Here we go again, reader!
Thank you for taking the time to read this piece. I just want to let you know that this series is based on SWAT, making reference to its characters, events and development. However, there are major differences, as this series runs almost parallel to the real story line. Let me take a moment to brief you on what has happened to 20 Squad SWAT so far...
Unexpected begins with Trojan Horse, where the squad faces a very dangerous mission that leads to Street and Chris being declared dead before a friendly face rescues them. At the end of the day, the other four members uncover a detail that they decide to keep as a 20 Squad secret.
Following this, in JR Swat we have the squad volunteer in Nichelle's center for what they thought was just a day with kids. Little did they know they were to meet their young self in the form of six brave teenagers that later helped them solve a high speed chase. The teenagers have a big impact on the officers, especially on Street and Chris, who ponder on their near future and their own relationship.
Alonso, Gone has been the greatest hit so far of the collection. It is the third story of Unexpected and begins with a quest. Chris and Street follow clues to find a missing character. Later, when that character is found, the group then find out someone has abducted Chris Alonso. As the story unfolds we get to learn many aspects of Street's feelings and dreams, as he is faced with a life or death decision for the two people he loves the most. In the end, we find that the scare he went through in Trojan Horse was nothing compared to the many tests he faces in this thriller. 20 squad comes together and Chris makes a decision that will impact her life, as well as the squad's fate.
As Street unites with his young self and the love of his life, daily life becomes somewhat of a struggle as portrayed in Digital Purge. Another one of the biggest hits of this series, it begins with the team under protection by the FBI and moved to a secure location. The officers, plus Hicks and Evan Whitlock, find out a dark secret about the plan to exterminate 20 squad altogether. With a masterful plan and some inside help, they set out to survive this major attack against the entire squad and their immediate families.
Next up, we find Deacon in a very difficult situation in The Perfect Daughter. It starts out as a very romantic date with his lovely wife, but quickly transforms into a SWAT mission. As Hondo fights to survive after getting shot, Deacon and the others track down the perps. The action is suddenly cut off when Deacon sets off to find his missing daughter. She has a dark secret that she has kept for a long time but comes out as a bomb to both her parents. With a very strong message, this story deals with a topic dearest to all of us.
In the fifth story, Street's #1 fan, Street is kidnapped by a lady who was once supposed to be his date. Meanwhile, Chris was removed from SWAT to fight for the most coveted position in all of LA law enforcement, the commanding leader of an elite and prestigious task force. Latter, she finds herself having to make a decision between her career and Street, as his life was threatened and no real lead existed. The decision changed her life and impacted her family situation forever. All the while, Hondo goes through an ordeal of his own, that leaves him hurt both physically and emotionally. At the end, 20 Squad were left as a crew of five.
Hondo and Nichelle's relationship went through a tough test in the sixth story titled Franken Doc. The couple wanted to make their dream of having a family come true with alternative methods of conception. Unfortunately, they found themselves victims of a cruel scam by a white supremacist ring, whose main goal was to reach purity of race in the city and the country. Hondo saw himself fighting to keep his relationship steady, while suffering internal set backs himself. Meanwhile, Street and Rubio go through yet another scare as they faced a difficult dilemma while camping. The story ends with a character returning home.
Story number 8, Stand Proud, begins right where the last story left, as home life still baffles Street. Later on, the squad find themselves in an op under Chris' command, as she works on developing skills for the job she's competing hard to obtain. However, many obstacles on the way make her question herself constantly, until she reaches a breaking point. Meanwhile, Hondo finds himself discovering the true meaning of family bond.
I cannot stress this enough, but please read the previous stories. They will help you understand character development, changes and many other new additions. You wouldn't watch a movie starting in the middle, right? Well, then, read the previous stories to fully appreciate and enjoy this one!
What's in store for the squad? Story #9 Crime Set will feature Deacon and Street, as they embark in a mission on their own. With the help of an old friend and now the most beloved grandpa of them all, they set out to face one of the biggest challenges yet. Forget about the aims and the boards in training, now they really had to sort out villains from victims...and trust me, it gets dicey!
I hope you enjoy this thriller, and the next ones coming up! Remember to cast your vote and leave comments. I love reading and responding to your thoughts, so don't be shy! Thanks for the support!
Disclaimer: This story may contain elements not suitable for children and scenes that may be inappropriate for some audiences. Reader discretion is advised.
CHAPTER 1: Hear ye
SWAT Headquarters was still rowdy, even after the conference. Everyone, even the janitors and maintenance people, were still chatting excitedly. They all knew how huge it was to have one of their own compete for such an important position. Even more so now that members of Washington were involved.
The buzz, the energy, the chatter... everything was felt, down to the walls. Hicks had received a thousand calls by now! The squad had been training and working out all morning...more like mechanized automatic movements! Their bodies were present but their minds were somewhere else!
"Hondo, can I get your autograph here?" Deacon called as he approached the team leader in the ring.
Hondo and Tan were working on boxing, while Deacon had been paired with Street in cardio and weight training.
"These the papers for early leave on Friday, D?" Hondo said as he removed the gloves and grabbed the pen.
"Yes, sir. Street and I will be until 10am." Deacon said as Hondo nodded and signed.
"Alright, take it to the boss and you're good!" he said giving the pen back
"GUYS!" Luca called enthusiastically, "Eagle, now!"
He was so excited, the others didn't even hesitate. They stopped what they were doing and followed him to the room.
A couple of other officers heard Luca and went along, very eager to know what was going on. Powell, Stevens, Rocker and Cabrera were among the 8 others who joined 20 squad in the main room. They all stood surrounding the tables, as Luca worked with the tablet to set up the monitor.
"Luca, what's up, man?" Hondo asked
"Yeah, what's with the mystery?" Tan added, standing right besides him
"Wait, wait!" He called still working the tablet
The crowd became impatient as they chatted and interacted. Everyone kept staring at Luca as he moved, clicked, hit buttons, etc.
"Alright, alright!" He called after some minutes. "I got us an exclusive!" He announced excitedly as the others looked lost. People exchanged frowns and shrugs.
"What?" Street asked
The screen was blank. Luca turned confused, as he had sworn the trick had worked. "Uh..." he stuttered as he moved back and forth between the mobile and the screen.
After some seconds, Street approached him. "Hey bro, need some help?"
"No, no, I got this!" he said as he placed his hand up, gesturing to stop.
He fidgeted again for a full minute, under the intense stare of the others. Suddenly the room went silent, as the officers grew impatient. They were dying to find out what Luca had in store! Suddenly...
"Hey guys! Wow, everybody's here!" A smiling Chris greeted from the screen
A rush of emotion erupted as the group of officers began to cheer and clap. It was as if a switch had been turned up! Smiles, high five and cheers were seen throughout the room.
"Captain! Captain! Captain!" They repeated very excitedly. She turned red as an apple, as she giggled and shook her head.
Between all the joking, greeting and talking, Chris couldn't really comprehend the guys. Everybody kept talking at the same time and she tried to moved her head to face each one but it was impossible.
"Hey! Hey!" called Hicks coming in from the elevator. "What is going on in here?" he asked
"Captain Alonso is here!" Luca called excited, followed by laughter and cheers.
After the commanding leader said his greetings, the group finally settled down.
"So, Captain" he paused as some cheered in the background, "What's next in your journey?"
"When do they reveal who won?" Luca asked immediately
"There's going to be another conference, soon. For now, Washington wants more hands on participation, the mayor wants more development of tactical skills and the chief's office wants a full run of trials."
"Wow!" Hondo said, as the others nodded in agreement
"So, our training will now take us out of state." she said semi excited
Street felt a gut punch, as he tried to hold back his disappointment. He didn't want to lose her, especially not before settling their unfinished situation.
"We'll be in Dc, then Phili, then down to Miami, across to San Antonio and then back here for trial runs. Then, they said something about special trainings in the Central Intelligence Headquarters in Virginia. We'll finish with a special conference in NASA and another in Peddleton Camp."
"Woah! That's a lot of traveling." Hicks said as the others chatted quietly and nodded
"Yea, it's going to be hectic."
"Are you excited?" asked Fowler from the back
"I mean, yeah. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity..."
"But?" Hicks said tilting his head to the side, hands inside of his pockets
"But...I'll miss all of you and my family." she said slowly, staring at Street in the corner. Everyone in the room turned to him as he nodded slowly, pinching his lips together. Hondo, who was standing next to him, put a tender hand on his shoulder at nodded.
"He'll be alright, Chris. You go and take care of business. We'll make sure your boys are okay." he said nodding
"And Topo!" Luca added with a smile, provoking her to smile
"There you go! The dog as well." Hondo said as Street smirked, rolling his eyes
"Thanks guys!"
"I just have one question, Chris!" Tan said raising an index finger
"Who the hell's Chris?" Hondo snapped, "You better show some respect, Tan! This here is, Captain!" he finished sternly as the others got rowdy and began cheering. Tan giggled as Chris covered her face with her palm
"Nah, Hondo. It's Chris, always Chris!" she said shaking her head, between the laughs and the noise
"Alright, alright, Captain!" Tan said
"Woot wooot!" cheered Luca
"Tan, get outta here with that!" she snapped not being able to pull down her cheeks
"What's the question, Tan?" Deacon asked eager to know
"Where's your uniform? With the stripes and badges and stuff." he asked curious
Chris continued to smile, but began shaking her head slowly. "Once SWAT, always SWAT!"
