Chapter two –Happy, happy birthday
Friday, 14th September, 2012
I close my locker inside the SRU changing room, stepping up to the mirror on the wall to tie my hair into its usual ponytail.
"Damned things" I murmur at the few stubborn strands of hair that once again refuse to be tied up. My hair just isn't long enough, yet, to last in a ponytail. It is too thick, to stubborn and too curly to do what I want. I give in with a sigh and let that one loose strand fall as it wishes, turning around to enter the gym. It'll get better after the shower, when the hair is wet.
"No, no, no, it's not like that! I just accidentally bumped into her on the streets and we went to have coffee, Sam, as friends!" I hear Spike declare as soon as I enter the gym.
"Yeah?" Sam retorts. "So you admit bumping my sister, Spike?" he teases him between push ups.
"Hey, Nicki, good to see you, tell us of your weekend plans!" Spike tries to change the subject as he sees me enter.
"I dunno" I grin at him, not willing to let him off the hook so easily. "I'd rather hear of your date with Sam's sister." I hear Sam laughing out loud as I step onto the treadmill for a quick warm up.
"Yeah, yeah. Just keep supping with the devil... And I was just about to ask you two to join me for a beer or two, after shift…" he lets out a false sigh of disappointment while looking at me. "Too bad" he grins.
"Alright, boys." Ed enters the room with the rest of Team One trailing behind, clapping his hands. "It's time for some stamina training. Up you go!"
As we are about to get started, the alarm goes off.
"Team One, hot call!" We hear Winnie's voice on the loudspeakers as we rush to the lockers and quickly change. A few minutes later, we take off.
"We have a hostage situation at a birthday party, Maple Leaf Drive. Approximately twenty guests, the host is Mr. Bryant, executive director of Bryant Industries Ltd., it is his fiftieth Birthday. One unidentified subject, a guest called nine-one-one when she heard shooting. The call has been interrupted. No word on casualties. The cellphone is unavailable." Greg summarizes what he knows so far. "Spike, you find out anything useful about Mr. Bryant and his family. And try to get us floor plans of that house. Jules, you are my second."
"Sam, Leah, you're Alpha Team, Nick and I are Bravo Team" Ed continues over the radio. "We scout out the house and the surroundings, we need eyes and ears in. Alpha Team, you take the north and east sides, we take south and west."
It takes another few minutes of radio silence until we arrive at a spacious two-story house with two driveways and a wide entrance door. The front of the house, facing south, is closed off, windows and blinds shut. A balcony on the upper floor looms on the right hand side, above the entrance to a garage, and turns around the corner to continue on the east side of the house.
"Keep the peace, boys" Greg states as we take off in our assigned directions. Ed and I rush up to the front of the house and scout around the corner, always keeping an eye on any window as well as our surroundings. The western side of the house features a wide backyard that continues on the northern side. We carefully check each window, but everywhere the shutters are closed.
"Alpha Team, status" Ed demands quietly as we walk back to the front.
"Ed, we got eyes. Northern side, terrace window, broadcasting now" Sam informs us over the radio.
"Great. Meet us back in front" Ed orders.
"Mr. Frank Bryant, current wife Elena Bryant" we hear Spike over the radio. "It's the second time he's married. His first son, Tobias, twenty years old, from his first marriage. Mother died of a heart attack caused by drug abuse, ten years ago. Second son, Tommy, seven years old. He's possibly in that house right now, guys. Tobias started doing drugs as a teenager, has been into therapy two times. Records say he's clean since the last time, about a year ago."
We meet with Jules and Greg at the front fence, where they've set up the floor plans and a laptop to watch the broadcast. We see the subject near a fireplace at the eastern wall. He's pacing up and down, talking, arguing. A woman stands right in front of him, visibly desperate, trying to calm the suspect down, arguing with him. They seem to know each other. The birthday party guests are sitting in rows at the western site of the room. One body is lying on the floor between the two groups, unmoving. Another person cowers on the floor, next to the fireplace.
"You see a kid in there somewhere?" Jules asks skeptically. "He may be upstairs instead, playing in his room."
