GARGOYLES: Re-Awakening

Understanding: 2

Matt was getting antsy. He had tried Elisa's cell phone almost an hour ago. New York City cops were not supposed to be out of reach for that long. He was also frustrated. He knew he had a lot to learn from Maza and he was grateful to work with her, he just wished she wouldn't treat him like a kid quite so much. He was about to jump up and head out the door when Captain Chavez came out of her office in a hurry.

"We've got a hostage situation down in the subway at 23rd and Lex. It's unclear how many or who's involved. We need everybody down there." She looked around. "Bluestone! Where the hell is Maza?"

"Headed back in," Matt lied. "I'll brief her on the way."

And with that he jumped up, grabbed his coat off the back of his chair and rushed out before Chavez could say anything further. He grabbed a radio and headed down the stairs with a rush of other cops. At the bottom of the stairs he dialed Elisa again, but again there was no answer.

It was only two blocks from the precinct to the subway station. He decided he would walk it. It wouldn't slow him down enough that anyone would notice and it would give him one more chance at reaching Elisa. He did not want to call her in a squad car filled with other cops. He was going out on a bit of a limb for his partner and he hoped it would earn him a little more respect. After getting the first block behind him, he dialed her again. This time, her voice came on the other end.

"Matt, what is it?" Elisa said, shortly.

"It's a hostage situation at 23rd and Lex. They're down in the subway and the Cap wants everybody on deck. I told her you were on your way and I'd brief you on the fly. You gotta get over here partner. Don't make me look bad."

"Shit," he heard Elisa say. "Alright, I'm on my way. I just got out of the tunnel and I can be across town in about seven."

"The tunnel! Where were you?"

"See you soon."

The receiver clicked in Matt's ear. You're welcome, he thought. He accelerated his pace. He could see the green lanterns that marked the subway entrance about a block from his position. Cars with flashing lights were converging on it. He broke out into a jog.

When he reached the station he rushed past the officers who were standing guard at the entrance and down the stairs to the subway platform. In the center of the platform was a tall, skinny, young man holding a woman with a small revolver to her head. The woman was wearing a hijab, and his heart sank. Shit, he thought.

The young man was no hardened criminal. He was probably twenty or maybe twenty-one, sweating profusely and clearly panicky. He alternated between pointing the gun at the officers and putting it against his hostage's temple. His body was half exposed. He did not have her close and tight enough to protect himself from police gunfire, if it came to that.

An older detective was nearest to the youth, and he was talking to him.

"Listen son, this is a bad situation for everybody. What we want to focus on now is getting everyone, including yourself, safe."

"Shut up!" The young man yelled. "Nobody's safe! Not with these people running around setting off bombs!" He pulled her closer to him and she closed her eyes.

"Son," the officer said. "Nobody has set off any bombs. Least of all this poor woman here. You've got to calm down."

"She was about to get on the subway!" The young man yelled. "The subway!!"

"Alright. Alright," the detective said. "Good. You stopped her and you've given us a chance to check her out. That's good. Why don't you hand her over to me and we'll make sure she's not carrying any bombs. We'll do a thorough background check as well. If she's hiding something, we'll find it."

The sweat was streaming down the young man's face now. Matt was getting anxious. There was no way this kid was going to be stringing any rational thoughts together at this point. Across the platform, Matt saw more cops streaming into the subway on the other side. The kid was surrounded. Unfortunately, the kid was seeing it too. His eyes were darting around like a squirrel's in the park. Matt was about to step forward when the shot rang out.

Everyone ducked instinctively. What happened next was a matter of seconds. The shot had gone up into the ceiling. A trail of dust and bits of sheet rock trickled down onto the platform where the bullet struck. The young man shoved the woman forward, spun, and leapt off the platform onto the tracks. Before anyone else could react he had disappeared into the darkness of the subway tunnel.

Matt was still green. Eager to impress and to make a name for himself as a detective. As such, he reacted a split second faster than anyone else. He drew his weapon, ran to the edge of the platform and leapt onto the tracks himself. He didn't even stop to look around, he just ran straight into the darkness. Back in the distance he could hear officers yelling things: Headed up town! Secure the entrance at 28th street! Subway schematics! He didn't pay them any attention. His eyes were adjusting to the darkness and he was scanning what was in front of him.

The tracks were surprisingly covered with trash. Matt knew that homeless people lived in these tunnels, and he hoped none of them were close by. In this darkness, he wasn't sure he'd be able to tell them apart from the perpetrator he was pursuing. He tried not to let the thought distract him. He was beginning to realize what he had done. He was pursuing an armed perpetrator alone and in the dark.

He slowed to a brisk walk. The tracks were uneven under his feet and he hoped he wouldn't trip and stumble. His eyes were straining in the dark. His only hope now was to push the perpetrator forward towards the next subway stop. Hopefully his fellow officers were already there, blocking him in from that side.

Suddenly, Matt heard a creek and a slam. It sounded like a door. He broke out into a run again. After about thirty yards he saw a gap in the subway walls. He came up to it slowly, then leapt out in front of it with his weapon raised. It was a staircase with a metal door at the top. The door was slightly ajar. He ran up the stairs and carefully pulled the door aside. He bobbed from one side to the other, trying to get a look into the alley that the door opened onto, but he could not see much from this vantage point. He placed a foot carefully on the top step and, ever so slowly, leaned his head out.

Crack! Everything went dark.

— —

"Where is she is going?"

Goliath and the Elder had been circling high, waiting for Elisa's car to emerge from the Lincoln Tunnel. When it did, they had expected her to immediately turn and head south. Instead, she activated flashing lights and headed at a fast clip directly east across the island. They had no choice but to follow.

"Betrayal!" The elder exclaimed.

Goliath said nothing. He simply changed his heading and followed Elisa's car. Before long, she took a sharp right and headed south, then another sharp left to continue east.

"She's trying to lose us!" The elder said.

Goliath remained silent. Soon, they saw a pattern of lights off in the distance that was unlike the normal, constant glow of the city. They looked like the lights on Elisa's car—red and flashing.

"Something has happened," Goliath said. "She must have been summoned."

As Elisa's car drew closer, the scene became clear. There were a number of cars with flashing lights encircling an entrance leading underground. It reminded them both of the first time they had seen Elisa outside the bodega. Rushing into such scenes appeared to be a habit with this woman.

Elisa's car stopped and, just like before, she jumped out with one arm raised, showing the others something. She immediately disappeared down the entrance and underground.

"What now, laddie?" The elder asked.

"We wait," Goliath answered. "She will return for her carriage."

Goliath and the Elder began a wide, circular holding pattern in the air. They kept their eyes trained below, waiting. Gliding on the wind while maintaining altitude is no easy task. It requires constant management of the wind currents. As they waited, their circular pattern was forced to grow wider. As it would happen, this would prove fortunate for Matt Bluestone.