"Here yeeeee" Luca responded as the room erupted in cheers.
After the gathering, as the others went back to their stations, Street headed to the locker room. He excused himself with Hondo and dialed her number.
"Hey babe!"
"Hey!" she answered with a tired voice
"I'm so proud of you" he said as he watched her blush
"Stop it!"
"I really am. You have no idea the position you've put me here." he said with full dimple action
"I couldn't have done it without you...and Rubio. Topito too!" she said with half of her face red
"Buck told me about Topo! He and Hondo both told me about you wanting out of there. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm sorry...it was just too much! It was just depressing!" she said shaking her head
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. The way you've stepped up with Rubio and the house and now with Topo? You're so amazing. And...I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about Topo before taking him in. I kinda dumped him on you."
"I guess we're even now, huh?"
"Oh...no!" she snapped, shaking her head, "I dumped a dog, you dumped a kid! I mean...not even close, Street!" she snapped jokingly
"I wouldn't have it any other way!" he said tenderly
"Thank you!" she paused, taking a deep breath, "I'm sorry I'm leaving again."
"Don't! Please, don't apologize for that. I'm so damn proud of you, Chris! Every day I'm thankful of being with you, even if it's not physically. I know you're there for me, our kid and well...our dog. Oh my God!" he finished with shaking his head, taking a deep breath
"He's so cute!" she said giggling. "You think you can come to say good bye after shift? My plane leaves at 10pm, gotta be by the gate at 9:30. Please, Street!" she begged
"You don't have to beg, amor. I'll be there! We will be there!" he said, and he meant it
CHAPTER 2: No English
"Guys, we gotta go!" Hondo called entering the cubicle area.
After the big celebrations, Hicks sent the squad to finish all the paperwork and filing left from all open cases. He said by next week many cases will be presented in several courts throughout the city as the Center was closing out its fiscal plan for the upcoming cycle. This process usually requires closing of as many cases as possible before starting a new fiscal year.
"DEA wants us to follow up three leads on an open case involving an Vietnamese gang smuggling weapons and using them to scare off rival gangs from their territory and terrorize their neighborhoods. They believe the gang is led by an ex AB-26." he explained as the group moved hurriedly to the locker room
"AB 26?" Street asked
"Yeah, Asian Boyz. Gang started back in the 70s, led by Cambodian and Filipino immigrants who stood their grounds against Hispanic and Black rival gangs in the city." Hondo explained as they went down the small staircase
"Hondo!" commander Hicks called
"Let's go relaxed guys. Suit, but gear in the trunk just in case." he stopped to explained. He looked at each one of his men, capturing their full attention. "Luca and Street, get the cars ready!"
"Yes, sir!" Street said nodding once
"Got it, boss!"Luca responded nodding
"I'll meet you downstairs" he said as he turned towards Hicks
As the guys waited for Hondo in the parking lot, Street used his phone to dig up some more information on the gangs involved. Tan also did some research and shared information of his own. They were interrupted by barking.
"Pops!" Rubio yelled running towards Street
All the officers looked up, as the boy came in with a backpack. A dog stuck his head out almost completely and barked wildly at Street.
"Hey, dude!" Luca greeted excited
"Rubio?" Street asked stunned
"Hey blonde!" Tan greeted with some high fives
"Hey!" Deacon greeted him, extending his fist.
"What are you doing here, buddy?" Street said with a smile, as Rubio went for a big bear hug.
The dog felt the hug as it began to shriek and cry, feeling left out in behind the boy's back.
"Ok, ok, dame un break!" (give me a break!) Rubio complained as he swung the backpack and got the dog out.
"He's so cute!" said Luca immediately approaching to pet the dog, which jumped into Street's chest and began licking the young officer's face with pure excitement.
"He likes you, Street!" Deacon said with a smile
"Guess they understand each other well." Tan added with a smirk
"Tan, shut up!" Street snapped as he tried to move away from the wet tongue, "Stop! Stop! Topo!"
The group gathered around and between smiles and giggles received the canine.
"It's come to the point where Chris calls and she goes like 'Hey! How's Rubio? Is Topo ok?" and I'm like 'I'm fine, you know? Not that anybody cares!' Unbelievable!" he said shaking his head slowly, annoyed
"You jealous of a dog, Street?" Tan asked
"Yeah! I'm cuter anyway!" Street snapped
"Right!" Hondo snapped, nodding his head as everyone giggled
"Hey!" Luca called, wrapping his arm around Rubio, "Did you hear?"
The kid looked lost, as he frowned at Jim. "What happened?"
"Your mom made captain! Woot!" Luca announced excited
The boy went into a frenzy as he share high fives, fist pumps and laughs with the guys.
Street finally got the dog to calm down, as he held Topo with his left hand and the canine cuddled tight against his chest.
"No, Topo, you're gonna get hair on my uniform. Darn it!" Street complained, without moving. He knew the boy's eyes were glued on him!
"Hey kid!" Hondo said joining the group. He extended a fist and Rubio returned the gesture.
Rubio then turned to Street, "Pops, hold him. I gonna go to the bathroom quick. Grampa is taking us to the doctor to check on Topo." he said hurriedly, as Luca removed his arm
"What's wrong with the little guy?" Luca asked concerned
"Nothin, the pediatrician say we have to do check up. So...we take him today."
"Ok, listen to me, buddy. Listen closely." Street said approaching the boy, "This is a dog!" he began as the others giggled and he gestured to the comfortable canine on his chest. "He's not a child, therefore you're not taking him to a pediatrician! It's called a vet."
"But he has 4 months, pop! He's little!" Rubio complained, rolling his eyes
"He's a dog!" Street snapped
"Psst! Don't listen to him, Rubio. That's a minor and he has to get his check ups!" Luca said offering a fist to pump
"Thank you. See, pops?" the boy said responding to the gesture
"Luca!" Street complained
Rubio turned and quickly headed indoors as the guys were rounded up by Hondo. He shared the latest news on the case and the directions and names of the individuals they were to interview. The idea was to gather as much information as possible to pass on to the agency. Then, they were scheduled to provide backup to a possible operation taking place he following day, just south of Walnut.
As Hondo finished explaining their assignments, Rubio came rushing in.
"Shh" ordered Hondo, as the boy approached
"I'm gonna go, pops. Grampa gonna pick me up in the corner." he said reaching for the dog
"Alright, have fun!" he said as he handed Topo
"Vente, Topo. ¡Vámonos!" (Come here, Topo. Let's go!) he whispered to the dog as he placed him inside of the backpack. He then swung it over his shoulders and walked out of the parking lot, waving the guys good bye.
"You know Spanish, Street? Coz that dog isn't gonna get your English, you know that, right?" Hondo said as the others smirked and giggled
"Don't! Hondo! Just...don't!" he complained shaking his head, rolling his eyes. "Kid hates English, ok? Chris made him promise that as long as he practiced English during the summer, he could speak with the dog in Spanish...without consulting me!" he complained
"The dog can be bilingual too!" Deacon said with a smirk
"Did you not hear me say the boy hates English? Dea, that dog doesn't understand me at all!" Street complained as the others giggled
"Yo! Let's roll. Luca, take the young gun. D, you rolling with Tan! I'ma stop by the doc for a quick minute and then I'll check up on our suspect's wife" he said as he pointed at each one
"Got it!"
"Roger that!"
The team split up into three cars, as they exited the parking lot in unison.
Luca and Street arrived at a deli in the corner of 23rd and Hamming 15 minutes later. Hondo had instructed them to find out what the owner knew and be on the lockout for any shady business. They did so but found nothing out of the ordinary. After 30 minutes, they got in the car to head back to HQ.
"Hey! Hondo just texted, we gotta make it back to HQ." Luca announced
"Yeah, Tan says they found something." Street said looking at his phone
"Let's go!" Luca said as both put on their seat belts
He turned on the engine, when...
RIIIING
RIIIING
Street took out his cellphone. "Hey Buck! What did the vet say?"
Luca shot a glance at Street, as the heavy LA traffic slowed him down a bit.
"What?" Street asked panicking. Luca frowned at him as he was now more interested in the phone conversation than on the road
"What happened?" Luca asked
Street stuck his hand out gesturing him to wait.
"Buck, what are you talking about?" he asked puzzled, "He put Topo inside his bag and left the parking lot. We all saw him walk out!" he said hurriedly
Luca was sensing Street's desperate tone as he swerved through traffic.
Street listened on. "What? Oh no! No! No! Please no!"
This is not good! Luca though fearing the worst. He shot a glance at Street who by now had his head bowed down, grabbing his forehead with his hand.
"Buck, please tell me this is a joke! I'm suppose to meet Chris at the airport with them in a couple of hours and now you're telling me he's gone?" he asked loudly, panicking
CHAPTER 3: Lone Wolf
"Hey baby! Everything ok?" Hondo answered.
He had just left the doctor's office and was speeding through the busy highway. Nichelle met with him in the doctor's office for his last session. She saw how excited and relieved he was once his rehab was finally over. Hicks told him he had passed the physicals and that all they needed was a final evaluation from his doctor to give him the green light. Everyone, including 20 squad, were imploring all gods for the evaluation to be successful and...it was! The doctor did stress the importance to continue treating the shoulder with occasional therapy and to start easy at work.
Easy? I don't wanna see a damn desk ever! thought Hondo.
