Human Frailty, a Detective Mike Bridger novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

it, what
happened to all the names you were calling him
before? ” Brendan said.
    "A man can change his mind", Steve
replied.
    The radio on Brendan ’ s belt crackled into
life.
    'Any available units are
required at the Revive Club on George Street; reports are coming in
of a large disturbance outside' .
    Gillian looked at the clock on the wall; it
was five minutes before midnight. It is starting early tonight, she
thought, sucking in a deep breath and wishing she could have a
cigarette.
     
    It took less than two minutes for the
procession of patrol cars to leave the police station and arrive at
the club in George Street. Three cars had responded from the
central police station, moving through the streets like a disco
snake, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Late night revelers took
no notice as the noisy parade flashed by. One patrol car had
responded from North Dunedin and had approached from the other
side. In all, there were eight police officers on the scene.
    There was a sea of bodies moving in unison,
funneling in and out of the tight alleyway leading to the entrance
of the club. Within the flow, people were fighting each other over
petty reasons, fuelled by alcohol and false bravado. Fists raised
above the melee in different places, like schools of angry fish
jumping out of the waves. The two dark suited bouncers on the door
were bravely trying to prevent anyone from entering into the club,
not wanting the tide of violence to wash into their dance
floors.
    The eight police officers gathered on
the edge of the mêlée, momentarily stunned at the task ahead of
them. No one spoke; adrenaline was coursing through them, heart
rates increasing, the body ’ s way of preparing for the impending
violence. Fight or flight was the saying. Unfortunately, for the
eight people there wearing a blue uniform, flight was not an
option.
    The sound of glass breaking behind them
broke the impasse as a full bottle of beer shattered against the
gutter, spraying foam all over a young female bent double and
vomiting onto the pavement, the brown liquid mixing with the bile
and flowing into the drains. The female just wiped her mouth and
sat down, oblivious.
    A few meters in front of them, two other
females were trying to drag the culprit away before he could
reload.
    Some of the crowd had noticed the uniforms
now and had started to turn their attention towards the police.
    "Right", Gillian said, "We need to get this
under control before those jealous boyfriends turn their attention
from their love rivals to us.” She looked at each of the officers
in turn to make sure they were all on the same page. “Start at the
back and move as many as you can, no time for any arrests unless
absolutely necessary. We can follow up on that later".
    Gillian looked up at the camera on the pole
and hoped it was recording.
    Then the blue uniforms waded into the
tide.
     
    Like most angry crowds, ninety percent of
the participants are just there milling about, hoping to see
something violent happen, not actually wanting to join in. The
voyeuristic bloodlust is the same as that of the audience to the
ancient gladiator fights. Most people move on when confronted with
a hyped up police officer holding an extended baton and telling
them to go home, some did not, they needed more convincing. They
were mostly young men, high on alcohol or other substances, with an
inflated sense of self-importance making them buck against
authority.
    Mostly…
    Gillian stood nose to nose with an
animal by any description. Alcohol and fury had ravaged the
girl ’ s
features into a snarling spitting mess. Her unfocused eyes were
trying hard to focus on Gillian but not succeeding.
    "Fuck you pig bitch", she spat. "You can't
tell us to go home".
    Her friends standing in the background were
coaxing her on, trying to get her to lash out.
    "Stand back", Gillian demanded, before
pushing the girl in the chest and reaching down to her belt,
feeling for the comfort of her spray. She backed