The Definition of Grail: Redefining Us
Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. Or Flashpoint. Or Rookie Blue.
A/N: Despite the glamorization and romanticism of the police force and military that this story may portray, I am fully aware of the dangers and sacrifices that those on the force experience every day. As of Wednesday, June 4 2014, 234 Canadian RCMP officers have died on the job. Three of those deaths occurred Wednesday night, June 4, in Moncton, New Brunswick when a gunman opened fire on a group of officers. To those individuals who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, my heart breaks for those you have left behind. To those individuals who place their lives on the line every day in the hope to save someone else's, and to those who strive to join your team, I hope that I possess even a tenth of the courage you do.
Chapter Fourteen- Define Tangled
tangled (adjective):twisted together untidily.
Sunday dawned sunny and bright with the last hint of warmth before October ended. Gabriella woke early despite the late shift the night before. She showered, dressed and tossed a load of laundry into the washer. While the washer hummed away, she tidied the bathroom and the kitchen. When the cycle ended, she pulled the clothes from the washer and draped them on the makeshift clothesline she had constructed in the bathroom. Grabbing a box filled with odds and ends from the dining room, she threw her purse over her should and slipped her sunglasses in place before ducking out the door and leaving. The box went in the backseat of the car and feeling the sun's warmth, her leather jacket followed.
At the Bolton's, Lucy was busy flipping waffles and slicing strawberries. Jack got up from the table to pour Gabriella coffee when she arrived, telling her to take a seat. After leaving her keys and sunglasses in the bowl by the kitchen door, she took his advice. He handed her a mug which she set on the table so that she could reach across and pick up the sports section of the newspaper. Jack chuckled and picked up the front page. For a few moments the only voice was Lucy's as she chattered about her book club and the walking group she had joined. Gabriella listened and nodded along, her eyes only skimming the words in front of her. The phone ringing interrupted the quietness.
"Hey, Bud," Jack said, answering the cordless receiver on the table. "You on your way over?" Lucy turned from the stove and listened. Gabriella looked up. "Yeah, she's here. No, she didn't say anything. No, I didn't yet; I was planning on it later." Gabriella raised an eyebrow and set the paper down. Jack met her gaze and kept talking. "If you could, that would be great."
"Is he coming for breakfast?" Lucy asked, reaching for another plate.
"No," Jack told her, "He only got home from work an hour ago. He's going to sleep and then swing by later. He's off tonight."
"An hour ago?" Gabriella asked, "He said he was off at eight."
"What?" Jack asked Troy, who had evidently heard Gabriella. Jack shifted the phone away. "Landry got rowdy in holding; tried to choke a guy in an effort to get them to unlock the cell door. Martin put a bullet in him." Jack looked from the phone to Gabriella and back again. "I'm assuming you know what he is talking about?"
"Bastard," Gabriella hissed. "How is she?" Jack shrugged and handed her the phone. "Troy? Is she okay?"
"Yeah," he sighed. "She's fine. He took it in the shoulder so he's fine. Nothing major. She was a little shaken but it was by the book. Tobin was in the room with her so it's not like they can blame it on an overeager rookie. Still, it was messy. Paperwork for days."
"That guy is a tank!" Gabriella exclaimed. "He shouldn't be able to move, let alone overpower someone else."
"Yeah, I heard," Troy chuckled, "He's lucky you weren't wearing heels when you nailed him. I could tell him how much that hurt."
"He tried to take out my teammate. He's lucky I only gave him a messed up face and sore—", she remembered who was in the room, "—knees." She flashed Lucy and Jack a smile. She doubted they were fooled.
"Anyway, he's no longer our concern. When he's ready they will transfer him to the prison hospital until his trial. Unless he gets bail at arraignment but given his track record recently, I doubt that will happen," Troy told her. He yawned.
"I'm going to hand you back to your dad. If Kate needs anything, let me know." Gabriella paused, suddenly nervous.
"Sure thing, Brie," he told her softly.
Gabriella handed the phone to Jack and took the offered plate from Lucy. As she loaded up her plate with breakfast, Jack took the phone into the dining room. She could hear his voice but despite straining, she couldn't make out the words. Lucy brought her own plate to the table and took a seat across from Gabriella. Despite carefully cutting her waffle into triangles and slicing her strawberries into classy bite-sized portions, Gabriella knew she was being watched. Knowing that Troy never fully disclosed details of the job, she wasn't sure how to confront Lucy's unspoken questions. The kitchen was silent until Jack returned.
"So, you had an eventful night last night?" Jack asked, taking a seat beside his wife. Gabriella nodded, chewing a strawberry.
"One of Brian's suspects took some shots at the cops who went to arrest him. He gave one of the other teams the slip. When we came on shift yesterday, they were still tracking him down. Took us awhile but we got him." Gabriella took a sip of coffee.
"You were working with Troy?" Lucy asked, her voice hesitant. Gabriella tried not to grin. She knew what the older woman was getting at.
"No," Gabriella told her with a shake of her head, "But he was at the station when we dropped off our suspect. I only got to chat with him for a moment. He was working in the evidence locker with Bennett." She tossed out Troy's job assignment in the hopes of easing Lucy's mind a little. She knew his parents worried and it was only fair that they know he wasn't always dodging bullets.
"You knew he wouldn't be here this morning?" Jack asked, sounding tired.
"He mentioned it," Gabriella told him. She was about to pop another bite of waffle in her mouth when she realized what Jack was thinking. He thought she had come because she knew she could avoid Troy. Deciding to fix the perceived belief that they were still incapable of being around the other, Gabriella corrected him. "After I told him I was coming."