"Subject armed with a handgun" Greg summarizes. "Visibly agitated and arguing with a woman. One possible casualty."
"We try to make a stealth entry via the upper front balcony" Ed points out the balcony at the floor plan. "If we're lucky there are doors or windows unlocked. We can have an easy climb from that front porch in front of the main entrance. Boss?"
"I'll start negotiating. No access until I give the go" Greg states and walks up to the house, megaphone in hand.
"This is Sergeant Gregory Parker, I am with the Police, Strategic Response Unit. I will call the telephone inside the house right now. Please answer when it rings!" he shouts, simultaneously dialling the telephone number. After a few moments without response, he tries again.
"This is Sergeant Greg Parker, I am calling the internal telephone right now. Please answer, so we can talk!" Greg turns to Ed and nods his head.
Ed turns to us. "Ok guys. Sam, you're Sierra, try to find a good spot overlooking the living room."
We hear Greg shouting over the megaphone again. "This is Sergeant Greg Parker. We need to know if everything's okay in there, buddy. Please answer the telephone and talk to me!"
"Leah, you're with us" Ed continues. "We try the upper balcony. Let's go!"
We rush forward to the balcony, climbing up from the front porch. I listen to Spike talking to Greg via the radio.
"Boss, I have a positive match on the subject: Tobias Bryant, twenty year old son of Mr. Bryant. Moved out two years ago, living in an apartment downtown."
"Any wife or girlfriend we could call to give us some intel?" Greg inquires.
"His fiancée, Laura, passed away…" Spike hesitates a short moment "…a week ago. Today was the funeral" he explains. "What kind of father throws a birthday party on the day his son's fiancée is buried?"
"Doesn't seem like they are getting along. Cause of death?" Greg replies.
"Suicide. Took an overdose sleeping pills. Boss, records say Tobias blames his father for her suicide. He's trying to press charges for murder."
"Call his lawyer and patch me through. And find out more about Laura."
"On it."
I step onto the front porch and climb the balustrade. From here I can reach the balcony balustrade and climb up, Ed giving me a hand from above. As soon as we are up, Leah starts unlocking the door.
"Laura Kinsley, twenty-four years old. Low born, former drug addict, has been arrested several times for drug possession and abuse. Ninety days in jail last year. Undertook therapy while in jail, still ongoing until her death, records say she's been clean since then. Boss, the lawyer will call you in a moment" Spike reports his findings over radio.
"Thanks, Spike" Greg answers.
Leah finally opens the balcony door and we enter the house quiet and slowly, checking each corner of the bedroom we're now in. As we reach the door to the corridor, Ed motions for me to go right to check out the other rooms. He opens the door and turns left with Leah, while I head right, slowly opening one door after the other, checking the rooms behind. As I turn into the last room, I notice small feet in blue socks sticking out from under a children's bed.
"Ed" I smoothly call him over the radio. "I got a child in here." I turn towards the bed and kneel down.
"Hey there. My name is Nicki, I'm with the Police. What's your name?"
"Tommy" a quiet, muffled voice sounds out from under the bed. I can hear Ed coming up behind me, checking the corridor while I talk to the kid.
"Sam, come back front, get to the balcony. I need you there" Ed orders. "Get him outta here, quiet."
"Hey Tommy" I speak again. "It's nice to meet you. Would you mind coming out, so I can see you properly?" A few moments pass and I am already thinking if it would be better to simply lock up the door from the outside and leave the kid in here, but then he hesitantly moves and crawls out from under the bed. He looks scared.
"Good, you're already a big boy, are you not?" I praise him. "This is a serious situation, you know that don't you?" The boy nods. "That's good, that's good. I need you to do exactly what I tell you now, Tommy, can you do that? Listen. I will carry you to the balcony in your parents' room. I will help you get down from that balcony and onto the ground floor. I need you to be perfectly still the entire time. It is important that you do not scream or say anything, ok? Can you do that, Tommy?" He nods and I smile at him.
