Here is another one for you! And don't worry - haven't forgot about the 'Calling Out' that I promised you. I'm so excited about this piece and I really hope you will enjoy it. So, here it goes! Good night.
There is no Light
Monday, August 28th, 8:00 am, 12th precinct
"Stay safe, stay hydrated. Dismissed," Renzulli barked at his officers at roll call. He had unbuttoned the top of his shirt like so many others and waved a piece of paper at his face, like so many others. Every cop in the room was saving their energy and they all had a bottle of water in their hands. Jamie was leaning against the frame of the open door. All windows were open and a lazy breeze flew through the precinct. They all hurried out, hoping it would be cooler outside the assembly room. Eddie found Jamie waiting for her down the hallway.
"God forbid any running or chasing perps down the street today," Eddie exclaimed with her flushed face when the heat hit them outside the precinct. It was only morning, and the sun was already mercilessly baking the city. Like yesterday, the trunk of the car had been filled with boxes of water bottles, ready to hand out on the street.
"Just be ready for anything," Jamie replied when he started the engine and drove out on the streets of New York.
"This is killing me," Eddie sighed and turned on the air condition in the car. She drank greedily from her own bottle of water and rested it on her forehead to cool down.
"Yeah, I can't wait to get this vest of," Jamie conceded and tried to sit more comfortable in the car. They drove down the streets that were filled with people in the bare minimum of clothing. It didn't take long for the radio to scatter for the first time on their shift.
"Central to 12-David," the familiar voice rattled over the radio. Jamie pushed the button to answer.
"Go ahead for 12-David," he said, waiting for the answer. Eddie took another small sip of her bottle.
"Please respond to a call from 130 West 15th Street, apartment 4B," the voice said. Jamie crooked his eyebrows.
"10-4. What is the situation?" Jamie asked the dispatcher and Eddie looked just as confused as he was.
"Unknown, the caller is silent," the reply came in after a few seconds. Jamie didn't like that at all.
"Show us responding," he said and the scatter died down.
"That's weird," Eddie commented. She too had that eerie feeling. Shortly after they arrived and found their way to the stairs. The front desk was currently unmanned. It was exhausting to climb the stairs in this heat. Both of them had broken out a sweat when they reached the fourth floor.
"Here it is," Eddie stated and ran her arm over her glistening forehead. Jamie knocked on the door and both of them rested their hands on the butt of their weapons.
"Police! Open up!" Jamie's yelling resulted in another door opening and a young woman peered out from the next door over.
"Go back inside, please," Eddie told her with a lifted hand. Jamie knocked on the door again. A muffled sound of something being knocked over reached their ears and they instinctively drew their weapons.
"Police! We are coming in!" Eddie yelled when Jamie tried the door handle with no luck. Jamie stepped back to breach the door with a kick and a second later they were in, sweeping through the rooms. They walked into an entree, Eddie went right into the kitchen and Jamie continued straight ahead into the living room. Jamie holstered his gun when he saw the two people in front of him. An old man was lying on the floor, his body flailing and jerking around. The young teenage girl had curled up into a corner, terrified, with tears streaming down her face.
"Eddie, in here! Call a bus!" he called out to his partner when he dropped to the floor next to the jolting man. It was small muscle spasms, but when Jamie tried to open the man's bleeding mouth, he was surprised by the power of them. Eddie popped up next to him and Jamie jumped to the other side.
"Bus is on the way," Eddie commented and tried to keep the man's arms still.
"We have to tilt him, so he doesn't drown in his own blood," Jamie said. They both knew it was possible when the jaw muscles started to cramp, resulting in the teeth biting the chin, lips or tongue. Blood flooded out between the teeth and Jamie glanced at the girl. There was a phone on the floor next to her. Eddie caught his glance.
"I got this," she mumbled and steadied the old man. Jamie nodded to her and turned to the girl. She flinched when he reached out to her.
"Hi… what's your name?" Jamie asked and drew his hand back. The girl didn't reply but pointed to her ear and throat. Jamie nodded and thought hard. "Do you know what I am saying?" he asked carefully and the girl nodded. She must have taught herself to read lips, Jamie concluded. "Okay… I'm Jamie, this is my partner Eddie. Did you call 9-1-1?" Jamie asked and the girl nodded again. "You did great, an ambulance is on its way. Is this your granddad?" Jamie tried to keep the girls attention on him and now he could hear the sirens coming closer. Once again the girl nodded and Jamie crept forward a bit. "Can you spell your name for me?" he then asked and the girl hesitated before drawing letters on the floor with her finger. "Jessica Swan?" Jamie read the invisible letters and the girl nodded eagerly. When her eyes darted to the door behind Jamie he turned his head to see two paramedics walk through it. Not a minute later, they had injected the man with a sedative and his muscles started to relax. The man was soon after loaded into the back of the waiting ambulance. Eddie and Jamie had followed the paramedics down and Jessica had clung to Jamie since they left the apartment, not letting go of his hand.