"After you told him?" Lucy repeated, eyeing her husband without subtlety.
"Yeah, I didn't know he was working all night," Gabriella said. "I've been so busy that I lost track of his schedule." Not completely true, she told herself, but they didn't need to know that she spent last weekend at his house or the last week avoiding him like the plague. Feeling the building pressure of questions waiting to spill from Lucy, Gabriella decided to end the conversation by implementing a distraction tactic. "Did he mention Chad may be coming home with the Danforths next month?"
It was enough. Lucy launched into a cheerful discussion of ideas she and Mary Danforth had regarding Gabriella's patio garden. Apparently there had been a house and garden article in last month's magazine that would work perfectly on the back patio. Gabriella let her ramble on, nodding and agreeing. Smiling, she lifted her head and caught Jack watching her. Curious, she raised an eyebrow but he only smiled at her and then went back to reading the newspaper and eating his waffle.
Later that afternoon, with Lucy's gardening plans on her mind, Gabriella went shopping. It was much too late in the season to plant shrubs and flowers or to even find patio stone, but that didn't mean she couldn't do something for next year. Arriving at her house, Gabriella pulled into the driveway behind Troy's pickup. She pulled the keys from the ignition and stepped out of her car, slamming the door as she looked around. Her eyes were drawn to the grass bordering the driveway. Her front lawn was newly cut, the fresh grass clippings still visible. Looking next door, she realized that the Danforth's lawn had been done too. Listening, she still heard the sound of the mower coming from behind the house.
Retrieving part of her purchases from the backseat, she hung the handles of the two bags on her wrist and cradled the pumpkin in her arms. Following the driveway past the house and through the hedge, she stepped into her back yard and stood waiting for him to notice her. It was a few moments and then he cut the motor. Leaving the mower in its place, he walked across the grass. Clippings clung to his beat-off jeans and unlaced tan work boots. The sun glinted off his hair and Gabriella raised a hand to block the glare. He wasn't wearing a shirt and sweat glistened across his chest and shoulders. His hair clung to his forehead, dark with sweat. Gabriella's heart pound and it took every bit of her not to lick her lips to moisten her dry mouth.
"Hey," he called when he was close enough. "I wasn't sure if you would be by today."
"I—uh—bought some things," she stuttered. "I thought I would drop them off. No point having them at the apartment and then moving them again." She needed him to put a shirt on.
"Nice pumpkin," Troy grinned, nodding at the thing that she was clinging to as if it were her gun.
"Um, I got candy too," she said. "I don't know why, because I'm probably working, but I thought maybe your mom or dad could hand it out. You know, since the Danforth's are gone too?" She suddenly felt silly and set the pumpkin down.
"It's a good idea," Troy told her. "I usually get my neighbor to hand out my candy for both of us. We put a sign on the door so kids don't think I'm being the Halloween Scrooge." He motioned to the bags. "You found candy at the lawn and garden center?"
"Oh, no," she said. "The candy is in the car with the paint. These are—" she hesitated and then gave him a lopsided smile. "Your mom was talking about flowers at brunch and then I was getting the pumpkin and they were selling flower bulbs. I thought maybe I could plant them this week and at least when spring comes, it will be something until I can get the landscaping done."
"Gotta love Mom and her decorating magazines," Troy joked quietly. "You want help with the rest of the stuff?" He gestured past the hedge, in the direction of the car.
"No, no," she assured him. "I got it. You did the yard already. I can grab them." She turned to go, but he put a hand on her shoulder.
"Let me help," he told her. She nodded and fished her keys out. Stooping down, she picked up the pumpkin and handed it to him. "You want to unlock the door?"
"Yeah," she said. "There's another pumpkin in the car. I'll leave them inside until they get carved. No one will be tempted to smash them that way."
"Neighborhood hoodlums?" Troy asked her, remembering the voicemails about her garage door. "By the way, that is one fancy door. Dad was telling me about the hinge system inside."
"Yeah, well, I don't want to be constantly calling you to come fix it," Gabriella teased.
They had reached the front door which she unlocked and swung open. Troy followed her inside. He set the pumpkin by the front door and then left to retrieve the other things from the car. It took a few minutes but they managed to get the pumpkins, the candy, the paint and the flower bulbs all inside and in their proper places. Gabriella left the Halloween things by the front door and showed Troy where the paint stuff could go upstairs. It was where she planned to start first. They chatted about the renovations as they carried things upstairs. When they were done, Troy leaned against the open front door frame and watched as she fussed with the odds and ends left by the contractors.
"So they're almost finished?" he asked, looking around.
"Yup. Should be done by Wednesday," Gabriella told him. She took a seat on the bottom step. "The hardwood floors should be done by then. Everything else I can do myself."
"It looks really good, Brie," he said gently. His hands slipped into his pockets.
"Thanks. You want a drink or something?" she asked. "I think there is bottled water in the fridge."
"I brought Gatorade with me," he told her. "It's out back. I should really finish the lawn."
"Don't leave without telling me," she said, standing and brushing her pants off. Dust clung to everything.
"You don't have to stick around. I can finish up here." He had grabbed a shirt at some point and pushed the sleeves up to his elbows.
"No, I have things to do," Gabriella insisted. "This entire place needs to be swept."
