The Consultant

1 | New Beginnings

~ FIONA ~

I suddenly woke up and found myself in an unknown place.

I started looking for my gun.... that's when I realized, I was in the flight on my way to New York.

I stopped my procrastinations and got ready for the long journey, this a place that would completely change my life.

As I closed my eyes, I saw my parents waving at me, hugging and kissing me, saying their goodbyes, making quite a scene at the airport, because of which I almost missed my flight!

Just thinking about how far I was going from them, made me sad.

I opened my eyes, and pushing to sad memories to the back of my mind, got back to reading on my k****e.

~

We had just landed at the Heathrow Airport.

I soon realized that a six-hour stopover could make anyone grumpy, and I was no different. I should've just agreed to take the direct flight. Damn.

After boarding my connecting flight from London to New York, I kept myself awake in order to avoid jet lag, and also because I couldn't sleep.

It had been a year now, since the last time I had slept. For others, sleep was their escape, to a peaceful, calm place.

But for me, it was worst then hell. The moment I closed my eyes, all my worst fears would morph themselves into nightmares. I had tried therapy, even pills, but nothing worked.

I just stared at the screen in front of me and browsed through the movies that were available. Even with some people shamelessly snoring next to me, I was still unable to sleep.

So, I made myself comfortable in the flight seat and finally decided to watch 'The Girl on the Train'.

~

The voice of the pilot suddenly blared through my headphones, interrupting the movie I was watching, to announce that we had reached our destination and would be landing soon.

After going through the rigorous immigration at the Newark International Airport, I finally made my way to collect my luggage, and that's when I saw him.

Wearing a black suit that matched his mysterious black eyes, I recognised him immediately. He was Detective Kevin Caffrey of the 14th precinct.

I remembered him so well, as he was the one who had reached out to me and asked me to consult with the New York Police Department, regarding America's most wanted criminal.

He walked up to me and shaked my hand. Even though there was no need, I still said, "Hi, Kevin. Inspector Fiona Mascarenhas from the Crime Investigation Bureau, Mumbai."

"You don't know how glad I am to see you here," Kevin said with a smile.

After we exited the airport, Kevin hailed a cab and started inquiring about my flight. When I gave him a positive reply, he got busy answering his constantly buzzing phone.

As we cruised on the bridge towards the busy streets and avenues of New York, I was mesmerized by its beauty and extravagant uniqueness.

I drew the window down, and put my head out, enjoying the fresh New York breeze blowing in my face.

There was something in the air here that sort of inspired you.

As we exited the bridge and entered the main street, I brought my head back inside the car and continued to gaze out of the window.

I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts as our cab stopped in front of an ancient-looking building.

Kevin helped me with my luggage and led me towards the elevator. We got out on the third floor, whose only sign of decoration seemed to be the bright overhead lamps.

As Kevin showed me the apartment that was to be my 'home' for the next few months, I was surprised by how modern it looked compared to the exterior of the building.

Suddenly, Kevin called out, "I gotta go. Duty calls. See you on Monday!" He pointed towards a bag and said that everything I needed was in it, and left.

I opened the bag and found a NYPD standard issue Glock gun, a NYPD Consultant ID, the address and phone number of the precinct; written neatly on a piece of paper.

I explored my 'home', a modest apartment with simple yet elegant decor with some random paintings and minimal furniture.

After I finished the boring job of unpacking, I changed into a printed tee and black jeans and decided to indulge in some sightseeing.

As I had the whole weekend to myself, I whiled away my time exploring the Big Apple.

The first place that I went to, was Central Park. As I entered Central Park, I saw kids and adults alike, enjoying themselves.

As it was the weekend, a lot of families were relaxing on the grass, with their kids playing or running around the park.

Seeing them, I remembered my childhood, when everything was just so simple and a lot less complicated.

Frankly speaking, I don't even remember the last time I spent some quality time with my family.

I lied down on the soft grass and relaxed, letting my thoughts flow.

Becoming a complete workaholic due to my job and some tedious criminals, I had absolutely forgotten how divine it felt to just lie down on the grass, close your eyes and enjoy the birds chirping, kids laughing, dogs licking....

WAIT!!

WHAT??

.... I opened my eyes and saw a big pink tongue with saliva dripping all over my face. I got up and eyed the cute big Labrador intruder, who had disturbed my nap.

He looked at me through those puppy eyes as though he was longing for a hug. I patted his head as he sat down next to me, not once stopping his licking marathon.

Just then I saw a lady running in our direction, shouting out, "FRIDO!!!! FRIDO!!!"

She looked to be in her thirties but was too agile for her age, indicating that maybe she was either a fitness trainer or an athlete.

The way she was running coupled with the fact that she had her hands tightly tucked near her chest said that she was an athlete....

UH-OH!

I forgot I was supposed to be chilling out in the park and mentally kicked the detective-y thoughts out of my mind.

She came and stared at poor Frido with angry eyes and then turned to me with a more calmer expression. She smiled, "Really sorry for the licking fit Frido caused. He can be very naughty and troublesome at times. I am Cecilina, by the way."

I wiped my droopy face with a tissue, and took her extended hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Fiona. And, its OKAY! I love animals, especially dogs," I replied.

After saying bye to Frido, and chilling out in the park for an hour more, I decided to check out the bookshop I had seen, around the curb from Central Park.

As I entered the shop, I heard the jingle of an overhead bell and saw an old guy of about sixty sitting behind the counter. The shop was a small one, with most of the books on the shelves, covered in dust. It looked as if I was the only person to have stepped into this store in a long time.

A smile spread across my face as I found the book I was looking for, after just a few minutes of searching.

Crammed between the old and worn out copies of 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Anna Karenina' was a relatively new copy of 'War and Peace'.

Just to be cautious, I got busy going through a few more books.

After what seemed like an eternity and with sharp stares from the old guy, I reluctantly stopped my browsing and gave him the book I had selected. He handed me the bill. I paid him the money and left the shop.

Only once I was out of the store and walking on the pavement, did I open the Russian classic. I removed an envelope that had been neatly tucked between it's pages.

I deftly opened the white envelope and took out a small rectangular piece of paper from it. The only thing written on it was a phone number. A number which I instantly memorized.

I then placed the paper back into the envelope and tore it up into tiny pieces. I wrapped this up in a tissue paper and stuffed it into my jeans pocket.

As I was simultaneously doing this and walking on the pavement, I didn't realize when I reached my building. It was at a short distance from Central Park.

As I entered the building I was met with all kinds of stares; friendly, questioning and blank stares. I acknowledged the friendly ones, ignored the others and headed straight towards the elevator.

I got out of the elevator, and started rummaging in my sling for the keys as I moved towards my apartment. That's when I noticed a piece of paper sticking out, from under my door.

I picked it up and recognized the faint odor.... of blood. Written in neat, bold letters were the words ---

A criminal who is a master of disguise.

A consultant with the NYPD.

Blood is what they both want.

Who will get a of taste it?

~ WELCOME ~

~