Chapter 22: Wolf Claw Meets Lazarus (Part 1)

Roll Call Room
LSPD Headquarters
Rockford Hills
2:00 PM

Sergeant Harrison and Officer Fostenberg came through the double doors into the Roll Call Room at LSPD Headquarters. They were silently greeted by the four other patrol officers under Harrison's supervision, who were all seated in their respective chairs opposite a large wooden podium at the front of the room. Fostenberg took his seat in the front row beside Officer Tara Kolmann. Fostenberg gave a salutatory nod to the tall, athletic brunette Kolmann, who then reciprocated with a nod of her own.

Harrison, meanwhile, approached the wooden podium that featured a large LSPD badge logo mounted on its front. He set down a file folder and opened it before removing a piece of paper that he held up to show the whole group.

"Good afternoon everybody", Harrison began, "We don't have a whole lot of time, so I'd like to get down to business. As most of you know, there was a jewelry heist this morning on Portola Drive. The thieves were able to get away with approximately four million dollars in high-end diamonds. Witness accounts and security footage both identify the perpetrators as three males, two white and one appearing to be Asian. However, Officer Fostenberg and myself received some information from an anonymous informant a little while ago that seemed to indicate that there was an additional female suspect involved as well."

The sergeant then motioned to the suspect flyer he was holding up with his eyes. "This is twenty-seven-year-old Eddie Toh", Harrison continued, "He's believed to have been one of our gunmen who was inside Vangelico. He's a dark-haired Asian male, hazel eyes, with a stature of about six-foot-one. He also weighs about one-thirty. He has prior arrests for grand theft auto, and his last known address is at an apartment on Calais Avenue in Little Seoul."

Putting down the Toh flyer, Harrison retrieved a second flyer from within the folder, this one featuring the image and information of Paige Harris, which he accordingly held up for the group. "Paige Harris", he went on, "age twenty-five. She's a white female, five-three, one-fortyish pounds with short brown hair and brown eyes. No prior criminal record whatsoever, but our informant tells us she's an expert hacker. Her official information indicates that she works as a network engineer at the Lifeinvader office right here in Rockford Hills. Her home address is on Mirror Place out in Mirror Park."

Officer Keith Ronson then raised a hand. "What about the guy who was injured during the pursuit immediately after the heist, Norm Richards?" he asked.

"As of an hour ago", Harrison said, "He's still unconscious in the ICU."

"Were we able to ascertain who his known associates or family members were?" Ronson asked, "Maybe one of them can shed some light on what exactly he was doing in Los Santos."

Harrison nodded, impressed by the idea. "Good thinking, Ronson" he said, "But no, not as of yet. Would you mind getting a jump on that? I'd start with anybody with connections to both Los Santos and Oklahoma with any connection to Mister Richards."

Ronson noted the request down in his memo book. "Sure", he said.

"Thank you", Harrison before turning his attention back to the group as a whole, "Does anybody have any other questions or ideas about how we can nab these jokers?"

With that, Officer Kolmann raised a hand. "Yes, Officer Kolmann?" Harrison inquired as he motioned to her in response.

"Do you want us hitting the different areas to look for your heist suspects?" Kolmann asked.

"Yes", Harrison replied, "Please. I was just getting to that. Daniels and Kolmann, I want you to stop by the Lifeinvader office to try and make contact with Paige Harris. If she agrees to come in voluntarily, notify either myself or Officer Fostenberg immediately. I'd like us to have first crack at her in the interrogation room. Ronson, as I said, I want you to stay here at Headquarters and do whatever research you feel you need to and get a line on Norm Richards' family. Declan, you and I will do a directed patrol as usual."

24-7 Store
Niland Avenue
Sandy Shores, Blaine County
Later That Night
8:30 PM

Detective Raven Wolf Claw parked her blue 1995 Honda Civic SI hatchback beside an empty lot on Niland Avenue in Sandy Shores, a space usually reserved for an eight-hour period during the day as a parking and service spot for a local travelling hot dog truck. She exited her vehicle and diligently looked both ways before quickly crossing the street and making her way inside the 24-7 convenience store.

