Sorry for the slower updates, I'm trying to speed them up. A huge thank you to my readers and reviewers, I love you guys! :)
Sam stood still, stiff with shock for a good 10 seconds. "You-you know him?" he stuttered, "How?"
Jules fidgeted anxiously on her bed before answering, and Sam could tell she was desperately wanting to be up and moving about. "SRU training camps, he was my partner. He seemed like a nice enough guy. Guess I was wrong."
Sam listened carefully, memorizing her words to repeat to the team tomorrow. "So... what happened?"
"Well, everything was fine until we got to the final recruitment trials. You know, when there's 6 left? I got the job, and he went nuts. Went on about how the SRU is a man's job, how I can't be expected to keep up, and how this wasn't over here. His words, not mine," she said heatedly, her anger growing with each word.
Sam jerked his hand as though to drape it over Jules' shoulder, but he seemed to think better of it. Deciding that the best play was to be objective and not to baby her, he asked, "Have you seen him recently?"
She sighed tiredly. "Last time must have been just after recruitment, he was lurking around my house, and I reported it. He got a warning, but you won't find it on any records. He was a cop at that point, and everything just stopped after that so I figured it was over and done with."
"Does the team know about this?" he asked. Sam figured if they knew they would have remembered, and he knew this was the type of thing Jules would try to keep quiet.
"No," she admitted sheepishly after a pause.
"Ok, well we're going to lock him up. We're executing the warrant first thing tomorrow," he said warmly, wincing inwardly at the glare Jules shot him.
"I want to go," she said immediately.
"No way in hell."
"Why not?" she demanded indignantly.
Sam cast her a glance that spoke for itself, but he voiced his thoughts anyways. "You're kidding, right?"
He saw no change in her expression. On the contrary, she folded her arms and stared him down.
"You're injured, it's too personal for you, and we want to keep you safe."
His last words seemed to strike a nerve. "The team wants to keep me safe, or just you? I'm not a little girl, I'm not helpless, Sam. I can take care of myself. I can stay in the command truck, and it's just as personal for you guys. Don't try to lie, it won't work. I'm not made of glass, stop treating me like I am," she snapped, fire burning in her eyes.
Sam took several deep breaths and mentally calmed himself before answering. "You're not made of stone, either. I know this is affecting you more than you'll admit; I know you too well. We all care about you, Jules. Do you think the team will allow you to be there?"
She surprised him by visibly deflating and collapsing back against the couch. "I need to be there, Sam. Do you understand that? Just—just call the Sarge, I want to talk to him," she sighed.
Sam patted her shoulder gently before fishing in his pockets for his cell phone. He passed it to Jules, and she punched in his number.
"Hey, Sarge. It's Jules, I need to talk to you..."
Sam had no idea how she managed it, but in the morning Jules was sitting in the Suburban, getting a ride to Rick McLaren's apartment building. There were a few conditions attached, she had to be wearing Kevlar and under no circumstance was she to leave the truck.
"What's the plan, Boss?" Lou asked while en route.
"We go in fast and hard, subdue him and arrest him. Only if he's alone. If he's not, everything changes."
"Speed, surprise and aggressive action," Sam said.
Jules smiled, remembering the first time he had said those words. Sam noticed, and he shot her a sly smile. He was surprised to see her blush, but pleased nonetheless.
They pulled to a stop in the underground parking, and Sam and Wordy were sent up to his apartment to make sure he was alone.
They snuck up to the 5th floor and slid the snake camera through the crack under the door. At first glance, the apartment was empty, but on closer inspection, they could see McLaren seated on the couch, a young woman next to him.
"You getting this, Boss?" Wordy whispered.
"Yeah, yeah," Greg replied, "we'll wait until she leaves, we need him isolated."
"Copy that," whispered Sam.
"Keep surveillance up, and pull back and soon as the female gets up. We need eyes, but he can't see you," Ed ordered.
"Copy."
Jules sat in the command truck, stiff as a board. She watched the screen with blank eyes, eliciting a concerned glance from Spike.
"Jules?"
"What?"
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she said, as earnestly as possible.
A few minutes went by uneventfully, when McLaren stood up and made his way over to the closet.
"Subject on the move," breathed Sam.
At this point, McLaren angled his body so that it was impossible to see what he was doing. He returned to the couch, and in less that a second the woman had been pulled to her feet, stuck in a chokehold. McLaren pointed the gun to the door crack and fired once, rendering the camera useless.
"Shots fired, no harm," Wordy gasped.
"No harm," repeated Sam.
"To the Police unit here, I want you guys out. I've got a hostage, and I'm not afraid to kill her," McLaren spoke, his voice as cold as ice.
The woman whimpered in terror, the sound audible even through the door.
Sam and Wordy exchanged worried looks. Greg slammed his fist into the side of the Suburban, muttering incomprehensible profanities under his breath.
TBC
Little bit of a cliffie there :)
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