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What if?
Chapter 14: Defeat?
Bosco weakly opened his eyes to see Faith on the ground next to him, "Faith?"
"I'm okay Bosco," she whispered.
He sighed in relief he felt fine, "Good, I'm okay too."
Bosco sat up and saw the damage the explosion had done, he picked his radio up, "5-5 David to central we need a rush on Fire and Bus at L and West End."
"10-4 David," a voice on the radio replied.
Bosco got up and helped Faith up, "Thanks."
Hope was giving Cruz a ride to Mercy, despite her protests. "Sergeant, just take me home," Cruz kept telling her.
"Then what? Are you gonna take a shower and erase the evidence?" Hope asked sharply.
"You already have enough evidence to convict him, don't you?"
"It can easily be argued."
"I don't want people to know that tough, spunky Maritza Cruz got raped."
"You're not gonna report it?"
"No, I won't."
Squad 5-5 arrived at the scene, Jimmy and Alex were the first ones out of the truck. Alex turned to Sully, "Anyone in there?"
Sully nodded, "The judge's housekeeper, Neda."
"I'll go in," Jimmy volunteered as he put on an oxygen mask and his helmet. He opened the door and entered the house, "Anyone in here?"
"I'm upstairs!" Neda called from upstairs.
"Alright, I'm coming!" he ran up the stairs and saw the frightened woman.
"I was in the kitchen when it happened and I ran upstairs…"
"It's okay, you did the right thing, come with me, I'll help you get out."
Ken and Carlos arrived in Boy 5-5-3 right after Doc and Kim in Adam 5-5-3. "Any injured?" Carlos asked as he and Ken got out of the bus.
"My housekeeper is still inside!" Judge Halsted said as Sully stopped her from going in.
"Dorhety just went in to get her out," Alex informed the paramedics.
Jimmy came out of the house with Neda, "We need some oxygen!" He handed her off to Doc and Kim.
"Jimmy, is there anyone else in there?" Johnson asked.
"No, just the housekeeper."
"Okay, get the hose!"
Cruz was getting checked out by Dr. Hickman, "You'll need a sling and some orthopedic shoes."
"No sling, I can't miss work," Cruz objected.
"Well, if you're gonna be wrestling with suspects, I suggest a good stretch before you go out."
"All patents' medical records are confidential, right?"
"If there's someone you want me to talk about, you'll need a court order and even then, I'm gonna fight."
"Good," she took a deep breath, she could avoid getting a rape kit, but Cruz couldn't use anyone's trust, not again. "I…I think I'll need a rape kit."
The doctor had a serious look on her face, "Oh…I'm sorry."
"Officer Monroe will be the requesting officer."
"We're gonna take care of it, okay? I'll just go get a galleon and I'll be right back," Dr. Hickman left as Monroe came in.
"Cruz," Monroe said, making her presence know to Cruz, "You're doing the right thing. Sergeant's tape alone can't convict this guy."
Kim and Doc arrived with Neda at Mercy, with Sully and Judge Halsted in tow. Hope met them near the front desk, "Your honor, it's good to see that you're safe."
"Thank you sergeant," the judge replied kindly.
"Sarge," Sully began, "I think the judge should lay low for a while."
"I think you're right Sullivan," Hope said.
Sully was surprised by her comment, he thought she was going to snap at him, "Why?"
"At the picnic, the bomb went off before Judge Halsted got into her car, right?"
"That's right, and I think the guy who delivered it was the same guy I saw running off at the scene."
"It's pretty obvious now," Hope turned to the judge, "Your honor, I think someone wants you off the bench."
"You mean they're not trying to kill me?" Judge Halsted asked.
"No, you're surrounded by cops so it'll be hard to get to you, but it's no hard to get to those close to you." Hope turned to Sully, "Sullivan, take the judge to a safe house."
"Where?"
"I'll trust your judgment, right now, I need to talk to Cruz and Monroe." She walked away
"Your honor, we need to get you as far away from Neda as possible," Sully told Judge Halsted. "I'll take you to my house."
Carlos was checking out Faith in the back of Boy 5-5-3, "You have any soreness at all?"
Faith shook her head, "No, I'm fine."
"Yeah, you're fine," he turned to Bosco, "How 'bout you?"
