Chapter 57 last-ditch

Blake is a cop.He has been a policeman for a long time.He always remembers his identity as a policeman, so he works 24 hours a day.As it is now, today he rests, so he sits in front of the TV and watches a football game with a glass of beer beside him. Logically speaking, he should relax, but subconsciously he is still working. So Blake recognized the man from the TV screen. Black used to miss many rugby games because of his busy work, and this time he thought he would miss it too. Unexpectedly, on the day of the professional rugby finals, he just had a rest, and he felt that he was really lucky.But he didn't expect that good things were yet to come.

The game was intense and exciting, and Blake watched it with gusto.The score rose alternately, and now it's a tie again.The TV camera moved to the auditorium, and the narrator said: "The audience is mesmerized and excited." Just then, Blake saw him. Blake was tall and stocky, had played football in high school himself, and though he would have loved to have gone to college, he hadn't.Back then, football scholarships were few and far between.He always wanted to go to college and be a professional football player.However, things didn't turn out the way he hoped, instead, he became a policeman.

He is an excellent policeman.He was assigned to the traffic department at the beginning.In those days, every morning before he went to work, he would look at the list of stolen cars—their makes. Model and license plate number, it became a habit.He's a novice, but he's found more stolen cars than anyone else. His memory is amazing, names, numbers and faces, he can almost never forget them. He can still remember the phone number of the first girl he dated, his series of serial numbers during the war, and the face of the first prisoner he arrested.After he left the traffic department, he often went to the photo room of the bureau to look at the photos of the wanted criminals.He finds several wanted criminals every year—on the street, in crowds, at funhouses, in elevators, and while buying hot dogs.He never admits mistakes, so this time he is also very confident.

Blake was always pale, and his life was simple.He has always lived a single life and never married.His fabulous memory, his hard work, and his uniqueness all won the respect of his colleagues.As the years passed, he rose through the ranks, and as far as his education and abilities were concerned, he was now at the peak of his rank. Blake stood up.He naturally memorized the exit next to that person so he knew which section he was sitting in.That's the FF area.If the game isn't over by then, go in through the exit, turn left, and he'll be sitting there. Now the game is almost over.Blake put on his shoes, slung the holster over his shoulder, and considered the conundrum.

If the game ends on time, he won't make it to the gym.He could only get there if there was a tie and extra time was required.The best thing to do is to call the police in that area and tell them there is a wanted man in the gym and have them cordon off the gym and search him out. He pursed his lips. Blake knew the man, all his history, though he had seen only one telescope picture. He's willing to take a risk and bet on overtime.This man belonged to Blake, not to the police department.Blake has always been alone, and this time he will be alone.If the game ends on time, the man is gone...he shrugged.He was willing to take the risk, and besides, since the man was in town, he would look for it.

With this in mind, he walked out of his two-bedroom apartment without even turning off the TV.He went downstairs, got into the car, and immediately turned on the radio to listen to the live broadcast of the game.He backed the car out onto the street and headed for the football stadium. He was desperate to overtake and try to get there before the end of the race.He knows the city's traffic routes like the back of his hand, and knows which road is the shortest and which has the least traffic. On the radio, the game was still going on, the clock was running out, and it was still a tie.The audience shouted so loudly that Blake wondered if the man was following along.Perhaps he was upset and had left the field?No, he will only leave with the crowd, not alone.Plus, he's supposed to be an avid football fan.

Blake had to stop the car at a red light. He heard the roar of the audience and the excited voice of the narrator.The tie was broken with a team leading by one point, but that wasn't Blake's favorite team.He was so angry that he gritted his teeth and shouted in his heart: Work harder, lads, get one point back, tie the game and go to overtime. As soon as the red light changed, he drove quickly, listening to the roar of the audience.His favorite team attacks and he silently prays for a point, but the attack fails.Blake cursed.There is only one minute left in the game, and he is going to be late.

As the seconds ticked by, his favorite team launched another attack, and Blake was terribly nervous, hands gripping the steering wheel.He should have called instead of going there himself.He almost ran a red light.Suddenly, the offense scored!draw!Just then, the end whistle sounded. Blake leaned back and whistled happily.There was no escape from that man, it was in his pocket, Black.Although he had only seen a photo of that person once, when he saw that person's face on TV just now, he concluded that that person belonged to Black. He breathed a sigh of relief and continued driving towards the gym.

