Exit Wounds Read Free

what place a murder investigation agency had amongst the various new intelligence and anti-terrorism departments. But then he quickly remembered that at the time of the reforms, the government had been getting a lot of bad press about its negligence to handle the nation’s increasing crime level and threats on its own streets, whilst it waged several continuing wars of peace across the world.
    He didn’t like the idea of working for a department that had been put in purpose, purely to please the little people, but Tony couldn’t fault the government’s tactics. It was a spin he himself might have come up with.
    Being the baby of the group, the M.I.T. was always screaming out for more financial support and backing; which of course, it was duly refused. This also frustrated Tony. How could he ever get anywhere when he was stuck in a department that itself was stuck in the lowest ranks of everyone’s priority. But then, every so often, something would come up that would be so much bigger than just a standard high profile murder, and with it, Tony thought to himself, would come the chance for him to shine.
    After waiting for yet another drone to clear his path, Tony pushed through the double doors to his team’s bullpen room and realised that the briefing had already began without him.
    His superior, and head of the department, Andrew Colgan said not a disapproving word as Tony dumped his folders on his desk and quickly joined his colleagues around the large, oval table in the centre of the bottom end of the room, but Tony knew his late arrival had been acknowledged and noted none the less.
    As he sat down, a copy of the briefing documents was handed to him from his right. “You’re late,” Craig Hughes whispered.
    Tony didn’t answer. He instead instantly began the task of bringing himself up to speed with the documents in his hands, as well as simultaneously listening to the presentation in front of him.
    “As you’ve seen, another victim was found this morning. Young girl called Lucy Green. She was fifteen years old.” Colgan hit the enter button on his laptop, bringing the next slide up to be projected onto the pull-down screen.
    It wasn’t a pretty sight. Tony had seen nineteen of these bodies now, and was doing his best to tell himself that it had become easier. He kept his expression emotionless, for that is what he needed to stay. Unattached, calculated, it was the only way to remain professional and able to carry out his work to the best of his ability.
    Craig was different. He turned away from the images on the screen, one hand nervously scratching his temple. But then it was little wonder. Craig was as much a fixture in the department as the desks and shelving. He had already hit thirty and showed no prospects of reaching any higher than the lower-mid level position he had been in for the last seven years. He lacked the drive that had accelerated Tony to where he was in half the time it took Craig to get to where he was. Tony was already Craig’s superior and he wasn’t going to stop there.
    It seemed to Tony, that he and Craig were different in absolutely every way. Whereas he was focused and determined, Craig seemed distracted and content. Craig was shorter too, with dark hair which waved and fell out of place at every given opportunity. He wasn’t overweight, but in comparison to someone like himself, Tony could see that he cared little for the maintenance of his own body and had probably never even seen the inside of a gymnasium since school.
    It was strange then, that Tony couldn’t help but feel a certain fondness for this reverse parallel of himself. Craig was the only person that Tony would trust in any way. Perhaps it was because Tony believed Craig too incompetent for betrayal? Or perhaps it was because Craig looked up to him unquestioningly? Whatever the reason, Tony saw Craig as the closest thing he had to a friend in this place and whilst it might be going against the rules he set himself