"You're a good boy, Tommy, thank you very much. I have some friends outside that will keep you company. Is that ok?" He nods again. "Alright then, Tommy, let's start." I hold out my hand and swoop him up into my arms as soon as he grabs it. "You're doing great, Tommy" I whisper again as I carefully carry him to the balcony. I sit him down on the balustrade and point to Sam, who is now standing on the porch, right below us. "Do you see my friend down there? That is Sam. I promise you, we won't hurt you, and we won't let you fall down, I promise. Alright?" Tommy nods. "You are such a brave boy, Tommy. You're doing great!" I grab his hands and slowly lift him up and over the balustrade, letting him down until Sam gets a hold of him.
"Got him" Sam confirms and I let go. Tommy lands safely inside Sam's arms, who lets him down to the ground and sends him to Jules.
"Sam, Nicki, I need you up here" Ed calls over the radio. I offer my hand to Sam and help him climbing up to the balcony. We quietly rush inside to meet up with Ed. The corridor on the upper floor ends in a small indoor balcony overlooking the two-story high living room where the hostages are held. On the right side, where the corridor begins, a lightly curved staircase leads to the ground floor.
"Sam, you're still Sierra One. Leah, you're Sierra Two. You have a good spot overlooking the area from there" Ed points to the far off end of the balcony. "And there" he points to the corner of the corridor facing the living room. "I will try talking to him. Nicki, you're my backup. Boss? Any intel?"
"The girl, Laura, was clean since more than a year" Greg tells us via radio."She met Tobias during therapy. Apparently they were made for each other and managed to stay clean together. Friends say they meant the world for each other. The wedding was scheduled for next month, but Tobias' parents, especially his father, never approved. He harassed his son and his soon-to-be wife. Calls, mails, visits. Physical assault. He is even accused of having hired someone to break into their apartment and destroy every bit of possession they had. Friends say Laura couldn't take it anymore, so Tobias blames his father for her death."
"We need to be careful then" I considerately comment. "It's possible he does not care anymore if he dies."
"That's right" Ed nods. "Sam, Leah, positions?"
"All set Sam confirms. "I've got the solution."
"Tobias Bryant!" Ed calls downstairs, carefully looking around the corridor walls for cover. "My name is Ed Lane. I'm with the Police, Strategic Response Unit. I need to talk to you, buddy."
"Go AWAY!" Tobias shrieks from downstairs. He sounds desperate and full of tears. "I don't NEED no fucking police!"
"Alright. Alright. I can understand that, buddy. But I cannot go away until I know that everyone is OK down there. Would you mind telling me if anyone is hurt? What about the man lying in the middle of the room. Is he injured?" Ed inquired.
"No" Tobias replies, sobbing. "No, he's… he's ok. He just had a shock when I came in that's all. But he's ok." Tobias moved to the man lying on the floor in the middle of the room. "You're ok, aren't you? Tell them you're ok!" He orders harshly.
"I-I'm good" the man on the ground stutters with a small voice.
"That's good buddy" Ed replied. "That's good. You know what that means? That means you have not hurt anybody. It means that there's no harm done. That's very good." Ed pauses before continuing.
"I would like to see you, buddy, is that ok? I'm coming around the corner know. I have a friend with me, but we won't do anything to you, I promise, as long as you keep your weapon down." He motions for me to move around the corner, so he can follow while talking. Ed places his left hand on my right shoulder and steers me with it in the directions he wants to go. I keep my weapon up and aimed while I slowly move, step by step around the corner and onto the platform. "Ok, buddy? Keep that weapon down." We slowly move down the first few steps of the stairs.
"Stay THERE!" Tobias shrieks. "Don't come any closer! Don't come ANY CLOSER!" We halt.
"Alright. Alright, buddy. We will stay right here. Right here. You see? We're not moving" Ed tries to calm him down.
"You know what, buddy? Look at me. Look at me. I have no weapon in my hands. Do you see my hands?" I have my eyes fixed on Tobias. He hesitates a bit. Looking confused, hurt, desperate and afraid, all at the same time. He tries to think and turns and paces around before brushing his hair with his left hand and turning back to Ed.
"Yes" he answers, his gaze firmly fixed on Ed.
