Chapter 34: Transfer Approved
Mount Zonah Medical Center
Rockford Hills
Later That Day
3:30 PM
Following the daring heist at the Blaine County Savings Bank, the three well-armed and well-armored thieves managed to elude authorities with a final take of $8,016. The larcenous trio's prolonged shootout with authorities left 27 law enforcement officers wounded and, tragically, 3 Blaine County deputies dead. Additionally, 12 members of the military unit that had come in to assist were also badly wounded in the melee. Luckily though, LSPD Tactical Unit Officers Dave Brandon and Rodney Zhao both managed to survive having to dive from a police helicopter, but both had sustained acute injuries as a result.
Now, half of the Los Santos Police Department occupied the waiting room at the Mount Zonah Medical Center in Rockford Hills awaiting updates on the conditions of Officers Brandon and Zhao, who had both been in surgery for the last 2 hours or so. Chief Detective Troy Harrison softly growled in frustration as he hit the "Ignore" button on his persistently ringing cell phone, having chosen to disregard the annoyingly stubborn City Hall representative who had just called him for what seemed to him like the hundredth time.
Chief of Police Reynard Sacco, dressed in his black LSPD uniform, sat next to Harrison and looked to him. "Who keeps calling you?" he asked.
"This shmuck aide from the Mayor's Office", Harrison replied, "I talked to him briefly about an hour ago. He wanted an update on the double homicide in Vespucci Beach, citing a concern that violent crime is a 'hinderance to beach tourism in Los Santos'. His words. Twenty-seven wounded cops, three dead Blaine County deputies, and two of our guys in surgery and this putz wants to ride my ass over beach tourism?"
"What has been the progress on that case?" Sacco inquired.
Harrison looked to him and sighed. "Adam Xander put two of his detectives on it", he said, "Steve Gwendolyn and Tessa Clayton."
"Wait a minute", Sacco said as a lightbulb went off in his head, "Gwendolyn. He was that patrol cop who you and Xander pulled out of that recycling center fire with Dakota Michaels, right?"
Harrison nodded. "Right", he replied, "He received a promotion to Detective after he recovered from his ankle surgery and took an open spot in Homicide. Tessa Clayton transferred over from Robbery just after the Vangelico jewelry heist. She took my old spot as the squad's Senior Detective right before Lieutenant Wong left. Adam called me when I was on my way out to Blaine County and told me they were doing a neighborhood canvas while the lab techs were working the scene."
Just then, head surgeon Dr. Maxwell Wilkes came out into the waiting room accompanied by his surgical resident Dr. Amy Barrera. Dr. Wilkes was a tall white man in his early 50's, while the younger Dr. Barrera was a shorter dark-haired Hispanic woman who looked to be in her very early 30's. Both doctors wore in green surgical scrub attire and matching surgical caps.
"Are all of you officers here for Officers Brandon and Zhao?" Dr. Wilkes inquired.
Both Harrison and Sacco promptly stood to their feet. "Yes", Sacco replied, "We are. I'm Reynard Sacco, LSPD Chief of Police." He then gestured to Harrison. "This is Troy Harrison", he continued, "He's my Chief Detective."
Sergeant Dakota Michaels then got up from his own seat in the back of the room and moved up next to Harrison and Sacco. "And I'm Sergeant Dakota Michaels", he interjected, "Both Brandon and Zhao are under my command in the Tactical Unit."
"I see", Dr. Wilkes said, "Officer Zhao sustained an incomplete fracture to his right leg when he made impact with the ground after his fall from the helicopter, and he also has a pretty bad fracture to his tail bone. I suspect that was a result of the rough impact as well. Our orthopedic surgeons were able to repair the leg fracture in the Operating Room, but with the extent of his tail bone fracture, he'll need to be on bed rest for about a week, so he'll be here for a while."
"What about Dave Brandon?" Michaels asked.
"I'm afraid he's not quite out of the woods yet, Sergeant" Dr. Barrera said with a regretful tone, "The attending physician in the ER noticed a second-degree flash burn on the right side of his face. It appears that his face must've briefly made contact with the explosion flames before he went airborne during his fall. Additionally, he too sustained an incomplete fracture to his right leg upon impact with the ground."
"So, what's the prognosis?" Harrison asked.
"As with Officer Zhao", Dr. Barrera replied, "Orthopedics was able to repair his leg in the OR. However, Officer Brandon's going to need to spend a little extra time in our Burn Center to get that facial burn treated and grafted."
Michaels nodded. "But they're going to make it?" Michaels nervously asked.
"Yes", Dr. Wilkes said, "With a lot of time and hard work, they should both make full recoveries."
With that, a collective sigh of relief swept over every officer in the waiting room, followed by a united round of applause, at which point Michaels gratefully shook both doctors' hands, after which point, he received hugs, first from Sacco and finally from Harrison.
