Fallout
Chapter 19
The Journal of John Nolan
Southern California can't handle snow. Unless they're skiers, most residents don't have the clothes for it. About the only Angelenos with snow tires or chains are the Vegas lovers who make the trip through the mountains. What fell in LA would have been a minor nuisance in Pennsylvania, but it was a catastrophe here.
I was glad Grey went along with telling Councilwoman Gutierrez about beet juice. As it turned out, there was a surplus of beets this year, and the road treatment was still available. That helped, but only a little. The city doesn't have the equipment to spread it. It doesn't have plows, either. We were able to borrow some from communities that typically get cold weather, but it wasn't nearly enough.
With many streets impassable, a lot of much-needed workers couldn't get to their jobs, so services were down. Fortunately, my truck was able to handle the conditions, so I helped some of the other cops get around, but all in all, the city was a mess.
Lucy asked Grey about the homeless, and she was right to worry. The city designated emergency shelters in public buildings. Still, in many cases, the people on the street had no way to get to them or even know where they were. Finding those who needed assistance the most was a real problem too. But Lucy's roomie Tamara was a great help. She knew where some of the most vulnerable would be. We did the best we could to get them to safety or give them coats or blankets if they weren't willing to move. I think Tamara may have saved some lives.
Bailey and the other firefighters were busy too. People were trying every which way to stay warm. So they didn't just have to worry about fires; carbon monoxide poisoning claimed more victims than usual. I don't know which one of us was happier to see the sun come out and the temperature rise again. And did it rise! It's in the seventies and still going up. My neighbors are back to shorts and flip-flops, and I'm glad I can wear short sleeves.
The weather isn't the only thing that's heating up. Lucy's relationship with Chris Sanford is moving along. Once the snow emergency passed, she had a couple of days off at the same time he did. They decided to take a drive up north to wine country. I haven't been there yet myself, but Bailey has, and she says it's beautiful. That might have even been a hint that she might like a trip there herself – if we can ever coordinate our time.
From Lucy's glow when she returned, I think she and Chris had a good time. But the better Lucy's mood is, the worse Bradford's seems to be. He is the one who pushed Lucy and Chris together, but he acts like he's having second thoughts. That could be because he's on his own for a while. Ashley went to a workshop on new water rescue techniques and won't be back for a few more days.
On top of that, Kojo ate something that didn't agree with him. After he messed from both ends all over Bradford's place, Tim took him to the vet. I would guess he was feeling guilty since, according to Lucy, he's been cooking Kojo's food. And the vet didn't know precisely what caused the problem, so he put Kojo on a special doggy diet. Tim can buy it at the pet store, which should be less work, but he was proud of the way he was taking care of Kojo. The situation took him down a peg. And he can't have liked the accusing look he got from Lucy, either.
I've set up a regular time to listen to issues my fellow officers want addressed. I still have a legacy pile from Smitty. But many of the same things are coming up anyway. A lot of them are field support issues. Grey and Bradford have to cover supervisory duties for six divisions between them. That includes weapons discharges, major busts, and hazardous releases. They also have to keep track of what resources are available. Even with Lucy playing gofer and taking on some of Bradford's paperwork, he and Grey are stretched pretty thin. That leaves officers waiting around for a sergeant to give instructions or arrive on scene, when they could be answering another call. To say the least, that's an inefficient use of police resources. It could also mean someone's going to die while waiting for a cop to get there.
I believe the structure should change. And I'm going to say so. I have no doubt that Briggs will fight me. The less power exists below him, the more he has. But with lives at stake, I don't see that I have a choice.
"Attention up here," Bradford demands from the podium in the roll call room. "We had a temporary fall-off of drug activity while we were dealing with the snow and low temperatures. The lull is over. In fact, the dealers appear to be making up for lost time. Unfortunately, the sales seem to be concentrating just outside the restricted areas around schools. That means anywhere the kids hang out between school and home. Detective Lopez has more."
Angela strides to the front of the room. "It looks like the cartel is coming up with a new way to lure in customers. Abril Rojas has been investing in gaming systems, the kind with the computing power used in gaming dens."
"She'll just attract the nerds," Smitty shouts out.
"Actually" Lopex returns, "the target is young teens who either have no computers of their own or have the kind that can't handle the gaming. As well as the story games, the cartel will be offering simulations of flying helicopters and jets. They'll also be operating shooting ranges with electronic ammunition."
"Those could serve as a training ground for their soldiers," Nolan realizes.
"That's what our intelligence people think," Lopez agrees. "All of these setups can masquerade as legal establishments, but they'll be a siren call to draw in both customers and futures operatives. The problem is that we'll have to catch them in the act of doing something illegal to close them down. And we don't have probable cause that will hold up in court to plant surveillance devices – at least not yet. Get to know as many of the merchants and parents in your patrol areas as possible, or get to know them better. Try to recruit them to be our eyes and ears. It's their neighborhoods and children they'll be protecting. You just have to convince them they can make a difference."
Tim returns to the podium. "All right, you all heard that. Now, we also have another complication. 2022 is a mid-term election year. Usually, that's not a big deal. But this year, it is. Candidates are already ramping up their campaigns, and protest groups will be confronting them. We'll be looking at providing both security and crowd control. And if one of the big players decides to pay us a visit, we'll be looking at traffic blockage as well. From the information we've received so far, no rallies or demonstrations are planned for this week. But with the internet, that could change rapidly. So be prepared for the possibility.
"Now, Officer Nolan has posted his availability for receiving your input on union concerns. Keep that in mind if you have complaints or suggestions."
"I also put a suggestion box in the breakroom," John announces.
"Not smart, Nolan," Harper murmurs.
"Why?"
"You'll see."