Illusive | Tim Bradford

four •

The next morning I found myself stepping into the bustling police station.

The air felt as though it was th in with the scent of coffee, a low hum of conversations filling my ears. I made my way towards the briefing room, where Officer Grey already stood.

I took a seat beside Bishop, as Officer Grey stood at the foot of a large map of there city. The map was pinned to the wall behind him. Grey eyes remained sharp as he scanned the room, before he begin to brief us on this days assignments.

"Good morning, everyone," he begin, his voice carrying that familiar sound of authority. "Today we have a crucial case on our hands. We have received new leads on the Thompson drug trafficking operation. It suggests they are moving a large shipment tonight." He explained.

I remained attentive to Officer Grey's every word. The room remained silent as the gravity of the situation at hand begin to settle in.

"Our objective is clear: we need to intercept this shipment and apprehend the suspects involved. Hale, you'll be working with Officer Bradford. Your focus will be on the warehouse near the waterfront. We believe that's white entry might be storing the drugs before distribution." He explained.

As Bradford and myself both made our way to our shop, I realised we had yet to speak about the night I stayed at his. Whilst nothing happened, we both revealed sensitive topics the following morning that we should probably clarify whilst fully sober.

The silence between us was palpable. It was filled with unspoken words and unresolved feelings. As we climbed into the shop, Bradford remained focused on the road ahead. Once again, his grip remained tight on the steering wheel.

I stared out the window, mind racing with thoughts about how to address the situation. This assignment was too important to let our personal issues interfere, but the awkwardness was undeniable.

Clearing his throat, Bradford finally broke the silence. "Hale," he began, his voice steady. "We need to talk about what happened. We can't let it affect our work, especially on an assignment this big." He told me.

I nodded, my eyes fixated on the passing scenery. "I agree," I replied, voice soft. "I'm sorry I put you in the position I did. I wasn't in the right mind." I apologised.

Bradford sighed, glancing at me briefly before his eyes returned to the road. "I appreciate the apology, Hale. We need to trust each other, especially today. Let's deal with this later." He offered and I replied with a nod.

The drive to the waterfront warehouse remained mostly quiet. The tension was slowly dissipating as we both focused on the assignment ahead. When we arrived, we parked the shop at a discreet distance. We were out of sight from the warehouse.

We both climbed out of the vehicle, Bradford passing me a chest plate to stop bullets from going through. We approached the warehouse quietly, finding a concealed spot from which we could observe the building from without actually being detected.

For hours, Bradford and I kept a close watch on the warehouse. There was nothing particularly suspicious happening, but we also monitored the comings and goings of people around the areas.

The night fell soon and it was cold and silent, the only sounds we could hear were the occasional distant hum of traffic and the lapping of water against the nearby dock.

Despite unresolved tension, both Bradford and I had barely spoken since being on watch. Hours had passed since we'd first arrived, and finally our vigilance may of been paying off.

Bradford spotted a group of individuals entering the warehouse, carrying boxes that matched the description of the suspected shipment. Swiftly, Bradford called for backup. His voice was firm and urgent over the radio.