3:09 AM
"I'm going in." Dov Epstein said.
The statement was clear but echoed which was typical of a radio transmission. On the other end of the transmission Steve Peck looked out the windshield into the blackness. The only light coming from a dim streetlight a few feet down the road. There was nothing for him to do yet. This was another run of the mill illegal weapons buy and bust but his ultimate goal was to help Gail get the leader Jonas 'Zeeks' DeCosta on a charge of homicide. He looked over at his sister slumped next to him, she appeared to be sleeping but he knew better. Gail was astutely aware of the transmitted conversation going on; after all, her months of undercover work had led to this sting operation.
Steve felt bored with the job at had and constricted by the small car in which they sat. This made his bones ache from the cold and stillness of the February night. He shifted restlessly and wanted to leave the confines of the vehicle but he was stuck here listening to the scripted conversation he'd heard a million times. Years had thought him that this was thankless job and one which made him an enemy of the people by the people. How many gang bangers did he have to put away for the people of the community to realize they were better off without them? That their children and women would be safer? Steve shifted again trying to get comfortable but couldn't. With all the strain of work, his home life offered no escape. In fact the pressures at home seem to surpass the ones at work.
His mom was a constant disruption in his personal life which caused stress all around. He envied Gail in that moment; their mother wanted nothing to do with her life. Though he couldn't say Gail's life was much happier for it. She seemed to have no trouble creating her own set of problems. But the point was that the pressure from his mom was making his wife unhappy and no matter what he did, he could not find a balance between them.
Tracey was unhappy. It showed in her silence and disappointed stares and for a woman who normally was very vocal and forceful, her silence was deadly. There was just no worst feeling for a man than not being able to make his wife happy and he feared this was something he couldn't fix. His wife was slipping away, he could feel it in every touch she no longer offered.
"It's too quiet." Dov voice transmitted.
"Don't worry man, he'll be here." the informant with Dov said.
Steve waited; there was still nothing for him to do. It wasn't until twenty minutes later that the transmission got lively again.
"Yo its Zinc open up!" said a voice before there was a knock on the door. There was soon the sound of feet rustling and the door creaking open.
"You late man." the informant said.
"By just fifteen fucking minutes. What's your problem?"
"My guy…" he was referring to Dov "Thought you weren't gonna show. Jonas you got it?"
"That's a positive id" came Chris Diaz over Steve's radio and Gail finally rustled beside him as she opened her eyes and sat up in her chair.
"You got my money?" Jonas asked.
"Yeah, show me the stuff." Dov said. There was more shuffling. The transmission skipped and broke.
"Fuck!" Gail was the first to react.
"Someone get back the audio!" Steve commanded his body tensing. They wouldn't afford to miss a moment of the transmission. He didn't want his team going in blind. The audio crackled a few times, only frustrating him further before coming clear again.
"Two coming up, stay alert team." Chris announced. Steve stiffened. On Dov's feed he could hear what sounded like the door opening. Steve eyes narrowed. No one else was supposed to be there. Gail shared her own concerned look.
"We gotta check your man out." Zinc said.
"My man is clean" the informant said. "You take our money now you doubt us?"
"I don't doubt you, I know you little punk been playing me." Zinc barked. "Search him" Zinc ordered one of his men.
"They made him!" Gail cursed.
"That's it! We go in now! Move move MOVE!" Chris commanded. A moment later there were the sounds of violent activity in the house.
Steve tensed as he listened to the command, he had hoped the deal would have gone as planned, but like everything else in his life, this was not to be the case. He and Gail snapped on their seatbelts and Gail geared into action as she called for more support and Steve surged the car away from the curb and drove swiftly down the road towards the action erupting a few blocks away.
4:07 AM
"He's in room fourteen." the nurse announced softly to the dazed looking young woman at her counter. "Honey, he's okay." She further assured with kind eyes.
Hillary Stewart nodded but she didn't feel any relief from the nurse's words. In fact she felt chained to an emotion she couldn't explain. She wanted to scream… to release something… anything… but the strength for such an act failed her. The phone call had woken her from a pleasant dream to a real nightmare. You need to come to the hospital, Chris Diaz has been admitted was all the unfamiliar caller had said to her and in movements she didn't quiet remember, Hillary had somehow driven herself here. In retrospect, maybe she should have called Holly. Her sister … her twin, the person who knew her better than anyone.
Holly had done this before. Answered that phone call in the middle of the night saying that Gail was hurt. Being a police officer's wife had its downside Holly would tell her, but then Holly would say she wouldn't change anything about the life she shared with Gail.
"Go see him… room fourteen." The nurse encouraged.
"Ok…" Hillary finally replied and like a zombie she headed down the endless corridor of the cool, white, sterile environment of the hospital looking for room fourteen. When Chris had asked her to be his emergency contact. Hillary had felt a real joy; she had seen this as proof that her relationship with Chris was headed somewhere real and permanent. She had reveled in knowing that if anything happened, Chris wanted her to be the first person contacted, he loved her that much. In all her grand ideas of what this meant. Hillary had failed to picture this scenario. She had failed to comprehend what this really meant and now she felt daunted by the responsibility she had willingly accepted.