"Hey!" Nichelle answered, "I just wanted to check on you, make sure you aren't jumping off helicopters yet!" she said sounding sarcastic
Hondo smirked, as he let out sigh. "I'm not."
"Just because the doctor cleared you, doesn't mean you're going to go crazy now! Gotta take it easy on the shoulder, ok?"
"Yes, ma'am." he said nodding his head
"Don't be doing them high speed, full fight, climbing off walls kinda stuff... coz you know what the doctor said about your knee, Hondo."
"Yes, I remember." he said with a grin, "I'ma be aight baby, relax."
"I just have a bad feeling coz I know you wont hold back and the doctor said your should. It's still rehabbing, baby. Please take it easy."
"Stop begging, girl. If we gotta do something like that I'll have Street jump off the cliff, ok?" he said with a smirk
"I'm not playing, Hondo!"
"Girl, you tripping! Treating me like a child!" he complained
"Well, you haven't really helped yourself. Have you, now?" she snapped
"Baby, c'mon now!"
"We just got out of the doctor's and you're speeding off to get in trouble. How do you want me to react, Hondo? Just a couple of weeks ago you were shot in the shoulder and here you are acting like nothing happened!"
"Aight!I aint gonna say nothing coz I know you got your mood swings and everything-"
"Oh, no! No, you didn't!" she interrupted, annoyed
Hondo giggled, as he turned towards the crowded parking lot of the convenience store.
"I love you, but...I gotta go ahead and interview this dude about a case we working on."
"Ok."
"You go on and take care of my little princess."
"Nuh uh! He's my little prince!"
"Girl, you tripping. You know that's daddy's little baby girl!"
"My belly is not that round or high. So, he's gonna be my lil chocolate kiss."
"You tripping! Come next appointment that ultrasound ain't gonna show nothing sticking out. I know so." he paused as he heard her giggle, "I gotta go baby. Love you"
As he entered the store, he placed his cellphone in his pocket. He went to the back fridge to retrieve an energy drink, when the back door opened and his target came in.
BZZZZT
BZZZZT
"Hey! You Xieng?" he called, as the man turned towards him
Hondo took his phone out and approached the talk lengthy man. The man nodded, as Hondo read the text.
"I'll come back", he said hurriedly, hurrying out of the store
"D, what's going on man?" he said after dialing Deacon's phone. He quickly loaded the car.
"Hondo we got a problem. Street's kid is missing."
"What?" Hondo asked in pure awe as he started the car. "We watched him head out of HQ. Like...what the hell happened?"
"Surveillance caught a black car stopping in front of him. One figure got out and pushed him in. He seemed to know them because they talked for some seconds. The camera didn't get the passengers or anyone... they were wearing masks and common clothing."
"Oh my God! Where's Street?" he asked panicking
"He tried locating Rubio through an app but phone was turned off and dumped somewhere near an empty lot. He's loosing it. I told him to calm down. Luca is working with him while Tan and I work surveillance and make some calls. There's something else, Hondo."
"What's up?"
"Camera didn't catch the entire plate sequence, and narrowing down the search of such a common car is going to take forever, but... it got a glimpse of a symbol in the car. I checked with a source I got in the DEA and he tells me is a new gang they're watching closely, named the 0-99s."
"Descendants of the 99s?" Hondo asked
"Yes. Remember who got busted and admitted to working with that group?" he asked
"I'm gonna kick his ass, D. Leave im to me! I know where to find 'im!" Hondo replied immediately, as he sounded more angry than annoyed
"No, Hondo. Stop! You just got cleared! Don't do anything to ruin that."
"Aight, I wont. I'll find him. Meanwhile, get Luca and Tan to work on the ABs case. Talk to Street, D. Calm him down. Father to father."
"Roger that!"
Before heading out, Deacon snatched a picture of the surveillance footage, showing the symbol in the car. He sent it immediately to Hondo. He turned and found Street and Luca just beside the boxing ring. Street was steaming angry as Luca whispered something. Clearly Luca wasn't getting to him, as he continued to hit the punching bag with force.
"Street!" Deacon called approaching the couple. Both men stopped and turned towards him. "Luca, Hondo wants you to work on surveillance, get everything and anything you can."
"Ok." he said. He then turned to Street, put a hand on his shoulder and said, "We'll find him, bro. We got this!"
As Luca left, Deacon pointed to the kitchen area with his chin. "C'mon!"
Street seemed frustrated, as he shook his head and followed his commanding officer.
"Deacon, I'm so tired of issues and dramas and people going missing. I mean, it seems every week life gets worse for me. He isn't making things easier either!" the young officer began to rant as Deacon closed the door behind him. Deacon just crossed his arms on his chest and listened. He knew perfectly well the troubles of being the head of a family!
"I tell him!" he complained, now pacing the floor, "I explain to him. I follow the doc's orders and show him. I have him repeat all the instructions to me. I demonstrated them. I model them for him. I just- I - damn! I'm sorry...but I just don't know what else to do with this kid! He wont listen! He wants to save the world every single time. He comes with this macho attitude, like he knows everything! He just wont listen. Wont follow instructions. I explain them, D. I swear I do! But...he just wont listen! He'll do whatever he wants to do. Period. No matter how many times I tell him he has to consult with me. He's not alone, you know? I just- I don't know!" he finished by sitting down on one of the stools, bowing his head down and grabbing it with both hands.
Deacon, who had been quiet all this time and motionless, sat down across from him. He waited a couple of seconds. Silence.
"Feeling frustrated?" he asked
"Yes! Like...I don't know what else to do. I know he's smart and he has good intentions, but he doesn't want to follow the rules. He goes off with no regards of anybody or anything. But Deacon, I know that kid is smart and he's so damn talented. I just...I don't know what else to do with him."
"If Hondo was here, he'd probably say 'Just kick him outta SWAT.' Worked with a similar fellow!" Deacon said staring down at him
"Aw, c'mon! I was not that bad!"
"Uh..." Deacon frowned
"Hey!" Luca called as he opened the door and stuck his head in. "We got a tip from an eye witness down at the pharmacy at Chester Bay!" Luca announced
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Street said jumping off the stool
"You two take Tan and follow that lead. I gotta find Hondo!" Deacon said as everyone left in a hurry.
In a matter of seconds, the guys were out the door and on the freeway. Luca got news from a patrol that a group of kids had been seen heading down Chester Bay, unto the old abandoned shoe factory at the end of the road. The witness claimed there have been problems with rival gangs, as Asians were now attacking each other with complete disregard for civilians.
They parked just around the corner as they unloaded and aligned one after the other to approach the abandoned building. It had been a shoe factory for many years until a decade ago when the owners relocated to China for cheaper labor. Now, it just stood there all boarded up, grass chest high and debris cluttered all around.
Luca was the senior officer, so Tan and Street immediately looked for him to take command. The place was quiet and isolated, so they weren't sure how or where to begin searching.
"Luca, where did the witness say they went?" Tan asked
He shook his head and shrugged. "Just towards the building!"
WHOOSH
WHOOSH
All three heads turned to the side of the building as they heard the sounds. To an untrained individual that was the sound of the wind, but for them, it definitely meant someone was there.
CHAPTER 4: Where are thou?
"LAPD SWAT!" Luca yelled, as the three officers approached the sight.
The grass was chest high, but they did spot an old rusty door at the very end of the exterior wall, where the back patio stood looking like a jungle itself. Several big bushes lined up the side of the building, making it very easy for anyone to hide.
"Hands on your head. Come out slowly!" Tan called
"NOW" yelled Street angrily
A small hand appeared raised up from between the bushes. The hand held something shinny, slim. Street immediately went forward, recognizing the cellphone.
"Rubio!" he called as he grabbed the hand and the cellphone
To his disappointment, the hand didn't belong to Rubio, but to a small Asian girl. Her dress was dirty and torn. She looked petrified, her face showed signed of having cried for hours.
"What are you doing with this?" He asked desperately, as he took the phone from the girl's hand slowly.
He noticed the girl was scared, as a lonely tear fell from her left eye. He bent over towards her and tried to relax. The girl was petrified.
"What is your name?" he asked slowly, as Tan and Luca stared
Five more children came from between the tall grass, all dirty and some crying silently. All in all, Luca counted four girls and a little boy, none older than 9 or 10 years old.
"Tan, try Chinese!" Luca whispered as both officers lowered their weapons
Tan shot a look at him, then nodded.
"Nǐ hǎo!" (Hi) he said to the children
GASP
All the kids immediately gasped and turned their attention to Tan. The little boy went running towards him and began talking. The girl in the damp jeans did the same. Soon all five were surrounding him, talking at the same time!
Luca looked at Street, who took several steps back. Tan put his hand up to gesture stop, then turned to the guys.
"They just said the blond kid gave them the phone because he knew we would rescue him. The girl you talked to Street is Chen's sister. She said he's looking for me. The ABs are out to get their other sister, who's hiding with Rubio and Chen!"
He turned to the kids, who by now surrounded him. Tan tried to calmed them down, by asking them another question. All kids answered, so there was a loud gable! Street was baffled at how Tan could make up anything with all of them talking at the same time.
After some seconds and turning his neck side to side like a pedestal fan, he put his hand up again. He said, "Hǎo de. Nǐ shāo děng yīhuǐ'er" (Ok, give me a second!) he said to them
The kids made silence as he turned to the guys. "Call Hondo and Deacon. The kids say Rubio and Chen went to get the sister. The gang wants to sell her to someone because their mom couldn't pay a debt. They said they got picked up in a black car, a guy that said he was SWAT."
