Vice Cop Ch. 07

Hudson and Kyle made a vow to remain friends for life, and they promised one another that even after the years of being cops in the chaotic urban jungle took its toll on them, they would never let each other down. They wanted to remain life-long friends, even after they were both married.

Hudson's mother, whom everyone called "Mamma Banach" but whose maiden name was Isabella Corelli, had a gleam in her eye and a big smile as she saw her eldest son become a cop like her husband had been. Hudson's younger brother Angelo was in awe at the sight of his older brother in uniform, surrounded by other uniform officers and NYPD big wigs, not to mention the mayor. It was all very impressive.

As for Kyle, he shared something in common with Isaiah Dante. He really had no family per se save for the NYPD he had just joined. He had family in New Jersey that had moved to Nevada. They flew to New York to see him graduate but Hudson noticed the family was not as tight-knit as his was. Kyle's father and mother seemed like a couple that had been wrongfully matched and bitter. Hudson did not know much about Kyle's family. He had one older sister who lived in Reno, Nevada who did not make it to the graduation ceremony.

Hudson loved everything about the ceremony and the memory of it was dented into his mind. But one thing he would also remember, in sadness and disappointment, was the fact that his own girlfriend Sonya Romandini did not show up to see him. While he received applause, he felt sick at heart that Sonya did not come to see him. It was like a slap in the face. What could have been more important to her than seeing him graduate and become an official cop?

Hudson tried his best not to make it too much about him. He knew Sonya had something she was keeping from him; something that did not seem right. He wondered often if she was being unfaithful to him. There was no evidence to prove this and Sonya was always pleasant around him and moreover she always treated him with love and respect. She had been a gracious and good girlfriend. She had never demanded too much from him.

After high school, she had not found a steady job anywhere. She had been fired from her job as a cashier at women's clothing store in Flushing Queens. She never explained her reasons. All Hudson knew was that currently, she was employed at the cosmetic's department at Macy's.

True, they had only been intimate once so far. It was on Prom Night, and they continued the tradition of making love with the person they danced with. Hudson knew that many seniors in high school were not serious about their girlfriends and it was always for a show, for fear of not "being with someone". Hudson thought that Sonya truly loved him.

What was she being so secretive about? Why would she not show up for his graduation ceremony? Hudson also theorized that if she didn't have another man on the side, then she was doing something illegal that he did not want him to know about. He prayed to God it wasn't what he feared.

Hudson had always been a cop at heart. He had a suspicious mind and was always on alert, sensing that something was amiss at times. Growing up in New York City, a city that was often filled with danger and crime, he knew that people were not always born to crime and vice. Those that were not raised by a criminal family such as the Mafia were lured into it, seduced into it for love of money and material things. But at the moment, he did not suspect the Mafia, which had always had a hold on New York City, was responsible for making Sonya go astray.

He decided he'd have to have a talk with her, but he knew he had to do it tactfully the next time he was alone with her.

FOUR

Hudson's younger sister Alyssa was a precocious girl who was a favorite among school teachers. She was a beautiful girl and had a talent for acting and had appeared in every school play from elementary school to her current year at junior high. She had one skill which made her mother proud -- she was able to play the flute. One evening a Professor of Music came to lecture at her school.

At the end of the lecture, a concert would take place. Several of the Professor's pupils would play orchestral music under his baton. The Professor would play a duet for piano and flute with Alyssa. Because Mamma Banach was ill that evening, Angela counted on Hudson to take her to the lecture. He had not wanted to go but he knew he had familial obligation. There was no one else who could do this for Alyssa. Angelo was not old enough to drive and Mamma Banach had never learned to drive. Since marriage and her arrival in New York from Sicily, she remained first and foremost a housewife and mother.

The Professor was Ezra Goldstein, a little Jewish man who hailed from Brooklyn and had been a Music Professor at a Conservatory for years. He had recently become a college music professor. Often times, public schools borrowed him as a guest speaker, in efforts to instill musical interests among the inner city school children. The moment he approached the podium and began to lecture, Hudson found himself intrigued. He spoke articulately and beautifully, in an almost British accent owing to time spent in the United Kingdom.