Troy gave her a look that said he didn't believe her but he didn't argue. He closed the front door behind him and walked around to the back. Gabriella unlocked the kitchen door and propped it open so that she could listen for when he was done. She puttered for the next forty-five minutes, sweeping drywall dust and collecting leftover pieces of wood into a pile to get rid of. She was just leaving a note for the contractor when the lawn mower was turned off. A few minutes later Troy entered the kitchen. She handed him a bottle of water without question and tossed his empty Gatorade into the recycle bin she had set up. When he had drunk half the bottle, he set it down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I put the mower back in the Danforth's shed. I'll drop the key back off to Dad but if you need anything, let him know and he will find it for you." He paused. "Were you going to plant those things today?"
"No," she said after thinking about it. "I'm working days tomorrow and Tuesday. I may do it tomorrow night."
"I'm working until eight tomorrow night, but I'm off on Wednesday if you need anything." He sounded disappointed.
"Thanks," she told him as they both gathered their things and left the house. He walked her to her car and leaned against his truck. "Thanks for everything today. I appreciate it."
"No problem." He hesitated for a moment and Gabriella waited for him to finish. "Brie, you don't need to call just for the garage door," he finally said. He tilted his head and looked at her.
"I know," she told him. She bit her lip. "This—with us—it's new and maybe it's different, but I'm still trying to figure it out." She thought he would interrupt so she rushed forward. "I mean, we can't go back." She looked at him. "So maybe we should just see where it goes?"
"And we do that how?" Troy asked. He didn't sound angry or annoyed. He sounded genuinely interested in how she felt. It made her remember what Gavin had said and she relaxed, giving him a cheeky smile.
"Well, I have your travel mug from last night," she reminded him. "Maybe I will stop by one day this week and return it."
"I do like that mug," he replied, his teeth flashing as he returned her smile.
"I'll call you," Gabriella told him.
She got into her car and backed down the driveway. She waited for Troy to leave before following him as far as the Bolton's where he would drop off the shed keys. Gabriella honked her horn and waved at him as she passed, heading back to the apartment. Turning up the radio, she sang along as she drove, smiling the whole way.
The week sped by. Troy didn't see Gabriella until Wednesday morning when he used his day off to log some hours at the shooting range in the dungeons of Headquarters. He passed her in the lobby, gear bags strapped to her back and hip and thigh holsters in place. She was carrying her helmet under her arm and talking rapidly on a cell phone while Sam Hill called out truck assignments. When she saw him, she gave him a raised eyebrow in question and then offered him a small wave. Parks smirked at him and Tanner's eyes widened before shooting a look at Gabriella. When he got the chance, he sent her a text telling her what he was doing. It was hours before he got a response, but he tried not to let it worry him. When her reply came through, it included a brief explanation of the call she'd been on and an assurance that she was fine.
Thursday was Halloween and Troy had been assigned to the night shift. Halloween night always had twice the usual number of cops on night shift. For the rookies, it was automatic; there was no getting out of it. For the senior officers, the captain drew names out of a hat. Anyone with children usually begged and pleaded for someone else to trade. Troy had held out on Ruby for a week before finally giving in. He had planned to all along but it wasn't until she caved and agreed to work his Friday day shift that he said yes. If there was anything worse than working overnight on Halloween, it was working the following morning when people were hungover from college partying or they woke to find their outside yards in a disastrous mess.
He used the morning to sleep in and then tidy up the townhouse. He ran the dishwasher and a couple of loads of laundry. He changed his sheets and made a light lunch. His shift didn't start until eight, so at two, once the laundry was folded and away, he set his alarm for just after four and took a nap. When he woke, he found a handful of missed text messages and a phonecall with no voicemail. The missed number was from Brian who had followed up with a text message. He and Gonzalez had been trying to locate one of Troy's go-to informants but they had finally found him which was when the text messages stopped. One was from Gabriella telling him that his Dad had gotten one of the neighborhood kids to sit on her front step and hand out candy. Lucy would be next door at the Danforth's doing some freshening up for their return and would keep an eye on Gabriella's. Somehow she had found the time to carve her pumpkins; he had noticed them when he dropped off a ladder for her to use while painting. He had also noticed the freshly turned up dirt along the walkway. She had planted her flower bulbs.
Showering and dressing in jeans and a dark green long-sleeved t-shirt, Troy checked the clock and then set out his bowls of candy by the front door. When the clock said five, he lit the candles in his pumpkins and then set about whipping up a huge wok of stir-fry. As it sizzled, he listened for the first doorbell chime to signal the beginning of his trick-or-treaters. He had told his neighbor that he would be leaving for work around seven, but he would hand out candy until then. He'd leave a note on the door and give her his leftovers when he left. In the meantime, he ate his supper and then put the remainder in a container to take to the station for later. He had just dropped his plate into the sink of suds when his front door rang.
Troy's first trick-or-treaters were his neighbors' kids who had also carved his pumpkins. They were dressed as a fireman and a skeleton. He let them choose from the bowl of mini chocolate bars and gumballs that looked like eyeballs. As they trekked down his front steps, another group of kids were coming up. After that it was a never-ending stream until he had to leave. Troy grabbed his work bag that he had packed and left by the steps and locked the door behind him. Reaching over the short railing that separated his steps from the neighbors, he handed the candy to John who was manning the MacIntosh's door.
"Thanks, man," he told him before turning to send any kids left on his stoop to the next set of steps.
"No problem," John told him. "Be safe."
Troy pulled his sunglasses into place. Despite the late hour, the sun was sitting low. His sunglasses felt weird and he adjusted them before putting the truck in gear and carefully pulling out of his driveway. He navigated his way to the station slowly, stopping multiple times to let excited kids run across the street. When he reached the station, Bennett and LaPierre were already standing on the sidewalk by the main entrance handing out candy on behalf of the department. They answered questions and greeted some families by name. Troy offered the rookies a wave and parked his truck in the secured staff lot in back. Charlie greeted him from her position at the front desk. For now the seat beside her was empty but Troy knew they would give her a partner for the night. Halloween was too busy for one person to handle all the incoming calls.