"The guys in the video must've been from JR Swat!" Street said turning to Luca
"Who's old enough to drive?" Street asked
"Wait, guys!" Tan said interrupting them. Both guys turned to him, as the kids had come down some. "The car had a sticker, some type of gang affiliation. Didn't Hondo say he busted one of the kids the other week for hanging out with the 99s?"
"Yeah, Marv!" Street answered
"That must've been him in the video." Tan added
"Aw, man! Hondo must be steaming." Luca said
"Why?" Street asked puzzled
"Deacon told me he dropped 3 grand to get Marv out of jail the other week. He was the one that shared info on the whereabouts of the gang. Helped us solve the case against Franken Doc." Luca said
"I'm gonna call him!" Street said taking his cellphone out
"Le's get the kids back. I got a feeling they can help us with finding Rubio and with the DEA case we got going on." Luca instructed
Instead of waiting for CFS, Luca called for a patrol car to deliver the kids back to HQ, where they could wait for the agents. As soon as patrol arrived, they moved the kids and sped off quickly.
RIIING
RIIIING
Hondo heard his phone as he moved just outside of King's court, a well known spot for 99s to do their business transactions. He knew the place by heart, as he himself use to play by the adjoining kid's playground to the side. Back in the day, the 99s wouldn't allow anyone to do business in this side of their territory because they even had their own kids playing there. It was known as 'Peaceful Ground' until some years ago when they was a major shoot out between rival gangs.
"Street, talk to me!" he answered
"Hondo, do you have him? Did you find Rubio?"
"I'm working on it." he said while staring at Marv with an angry frown, "I'll call you!" He said hanging up.
"What the hell are you doing with em boys, huh? Didn't I bail ya ass out some days ago!" he demanded
"Sarge, relax, dog. I know where Rubio is. He safe, aight?" Marv answered
"What happened? Spill it!"
"Aight, listen" the young man said as he rubbed his braids. Both were standing by the alley between the playground and the basketball court, next to the black 2002 Honda Civic. "I aint hanging with em no more, since you got me out. I actually got a job. Been working my ass out with Rev, down at the Walmart. Today I was bout to clock in when Chen came through the back, behind the loading area of my work. He asked for my help coz the ABs been looking for workers and they were on his mom for borrowing some money for bills and stuff. He was afraid they'd take his sister Imma."
"Did you grab Rubio? Where he at?"
"We was desperate man. They had already made me and Chen. He be running with his three siblings for over an hour before he met me. We knew y'all would help! I got Rubio in the car and now they hiding, making sure the ABs wont find em."
RIIING
RIIING
Hondo took his phone out of his pocket and put a hand up to stop Marv from talking.
"D?"
He listened in quietly, staring at Marv. Five seconds later...
"Got it." he said immediately hanging up. He approached Marv and with an angry frown slowly said, "You gonna be quiet! Say nothing, ya hear me?"
The teenager squinted his eyes as he tried to decipher what was going on.
In that moment, Hondo turned to the sidewalk. He placed his shirt over his badge and moved his service weapon from the front of his buckle to behind his back, tucking in under his shirt. He moved to the front of the court, closely followed by Marv. Both put of a foot on the fence and managed to look as menacing as possible.
A black SUV rolled by and parked just in front of them. Five Asian men came out and strolled defiantly towards the court. Hondo knew these guys were stirring up war, believing he and the teenager were guards for he 99s.
"Got a problem, fellows?" asked one of them as he flashed his weapon. Another took a ball out from the rear of the truck and the others surrounded Hondo and Marv.
"What's up?" Marv said stepping up and approaching them.
"SHHH" Hondo snapped at him angrily, and put a hand out to stop his progress. "No problem."
He put both feet down, grabbed the teenager and headed out of sight.
"What the hell are you doing, man? This here is 99 territory!" Marv demanded angrily
"I thought you said you wasn't hanging out with them" Hondo snapped
"I- I-um...I aint!" He paused, puffing and shaking his head, " They coming here to stir things up!" He complained shoving Hondo's hand off of his arm.
"Stop lying, boy." Hondo demanded, as he stepped in front of him.
"Aight, aight!" he complained, stopping on his tracks, "Money's tight, man!"
"And life's suppose to be easy? Coz you be sporting new kicks and them chains up here like there aint no problems, homie!" he snapped angrily pointing at the young man's shinny shoes and chain. "Boy, get your ass over there!"
Hondo said as he gestured to Marv's car. He took out his phone and texted something quick.
"This right here is when I save ya ass, one mo' time!" he said as sirens cut through the silence of the neighborhood. "Last time, dawg!"
In a matter of seconds two patrol cars and a gray car came to a screeching halt in front of the court. As the players tried to escape they were taken down by the four officers and Deacon, who had exited the gray car and immediately went for one of the suspects. Once detained, he looked around, trying to spot his squad leader. Hondo oversaw everything from behind the side wall that lead to the alley. When Deacon and the officers had everything under control he stepped into plain view. He nodded once and Deacon responded with the same gesture.
He was desperate...he couldn't understand a word the kids were saying and Tan couldn't get the kids to stop crying as they spoke. They had gathered the kids in the kitchen as they waited for CFS to send agents and for Dr. Wendy to make it back from her meeting.
Street was visibly upset, as he continued to pace the floor nervously. He couldn't concentrate, he just..needed...a break! He couldn't take it any more and exited the room abruptly. Luca noticed this. He made a gestured for Tan to keep working the kids and went after the troubled officer.
Luca found Street slamming his fist against Chris' old locker, which was still vacant. He rested his head on the metal door, as he grabbed his forehead with both hands.
"Street, we'll find him!" he said putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder
"Luca, Chris leaves in three hours! I'm suppose to meet with her and Rubio, so she can say good bye! What the hell do I do?"
"Just relax, ok? They kids said he's fine! He's hiding."
"Yeah, but where?"Street said moving abruptly, shaking off Luca's hand. "I'm gonna kill him!"
"No, you wont...coz Hondo didn't kill you! Not even kicked you outta the force!"
"Why does everyone keep making that comparison? It's not even close-"
"It is! You defied his instructions coz you just had to save your mom. You didn't think of anything or anyone else. You disregarded procedure, orders and instructions. Same thing he's doing...coz he's trying to save his friend, just like you tried to help your mom, Jim."
"Bro, I gotta face the judge tomorrow! What do I tell him when he asked me why has the kid ran or gotten into trouble? Should I just kick him out and give him to the system?"
"No!" Luca snapped, taking several steps towards him, angry frown on his face, "Nah, bro. Hondo never gave up on you! Instead of kicking your ass out, he gave you a chance to learn from your mistakes and face the consequences of your actions." he said continuing to raise his voice in anger, "That kid has no one, man. No one! Unlike you, he doesn't have a Buck or a Nate or anyone. It's you and Chris, period. You really think turning your back on him is gonna help him? Really? Then, what do you call all the progress the kid's made in these weeks compared to the disaster he was before, huh?"
Luca stared at him as Street had no other choice but to bow his head. Luca was telling him the truth. He couldn't just walk away!
"What do I do?"he asked, almost in a whisper
"You find him...get him safe. Then, figure out how to help him understand."
RIIIING
RIIING
They were interrupted by the loud sound coming from Street's pocket. He immediately dug his hand and removed it.
GASP
"Oh no! What do I do?" Street asked panicking.
Luca frowned lost as he watched Street's eyes bulged out, his jaw drop to the floor and his free hand hold his forehead. He leaned forward, trying to get a better view at the screen. It read: BABE.
"I'll deal with sis. You go with Tan, find that kid!" Luca said snatching the mobile out of his hand. He didn't even give Street a chance to respond, as he left the room, headed to the hallway.
"Hey, sis! How's it going, cap?" Luca answered cheerfully
"Uh...hey Luca! What are you doing with Jim's phone?" she asked skeptically
Uh oh! I better play it cool! Luca thought as he knew her panicking would only make matters worse.
"Oh, um...he went to get some papers and forgot his cell here. You know how distracted he is!"
"Oh ok. Well, can you get him? I need to talk to him"
Uh, man! Gotta change the subject, quick! Luca thought as he moved towards a vacant spot near the stairs.
"You excited about your trip?"
"Yeah...by the way, I need to tell Jim if he can come earlier, they moved my flight up"
"Uh...great!"
Dammit! Luca thought as he watched Street race out with Tan towards the elevator.
CHAPTER 5: Racing to you
"C'mon, dawg! You know I aint done nothing!" Marv complained as Hondo held his arm guiding him to one of the interrogation rooms at HQ.
"Sergeant!"Hondo immediately snapped, angrily, "And you better get it straight! We need to ask you some questions. You are our witness now, so get comfortable, dawg!" He opened the door and guided him to the chair behind the lonely desk in the middle of the room.
While Deacon and Hondo got Marv acquainted, the other three members of 20 squad continued to work with surveillance and the information collected from the kids. Gathered in the main room, Street focused on the screen, watching clip after clip after clip of every surveillance camera in the area around the old shoe factory, while Tan went over the details of the AB case and Luca went over the information about Chen's family.
"Alright, we got something!" Hondo said joining the three officers in the room, "Kid doesn't know exactly where Rubio was heading but he couldn't have gone too far. They're going to need help."