He spoke about his brief career as piano accompanist to the great opera singers of his time. Because it was only a junior high school, and the students were below fifteen years of age, he mostly spoke in terms they would understand. He introduced them to the world of classical music and symphonies by defining many of the terminology to them such as the various instruments and brief bios of composers from Bach to Stravinsky.

The children were uninterested, and even their parents feigned interest. Only Hudson showed interest, listening to the Professor as if he were opening up a new world of exciting possibilities. Symphonies, chamber music, operas --and the women who enjoyed them! He knew that only the most cultured, sophisticated and beautiful girls enjoyed this kind of music. He could take Sonya to these symphonies and operas and it would be romantic. He would make friends who were of a different social circle than his. It would also help them to have a cop on their side.

Alyssa played the flute beautifully and the Professor, despite his age, was able to play the piano like a young man, full of zesty energy. The duet was charming and Hudson loved the melodies they played but the audience, composed of working middle-class families from Queens, did not care much for the music and applauded only because it was appropriate, not because they had enjoyed the music. Hudson suddenly felt that he did not belong with these people. Some day, he hoped, even as a cop, he would be something much more and his family would be proud.

The evening came to an end. As folks exited the hall, Alyssa put away her flute and Hudson approached Professor Ezra Goldstein. He was a small man and Hudson was taller than him. He tried not to frighten him as he looked like a nervous little man, so he merely said "hello there" to get his attention.

"I'm Alyssa's older brother," he said to him, "her mother was unable to attend the lecture tonight. My name's Hudson Banach."

"Charmed, Mr. Banach," the Professor replied, "Miss Alyssa is a lovely girl and a gifted pianist."

The Professor put away his on things and was getting ready to exit the Hall and find his car in the parking lot. Something was in the air, as if tonight was a particularly special night.

"She is a good girl," Hudson said, "it's only a pity her father didn't live to see her play the flute."

"And what about you? Did you enjoy the music?"

"It was the most beautiful music I have ever heard in my life. What...what was it called?"

"It was bits and pieces of the score to Mozart's "The Magic Flute" opera, Schubert's "Trout" Quintet and Beethoven's King Stephen Overture."

Hudson's blue eyes were actually glistening.

"It was God's music," he said, "the most gorgeous music of all time."

"My boy, if you're so interested in this art form, why don't you --"

"I couldn't play an instrument. I have no time. I have just become a police officer with the NYPD."

"What about joining my class?"

"I don't know, Professor. I have only a high school education and I don't know if I'm cut out for that sort of thing. I don't think I'd have enough time for your class, unfortunately. Being a cop will consume too much of my time. But you know, I'll give it a shot. I can take at least one class."

"You can take my appreciation course."

"I wonder, Professor, if you could possibly teach me about classical music and opera in private. If you wish, I could pay you. I don't mean music lessons, just lessons in appreciating the symphony and the opera."

"That would require me to take you to symphonies and operas."

"I would pay for those."

"I wouldn't hear of it. I love treating people to these concerts. I think you're on to a great idea. I don't care for the money my boy. You need not pay me. You should save your money now that you're a cop. I shall be quite proud to be your mentor, because that is what you are suggesting. No one else showed any real interest in music tonight."

"Could you tell?"

"Oh, yes. I've been to many lectures and I know when the audience is bored or genuinely interested. You were quite immersed in my lecture."

"You were terrific."

"Come on, Hudson," Alyssa said to him, interrupting, "it's getting a little late. Mamma will be a little worried about us.....and "Dynasty" is going to be on soon!"

"Ah, we wouldn't want to miss that," the Professor said jokingly.

It was so nice meeting you, Professor Goldstein

And that was the beginning of a friendship between an uptight Professor and a street-smart cop........

FIVE

A few weeks into his new life as a cop, Hudson had his first share of thrills. Soon after donning the uniform and cap, he had been assigned to various patrol duties in the Bronx. He had no idea why they had sent him there, knowing full well that there were other cops from other precincts who worked the beat in that borough. He supposed that there was some kind of connection with each precinct and that they loaned cops to one another. For some reason, there was a need for more officers on patrol in that area.

