12 Do Something While You're Suspended

The truth is, Jack Wolf has been doing a little bit of a "side job" on his own: He tracks down people that shouldn't have slipped through the cracks of justice system. Such as, felons and parolees who get out of jail, and they commit the crimes again. Jack goes to those people and makes sure they can't repeat their crimes. This means, Jack tracks them and "teach them a lesson." This is usually done at night.

Since Jack is a cop by day, he has to try to believe in the justice system. When he's off work, he takes care of what's not been done right, such as, when the jail system releases people that shouldn't have been released.

Jack walks out of Police Chief's office without a gun. But that's OK. He can still do his business. The Police Chief doesn't know this, but Jack is already familiar with the records department. Jack has been working with Bob Tchaikovsky, the only manager at the records department. Other detectives call Bob "the records-keeping Bob." But Bob is more than just keeping records. He reads the records and finds whatever needs to be fixed. He then works with Jack, so Jack will go out to find those criminals on the streets.

Jack usually denies knowing Bob, because what they are doing is a secret.

This little suspension and transition really don't count as punishment. He and Bob are actually kind of friends already. This is just going to help their little "side job" done quicker. He just has to tell Bob he will be moving to the records department.

The phone is ringing. Jack wonders if Bob is going to pick it up. It's the 6th ring now, no one is picking it up yet.

And then, a clicking sound.

"The number you have dialed does not have a voicemail set up, please hang up or…," says the automated system.

Jack just hangs up.

"What the hell?"

Jack is annoyed. He looks at the watch, it's about noon. Is Bob taking a lunch break?

Suddenly, Jack's phone vibrates.

"Hello?" Jack immediately answers.

"Hello, my apologies, I was unable to answer your call for a moment. I'm calling back now." Bob says.

"Yeah. No worries. What's this... job... you want me to do?" Jack asks.

The job means the secret "side job" that Jack and Bob have been doing, punishing criminals who got out of prison and are out on the streets repeating their crimes. Again.

"Yeah. I'll tell you what job. A very interesting one. You are off these days, I hear?" Bob says.

"Yes."

"Good, just in time to do a little experiment. I wanted to tackle someone inside the system." Bob speaks calmly. There's almost a smile in it.

"Oh….you mean inside the justice system? Like someone working for the justice system?"

"Yeah, you know all the people that seem to be wronged and then the people you think that might be responsible that are getting off? I can see from records that it all has something to do with this one particular prosecutor. He is dubbed as 'the star prosecutor.' He never loses a case, but that's because he is a corrupted prosecutor."

Jack is actually glad Bob is doing something different this time. He is excited already.

Bob says, "So, why don't you try to get some dirt on this prosecutor."

"That's a good idea," Jack replies.

"You still need to keep an eye out for yourself. My theory is that, you are becoming a bigger headache for the police force. And, you are probably going to be known by more people now. So, be aware if someone is going to follow you."

"I got it."

"Actually, I haven't even told you who the prosecutor is, right?"

"No. Do you think I can guess it, Bob?"

"Are you guessing the assistant state prosecutor, Carson Nikazzi?" Bob sounds like he's laughing.

"Oh man," Jack touches his head, "I haven't thought of him."

"It is also about a woman, Kathy Mason." Bob speaks quickly.

"OK."

"Basically, you just need to follow Carson around. He needs to be humiliated first and his deeds need to be exposed. We need to do this now because he is getting ready to retire. If his illegal practice is never exposed, he's going to live happily on his government pension, which is paid for by tax payer money.

"Shit." Jack didn't know this Carson guy was retiring.

"Yeah, I want to make sure he will lose his eligibility for his pension. So, here's what I need. First, I'd like you to gather some evidence for me about how he illegally prepared his cases, so I can do something about this piece of shit. Second, I'd like you to intimidate him. I want you to scare him good. Third, that woman, Kathy? You need to track her down as well."

Jack thinks he can do this, "But tell me, this Kathy woman, she is not in prison?"

"No, she's not. All thanks to that crooked prosecutor Carson Nikazzi. However, Kathy has warrants out for her. So she's kind of in her own prison. In fact, she's been in hiding. And the prosecutor Carson Nikazzi is the one hiding her. You can fulfill her wish and actually disappear her."

"Sounds exciting. I can't wait to hear all the background stories later."

"Sure."

This is definitely not a traditional job they have been secretly doing. They have not punished anyone inside the legal system. It's always some felons or parolees.

"Alright then. I'm jealous you are being suspended right now actually. " Bob says.

"Hey, why don't you take some time off." Jack rubs his head.

"Because I'm busy. And you are off work because you are told to. How lucky is that, right? OK. I have to go now. I'll contact you hopefully at about 7 PM. Before I call you, feel free to familiarize yourself with where Carson Nikazzi works and such."

"No problem. This is great. We should've done something to corrupted people in the legal system already." Jack chuckles. "Well, I guess we are both not the greatest in the system."

"Well, let's try this out. Thanks for doing this. Later. " Bob hangs up.

Jack drives his own gray, beat-up car back home. He lives alone in a small apartment. It is very cluttered and there are a lot of plates and bowls sitting on his small kitchen counter. He grabs a sandwich out of his quite empty refrigerator. Then he looks up State Attorney's office address.

Just as Jack is putting his fingers on his phone screen to enlarge that particular block of street on Google Map, a phone call comes in. It's Jie Ai, a language interpreter working for the police.

"Hello, what do you want?" Jack says.

"Geez, I don't want anything, I was just trying to tell you, you are famous now."

Jie Ai is obviously referring to the hostage situation that Jack was just in. It is all over the news.

"Meh, you don't have to be sarcastic and lecture me. I'm already suspended right now." But Jack doesn't care.

"I see. I've heard chatters about you." Jie says.

"Well, people should mind their own damn businesses. You mean people on the force gossiping about how I should be fired?"

"No. The people in my community."

"Seriously?" Jack is surprised, "Why?"

"Yeah." Jie Ai sounds like he's smiling, "They think you can help take down bad people like a superhero. It's very cool."

"Are you hanging out with old people again? Gosh. You are so lame."

"Old people are the only people who need translation these days."

"OK. Yeah. Go back to your little tea time with your senior citizen friends now."

"Alright. I have other seriously stuff to do." Jie Ai sounds like he's about to hang up now.

"What serious stuff," Jack says, "other than hearing old people complaining?"

"One old man, Mr. Lai, has been talking about how he has seen a ghost. Well, he describes it as a dead person who comes back to life. And then another man comes threatening him, making Mr. Lai spill where the walking dead person is."

"Alright. I don't have time for your neighborhood ghost story. Bye." Jack hangs up first.

But he doesn't know all these are related. Even related to the hostage situation he was just in.