Disclaimer : Les personnages des séries S.W.A.T. ne m'appartiennent pas. Je ne fais que les emprunter pour cette histoire.
HQ !
They were all ready for the start of their day when they got the text from Street, which still hadn't arrived. S.O.S. That was all the message said, but it was enough to alert the team. Street wouldn't have sent that message if he didn't need help.
"Tan, locate his phone." Hondo ordered.
The young Asian got to work, and at the same time, they received a message that a shot had been fired at a grocery store a few blocks from HQ, and that someone had been injured.
"Tan !" Hondo urged.
"I got him." The young man's face turned pale. "His phone is ringing from the grocery store."
"Let's go !"
Luca hit the accelerator as soon as Black-Betty's doors closed on the team. On Hondo's orders, they only put on their bulletproof vests. The latter recounted what he learned from Hicks over the phone.
"Okay, only one shot was fired, and the gunman is subdued according to the officers there, and an ambulance is on the way."
"Street ?" Chris asked.
Hondo hung up.
"He disarmed the shooter after being shot in the stomach."
"What ?" Luca exclaimed, not looking away from the road.
On the contrary, he accelerated more. Sitting next to her, Chris grabbed Deacon's arm and squeezed hard. He put his hand on hers in an attempt to soothe her as he himself bubbled inside. One of theirs had been targeted. The person behind it wasn't going to get away with it that easily. Oh no !
"I don't understand." Tan said from the passenger seat. "Why did he stop by this grocery store when HQ was nearby ?"
"It's up to us to found out." Hondo said.
Luca stopped Black-Betty in the middle of the road, just behind the ambulance. He, Tan, Hondo, Deacon, and Chris got out of the armored vehicle as paramedics pulled the stretcher out of the grocery store. On board, Street, an oxygen mask on his face, an IV on his arm and a bandage on his abdomen, who was starting to bleed. Chris was the first to pass everyone to get to him.
"Jim !"
He opened his eyes, raised his left hand, and she wrapped her fingers around his.
"How is he ?" she asked the paramedics.
"The bullet didn't go through, but he needs to be taken to the hospital, he needs to be operated on." One of them replied.
"Chris!" Hondo called out. She turned to him. "Go with him, we'll call you when we hear back."
"Copy !"
She got into the ambulance once the stretcher was inside. With the rear doors closed, the second paramedic got behind the wheel and drove off, flashing light blaring.
Hondo saw a policeman walk out of the grocery store with a man in his twenties, maybe thirties, wearing a green hooded jacket, blue jeans with holes in his knees, and a huge badge in his left eye. No doubt the work of Street.
"Tan, Luca, go talk to the manager." Hondo ordered, approaching the suspect. "What is your name ?"
The suspect remained silent.
"I advise you to talk, because it was one of us that you shot." Deacon said.
The surprise can be read on the suspect's face.
"Take him to S.W.A.T." Hondo said to the officer. "We're going to have a little chat, both of us."
"Yes, Sergeant !"
The suspect was placed in the back of a patrol car, and taken to HQ, where Commander Hicks would hold him until Hondo's team returned for questioning.
"Did you see that ?" Hondo asked, turning to Deacon. "He looked surprised when he learned that Street was a cop."
"It's clear to me that he was just a henchman." Deacon said. "But there's no way he's a professionnal."
"No, you're right." Hondo nodded. "All that remains is to find the silent partner."
"Hondo !"
Tan and Luca came out of the grocery store.
"We have CCTV footage." Tan said.
"The manager told us that Street entered normally, and just seconds later the guy came in behind him and followed him with his head down." Luca explained. "Street turned around really fast and within a second the shot was gone. He disarmed and punched the suspect before asking the manager to call 9-1-1."
"We're going to watch it."
Once on the back of Black-Betty, Tan connected the thumb drive to a tablet and scrolled through the images.
"Why is he looking up ?" Deacon asked. "What's on top of the crate ?"
"A mirror that overlooks the rest of the store." Tan replied.
"Street must have used it to keep tabs on the suspect." Hondo said.
There they saw Street turn to disarm the man. They understood, from the posture of the two men – the video only contained the images and not the sound – that the shot had gone off. But the policeman was unfazed and they could see him land his right fist at the man, then kick him in the abdomen, sending him waltzing into the stall behind him.
"Okay, let's go back to HQ !"
They were expected by Hicks.
"We have identified the suspect." he says.
"Already ?" Tan wondered.
"He was in our files, it wasn't very long." said the Commander. "Where's Chris ?"
"At the hospital, with Street." Hondo said. "Where is our suspect ?"
"In the interrogation room." replied the Commander.
In front of the big screens, he displayed the man's file.
