~Here's chapter 2. I don't
know what to say except get a hankie and PLEASE review!~
Jody didn't think she heard him right. Her crossed arms dropped down to her
side. "What...?" Franks head bowed and a small sob could be
heard. The office became quiet. It was as though the whole room stopped in
respect. All Jody could do was stand
there. Tears that she couldn't feel
coming leaked down her cheeks. She felt
numb all over, never noticing Skalanys arms wrap around her. They were both in shock. Frank finally composed himself. "Detectives. I know this is hard for you.
It's hard for us all... If you
need the day... Please… "
Frank was interrupted by the sound of a slamming door. Everyone turned to the sound. Still in shock, Jody looked over to see
Kermit standing in front of his door straightening the sleeves of his
coat. He slowly looked up to see the
three standing in front of him. Jody and
Skalany looked white as a ghost with tears weld in their eyes. Chief Strenlich
looked the same he had looked for the past week.... bad. "Damn it" He
muttered under his breathe. Kermit didn't want to encounter anyone on his way
out and due to the fact that they were blocking his way... he would have no
choice.
Jody watched Kermit stride over to them. His eyes covered by the familiar green glasses hiding any emotion
from coming out. Frank spoke up
first. "I told them." Kermit glanced over at Frank. "Told them what?" Frank looked down again to answer. "About Peter." Kermit straightened up a bit. "Oh... It stinks... I gotta
go." Kermit pushed past the still
stunned Skalany and Jody.
"Please excuse Detective Griffen. He isn't taking this very well." Jody, Skalany and Frank
looked over at Captain Simms standing in her doorway. Detective Powell, Skalany?
Can I speak with you privately?"
They nodded in unison and started towards her door. Before Jody walked into Simms office she
looked back at Peters desk. She saw how
empty and alone it was. It looked how
she felt. Her shock subsided and the
tears continued to fall.
Kermit drove away from 101st.
He couldn't wait to get out of there.
The place was full of sadness and depression. He had separated himself from the precinct this past week and
was starting to feel a tad lonely. He
wasn't far from 101st when he started to talk to himself. "Damn it those girls looked like
hell. I can't believe no one contacted
them when... Jeez Pete… All this
sadness for you. Look at me... I'm
talkin to myself... I gotta get out more." Kermit reached down to the car radio and switched it on… Anything
was better then listening to himself talk.
Even if it was only for a couple more minutes till he reached his
destination.
Back in Simms office Jody and Skalany wept openly for their dear
friend. Simms let them. Everyone else had their chance this past
week. Now it was theirs. She never once regretted not locating them when it
happened. They were on vacation. They would need the rest for when they came
back to this mess. After handing them a
box of tissues she waited for the women to compose themselves enough to
listen. "Ok. Its time to tell you what happened that
night." Jody and Mary Margaret
held each other's hand and continued to sniff, awaiting the details of their
loved ones departure. Captain Simms
stood up and walked around to sit in the chair at her desk instead of on
it.
~Flashback one week~
"Ok guys... Everyone in position inside?" Simms said through her radio. "I don't want any accidents
tonight. We are gettin this
asshole."
"All set Captain. But
I think Kermit's impatient. He keeps
rechecking his watch. Plans
Kermit?" Simms heard Kermit's
voice over the radio. "Shut up
Kid. Keep your mind on the prize and
joke later." She couldn't help but
giggle at the two. Peter and Kermit
could always take a situation, no matter how serious, and make her actually
WANT to be there.
"Ok boys. Keep on your
toes.. Here come our guests. Blake get your team ready." Simms backed up slowly into the bushes
facing the warehouse. Making sure she
was out of sight. "All set
Captain. What entrance do they look
like they are going through?"
Simms watched as two men, a large bodyguard type and a tall lanky
man, got out of an unmarked van. "Lets see.... Kermit! Caine! They are coming your way! Get ready!"
After about 10 minutes of waiting for word on the situation she
heard two gunshots ring out in the night air.
