James is a police officer who finally got his wish to be transferred to a training role and get off the front line. However, he has one last hurdle to clear. He has gone undercover, led a team, solved cold cases, even collaborated on one of the biggest drug bust in Singapore history. He was always the one chasing after the criminals, but he is about to be on the receiving end of that treatment. He is about to be chased by a woman. Not any woman. One that is determined to hunt him down at all cost.
Boon : Everyone, please put your hands together for ASP James!
The auditorium roared with cheers and applause as James walks onto the podium. This is not some prize or award ceremony, it isn’t any ‘pat on the back’ gathering either. Officers from several different divisions have gathered in the auditorium for a special mission. One that encompasses both work and leisure in a way. Everyone of the 200 hundred officers present have either work with or under James previously during the course of their career.
Some whistles and cheered, some shouted private jokes only they understood. James waved, bowed, and gestured to his colleagues and friends as he made his way onto the middle of the podium.
Instead of being in his full dress uniform, he was casually dressed in shorts and his best pair of running shoes. He wore a dri-fit top and around his waist, he had a fanny pack, containing everything he needed for his last hurrah. The most conspicuous item on James however, was the ankle tag around his left ankle. One that criminals on probation needed to wear for 24 hours monitoring.
Boon : Alright, settle down, please…everyone…i know all of you are looking forward to this…please…settle down.
Boon waited for the auditorium to quiet down before speaking.
Boon : Well, as you all know, ASP James, will be transferring to the training school and getting out of the field…and if anyone deserves it, i’ll say it’s him…
Murmurs of approvals could be heard from the audience as James smiles shyly.
Boon : James has gone undercover for 3 years, he knows Geylang better than all of us combined…
Laughter broke out when Boon said he arrested James twice without knowing who he was during the early stage of his career.
Boon : James has gone on to lead his own investigation team at violent crimes…He rotated into another team and cracked a cold case, he caught Sze Chuan…
The mere mention of the name elicited claps and cheers.
Boon : He caught Sze Chuan…that fucker who raped and murdered three woman and hid behind his rich family and lawyers…despite getting knifed twice, he caught him…
“whooooooooo”
James quickly grabbed the microphone and added that it was a team effort.
James: Team effort, team effort…i didn’t do it on my own…
He gestured to his former team seated in the auditorium, quickly thanking them and giving them the credit before Boon pushed him away.
Boon : Hello hello…this is not star award ceremony ok.
Boon : Yes, anyway. As you all know, James will be going for a well deserved leave. 4 weeks man, damm i’m jealous…hahha
James smiled, it was a break he was looking forward to. He has been working hard for the past decade and it was challenging to get his superiors to approve his leave, especially for such a long stretch. However, with careful planning, James got it approved. After his 4 weeks leave, he will be starting his new role at the training school.
No more late nights in the field, no more chasing people down the dark alleys, no more dead bodies and blood. Just the regular 8 to 6pm hours he has been looking forward to.
Boon : Alright, you all know why you are here today…both business…and…pleasure…
Boon deliberately dragged the word ‘pleasure’, hissing it out slowly like a snake while giving James the evil stare.
Sporadic laughter broke out in the audience as Boon gave a recap for the next generation ankle tags that the police force has just secured.
Boon : Longer battery life, reinforced straps, heart rate monitor, the usual GPS, and it now dovetails every single telecom network in the country. Not only that, it’s NFC, bluetooth compatible. As long as there’s a fucking device nearby, we will know where he is. There is no where to hide.
“whoooooooooooooooo!” hahhaha”
James shook his head in resignation and laughed.
Boon raised his arms and tried to calm down the crowd.
Boon : And as part of the annual multi division games day, your mission, will be to chase ASP James down.
Boon held up a small handheld device in his right hand the size of a portable charger.
Boon : touch this to the sensor on the anklet, marry it into the recessed notch, turn it anti clockwise. All of you know the drill. hehhee..
Boon grinned and he could see the excitement in everybody’s eyes.
Boon : It’s 4pm now…race will be for 12 hours, ending at 4am. The caterers will be setting up for supper, Prata, teh tarik, the whole she bang, so please , no need to conserve your energy. Chase James down…
James shook his head in resignation, unable to believe he actually agreed to this. However, that was one of the request by his boss before he grant him such a long leave right before his transfer. He has all the right experience, he knows all the best places to hide and evade capture in Singapore. Who best to field test the next generation monitoring device?
