Don't own them, never will.
This is my first Crossing Jordan story, tried to do the characters well, but we'll see. If I get anything wrong, sorry, it happens.
Chapter 1: Fugative
"Have you heard from Jordan?" It wasn't a polite question that came from Woody Hoyt, but rather a near-panicked demand. He had torn into the Boston Morgue, and aimed straight for Macy's office, praying that the Morgue crew had stashed Jordan away somewhere. His hopes were quickly dashed.
"No. And before you ask we've all been calling her for hours, both cell and house lines. Even called her father's place and the Pogue. Bug just went to her apartment." Garret answered the flood of questions before they came.
"Tell him not to bother I was just there. Damn it where is she?"
"Well, I hate to say it, but she probably ran."
"That would be skipping bail."
"She is suspected for two murders, and this is Jordan; would you expect her to just lie down and take it?" Woody didn't answer, but instead gave him a dark look. Jordan had been unreachable for almost 18 hours now, and everybody was worried, at least all her friends. Lu had only stepped up her efforts to locate Jordan, going so far at to put out an APB on her.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Woody cursed as he slammed his fist into a nearby wall.
"Did that make you feel better?" Garret commented sarcastically, almost infuriately calm, at least in Woody's mind.
"Sure." He didn't get the chance to say any more as he phone rang.
"Hoyt." There was a short pause followed by a panicked response from Woody.
"Repeat that Greg." He closed his eyes then, and looked pained.
"Alright I'm on my way."
"I know they won't allow me to be involved, but that won't stop me from following them wherever the trace leads."
"Yeah, thanks. Bye." He flipped the phone closed, and looked up at the Chief ME, who was waiting for him to relate the phone call.
"Lu is going to trace Jordan using her cell phone. I'm going over there now, I'll follow them if they get a hit, and make sure she's okay."
"Good. Go." Was all he said and Woody took off.
Back at the Boston Homicide PD, Detective Lu Simmons was borrowing some techs to help her trace her now-fugitive. Soon as she found Jordan she'd throw her ass in jail and she could sit there until trial. Even if she wanted to keep her out, at this point she couldn't, Jordan had violated her bail, and left them with no other options. She was staring at the images of the city on the screen as they changed, attempting to figure out what it meant, when he now ex-boyfriend and fellow detective came through the door. Damn! Who clued him in on this, now he is going to give me problems.
"Hey Lu, you caught Jordan yet?" He asked with cheek that would make Monty Python proud.
"We were just trying to trace her phone, but I get the feeling you know that already."
"Trace worked yet?" He asked dodging her question.
"We haven't called her yet, they just finished stepping up the equipment." As if on cue the techie looked up from his chair at her, and gave her a thumbs up.
"Go ahead and call now." Lu nodded and dialed Jordan's number, which she kept in the address book in her desk. The woman was an ME and they did have to work together on occasion, and now she was glad she bothered to catalogue her number; this way she didn't have to go through Woody, or worse Macy.
The phone rang for several beats and then went to Jordan's voice mail. She began to leave a message, hoping to buy the tech time to pick up the phone's signal. As the tech made a circular motion with his finger, she struggled to drag out the message. Soon the map on the computer screen began to zoom in, until it targeted a precise address, and Lu gratefully hung up.
"She's at 27th and Pine, and it doesn't look like she's moving."
"Good. Keep this screen up and call me if she moves."
"Of course Detective." And with that Lu torn out of the building, with Woody right behind her.
"Woody you can't come, you aren't on the case and you are way to close to this."
"Who said I planned to helping with the arrest?" He replied, again all cheek.
Both cops climbed into there respective cars, Woody taking off first, much to Lu's annoyance. Using lights and sirens, and breaking half the traffic laws on the books, both tore across the city in what could be considered a competition. Though Woody knew Lu would never hurt Jordan, he couldn't ignore the feeling in his gut that told him thigns would get much worse before they even hinted at getting better. Likewise, Lu knew Woody wouldn't actually try to interfere in there arrest, or do anything illegal to help Jordan (though she did have her doubts), his devotion still worried her.