"No weapon, buddy. I only want to talk to you, ok? I only want to talk" Ed carefully explains."Tobias, buddy, I know this is about Laura. I know it is about your father and I know it is hard."
"YOU know NOTHING!" Tobias shrieks again and points his gun at Ed, then at his father, then back at Ed, clearly confused and angry. "You know nothing" he repeats.
"Ok buddy, ok" Ed tries again. "Then talk to me, Tobias. Explain it for me. I want to understand you, hear me buddy? I want to help you."
"You cannot help me!" he cries with angry tears streaming down his face, looking down at the floor, pacing again, tearing his hair. "You should've been there a year ago! Not now! You cannot help NOW!"
Tobias looks up at Ed with angry, tear strained eyes as he points his gun at his father. "He killed Laura! He killed her!" Tobias turns and paces the floor again, both hands pressed against his head.
"I hear you buddy. I hear you" Ed tries to reassure him. "Nothing is harder than losing someone you love, buddy, I know what it's like. But those people over there. They have nothing to do with all this, or do they? It is between you and your father, is it not? What do you think, can we just let them go? Hu, buddy? Can we let them go?"
Tobias thinks a moment and starts pacing again. "Okay, they can go." He finally declared. "Get out. Out, OUT! OUT!" he shouts at the guests as they hurriedly start escaping the room, two of them quickly helping the man that has been lying in the middle of the room.
"Nice and slow, ladies and gentlemen, nice and slow. Everything is ok here, please go calm and careful" Ed tries to calm down the guests. "Boss, hostages coming out the front door" he softly reports before turning back to Tobias. "Thank you buddy, that was really nice of you." He pauses as he stirs me forward and we take a few more steps down the stairs. We descent slowly, carefully, trying not to scare Tobias.
"The woman in front of you. Is that your mother?" Ed asks.
"Yes. No. Not mine. Tommy's" Tobias replies.
"And Tommy, is he your brother?" Ed asks again.
"Tommy." Tobias turns around, searching. "Where's Tommy? What did you DO to Tommy?" he shrieks again and points his gun at his father.
"Tobias, buddy, calm down. Calm down. We did not do anything to Tommy. That's good, calm down and lower that weapon. He is outside, playing with my friend Jules. Lower that weapon, please, buddy" Ed calmly explains.
"Ed, try to find out why Tommy is so important to him" we hear Greg's voice over the radio.
Tobias seems to calm himself down again a little bit and lowers the weapon.
"Tommy is outside with my friends. He is a very brave and clever young man, he really is. My friend Nicholas here talked to Tommy, not so long ago. He really is a clever kid. He's your brother, Tobias?" Ed signals me to take another step on the stairs. Just one, then we stand still again, facing Tobias.
"He is. Best little brother. I need to protect him from that monster!" Tobias spits at his father and again points his weapon at him.
"Tobias, buddy, keep that weapon low, ok? Please, keep it low. Keep it low. Stay calm, buddy. Stay calm. Look at me." Tobias hesitates a moment but then looks up to Ed, still pointing his gun at his father.
"Buddy, you love your brother, I know that. I can see that. But you need to understand, if you raise that weapon again, if you attempt to shoot, my friends need to take you down. Do you understand that, buddy? I hear you. I understand you. I know you need to protect your little brother from the monster that killed Laura. But you cannot protect him when you are not around. You cannot protect him when you are dead, do you understand that?" Tobias looks at Ed, seemingly deep in thought, lowering his weapon a few inches. Ed signals me to move down again and we descent the stairs until we're standing on the living room carpet, only a few metres away from Tobias.
"Laura would have wanted you to live a good life, Tobias. Laura would not have wanted for you to throw it all away. You want revenge? That's good. But this is not the kind of revenge that she'd want. This is not right at all, you know this, don't you, Tobias? Go and get your revenge in court, buddy, when he has to answer for the crimes he has committed."
Ed waits a few moments to give Tobias some time to comprehend what he just said.
"Put your weapon on the floor, Tobias. We will go outside, to see your brother Tommy. Ok, buddy? Put your weapon on the floor and all this will be over" Ed calmly urges. "Come on buddy, put it down. Put the weapon down, do it now."