"Officers, is she coming?" one of the paramedics asked and nodded to the girl. Jessica looked up at Jamie and he gave her a tight smile and nodded.
"Go with them. They'll take care of you," he told her and she nodded. Hesitantly she gave Jamie a quick hug and then crawled into the ambulance. Jamie and Eddie watched it, as it drove away.
"Look at that, Reagan-kid-magnet," Eddie laughed when they walked to their car. "It must be that patience of the Reagan-family, you have inherited," she continued when they drove off. Jamie smiled at the comment. All the Reagan's had the patience of saints, except for Danny, whose temper had gone in the completely opposite direction.
"It could be…" Jamie started when they crossed the intersection at the green light. A honking car made them both turn their heads to the left, where they just had time enough to see the panel van before it collided with their car in a harrowing crush. Jamie wasn't quick enough to do anything and the van sent their car sideways on screeching tires before it came to rest, with another collision, against the nose of another car, waiting for the green light.
"Jamie…" Eddie coughed when she came to, about ten seconds later. She lifted her hand to her aching temple and she could feel the sticky, warm blood trickle down her fingers. She could see the blood on the window where her head had rested and grunted, confused and dazed. Jamie groaned next to her and she turned her head, slowly, to take a look at him. "Reagan, wake up…" she huffed when she turned in her seat and her face cringed in pain. She lifted her hand to her shoulder radio. "12-David to Central," she started and moaned when her ribs moved.
"Go ahead, 12-David," came the response promptly.
"Someone drove into our car in the intersection at…" she paused and looked around. "… West 15th Street and 7th Avenue. I need paramedics and the fire department. Two civilian vehicles involved. My…" she had to pause once more when a wave of pain rushed over her. "My partner is unresponsive," she breathed in heavily and winched at the pain in her side.
"Copy that, 12-David, help is on the way," the dispatcher replied. Despite the pain Eddie reached over to the crook in Jamie's neck to feel for a pulse. She sighed relieved when it was strong and steady. Shattered glass from the window in Jamie's door were scattered over them, some of them were covered in blood.
"Jamie, open your eyes for me," she mumbled when she tried to open her door with no luck. "Come on, Reagan, I do not have the patience of a Reagan, open your eyes," Eddie continued. She suppressed the pain and unbuckled her seatbelt. Finally she could hear sirens closing in. Jamie heard them too and groaned again before he lifted his head vaguely.
"Ed…" he mumbled and looked around with hazy eyes.
"Don't move too much, Reagan. How's your head?" Eddie said and put a hand on his forearm to keep him still. No need to try his door either, the van was still blocking it.
"Throbbing," he sighed and lifted a hand to his temple, like Eddie had done. His fingers came away red and sticky too. An ambulance came into their view and stopped, more sirens were growing. Two paramedics exited and jogged to the cruiser, trapped between the two other cars. It proved to be somewhat of a challenge to come anywhere close enough for the paramedics to treat the two cops. Especially when two cars were blocking the way. One of them pointed his partner to take care of the woman in the car to Eddie's right. A middle aged woman who had staggered to the sidewalk. By passers had taken care of her and she was sitting on the curbside in the baking sun. The other paramedic leaned in between the front of the van and the front left wheel of the cruiser.
"Hello, Officers, how's your day?" the young man said with a brave smile. Jamie couldn't hold back the smile. "I'm Gregg, and my partner over there is Pete," the young man told them.
"Nice to meet you, Greg," Eddie grunted. The young man looked at her, calmly.
"We're just waiting for the fire department, so we can get you out. Have you been unconscious?" he asked them and Eddie nodded.
"Ten seconds here and about two minutes there," she said and gesticulated to herself and then Jamie.
"All right. Can you feel your toes and wriggle them?" Both of the officers nodded. "Any broken bones, sharp pain or anything?" he continued.
"Head, left shoulder and knee hurts like hell," Jamie replied and tried not to move too much.
"I think, I might have a couple of busted ribs and a bad headache," Eddie said afterwards.
