The quiet click of the office door opening pulled Alex from his internal replay of the Wabash Avenue incident. He looked up as a man in his late fifties, with tired eyes but a sharp demeanor and captain's bars on his uniform collar, entered the room. He closed the door firmly behind him, muffling the low buzz of the station outside.
The Captain regarded Alex for a moment, his expression a mixture of professional assessment and something akin to disbelief. He'd seen the footage. He'd heard the initial, frantic reports from the officers who responded to the scene.
"Mr. Hayes," the Captain began, his voice calm but carrying authority. He walked around the desk and sat opposite Alex. "I'm Captain Davies. First, let me say... well, let me say that was some pretty extraordinary stuff back there at the store."
Alex offered a slight nod, unsure how to respond. Compliments felt strange after the violence. "Just reacted, sir."
"So I gathered," Davies said, leaning forward slightly. "My officers downstairs are... impressed. Frankly, so am I. You handled yourself incredibly well under extreme duress. More importantly, it looks like you likely saved that shop owner and the other customer from serious harm, maybe worse."
He paused, letting the weight of the words settle. "However," he continued, shifting into a more formal tone, "this is still an active crime scene and investigation. We have three suspects in custody – thanks to you – and one injured civilian. I need to get your official statement about what happened, from your perspective. Just tell me everything you saw and did, from the moment you realized something was wrong."
The Captain picked up a notepad and pen from his desk. "Take your time. Start from when you entered the store, or whenever you became aware of the situation."
Alex took another slow breath, trying to organize the chaotic rush of events into a coherent sequence. The adrenaline had faded, leaving a cold clarity. He focused on the Captain's instruction, pushing aside the lingering tremor and the echoing sounds of the confrontation.
"Okay," Alex began, his voice steady now. "I was using the restroom in the back. I heard shouting... sounded aggressive. When I opened the door..."
He recounted the events precisely as he remembered them: seeing the guns trained on the owner, the robbers turning their attention to him, the quick assessment of the situation, the misdirection, and the sequence of strikes that neutralized the threats. He described securing the weapons and checking on the injured woman before the police arrived. He spoke factually, almost detachedly, focusing on the actions, omitting the internal roar of instinct and training that had driven him.
Captain Davies listened intently, occasionally jotting down notes, his expression revealing little beyond professional focus. The reality of the situation – a movie star barely out of his teens performing a textbook takedown of armed robbers – was still sinking in, even as he went through the necessary procedures.
As Alex finished recounting the last details – checking on the injured customer, the arrival of the first squad cars – Captain Davies put down his pen. He let out a slow breath, rubbing his temples briefly. The kid spoke factually, almost clinically, but the events themselves were anything but ordinary. This was September 1982, and things like this didn't happen every day, especially not involving a recognisable face from the movie screens.
"Alright, Mr. Hayes," Davies said, his voice regaining its professional composure. "Thank you. That gives us a clear picture from your end." He paused, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Look, between you and me, this is the kind of incident that can turn into a media circus real fast. A movie star stopping an armed robbery... it writes itself. Frankly, for the integrity of the investigation and, I imagine, for your own peace of mind, the best thing would be to keep this as contained as possible for now."
Alex nodded quickly, relieved. The last thing he wanted was his face plastered across the news for this. Filming was almost done; he just wanted to wrap it up and head home, not become the subject of some sensationalist story. "I agree completely, Captain. Whatever helps."
"Good," Davies said, looking satisfied. "We'll process the suspects, wrap up the crime scene report. With luck, we can keep a lid on the specifics, at least until—"
His words were cut short by a sharp rap on the door before it burst open. A younger officer, Miller, stood in the doorway, looking flushed and slightly panicked.
"Captain, sorry to interrupt, but you need to see this. It's... it's already on the news."
Davies frowned. "What's on the news, Miller?"
"The convenience store robbery. On Wabash. They're saying... well, they're saying Mr. Hayes here stopped it. It's on Channel 7 right now!" Miller gestured vaguely towards the main bullpen area where a television was usually murmuring.
A sense of disbelief washed over the Captain's face, quickly replaced by weary frustration. Alex felt his stomach clench. So much for keeping things quiet.
"Alright," Davies sighed, pushing his chair back. "Let's see the damage." He led the way out of the office, Alex following numbly, Miller stepping aside for them.
In the bullpen, several officers were already gathered around a television. The familiar graphics of WLS-TV Eyewitness News filled the screen. A news anchor was speaking somberly.
"...details are still emerging," the anchor said, "but police sources confirm that actor Alex Hayes, currently in Chicago filming the upcoming movie 'Risky Business,' was present during an attempted armed robbery at a downtown convenience store earlier this evening."
The screen abruptly cut to grainy, black-and-white footage. It was unmistakably the security tape from the store. Even blurred and silent, the scene was shocking: the robbers bursting in, the customer falling, Alex emerging, the impossibly fast confrontation, the bodies hitting the floor, the third man crashing through the glass door. It was raw, brutal, and undeniable.
The anchor's voiceover continued, "This incredible security footage appears to show Hayes confronting and subduing three assailants, two armed with handguns. Sources say Hayes, who is reportedly trained in martial arts, managed to disarm the suspects before police arrived..."
Alex stared at the screen, seeing his actions replayed for the entire city, maybe the country, to see. It felt surreal, watching himself move with that lethal efficiency, detached from the fear and adrenaline he'd felt inside.
Captain Davies watched the screen for a long moment, his jaw tight. He didn't need to hear any more. The genie was out of the bottle, broadcast across the airwaves, complete with shocking visuals.
He turned away from the television, running a hand over his face. He glanced at Alex, then at the officers still mesmerized by the news report.
"Well, hell," Captain Davies muttered under his breath, loud enough for Alex to hear. He let out a long, slow sigh. "It's going to be a very long day."