Fallout Chapter 34

"John," Bailey calls from the front door.

Nolan drops his pen. "Hey! I thought you were on duty tonight."

"I was. But the schedules are getting a shakeup. Chief McCandless was upset about missing the call from Bradford and got himself checked out. He has a 50% hearing loss, probably from a concussion he suffered at another fire. So while he's working with a specialist, we've been shuffled around. My captain is stepping up temporarily and I'm filling in for him. So I'm getting a break before I go back on for 72 hours."

John springs from his seat. "Filling in for the captain. That's amazing."

"It's only temporary."

"But it will look great on your record."

"After the mess with Jason, I can use that. And you could be looking good soon too. How's the studying going?"

"I don't know. I think the study guide was written at least five years ago, maybe ten. It doesn't match up with what's on the street. It doesn't match up with what Bradford told me either. And it isn't close to what Harper or Bishop did while I was training."

"So when was the exam written?"

"I don't know," Nolan admits.

"If LAPD documents are anything like fire department documents, they'll have a release date on them somewhere. Look for the small print," Bailey suggests. "That will at least tell you what decade the answers will be coming from."

John blows out a breath. "That should help. At least I hope so. I guess I'll find out tomorrow."

"Harper started her leave today," Grey announces from the podium. "So, Nolan, you'll be acting as Thorsen's interim training officer."

"Sir, you know I have my exam this afternoon," Nolan protests.

"I'm more than aware of it, Officer Nolan since I've been tasked with administering it. Thorsen can put in some time on the front desk while you return to take it. Now, the rest of you will be on your normal patrols unless directed otherwise. With kids out of school, the tourist season is kicking into high gear. That will mean higher traffic around attractions as well as more drivers inexperienced with L.A. traffic. So expect to offer assistance when possible and make stops when necessary.

"The latest unfortunate mass shooting may also touch off some protests, as the others have. The department has no intelligence about planned demonstrations, but you may be called for crowd control at unanticipated gatherings. If you watch TV, I'm sure you're aware of the political ads bombarding the airwaves until the primaries in June. One of the candidates for Secretary of State will be making a speech in Griffith Park. Crowd control for that is already assigned. However, if violence breaks out there, dispatch will put out a call for extra units. That's it. Get out there and keep the city and yourselves safe."

"What time is your test?" Thorsen asks as he and Nolan load their gear into their shop.

"Three o'clock. We'll be putting in the majority of our shift before then," Nolan replies. "So, out of the gate, if we're following the standard patrol pattern for one Adam fifteen, where would we be most likely to find tourists in need of assistance?"

Thorsen smirks. "Come on, Nolan, I've lived in this city most of my life. I know that better than you do – Hollywood Boulevard."

"Except for today," Nolan points out. "The city held the lottery to determine what TV crew gets to shut the street down for a day. That's today. Much of it will be blocked off. I would have thought with the Thorsen connections in the reality television world, you'd know that."

"My mother's company doesn't even enter the lottery," Thorsen admits. "Shooting on Hollywood Boulevard is too expensive for reality television. She does bottle shows as much as possible. It keeps costs down. But if Hollywood Boulevard is closed off, I'd say Griffith Park."

"Where a politician will be giving a speech," Nolan agrees. "All right, the department already has extra coverage there, but we'll keep it on our radar. My guess is that Harper wouldn't be taking leave yet except on doctor's orders. James will probably want to spend as much time with her as possible, which could take him away from the community center. We should swing by there and make sure there aren't any disturbances."

And there are two schools on the way where drug dealers may be trying to do business," Thorsen notes.

"Yes, there are," Nolan acknowledges. "So, let's make our presence known."

"It's been pretty quiet," Thorsen remarks as he and Nolan are taking a break at a food truck.

Nolan turns to him in horror. "Didn't Harper tell you to never use the 'Q word?'"

"What, 'quiet?'"

"Stop it," Nolan insists. "I have to be back for my test in two hours and…." Shots ring out from across the street. John starts toward the sound with Thorsen rapidly outpacing him. "Damn! This is what I was afraid of. Call in shots fired and let's find out what's going down."

Nolan points through the window of a bodega. A woman sobs over a body on the floor as customers cower in front of three armed men. John reports softly into his radio. Three men, two with handguns, one with a rifle. One victim down, blood visible." He signals to Thorsen. "I'm going around back to see if there's another way in. You stay here, report everything you see. There's a fire station three blocks east. Medics may arrive before our backup. Make sure they're out of the line of fire."

"Aren't we going in there?" Thorsen questions.

"We can't just charge in without a plan," John cautions. "If those guys start shooting again, they could take out other civilians. But if we can surprise them, we'll have the advantage."

As Bradford pulls up, he lunges from his shop with Chen close behind him. "Where's Nolan?"

John emerges from a narrow passage next to the building. "I checked out the back. There's a door to the alley, but it's steel and it's locked. I tried our standard picks. No luck. We'd need a locksmith to get through there. But this store is flush against the wall of the flower shop. It's all one building. There may be a connecting door."

"Go check it out, Nolan" Bradford orders. "Chen, Thorsen, you watch the back door in case the gunmen try to exit that way. Two other units are en route. One of them can block that alley."

Nolan enters the florist's space to find a clerk and two customers crouched behind the counter. He points to a door at the side of the shop. "Does that lead to the bodega?"

The clerk nods. "It does. But we keep it locked." She fumbles next to the register. "This is the key."

Nolan takes it. "Thank you. You may have just saved some lives. But now, please get out of here. At some point, an officer will want to talk to you but stay as far from the building as you can. Go!"

As soon as he's alone, John checks the side door and sticks in the key as quietly as he can. It turns smoothly. As soon as backup arrives, the LAPD will have a way in. The ticking of an old-fashioned cuckoo clock distracts him for a second. One-fifteen. His chances of making it back in time for his exam are rapidly vanishing. But he can't worry about that now. He has to get the medics access to the victim and keep the gunmen from shooting anyone else.