Hudson knew exactly why. The Bronx was nothing like Manhattan. The crime rate was much higher and all kinds of vice occurred -- the usual prostitution rings headed by violent pimps, drug dealing and not to mention theft and the unending gang activities. Hudson knew nothing about gangs and how they even operated so he just figured they were just punks and kids who wanted some kind of family because their own families were messed up and broken. He loved the police car they had given him. It was not like the black-and-white patrol cars he had seen in various films or cop dramas on TV, but it made for quite a sight. It was a response car, a Crown Victoria with red, white and blue siren, equipped with radio with which to communicate with Central Dispatch.

Kyle and Hudson were on patrol duty, having been told that there was an increase of hoodlums and gangs committing hate crimes, drive-by-shootings and grand theft auto in open and plain sight in the streets.

"This is rough neighborhood," said Kyle, "I don't understand why even the cops don't seem enough sometimes."

"Yeah, well, it's not going to get any better unless there are changes made," Hudson said," But I'm not the one to make them. I'm just enforcing the law."

Suddenly they received a call on their radio.

"4-Adam-10, do you copy?" said a male voice, "we need more cover on a pursuit that has just taken place. Suspect is driving a stolen vehicle passing the speed limits and heading out of the South Bronx area."

"Yeah, we copy," said Hudson onto the hand-held device inside the car," this is Officers Hudson Banach and Kyle Lennox. Where has the suspect been spotted?"

"Hunts Point. The car has been stolen and is heading out of the Bronx, possibly into Manhattan but we don't know that for sure. It's driving very erratically. We need all available units."

"We're on it," said Hudson.

"Looks like our first car chase, eh, Hudson?" said Kyle with a grin.

* * * * *

The chase was on.

Response vehicles, faster than run-of-the-mill police cruisers, were on the tail of a man who had stolen a truck that was had had been occupied with a woman and her child.

The woman and the boy were still in the car, and the man was apparently a kidnapper. In addition to car theft, he would be booked on charges of kidnap.

For Hudson, the thrills began at that moment. Kyle Lennox maintained a cool and calm exterior, though he was inwardly nervous and afraid the car pursuit would end in a bloody shoot-out.

The police had followed the man out of a street in Hunts Point in the South Bronx and he was driving into various streets without a sense of direction. All the while, the police with their loudspeakers and sirens blaring, urged the man to stop the car.

"Do you think he's armed?" Kyle said to Hudson.

"It's difficult to tell," he replied, "he could just open fire but he hasn't done that. Then again he could pull out a gun when the car chase becomes a foot chase."

"And you think that's going to happen?"

"It really could happen. This is going to be interesting."

"Oh, come on, Hudson, Jesus, you don't think this is exciting do you?"

There many police cars after the stolen truck looked like a triangle formation, and they cleared traffic through the streets of various parts of the Bronx. It was broad daylight. It was around two thirty in the afternoon and school-age children were just coming off of school, making the pursuit especially dangerous. The crazed driver was zig-zagging and breaking the speed limits in residential areas and not just one but three school zones. Off he went, seemingly determined to outrun the cops, hoping to tire them or to beat them.

It was like some sort of high for him. Hudson wondered if he was feeling the same thing, except from his end as a cop. He was getting a high from chasing the suspect. Kyle did not seem to enjoy the chase, and had turned gravely serious and somewhat stone-faced, not making any conversation with Hudson.

"Why do you suppose they think they can outrun the police?" Hudson asked Kyle, "that always amazes me. I've seen car chases before and the guy always thinks he can just disappear and the cops will give up on him."

"It's like a game for them, it's glamorous for them, I guess," Kyle said, "they like being on TV for this. I don't understand their mentality. It's pure stupidity. They won't stand a chance against cops whose job is to catch guys like this. And we have all day or sometimes all night."

"You betcha. This guy looks like he's going to take his sweet time."

"One-Adam-10," the voice on the car radio said, "we need you to turn to another direction. We believe that the suspect might be headed for Yankee Stadium or willpass that area."

"What do you want us to do?" Hudson said.

