Fallout Chapter 33

"Bailey move back! Move everyone back!" Nolan shouts against the roar of the flames.

The petite firefighter looks over her shoulder. "John, no! You get back!"

Rushing forward, John strains his lungs to yell as loud as he can. "Bailey! Arsonist! Earplugs! Explosion! It's going up!"

Bailey nods her understanding. "John, now go!" she shouts, running to get a bullhorn from her engine. "Back, everyone back. Explosives. Back."

The chief rushes over. "Bailey, what the hell?"

"No time! Going to blow."

"You'd better be right," the battalion chief warns, grabbing the horn. "Back! Everyone move back."

With the firefighters almost moved away from the still-intact building, Bailey's beginning to doubt John's judgment – until the ground rises beneath her feet.

Downing half his beer, John tugs Bailey against his side. "What I don't get is why Chief McCandless didn't answer Bradford's call. Tim said he used the priority red channel. And if Bradford had reached McCandless, we would have had at least another minute to move everyone back. There would have been a lot fewer injuries."

"I don't know," Bailey admits. "He was far enough away from the fire that he should have been able to hear his radio. But thank God, no one was killed. If we'd waited another thirty seconds, there would have been. That was very brave coming to me like that."

"That's a switch. Usually, when I get too close to a fire you tell me I'm reckless."

"Yeah, but this time you had no choice. So you get a pass."

"What else do I get?" John asks.

"What do you want?"

"A good night's sleep, but I could use some help relaxing."

Bailey snuggles into his shoulder. "I think I can help you with that."

"You all right Nolan?" Angela asks as John leaves the locker room for roll call. "I heard that was some blast when that warehouse went up yesterday."

"Yeah, but it could have been worse. And at least we got the arsonist."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. He wants to flip on the guy he says hired him – Benton Verona."

"Benton Verona? Any relation to the late Charles Verona, the contractor?"

"His son. Wesley spent the night digging. After his father died, Benton started a business of his own. But to get his first few jobs, he took a partial interest in the buildings in lieu of his fee."

"And the warehouse that burned down was one of his buildings?" Nolan guesses.

"Right. And get this, Nolan. The insurance had a rider. It would have paid double for complete destruction."

"Like from an explosion."

"Like from an explosion," Angela confirms.

"So we're not talking about a guy who's high on the scruples list. Do you think he avenged his father by making the kill in the Studeman case?"

"That's what Wesley thinks. But he wants you to look over the plans for Benton Verona's other projects and see if you spot anything weird about them."

"I don't know how much time I'll have. Grey told me this morning that the union pushed for the FTO exam to be given two days from now. He thinks Briggs pulled a number on me as punishment for going to the city council. But whether that's what happened or not, I should spend every spare second I have preparing."

"The exam's not that hard, Nolan. It's multiple choice – took me about half an hour. I heard it took Bradford the longest, but he'd never admit it. And he passed. With all the crazy stuff you've had to handle and how much you hit the books, you shouldn't have any trouble. Still, I'll tell Wesley. He may have another angle he can work on until you're free. He said he was having lunch with Chris Sanford, and he usually regards the D.A.s as the enemy, so I don't know what that's all about."

John shrugs. "Lucy likes Sanford, so he can't be all that bad. Anyway, I'll get back to the Studeman case as soon as I have a chance. And I'll give Wesley a call if I take a break. Maybe there's something quick I can answer."

"He'll appreciate that John. But you'd better get your ass to roll call. If Briggs is gunning for you, the last thing you need is any kind of a black mark on your record."

"Don't I know it."

John notes that his beer bottle is half empty. It's been sitting while he was studying and the beer is probably flat anyway. He dismisses the thought of getting another one. With everything that's been thrown at him in the last few days, he's had enough trouble concentrating. Eying the cell phone lying on the table next to him, he decides to call Wesley. That's one task he can get out of the way.

Wesley picks up sounding slightly breathless. "Oh, Nolan, I'm glad you called, I've been studying the plans Angela told you about, but I have no idea what might be off. She told me you were under the gun right now, but can I email them to you to look at when you have the time?"

"Of course," John agrees. "I'll take a look as soon as I can."

"Thanks. That could help. But Angela said the reason you're under pressure right now is that your union president wants to do a number on you."

"That's what Grey thinks. And Lt. Briggs told me he has me in his sites."

"He told you that straight out?" Wesley queries.

"He made it clear enough."

"Nolan, try to remember. What exactly did Briggs say?"

"That I'd made an enemy."

"Did you get the feeling that he was trying to intimidate you because you were doing your job?"

"That was exactly the feeling I got. But there wasn't anything I could do about it. Briggs outranks me in the union and in the department. It was a double threat."

"And you took it as a threat, not just another cop spouting off?"

"Yeah, I guess. And he's making it obvious that he can make good on it. What are you getting at, Wesley?"

"That trying to intimidate you for doing your job could be seen as illegal. The intimidation statute is a little fuzzy. The victim has to honestly believe that the perpetrator can carry out his threat. But from what you've told me, that would appear to be the case."

"So, are you suggesting that I sue Briggs or something? I haven't got the time and I probably can't afford it either," John protests. "It could just make things worse."

"I'm not suggesting a civil suit," Wesley clarifies. "I'm suggesting a criminal action."

"You really think the D.A.'s office will go after a cop with the kind of pull Briggs has? I think the only A.D.A. who likes me is Chris Sanford, and that's only because I've helped save Lucy's ass a couple of times. And he's just coming around to see Lucy's point of view about prosecutorial overreach. I can't see him stepping up."

"He won't have to. Lucy isn't the only one upset about prosecutorial overreach. I've been banging my head against that wall with a lot of my clients and getting nowhere. So I've been thinking of pushing for change from the inside."

"You want to work for the D.A.?

"Angela and I talked about it. It would be easier for her because we wouldn't be ending up on opposing sides."

"How about your work for Thorsen's Foundation?"

"I wouldn't be taking what little money I would have been making. But as an A.D.A, it would be easier for me to suggest a case be reconsidered. I wouldn't have any skin in the game, so I couldn't be accused of bias."

"So, as an A.D.A. you could go after Briggs?"

"It's possible. But it may take a while. Just hang in there, Nolan."

"I'm planning on it."