"He mentioned something about his 'panas'. Does that ring a bell, Street?" Deacon added, staring at Jim
"I heard him say that word before. It's a slang for friends or pals. Chris once asked him who he considers friends and he answered the guys from JR Swat and the homeless kids from Long Beach, specifically a set of Mexican twin brothers."
"Do you know where to find them?" Luca asked
"Not sure. Maybe the same place we found him: Covenant!" Street answered
"Let's roll!" Hondo ordered as they all left in a heartbeat
As the darkness of the night began to take over the streets of Long Beach, the park became a solitary and scary place. The playground was empty, the chess tables vacated and only two or three homeless people occupied benches. Under the bridge, however, the party was just getting started. The growing number of people without a home made the area very attractive, including orphan kids and runaway teenagers.
To the far end, some of the older minors had constructed a compact tunnel like tent site using old mattresses, flags, plastics, torn out clothes and other perishable materials they had dug up in local dumpsters. Even though outside it was a scary dark place, the canopy was warm and inviting, hosting over 25 minors in a place with a capacity of maybe 15 people. However, the more kids the better warmth! In times of really cold temperature, some adults would join in as well.
Among the kids in hiding were two Mexican born twin brothers. Marcelo and Mauricio were known for their creativity when it came to surviving. They knew the best dumpsters for food, the stores with the worse surveillance and the territory of local gangs. They had spent some months camping out throughout several cities in Southern California, so they were no rookies when it came to homelessness. They met Rubio by accident, as he came to them hungry and angry at the world. The weird aspect of him was that even with all the anger, he made everyone laugh. He would say constantly that it wasn't worth it for everyone to be in a bad mood.
This night he came in with two Asian kids, a teenager and a young girl, seeking their help for cover. Rubio, Chen and his sister met with the twins and 5 others, while two guarded outside. They took up part of the tent, as they rested after a quick dinner.
"Creía que ya tenías una ma y un pa, ¿que sucedió, compa?" (I thought you already had a mom and a dad, what happened man?) Mauricio asked
"Todavía no es oficial. El juez me puede meter preso cuando sea. So..." (It's not official yet. The judge can lock me up whenever he wants. So..) he answered disappointed
"Oh, ¿y por qué traes a estos chinitos? ¿Qué hicieron?" (Oh, and why did you bring these Chinese kids? What did they do?) Marcelo asked curious
"Nada, es que la ganga de asiáticos se quieren llevar a la nena. Te dije que el es Chen, un pana. El es SWAT como yo." (Nothing, it's just that the Asian gang wants to take the girl. I told you he's Chen, a friend. He's SWAT, like me.) Rubio explained gesturing to the newcomers, who couldn't really follow the conversation at all
"¡No, hombe! Tu no eres de la poli. ¡Eres muy chiquito todavía, guey! Ese es tu viejo, ¿no?" (No, man! You're not police. You're still too young, dude! That's your old man, right?) Mauricio asked
"Chico, nosotros estamos ahí ahí" (Man, we getting there!) he said as the group giggled
The group relaxed and continued to chit chat, except for Mauricio the oldest twin.
"Algo sucede." (Something's going on.) he said alarmed
"¿Por qué? Qué pasa?" (Why? What's happening?) Rubio asked looking around
"Es que hace mucho silencio de repente." (It's just that it's too quiet all of a sudden) Mauricio said, listening close to the edge of the tent
Suddenly everybody stopped moving and froze in their spot, as Chen and his sister glanced back and forth, lost. Since they couldn't comprehend the dialogue, seeing they didn't know a word in Spanish, they relied on the others' behavior...and right now, it wasn't the most encouraging one!
"What's happening?" Chen whispered to Rubio who just shrugged
"¡Preparados a correr!" (Get ready to run) the leader announced
"Get ready to run!" Rubio said to Chen
"Nos largamos de aquí en la cuenta de tres. Ya saben, la poli no nos puede atrapar si vamos en todas direcciones. No ocupen la misma vía de otro. ¿Entienden?" (We're getting outta here on three. You know, the police can't catch us if we run in all directions. Don't get in the way of anybody. Understood?) Mauricio ordered
Everyone nodded as Rubio translated the instructions to Chen and his sister.
"A la una..." (One) Mauricio paused, listening to the silence,
" a las dos.." (Two) he paused putting up two fingers
"TRES!" (THREE!)
A rush of kids came bursting out of the tent as they met with five patrols and three gray cars belonging to SWAT Metro division. The officers held no weapons, just surrounded the structure with batons and handcuffs.
"STOP!" Hondo yelled making the kids freeze
"RUBIO!" Street yelled as he went to the teen, who had left the tent by Chen's side, holding his sister's hand
"We're not here to arrest you" Hondo said through the megaphone
"Pa!" (Pops!) Rubio responded running towards him, the dog barking from his backpack
The young officer and the teenager hugged, as a big sigh of relief was felt among the SWAT crew. Everyone kept looking on, as they could at least breath a little bit easier now.
After some minutes of questioning, most of the patrol officers excused themselves. The other kids had mostly scattered or returned to the tent. SWAT was left with Rubio, Chen and the little girl .
"Officer Tan?" Chen said approaching Tan, shyly
"Hey! I heard you were looking for me. Your sister and brother are safe."
"Good, but...I need your help. You're the only one I can trust and can understand."
"Ok. C'mon! Let's talk!" Tan said putting a hand on the teenager's shoulder and guiding him to his car.
"Street!" Luca came rushing in
"Tío Cosa!" Rubio greeted as both shared a fist pump
"Hey little man!" Luca greeted
"I'm not little! I'm grown" Rubio said with a giggle
"No, you're not! You're grounded is what it is!" Street said annoyed
"What?" he asked surprised
"You have no idea how much trouble you're in, do you?" Street added sternly
"Pops, Chen need my help. You tell me to serve and protect."
"Police, Rubio! When did you graduate from the police academy, buddy? Never, right? Because you're not a cop! I need you to stop imitating me and your mom. You're not trained, Rubio. Follow instructions!" Street snapped, desperately
"Ok, ok. Pops! I'm sorry!"
"Street, listen, we don't have time for this!" Luca said stepping in front of Jim, desperate and rushed
"What's up, Luca?" he asked frowning, confused
"Chris told me they moved her flight for an earlier time. She leaves in 40 minutes."
"You wont make it! It's about a 30 minute drive!" Deacon said joining the group
"Oh, we'll make it. Move!"Street said in one syllable grabbing the teen by the arm. He grinned as he moved towards a patrol officer's motorcycle. "Hey! I need this. Family emergency!"
"Yes, sir!" the officer said throwing the keys of the bike to him
In one motion he hopped on it and turned on the sirens. He handed the helmet to Rubio, placed his on and in a matter of seconds sped off.
"He's gonna be blowing up every damn red light on the way!" Hondo said shaking his head in disappointment
Deacon shook his head, as Luca said "He'll make it in twenty, D!"
CHAPTER 6: She stays?
She kept getting his answering machine. No news from her kid either. Nobody in sight, she was alone. One of the most important moments in her life and they were nowhere to be seen. She just couldn't believe it!
A mix of sadness, disappointment and pure despair filled her soul as she began questioning her motives. Was this truly for her? What if what she really wanted was already there in LA? What if a family is good enough for her happiness? Why risk moving away and leaving them? Was it worth it?
She rolled her luggage and swung her duffel bag onto her shoulder as the group moved towards the TSA checkpoint and terminals. Once she was through, there was pretty much no turning back. They would board the jet and in six hours they would be landing in Reagan National Airport. Then, another hour to hour and a half by bus until they reached their hotel. According to the schedule previously discussed, they would get exactly six hours of sleep before a full day of training, conferences and workshops in several office buildings.
None of that really mattered and honestly, she felt no excitement whatsoever. True, she was supposed to feel proud and ecstatic to be part of such opportunity, but just like the time she boarded the plane to Germany, her nerves were at a peak. Back then Street's operation had her unsettled, while now it was the thought of losing her family, something that she never thought would be possible in a million years. It was just too much at stake!
"Captain, we have extradited TSA access so this should only take a couple of minutes. We will be boarding promptly."
"Yes, sir" she answered emotionless
Her eyes became flooded with tears as she fought hard to push them back, the lump in her throat was so overpowering even breathing was a challenge and her palms became so sweaty she had to let go of her luggage and bag. She couldn't! She just...took off to the women's bathroom. She needed to let go!
After some minutes of pouring rain, she could finally breathe. She held on to one of the sinks and breathed in slowly. Once she had collected herself, she washed and dried her face and dug into her bag for her liner. She had to look normal!
But...she wasn't! She felt terrible. She couldn't do it. She...
"Captain Alonso, we'll be waiting by the terminal. Jet leaves in 20 minutes!" called one of the Marshalls attending the flight, as she heard his deep voice from outside of the ladies' room. For once being the only female actually paid off! She could enjoy solitude!
With her head down, she grabbed the handle and then swung the duffel bag over her shoulder. She walked slowly, feeling each step melt her heart and break her soul into pieces. She looked up, "Terminals" she whispered as she took one last breath. In her head she made a toast for: misery, pain, loneliness...
"MA!" she heard the familiar male voice from her backside.
She immediately opened her eyes wide and turned around. Rubio was running towards her, closely followed by Street. She let go of everything and went their way. The three met halfway, as the scene melted the hearts of every bystander there. People stared as the three stood silent for minutes, hugging each other and not letting go.