In the locker room, Wes Tobin was lacing up his boots. He nodded at Troy when he entered and dropped his bag on the bench. Spinning the dial on the lock, Troy pulled the door open and pulled his cap from the top shelf. He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it in his bag. Slipping his uniform shirt off the hanger, he left it unbuttoned. Wes had disappeared. Troy was almost finished dressing when Luca walked in. They acknowledged each other without a word. Luca had headphones in. Troy put everything away and then slammed his locker just as Wes reappeared.
"You want Martin or Bennett?" Wes asked. He produced a coin from his pocket. "We can flip for it if you want?"
"No need," Troy told him, smiling at Wes' reluctance. "Just pick one. I don't mind either."
"You sure?" Wes asked, "Because I am pulling a double and I already had Martin for the last four hours."
"Then take Bennett," Troy urged him. "Martin and I can manage." He slipped on his jacket, adjusting the collar as he spoke. "Besides, she buys the expensive coffee."
"One would think you're dating her," Luca commented smugly. "Or that she's trying to get to you."
"Grey, are you jealous?" Troy asked. "Does she not buy you good coffee? Hm. Maybe you should wonder why." He picked up his gear to head to the board room for pre-shift briefing.
"I guess if I had Montez to go home to, I wouldn't be looking at Martin either," Luca suggested. He smirked at Troy.
Troy opened his mouth and then shut it. He could say a hundred different things to Luca but it didn't matter. Following Tobin out of the room, he stopped to grab his duty weapon and a radio. In the board room, he pulled his phone and sent Gabriella a message. Be safe. Before putting it away, he flipped it to vibrate and then slipped it in the pocket on the front of his Kevlar vest. Others arrived and took a seat. Troy stayed at the back, arms crossed and foot braced behind him on the wall. Dan got started as soon as he arrived. He highlighted problem areas for the night, mostly unlit paths and unsurveillanced areas of the park. He told them to take note of the list of registered party permits on the board with their assignments. East High was having a dance that would end at eleven. A few other organizations had activities. Troy listened, not bothering to copy notes when he saw Martin doing it. When the meeting concluded, he stood and waited in the hall.
"Martin!" he called when he saw her eye the assignment board. "It's you and me; let's role."
She practically skipped to the cruiser. Troy rolled his eyes. He pulled out the keys and slid into the drivers seat. When they were ready, he pulled away from the station and headed in the direction of East High. Kate chattered away beside him, talking about the guy she and Tobin had arrested that afternoon dressed like a 1920's gangster who had been waving a real gun around in front of the Fairbanks Hotel. Troy nodded, tossing in pieces of commentary as it allowed. When his phone vibrated in his pocket, he pulled it out and read Gabriella's reply. Grinning, he put the phone back without answering.
"Sir?" Kate asked. He looked sideways at her without a word. "I was just wondering what your plan of attack was."
"Of attack?" Troy repeated. "We're not looking for a zombie uprising, Martin." As if mocking him, a group of teenagers painted up to look like zombies paraded past them with blood spattered shirts and carrying fake brains. He looked at Martin who looked triumphant.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Fine. We're under attack," he admitted. Pulling away from the crosswalk, he swung onto a busier street that had lots of cars but less hooligans. "First, you are going to go into that Starbucks on the next block and buy us some coffee and me a peanut butter cookie. Then we are going to check out some parking lots for people getting it on or for people selling some smack. After that, we will start cruising side roads, watching for people vandalising houses or hosting parties that are too loud."
"You have it all planned out," Kate remarked as he pulled up in front of the Starbucks.
"This ain't my first rodeo," Troy drawled, "The trick is to predict what will happen and where it's most likely to happen and then try to be close by. It will save us time driving all over the division."
"Got it," Kate told him. "You just want a coffee? Or are you feeling like a green tea frappuccino with non fat milk and whipped cream?"
"Just a coffee, Martin," Troy told her with a look. "None of that fancy shit you just listed. Coffee. With milk and one sugar."
"Raw sugar?" she asked. He glared and she laughed and left the car.
Troy scanned the street as he waited, tapping out a drum beat on the steering wheel as he did so. People streamed in and out of Starbucks and the pizza place beside it. He hoped Kate remembered his peanut butter cookie. A group of kids were hanging out in front of the ice cream parlour up the block but they left when a girl came and joined them. The bakery across the street was handing out samples on the sidewalk and the fast food place had a line out the door. An ambulance whizzed by, siren blaring, heading for the nearest hospital. The sky had turned violet and Troy turned up the heat in the cruiser just enough to keep the windows defogged. When Kate returned, he took the coffee cup tray from her and placed them in their proper holders.
"I was going to get you two peanut butter cookies," Kate explained as she looked inside the two bags she had brought out with her. "But they only had one left. I got you a molasses one as well but if you don't want it, I got two chocolate chip banana muffins."
"No, molasses is good," he told her. "People always underestimate the molasses cookie."
Kate gave him a queer look but didn't say anything. She handed him the bag and he pulled out the peanut butter cookie. He broke it in half and put one half back in the bag and took a bite out of the other. Kate took her muffin out of her bag and broke off a piece. Then she took her coffee cup from the holder and took a sip. Deciding it was okay, she took another one and then put it back. Troy finished his first half of cookie and then pulled away.
"There's been some chatter on the radio," he told her. "They haven't assigned us yet, but I don't think there are many free cruisers left. Get ready." She nodded and slurped back more of her coffee before it went cold.
