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Banks face is calm and serious, but you can see it in his eye, an air of uncertainty creeps in. You sigh and shrug.
"I understand where you're coming from, Banks and I wouldn't have framed this as a choice if I was just going to take the choice from you when you make the one I don't like."
You see a frown settle onto his face and wave a hand.
"Look I know you aren't a coward, you've put your ass on the line plenty in the past. But this IS the job, by definition, it's not about us looking out for ourselves. It can't be."
"I won't be able to do the job if I get iced out because I turned rat on a detective, Mark. Are you expecting me to stay a beat cop forever? Walk the block until I'm old enough to finally get the bare minimum pension?"
"Oh come on, Banks. Your pension? You expect me to believe this would be about money?"
His face goes slightly red and he speaks quietly.
"No.. even if you did believe that I wouldn't let you think it for long. You know this isn't about money, but it IS about family. I'm getting married soon and one day I wanna have a kid or two, not to put too fine a point on it but that takes money. Money that being a beat cop isn't going to get me. I need to plan my future, to get a few stripes or move into admin.. I can't put it on Susanne to support us."
"I hear you.." You say quietly, taking a moment to chew your breakfast before it goes too cold. "You have the right to make whatever choice you think is best, but I don't think you'll sleep well at night if you let this go."
"Why's that?"
You swallow another bite.
"Because you're like me. Protect and serve isn't just a slogan to you, guys like us actually care about the city. The people in it. Those career moves you're planning take time, are you still gonna feel this way in two years? In five? If Gorchakov slips by are you going to feel right taking those stripes?"
He stays silent. His eyes still holding yours.
"My investigation turned up a couple things." You continue. "But the main thing that stuck with me is Officer Derek Free. He was Gorchakov's partner before he went through his next partner which was the one you replaced."
"Alright?"
"He's dead." You state. Your mouth going dry, tasting slightly of acrid smoke. You sip at a black coffee and wash the taste away. "Gorchakov killed him, emptied an entire clip into his back."
"Jesus Christ.." Banks mumbles, his eyes finally breaking from yours.
"He's dangerous. I know you said no, but now you know as much as I do. If we miss Gorchakov then Free's death was for nothing, the deaths we don't know about, the lives he's ruined. It's all for nothing. That said, I understand if you still say no."
You watch his hands curl around his mug. His pallid, pale knuckles growing pink from the warmth.
"Would you do it?"
"Would I-"
