Higgins’ mind raced like a quarter horse exceeding a sprint, pushing forward but frothing slightly, almost ready to give out. His face, he knew, was schooled to stillness, giving nothing away.
He wanted nothing more than to rush Jackson, to pull down that braggart, that swaggering villain who dared to lay his treacherous hands on that girl again.
The ground was shuddering slightly with the rumble of the enormous vehicle Fipps had mastered, but all else was silent for the moment.
His hand strayed to his pants pocket where he would normally have kept his badge when he was off duty. He kept a picture there, faded now with time, ragged and papery at the edges, that he liked to look at it when danger arose, given the time. The badge, with the picture of the little girl who never quite made it to Shavian’s age, was with the trousers he’d been wearing days ago. Despite his own fastidiousness, he could not rightly say any longer where it was right that moment. He wished he had it.
For just a second he forgot that he was not on duty and likely never would be again.
No. That wasn’t right. He was always on duty, always a cop, or he wouldn’t be feeling this way right now. Whenever he was on duty and his life was in danger, or someone else’s was, he’d gotten a cold shiver of dread down his spine. He shuddered tellingly.
“Jackson,” Elliott said pleadingly, “come on. We’re sorry, okay? We… it wasn’t personal.” To Higgins the lie rang out like a church bell in a ten by ten storage box, clanging off the walls, nearly deafening in its insistence to be recognized and acknowledged. Apparently it did to Jackson as well. The blackguard snorted derisively and gave Elliott a look. Higgins had to give the kid an ‘A’ for effort though. But there was nothing they could do anymore but physically prevent Jackson from taking Shavian: he would not be convinced. Higgins knew the look of a man who needed vengeance and would settle for nothing else. Likely even money would not be sufficient compensation for the man’s pride and hate.
Roger, always looking on the bright side and endlessly expressing his views on it, said, “Well, my boy, at least we don’t have to lie about it! Honesty’s the best policy is what I always say!”
“When have you ever said that?” Elliott mumbled at him out of the side of his mouth, expressing what Higgins was thinking (and not for the first time, either).
vRoger shrugged. “Must have said it at least once.” Higgins thought he might have seen a small tick in Elliott’s left eye.
“She’s going back to the quack, and that’s all there is to it,” Jackson said, his tone gleeful. “I get rid of this trash” he gave Shavian another poke in the back with the rifle “and maybe get a reward.” Higgins sighed inwardly. Revenge and money. Couldn’t top that.
He would simply have to wait for his chance to bum rush Jackson.