Gabriella's team pulled up to the University of Albuquerque's football field and got out of their vehicles. Flashing police and ambulance lights seemed to be everywhere, flickering against the white and red bleachers and cement foundations. Voices rose all around her, crying out orders. Someone had turned on every flood light in the area. Crowds of witnesses were huddled on the bleachers. Gabriella surveyed the area as she closed her door and went to the trunk. Pulling out gear, she listened to the chatter on the radio waves. When Will shut the trunk, she followed him to the field where Sam and Jenna were setting up a command post.
A total of twelve 911 calls had come through to the ETU in the last fifty-five minutes. A bonfire mixer had been planned by the fraternities on A of U's campus. Over a hundred students had been present. Music had been playing, food was everywhere and the beer was flowing. By ten o'clock the event had been described by several witnesses as a shit show. Drunken freshmen everywhere. Campus security had attempted to shut it down twice. A patrol car had been dispatched with backup on the way when the first 911 caller had called to report a fight. The second phone call reported shots fired. ETU had been fed information on their way and now Sam was trying to fit everything together.
"Okay, Team," Sam told them as they huddled around the command post. A police captain stood beside Sam. Behind them a detective barked into a phone. "We have two dead. A few wounded but none considered critical. Witnesses say that the two dead victims were shot point blank, while facing the suspect. We can assume they were the targets. We don't know if there were more targets."
"Who are we chasing, boss?" Aaron asked, tugging at his vest.
"Meredith Tucker," Sam told them, reading from a notebook that the captain had given him when they arrived. "Eighteen years old, freshman at the university, straight A student, scholarship funded. Studying astronomy. Friends say she's quiet but enjoys social events. Her roommate says that she tried to convince her to come to the bonfire tonight but she said no; she has a midterm tomorrow morning. They texted back and forth a few times once the roommate was here. The roommate didn't even know she was here until the argument broke out."
"Do we know what it was about?" Will asked, incredulous.
"The two dead victims are Jeff Frost and Hayden Nealy," Sam told them, flipping a page in the notebook. "Frost is a senior on campus. He's a Residence Advisor in one of the mixed dorms. Decent student, not on scholarship, no campus activity involvement." Sam skimmed the page. "Nealy is not a U of A student. He was invited by Frost, according to Frost's girlfriend. They went to high school together but Nealy dropped out after his first semester at a college on the west coast and moved home. He works a couple of jobs in town."
"Any specifics?" Gabriella asked. "And how did they know Meredith?"
"Yeah, one of their friends mentioned he works for a delivery service and he sometimes tends bar at The Witching Hour downtown," the police captain answered. "They also said that they didn't recognize Meredith, but she kept saying something about her brother."
"Tanner, you want to run a check on Tucker's brother? See what comes up?" Sam asked Jenna. Jenna nodded and headed for the computer in the SUV. "What do we know about The Witching Hour?" he asked the remaining members. It sounded familiar to Gabriella but she didn't know anything. Aaron did.
"It's got Dagger ties," Aaron told them grimly. "Last I heard, Vice was working on following coke in and out of it."
"He's right," the captain told them. "It's not Dagger run, but the word from Guns'n'Gangs is that the Daggers supply the bartenders with the goods and they sell it from behind the bar."
"If Nealy was selling dope and tequila shots downtown, we can probably guess who was helping him with some clientele on campus," Gabriella pointed out. "Frost was an RA. Lots of freshmen get homesick, stressed out, exhausted. I'd put money on Frost doling out a little bit more than friendly advice."
"We don't know if the boys were part of the Daggers," the captain told them.
"No," Sam replied, "But even if it wasn't official, Meredith just put a serious dent in the business."
"So we have to find her before they do," Gavin said, his lips pressed in a thin line.
"Guys, I found something," Jenna's voice called over the radio. They looked towards the trucks but didn't move. "Meredith's brother is Max Tucker, age twenty-one. He was a junior at A of U until last year. He lost his scholarship and then dropped out without finishing the year. His school file says he was skipping classes, failing assignments and even missed a midterm. Three weeks after he dropped out, he was arrested for driving under the influence after a two car accident on the interstate killed a mother of two. The cop at the scene suspected he was high. He was right. Max was strung out on coke."
"Does the file mention Frost or Nealy?" Sam asked.
"No," Jenna answered, "But when Max was arrested he had just been hired by The Witching Hour, and he dorm room before he left school was in the same building as Frost."
"So maybe not officially, but we can make assumptions," the captain suggested. "At least until we talk to Meredith."
"Her brother gets hooked on dope at school, drops out and then his dealing buddies help him out by giving him a job with more access to the shit," Gavin growled. "Nice."
"So what happened tonight?" Will asked. "That's the real question."
"My guess?" Gabriella told them. "She shows up, either knows who they are and tracks them down, or she finds out who the go to guys at the party are and demands answers. Things get heated and she shoots them."
"And now she's running from a double murder charge and a gang." Aaron looked tired already.
"If she knows about the gangs ties," Jenna told them. "The Daggers are not mentioned anywhere in this file."
"Okay, so where does she go?" Aaron asked, scanning the field.
"Parks, can you find blueprints?" Sam barked.
"Already have them," Gavin responded, scanning the screen on his phone. "The library is closed. So are all the administration buildings. So are the gym and the student center."
"What does that give us? Dorms?" Will suggested.
"If she even stayed on campus," Gabriella pointed out.
"Let's clear the campus first," Sam told her. "It's at least a starting point."
"She won't go to her own dorm, would she?" Jenna considered. "That would be too risky. Someone has already been there."