"I feel fine too," Bosco told him.
"Okay, there's no one else injured?"
Bosco shook his head, "Not that I know of."
"How's the housekeeper?" Faith asked.
"I dunno for sure, but I think she's fine," Carlos answered.
"We're done here, can we go?" Ken was standing right next to the door of the driver's side of the bus.
"Yeah," Carlos replied.
Bosco motioned for Carlos to lean in, "What's his problem?" he whispered.
"He was fine before we came here, I thought he was always like this."
Faith shook her head and keep her voice low, "He was either in a good mood or a bad mood, depending on what the day was like."
"Nothing really happened today."
"Neito!" Ken shouted.
"You'd better get off," Carlos advised them.
The two of them got off the bus as Carlos closed the doors and got in. "About damn time," Ken grumbled as he got into the bus.
Cruz and Monroe got out of the room only to be greeted by Hope, "So…"
"I did it," Cruz answered the unasked question.
"Good, now we can get this bastard in Riker's for as long as he belongs in there."
"What did you find out about this guy?"
"Thomas Warner? We arrested him before in the 5-1."
"We did?"
"Yeah, apparently he got out, somehow."
"Damn."
"Yeah, tell me about it, but with this evidence, we can keep him there!"
"Yeah, Sarge, I'd love to stay and chat but I gotta go," Cruz walked away.
"Cruz?"
She turned back, "What?"
Hope turned to face her, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"What am I forgetting?"
Hope held out her hand, "Give it here."
Cruz sighed and took the Sex Crimes Kit Dr. Hickman left in the office out of her bag and gave it to Hope, "Don't let anyone see that."
"I won't let anyone know who's it is, okay?"
Cruz nodded, and left with Monroe. Before Hope had a chance to put the kit down, Swersky walked up to her, "That for the assignment you're working on with Cruz?"
"Uh, yeah, someone got raped in that whore house," Hope showed him the box while hiding Cruz's name.
"Oh, where's Sullivan and the judge?"
"Sullivan's taking her to a safe house."
"Where is the safe house?"
"I'm assuming Sullivan would know."
"He didn't tell you?"
"I told him I trusted his judgment, and I needed to, he has twenty years experience over my ten…ish years."
"Ten-ish?"
"I sorta lost count along the way, but that's not important right now, I have a theory on the attacks surrounding the judge."
Sully unlocked the door and let Judge Halsted into his home, "It's not much."
She stepped into the small apartment, "Can I call the hospital?"
"Yeah, just as soon as I call the sergeant, to let her know where we are."
Monroe pulled up in front of Cruz's apartment, "You sure you don't want me to come up?"
"I'm sure," Cruz replied in a low voice.
"Think you should be alone?"
"Don't do that."
"If you and Campbell are going after this guy, I'm going with both of you."
"I won't let you."
"I'm supposed to have your back Cruz, we're partners!"
"We're not partners, you're my probation officer."
"The fact that you're on probation means nothing to me, I say we're partners."
"I'm gonna go back in, maybe I can get some more information about Warner. And Monroe?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't let anything stop me when I get this guy."
"Will do."
Hope was filling out some paperwork when her cell phone rang, she picked it up, "Sergeant Campbell, 55th Precinct."
"Sergeant, it's Sullivan," came Sully's voice.
"Sullivan? Did you get Judge Halsted to a safe house?"
"Yeah, she's at my place, do you think you could get some uniforms to guard the place?"
"Sure, oh and Sullivan, I have good news for the judge."
"What's that?"
"Her housekeeper's gonna be okay."
"That is good news."
"Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow," Hope hung up.
Sully put the phone down, "Neda?" Judge Halsted asked, worried.
"She's fine, she'll probably be kept at the hospital overnight," Sully assured her.
She sighed in relief, "That's good."
"They'll put uniforms around the building so we'll be safe, try to get some sleep judge." She didn't say anything, she just stared down at the floor, "Look, lie down." She stared up at him in surprise and lied down on the couch, Sully picked up a blanket and put it on her, "Here's a blanket. Try to get some rest your honor."
He started to walk away, "Barbara," the judge told him.
"Excuse me?"
"My name, is Barbara."
"Then, get some rest, Barbara," he pulled the blanket over her some more.