Slowly, Rubio pulled away and removed his backpack. As he began to take out the crying pup, the couple took advantage to share a long kiss. She stood firmly, cupped his face into her hands and planted a soft kiss on his lips. That wasn't enough for the male officer,, who grabbed her by the neck and passionately got their tongues involved.
"Topo!" they heard Rubio call, as the dog squirted out of the bag and into his arms.
She slowly pulled away, licking her bottom lip. They stood, foreheads touching, eyes closed to a paradise only they knew of, savoring that moment. Her warm scent, his damp neck, her soft uniform against his strong vest, her leg muscles tight as she held her position against his muscular figure...Everything she's ever wanted!
She turned to Rubio as he handed Topo, who waggled his tail enthusiastically and began licking her face excitedly.
"So cute! My baby!" she said playfully, giggling at the show of emotions
"We will all miss you, babe!" Street said
"Yeah, ma! We'll miss you!" Rubio added looking at both adults
"Yeah, I know, I'll miss you too...especially after the amber alert I got in my phone a couple of hours ago!" she said finishing with a death stare at Jim
"I can explain!" Street said swallowing hard
"Uh oh!" Rubio said grabbing his head
"What the hell happened, Street? You lost him?"she asked sternly, angrily
...and they were off! Arguing over the recent events of Rubio's disappearance, him not obeying instructions, his reasons for running, playing cop...All three became so into their conversation they didn't even notice they had been spotted by two particular bystanders. These two men decided to stay quiet and watch the development of the scene, while using a column as hiding place.
"Listen!" she said, stopping both males, "I don't know if me leaving is a good idea."
"Chris, everything's gonna be fine. I'll sit down with him, again! You just do what you gotta do!" Street said trying to reassure her
"I'm sorry, ma." Rubio said bowing his head
"You don't understand! Every time I take a step forward I have to take two back because one of you needs me. If I leave, what will I return to? It's not like I'm gonna be able to take an Uber and come solve the issue!" she snapped as she glanced at both
"C'mon, Chris! Everything is going to be fine." Street added
"I don't know...I just...I don't know if this will actually make me happy. Having a family was something I never thought I would have in a million years and now that I do I'm not getting a chance to enjoy it, you know?" she said disappointed
"But, you will, Chris!" Street said grabbing her hand
"Yeah, we not going anywhere! You wanted to be captain. She Hulk, ma!" Rubio said with a smile
"I don't want to be a super hero...I just want to have my family! With you!" she said as she leaned towards Street's chest, letting go of his hand and grabbing Rubio's, while holding on to the dog
Street was confused, "So...what are you saying?"
"I wanna go home!" she said sternly, returning the puppy to Rubio
"Are you sure, babe? This is a major opportunity and we'll still be here for you!"
"No! No, I'm tired of screens and calls and texts...I wanna be able to make coffee and play with Topo and hug him good night...I'm tired of living alone, Street! Just tired! I was afraid of losing myself to the two people I was afraid of losing, butt not anymore. I -I don't know what I'm saying- whatever-"
"Hey!" he searched for her eyes as she searched for words, "We love you, ok? No matter where you are, no matter where we are!"
"Can we just...go home?" she pleaded, staring at him.
Rubio stood just beside them, holding Topo close to his chest. They both stood silent as they watched the adults in front of them.
"Ok. Let's go home." he said as they hugged and kissed
After a full minute, Street went to grab the bag as Rubio helped with the luggage. He handed her the dog and she cradled him close to her chest, giving him lots of kisses.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Hondo asked sternly, crossing his arms over his chest, shaking his head. His face showed an angry frown!
"Chris, what are you doing?" Buck demanded, stepping from the hideout
"I'm going home!" Chris said with a smile
"Like hell you are!" Hondo snapped
She was caught off guard, as she couldn't even figure out a proper answer to him. She stood motionless, as she felt Street frozen with his arm across her waste. He too was out of words!
"Buck? Hondo?" Street asked in awe
"Grandpa? What are you doing here?" Rubio asked lost, frowning very confused
"Hondo, take the kid. Let me have a word with Romeo and Juliet here!" Buck said pointing at Street and Chris
"Roger that! C'mon pretty boy. You and me, we gonna talk." he said staring down hard at Rubio, who opened up his eyes in fear
"I'm scared" he whispered
Hondo crossed in front of the couple and headed towards the teenager. "Why? You and me gonna talk, man to man, bout you getting ya ass in a car without telling no one."
"You can't kill me. I'm 14. I'm a kid!" Rubio said taking a few steps backwards
"This coming from a dude who fathered a couple of babies? Get outta here with that!"
"They wasn't mine!" he complained, as Hondo wrapped his massive arm around Rubio's neck and began dragging him away from the adults
"Oh, so you just happen to be in an abortion clinic, huh? Big man?"
"Why you always gotta talk bout that, Tío Hondo?" Rubio complained shaking his head
CHAPTER 7: Up or no?
As Hondo took the kid to the nearest vending machine for chips and soda, Buck guided the young couple to the side. Chris and Street stood side by side as the older gentleman took center stage.
"So, here's what I want you to do. Shut your eyes and your mouth, and just listen." he said staring down at them.
Boy and girl exchanged looks but didn't dare to challenge the instructions. Instead each closed their eyes and stood still. Chris took a deep breath.
"Chris" Buck called softly, now with a tender voice, "the spot bets 160 plus feet of pure stone and gravel, rough surface that's breaking the edges and peak of your axe and the fall promises a deadly landing. You have your full harness but it's been hours, days, months, years...in this process. Getting over rock after rock after rock, almost falling in many occasions. But! You have pushed through. With every realization getting you closer and closer to the flag at the top. Police Academy, landing ground. Took a breather. Strapped it once again and kept moving up. Specialized unit, landing ground. Took a breather. Up again. SWAT Academy, landing ground. Breather. Up again. Some small breaks here and there as you prepared for the long ... The higher you go, the less landing spots you find, which demands higher resistance and even more persistence." he paused
He observed as Chris bowed her head, lip trembling.
"A short while ago, you found yourself with a harness that is overused, a rope that may be giving in, less time to waste, but...the flag has become visible! As you kept climbing, you watched as the shadow of the pole and the flailing cloth got smaller and smaller. The only issue? All of a sudden you find yourself with a full duffel bag on one shoulder and a tote bag on the other. After some time, you need to balance your weight so you decide to take some content from each and fill a handbag that you hang from your neck. It feels different now, huh? You didn't ask for it, but...here you are! And all the voices in your head telling you 'that's enough', 'you've proven your point', 'you need a break'. Besides the noises coming from the bottom: a mix between loud boos, laughter, voices from your past traumas and bad experiences, all those people that wished for you to just give up...can you hear them?"
He watched as Chris hung her head down. She nodded slowly. Buck noticed a slight movement as she flickered her wrist. He made sure both had their eyes closed to take a step forward. He grabbed Jim's hand from his back and swung it loosely towards hers. She immediately grabbed it.
"But...now, there it is!" he said cheerfully, "can you see the landing spot, Chris? It's big enough for you to place the bags down and set up camp. Call it a day! You can use everything in those bags to set up camp and then go down triumphantly, making it almost to the top. Almost completing it. Almost. You stab the rock with your peak and realize: harness is almost breaking. So, if you stop it will give way, end of the road. But hey! You got two bags filled with everything you need. The treasure everybody wants."
Buck paused as he smiled at the two hands clenching together and shy grins on the young' faces.
"You hear that?" he paused, "It's the other climbers saying "Yes!", and the voices in the bottom getting louder and louder. But! There is one particular voice, to the far far distance, saying "Why are you stopping? Well, maybe I don't need to push myself so hard. Maybe I don't even have to try at all. If she stopped, then it's okay. She wont expect much from me either. It'll be ok to settle." and some other murmurs asking themselves "am I good enough? If she isn't, then maybe I'm not either". And between all of these noises and voices, there is only one that has been constant. The only one able to create a thunderous sound with the capacity to overpower everything. The problem? Right now it's merely a whisper!" Buck paused as he noticed Street's face turning into a frown.
He continued as he whispered "Go on...or is it stop along? Maybe it's: hold off here instead of I'm here. Enough or... don't stop? I can't tell! Can you? It's so soft, almost non existent! That one voice, coming from the deepest corners of your soul, has been whispering words of encouragement, Chris. You just...can't hear it! Too much going on and that voice hasn't really stepped up! Provided that boost of energy and confidence you have needed since you got off the last landing space."
Buck stopped as Street opened his eyes and straightened his figure. He wasn't frowning anymore, but he shook his head and took a deep breath, pinching his lips. Instead of opening his mouth to challenge the old man, he turned to look at Chris, who had her head still bowed down. He pulled her hand up and landed a soft kiss on the back of it. He grinned as he said: "Don't stop now!"
"What?" Buck snapped
"Don't stop now!" He repeated somewhat louder
"Officer Street? What?" Buck said putting a hand on his ear and leaning sideways towards him
Street smirked, leaned towards Chris, grabbed her chin and took a step to face her. He lowered his gaze to meet her eyes, which she refused to open, only wearing a soft smile. "Don't stop, Chris! Listen to my voice. I'm here!" he said in a louder voice tone as a lonely tear fell down her left cheek
She swallowed hard and smiled even bigger. She opened her eyes and revealed teary, red and damp scenery around her pupils.
