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“P,could you show me some respect of not treating me like I’m stupid?” I sighed. “I see now what a team is supposed to be like. My team is supposed to have my back.I’m supposed to dive into situations knowing I don’t have to look back to see who’s aiming for me.”
I rubbed the back of my neck.
“And it has nothing to do with anything I did wrong.” I shook my head. “I can’t work with that fear.”
“I don’t want you off that team.” Captain told me. “Not like this.”
“Then—”
I pulled the white envelop from my pocket and set it on his desk. Using both my index fingers, I eased the letter across to him.
“You’re resigning?” He asked, eyes wide.
“I’m not staying on that team.” I stressed. “I refuse to risk my life for people who wouldn’t do the same for me. I refuse to not go home to my woman because one of them hate me so much, they prefer to look the other way and let someone take me out.”
“They wouldn’t.”
“No,P?”
Captain sighed and after staring at me for a bit, he got up and walked over to his window. He dragged his fingers through his greying hair.
I gave me him time to his thoughts.
When the silence prolonged, I stood and unclipped my badge from where it usually sat on my belt. Gently, I sent it on the desk before pulling my gun. ejecting the cartridge and setting both it and the weapon beside the badge.
“Nong.” He called to me. “What would you do if not on the team?”
“I want to start my own team.” I told him. “I want to hand pick the members.”
“And you think other cops are going to want to leave their posts to work with you?”
“You’re assuming I meant a team here,P.”
I shifted so I was fully facing him.
“Khob khun—” I cleared my throat. “Thanks for everything,P. I know having me here wasn’t easy for you. And I could stay and fight, but I have a life I want to live, and I need to focus on that good thing.”
The captain nodded.
“What about, N’Beam?”
“I made him an offer.” I replied. “Then I gave him all the time in the world to make a decision.”
“You mean I’m going to be down two cops?”
“I don’t know, P.” I shrugged. “He’s yet to give an answer.”
Heading to the door, I shoved my fingers into my pockets, but stopped to look at him over a shoulder.
“You’re going to have to clean up this house, Captain.” I gave my thoughts. “Or you’re going to keep losing cops—good ones.”
Before he could speak, I offered him wai and dipped out the door.
I stopped at my desk to pick a medallion from my drawer. It belonged to my mother, something I usually kept with me all the time. When I went to Taz, I was in a rush and left it behind.
Everything else, I left and exited the station out into the dry heat of the early day.
Stopping to pick up some beer and wine, then made my way to the beach house I’d rented for us to exhale.