Fallout
Chapter 28
Grey clears his throat as he takes the podium. "The good news is that the continuing storm systems have kept many drug dealers off the street. Now for the bad news. The current system is predicted to be with us for another day. Traffic accidents have already risen 20%, and as flooding increases, you can expect that to get worse. The flooding also exacerbates the damage remaining from the quake. You'll all be rendering assistance whenever you can and calling in medical help when necessary.
"Unfortunately, while drug sales will temporarily be down, you can expect crimes of opportunity to rise. The absence of pedestrian traffic and other inhibiting factors offers greater temptation for robberies and looting. I don't have to tell you that the safety of the people of Los Angeles is your first priority. However, when you can, keep the loss and destruction of property to a minimum.
Due to the nature of the emergencies that may arise, I want you to work in teams. Bradford will be coordinating in the field, so Chen, you'll be riding with Nolan. The rest of you will partner as usually assigned under these conditions. Now, get out there and keep L.A. and yourselves safe."
"You OK with me driving?" John inquires as he and Lucy fit their gear in the back of the shop. "Where I lived before, it was either raining or snowing almost half the days of the year. I'm used to maneuvering in downpours."
Lucy heads for the passenger door. "Sure, Nolan, whatever you want."
"Want to talk about it?" John inquires, pulling out of the police garage onto the street. "You're pissed off about something."
"Just that Chris and I wanted to go out tonight – if we can, in this mess. And I don't know how I'll have the time. I'll have to fill out the paperwork for whatever I do with you today, and Tim will still expect me to go over his reports."
"I didn't know you had to do that if you weren't riding with him."
"It's part of the aide job. Or I made it part of the aide job. I wanted to learn about everything he was doing, and after all the papers I had to put out in school, I write better than Tim does. So I started cleaning things up."
"And now you're stuck with it," John concludes.
"Yeah."
"Look, Lucy, you know I was pre-law. I probably turned out as many papers as you did before Sarah got pregnant. And in my contracting work, I was constantly putting together proposals and estimates. I can do all the reports for today. Bailey's on a 48-hour shift. It won't matter when I get home. But you really should talk to Tim. You're not doing him any favors editing his work. What will happen when you move up to undercover or whatever you decide to do, and you're not his aide anymore? Whoever reviews his stuff could think he's slacking off."
"You're right, Nolan," Lucy agrees. "But I don't know how to bring it up."
"I can't ever recall you being at a loss for words."
Lucy pokes John's arm. "Look who's talking."
"Point taken. But Bailey's figured out how to shut me up. All she has to do is start telling me how great her fellow firefighters' pictures are for the new calendar."
Lucy giggles. "How great are they?"
"I'll just say those guys don't get their six-packs at 7-11."
"John, you're in great shape for…."
"My age," John finishes.
"For any age. You proved you could do a job that washes out a lot of much younger rookies. You've even got Grey on your side now."
"I guess that's a miracle in itself," John admits. "So, if I can have my miracle, no reason you can't make yours. Talk to Bradford."
"I…. Look! That guy is breaking into that jewelry store."
Sighing, John pulls the shop to the curb. "Why did it have to be jewelry? Let's get him."
"What bothers you about busting someone at a jewelry store?" Lucy asks as she locks her prisoner into Holding at the division."
"Last time we arrested someone at a jewelry store, I was thinking of proposing to Bailey. You know how that came out."
"Ouch. But you and Bailey are doing great now, aren't you, John?"
"We're having a good time together. But her divorce isn't final yet. Jason's lawyer is still slow-walking things every way he can. And even if it had come through, she still lied to me – big time. And it was more or less the same lie I got from Grace. They both claimed they were free to date me when they weren't. Bailey had better reasons, but that doesn't mean I completely trust her yet. Whenever she tells me something about her life, I still wonder what she's leaving out."
"Have you told Bailey everything about your romantic history?" Lucy questions. "Does she know we slept together?"
"No," Nolan admits. "But she couldn't miss the way you looked at Tim. And now you and Chris seem to make a good couple. So I doubt that knowledge would bother her. You and I don't have any romantic feelings for each other. We're buddies now."
"So, do you think Bailey still has any romantic feelings for Jason?" Lucy presses.
"More like murderous feelings, if anything," John realizes.
"Which makes you the only man in her life. Maybe you should relax a little, Nolan."
"You have a point, but easier said than done, like you relaxing about working with Bradford."
Lucy turns toward the door. "Let's get back on the street."
"Nolan!" Grey calls as John and Lucy head back to their shop. "We need you at the free clinic near the community center. You may be able to help too, Chen."
"What happened?" Nolan asks.
"White male busted in with a gun demanding Oxycodone. The volunteer doctor told him they don't keep any drugs on hand except what they need for immediate treatment of emergencies and sample antibiotic packs the pharmaceutical companies donate. And they don't have any Oxycodone. So he's holding the doctor, two nurses, and four patients, including two kids, hostage until someone brings him Oxycodone."
"Is anyone going to bring him any?" Lucy inquires.
Grey shakes his head. "It would be completely against department policy and set a terrible precedent. We can't have guys waving guns around and demanding drugs."
"Where's Versace?" Nolan questions.
"Broke a hip last night playing with her grandchildren. And Wiley's at a situation at a school. Bradford's trying to mediate a showdown between two gangs who decided to have a turf war in the rain. So I have to take over as field supervisor. We're trying to get a county hostage unit in, but for now, you two are it."
"What's the plan, John!" Lucy asks as rooster tails rise from the wheels of their shop.
"Damned if I know," Nolan admits. "Hey, you learned drug chemistry stuff so you could go undercover, didn't you?"
"Some of it. I could tell you how to make meth or fentanyl in my sleep, but I had nothing to do with Oxycodone."
"It's an opioid, right? So's fentanyl. Could you fake knowing about it, maybe fool this guy into thinking he could put some of the drugs already there together to act the same way? Or better still, could you get him to take something to knock him out?"
"I have no idea how to do that, Nolan, but maybe Harper can get with one of the real drug chemists. And maybe we can find a way to work with the doctor inside."
"Call Harper now," John instructs. "If we can make something work with the drugs, we'll have to figure out how fast."