"Evening, Raven!" night clerk Eric amiably greeted. Eric was a tall white man in his early 20's with curly brown hair. He was clad in a brightly green and orange apron that had the 24-7 logo on the front. Aside from that, he wore a black Love Fist t-shirt with black cargo pants and matching steel-toed boots.

Wolf Claw just as warmly waved back as she stepped further inside the store. "Hi Eric", she replied, "Where's Raj?" Raj was the store's owner who normally was behind the counter on the night shift.

"His daughter got sick with a stomach bug", Eric explained, "So I said that I'd cover for him for both tonight and tomorrow night."

"Oh jeez", Wolf Claw said in a concerned tone as she made her way to the self-service beverage counter, "If you speak to him, please tell him that I hope she feels better."

Eric nodded. "Will do", he said, "Can I get you anything from behind the counter tonight, Raven?"

Wolf Claw looked back toward him and nodded in response as she was in the process of making herself an iced coffee. "A pack of Redwoods and a lighter, if you please" she replied.

Eric then turned and retrieved the now off-duty detective's desired items from the back wall behind the counter. By the time he was done doing so, Wolf Claw reapproached the counter with a large store-brand beverage cup in one hand. "That'll be four dollars and six cents total, please" he said after briefly eyeing the cash register's small display screen.

Wolf Claw reached into the breast pocket of her silver sport jacket and removed her billfold, then handed the exactly requested amount over to Eric with a reassuring smile. "There you are, my friend!" she said in a lighthearted tone.

"Much appreciated, Raven!" Eric said as he put the provided money in the cash drawer, "You have a good rest of your night now!"

With a momentary raise of her beverage cup, Wolf Claw gave a nonverbal goodbye to Eric as she went back out the front doors of the store. As she looked both ways in preparation to cross the avenue back toward her waiting car, she raised an eyebrow with considerable interest when she happened to catch sight of a very suspicious-looking 2013 Cadillac Escalade ASV sport utility vehicle. She made the decision right then and there to stop, slow down, and observe the vehicle for a few moments. Something surely wasn't right here.

The now very concerned young female detective sipped her iced coffee through a straw as she tried to stealthily perceive the ominous-looking SUV, mentally noting the unique configuration of its San Andreas license plate that was illuminated by a white LED plate frame that was mounted around the rear plate. She then saw the right-side rear passenger door come open, after which she noted the light-colored shine from the Escalade's interior dome light briefly brighten the section of sandy ground closest to the parked car. The strange but, at least up to this point, unremarkable sight suddenly turned to one of fright and shock.

A dark, balled up figure was suddenly propelled from the right rear of the Escalade. Detective Wolf Claw picked up her pace as she moved closer toward the vehicle. It took her coming not more than six feet closer to the figure for her to realize that it was a human body.

Though stunned at what she had just seen, Wolf Claw still had enough of her wits about her to quickly draw her black nine-millimeter Ruger Security-9 handgun from her brown leather shoulder holster and tactically but cautiously aim the firearm toward the rear window of the Escalade.

"Los Santos Police!" Wolf Claw hollered in a very authoritative tone, "Out of the car now and show me your goddamn hands!"

Whomever was in that car wanted nothing to do with the policewoman or her loud commands as the Escalade all but immediately peeled off into the moonlit desert night. With that, a frustrated Wolf Claw grunted with anger as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911, all the while hustling toward the discarded body.

"Hello", a female dispatcher's voice answered from the other end of the line, "You're through to Nine-One-One. Which emergency service do you require?"

"This is Detective Raven Wolf Claw", Wolf Claw excitedly said into the phone, "Los Santos Police Narcotics assigned to the San Andreas Regional Drug Reaction Team! My badge number is One-Zero-Six-Seven-Two! I'm going to need the Blaine County Sheriff's Office to respond immediately to Niland Avenue in Sandy Shores!"

"Okay ma'am", the female dispatcher replied from her end of the line, "What's the problem there?"

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this", Wolf Claw stammered in reply, "Somebody just dumped a body out of an SUV and took off!"

"Is the person breathing?" the dispatcher asked.

"Hold on", Wolf Claw replied as she took a beat to feel the male's wrist for a pulse. "Dear God", she said into the phone, "This guy is alive! I'm going to need a Ten-Fifty-Two-A to respond as well. He needs an ambulance now!"