” Brian admitted with the smile still on his face. “But don’t plan on any grandchildren yet, I don’t think her and I are going anywhere. We’re pretty different,” Brian explained.

His father was silent for a moment then turned to Brian once more. “She’s a woman, right?” he asked.

Brian looked at his father confused. “Uh…yeah of course, what else would she be,” he replied.

His father nodded. “She’s a woman and you’re a man, if you two care about each other, then that’s the only thing that matters. Whatever differences you two have will work themselves out. Don’t go acting like your mother and making things much more difficult than they really are.”

“That’s the thing I’m not sure if she feels the same,” Brian replied. “She’s the one that can’t seem to get passed our differences.”

“She’s one of those prissy rich girls that think if you don’t have a six-figure bank account you’re not good enough?” his father asked tartly.

Brian couldn’t resist from laughing. “No, not at all, just the opposite. Most people see Maggie as odd and a loser and she knows it. That’s the problem, she doesn’t trust my feelings are real and she’s never once told me how she felt. So I don’t even know if it’s mutual attraction,” he told his father.

Then older man made “hmm” sound while rubbing his large chin. “Did you ever ask her when you were with her?”

“Well…no,” Brian replied then grunted with surprise as his father slapped him on the back of the head.

“Boy, no wonder you don’t know crap about her then,” his father scolded him. “How many times have I told you a wuss don’t get anywhere in life and it sounds to me that’s just how you’ve been acting,” he finished.

“I left a note at her house saying I wanted to talk to her and left my number for her to call me, but she never did,” Brian argued and his father made a crude sound of disgust.

“That’s what you call trying to get her attention? Brian, I spent half a day camped outside your mother’s dorm room to get her to tell me her name. If you want to hit a homerun, at least, step up to the damn plate boy! Now either get up and talk to that pretty blonde over there or convince this Maggie one way or another that she’s your girl,” his father lectured him. He slapped Brian on the back and he winced with the pain that shot through his shoulder.

That night Brian sat down at the computer looking at the login screen of the game he’d started playing with Maggie. He knew that in the game would be the one place he’d be guaranteed to find her.

After some had debated he logged in.

~Hey Tank, long time no see~ LadyLove typed in greeting as soon as he logged on.

~Yeah real-life been keeping me busy~ he wrote back. ~Is Styrene been on lately?~

~Shouldn’t you know, you’re “the tank” after all?~ TooKool jumped in.

Brian frowned at the screen. He knew it was childish, but he’d love to slam that kid’s face into a wall.

~Styrene was here earlier, but she logged about an hour ago. Sorry Tank~ Bravura typed.

Brian sighed, leaning back in his chair. Maybe it was a sign; maybe he wasn’t meant to be her “tank” after all.