Max Trowell paced around the parking lot of the Brickerville police station in his long black trench coat smoking a cigarette. He never smoked. Only when he was really stressed out like he was now. Carter tried to keep up with his boss' pace while bringing him up to speed. They didn't have much time to play head games with the Gadget Man. It was dark and cold outside but neither one of them could feel it because of the blood boiling through their veins.
"I think I know how we can circumvent." Said Max taking a long pull on his Winston 100.
Carter kept pace with him like a dog on a leash. "How's that?"
Max blew a huge cloud of smoke into the nocturnal air that lingered after he exhaled. "We don't have time to find a judge, do all the paperwork, to grant him immunity. So we fake it."
A little light bulb flashed in Carter's head. He became excited as though they were at the 5 yard line all huddled up and someone had a play idea for a winning touchdown. Excitement grew in his voice.
"Oh, I get it! We make up some fake paperwork on the computer granting him immunity then he cooperates."
Max snapped his fingers. "Exactly." He said taking another drag.
"But can we really do that?"
"We can do whatever we want. We're the Feds remember?"
Carter smiled at the thought of this. "I'll go back in and tell him we're willing to negotiate." Said Carter turning around about to walk back inside.
Max yanked on Carter's black leather bomber jacket before he could elude him. "Wait. While you're in there I want you to pump out as much information as you can about that U-Haul truck packed full of explosives crashing into our building. I've got a gut feeling he couldn't have acted alone on that one." He said flicking his cigarette butt into the grass and checking his watch.
"Gotcha." Replied Carter making a beeline towards the police station.
"Hurry. We don't have much time." Shouted Max from a distance.
When Carter walked back into the room he noticed the Gadget Man's good eye was completely swollen and he was no longer smiling. Perhaps he had gotten out of hand during Carter's jaunt. The only smiles in the room were on the Brickerville cops.
Carter sat back down in his seat a little more relaxed this time. Vinny was gnashing his razor sharp teeth.
Carter cleared his throat breaking the silence. "We're prepared to negotiate and we're in the process of granting you immunity."
All the pigs in the room frowned and murmers could easily be heard. When the Gadget Man looked down at the table completely astonished Carter winked at one of the lawmen who subtly winked at the others to put their minds at ease.
"But first, I need to know your plan for defusing the bomb so I know everything is legit. You have my word we won't double cross you." Carter was good at lying.
The Gadget Man weighed his options in his mind while the throng of officers feigned being pissed at his future immunity.
"Fine very well. Unfortunately the plan of dismantlement is going to have to involve me."
Carter looked surprised. "How so?"
"I have a remote control buried in the ground at a secret location that I'll have to personally show you. Once that button is pushed, the bomb becomes inactive." Said Vinny watching Carter taking notes.
He paused for a second and looked up at Vinny. "So let me get this straight. You push a button on a remote control and the bomb becomes disengaged. How will we know for sure that it's no longer live?"
"The digital timer will completely black out and then it will be safe to enter the bedroom."
Carter mulled this strategy over in his mind but didn't like the idea of the Gadget Man taking them to his secret hiding spot where the remote was buried. For all he knew it could be a trap. There could be another bomb buried in the ground that could blow them all up. But what other choice did he have? If a 6 month old baby got blown to smithereens because of their screw up, it would be Rodney King all over again. Suddenly Carter remembered what his boss had told him outside. He reluctantly changed the subject.
"What can you tell me about the U-Haul truck armed with explosives that crashed into our building and killed 25 people?"
Vinny looked shocked that an FBI agent would take the time to deviate while an infant remained in grave danger. It figures these haughty well-heeled white people only cared about themselves.
Vinny rubbed his swollen eye into his shoulder and then looked up. "I'm going to need a cigarette before I can answer that question."
"There's no smoking in here."
"You're gonna have to make an exception."
Carter looked stupidly at the guards until one of them withdrew a pack of Marlboro Reds from his pocket.
Vinny shook his head. "Nuh-uh, I only smoke menthol. Let me get a Newport from my own pack. It's mixed in with my personal property."
Carter nodded to one of the pigs standing closest to the door and the cop quickly left the room to find Vinny's cigarettes Alvin had confiscated. While they waited for the Gadget Man's cancer sticks, Vinny leered at Carter through his swollen eye and adjusted his eye patch. He could barely see a thing.
"People don't just suddenly become monsters. The government creates them!" He said breaking the silence.
"You seem to have a lot of animosity towards the government." Replied Carter.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I? I did 10 years for a crime that I never committed."
Carter rolled his eyes at this response. Oh no, another one of those guys he thought to himself.
Vinny droned on. "Do you know what it's like to be labeled a pedophile in jail? Inmates constantly pick on and attack sex offenders putting their lives in grave danger. Just look at my eye and the scars on my face."
What the Gadget Man was saying went in one ear and flew out the other. Carter heard all of this nonsense before and learned how to daydream right through it.
Vinny's Newports arrived and his handcuffs jingled as his palsied hands removed a Newport 100 from the pack. He popped the cigarette in his mouth and a pig walked over and lit it for him. Carter was becoming impatient and time was running out. He needed answers before it was too late.
"So back to the U-Haul truck incident. Did somebody help you with that?"
Vinny felt more vainglorious than a crooked real estate agent. He couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, you guys." He said matter-of-factly.
Carter looked astonished. He looked around the room at the other officers like he didn't get the punch line to a joke. A few of them shrugged their shoulders. With a crocodile smile, Vinny dug deep into his pack of smokes and pulled out a lemon scented towelette then threw it on the table.