"That's awesome news, bro" Harrison softly whispered to Michaels, "If you need anything, come find me. And thanks for saving our asses today, brother."
"It's my job, Troy" Michaels said, "You've done the same for me."
Raven Wolf Claw then stood up from her seat at the back of the waiting room and stepped forward. "Doctor?" she asked.
Dr. Wilkes turned his attention to the inquiring female detective. "Yes ma'am?"
"What about Jake Barnes?" Wolf Claw asked, "The deputy who came in with them?"
"The second entry wound to his shoulder evidently nicked a small portion of his lateral thoracic artery", Dr. Wilkes explained, "So he went straight into another OR with our vascular surgeon, Doctor Seward. He was able to seal the internal bleeder and close up his wounds. I'm happy to report that he's now resting comfortably in the Recovery Room."
Wolf Claw gave the doctor a relieved smile in retort and sighed deeply. "That's awesome", she said, "Thank you."
Meanwhile, Harrison and Michaels broke their embrace just as Sacco put a hand on Harrison's shoulder. "Troy", Sacco said, "Can I see you over here for a minute?"
The two men then went off to a corner of the room. "What's up, boss?" Harrison asked.
"I'll hold down the fort here", Sacco said, "I want you to go check in with Xander and the Homicide folks to get an update on the Vespucci Beach case. Then, call me and I'll update City Hall. Hopefully, that'll get them off your back."
Harrison nodded. "Yes sir", he said before patting Sacco on the shoulder. He then got an idea, at which point he turned to Wolf Claw. "Hey Raven!" he called out.
Wolf Claw turned her head in response and made her way over to him. "Yes, Chief?" she asked.
"If you still want to switch over to Homicide", Harrison said, "I'd say you definitely earned it."
Wolf Claw raised an eyebrow. "Sir?" she said with slight confusion in her voice.
Though he was surprised by his Chief Detective's abrupt decision, Chief Sacco nodded agreeably. "Chief Harrison's right, Detective" he said, "I concur with his decision. Transfer approved. Effective immediately and as soon as possible, you're to report to the South-Central Station and check in with Detective Sergeant Xander in Homicide."
A wide smile crossed Wolf Claw's face as she chuckled with delight. "Thank you", she replied, "Thank you both. But what about my paperwork? I think it's still making its way through the system."
"Don't sweat it, Detective" Sacco said reassuringly, "I'll call Xander and Captain Gilligan personally while you two are on your way there. I'll make sure your paperwork is sent through accordingly as soon as I get back to Headquarters."
Homicide Squad Room
LSPD South-Central Station
Mission Row
30 Minutes Later
Harrison and Wolf Claw entered the squad room of LSPD's Homicide Division to find Detective Sergeant Adam Xander waiting for them at a small conference table in the center of the room, dressed in a charcoal gray suit jacket, khaki pants, and black slip-on dress shoes with his LSPD Sergeant's badge on a small silver chain around his neck. Seated at either side of the table were Detectives Steve Gwendolyn and Tessa Clayton.
Detective Gwendolyn was a lofty white man in his early 30's. Looking very different out of his former attire which consisted of his black LSPD patrol uniform, he was dressed in a light blue button-down shirt, gray pants, and black sneakers. His LSPD Detective's badge shined brightly from his gun belt around his waist.
Detective Clayton was an athletically built white woman of medium height who looked to be in her early 40's. She was dressed in a very professional-looking red pantsuit with matching red loafers. Her light brown hair was tied back into a very neat ponytail.
"Hey guys", Xander amiably greeted, "Chief Sacco just called from the hospital. Welcome aboard, Detective Wolf Claw."
"Thanks, Adam" Wolf Claw replied, "Oh. I mean 'Sergeant Xander'. I guess I should address you more formally now that you're my commanding officer."
Xander grinned. "No harm done, Raven" he said, "We run an informal squad here." He then gestured in the direction of Gwendolyn and Clayton. "I believe you've both met Detectives Steve Gwendolyn and Tessa Clayton", he continued.
Harrison shook Gwendolyn's hand first. "Of course," he said, "I'm glad to see that you're doing so well, Steve."
Gwendolyn reciprocated the gesture with a cordial handshake. "Thanks, Troy" he said, "I mean, physical therapy was a bitch and my ankle pins set off metal detectors pretty much everywhere I go, but at least I got to move up here. Congrats on your promotion, Chief."
Harrison chuckled. "I appreciate that, Detective" he replied before turning the pleasantries over to Detective Clayton. "Hi Tessa", he said, "Nice to see you again. Settling in okay?"
"I'm doing fine so far, Chief" she candidly replied, "Thank you. My phone rings a lot more often than it did when I was back in Robbery, but other than that, I can't complain too much."
"Chief Sacco said you guys were going to fill us in on this Vespucci Beach double homicide", Wolf Claw interjected, "What've you got?"