"Diego Ramirez, 31 years old. Arrested several times for possession of weapons and narcotics. He is not connected to any particular gang and works with whoever wants to deal with him." Hicks stated. "We dug into his and Street's past, they never met. »
"He's just a henchman." Hondo said. "We have to find the boss."
"I got a search warrant for his apartment and his car." Lynch said.
The speed with which she had obtained this mandate surprised no one.
"I sent Rocker's team to do the searches." Hicks said.
"I'm going to question Ramirez." Hondo said. "He looked surprised when he learned that Street was a cop."
He and Deacon went into the interrogation room. Ramirez was handcuffed to the table. He was Hispanic, short black hair with a tribal tattoo on his neck. The blue in his eye was beginning to turn purple.
"Diego, we will go straight to the point." announced Hondo, who faced him across the table.
Deacon stayed by the door. For now.
"We know you've never met Jim Street in your life, and we also know you were hired to kill a cop." Hondo continued. "You give us your boss, and we make sure you don't get a heavy sentence. You will be released from prison within five years at the most, while your boss will be rotting there for more than fifteen years. It's up to you, but know that our team is searching your apartment. We're able to trace your movements over the past few weeks, but it would save us wasting time if you spoke to us."
"I would accept the deal, if I were you." Deacon said.
"I'm not a snitch !" Diego muttered.
"No, but I have a feeling you wouldn't rat out a gang leader or any of your business associates." Deacon raised. "If a gang member wanted to kill a cop, he would have gone about it differently. So, are you cooperating, or are you taking double what you're offered ?"
The two sergeants saw the suspect swallow, lower his head and little by little nervousness won over him. They exchanged a look.
"Okay, whatever you want."
Deacon opens the door, he and Hondo ready to exit the room when :
"Alright Alright !" said Diego. "I will tell you everything."
"It wasn't that hard." Deacon said, closing the door. "Who hired you ?"
"I don't know. I don't know his name." confessed the man, looking up at them. "I swear to you. I don't know how he found me, but he slipped an envelope under my door a week ago, meeting me at a coffee shop. In the envelope was five hundred dollars, and he promised me more if I would find him. He told me that some guy had done a low blow to him like, the girl he's crazy about would have dumped him because of this guy – the cop, and I didn't know he was one."
"We got that part." Hondo said. ""Keep on going !"
"He slipped me an envelope with five thousand dollars inside, the address and the guy's picture." Diego continued. "He also said that I would have five thousand more when the job was done. I don't know anything more, I swear to you. If I had known he wanted me to shoot a cop, I would have send him off. I may just be a thug, but I'm not dumb enough to ruin my life by killing a cop."
"You don't know his name ?" Diego shook his head. "Can you describe him to us ?"
"Yeah, in the 1.70m, .75 maybe. Blonde, very pretentious, and he wore a gray suit." said Diego. "He paid me breakfast with his credit card, and I think the waitress name was Cheryl."
"Anything else on this guy ?" Deacon asked. "Did you leave before him ?"
"No, after." replied Diego. "He left behind the wheel of a sports car. A blue Ferrari. An F40."
"If we show you pictures, could you recognize him ?" Hondo asked.
"Yes, without a doubt." Diego nodded. "But I would be surprised if this guy was in your files."
"Stay here !"
Deacon and Hondo exit the interrogation room, and meet the rest of the team further away.
"A blond guy, about 5'2, wears suits and drives an overpriced car, and blames Street for a girl." Hondo said, once with the team.
"I only see one person who fits the profile." said Luca, who uploaded a photo to the big screen.
"Dustin Shepard !"
Armed with the tablet, with the portrait of Shepard, Hondo returned to see Diego, and showed him the photo.
"Yeah, it's that guy !" he asserted.
"You swear ?" Hondo asked.
"I assure you it is him." said Diego.
Hondo came out, and faced Hicks.
"Rocker combed through Ramirez's apartment and found the five grand in cash in a drawer." said the Commander. "Street's photo was in his car. We're going to put them under a microscope to find the prints, but in the meantime, you're going to lock up Shepard for me. You will have a warrant in five minutes…"
"It's already done !" Lynch interjected. "The Prosecutor did not hesitate for a second to sign it for us."
"Let's go !" Hondo said.
"We call Chris ?" Luca asked.
"No, she stays in the hospital." replied Hondo. "I'd rather she not face Shepard. She might want to kill him, and I might let her."
They left Black-Betty at HQ, and got into two unmarked cars, heading for the building where the law firm for which Dustin Shepard worked, but also Molly Hicks, the Commander's daughter, was located. Arrived at the office, Hondo and the rest of the team planted themselves in front of the receptionist, and the head of unit only asked :
"Where is Dustin Shepard ?"
"Uh, in a meeting." replied the woman, who could not have been more than twenty-five. "I can call him..."
"Just show us the way." Deacon said.
The receptionist got up and walked around her desk, and led the group to a door, which she opened.