"I don't want you to quit. I don't want them to win. I know you can do this!" Street said, grabbing her chin and pulling her close to his face. He planted a soft kiss on her lips, then wrapped his massive arms around her, as she sobbed softly.
"I'll leave you two to talk!" Buck said placing both hands inside of his pockets and walking away. He went straight to where Hondo was with the boy, glancing back occasionally.
The young couple had not moved a muscle. It seemed time had stopped right then and there.
"How'd it go, Buck?" Hondo asked, as Rubio finished downing the soda and chips.
Buck didn't open his mouth, he just nodded once and grinned. He continued walking towards the exit nonchalantly.
"Granpa?" Rubio called
Buck stopped at his tracks and turned around to face him. "Yes?"
"Are they okay?" he asked pointing at the hugging duo
Buck nodded and smiled. "Vet appointment Thursday, kid. This time, I'm picking you up at home, early!"
"Ok. ¡Bendición!*" (Blessings) he said waving him good bye
*traditional way of greeting elderly member of the family by asking the blessings of God*
Buck took a look at him and smirked, shook his head and continued his way. Hondo quickly said his goodbyes to the kid, turned to take one final look at the couple, then grinned. He left the same way Buck did: silent and confident.
Rubio took Topo out of the bag and held him close to his chest as he watched his guardians from afar.
"I appreciate what you're doing Jim, I do. But-" Chris began
"No buts, babe. You have a home and you will always do! Buck's right! You're almost there!" He interrupted
"I know, but the voices...they're so loud!" she said frustrated, pulling away from him
"Mine's louder! Listen to me!" he paused and grabbed her hand, "I'll never fade again. I'm sorry. My voice will be louder, Chris! I will support you, no matter where you are!"
"But...he needs me. You too." she complained
"We will always need you, but you need to do this right now. It's a once in a lifetime, Chris. It's everything you've worked for!" he paused, grabbing both of her arms and lowering his gaze to meet her eyes. "We will always be here, that wont change...will you be there for us? No matter where you are?"
"Yes. But...being here physically is what feels right."
Street took a deep breath. "Some times the thought is what is important. Not just the presence, babe. We need you to be okay and happy. We can't be your happiness until you feel it inside."
Chris bowed her head, then quickly lifted it. "I can only do this if I know you'll do things right, Jim. Stay out of trouble. Please."
"I will."
Chris leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his lips as he wrapped his arms around her again.
"Can you really take care of him? I'll be out til Friday night, but I leave again Sunday night for a full week, Street. You really think you can handle that?"
He smiled and began to giggle softly.
"What's so funny?" She asked with a frown
"Nothing" he said in a low tone, almost a whisper, with a smirk
"What?" She insisted
"I think it's cute you think we are troublemakers." he said with a grin, "Relax, Chris. I'll take care of him."
"Yeah, but who's gonna take care of you?" she snapped
"Yeah, between Hondo and Buck, plus your uncle, 20 squad and CFS with the judge added to the equation, I think I have enough surveillance and threats of someone kicking my ass if I screw up. You're just the cherry on top, babe!"
"You better get it straight, Jim. I'm the spit guard and the whole suite!" Chris snapped as she approached him
"So... you got my body all wrapped up, huh?" Street asked lifting one eyebrow and grinning. He wrapped her in his arms.
"Naked and tight!" she whispered
Chapter 8: Tie or no tie?
"Alright, buddy. Time to get ready. Remember what we talked about, ok?" Street said as they finished their cereal.
Rubio took one last sip of juice and down the liquid and cereal. He nodded his head and once the swallowing was finished, he said, "Yeah, only answer what I'm asked, be serious and always finish with your honor. Got it, pops"
"Good. Go wash up. You gotta chose: bow tie or tie, buddy."
"Tie!" he said running to the bathroom.
"I'll get it for you!" Street said as he finished the dishes. For the first time in months the kitchen counter was clean!
Yesterday night was an eye opening experience for everyone in the family. It was what they all needed. At the end of the night all three pledged to work on their personal issues as well as their family dynamics. They were to face the judge together and no matter the decision, they would make a great effort to make it work.
Chris promised to keep in touch every morning and every night, be it call or text, and to have with her a picture of each of them. When loneliness struck she would write positive messages in the back and if possible communicate with either one. Street, on the other hand, promised to keep the apartment clean and watch every move the teenager made. He told Chris to stop the food deliveries, groceries and other errands she did remotely, so as to remove some of that extra pressure on her. The kid made a promise to report his whereabouts to an adult, at all times. He was not to move anywhere without permission. Also, as punishment for missing the vet appointment without telling anyone from then on he was responsible for paying for any of the dog's expenses at or under twenty dollars. He was to pay with the money saved from working at Luca's food truck. Anything above that amount would be covered by either adult. Finally, Topo was assigned to learn to do his necessities outside and learn to participate in a daily walk in the inner patio of their building complex, guided by either male of the house.
After getting everything ready, Street texted Hondo to remind him of his off day. Hondo responded with a "Good luck!". They rode in silence as they headed to the courthouse.
RIIIING
RIIIING
"Rubio, can you," he began as he rummage through the middle area of the car, "find it and put it on speaker, please?" he said forgetting about it and just focusing on the busy road.
"Ok" the kid responded as he located the phone, "Here"
"Hello"
"Hey Jim! Rubio with you?" Alex called
"Yeah, he's with me and you're on speaker." he said stopping at a red light. "I brought a laptop in case you need backup. Chris got the permission granted to join us via web."
"Ok, great. Um...listen...thing's changed. There are huge news about the case. He called the plaintiffs party to join the meeting."
Both males frowned at turned sideways, staring at each other lost.
"What happened?" Street asked curious
"I don't know. They wouldn't tell me. They just said to make sure both guardians and the kid were present. Also, did you ask for the day?"
"Yeah, I asked in advance. I also texted my supervisor to remind him, like you asked."
"You might be able to make it to your job with plenty of time coz from what I hear, it might be short."
"Yes!" Street said putting two fist up in triumph, the kid was startled and lost, "That's good, right?"
"It could go either way." Alex responded seriously, bursting Street's bubble! "Did you not forget the tie?"
"Nope. Both of us."
"Good. You got 10 minutes!"
"We're here!" he announced as he approached the security guard at the post
Some minutes before, in HQ, the guys were getting ready for another day of intense drills. They had just a couple of hours to get their blood pumping with cardio, weights and kinaesthetics, to later suit up and head to the training facilities for an invasion drill. They were the last squad to do the exercise, so it was up to them to break the record and have the bragging rights for the rest of the week.
"Hey, Hondo!" Luca called as they worked their repetitions
"Sup, Luca?"
"Did you talk to Jim about court today?"
"No, he just texted me to remind me he'll be out for the day. I contacted Alex but he said Jim could be out sooner than expected. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, So...let's just hope it is good!"
"Oh ok. Man, I hope the little dude doesn't get sent to juvie!"
"You think he'll be joining us for the invasion drill?" Tan asked
"I don't know." Hondo said shaking his head
"Heard Chris was joining them via Internet" Luca said
"Me and Buck went to the airport yesterday to see if we could catch her before she got on the plane and ran into her turning around to head home." Hondo added
GASP
"What? She quit?" Luca asked freezing for an instant
Deacon and Tan also froze as they stared at Hondo with surprised frowns.
"Check it." he paused as he wiped sweat off his face.
Tan finished his laps in the treadmill, while Deacon placed the weights back and Luca stood from the mat. All wore damp and sweaty short sleeved polyester tight shirts over their work sweat pants. Hondo ,on the other hand, had ditched the shirt and was wearing a very wet and tight tank top and short running pants over skinny tights.
"After we finished in the bridge, I headed home. But Nichelle called me up to get her something of her cravings...you know how it is." he rolled his eyes, as the others smirked, "So, I had to stop by a pharmacy and ran into Buck leaving. We greeted and whatnot, and he asked me about Street. Told him he was flying on a bike with the kid and the dog. Buck had this look, I don't know. Like...y'all remember when he used to get suspicious about even the smallest detail?"
The others nodded and shared a collective "Yeah"
"It wasn't good. Like...the vibe that I was getting. So, I asked him. He told me he had a bad feeling about the whole thing of her saying good bye. I said "Whatchu mean, Buck?" and he be like "Hondo, if she turns around..." I was like "Hell nah. She gonna get in that plane even if I have to strap her myself, man." but he be looking at me and shaking his head. Man! I was like, "Hell nah! Took out my cell, texted 'Baby, I'ma be late, don't be mad' skipped the pharmacy and headed to the airport with Buck. We made it so fast, even he was surprised. Man, you'll never guess!"
"What?" Luca said, as the others listened attentively
"We caught em talking and hugging and then she grabbed her luggage and headed out. I turned to Buck and I said "Oh no! We can't let her quit, Buck" He be like "I got this Hondo. Follow my lead" We was about to go all SWAT on they asses right there!" he paused to take a sip of water from his container.
"So...what happened?" Deacon asked curiously, while Luca and Tan approached Hondo.
