128 (Operation Armageddon: Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Four: The End of the Beginning | Part 1

Matthew stood by the entrance of the building, watching as some officers brought a conscious Daniel into a police car. Daniel tried to resist the force the officers had placed on him, all to no avail. The sirens and flashers turned on as the vehicle prepared to depart.

Daniel peered out of the tinted car window, glaring at Matthew. He seemed unsatisfied with his situation, but that was just that. It was time for him to accept the inevitable consequences of his cunning actions. He gave him one last look of disgust before the car drove off, turning to the main road, which was still in Matthew's sight.

Matthew watched as the police car drove further and further. Eventually, the car went out of sight, and even the vehicle's flashing lights blended in with the rest of the street lights. Since there was nothing left to see, he turned away and noticed an officer from the local police department approaching him.

"Sergeant Davis from the NYPD, right?" the officer asked as he stopped before Matthew.

"Yes, I am. I assume there will be some sort of coordinated investigation from here on," Matthew answered before clarifying something else.

"Well, yes. We're going hold Detective Washington here in Philadelphia for the time being, so we'll need you and Detective Stewart to assist us in some of the legal proceedings regarding this since you're a witness," the officer explained. However, as soon as he realised that Megan had been sent to a hospital earlier, he quickly corrected his statement. "Actually, as for Stewart, she can join our joint investigation later after she is fit to join back in the force."

Matthew nodded, understanding what was to come. As such, he patted the officer on his shoulder, appreciating his work on the case. "Thanks," he said. "Uh... I didn't get your name earlier on—"

"Oh," the officer cut in. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself," he added as he reached out his hand to Matthew for a handshake. "Captain Perez of the Philly PD. I look forward to working with you on this case."

"Same here," Matthew smiled as he let go of the captain's hand. Shortly after, the officer left, returning to work.

Matthew sighed, placing his hands on his hips as he turned to look towards the entrance once more. As he stared far through the glass doors, he focused on the lights on the roads—streetlamps, traffic lights and headlights. Through all this lighting, however, he could almost picture Daniel in the police car that had driven off a short while ago.

Matthew could see the smirk on Daniel's face, his smile sarcastic. In his vision, Daniel began mouthing some inaudible words. Despite this, Matthew made out the words by simply reading his lips. "It isn't over," Matthew said aloud as he read from Daniel's lips. A few moments later, the picture abruptly faded away, and he quickly snapped back to reality.

He looked around to see some officers looking at him. He assumed that they were all wondering why he had muttered something random so loudly. However, he shook his head, trying to erase the image of Daniel and the sound of him speaking those three words.

* * *

One week later...

Matthew stepped into the precinct building, finally making a return to the office after more than a week. Tugging at his tie and adjusting his collar while holding a briefcase made him feel déjà vu. Just over a week ago, he had entered the building in the same way. However, this time, he had come for a different purpose.

One in which he would bid the workplace goodbye for a while.

He entered the elevator, taking it up to his floor—or rather to the captain's floor. He was going back to it to clear some things from his desk, but he had intended to speak to the captain for a more important reason. Something vital for him to do to move on.

As soon as he exited the elevator, he could see the countless pairs of eyes all over the room falling on him. However, they were all accompanied by smiles as cheers filled the room. Everyone was happy to see Matthew back in the office after much work he and Megan had done to keep the country safe.

It would probably be the last of them he would hear, however.

Matthew knocked on the captain's door politely before entering. He stood behind the chair, facing the captain as he greeted him. He placed his briefcase down on the floor to reduce some of the weight on his hand.

"Good morning, Davis," the captain greeted back cheerily, hinting that he was in a good mood. He picked up his cup and took a small sip of his hot, piping coffee before placing it back down on a coaster. "Is there something you want to talk to me about? A favour? A request? Or a promotion to lieutenant at 26 years old?" he joked.

Matthew couldn't hold his laughter either and chuckled slightly as a result. However, he realised that his reaction wasn't too appropriate for the situation, as he was going to say something that would change the mood of the whole situation. As such, he cleared his throat and tried to stay formal again.

"So, uh, captain, I have something I would like to inform you of," Matthew said as he tried to begin the conversation but awkwardly.

The captain nodded, despite the unusual atmosphere. "Go on," he said.

Matthew cleared his throat again. "I've been delighted to have worked in the NYPD for the past five years, really. And I think it's been a great experience for me overall," he said before pausing for a while. "But, well, I think it's time for me to take a break for now."

The captain remained silent, observing what Matthew was trying to do. As a result, Matthew opened up his briefcase and pulled out a few items. One was a letter, which he foremost placed on the captain's desk. He then brought out his gun and badge before putting them on top of the letter.

"I would like to tender in my resignation, sir," Matthew said as he stood back and placed his hands behind his back.

The captain watched as Matthew stood in front of him. He was practically speechless, not knowing how to respond to Matthew's decision. It was Matthew's decision on whether he wanted to quit after all, but he figured the best he could do was talk him out of it.

"Davis, I may not have known you for long, but Gary Jones did. And he told me so much about you. All the praises he gave, all the compliments he made—everything. And he told me that however young you were, you were no foolish man. So I ask that you reconsider your decision and choose wisely," the captain pleaded.

Matthew sighed. He already knew what he was going to expect from the captain. An attempt to keep him in the workforce. However, he acknowledged that his life was more important than his work. As such, he explained himself to the captain. "As much as I want to stay here, I can't. As you know, Detective Stewart has already left and relocated to Los Angeles, and so have my sister-in-law and niece. But after all, the true reason why I can't stay here is because it will constantly serve as a reminder of the pain I've experienced. The loss of my parents, my fiancée, my brother, and Detective Washington's betrayal. Worst of all, Civilian Administrator Watson had been wrongly accused of mass murder. I think that's more than enough to make me leave this place."

The captain got out of his chair. He understood that there was probably no way to change Matthew's mind. And that was just the way it was. "Well, since you're an intelligent young man after all, I'm not in the position to interfere with your life choices," he said as he clutched onto Matthew's items. "In that case, I'll have to bid farewell to you for now. I hope to see you return soon."

Matthew closed his briefcase and got up, standing before the captain. He lowered his head slightly, bowing. "I probably will in the near future. But for now, it's goodbye," he said as he sorrowfully turned away from the captain and pushed the door open, leaving the office.

As he walked through the office, heading back to the elevator, he shed a tear. It was really the end of his career in the NYPD. One that he loved. But the circumstances didn't make it easy for him to remain, and so he had to accept the fact that he had to leave.

The other officers watched as he departed in the elevator. They all wondered what was happening to him and why he seemed so affected, telling by the look on his face. However, it wouldn't be a mystery to them as the captain stepped out of his office to announce the unfortunate news.