"Chris?" Hillary pushed the door nervously and stepped into the room, but it was empty. Chris wasn't there. She then walked over to the bed and touched the sheets of the disheveled bed. The only form of life in the room was a machine beeping by the bed. She doubted she was breathing, her throat felt tight all of a sudden and her mouth dry. "But the nurse just said…" her brain struggled to make sense but only the worst possible scenario claimed her thoughts. "Chris…" she sobbed.
"Yeah babe?"
The voice caused Hillary to jump, her nerves went raw and her hand connected with the side of his cheek in an act that was part love, relieve and definitely anger. "Oh My God! Don't do that to me again!" she practically screamed at him.
He didn't make any sound of anguish, but Chris's expression looked pained as he rubbed his cheek. "Happy to see you too?" he said trying to squeeze in a dimpled smile.
"Oh god! I thought you were dead." Hillary said flinging her arms around his neck, her face burying in his neck.
"Hilly, I'm okay." Chris assured. "Just a little banged up." He told her, when he felt the moisture on his neck.
She was crying.
Chris eased her away gently so that he could face her. His large hands cupped her face and smoothing her hair. He looked at her for a long minute before he offered her a toothy smile. "I'm okay."
She nodded at him, through stained eyes. "I didn't see you … and I … I" she was beginning to hyperventilate.
"Breathe…" he gently encouraged and Hillary took several very ragged breaths. "There you go… just breathe baby…."
4:09 AM
"What the heck happened in there?" Detective Gail Peck demanded of her men. Months of working on this case and weeks of undercover work and it had all gone to shit in the space of a few minutes. She was currently pacing outside the crime scene surrounded by bright lights and yellow tape with three dead suspects, one dead informant, one officer in critical care and several others pretty banged up.
"Can we confirm yet if any of the dead suspects is Jonas DeCosta?" she asked. "Can anyone tell me anything useful?" the officers gave her weary looks. Herself and Steve had come upon a barrage of darkness and gunfire which had left several people dead and the only person who could ID Jonas DeCosta was fighting for his life in hospital.
"Dov.." she sighed. How could she have let this happen to her friend?
"Anything?" Gail asked her brother as he walked up to the small group.
Steve shook his head. There was no new information on the case. "I just called Tracey to let her know I would be late." With all their current problems he didn't want her worrying. "Did you call Holly?"
"The girl, is she one of the suspects that went up?" Gail asked ignoring his question. "On the transmission Chris had said two went up but he didn't identify their sex, and later when I asked he said short, black clothing and hoodie. That's the description of all the dead." she spat.
"We don't know Gail. Only Dov…" Steve sighed running a hand through his blonde hair. They had gotten one of their own shot. "… saw their faces and could shed light on this."
"Excuse me Ma'am?" a young man walked up to them, trying to get Gail's attention. She'd seen him on her crime scenes before; he was the Medical Examiner's student trainee. Gail glared at him nonetheless. "Do I look like a Ma'am to you? It's Detective."
The young man bristled stepping back awkwardly. "Sorry, I mean Detective? Peck?" he sounded unsure as he bit his lower lip.
"Yes…" Gail's eyes narrowed. "Get to why you are here wasting my time." Gail snapped. She didn't have time for this.
"The…ME isn't here yet….We can't get a hold of him."
"Tell me something I don't know newbie!"
"Go on Darren, tell us." Steve encouraged as he frowned at Gail.
"The body…I can't determine … cause of death."
"They are all riddled with bullets. Cause of death should be obvious." Gail rolled her eyes.
"Um…the… the female body…is..is" all his medical school training failed him as Gail's blue eyes seem to freeze him over. " Um." Darren cleared his throat. "She looks different…" he explained colloquially. "So I called our Forensic Pathologist…she was the closest." It was now Gail's turn to bristle.
Holly was coming…
4:17 AM
Tracey Peck had woken hours ago. Long before her husband's phone call saying he would be late. She had paced the halls of their brownstone, counting each measured step like sheep jumping clouds as she tried to sooth the mind numbing cramping her body was experiencing. She had gently listened to Steve explain how his case had taken a wrong turn tonight and how he was sorry for calling so late and waking her, but didn't want to worry her if she woke and didn't see him. Tracey had smiled through the pain and offered him a gentle reassurance before sending him back to his task at hand.
It was now a few minutes later and she could not offer herself the same comforts and reassurances. Tracey knew what was coming and she couldn't stop it from happening. So she went to the bathroom and she reluctantly gave way to the fragility of life.