Tobias hesitates again and looks up at Ed with clear eyes. "Okay" he nods and clicks the safety on his weapon back on before throwing it into the other corner on the room.
"On the floor, buddy. Hands above your head, do it now!" Tobias follows the orders and lets Ed cuff him. As soon as it's safe, I lower my weapon and kneel in front of Mr. and Mrs. Bryant.
"Subject contained" Ed reports.
"Boss, we need EMS in here" I call over the radio. Soon after, EMS rushes in and takes care of the couple, letting me retreat to the outside.
"Ed, you did a good Job with that kid, today. Well done. All of you, good job." Greg smiles at us, closing the debriefing meeting. "And now, back to the gym, guys, we still have that training scheduled!"
After the training, I decide to take a long, hot shower. Training was refreshing. I gave everything and right now I am feeling worn out but happy and content. I'll probably have some aching muscles tomorrow, but I don't care at all. I feel great!
As I change back into my jeans and T-shirt, Spike pokes his head inside the room.
"Nicki, you in here?" He sees me and smiles, fully entering the room as I sit down to tie my shoes, my loose hair falling slightly into my face. "You still up for that beer? Jules, Sam and I are waiting outside."
I smile up at him and nod. "Sure, why not?"
"Great!" he sits down next to me, laying his arm around my shoulders. "You now, rookie pays the first round!" he jokes and I laugh. I can live with that.
We walk the small distance to the bar. I push my bike beside me, Sam and Jules constantly joking around next to me. It's a free Saturday tomorrow, no work unless we are called in on an emergency. I will probably sleep in for a change. I feel like I need it.
"So, Nicki" Spike asks. "You go to work by bike every day?"
"Yeah. I live in the neighbourhood. Just a few blocks from here" I answer as I lock up my bike in front of the bar and indicating the direction to my apartment with a nod of my head. As I straighten up I push my hair back behind my ears.
"Nice" Spike comments as we enter the bar together. We look around until we find Sam and Jules at a small corner booth by the window.
"It's Friday, Sammy, you what that means?" Spike calls out as we sit down. "KARAOKE!" both of them chime, happily smiling as Jules laughs out loud. It is nice to see them so relaxed and easy for a change. It's a great difference to talking to them at work.
"So, Spike kindly informed me that the first round's up to the rookie. What're you guys having?" I ask, standing up.
"I'll get a beer" Jules says.
"Me too. But a large one!" Spike declares and Sam agrees.
I work my way through the other guests to the bar to place my order.
"Right away, sweetheart" the woman behind the counter chants. She's a pneumatic blonde, long hair, painted lips and a low cut tube top. "You having fun today with your friends? Gonna sing some songs on stage later?" She asks while placing four bottles of beer on the counter in front of me.
I laugh. "I don't know, really. Never did that before." I hesitate, casually flipping back my hair, looking at her. "But maybe, if I could find a cute partner to sing with…" I wink at her and put some dollars on the counter. "Change's yours. Thank you!" She smiles up at me as I grab the beer and work my way back to our table.
"There you go" I place the beer on the table and take my seat next to Spike again.
"Here's to Nicki" Jules calls out, raising her glass. "He successfully survived his first two weeks without incident!"
"Nah, I don't know, Spike, I never did that before. I cannot sing, I'm not going up on that stage with you!" Only three hours, four beers and a few shots later, Spike, currently sitting on the opposite side of the table, seems to be determined to get me onto that small stage in the back of the bar, where some of the guests already performed. The singing is more or less successful, depending on the singer, but nobody seems to care if it's good or bad. Every singer gets an applause and cheers from the audience. I look up to the stage where Sam and Jules are singing a more or less melodic version of "Lean on me".
"Ooh, come on!" Spike begs again. "Just one song. You'll like it. I promise, it's great!"
Amused, I look at him. He seems to be slightly drunk, his dark brown eyes glinting, his cheeks somewhat flushed.
"Come on, Nicki! Please!" he pleads again and leans closer over the table. "Pretty please?" he tries again, pleadingly fluttering his eyelashes. I cannot help but laugh at him. He's someway cute.
