Fallout

Chapter 21

The Journal of John Nolan

Well, the trucks never made it to LA. The Canadian prime minister exercised some emergency powers to clear the border. I don't know that I could see something like that happening here or if I'd want to. But it turned out to be one conflict we didn't have to face.

That's not to say we don't have our own supply line problems. We do, and that's created a few situations. The stores are running out of all kinds of things, including toilet paper. It's bad enough that some people decided to stockpile it, but fights have been breaking out over who gets it. I've had to break up a few of those myself. And I've had to intervene in even more violent clashes. There's also a shortage of baby formula. And who could battle more fiercely than a parent trying to feed an infant? Bailey's teased me about where the gouges on my face came from, but I don't think any of the combatants found anything funny about their struggles. As a father, I know I didn't.

Lopez is thanking her lucky stars that she decided to breastfeed. Not that she had a whole lot of choice on the way back from Guatemala, but she stuck with it. Harper is already making plans to do the same. That should be interesting. I can see her growling at anyone who tries to interfere with her pumping schedule.

Of course, the politicians are trying to take advantage of the shortages to blame the opposition. At least the issue gives them something to talk about besides policing. That takes a little pressure off me, but not much. Councilwoman Gutierrez is plowing ahead with her fight for mental health teams, and it's no secret to anyone that I'm in her corner. And Briggs is getting more pissed off every day.

I'm not sure how much truth there is to the rumor, but I heard that Briggs had dinner with Smitty a few nights ago. If the two of them are putting their heads together with some plan against me, I'll be in even more trouble. Smitty still has friends in the division who can make my life hell. Fortunately, he doesn't have too many of them.

Personally, I still think he let La Fiera escape too easily. That could have been pure cowardice. He didn't exactly step up to the plate when we rode together. But if he was on La Fiera's payroll, he might also be eyes and ears for Abril Rojas. God, I hope not. It's hard enough going after her operations without our plans leaking out.

I may not be the only one worried about a leak from Smitty or some other potential mole. I've noticed a couple of meetings in Grey's office. Bradford, Lopez, and Harper were there, along with Lopez's boss Caradine. That's the heart of anti-cartel force right there. And if they have some plan that they're keeping to themselves, I hope it's a good one."

Speaking of Harper, I think James may be about to propose. He's got a dumb-ass look on his face, the same one I had when I was thinking about a ring for Bailey. Jason Wyler put a kibosh on that, at least for now. I'm hoping nothing happens to screw things up between Harper and James. But Harper is enormous, and she's still dodging questions about what happened between her and Donovan on Halloween. I'm probably imagining things, but if the timing of Nyla's pregnancy is off, it could be a major catastrophe for everyone involved.

I'd rather think about good news. I finally got the last of my college paperwork, and I should receive my actual diploma any day now. That will put me on a faster track to becoming a TO. Henry and Abigail want to throw me a little party. I know they've pulled Bailey into the planning, but I don't know who else is involved. Normally, I'd guess Lucy. She loves putting celebrations together. But she's getting more and more involved with Chris Sanford. I hope that works out for her. But sometimes, I still catch her gazing at Bradford. I think she's still got a way to go to get over her crush on teacher – if she actually wants to get over it. She got over me a lot faster than that. In odd moments, that still stings a little.

"I'm riding with you," Lucy announces as Nolan is stowing his gear, "at least for now. Tim is in a meeting with Grey and Commander West."

"Jackson's father? I don't remember seeing him since the funeral and definitely not here at the division."

"Can you blame him?" Lucy asks, putting her bag in beside Nolan's. "It's got to be incredibly painful for him to be here. That meeting must be important. I wonder if we've got another dirty cop. After Armstrong and Stanton, it would be an epidemic."

"I've had my suspicions," John confides. "La Fiera knew way too much about what was going on here. How the hell did she find out where Angela and Wesley were supposed to get married? And if there is a leak, information could be flowing to Avril Rojas."

"You have a point," Lucy acknowledges. "We should probably make a few passes around the gaming dens. I'll drive."

"I was planning on checking on the dens anyway. And I can drive, Lucy. It's my shop. I've already got it set up for me."

"I'm going to drive, Nolan," Lucy insists. "I have a month's seniority on you. That makes it my option."

"Yeah, sure, rub it in. All right, fine," Nolan concedes. "But you'll have to put the seat up a lot. I have it all the way back. What's the big deal about driving anyway?"

"You know Tim wouldn't let me drive as a rookie. He won't let me drive as his aide either unless he needs to handle something. I need some time behind the wheel to see things from that angle."

"And that's it? You don't have your usual smiling, optimistic face this morning. Fight with Chris?"

"Chris is fine. But seeing Commander West…."

"It brought back Jackson's death. Yeah, I get it. I'm sorry. I miss him too, but he wasn't my roommate. I know you two had a special bond. Anything we can do to make you feel better? Stop at the coffee truck, my treat?" Nolan offers.

"That's sweet, John. But coffee won't do it. I just want to get out there to do my job."

"I hear you. According to Tim's briefing this morning, there's a den near Central High," Nolan recalls.

"Yeah, I remember. I wrote up his notes for him while he was on the phone with Ashley."

John whistles silently through tight lips. Apparently, Commander West isn't the only reason for Lucy's dark mood. This could be one hell of a patrol.

Nolan points at a group of kids hanging out near the new gaming installation. "They can't be more than fourteen or fifteen. At this hour, they should be in school. That's a good enough reason to ask them a question or two." He gets out of the shop, trying to look as unthreatening as possible. "Good morning. Pipes break at Central or something? Any problem I need to report?"

One of the boys smiles as Lucy joins Nolan. "To tell you the truth, officers," he explains, looking straight into Lucy's face, "we had a little accident in the chem lab this morning."

"Everyone all right?" John asks.

"Oh, fine," the boy assures him. "We're just waiting for things to air out a little. They should be OK by the third period."

"Well, you take care," John responds as Lucy motions him back to the shop.

"He's lying," she declares. "Classic tells. Whenever anyone prefaces something with 'to tell you the truth' or 'to be honest,' it's usually a lie."

"And the straight gaze and the overdone smile that doesn't reach the eyes," John agrees. "That's classic, right out of the book we read at the academy. The kid may be great at video games, but he better not play poker with anyone experienced at the table. I'll call the school, though, just in case there's a grain of truth somewhere in his story."

John sticks his phone back in its holder. "Not a lab accident. Someone set off a stink bomb. Not dangerous, but it screwed things up. Still, there may be an upside. I can get in touch with Councilwoman Gutierrez. If kids are resorting to sabotage to go gaming, that may be something the City Council can use against the dens."

Lucy shrugs. "Maybe John, but don't hold your breath."

"Right. Unless I encounter a stink bomb."