Finally, they both arrived on the scene, Woody first, followed closely by Lu, another unmarked, and two patrol cars. That's a hell of a detail to collect one of our own, thought Woody as he eyed the scene and was even gladder that he came. There was no Jordan anywhere in sight though. All the cops were looking around, and Lu pulled out her cell, and dialed Jordan's number, waiting for a ring. They waited silently for what felt like minutes, and then a ring went off. A young patrolmen was standing closest to the sound, and looked into the garbage can by his side, digging a bit, and finally coming out with the ringing cell phone. Woody felt ill. This can't be good.
Lu looked annoyed, then surveyed the surrounding buildings, "Riggs and Jefferies check out the coffee shop, show her picture. Galway and Ripley, that little grocery store. Charlie, me and you will take the pawn shop." She didn't even bother looking at Woody, who followed them into the pawn shop.
"Excuse me Sir, I am Detective Simmons. Have you seen this woman in here or nearby?" She asked flashing her shield.
"What if I did?" He was abrasive, rude, and rather dirty looking.
"What did she buy?"
"I can't quite remember, you know how it is, so many customers."
"I wonder how much of this is stolen property. I could get a whole lot of uniforms in here to tear the place apart."
"Alright, alright, ease up." He placated, concerned for his business, "She bought a gun, a 44, with a nine clip. Smith and Wesson. Anything else Detective?"
"Yeah do you know where she was going."
"No, we didn't get into deep conversation. She seemed to be in a bit a rush. Now I can see why." He finished his sentence dripping with sarcasm. Lu didn't even comment, just nodded, turned her heel, and left.
Once outside, she began dictating instruction again to one of the uniforms, who'd all come up empty-handed.
"Jefferies, I need you to add to the bulletin for Cavanaugh. She is now considered armed and dangerous, packing a loaded 44, with a full nine clip." She didn't say it lightly.
"Jesus, Lu, come on, you can't do that."
"The people looking for her need to know."
"Damn it Lu, she isn't going to hurt a cop."
"You don't know that Woody, as far as we know she already killed two men."
"God Lu, listen to yourself. This is Jordan, you know her, she isn't capable of that."
"I don't know her that well Woody, and your judgment is severely clouded."
"Screw my judgment then. Lu, if you put that out, cops will shoot first and ask questions later. Jordan is going to end up in a body bag, because of some trigger-happy rookie! You can't do that."
"I can, I am, and I did Detective, I suggest you get back to your own cases." It hurt for her to treat Woody that way, but she couldn't let her feelings jeopardize this case.
"And Galway and Ripley," she said turning from her car, "Go into the pawn shop and arrest the owner for possession and selling a firearm illegally." Then she left without looking back.
Jordan tore around her apartment throwing clothes, and who knew what else in her bag. She knew they would find the bartender's body soon, and with it her fingerprints, and come after her. She also knew all her friends would be searching for her, and couldn't risk involving them anymore than they were. It was becoming too dangerous. She got herself into this mess, she would get herself back out. Closing the bag after throwing her keys in, Jordan locked the door and headed to her El Camino.
Exiting the elevator, and heading toward her car, she caught sight of another familiar vehicle- Woody. Shit! She quickly ducked into the nearby stairwell, praying he hadn't seen her. And he hadn't. Looking worried, agitated, and near distraught all at once, Woody broke records tearing out of his car and running to the elevator. After he had climbed in and the elevator beeped signaling it had begun its ascent, Jordan ran to her El Camino, and began her drive to nowhere.
After an hour of aimless driving Jordan parked in a deserted parking lot, and made a b-line for the nearby pay phone. Flipping through the address book she had al but forgotten she kept, she picked the number for a kid she had helped years ago.
"Andy, Hey. It's Jordan."
"Yeah, It's been a while. Are you still clean?"
