My family lives for the law. That's what happens when your father is the police chief and you mother is…or was….an FBI agent. It sure doesn't make you very popular with your peers but it comes with a lot of opportunities.
I always wanted to be an FBI agent like my mother. This terrifies my father since my mom died on the job but it's not like he has much say in the matter since he is in the same line of business. He insists that there is a difference but there really is not. I mean we are all gonna die someday, is it so wrong to want to go out with a bang.
I've lived a sheltered life, being homeschooled and constantly under watch. It didn't give me an oprotunity to meet a lot of other teenagers my age but it did give me an opportunity to do what I am good at. That would be kicking ass. I learned how to shoot a gun when I was 12 and I have been taking kickboxing and other fighting classes from officers under my dad since I was 8. My father objected at first but it was my mother who let me live my life the way I wanted to. Nothing could stop me….not even…me.
On days like today when I don't have homeschool I love to visit the police station and check in on my dad. Well visiting my dad is actually the excuse to snoop around and play with the guns at the shooting range they have out back.
I pulled up to the police station in Rusty, my old hand-me-down car that loves to give me trouble. Luckily today he was being a good car and I made it without any trouble. Walking through the doors of the police station my luck started to disappear when I saw my least favorite cop at the station standing by the front desk. Officer Harlow, a big man who loved his donuts and hated teenagers. Even being the chief's daughter didn't get me off his hit list. I was hoping to sneak past him but he turned around before I could even come up with a plan.
"Well if it isn't Bronte Woods. Back again?" He said with a smirk that warned me he was about to make a joke that I would not find funny at all.
Before I could come up with an excuse to get away fast a familiar face appeared from behind Officer Harlow and spoke up.
"Yes. We have a meeting and it's urgent." The young man said. He waved me over and I greatfully walked back with him. Once again, Jack Wilson to the rescue.
I first met Jack 2 years ago when he joined the police force as a rookie. He is only 23 now and is still the youngest guy at the station. He was a very good cop though and we got along ever since we first met. Jack took everything too seriously and I constantly made fun of him for it. Every once and a while my dad would let me ride along with Jack on some calls and we made a pretty good team.
"Want some coffee?" he asked when we got to his desk.
"Yea sure. So anything new and interesting since I was last here." I asked.
He got up to make the coffee and shook his head no.
"My dad got an urgent call yesterday and he went in on his day off. There has got to be something interesting there, especially since he hasn't told me anything."
"I wouldn't know about that. Chiefs been in a meeting all morning." Jack said.
"Maybe they're talking about it. I will see if I can get him to talk once their done."
"Here is your coffee." Jack handed me the freshly brewed coffee.
I started to take a sip when Jack interrupted. "Hey give it a minute. You don't want to burn yourself."
I rolled my eyes and put the cup down.
"Just because you can't feel pain doesn't mean you're not hurt." Jack repeated the saying I have heard over and over again from my dad and all the doctors.
I sighed. That was what made me different. I couldn't feel pain. CIPA, congenital insensitivity to pain, they called it. My father always used it as an excuse for me to not be a cop. Especially because the doctors figured I wouldn't live long enough to be one. My mom on the other hand was the optimist. She found ways to help me adapt and she used her and my father's resources to get me weekly checkups for free. The best thing about my mom is that she looked at my disability as a strength and I missed that about her.
I waited a few more seconds before sipping the coffee again. I tasted coffee but there was no heat. Hot or cold, I couldn't tell. If I had broken every bone in my body right now I still wouldn't be able to tell.
That is when I noticed my father coming out of his office. He scanned the room and when he spotted my sitting on Jack's desk he walked over. Jack saw him coming but pretended to be busy with work.
"Bronte, can I talk to you in my office please." My father said to me. I knew something was really serious since he called me Bronte and not Bo. My father and all my friends, or the few that I had, called me Bo unless something was wrong.
I got up and looked at Jack with confusion. He shrugged and tilted his head after my father telling me I better go. I followed my dad into his office and shut the door behind me after he asked me too.
"Bronte, sweetie, we are working on a really big case and I need to as you a huge favor. I wouldn't approve of this in any other situation but we are stuck at a dead end right now." My father said while flipping through a file at his desk.
When I realized this was about police work I relaxed a little bit. "Yea, sure. What do you want?"
"Well our latest victim is a 16 year old high school student and this case is very fragile. Her father contributes a lot of money to our department. We are trying to keep this out of public eye until we know who is responsible for this. The problem is we have reached a dead end and no one seems to be talking much. Under normal circumstances we would send an undercover cop in but no one available looks young enough to pull off a high school student. We will send in an undercover teacher and the school has its own security system but we need someone else on the inside." My father started.
"Are you saying I get to go undercover in an actual case?" I asked excitedly.
"Just for intel purposes. You will be there to gather information and if things start to get dangerous I want you out. We were thinking about having Officer Wilson go in as a substitute teacher for one of the staff as your back up."
"Yes. Of course I will do this! Thank you! Thank you!" I was so excited that my dad was finally giving me a chance.
My dad spoke into the radio, "Officer Wilson in my office please."
He turned back to me and said, "I will need you to be extra careful with this one okay. I will give you and Wilson the debriefing now and this is your first time going to an actual school so take the opportunity to get the most out of it okay. I want you to keep me updated and I will inform the schools head nurse of your…condition." My father says with a hint of reluctance.
Just then a knock on the door was heard and we turned to see Jack come into the room. He looked a bit worried. "You called me, sir?" He asked.
I flashed him a smile to try to let him know that he was getting good news not bad news.
"Yes. You will be accompanying Bronte here on an undercover mission taking place at a local private high school around here." My father started before handing us each a file.
I opened the file and there was a picture of a girl in a large yellow dress that I recognized as the uniform for the local expensive private school…Ouran Academy I think it was. She was lying face down on the ground of what looked to be a classroom. All I could tell was that she had been attacked from behind.
"The victim's name is Abby Larkson. She was stabbed in the back with an uknown weapon with a sharp blade. The ETD is around 5:00. She was reported last seen at the schools most famous club the Host Club."
Jack raised an eyebrow at this and I let out a little giggle. My father gave me a look that reminded me to be very serious about this so I dropped the smile and sat up straighter.
"Your information is in your folders. Jack Wilson you will be taking on the role of Mr. Jack Bennet a substitute teacher for Mrs. Jepson's history class while she is on maternity leave. Bronte you will just change your last name to Kent. Read up on your files tonight because the board would like to have you start as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow if you think you will be ready."
"Bronte Kent. Got It. We will be ready dad….I mean sir." I said.
Jack and I got up to leave and I couldn't wait till tomorrow. I finally have a chance to show my dad and everyone what I am capable of.