A/N: Hi guys... I'm back. Glad to see that you liked it and are still around.
I hope you like this chapter too. And I'm immensely happy for the comments.
Chapter 2
Dr. Torres entered the hospital room and stared at the woman immobile on the bed. It had been two weeks and she still hadn't come out of her coma, physically she was fine, the transplant had been successful and she was slowly healing. But for some reason she hadn't woken up.
"Sharon, I hope you can hear me". The doctor started. "We've had this conversation during these two weeks and you haven't paid me an ounce of attention, I'm really getting depressed about this. You know, we're worried about your delay. I know you, you never back down from a fight. Stubborn, that's the word that defines you. And here you are, ignoring me. You have to react, Commander. Your family needs you, even though it would be a shock to show up like that. Everyone thinks you're dead".
The last part he spoke in a whisper, he knew the walls had ears and he didn't want to draw undue attention. They were far enough away from home, more precisely in Bakersfield, California. No one there knew that an LAPD commander had died. Which made Dr. Torres very relieved. He stared at the bed and sighed when he didn't notice any movement.
"Did you know that Chief of Police is in charge here? I wanted to understand how you put up with all that arrogance. He thinks he's the owner of the truth, but he's just a pain in the ass".
"You have no idea". The hoarse voice reached his ears and Torres looked up from the clipboard that was taking down her vitals.
Sharon looked at him with a small smile and he couldn't help but smile in relief. There she was, still sleepy but awake. And he was never happier to see and hear a patient.
"Oh... thank God you woke up".
"Impossible to sleep, you couldn't shut up".
The doctor couldn't help but laugh at this, he had met Sharon Flynn a short time ago, she seemed to be a strong woman who was willing to face everything and everyone, and even when she had said that she possibly didn't want to be on the transplant list, he could see the flame of life in her. And apparently the amusing humor he'd heard with her husband and son was still there.
"I see you woke up feeling good, Commander".
"Yes, I'm feeling fine". She smiled and tried to sit up.
"Oh...let's take it easy. You need to take it slowly after surgery".
"Wait, what? What surgery?" Sharon felt the smile fade from her face. "Where is my husband?"
Panic began to settle in her and Dr. Torres watched her heart rate rise rapidly.
"Sharon, listen to me. You need to breathe". He placed himself in front of her and waited for her to calm down.
Her green eyes had darkened with the terror she felt, and that somehow moved the doctor. When her breathing finally slowed, he realized that breaking the news of what had really happened would be overwhelming.
"Sharon, what's the last thing you remember?"
"That I was in my office with Lieutenant Provenza, we were interrogating a suspect. And I felt my chest hurt, the dizziness set in again. I heard a cell phone ringing and I think I turned it off, I don't really remember and then everything went dark and I woke up here".
"You had a breakdown in your office. I was the one calling, I talked to your son, Rusty. He was desperate. We almost lost you, Sharon". The doctor looked at her seriously. "But when I called, it wasn't just to say you'd have another breakdown, but to say we found a donor for you. A 16-year-old girl had been run over and she had you blood type".
"But... I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to be in the priority queue". Anger started to settle in when she realized what had happened.
"The thing is, Commander, you have a rare type, AB negative is not easy to find. And you are one of the few people on the list who has this blood type. So, whether you like it or not, you were in front of a lot of people. And from what I remember we talked about possibilities, we never got to demand any order. You were already on the transport list".
Sharon was silent not knowing how to argue against this, she had had this conversation with the priest and wanted to say every word, but now all that feeling of defeat and sadness was receding. She knew it would be difficult and didn't want to be a nuisance, but since she was alive and apparently longer than she thought. She would have to move on.
"Okay, I can understand that. Now where is my husband? I want to talk to Andy".
Dr. Torres looked at her doubtfully and a little apprehensively. He really didn't want to break this news.
"This will be more complicated". He started and looked away from her. "When you checked in, one of your Chiefs intervened in the situation".
"No... that's unethical, you couldn't do that". The fear returned when she understood what had happened.
"Everyone thinks that you... that you died".
"No, that can't happen. My family cannot think that. Oh my God, they must be desperate, suffering. I need to get out of here". As she said this, Sharon tried to get out of bed. Torres hurried on and stopped her from going very far.
"You can't do anything for now".
"And who said that?" She faced him defiantly.
"This all happened two weeks ago. You had a funeral, Sharon. They buried you".
"What?" It was at that moment that she couldn't take it anymore, tears filled her eyes and she stared at the doctor in disbelief.
However, before she asked him to explain everything further, the bedroom door opened and Will Pope appeared.
"Commander, I'm glad you woke up".
"What did you do?" Her voice was choked and she was paler than when she woke up, but her Darth Raydor tone that she used on her suspects was there and it made Chief Pope flinch.