"Brittany, we are in the middle of a meeting." came a voice that the team immediately recognized.
"I'm very sorry Mr. Shepard, but these police officers want to see you."
Brittany moved away from the door and Hondo entered first.
"Hondo ?" asked Molly, rising from her chair to face the unit leader. "What are you doing here ? What is happening ?"
"Molly, do you know these men ?" asked one of the lawyers.
"Yeah, they're S.W.A.T. officers, but I don't know what's going on." said the young lawyer.
"Luca, the honor's yours !" Hondo said simply.
Luca walked over to Dustin Shepard, who had risen with Molly.
"What is going on ?" asked the lawyer.
"Dustin Shepard, you are under arrest for ordering the murder of Officer James Street." Hondo said, as Luca handcuffed Shepard.
A gasp of amazement gripped the room, and Molly suddenly turned to Shepard, tears in her eyes.
"Dustin, what did you do ?"
"Don't believe them, baby, they're lying. I didn't do anything." Shepard denied.
"The henchman you hired has positively identified you." Luca said. "Now move. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be used against you in court, but I wouldn't be surprised if you went to trial."
He escorted Shepard out of the room, followed by Tan.
"Gentlemen, I'm sure that's a misunderstanding." said one of the lawyers. "I know Dustin, he's a little pretentious but he would never go so far as to have a police officer killed."
"Jim…Jim is d…"
"No, but he did take a bullet in the stomach." said Deacon, who then addressed the other lawyers. "You're going to have to find yourself a new partner."
He and Hondo left the meeting room, then the building. Shepard sat in the back of Luca and Tan's vehicle, while Luca was on the phone.
"Okay, great Chris. Thank you." He hung up. "Street came off the block. He'll get away with it."
"Thank God !" Deacon breathed.
"I told Chris that Shepard had been arrested." Luca said. "Weirdly, she didn't protest like I would have thought not to have been with us."
"Let's take our friend to HQ." Hondo said. "I'm sure he will be very well received."
Pure irony. When they ushered Shepard, handcuffed behind his back, through the halls of S.W.A.T., the young lawyer was well and truly greeted but with glares. This man had put a contract on the head of one of their own. It was not something that was easily forgiven. That we forgave, period. Handcuffed to the table in the second interrogation room, Shepard called for a lawyer.
"It's your right." Deacon said. "But you are going to fall, no matter which lawyer represents you."
"I am innocent." Shepard replied calmly.
"Sure." Luca taunted. "You blame Officer Street for that little humiliation at that restaurant four months ago, or did you think taking him off the board would make Molly Hicks fall into your arms once and for all ?"
The look of amazement and rage in his eyes proved Luca right.
"Do you really think you could have gotten away with murdering a police officer ?" Deacon continued, slamming his hands on the table.""You will be languishing in prison for many, many years. You're going to be stripped of the bar, and all that for what ? Because your mistress doesn't want you anymore ? And because you ended up with your head on a restaurant table, in front of witnesses, after provoking a S.W.A.T. member ? No jury will acquit you, especially not with the evidence against you, so here's an advice ; the sooner you confess, the less humiliating it will be for you."
"I prefer to try my luck in court." Shepard retorted. "The jury will want to believe me, not a thug like Ramirez."
"We never told you about Ramirez !" laughed Luca. "You just burned yourself out."
Shepard turned white, realizing the stupid mistake he had just made.
Shepard turned white, realizing the stupid mistake he had just made.
"Have a good time in prison !" Deacon said, straightening up and walking out of the room.
Following Luca.
"What an asshole !" hissed Luca.
"He will fall, I guarantee it." Hicks said. "The Prosecutor will not let the attempted assassination of a member of the S.W.A.T."
"He sold himself by bringing up Ramirez, when none of us said his name in front of him." Deacon raised. "He's done."
"Dad !"
The group turned to Molly, whose red eyes clearly indicated that she had been crying.
"Honey, you shouldn't be here." Hicks told him.
"I have the right to know." she says. "Dustin may be a jerk, but he can't get anyone killed."
"A bastard you slept with for months." Tan reminded him.
"No it's, it's impossible." Molly insisted.
"Molly, he said the shooter's name without it being mentioned in front of him." Hicks told him. "And we have evidence that proves his guilt. You told me you stopped seeing Dustin after Street broke up with you. He must have thought that by eliminating his rival, he would have a better chance of you returning with him."
"Dad, that doesn't make sense." she lamented.
"He's guilty, Molly. You have to get used to it." Hondo told him, before addressing Lynch. "Can my report wait ? I would like us to go and see Street at the hospital."
"Yes, go see your partner. said the Lieutenant. "We're taking care of the case. Your report will complete it, as long as I have it before the end of the day."
"You will have it !" Hondo assured.
The team left the premises of the S.W.A.T., direction the hospital.