"Okay, stay put, you'll be out in no time. I'll come back to check up on you in a few, all right?" Greg asked and nodded once before he left them.
Monday, August 28th, 9:00 am, 54th precinct
"Detectives Reagan and Baez," lieutenant Carver called when she approached their desks. The mentioned detectives looked up from their paperwork and Danny leaned back in his chair.
"Good morning, to you too, Lieutenant," Danny smirked and received a glare from his boss. He didn't like the temperatures and it made him edgy, because it reminded him of his days under the scolding sun in Fallujah.
"Ten minutes ago a van t-boned a black and white from the 12th. Responding units found a bleeding cooler box in the back of the van," Carver told them. Danny's face had turned into a shade of grey. "No word on the officers yet, Reagan. The fire department is working on access to them.
"Bleeding?" Baez asked curiously, referring to the box.
"Paramedics found a fresh liver inside," Carver revealed with raised brows, as if impressed. "Now go," she rushed at them and the two detectives left their desks in seconds. As they made their way down the streets to the where it all happened Danny dialed his kid brother on his phone. When he didn't get an answer his fists tightened around the steering wheel. His knuckles turned white and when they arrived, he could feel the tension all the way out in his fingertips. A cruiser was trapped between a white panel van with the door in the driver's side opened. A cherry red sedan was on the right of the cruiser, door opened as well. Its front was wrinkled from where it had connected with the cruiser. Firefighters had pulled the car back and the door in the passenger side of the cruiser was opened. Now they were working on moving the van backwards. Two pairs of paramedics worked together on the cruiser.
"Detectives," a familiar, female voice called from the back of an ambulance. Danny and Baez turned to see Eddie sitting in the back of it and Danny was now convinced it was his brother who was in the cruiser.
"Eddie, what happened? Are you okay?" Baez asked and immediately changed directions. Danny lifted a hand and walked closer to the cruiser where half a dozen firefighters were working on getting the door opened.
"Danny," he heard his brother's voice through all the machinery before he saw him. And the sight scared him. The left side of his head was covered in red blood and he was wearing a neck brace. Jamie even managed to give him a smile but Danny could still see the pain in his eyes.
Monday, August 28th, 9:15 am, One Police Plaza
Sid Gormley nodded to Detective Baker when he passed her desk outside the Commissioner's corner office. He knocked twice and entered immediately.
"Turn on the news," he said dryly, when Frank glared at him for his entrance.
"What is this about?" Frank asked and turned on the TV with the remote.
"… see here, is a very big presence of the police department, the fire department and paramedics, down on West 15th Street and 7th Avenue. The traffic light is currently blocked because of a car accident, involving an NYPD patrol car and two civilian vehicles. Eye witnesses say the van ran a red light and collided with the patrol car and continued into the sedan at the other side of the intersection. The driver of the sedan looked to by shocked and passers bys were quickly to take care of the woman. The driver from the van is now handcuffed after additional police made a startling discovery in the back of the van. Both officers have been extracted from the damaged patrol car and they are now en route to the hospital. There seem to be a lot of activity at the back of the van. Stay tuned for more updates. Back to the studio." Frank muted the TV and his stoic face didn't show anything. The news reporter had been filmed the scene as it unfolded and Frank had spotted Danny and his partner, Baez, in the background talking with Officer Janko in the back of an ambulance.
"Jamie?" Frank asked Gormley when his phone rang. That was answer enough. Once more the door opened and Garrett walked in, his face flustered and his hand clutching his own phone.
"I guess you've seen the news?" Garrett asked Frank when he answered his phone.
"Danny," Frank said. "I know, it's on the news… how is he?.. what?.. I'll be there soon. You concentrate on the case," Frank said and ended the call. He pushed the button on the intercom. "Baker, have my detail ready in one minute. St. Vincent's. Reschedule my meetings.
"At ten to nine the van ran a red light and collided with the cruiser," Gormley starts. "One minute later, Officer Janko calls it in. Three minutes later EMT's, PD and FD have arrived. The civilians are roughed up, bumps and bruises. But when the FD opens the back of the van and finds a cooler box the whole thing is turned into a crime scene. You know what was in the box?" Gormley asked Frank who nodded.
"What was in it?" Garrett asked, curious to what caused his phone to keep buzzing.
"A liver. Freshly harvested, the EMT's estimate," Gormley says and shakes of the chills.
"This is going to be a nightmare," Garrett mumbled when Frank stood, ready to leave.
What do you think about this story line? Leave a comment, point out my mistakes, everything would make my day.