Officer Wayne, cont.
Gordon lifted his glasses up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Officer Wayne, if you're imagining yourself becoming some sort of white knight to the citizens of our fair city, allow me to remind you of a few civic facts. We've got a 15% unemployment rate, a 30% drop in population in the past 25 years, and a 50% dropout rate from the local high schools. There's a heroin epidemic in Old Gotham, our last two mayors were arrested for taking bribes, and the FBI just rated the GCPD as the second most corrupt police force in the country after Los Angeles. We're the city Detroit looks to so they can say, 'At least we're not doing that bad.' Now what is going to me make think that after a year, or maybe a month, of going up against that, that you won't just think better of it and move back into that mansion of yours to host a retirement party for yourself?"
Wayne stiffened, a cold look entering his eyes. "I will not quit, sir. My parents believed in this city. I believe in this city. And I've never given up on anything I've started."
"Do you think city will believe in you, Wayne?" Gordon asked. "I've met enough people in this town to know they probably won't. The ones who aren't scared of the cops think we should be beating up the ones that are. Neither of them trust us, and we haven't given them much reason to."
"I understand that. I'm not blind, sir." Wayne focused his gaze on the detective lieutenant. "If you really think this town isn't worth saving, why did you move here yourself?"
Which was a helluva question for a rookie cop to ask a detective, but Gordon was honest enough with himself to give an answer. "I didn't have any choice. I'd run out of options"
"There are always choices, and options," Wayne replied. "You're a smart man, I've read your files. There are a lot of jobs you could be doing besides police work."
"Police work is the only job I want to be doing."
For the first time, Wayne cracked a small, intense smile. "Exactly, sir."
Gordon paused, then let a short laugh. He held out his hand, "Welcome to the Major Crimes Unit, Officer Wayne."
Wayne stiffened, a cold look entering his eyes. "I will not quit, sir. My parents believed in this city. I believe in this city. And I've never given up on anything I've started."
"Do you think city will believe in you, Wayne?" Gordon asked. "I've met enough people in this town to know they probably won't. The ones who aren't scared of the cops think we should be beating up the ones that are. Neither of them trust us, and we haven't given them much reason to."
"I understand that. I'm not blind, sir." Wayne focused his gaze on the detective lieutenant. "If you really think this town isn't worth saving, why did you move here yourself?"
Which was a helluva question for a rookie cop to ask a detective, but Gordon was honest enough with himself to give an answer. "I didn't have any choice. I'd run out of options"
"There are always choices, and options," Wayne replied. "You're a smart man, I've read your files. There are a lot of jobs you could be doing besides police work."
"Police work is the only job I want to be doing."
For the first time, Wayne cracked a small, intense smile. "Exactly, sir."
Gordon paused, then let a short laugh. He held out his hand, "Welcome to the Major Crimes Unit, Officer Wayne."