"Okay, think, Team," Sam ordered. "You just shot two people. Wounded people you didn't mean to. You may or may not know that some gangbangers are chasing you. You know the police are. You just avenged your brother. What do you want?"
"Space," Aaron said.
"Quiet," Will added.
"Gavin?" Gabriella called over her mic, already moving away from the field.
"Yeah, Montez? What are you thinking?" He asked. Will and Aaron were moving in behind her, waiting for her lead.
"I'm thinking that she was an astronomy student. She would have a key card to places most students wouldn't. It's a clear night." Gabriella paused and spun in a circle, scanning the rooftops that rose around her in the dark. "Find me the astronomy tower, Gavin."
It took a moment, but Gabriella had located the building even as Gavin fed her directions. It was up the walkway and to the left; the building all but dark except for a column of lights illuminating what she assumed to be a staircase. Craning her neck to look up as the building loomed in front of them, Gabriella noticed how still the night was; how bright the stars were. She had a sinking feeling in her gut as she looked ahead of her at the front doors and saw that one was propped open with a rock. Sucking in a deep breath, she brought her weapon out in front and clicked off the safety. Aiming it into the dark, she stepped forward into the lobby with only a lamp on the front desk lighting their way.
Troy lifted his cap and scratched his head before replacing it. Glancing over the incident report pinned to his clipboard, he made sure he had dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's. His pen tapped against the steering column where he had wedged the report between his chest and the steering wheel. The car idled quietly. Parked against the curb in front of a convenience store, Troy took a moment to assess the street outside. It was quieting down, the hour approaching 1am.
The night had been a whirlwind once it got started. Troy and Kate had attended three car accidents, two involving pedestrians, numerous nuisance complaints, and four noise complaints. They had photographed the remains of twenty pumpkins and scarecrows. Kate had broken up a girl-fight between three girls at a junior high party and Troy had handcuffed four guys involved in tagging the convenience store they were currently parked in front of. After taking statements, Luca and Tobin had transported the delinquents to the station while Kate took up the owner's offer of snacks. Checking his watch, Troy filled in the remaining blanks in their report and then tucked the pen back in his vest pocket. He set the report between the seats and then picked up the water bottle from the holder.
The radio crackled again, calling for units to U of A. Although Troy's station was outside the U of A division boundaries, those along the edges had been helping with patrol while units were dealing with the investigation and subject hunt. He had heard the call for ETU hours back but hadn't had the chance to check on Gabriella. She wouldn't be happy to know that he referred to it as checking up on her, but he didn't care. Pulling out his phone, Troy saw a missed text from the start of his shift. Rock 'n' roll, Wildcat. Be safe. He grinned and sent her back a response. Heard the call. I'm assuming you're there. Be careful. He waited to see if she would answer quickly. When she didn't, he tucked the phone away again. Kate's return startled him from contemplating if he could locate her team's radio channel on the cruiser's scanner.
"Hey, take this?" Kate asked as she handed him a coffee tray. "I make no promises that it is any good, but it was free and it's hot. Also, he gave me these—" She handed him two bags of chips and two chocolate bars.
"What is that smell?" Troy asked her, sniffing the air. It was slightly hinted with tomato but something meaty as well.
"That is Mr. Omar's specialty soup of the day!" Kate exclaimed as she handed him a cup of steaming stew. Sliding into the passenger seat, she pulled two spoons out of her vest and handed him one. "It smelled so good and I thought it would be perfect since we didn't really get a break tonight." She dug into the thick mess, her spoon piled high with meat and sauce. "What's wrong?"
"I can't eat this," Troy told her scornfully, his spoon turning over in the mess to give him an idea of what was in it. "I don't eat chili."
"What do you mean?" Kate asked, perplexed. "You're a guy. Chili is a guy thing. It's a manly meal." She paused. "Why are you so damn picky?"
"Martin, it's no big deal," Troy told her, putting the lid back on and handing it over. "I'm not that hungry."
"That's not the point," she huffed. "Is this a rookie thing? You make it so difficult for us to even get you a snack that we—"
"Martin?" Troy interrupted, laughing, "I'm allergic."
"To chili?" she scoffed. "That's stupid."
"No, to red peppers," Troy corrected her. He reached over and took a bag of chips, the bag crinkling as it opened. "It's not a hazing scheme. It's true. I get all hivey and splotchy. My airway closes up. It's not pretty."
"You're serious?" she asked. She spooned another mouthful into her mouth, watching him. She swallowed. "Red pepper? So like, no works pizza?" Troy shook his head. "No works nachos? Fajitas? Tacos?" Troy shook his head again. "No wonder people think you're a health nut."
"I'm not, really," he said, shrugging. He crunched a chip. "I just don't eat those things from kitchens I don't know. I learned my lesson once during my senior year in high school. We ordered nachos from Lopez's on Walnut? Anyway we asked them to hold the red pepper on one order and not the other. When they brought out two identical orders, we sent them back."
"Bet they just picked off the ones they could see," Kate guesses, arching an eyebrow.
"Exactly. Next thing I know, Brie is driving me to the emergency room and Chad is calling my mom." Troy smiled. "Maria Montez went down to Lopez's the next day and threatened to sue them."
"Okay, noted," Kate replied with a nod. "No red peppers for you or I am fired."
The radio interrupted their break requesting a unit at recreation center. A children's Halloween party had turned angry fast when two dads squared off over a pumpkin carving contest. Troy and Kate separated the men, threatened them with jail, gave them some parenting advice on having fun and then left. Back in the car, the coffee was cold and the chilli was gone. Kate offered Troy a piece of her chocolate bar, letting him break off a piece while she checked her phone. Her chatter trailed off as she scrolled down the screen.