Don't worry now, there is plenty of time.He was able to arrive before overtime began. He began to think about what to do when he arrived, how to deal with that person.For six weeks, the entire East Coast searched for him, and the only thing police relied on was that blurry photo.So it's no wonder he was so bold and confident that he came to watch the football final.The first time Blake saw the blurry photo, he concluded that there were no photos of the man in the photo room.He was the hardest criminal to catch, a loner with no previous convictions, no jail time, no photographs, no fingerprints.He either had a lot of luck, or planned it carefully, making his first and last big deal.

Black had to admire the kidnapping. The guy who got kidnapped was very rich and didn't want to cooperate with the police and give the police or the FBI any insight into what he was doing that bordered on the law.The kidnapping went so smoothly and the ransom was negotiated quickly that even before the ransom was paid, the kidnapped were released in a remote forest.The kidnappers got the ransom and fled.All the police got was a blurry photo taken with a telescopic camera when they paid.Blake appreciates clean kidnappings, and this one is the best.The kidnappers ran away with the money.Six weeks after paying the money, even his shadow could not be found, and the police were helpless.However, the captors did not expect that Black had such a good memory.

Blake parked the car in the stadium parking lot, got out, and headed for the exit.He waved his ID, walked in, and came to the aisle next to the auditorium in the FF area.By the time he got there, he was out of breath, and the crowd was deafening, and overtime started, and the crowd was so excited that they all stood up. Blake followed a few vendors out of the aisle.He turned left, went up two steps, and stood there, looking out at the field. There were no empty seats in the auditorium, so he stood close to a row of seats, trying to blend in with the crowd.A player was running with a ball, and while running, he tripped. Blake turned his head, looking for the man.Although Blake was mentally prepared, he was still shocked to see that person.Blake glanced at the man, and his eyes fell to the field again.Just one glance is enough to make him remember all the details. The man was very young, not more than thirty years old, with a slender and strong body, and his face was ordinary, nothing special, and would not attract people's attention, which is very beneficial to the criminal.He was wearing a blue overcoat, a very common kind, with a blue suit underneath.The man was wearing a pair of leather gloves and was very excited to watch the game.He looked like he had played football himself. The game was still going on, using the sudden death method, but Black had lost interest in it.He wants the game to end now.He was in a game more exciting than football.He was surprised to find himself unusually calm, full of confidence, sure that he would win.He had never felt this way before, and now he suddenly did, and he knew why. One side's attack miraculously succeeded and the game was over.Spectators yelled and yelled and threw things on the field.Out of the corner of his eye, Black saw the man begin to walk toward the exit. Blake descended the steps, heading for the exit ahead of the man.He walked out with the first audience without looking back because he knew there was no other way out.He quickly got into his car, then turned his head and watched the crowd, looking for the man. See, the man was walking briskly to the parking lot and Blake leaned over and started the car.This is the time when mistakes are most likely to occur, because there are many people and vehicles.If nothing goes wrong here... The man got into a pick-up truck and headed for the exit lane, right in front of Blake.That's luck.No other car came between them. Blake was lucky today.He is very calm and confident.For the first time in his life, he felt that he was doing so well. His life has always been rough.He first learned to play football seriously; after graduating from high school, he suddenly stopped playing.He entered the police station, started from scratch, learned slowly, and climbed slowly.He did his best and didn't make it to the top, and he was old enough to know he was at the end of it.In three months, he will reach retirement age.He followed the pick-up truck through the streets, and the man drove steadily.Like Blake, he was a loner.The two of them are one-on-one, one-on-one.How will it end? The man stopped the car in a quiet, unassuming residential complex.That's smart.That man clearly wanted no connection to the criminal gang.That's why he was never photographed and why his kidnapping was so successful.After getting the ransom, he made no attempt to change his life, but continued to live a seemingly peaceful life. The man parked his car in front of a small apartment building.Blake parked behind the man, got out, and walked up to the man, looking at the apartment number as if looking for a number.The man locked the car very carefully and checked that the windows were all shut.When the man came out onto the sidewalk, Blake was right in front of him. Blake suddenly pushed the man over to the car. "Stay still," he said. "You're under arrest." The man tried to break free, but Blake held the pistol to his ribs and his other hand grabbed his arm. "Don't move," he said, "if you move, I'll kill you." The man's face was pale.Blake glanced quickly around.No one pays any attention to them. "Go into the building," Blake said. They walked quickly into the hallway, Black's large hand gripping the man's arm. "Which floor do you live on?" "Five floors," the man