"That's great Andy. Really…I hate to do this, but I need your help."
'Yeah, trouble is a mild word to describe it."
"You still work at that auto shop"
"Well, a paint job for starters, pretty much a disguise for my El Camino."
"I'm sorry Andy, I really hate to do this to you."
"Thank you so much, I owe you one." He told her it made them even, but she still felt horrible begging him for illegal help after he had worked so hard to get clean.
Running her hand through her hair, and sighing in disgust, Jordan climbed back into her car, heading toward the Wrenches and Oil Auto shop. She spent the short ride attempting to figure out what to do seeing as how she was a fugitive now. She figured her only option was to drive down to D.C. and search through Pollack's apartment, try to find more information on this Judge. Knowing Pollack his notes and information were safely stowed on his office computer, and hard copies hidden in his house. Going to his office was out of the question, someone might recognize her, or they would never let her in. She still remembered the address that he had told her of his apartment, she didn't have the key, but as Woody once told her, she was pretty good at breaking and entering. He had told her that when he had been suspected of killing someone, though then it was only suspicion of manslaughter, for her it was murder, maybe two now.
She was so lost in her head, she was surprised when she pulled into the auto shop. It didn't take her long to find Andy, who was right out front filling out the paperwork on a Buick Skylark.
"Jordan, you want to tell me what kind of mess you got yourself into?"
"Let's just say worse than yours six years ago."
"Come on Jordan, you can tell me, I'm not gonna rat you out." She was about to answer when she heard what sounded like a police scanner crackling.
"You guys keep a scanner here?" She asked eyeing him.
"Place used to be a chop shop, they left that, and now Trey keeps in on to get a heads up when the cops have a busted car that he may be able to leech parts from." Jordan nodded, that was good, she could hear when they found the body, if they hadn't already, which was unlikely.
"So since you won't tell me what's wrong, tell me what you need." She silently thanked him for caving and not making her tell.
"Whatever you can give me to make the El Camino look different." He went out to look at her car, and rubbed his head, looking none too pleased.
"Alright. We'll start with a paint job, I'll see what I can do about new plates, maybe thrown on some corny bumper stickers. It's gonna take a couple hours at the least though."
"That's fine. I'm just grateful for whatever you can do for me." He nodded and retreated back into the shop to grab supplies, while she moved her car in.
An hour later he was still carefully painting the car silver, one of the most common colors on the road, and very different than the dark blue that was already there. Jordan sat off to the side making small talk as he worked. She learned he had gotten married and had a child since he had cleaned up, for Jordan it was nice to hear some good news for the first time in days. He was talking about his son Adam, when the scanner crackled loudly.
"APB update for Jordan Cavanaugh, suspect in two murders. All units are to be aware that she is now listed as armed and dangerous. Repeat is now considered armed and dangerous, all units be advised. The fugitive is armed with a loaded 44 with a nine clip, Smith and Wesson. Repeat description, female, brunette, brown eyes, 5 feet, 7 inches, last seen in blue jeans, and a denim jacket. Any unit spots her immediately contact Det. Tallulah Simmons."
Andy stared at Jordan, not believing what he had just heard, Jordan a ME, one of their own and they suspected her in two murders, and actually listed her as armed and dangerous.
"Jordan?" he asked tentatively.
"I didn't kill anyone."
"I didn't think you did, but why the hell do they? And why the hell are they calling you dangerous?"
"It's a long story, but to keep it short, I didn't kill anyone. I violated my bail, and I am armed, but only because someone took shots at me." He nodded slowly looking at her, then seemed to be thinking for a moment.
"I can do better than disguise you're car, and honey you need it,so don't try to turn me down. Here, it's a black 86' Daytona. My wife says I should get rid of it anyway, she'll be thrilled it's gone."
"You really don't have to do that Andy."
"Shut up, take the car, and haul ass outta here Jordan." She gave him a quick hug, whispered thanks, and ran to find the car, in the jumble at the auto shop.