With that, Xander set a crime scene photo in the center of the table. What it depicted was a very grotesquely bloody and macabre act of violence.
"Good lord", Harrison said with a grimace, "I've seen dismemberments that were less bloody than that. The coroner was able to ID both victims despite all this carnage?"
"Thankfully", Gwendolyn began explaining, "Their fingerprints and teeth remained intact. The male victim was identified as Floyd Hebert, white male, age forty. He was a dock worker at the Port of Los Santos. No criminal record aside from a 1987 DUI arrest in Sandy Shores."
"Based on this manicure job", Wolf Claw said as she closely examined the photo, "The second victim was a female, I take it?"
"Yes", Clayton said, "She was Floyd's fiancée. Debra Masters, thirty-nine-year-old white female. She was the manager of the Crown Jewels Motel in Del Perro. No criminal record. The condo apartment where they had been living was officially owned by Debra's father."
Harrison went over to the case file folder and skimmed through the multitude of grisly crime scene photos. He stopped on a photo of a handgun laid out on the floor near the bodies. "What can you guys tell me about this gun found on the floor?" he asked.
"Glock forty-five-auto G-thirty", Xander replied, "Not fired. It was legally purchased by Debra Masters at the Ammunation store in Morningwood six months ago."
"That means that their killer didn't bring it to the scene, then" Wolf Claw added, "Any ideas on what kind of murder weapon took out these poor people so savagely?"
"The lab techs found an eight-inch steel chef's knife inside the dishwasher", Gwendolyn said, "The hot water and detergent apparently washed it completely clean of prints or other trace evidence."
"That's what we thought was so weird", Clayton commented, "This asshole essentially skins these poor people and splatters their blood all over the apartment. Then, after inflicting all that brutality, he has the presence of mine to put the knife in the dishwasher? I don't get it."
"Adrenalin dump", Harrison blurted out while still closely studying the crime scene photos.
"I'm sorry, Troy" Xander said, "What?"
"Your perp went through an adrenalin dump", Harrison replied, "I've seen it before. Killers commit terrible atrocities against others, then their adrenalin goes down, and they're able to collect themselves and cover their tracks."
The Chief Detective then selected another crime scene photo out of the pile. This one showed luggage by the door. "Wait a minute", Harrison continued, "The date on these airline luggage tags indicate that the return flight to Los Santos was on the same day as the murder. Whose suitcases were these?"
Detective Gwendolyn looked over Harrison's shoulder at the photo as he stood behind him. "Debra's", he replied, "Her credit card records indicated that she had just gotten back from a weeklong hospitality conference in Denver. What are you getting at?"
"It looks like she had just gotten home", Harrison said, "Possibly to find your killer already in the apartment with Floyd. A fight ensues, she pulls out the Glock…"
"Only to be disarmed by our knife-wielding psycho", Xander added, "At which point he finally gets the drop on both Floyd and Debra, and he turns everything into something straight out of a gory, blood-splattered horror flick."
Harrison put down the case file and grinned as he playfully slapped Xander's shoulder. "Just like riding a bike, huh, buddy?" he asked in a very good-humored tone.
In reaction to this, Xander put a kindly hand on his friend's shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.
Harrison slightly bowed his head and sighed. "Honestly", he replied, "I don't quite know yet. Three deputies dead, man."
"I know", Xander said, "I'm sorry we couldn't be there for you guys. But it looks like both you and Dakota got to be the heroes."
A slightly flattered Harrison grinned. "Well," he replied, "It was more Dakota, Captain Gilligan, and Raven than me. Plus, it looks like Brandon, Zhao, and Barnes are going to pull through."
"Chief", Wolf Claw interjected.
The two men's mutual attention shifted as they turned back and sat back down at the table. "What's up, Raven?" Harrison inquired.
"I was just going through Floyd Hebert's portion of the case file", Wolf Claw said, "It looks like the only relative he has listed as his next of kin is Wade Hebert, his cousin. Wade is Trevor Phillips' neighbor. He lives in Sandy Shores."
With that, Harrison got up from his seat and essentially bolted out of the squad room, making a very intentional straight shot for the elevator. A momentarily stupefied Detective Wolf Claw hustled behind and caught up with him.
"What's the matter, Chief?" she asked.
"There's no chance in hell that Floyd being cousins to Trevor Phillips' neighbor is any sort of goddamn coincidence. Two and two does equal four, after all. Could you do me a favor?"
"Sure", Wolf Claw eagerly replied.
"Get on your phone", Harrison instructed, "Call Chief Sacco. Tell him that he can inform the Mayor's Office that the Hebert/Masters homicide is nothing more than an isolated incident and is in no way a threat to the tourism economy of Vespucci Beach."
"Wait a minute", Wolf Claw said, "What should I tell him you're doing?"
"Tell him that I'm on my way back out to Blaine County to fetch a witness", Harrison replied, "It may take me a while."