Three days in the back of a van with nothing more than a bottle to piss in and a shopping bag full of chips and warm soda, that was how I spent the last few days of freedom. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t glamorous, but it was worth every moment that led to the arrest of Mr. Wallace Marshall Reed. He had taken everything from us, yet lived in his penthouse on the Upper West Side, and did what ever he pleased.

“Sarge, do we have to?” I couldn’t make out the response, but got the hint when the door was slammed in my face. I could see a smug man duck the press and get shuffled into the back of a police car. Sure, I had done something illegal, but I’d do it all again. The man who was sitting just like me, was brought down to his knees by a lonely IT worked with a penchant for skirting the rules to make sure that the little guy always got a fair shake. Guess one too many strokes of the keys dug my own hole, but at least it was big enough to topple the castle.

******

“We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for this breaking news. Mr. Wallace Marshall Reed has been arrested for extortion, profiteering, arms dealing, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. This salacious lie has all been perpetrated by a disgruntled former NYPD Digital Crimes Specialist. The DA will be live with us in a moment from station ten to give us what this means.” The news reporter read her teleprompter flawlessly. This would be her break and it had to be perfect. As the screen was scrolling through the pre-approved garbage that the network execs had written, she realized that this was not the type of work she had expected to be doing. Sure there would be fake to go along with this, but her morals had always been about telling the truth even if it meant tanking her name.

She realized that her thoughts were dragging her back to herself. Could she be the reason this man wasn’t given his day in court or that he would walk because of how the media helped spin the truth. From behind the screen she heard a throat clear. The words on the teleprompter had stopped and she stared at the papers in front of her. “It takes more courage to tell the truth than to go forth with a lie.” These words rang in her head.

“Ready or not.” She thought, as she slowly lowered the papers and peered into the souls of those watching around the world.

******

“As we await the words from DA Paulson, I am sure you all have questions about why this courageous NYPD Officer took the law into his own hands. While that is something he will have to answer for, we must all be grateful that another criminal has finally been brought down to their knees.” The chatter stopped in the distance. Everyone now listening to the words that were being broadcast. A murmur began as they listened to her words.

“I am as shocked as you, that this could happen in our own city. That those in power, sworn to protect us, have let this happen. I stand with you now, to ask our DA to seek justice for those that no longer have a voice from the actions taken by and for this man. Remember that the truth always is brought to light.”

Suddenly the broadcast stopped. A swirling of anger filled the air, and the officer threw open the car door.

“Sounds like you have someone in your corner.” Looking out from the back seat, the crowd erupted in shouts of support. They threw their fists in the air and pleaded to those protectors to take their power and use it for good.

Leaning back in the seat, he took a deep breath. “No. I have a city in my corner now.” He smiled as the pulled away into the sky covered itself in a soft glow of moonlight.