"I'll pay the next round! Anything you want, ok? And you can choose the song."He leans back in his seat. "Come on. I know you want to say yes! I see it in your eyes!" He flashes me a bright smile.
"Okay, you know what?" I swipe some strands of hair out of my face as I smile at him. "Let's do it!"
"Nice! I'll get the book" he happily shouts and jumps out of his seat to rush up to the bar and get a songbook. I smile and shake my head as I watch and wait for his return.
"There you are. Take a look and choose something." He hands me the songbook.
"Ok" I agree and take the book out of his hands as Jules slumps onto the bench beside me.
"Jules, help me out here, what could Spike and I sing?" I ask.
"Ooh, he got you to agree, nice one, Spikey!" Jules happily approves and looks over my shoulder to search the song list. "What about this one?" She asks, pointing out one of the songs.
"Yeah, that's a great song!" Sam remarks. I did not notice him standing behind us until now.
"Nah, I don't think so. Let's keep looking." I turn the page and continue to read the song titles.
"Okay, what about... that?" Sam asks, scanning the song list and pointing to another one.
"I don't know…" I thumb a few more pages through the book, taking my time reading the list.
"I've got one" I grin triumphantly at Spike. "Alice Cooper, "Poison". Know that song?"
"Humph" Spike snorts. "Course I do. Who do you think are you speaking to?" he jokes, scribbles the title and artist down on a piece of paper and jumps up to deliver it to the DJ upon the stage as Sam walks around the booth and sits down on the opposite bench.
"So, what're you havin'?" Jules asks and stands up. "It's my shout."
"Another beer would be just fine" I answer and Sam agrees. "Bring one for Spike, too!" I call as she goes up to the bar to place the order. A few moments later, Spike drops himself next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders. "I bribed the DJ with a drink. We're next!" he claims and smiles brightly up to me. I feel a bit nervous as I think about getting onto a stage to perform a song, but the alcohol in my blood does a good job and I quickly dismiss the feeling, smiling back at him. For a short moment he looks directly into my eyes, sending shivers down my spine.
"A big applause for Sandy, Ladies and Gentlemen! Next up on stage: Spike and Nicki, performing Alice Cooper! That's a big one, Spike and Nicki, come up to the stage!" the DJ calls out and I turn my head. Spike hurries off to the stage to grab the microphones and I take another quick gulp of my beer before joining him.
The first few lines are quite difficult for me to sing as I have some troubles getting adjusted to the feeling of singing on a stage in front of an audience. I nervously play with my hair, but a glance at Spikes reassuring smile as he belts out the song lets me relax a bit more and I concentrate on the text playing on the monitor. When the song ends, I even had fun and smile brightly at the audience. "Thank you Nicki and Spike! A great applause, Ladies and gentlemen, those boys have earned it!" the DJ shouts as Spike and I leave the stage, accompanied by the cheers of the audience.
"To the bar, Spike! You owe me a shot!" I order him, smiling. Even though it was fun, my face feels hot and my knees shiver a bit.
"Be right there, gotta take a leak first" he calls back and leaves.
I sit down at the bar and study the menu card while waiting.
"So... And here I thought you were flirting with me, sweetheart… but it seems you prefer another type of cutie, don't you?" The lady behind the bar remarks with a smirk, winking at me.
"Oh, I was" I smiled up at her. "But my friend can be quite persisting, you know?" I explain with a grin.
"I see." She smiles at someone who's coming up behind me and I turn around to see Spike taking a seat next to me. "So, what can I get you two cuties?" We order some shots and get up to join Sam and Jules again.
"So. That was nice" Jules praises us. "You look great up there!" she beams as I sit down and take my beer.
"I took a picture" Sam lets us know. "Photographic proof, you know?" He grins at me wickedly.
We talk some more, but another hour into the night, I start getting tired. I say my goodbyes to everyone and leave to unlock my bike. As I straighten up my head spins a bit and I decide it's better to walk home and push the bike. I casually comb my fingers through my hair while I walk and start humming a song, smiling into the night. Today was a good day!