"I see that Dr. Torres has already made you aware of the situation". Pope faced the doctor angrily. He didn't want things to get out of hand so quickly.
"What did you do?" She asked again. From her tone Pope saw that she was no longer the talking police officer but the woman he barely knew. That would definitely be difficult.
"I did what I thought was best. Stroh needs to be stopped and the only way we could get him was this".
"I thought we discussed this. My life is not a playground for you to play with". She glared at him, "I didn't want my family to go through this. Boss, we don't even know if Stroh is in town, how long do you intend to continue this farce?"
"I believe this will be faster than we thought".
"What does that mean?". Sharon was feeling confused and a little dizzy. But she intended to get some information out of Pope.
"They found a body today. And without a doubt he is a victim of Stroh". Pope spoke with a sigh of defeat. He was tired and too old for all this chase, but he wanted to get this over with. "But don't worry, Commander. Your team will do the job".
When Provenza arrived at the crime scene, he regretted getting out of bed. The location was somewhat hidden from civilization, but a couple who decided to have a little fun literally stumbled over a body.
"Kendall, what do we have here?"
"A young woman, at least 25 years old. Do you see these petechiae? They are signs of Asphyxia". Kendall sighed as he looked at the victim's legs. "She has bruises on her inner thighs, probable rape".
"My God". Tao sighed. "How long?"
"10, maybe 15 hours".
"Thanks, Kendall. You can send it to the morgue".
Andy who was just finishing talking to the couple who found the victim approached Provenza. The Lieutenant had a tired look, but at the same time a determination that surprised the older man.
"What are you doing here, Andy?"
"Working".
"Are you sure about that? It's still too early".
"I need to do something, if I stay in the apartment I'm going to start freaking out." Andy whispered. "Everything there reminds me of her".
"And you think the office is different because...?"
"I have you guys, okay? Me and Rusty at home is hurting both of us. We can't stop thinking about her, especially now that Rick and Emily have gone back to their lives".
"So, are you sure about that?"
"I do".
"Great, because we'll have a lot of work here." Provenza resolves not to argue anymore. He knew how hard it was for Andy to stand his ground. And Provenza kept an eye on his friend, he knew Andy was going to more AA meetings and was always talking to his sponsor. Which was good, so Andy didn't fall back into bad habits.
The team got together to report the few clues, but Provenza quickly stopped them.
"What we have here is the work of Philip Stroh". He sighed wearily. "Young woman, mid 25 years old, blonde and with signs of sexual abuse".
"The son of a bitch is back in LA". Andy continued. "We need to notify the prosecutor's office and keep an eye on our backs. We don't know why he's here, but he's dangerous enough to worry about".
"Sir". Julio raised his hand. "We need to gather the old evidence and I believe we update the security detail that keeps watch over Rusty".
"He has one?" This time it was Tao who questioned.
"Sharon..." Andy started and took a deep breath. "Sharon convinced him".
"To convince? She blackmailed the boy". Provence smiled a little.
"Well... it worked, didn't it?" Andy snorted.
Amy smiled a little, the situation wasn't going to get back to normal any time soon. The Captain's absence was immense, but they clung to small moments like this. While Provenza demanded tasks, Julio and Amy brought Nolan and Cami up to date with the Stroh case and how personal this was.
It wasn't long before they finished examining the crime scene and headed back to the office. Provenza and Flynn headed to the morgue only to confirm what Kendall had said and reaffirm suspicions that the murder was committed by Stroh.
"Lieutenant, we know who the victim is". began Amy as she finished writing information on the whiteboard. "Sarah Pérignon, 24 years old, law student and only 5 months in LA".
"Oh God!" Provenza sighed in defeat. "Were you able to get in touch with the parents?"
"Not yet". Nolan spoke looking at the notebook in his hand. "They live in Nevada. The answering machine answered and informed them that they traveled".
"What kind of idiot reports traveling on the answering machine?" Andy questioned rolling his eyes.
"Those who want to be robbed". The eldest Lieutenant grunted. "Keep trying. Now can anyone tell me what this young woman has in common with the other murders we suspect are Stroh?"
"The only ones who know in depth about these cases are Sharon and Rusty." Andy spoke and looked at her office which was now empty, without her name on the door, without her little touches all around.
"Then we need to call the boy here". Provenza pointed to Julio and Cami. "Go get him and remind him not to get excited, he's not a detective".
The ones who stayed in the murder room didn't have much to do next, so they took the lead that Sharon always guided them through. Andy began to comb the young woman's finances, Tao was responsible for the cell phone of the victim who was still at the crime scene. Provenza, now commander of the team, had to go to the chief's office and report on the case and what his suspicions were.