After … she sat on the bathroom floor for a long while, silently crying. She wanted her husband, needed him but she couldn't bring herself to call him. It would be selfish to call him now. There was simply nothing he could do, to take away the pain and loss she currently felt. So with strength she did not feel, she got dressed and drove herself to the hospital, but she knew what the doctor would say and she was prepared as she could to hear it. Maybe by morning she would be prepared to tell Steve.
4:19 AM
"Babe… it's really nothing." Chris said trying to reassure his girlfriend but her brown eyes looked horrified. He was perched on the side of the hospital bed with her standing between his legs as she poked and prodded him. Intent on determining for herself that he was really alive and well. "The bullet just grazed me." He said showing her his bandaged arm and in the excitement I got knocked to the ground, got a bruised forehead and they were worried I got a concussion."
"So you're fine?" Hilly asked with the tilt of her head as she looked over every inch of him.
"I am" he smiled.
"I was worried … I thought you had…"
Chris took her trembling hands in his and rested them upon his heart. "I'm right here Hil... I'm not going anywhere." He promised, even though he knew better. This was her first emergency contact phone all. There would be many to come. If he wanted the life he dreamed about with her. He would need to help her through this one as best as possible.
"Sorry to interrupt." Dr. Pike said walking in, she was on a first name bases with Chris and several other officers, even drank beer with them on Friday nights "Chris back in bed please." said the knowing tone. With a playful but apologetic smile, Chris got back in bed with Hillary still perched at his side. "Everything looks good here" Dr Pike said reading the chart, "…but we want to continue monitoring you for a couple of hours." Chris frowned at this, he wanted out of this bed to see Dov. "If things continue to look good, we will discharge you in the morning."
"Thank you Doctor." Hillary said.
"How is Dov?" Chris asked after a moment.
"He's still in surgery." Dr. Pike seemed to frown. "I'll get you an update as soon as I have one. He's my friend too Chris."
"Thanks Meg." Chris said using her first name, to which she gave a tightlipped nod before leaving the room.
"Dov ?" Hillary couldn't keep the horror from her voice.
Chris nodded solemnly. "He was shot … twice and was unconscious when we brought him in." he tried to explained but Hillary's features seem to fall into a mass of confusion then she seem to lose her battle with her tears altogether. Chris pulled her towards him and held her as she cried for the second time that night. Dov was her friend as much as he was his. They all lived together, shared a life that could only be explained as … family.
4:21 AM
"Darren, can grab me a pair of gloves please." Holly said arriving to the crime scene. She scanned the scene for Gail's very distinct blonde head but couldn't spot her in the fury of activity that was taking place. Kneeling before the body of the woman, Holly quickly tucked her hair in a ponytail using the blue band on her wrist. "Thanks" she said accepting the gloves and quickly began her inspection of the body. Darren stayed with her, but remained mostly quiet, he seemed content in observing from a non intrusive distance and Holly was fine with that.
She had been kneeling for a while, twisting her lips this way and that as she made soft sounds of curiosity as her examination of the body continued, when two persons came up behind her.
"Have you found cause of death?" one voice asked, but Holly could tell it was Gail without turning around and so she braced herself.
"I think so…" Holly began.
"Mrs. Peck...um..." Darren flustered. Holly sighed, she had known Darren for the better of three weeks and he still hadn't learnt her name … well the one she used for work. "Dr. Peck." he tried again. Gail growled clearly annoyed.
"Dr. Stewart?" Steve offered finding the situation amusing.
"Dr. Stewart." Darren accepted. "Was it suffocation?" he asked looking hopeful. "I just noticed the scaring on her face, like something was held against it."
Holly smiled. "That is correct, Dr. Tate. Though she has a gunshot wound to her neck and abdomen. That's not what killed her." Holly explained. "Not only that, she didn't just die…"
Steve and Gail's eyes widened.
"I'm putting time of death between 24-36 hours, but I will know more once we take her to the lab." Holly finished getting to her feet.
Gail sighed and ran a frustrated hand through her short blonde hair. "So if this woman didn't just die … one of the suspects got away…" Gail skin seemed to pale. Holly wanted to console her wife in that moment. She knew how hard Gail had been working on this case, but knew better of it. So she instead removed her gloves, giving her hand something else to do.
"Not only that, who is this girl, and why was she killed and is she anyway related to our case?" Steve added his own frustration apparent. "I need to make a few calls." he told Gail before walking of.
"Darren, let them know I'm ready to load the bodies" Holly instructed the young man before he left.
"I need you to widen the canvas to about three more blocks." Gail told a uniformed officer. "A suspect is missing."
"Any description?" the officer asked.
"Yes!" she glared "Look for someone who looks like they were in a shootout." Gail snapped. Her eyes met with Holly's then and Holly watched her swallow a lump. This... tonight was not Holly's fault, but Holly couldn't help think that Gail blamed her for everything else.
"Gail..." Holly said but she simply turns from her. "Gail, please…" The shorter woman stopped. "Are you coming home tonight?" Holly asked softly.
"I don't know…"
5:00AM