"Hey, you know anything about that A of U shooting a little while ago?" she asked, looking over at Troy.
"Just that some freshmen snapped and shot two drug dealers," Troy told her. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel. "ETU tracked her to the astronomy tower."
"LaPierre says she's on the roof," Kate told Troy. "ETU has been trying to talk her down for an hour."
On impulse, Troy pulled out his own phone. The only new text he had was from Ruby confirming she would be at the station for his shift the next morning. Nothing from Gabriella. His gut tightened and he felt his heart beat faster. Reaching for the radio on the dashboard, Troy searched the other channels for the one being used by Station Twenty-Three. He paused, listening. The radio clipped to his vest crackled, asking for assistance at a residential fire. Cursing under his breath, Troy turned the cruiser's radio back to the proper channel and spun the car around, heading in the direction of the fire.
Kate was smart enough to keep quiet.
The wind at the top of the astronomy building was stronger and colder than the balmy breezes that Gabriella had felt on the ground. That was what she tried to focus on as she inched her way towards Meredith. The team had climbed the flights of steps to the roof, clearing each floor as they went in a systematic and practiced fashion. It was protocol but they all knew Meredith wasn't there. When Gabriella emerged onto the roof, after climbing the tiny staircase that paralleled the lens of the telescope that jutted through the opening of the roof, she had been slammed with a sudden feeling of weightlessness. She wasn't dizzy, but she had never been this high and she suddenly understood what Meredith had been looking for. Below them, police lights flashed and sirens sang but from where Gabriella stood, none of it mattered.
"Meredith?" Gabriella called. "What is the brightest star in the sky tonight?"
She had been trying to establish a connection with Meredith for almost an hour. They had started slow, deciding that a female would receive a better response. Less threatening. Jenna was still clearing the floor below them so Gabriella was elected without many words. Will had helped her into the harness and checked all the connections while Gavin helped Aaron into a second one. He would stay behind her but be ready. Gabriella would try to talk to her. The harnesses were to keep them from going overboard in case of a number of possible scenarios occurred. They all knew which one was the most likely though. One didn't run from the police up the highest building on campus without the consideration of jumping.
"Why do you care?" Meredith yelled back. "Because you're trying to bond? I'm not dumb enough to think you're suddenly going to learn the constellations."
"Actually," Gabriella told her, "I know some of the constellations. In high school, I used to spend my summers working at this camp in Colorado. One of the other councillors would take one night out of the summer and teach all the kids." Meredith didn't say anything, so Gabriella inched forward.
Hooked to the small, flimsy railing that wound its way around the viewing deck, Gabriella needed to be close enough to grab Meredith if she decided to jump. When Meredith had moved position from leaning against the railing to climbing over it, Gabriella had mirrored her by throwing one leg over the railing. Thinking about the wind kept her from thinking about how the only thing between her and the ground was a rope and harness. Ten feet in front of her, Meredith was only remaining on the roof by gripping the railing behind her back with her hands.
"Up here, everything is unimportant," Meredith told her, "Including the names of stars. I don't care if I am looking at Mars or Jupiter or just a chunk of rock, it's far away from here. It's probably bigger than we are and yet it's just a speck."
"It gives you perspective," Gabriella replied.
"Perspective?" Meredith scoffed. "You sound like the councillors at the rehab center we sent Max to before the accident. They talked about how he had to focus on a priority. He had to find it in himself. They said we had done everything we could and now it was up to him. Look at the good it did. He checked himself out, got high and killed that woman."
"He made a choice, Meredith," Gabriella said.
"I know that!" Meredith screamed. "You think I'm not just as mad at him? That's not the point! He trusted Jeff! He was supposed to be a friend and when he went to him for study advice on a midterm that Jeff had already written, Jeff gave him coke. And when he went the next time because he was upset that his girlfriend back home had broken up with him, Jeff gave him coke."
"We know, Meredith," Gabriella told her. "We already put that puzzle together."
"So what now?" she asked. "You arrest me and I go to jail? I didn't want to kill them. I wanted them to admit to what they did. What they were still doing."
"Meredith, I'm just here to make sure you get down on the ground safely. I can't say what will happen after this. So many things could change, but right now, I need you to climb back over the railing." Gabriella inched closer, sliding her harness clip with her along the railing.
"No," Meredith argued. "You said it earlier; there is a gang after me. What's the point? I did what I did to stop them from hurting other people. I'm not going to run forever."
"Meredith, I said they had gang ties and we're worried. We don't if they will come after you. That is no reason to do what you're thinking of doing." Gabriella had run out of what to say based on her own training. Sam had let her take the lead earlier; telling her to establish a connection with Meredith, but it wasn't working. Now, she listened to the voices in her mic. "Meredith, think of your parents! Of your brother!"
It wasn't working. None of it was working. Gabriella could tell by the way Meredith was no longer making eye contact or the way she leaned away from the railing, the muscles in her arms taut as they stretched. In her headset, everyone was trying to co-ordinate positions and intel and giving her ideas on what to say. Gabriella said nothing. She watched, feeling the wind whip at her hair that escaped her helmet. Just past Meredith's position, the roof curved, and Aaron's shadow had appeared on the edge. He was trying to get close enough to reach her if Gabriella failed. Turning back to Meredith, Gabriella decided to try again.
"Meredith? Tell me what you're thinking," Gabriella asked her. By now she was all the way over the railing. Her posture mirrored Meredith's. They shared the same view of the drop to the ground. If Gabriella lifted her hand from the railing and reached out, her fingertips would just brush Meredith's arm. Gabriella hoped it was enough.