It didn't take long for Rusty to arrive and brief the team on everything he'd investigated and researched on the suspicious deaths. The boy was left in the break room while they discussed the new victim.
The team concluded that they didn't know much about the young woman, with a little research they found where she lived and that the rented apartment wasn't very furnished and still impersonal, they figured that was because she was new in town. But the biggest revelation came hours later when they went over again the information gathered throughout the day.
"Let's go again! Sarah Pérignon, 24, a senior in law school and new to town. We finally managed to talk to the parents who were on their way to Europe and they are coming back to claim the body". Provenza reported.
"The crime scene was next to a bar she worked to increase her income. The killer strangled her and sexually abused her". Amy spoke and her voice dropped a little at the end.
"According to the people she worked with, Sarah was a good person, always helpful and quiet". Julio completed.
"She had no financial problems, just enough to stay in town without any problems". Andy stared at the whiteboard as he spoke.
"And her cell phone didn't have many pictures or any kind of threatening messages. Nothing suspicious". Tao informed.
"So, we don't have anything?" Provenza grunted.
Everyone around shrugged not knowing what to say, the only thing they imagined was that Sarah was an innocent at the wrong time and in the wrong place. But before anyone could start going over again, Dr. Morales appeared in the murder room all panting with folders in both hands.
"You need- see this". He tried to catch his breath as he made his way to the whiteboard.
He attached two papers to the board that clearly looked like exam papers. Then he put in another paper and turned to the team. Just before speaking, Hobbs appeared with a document in hand and Mason appeared too, he needed one more update on the case.
"What is that?" Provenza asked impatiently.
"Here are the victim's blood tests, the toxicology came back clean. Unfortunately, she was conscious during the abuse and the murder". Everyone around us sighed unhappily. "But that's not what surprised me. When I put the blood in the system I found out she was linked to a criminal".
"Link? What do you mean?"
"Sarah had genetic markers corresponding to a criminal". He looked at the frame and picked up a photo. "Philip Stroh was Sarah's father".
Shock, disgust and anger crossed the squad's faces. Each one tried to understand how this was possible, they never knew about Stroh having a daughter. And if what happened to the girl was his doing, Stroh was definitely sick and disgusting, even more than they thought.
"That's..." Amy looked heartbroken as she tried to explain what she'd heard. "Revolting".
"Guys... There's more". Dr. Morales interrupted the small murmur that would start between them. "Her mother was Lynn Carter, according to the data I got she passed away a few months ago".
"Stop for a while". Hobbs asked and faced the doctor. "Are you saying that the ex-girlfriend who accidentally drowned was the girl's mother?"
"Ex-girlfriend? From who?" Morales really was confused.
"From Stroh, he dated Lynn as a teenager". Amy informed me.
"Well... DNA doesn't lie. The girl was their daughter and because she was so young Lynn Carter gave the child up for adoption".
"And how do you know that?" This time Mason asked a little puzzled.
"I looked it up on the internet". Morales shrugged as if this were the simplest thing in the world. All stared at them in surprise. "What? I do my homework. And the Pérignons made an open adoption, that is, I was able to see in the city hall records, which are in the public domain".
"I didn't know you liked investigating, Doctor". Mason smiled a little.
"Well... when my dad was here, Commander Raydor kind of let me run a case". He shrugged and stared at the empty office. "I miss her".
"We all miss her". Amy's low voice resonated in the now silent environment. All lost in the melancholy of the moment.
"Ok... we have a little more to work on". Provenza spoke and rose.
"I need to say something". Hobbs took a step forward. "We have confirmation on Stroh's whereabouts. He's in LA, he was captured on camera and we need to be careful".
"Oh God! So, can we say without a shadow of a doubt that this is Stroh's work?" The senior Lieutenant pointed to the psychopath's photo.
"Yes and no. We still don't have proof, yet we can't ignore the similarity to the crimes he's being accused of". Hobbs clarified. "I'm asking Chief Mason to tighten up Rusty's security detail further".
Rusty, who had returned to the murder room, and Mason opened their mouths to protest. Both with different reasons for refusal. But the look on the DDA's face was enough to make both of them back off.
"We won't let her down." Hobbs spoke through her teeth and that was enough for everyone to understand what she meant.
"DDA Rios is also safe. We have to be prepared, this psychopath is capable of anything. And as we can see, he has nothing to lose."
Before leaving, Hobbs handed the file to Provenza with all the information she could get and left the room. She could still hear Andy's shout: "Be careful, Andrea".
As the team turned their attention to the new information and tried to figure out how to link this to Stroh and how to catch him, Buzz stared at the envelope in his hand, he should have opened this days ago, but he still hadn't found the courage to do. But he resolved to end his misery tonight, if they could get out of there in a decent hour.