said. They went into the elevator, and Blake pressed the button for the fifth floor.The doors closed slowly, and the elevator creaked and began to ascend. Blake squeezed the man against the elevator wall, reached into the man's suit, pulled out a pistol, looked at it, and put it in his coat pocket.The man leaned against the elevator wall.In the quiet elevator, their breathing sounded loud. "Are you a policeman?" the man asked. "Yes," said Blake, "I'm a cop." The elevator doors opened and they walked into the hallway. "Which door?" Seven asked. They walked down the carpeted passage.There were voices upstairs, but the hallway was empty.They stopped before number seven. "Is anyone in there?" Blake asked. The man shook his head. "If anyone, you're dead," Blake said. "Remember that. Now I'll ask you again." "I live alone," said the man. "There's no one in the house." "Open the door." The man reached into his pocket slowly, took out the key, opened the door, and they went in. The man tried to hit Blake with the door, but Blake knocked him to the ground with a punch.The man rolled over, moaned, and sat up. "What do you want?" he said. Blake ignored him. "Take off your coat." The man struggled to get his coat off, and Blake kicked it aside.He leaned over, picked up the man, shook it violently a few times, took out the handcuffs, and handcuffed him.Then he stepped back and stared straight into the man's face. "Where's the money?" Blake said. "Look," the man raised his voice, "you don't act like a cop. You're—" "I'm a cop," said Blake quietly, "and I've been a cop for thirty years, but I don't want to Take it to the station." The man was taken aback, and Blake himself was taken aback.The thought had been running deep inside him ever since he'd seen that man on TV, and now it finally came out of his mouth. Blake stood still, thinking over what he had just said, and knowing that he was telling the truth. All his life, he was looking for opportunities to make a fortune.At first, he thought he could find it in football, then he thought he could find it in the police line.However, as the years passed, this idea and desire gradually disappeared in daily life, in the pride of being a good policeman, and in his excellent memory.However, this idea has been hidden deep in his heart. In one's life, one day you will do something that surprises you.Blake thought his past ambitions were gone, as was his desire to be a professional football player, which he loved watching and reading about the big salaries those players had.Those big robberies had thrilled him for weeks on end, just as anyone else thrilled about women. The man took a long breath.His face and whole attitude changed. "I understand," he said slowly, "I understand." Suddenly, the relationship between them changed subtly. It was no longer the relationship between the police and criminals, but the relationship between men and men. The goal is the same. Blake smiled. "Your act was brilliant," he said. "You've been planning it for a long time, haven't you? It's like a football game. It's very meticulously planned. You have no criminal record, and you play big on the first shot. I admire you." "Thank you," the man said dryly. "Now I want that money." There is no doubt about this.There had been no doubt about that since he had holstered his gun and set off from the apartment.Deep down, Blake admired himself a lot.He suddenly felt twenty years younger.He thought the desires of the past had disappeared, and people thought his life was over, but he didn't.Three months later, when he retires, he will feel that so many years of hard work and disappointment were worth it, and he finally won, defeating those who had better official luck than him. The man shook his head.Blake slapped him hard. "Don't talk back to me, boy," he said through gritted teeth. "I've waited a long time too, much longer than you have waited." "What kind of policeman are you?" "I'm a good cop," Blake said. "I've been a good cop ever since I got into the police force. I have always been innocent.I never take bribes.I never play crooked ways.They surveyed me numerous times and never found a single problem. " The man nodded. "Now you've found an opportunity to make a fortune." Blake nodded too. "Just like you, boy," he said. "The two hundred thousand dollars you got from Johnny should be mine now." "Look," said the man. "I spent a long time on that money. I spent five years planning it, looking for the right opportunity. When I saw him in trouble, I took it right away. kidnapped him.My money is hard earned. " "I've been waiting a long time, too," Blake said. "I've been waiting, much longer than you can imagine. I've been waiting. I've given up countless chances to get a real chance to make a fortune. I can't lose a lot. We're alike, boy.The only difference is that now I take the initiative.where is the money " The man shook his head.Blake pushed him onto a chair and leaned over. "What's your name?" The man glared up at him.Blake lifted the collar of his jacket and looked at the label inside.Then he picked up his coat again and looked at it.He looked around the house, found a table, opened the drawer, took out an address book from it, looked inside, and then looked at the man. "Ronald Austin," he said. "Do you play football?" Austin didn't speak. "That's right," Blake said. "Years ago, you were left winger in the Midwest. Played really well." He stopped and looked at Austin. "I played football too." Austin looked up at him, shrugging. "You're right," he said. "I did play football there." Blake studied him carefully. "Isn't playing football very profitable?" he said. "You are luckier than me. I didn't even get into college." Austin's mouth