Simms took off to the door they entered waving Strenlich to follow
her. While running down the dark halls
to find where the shots came from her radio started to crackle and she heard an
officers voice. "Captain! The
Perps just got back in the van!"
Simms stopped running and grabbed the radio from her belt. " WHAT? Were either wounded??
"Not that I saw Capt..."
Simms interrupted the younger officer. "Either they were or
weren't!" There was a pause before
he answered. "No Ma'am." Simms gave an exasperated sigh. "Well have any of my detectives come
out of the building?" An other
pause "No Ma'am not a
one." She almost dropped the radio
hearing that answer. Why would they
stick around after their targets had gotten away.
She took off down the halls again getting closer to where Caine and
Kermit were. When she turned the corner
the sight she saw almost took her consciousness. There was blood everywhere.
Puddled on the ground and all over one of her best Detectives. Peter lay lifeless on the ground. His head settled on Kermit's now blood
soaked lap. Kermit's green sunglasses
looked up slowly at her. She couldn't see past the lenses but knew there was
pain there. "Wha... is he... oh my
god." At that a soothing hand
touched her shoulder causing her to spin around to face Kwai Chang Caine's tear
stained face. "Caine... wha... how
did you.." He stopped her mid
sentence with a wave of his hand.
"I felt Peter entering danger.
I came to help but was too late.
My son is gone." Karen
looked into the Priests eyes. Those
once bright eyes were now as gray as a storm cloud.
Simms looked back down at Peter.
A shot to the shoulder and the chest. Two gunshots. Blake and Strenlich stood to the side, Head
bowed out of respect and sadness.
Everyone's tears ran freely.
"I... will take my son with me." Simms took her eyes off of Peter's lifeless form and returned her
attention to the priest. "When...
Where will you take him?" Caine's
head bowed "To a secret Shaolin place.
For... a ritual? An invitation
for his soul to move on. But... I must
do it... alone. Father and ...
son…" Simms wanted to break down and hug the older man. He must have been in so much pain. Finally
finding his son to lose him like this.
"Yes Caine. Take
him... Put him at peace. "
She took his hand in hers and gave him a weak smile before turning to
leave the scary scene.
~End Flashback~
When Simms finished everyone was crying again. Simms took a few seconds to continue. "I got a chance to speak to Kermit
about what happened. It took time but I finally sat him down. He was the only one who saw it all go down
and I needed a statement. I wouldn't
have rushed him otherwise. Kermit told
me Richards saw them and shot at them before they were prepared. Peter jumped
in front of him. He...he saved Kermit
and lost his life in the process. Ever
since its been extremely hard to talk to him... or even be in the same room
with him for more then 2 minutes."
Jody finally looked up from the floor. "Who is Richards...?" Her voice was broken but full of
anger. Simms rose from her chair. "He was the man we were going
after. The Tall Lanky one. He was wanted for extortion and murder. Well now he's got an other murder charge
under his belt."
The three women sat in silence for a few minutes. Jody continued to weep yet she felt
nothing. She was so lost and numb that
sometimes she would forget where she was.
She found herself deep in thought.
Her mind releasing images of Peter.
Times with him she wished she could go back to. Times she'd never have again.
Skalany finally broke the silence.
"Has anyone talked to Caine since...since... last week?" Simms shook out of her daze and looked up at
her. "I don't believe so. Kermit did manage to tell me that this
ritual takes a while. Personally I'd
like to know more about it. I mean
there is that issue of decomposing... "
Simms looked at the women and decided not to finish that sentence.
"Forget it... anyways When he is done I guess he will let us know. Then we can have the funeral." Simms noticed Jody squirm in her seat. "Detectives you may go now. Go home, get some rest. If you don't think you can handle tomorrow
don't come in. Its
understandable." The two stood up
and nodded back at Simms. Jody couldn't
wait to get out of there. She needed
time to think on her own and there was only one place she could think of to do
so.
~Like? Don't like?? Have
suggestions?? Help a girl out! I'm all for ideas! Please let me know how you like the story so far! REVIEW!~