"I'm thinking that I'm really sorry; that I don't want you thinking that it's your fault." Meredith looked at Gabriella. "Because it's not."
Gabriella barely had a chance to realize what Meredith was saying before her hands left the railing. Aaron would tell her later that they seemed to let go at the same time. That it was his reaction that was delayed. Gabriella's arms wrapped around Meredith, and both of them dropped off the roof.
Troy and Kate were booking their ninth arrest of the night when Troy's phone began buzzing in his vest pocket. He ignored it. Signing his name across the booking form on the desk, he glanced over his shoulder to check on Kate. She had handcuffed their stunt driver to the bench and was using the electronic fingerprinter on his free hand. Despite Owen Carmichael's refusal to divulge his name, age or address, Troy had found his driver's license in his pocket. As he checked boxes and filled in blanks, Troy chatted with Callum LaPierre who was working booking with Charlie Burns. Behind them, the holding cell was reaching capacity. A handful of people were sleeping off their drunken stupors on benches. One lady insisted on reading imaginary tarot cards to every new arrival. Charlie had told Troy that she had been relieved of her original tarot cards, and if one listened, they would notice that every prediction ended in her describing how she would kill the focus of her readings.
The station was busy. Every light was on. Both detectives were out at crime scenes. Two officers had been assigned to the front desk and a rookie had been given the task of answering the phones. The Captain had only left an hour ago. The lot had a few cruisers parked in it, but most of the units were out patrolling the streets. Troy checked his watch for his own benefit as well as to answer the final set of questions on the booking form. He had three hours of his shift left. Clicking the pen, he pushed the form across the desk to Callum and turned to locate Kate. She was uncuffing Carmichael and shoving him in the holding cell. Slamming the door, she checked to make sure it had clicked in place and then she looked up.
"You done?" she asked, zipping up her jacket and adjusting her radio. "I was going to grab coffee."
"Yup," Troy told her, "Grab me a cup?" He reached in his pocket to pull out his phone. It was vibrating again. The screen declared the caller an unknown, but the number had the first three digits that most APD issued cell phones contained. Sighing, Troy answered the phone. "Bolton."
"Is this Officer Troy Bolton?" the voice on the other end asked, their voice low. Troy knew it was male and oddly familiar.
"Yes. Can I help you?" Troy asked, crossing one arm across his chest and tucking his hand under his armpit. He tugged at his vest.
"Officer Bolton, this is Gavin Parks with ETU Unit Three," Gavin replied. He paused. "I work with Gabriella Montez."
"I know who you are, Parks. Just spit it out. Where is she?" Troy snapped, straightening. Across the desk, Callum looked up and Charlie raised an eyebrow.
"She's at Albuquerque General," Gavin told him quietly. "She's fine. Well, fine enough that they are discharging her, but they won't do it until her next of kin arrives."
"What the fuck, Parks?" Troy growled, his hand tight around the phone. "What happened?"
"She was trying to talk our subject down off the ledge and when she jumped, so did Gabriella and Aaron. She was harnessed of course, but she took a pretty solid hit to the wall. She's bruised up and has some nasty rope burns, but she'll be okay." Gavin didn't sound nervous, Troy noticed, but he did keep his voice low and paused every few moments as if waiting for something.
"She doesn't know you called me, does she?" Troy smirked, his heart still pounding and his breathing still slightly shallow.
"No," Gavin sighed, "She doesn't." There was a pause. "Look, Troy? The doctors gave her something for the pain and to help her sleep. She's pretty out of it right now, but that's why they are waiting for a next of kin or emergency contact."
"Her mom's gone, Gavin," Troy reminded him. "I'm sure you knew that."
"Her emergency contact is a Lucille Bolton," Gavin told him. "When they mentioned calling her though, she freaked out. I thought that maybe you could help her out?"
"Yeah," Troy told him without hesitation. "For sure." He looked up and saw Charlie watching him, worried. "She's right; don't call my mom. It's late and they will only worry. I'm on shift but as soon as I can get permission to get off duty, I will be there. I just have to sign some paperwork and find my rookie."
"Thanks, Troy," Gavin said, sounding relieved. "Jenna swung by headquarters and grabbed her bag. The nurses found her some scrubs when they took her uniform off, but if you have anything—" Gavin trailed off expectantly.
"Sure, Parks. I'll be there as soon as I can." Troy clicked the phone off and tilted his head back, closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath.
"Troy?" Charlie asked, standing in front of him, the desk between them.
"She's okay," Troy told her without turning his head. "It's okay. She's okay."
"Troy?" Charlie repeated. "What's wrong?"
"Brie grabbed a jumper and went over the edge. The harness and the building wall did a number on her." Troy scrolled through his phone, noticing that Gavin had called three earlier times. "They need me to pick her up."
"Then go," Charlie urged him, waving him towards the door. "We can handle it. If I have to, I'll call Ruby in early."
It took Troy fifteen minutes to find the shift sergeant and explain the situation. Ron clocked him out and then gave him the rest of the shift off. It took another five minutes to find out where Brian was and then send him Kate to help out at his crime scene. Troy gave her keys to the cruiser and explicit instructions on what to do at the crime scene. Then he changed out of his uniform and threw on his jeans and t-shirt. Pulling a hoodie over his head, he crammed his feet into sneakers. Rummaging through the gear in his locker, he found a pair of sweats and a zip-up hoodie. Tucking everything into his bag, he grabbed his phone and his keys and left the station.