"One-Adam-14, One Adam 15 and One-Adam 12 are going to try to stop him from another direction to corner him."

"Alright, I copy. We're on it."........

In the stolen truck, the man, a barrel-chested Puerto Rican with chest hair showing from his muscle shirt, had slapped the woman with the crying boy on her lap.

"Now you shut up, and you listen to me," he said in a strong accent, "I'm going to meet a friend at Yankee Stadium. Quick as lightning, I'll take you and your boy into his car and he'll take you to the airport where you will both be taking a flight to LA. If you want your boy to live, you better do as I say."

"Who are you?" the woman said.

"That's of no importance to you. You are going to become a sex worker for my friend and if you do as he says, we'll keep your boy alive. Otherwise we'll cut him up and his body will be sold for medical students to examine."

"Oh my God, how can you do this?"

"Yeah, I said shut up, lady."

Back in Hudson and Kyle's car, they had come across another part of the Bronx and were approaching Yankee Stadium, the famed stadium of Babe Ruth's dreams. Hudson had seen many a baseball game there with his brother Angelo, with his Uncle Vitto and had even invited the Professor to attend one game in the spring. He had loved that stadium ever since he could remember.

It was a childhood memory and a huge part of Americana and New York City, as much an icon of the city as the Statue of Liberty or the Brooklyn Bridge. To think that now he would return to the Stadium to do his cop duty.

He spoke into the device in the car, the little thing disappearing under his big hands.

"This is One-Adam-10," Hudson said, "we're approaching Yankee Stadium. Where do you want us to stop?"

"You will park the car in the parking lot and blend in with the other cars and try to look incognito. When you see the suspect, use your loudspaker to talk to him. If the suspect is not willing to cooperate, then proceed on foot."

"See, what did I tell you?" Hudson said to Kyle, "I smelled this from the moment the chase began."

Kyle bit his lip and made a courageous face. Hudson grinned.

As the Stadium came into view, they noticed that a few people were up and about. It was practice time for the Yankees and many were there to attend practice. The sun was especially warm that day and beaming down over the parking lot with some force.

Hudson had on his cop sunglasses but Kyle felt they looked ridiculous and had always chosen not to wear them. Hudson believed the real reason was that the sunglasses did not look especially flattering on his smaller frame whereas they made him look cool and heroic. Hudson observed his face in the car mirror and grinned. He loved the way he looked in sunglasses and full uniform. He was sure he was the hottest cop in the precinct.

"Hudson, this is no time to check yourself in the mirror," Kyle said, jokingly.

They parked the car and the wait began. The air was tense. The poor suckers on the parking lot knew nothing about what was going to happen in a few minutes. Hudson prayed and hoped these poor pedestrians and innocent by-standers wouldn't be shot or injured.

The Puerto Rican man's truck came into the parking lot. From the corner of his eye, Hudson was able to spot him. He took off his sunglasses and put a hand on Kyle's shoulder to get his attention.

"The guy's coming," he said, "get ready."

But as soon as the car had parked, the man had forcibly taken the woman into another car, all in plain sight of some people and Hudson and Kyle were able to see from their car. They turned on the siren and began to move.

"One-Adam-14, this is Officers Banach and Lennox, we're at the Stadium and we have just seen the suspect take the woman and child onto another vehicle. It's a Mercedez-Benz, black, late 1970's."

"After them," said the cop on the other end.

"So this is a second chase, now?" Kyle said, "I'm going to get such a huge migraine."

They followed the car as it made its way out of the parking lot. But it was not to be. The other police cars arrived at the Stadium and blocked his way out. Hudson smiled.

At least a second chase would not be needed.

"We got him," said a voice on the car radio.

The cops surrounded the car. Hudson and Kyle drove to a spot facing the suspect at a closer range.

"Come out with your hands up," Hudson said into his loudspeaker, "let the woman and the child go. You are under arrest. Do not attempt to flee on foot."

The suspects, two Puerto Rican men, came out of the car with the woman and the boy.

The boy was still crying in the woman's arms.

"Don't try anything funny," Hudson said, coming out of the car, armed with his gun and approaching the suspect.

As he drew near, one of the suspects began to run.