"Buzz!" Provenza's scream nearly made him jump off the table. "What world are you in? Come play this tape".
Sighing Buzz went to where the Lieutenant was and retrieved the memory card and went to the electronics room.
It was past one in the morning when Buzz finally sat up in bed with the Laptop in his lap. He had had a glass of wine and was working up the courage to see whatever Sharon gave him. And he almost smiled at the irony, it was she who instructed him to drink wine before bed, she claimed that relaxed. He has since done this and realized she was right.
Opening the envelope, he found the memory card from the office camera, she had asked him to install the object in her living room a few days before she had collapsed at the Bill Landon crime scene. He was surprised that she had given him the envelope, and she asked that he only open that when he was ready, somehow, she knew he would keep his promise. But before the fatal breakdown she asked him to give that back, Buzz never found the time to do so.
Finally, putting all thoughts aside Buzz put the memory card in the laptop and waited for it to load. Her face appeared and he felt his eyes fill with tears, he missed her. Everyone felt and seeing her there was a little disconcerting. But not wanting to delay, he hit play.
Hi, Buzz. She started with a smile. You must be finding this recording strange. I can say I feel weird too. She looked away a little and Buzz realized she was a little unsure. I believe you did as I asked. So, I guess I only have one option here: Something went really wrong. She took a deep breath. I don't know how to explain this or what to do for sure, this is just a contingency plan that I hope I don't use, but… Buzz, I'm dying, my heart can't hold out for long and I'm a little terrified of this. But don't worry, I still have good options. However, it isn't because of my heart that I am here talking to you.
Stroh is back, he's closer than we anticipated, Emma has shown up and informed me that the FBI has captured some footage of him on the outskirts of LA, we don't know if he's already in town or just hanging around us. It doesn't matter right now.
But with everything that's going on, I think we have an advantage in bringing him here and ambushing him. It won't be easy and I believe this will be a little painful for all of us. But in the end, everything will be for the good.
The reason I entrusted you with this task is because I believe in your ability as a detective. You made me proud, Buzz, all of us proud. You will be a big name to be talked about in the future. And that is why I will entrust you with this mission. I believe in your discretion and your character and I believe even more in your insight and loyalty. But I don't want you to face this alone, I want you to find someone you trust and who knows how to be as discreet as you are.
The mission is: I want you to find me. That may sound crazy, but not everything is what it seems. Find me Buzz and take your partner with you. Nobody can know. You need to be smart and be careful. Investigate, connect the dots.
Start with Dr. Torres, he will know what to do. If he doesn't believe it just tell him that I listened to what he said after the surgery, that Shakespeare's words really touched me. He will know.
I didn't want to do this, but it's the last option. I will try to look for other solutions. I will try to do what is right, even if I want to give up. And if you're watching this now it's because that took me too long to save you.
I don't want to see you guys suffer, that could really break my heart. But this was the only way, at least now.
I hope I didn't scare him. I trust you to do the right thing, Buzz. Even if you guys hate me later.
- Thank you and goodbye -
It took a while for him to understand all this. Tears wet his face when he heard her say she was proud of him, but a hint of fear and panic filled his body. What should he do? Who should he talk to? Questions filled his brain and he found himself lost in a whirlwind.
However, Buzz took a deep breath and reviewed the video. And her words swirled in his mind... 'I trust you, I trust you'. At that moment he knew who to go to.
He hurried to his feet, grabbed a backpack to put his laptop on, and grabbed his bike. He wasn't thinking straight, but he needed to do this now. He would be shot, but he didn't care. He needed to do his duty and he received a direct order from his Commander. He couldn't disobey.
Almost 30 minutes later did he knock on his future partner's door or was he an accomplice? He wasn't sure. The man answered after the second knock with narrowed eyes and a scowl on his face, the gun firmly in his right hand.
"Buzz, what do you want at this time? I hope it's a matter of life and death".
"You have no idea. I can enter?"
"Be quick".
"I need you to see something".
Buzz walked quickly into the room, opened the laptop, and waited for the man to sit down to play. When Sharon's voice filled the room, he saw the man choke a little. The video came to an end and the two remained silent, neither of them daring to speak. Until the man took the initiative.
"Tomorrow after work. Let's talk to Dr. Torres".
Buzz nodded and walked to the front door. He was still shivering with all the adrenaline and terror the video brought. But he needed to get home and rest, the day promised even more emotions.
When Buzz got on the bike, the man cleared his throat and scratched his head.
"Buzz, thanks for trusting me. We will make her proud".
Nodding, Buzz followed back home. He needed another glass of wine or maybe an entire bottle.
To be continue...