Back at the station, Hope was finishing up, it was only 10:00, but she was very tired. She entered the locker room and put her head against the locker. "Sergeant?" came Ty's voice as he came in.
The sergeant turned to him, it had been the first time she'd seen him since she gave him permission to leave his post, "Yeah?"
"I didn't see you at the hospital, do you know what happened?"
"Yeah, I was at the hospital, Sullivan and the judge are at a safe house."
"Alright, you okay?"
"Huh?"
"You just seem a little off."
"I'm just tired, I don't really have the strength to walk home."
"You need a ride?"
"You got a car in a three-day time period?"
"No, I can use the unmarked car."
"I can't ask you to do that, I'll get a ride myself."
"You could ask Bosco or Faith, or you could ask one of the paramedics."
"I doubt the paramedics could give me a ride."
"What about Bosco and Faith? 5-5 David?"
Hope took out her radio, "5-Sergeant to 5-5 David."
Cruz sat in her shower, washing away all evidence of the rape. She cried, how could she let this happen to herself? How could she drop her guard enough for that bastard to knock her down. Out of everything that she's done this past year, she knew she deserved everything that came to her. But no, she didn't deserve this, no one did.
Barbara was looking out the window at all the cops around the building. The light coming in woke Sully up, "You shouldn't be looking out the window like that."
"There are eight police officers guarding one judge, full time," she informed him.
"It has to be that way, or else, we wouldn't be doing our job."
"But Sergeant Campbell said they weren't targeting me…"
"Because they couldn't get to you, we have to make sure they won't," Sully got up and started to walk into the kitchen, "The most I can offer you is coffee or breakfast, I usually eat at the diner around the corner, I could ask one of the guys to go get you something."
"Oh no, no, this is fine," Barbara sat on the couch, "So this is where you live."
"Yeah, I told you it wasn't much."
"How much does a person need? And I'm always surround with a bunch of…stuff."
"If you're trying to make me feel better, don't bother, I'm happy with what I got."
There was rhythmic knocking at the door, "Hey, it's me and the Sarge," came Ty's voice
Sully opened the door to a very tired Ty and Hope, both were wearing the same thing they wore the previous day (Hope had managed to change into a different-colored sweatshirt). "You okay?" Sully asked both of them.
"Yeah, yeah," Hope answered, managing to brush past Sully to enter his apartment, she nodded to Barbara, "Your honor."
"Hello," she replied.
Ty was holding four coffees, "I figured you wouldn't have any, that's you, that's the judge's," Sully took the two he pointed to and gave one to Barabara, "That one's the sergeant's and this one's mine."
Ty handed Hope her cup of coffee, "Thanks."
"So, you remember the Meth lab explosion a few months ago? Bosco and Cruz, trapped in the fire?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Sully asked, taking a sip of coffee.
"The guy who did it is a biker disciple."
"Gary Barnes, or more commonly known as Animal," Hope finished for him.
"Gary Barnes?" Barbara inquired.
"Yeah, I spent all last night going over your case file," Ty explained, "Guess who's criminal trial starts this afternoon."
"Animal has tried six times to have you replaced as his judge," Hope added.
"Isn't he in custody?" Barbara asked.
"As far as I know, yes. But he's a high-ranking disciple, he's got a lot of connections to the outside."
"Wait a minute," Sully said, "This is what I don't get, what do they gain by getting one judge out of the way? Isn't the court just gonna assign another one?"
"The DA says that the defense could try to have the raid thrown out," Ty told him, "They could make the cops the bad guys, but that wouldn't happen in Judge Halsted's courtroom."
"This is true," Barbara informed Sully.
"I got the squads checking out all the biker hangouts for anyone who fit's the description Bosco and Yokas gave on the flower guy," Hope told them.
"We should get the judge to a real safe house…" Sully began.
"No," Barbara interrupted, "I will be on the bench this afternoon for the hearing."
"I had a feeling you'd say that," Hope said before Sully had a chance to open his mouth, "I know how we can get you there, first, we put you into a car guarded by multiple squads, then along the way we get you and Sullivan into an ambulance and the paramedics get you to the court house."
Sully nodded, "I was thinking of something like that."
Hope gave him a thumbs-up sign, "Great minds think alike."