twitched. "I was too light to be a professional football player," he said. "My senior year, I tried to be a professional athlete and they knocked me out." "So you're looking for other opportunities to make a fortune." "right." "Where's the money?" "I won't tell you." "You'll tell me," Black said quietly. "Is it in this house?" Austin didn't answer.Blake waited. "Okay," he said. "I'll look for it myself first. If I find it, that's fine. If I can't find it, then I'll have to ask you until you tell me. " He uncuffed one handcuff, and Laostin stood up, took him to the bed, pushed him face up on the bed, and handcuffed the handcuffs to the bedpost.He left him there, and began methodically to search the house. He searched for a long time without saying a word, Austin watching him.When he finished searching, the house was in chaos.He pulled Austin out of the bed, moved the bed, searched, and stopped, panting. "Okay," he said finally. "It seems that we should be tough." Austin looked up at him with a look of fear on his face. "Don't think you'll survive," Black said. "I'm an expert, Austin. For that money, I'd kill you myself. You know that because you'd kill me for it, too." "Hey," Austin said, "why don't you take me to the police station? You'll be a hero. That'd be nice for you, too... Blake shook his head." No," he Say, "I'm getting too old, and I'm going to retire in three months.If I were a young man...but I'm not. "He walked over to Austin." All right, "he said." Let's get started. " His hands were so heavy that Austin gritted his teeth and grunted in pain.Black knew that he might have to take Austin out to get the money, so he didn't move his face.When Austin passed out, he stopped, went to the bathroom, drank a glass of water, returned with a full glass, and splashed it in Austin's face.Austin woke up with a groan. Blake stared at him.Austin was a tough guy, and few could stand what Black did. "You're a terrific lad," Blake said. The corner of Austin's mouth twitched. "thanks." "What's the point of you being so stiff?" Blake said. "You know, I can torment you like this all night if I need to." Austin began to get up from the ground, his face writhing in pain as soon as his body moved.He sat on a chair and looked at Blake. "I'm not going to give up that money completely," he said. "Even if you kill me, I'm not going to give it all up. I've put so much effort into it, and I need it badly. . . . Blake knows he's telling the truth. Well," he said I'd split it with you.One hundred thousand of us.I take half enough. They stared at each other.Their relationship has changed again.From the moment they met, their relationship has been in constant flux.First cops and criminals, then men and men, then torturers and tortured. Now their relationship has become unclear to anyone. Blake could see in Austin's face that he was determined. "Okay," Austin said. "I know when to compromise. We're 50/50." He tried to smile, but it was forced. "I wish you had suggested that before you tortured me." "I've got to see if you can take it," Blake said coldly. "Like you've got to see if I stick it out. Until then, we can't come to a compromise." Austin nodded.They know each other very well. "Where's the money?" Blake asked. "In a safe." "Where's the key? I've been looking for a key." Austin smiled. "It's in an envelope downstairs in my letter box." "Then we'll only get the money tomorrow," Black said. "The banks are now closed." right. "We have to wait." "Can you stay up all night?" Austin said. "I'll kill you if I get the chance. you know this. " "I could stay up all night," Blake said coldly. They are in a messy apartment, waiting for the long night to pass. Blake sat in one chair and looked at Austin in the other. They sometimes talked briefly, and Austin told him that he planned to wait six months and then leave on a Far East Company ship. "You can still do that," Black said. "Take your half." "If you let me go," Austin said warily. "I don't care what you do afterward," Blake said. "Actually, when the time comes, I'll help you go. I don't want you to be caught either." The next day, Blake didn't call the police station. Although he was on duty that day, his immediate superior was used to it. It may be thought that Black found some clues, and he checked it alone, and he trusted Black very much. Time to go, Blake uncuffed Austin and watched him put on his coat. "Remember," Blake said. "If you play tricks, I'll kill you on the spot. I can say I'm on official duty. You have no choice but to split the road with me." "I know," Austin said, looking at Blake. "I just want to know how you caught me." Blake laughed. "I have a special memory for faces, and I have a photographic memory," he said. "The police took a picture of you when the ransom was being paid. I saw you in the crowd yesterday when I was watching TV." Austin took a deep breath. "This kind of thing is rare, and I actually fell on it." "If you're not a football fan, I can't catch you," Black said. "I couldn't catch you if I wasn't a football fan." Austin shrugged. "I should have included you in my kidnapping," he said. "We would have worked very well together." "Yeah," said Black, "it's a shame we didn't." They went out, took the elevator down, and got into Blake's car.Blake lets Austin drive. Soon to the bank.They walked into the bank side by side, and Blake watched Austin sign the register. They went into the basement together, Austin and the bank clerk opening the safe while Blake watched.Then the bank clerk walked away and Austin pulled out the box inside.Blake watched greedily as he reached in and pulled out thick wads of bills.Austin handed the bills to Blake, who put them in the handbag he had brought from the apartment.This was the handbag that Austin had taken for the ransom. They locked the safe, walked out of the bank side by side, and got into the car.Things were going so well that Blake wondered why they were both sweating so hard. "Go back to the apartment," he said. They drove slowly back to the apartment along the other road, parked, got out of the car, and went upstairs.They both breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed behind them.They feel like partners in distress, not rivals. "Well, we made it," Austin said. "Are you still willing to split with me?" "Of course," Blake said. He put the bag on the chair and unzipped it.He stared at the money inside and couldn't even catch his breath. It was just the kind of fortune he'd dreamed of.The opportunity finally came when he was about to leave the police force. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of Austin running towards him, and he dodged, but it was too late, and Austin hugged him, tripping him to the ground, and the pistol flung from Blake's hand, and Austin was on top of him. body.Blake knocked Austin to the ground with one punch, and Austin was too light to withstand the weight of Black.He punched Austin again, and then used all his strength to hold Austin tightly under him, preventing him from getting up.At the same time, his mind was running fast, and his thoughts were very clear, as if he was speaking loudly to Austin. When we got the money, I decided to kill you.Then decided not to do that, because you are me and I am you.But now I know I must kill you.For the same reason.Because you are me.You're going to hunt me down and get the money back. These thoughts echoed in his head so clearly that he turned his head so that he could not see the movement of his hands.Finally, he rose from the limp corpse, allowed his breathing to return to normal, and wept.When Blake grew up; he never cried. He stared blankly at the money, knowing it was all his.He walked over slowly and stretched out his hands to take it. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and he turned around sharply.The door was thrown open, and Blake reached for his gun, but it was no longer there.At this time, he recognized the person.People from the police station came in, and their section chief stood behind.Blake stood motionless, watching them burst into the room. "We heard you fighting and got here as fast as we could," the section chief said to Black. "Why didn't you tell us that you found a clue?" "Hear us wrestling?" Black repeated blankly. "You've been monitoring this place? Have you installed bugs?" The section chief smiled. "The FBI told us. They did a lot of meticulous work and decided that an athlete did it, so they started looking in newspapers for pictures of boxers and rugby players.We just started tracking him yesterday, hoping he can lead us to the money.We would have waited a long time without you. " Blake saw a small young man who was sure to be an FBI agent inspecting the bag.The Bureau of Investigation agent gestures to a police officer. "Look at the money," he said, and he turned to look at Black with suspicion. "We were taken aback when you walked into the apartment with him," he said. "But the chief insisted that you must be trying to swindle that money out of that person." Blake looks at the money in the agent's handbag.He reached for his gun and realized it was on the floor. The section chief chuckled. "You did a really good job," he said. "You made him believe that you only wanted the money, you made him think you wanted to split the money with him and not arrest him. It's nice of you to pretend, Blake. " Blake stared at him, wondering what he meant. The section chief pointed the agent with his thumb. "This FBI agent thought, you really want the money," he said. "He wanted to rush in, but I wouldn't let him do that. I know what you're doing, if you don't do that, you won't find the money, that guy is very tough and won't tell us where the money is.I tell this guy we totally trust you. " Blake stood dazed in the middle of the room as the police scurried around him, doing some procedural work. "We followed you to the bank this morning," said the FBI agent, his eyes still cold and suspicious. "It's incomprehensible to us that you didn't go directly to the police station after you left the bank. But your supervisor insisted that we wait for you. Why on earth did you come back here? " Blake was dazed, unaware of the danger of the question.He just shook his head, "I have to be sure that the money is all here," he muttered, "I have to figure this out." He looked down at the dead people in the ground. "I don't want to kill him." The chief patted him on the shoulder. "You've always been very careful," he said, "and figured out the tiniest point, that's your style. Take it easy, man. It's a shame you killed him. But you're a You are a hero. Reporters and photographers will come to the police station to interview you. Black, this is the biggest case you have ever solved. That's why I let you do it alone, so that all the credit goes to you alone.How does it feel to be a hero? " "Great," Blake said. "That's great." He looked at the FBI agent, still suspicious in his eyes.But it doesn't matter, he can only doubt and doubt, he can't do anything to him.Blake smiled wearily. "After I retired," he said. "I could sit down and read all the stories about me over and over again." He walks out of the apartment.Now, he's going home and getting a good night's sleep.He needs a good night's sleep.Tomorrow, reporters will flock to the police station, and he will face all of them.But, right now he just wants to sleep.He is old, and he needs to make up for the lack of sleep. ?