Chapter 2: Welcome to The Wards

Chicago Police Department
District 34
Chicago, Illinois
1 Month Later

After successfully completing the Chicago Police Academy, Troy Harrison, now a fully-certified Chicago Police Detective, entered the lobby of CPD's District 34 station. The two-story brick building was home to sixty patrol officers, twelve detectives assigned to three different divisions, and four high-ranking officers that made up the district's command staff. District 34 was located in a very rough, high-crime neighborhood on Chicago's North Side known as "The Wards". What was once a booming business district was now a rundown neighborhood chock full of abandoned buildings, thanks mainly to the influx of drugs and gang activity that first enveloped the area in the late 1970's.

Harrison, dressed smartly in a black leather jacket, white cotton t-shirt, black wind pants, and running shoes with his star-shaped gold CPD Detective's badge hanging around his neck on a thin chain, approached the front desk in the district's lobby. He addressed the female Sergeant dressed in a neatly pressed white uniform shirt standing behind it.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

Sergeant Debbie Mahoney was a very professional looking blonde woman of medium height who appeared to be in her mid-forties. "Yes?" she said with a compassionate tone as she noticed Harrison's badge, "Can I help you, Detective?"

"Yes ma'am", Harrison replied politely, "I certainly hope you can. I'm Detective Troy Harrison. I just arrived here in Chicago recently and I've been assigned to work this district."

Mahoney gave the new detective a welcoming smile and extended a hand. "I'm Debbie Mahoney", she said, "I'm the Desk Sergeant here at District Thirty-Four. Welcome to CPD."

A now reassured Harrison gladly reciprocated the Sergeant's warm handshake. "I appreciate that, Sergeant", he said, "Thank you for the warm welcome. I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the Homicide squad room, please?"

"I can bring him up there, Sarge", a female voice said from behind Harrison.

Troy Harrison turned around and was amazed to find his old friend, Abigail "Abby" Asher, dressed in a light blue Chicago PD uniform with an identification vest classifying her as a Patrol Officer with CPD District 34. The petite brownish blonde 20-year-old Asher had been with CPD for two years and had joined after receiving her Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from a Colorado University.

"Well I'll be damned!" Harrison exclaimed as he opened his arms for a hug, "Abigail Rachel Asher, get your little butt over here and give me some love, kid!"

Asher trotted over and hugged her old friend warmly. "It's great to see you again, Troy", she said as Harrison kissed her cheek, "Or should I say 'Detective Harrison'?"

"Right back at you, Officer Asher", Harrison replied as he broke the embrace.

"Actually", Asher replied, "I'm a Detective now, too. I passed the exam a couple weeks ago and I'll be moving upstairs to Narcotics. Today's my last day on Patrol, as a matter of fact."

Harrison smiled. "Well then", he said, "I stand corrected. Congratulations, Detective Asher. You've come a long way from the thriving metropolis that is our hometown of Winterville, Vermont."

Asher chuckled and moved toward the stairs. "Thanks", she said as she motioned to the stairs, "Homicide's up this way."

She took Harrison up a flight of stairs to the second floor. At the landing, Harrison noted the presence of two sets of double doors. One on the left was clearly marked "HOMICIDE" in large block letters, while the other set, located directly across the hall, was marked "NARCOTICS" in the same lettering style.

"Looks like we're going to be neighbors pretty soon, kiddo", he said.

Asher grinned. "That's comforting", she said. She then took Harrison to the left and through the doors into the Homicide Unit squad room.

As soon as Asher came through the double doors with Harrison by her side, three detectives looked up from their desks and eyed the new hire curiously.

"Hi everybody", Asher said as she addressed the whole squad, "I'd like to introduce you to Detective Troy Harrison. He's new to Chicago and basically new to the police business, but he's no stranger to law enforcement."

"So I hear", an attractive Asian female detective spoke up, "You used to be with the FBI, right?"

"Yes ma'am", Harrison replied, "I was with the Bureau for ten years. I have extensive training in behavioral analysis and forensic science, plus I've spent some time in your fair city on cases before. Is Captain Broussard available, by chance?"

"He's in a meeting over at the Ivory Tower", the female detective replied, "But we can get you settled in for now. I'm Detective Sunny Tran, by the way." She extended a hand.

Harrison shook Tran's hand graciously. "Nice to meet you, Sunny" he replied, "You'll have to forgive my ignorance, but what's 'the Ivory Tower'?"

"It's our nickname for the CPD Headquarters downtown", an athletically-built African American male detective clarified before extending his own hand to Harrison, "I'm Detective Julius Dobbs. Welcome aboard, man."

Harrison switched hands and reciprocated Dobbs' gesture. "I appreciate it, Julius. It's a pleasure."

Asher then put a hand on Harrison's shoulder. "Since it looks like you're settling in okay", she said softly, "I'm going to head back out. Raise me on the district radio channel if you need anything."

Harrison nodded. "Thanks, Abby", he said graciously as he kissed her cheek once again, "Stay safe, kiddo." Asher nodded and left the squad room.

A very young-looking detective looking to be in his late twenties to early thirties came over and extended a hand to Harrison. "I'm Detective Nick Brooks", he said, "Welcome to the Thirty-Four."

"Thanks Nick", he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

Just then, Detective Dobbs' desk phone rang and he promptly picked up the receiver to answer it. Meanwhile, Harrison took off his leather jacket and neatly draped it over the back of the wheeled leather office chair in front of his new desk and sat down.

"So", Tran said to Harrison, "I saw you smooching on Abby Asher before. Do you guys have history?"

"You can say that", Harrison replied, "Abby and I grew up together back in Vermont. The 'history' you're implying goes back to the playground sandbox in elementary school."

"Then you guys never…" Tran said, trailing off.

"No", Harrison abruptly replied, "We're just really good friends, but she and I love each other dearly in that respect and have for a long time. Do you know Abby very well?"

"Yeah", Tran replied, "I was her Field Training Officer when she got out of the Academy two years ago. We've gotten to be good friends."

Julius Dobbs finished his phone call and came over to Harrison and Tran.

"Yo Sunny", Dobbs said with an enthusiastic tone in his voice.

"Yeah?" Tran replied.

"Sorry to interrupt", Dobbs replied, "but we just got a lead on that unknown suspect from the Rodriguez shooting that went down last week. An anonymous tipster just called in to nine-one-one and identified the suspect as Maxwell King. I just ran him through the computer. He's a twenty-six-year-old black male, five-six, weighing about a buck-fifty. His last known address is in an apartment above that sketchy pawn shop down the block from here."

Tran then looked to Harrison. "The guys and I can always go on ahead", she said, "Let you get more settled in."

There was no need for Tran's sentiment, however, as Harrison was already up out of his chair and putting his jacket back on. "That's okay", he said, "I came here to work. I can always get comfortable later."

Tran nodded, appreciating the man's confidence. "Cool", she said, "I'll drive. I can fill you in on the case details on the way."

With that, the four detectives left the squad room and headed down the block toward the pawn shop.