Boon flashed something on the screen and everyone roared with laughter. It was a fake profile of James, set up in a similar format as the other criminals under monitoring. Aside from his picture, the sheet listed his offences on the right. Boon went all out, creating a fake list of offences which made everyone roared in laughter.
Boon : Alamak brother…steal panty, steal underwear leh…tsk..tsk..tsk…
James: Oh fuck off Boon…
Boon : Upskirt warrior at MRT…haiyoh…terrible…
James shook his head and laughed.
Boon wrapped up the rest of his briefing and James was given a head start to leave the building.
The moment James was gone, Boon send the fake profile to all the participants in the auditorium, syncing their unlock devices with the anklet that James was wearing. The device activated immediately and everyone with one could see the location on a map being updated in real time. James was heading straight towards the train station.
Boon : Please have a drink, hydrate yourself and have a good chase ya…hahha…
In Boon’s excitement, his fat finger accidentally sent James profile out to another group of devices that were being tested out in the field.
Staff Sergeant Yuting stood with her head down in front of her boss as she gets shouted at for the fourth complain against her that year.
SUPT Long railed at her, his saliva splashing all over his desk as Yuting zoned out, mentally blocking her boss out of her head.
Long : You cannot resort to such violent means everytime you try to apprehend someone! This is the 21st century! It’s not about fists and kicks all the time! Young people now are weak! They will suffer mental outrage! You need to try and talk to them nicely!
Yuting : You want me…to talk to a sex offender nicely? Are you out of your mind?
Long : SSG YUTING! Before i fucking suspend you from…
Yuting rolled her eyes and walked out off the office before Long could finish.
Long : Holy fuck, YUTING, you get back here now! You…
Yuting : don’t shout at me boss, i’m almost a gen Z, i am weak mentally, my mind cannot handle this…
Long : ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Yuting, already upset at being told at for doing her job, saw a notification on the next gen monitoring device she was given. She was part of the group tasked to give feedback on the interface and functions for the handheld device. Stuff like these never interest her. She simply left it on her car’s dashboard until that notification came in.
James profile appeared and Yuting looked at James’ charge sheet and a smile appeared on her face.
4 counts of stealing lingerie at NUS campus
2 counts of videoing girls showering
3 pending upskirt charges at MRT escalator
2 count of wearing female lingerie and causing public disturbance.
1 voyeur attempt in carpark
1 public masturbation at Hougang Swimming pool
Sexually assaulted 2 university student by grabbing their breast while they were jogging.
Ejaculating onto a sleeping student in NTU campus.
Attempted rape of a 75 year old woman.
The charges were copied wholesale by Boon onto James’ profile from another case, and the 75 year old woman was meant to be an inside joke.
The watermark ‘sample’ splashed across the profile was too light to be visible on the small screen.
And Yuting’s device was not meant to receive that broadcast in the first place.
Yuting smiled and cracked her knuckles as she looked at the beeping red dot on the map.
She found a hair tie and began tying up her shoulder length hair into a high ponytail.
Opening the boot of her car, she removed her blouse, revealing her tone figure clad in her sports bra. She put on a dri-fit top and she did not think twice about removing her work pants in the middle of the carpark at the basement of the police station.
Yuting put on her black running tights, slipped on her white socks and changed out of her boots into running shoes.
The device beeped again, updating James’ latest location which is just 15 minutes away from Yuting.
Yuting : This is your unlucky day James…
Meanwhile, James came out of the train station and hopped onto a bus towards Geylang. With the myriad of alleyways, coffeeshops and legal brothels, it’s the best place to hide.
He was confident that they will not get him there.
James alighted along Geylang road and turned into Lorong 18. He didn’t care about the tag around his ankle, in fact, some people wore it like a badge of honor.
He attracted a few stares but those stares turned away when James made eye contact with them. If his expression could speak, it would be ‘i’m already in trouble, i don’t mind more’
Yuting parked her car along Lorong 12 and looked at the device in her hand. She put on a windbreaker, pulled the hood over her head and clenched her fist.
Yuting : Someone is going to be in a lot of pain tonight…
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