Hondo shook his head, "Man, I wanted to kill Street, but Buck, he said "Take the kid". I 'ont wanna disrespect so I was like "aight". Talked to the kid, straightened him out, said if I ever caught him running like that, he was gonna be my boxing partner for two rounds...gonna leave his hands so sore he aint gonna want to mess around again. Y'all feel me? I was steaming!" he paused for another quick drink
"What about Buck?" Luca asked
"He went over to talk to Chris and Street, but y'all, he was so chilling. I admire him coz I would've just opened up a can on Street and... with Chris? Sit her ass down for real. You imagine getting to that point, captain and all, to just turn around and leave everything like that? You guys weren't there when she stood up to that guy in the command center in the Cooper Heights mission. She was incredible!" he paused
"So...did she board or what?" Tan asked
"Yeah. Buck talked to them. He trusted they would make the right decision. So, when he finished, he left and so did I. I asked him but he said to let em be. But, y'all know I aint as relaxed as him, so I texted our boy Street after I got the stuff from the pharmacy. Told me he was home eating something with the kid and she was on her way to Washington. So...I was pleased to know that getting that awful frown from Nichelle for being extra late was worth it!" he finished lamenting the events as the others smirked
"You got kicked to the dog house, Hondo?" Tan asked as the others grinned
"With that look? I didn't even bother to ask. I just turned off the damn lights in the living room and parked my ass on the couch!" he paused as the others burst in laughter, "See, dawg? You don't mess with no pregnant lady. You just be like 'yes, ma'am', 'no,ma'am!'. Period."
A round of laughter was heard from the entire squad.
"True that!" Deacon said as they shared fist pumps
CHAPTER 9: Facing the judge
Alex Sanchez was nervous. He couldn't quite understand why, its not like this was his first rodeo. It could've been the many uncertainties of the case, the factors that all converge in it or just who his client was. For him the kid represented what many of his people suffer as they enter the country. Unfortunately, children's stories most of the time end up in horror and tragedy. However, he set his mind to help this kid the best he could.
He met with Officer Street and Rubio by the reception area and together they made their way to the assigned court room.
"Docket case number..." called the bailiff as the previous minor was taken out of the room and the parties changed seating.
Rubio, Street and Alex made their way to the front, as a young man made his way to the plaintiffs table.
"Good morning, gentlemen-" the judge began, "My court rules are simple: no shenanigans, answer what you're asked only, go to point and be respectful." the judge said quickly. He then turned to the side, as the bailiff opened the door and an young man dressed in a suit and tie came in, headed to the defendant's table.
When he arrived, the judge continued, "This is Damian Moreno, he's one of the court appointed translators working here. I have taken the liberty to assign him for Mr. Baez. It is important that the young man understand the matters to be discussed today."
"I'll have the plaintiff for opening statements." called the judge
"Your honor?" the plaintiff interrupted
The judge removed his glasses, annoyed. "What?"
"Could we talk in chambers?" the young man requested
The entire room went quiet as the judge frowned and looked surprised.
"Alright."
All parties exited the room through the side door, following the judge and the bailiff. They landed on a narrow hall, completely vacated of any decoration or seating. They walked down the hall past six doors, until landing the last one. Thry entered and each attorney occupied a seat in front of the big wooden table as the others stood behind them.
"Bailiff, please bring enough seats."
"Yes, your honor!"
After everyone was accommodated and the bailiff closed the door, the judge proceeded.
"Alright, council, why are we here?"
"Last night the body of Mr. Peterson was found strangled in his cell. Preliminary reports indicate suicide."
GASP
Street was in awe, as well as Alex. Damian relayed the information, but Rubio had understood every single word.
"Good God!"
"Mrs Peterson does not wish to continue, in order to mourn properly her husband's tragic death. Therefore, we are withdrawing the claim. We are presenting a motion to dismiss this case with prejudice." the attorney said taking out a folder and handing it to the judge.
"Yes!" was heard from Rubio as he put a triumphant fist up even before the translator could finish the statement
"Shhh" Street said putting a finger over his lips to hush the celebrating teen, who immediately went quiet.
Judge Rogers ignored the noise and focused on the document he received from the attorney, in which they request the official withdraw of the claim. He read it over, signed it and excused the plaintiff.
"I will however, ask you to stay with your clients. We have separate matters to address." the judge said pointing to Alex.
Once the attorney had left and the door was closed the judge continued.
"Alright, now" he paused, removing his glasses, "the claim has been withdrawn and I will make sure that this young man's record is left clean. I am aware of the situation involving the criminal case against the Petersons and was beginning to feel more and more inclined into believing that in fact the child acted to defend himself from a terrible fate. I am, however, very concerned as to what will proceed now." he paused to allow the translator to communicate with the boy.
"I am concerned about the well being of this child. Counselor!" the judge called
"Yes, your honor."
"Are you aware that there was an Amber Alert on this child no less than 24 hours ago?"
Jim closed his eyes and bowed his head. He took a deep breath and shared a look with Alex. He slowly nodded.
"Uh...yes, your honor, but it was quickly solved."
"Really? How about his latest treatment for burns and cuts in the arm, counselor? Did you know about that?"
Alex nodded his head, and replied "Yes, your honor. He and a few other kids attended a camping trip and had an accident with an animal trap."
"And the incident in the school where his guardians where asked to reimburse almost $150 dollars worth of damages, caused by this young man before speeding off the school building?"
"Your honor he was-"
"How about the psychotic episode that landed him in the psychiatric ward after coming towards Officer Street with a kitchen knife in the middle of the night?"
"Your honor, the episode was triggered by extreme stress based on past traumas. It actually was the cause for the probable cause that led to the evidence on the federal case against the Petersons."
"Counselor, where is the female officer in charge of this boy?"
"Your honor, Captain Alonso is-" he began as Street turned the computer towards the judge, showing Chris quietly sitting and listening in.
"Captain?" he interrupted amazed. He straightened in his chair and frowned on Alex and then at Chris.
"Yes, your honor. She was awarded the rank after passing sergeant and captain examinations and is currently competing for one of the most important and most coveted positions in law enforcement in California at this moment. She is competing for the General Commander of the Mass Shooting and Trauma Task Force, which is directed by congress, the mayor and the chief's office."
"Oh, ok. So...it's safe to say she has not been part of the physical guardianship of this child? She simply signed?" the judge asked
Alex turned to Street, who bowed his head. Before Alex could answer, everyone heard: "Your Honor, if I may?" Chris asked
"Yes, captain."
"I have not been allowed to see my family except for two occasions both of which were shortened. The decision has not been made by me, but by the officials that are running this operation. I ,however, have been communicating constantly with Officer Street and with the child, which I can prove. I also have evidence of complying with all of the necessary paperwork, doctor's visits and documentation required by your court. I have also kept a close eye on nutrition, ordering delivery service with proper dishes, ingredients and menus. I was also in close contact with the school, meaning teachers, the school director and psychologist, as well as other personnel that treated him. We had also attended several family therapy sessions together with a certified trained psychologist."
The judge listened carefully and jotted down noted on his paper as he waited for the translator, who by now was becoming an annoyance for Rubio.
"Officer Street, would you like to add anything?" Judge Rodgers asked, sitting back and crossing his leg and resting its foot on the opposite knew.
"Yes, your honor. I know things have been very difficult for him, but we have managed to give him a home where he feels comfortable. His doing much better today. He passed the ninth grade, he has a job, he's going out or baseball tryouts tomorrow, many of my teammates and friends have taken him in. I don't have family here in LA, but Captain Alonso does and they have embraced him as well. It's been rocky, I know, but it's something that both of us are getting used to and we're really trying to give him the best opportunity possible for a positive future."
"Officer, my deepest concern is the well-being of this child. During this trial period he has visited the hospital multiple times, been part of accidents, kidnapping, etc. So, I have my reserves as to exactly which is the best way to guide this young man into the right path. What and how we can help this child get back on a positive way...because I'm terribly sorry Officer, you have not convinced this court of being a suitable responsible adult."
CHAPTER 10: Hondo, who?
"Alright, before I make any decision, I would like to hear the young man." the judge said facing Rubio.
The teenager sat up and noticed the translator did the same. As proud as he was, he shook his head and took a deep breath.
"I can speak for myself" he said annoyed to the judge
"Hey! Respect" Street snapped back, whispering to him with a frown.
"Your honor" the boy immediately added, glancing occasionally at Street.
The judge took special interest in the communication between both males, so much so that he jot down notes on his pad. After some seconds he addressed the audience.
"Ok, Damian, thank you for your services. You're dismissed." the judge said
"Yes, your honor." said the man as he stood and left.
"Young man?" the judge said nodding once.
"Thank you, your Honor. I want to say that I have not been more happy to be in the United States than now. I have been homeless and scared, but I'm not anymore. Two people care for me and I have a dog. I understand my pops- I mean- Officer Street make mistakes before, but I have food and a bed now. He don't touch me or make work. He don't treat me bad. Ma is an inspiration for me. She is tough, but that's why she a captain, judge. She don't care when people say she can not do something, she do it. I learn a lot with her and him, isn't that what a home is for? You call this the land of the free, to go for happiness, well...I have it with them. Why you don't believe my pops? He learn from his mistakes, he always tell me. Captain don't have to be with me physically, I respect her. She can be in the moon and I don't mess with her. I want to stay with them, judge, please." he finished by putting his hands together in a prayer gesture, sad expression and watery eyes.
The judge listened intently. He took a deep breath.
"Young man, I'm not the enemy here. We are all in the same team: looking out for your best interest. Making sure to provide you with the best opportunities at a better life. I hope you understand this." the judge said tenderly
"Yes, your Honor." Rubio responded as he lifted his gazed
"Let me ask you this, I know kids like to have active hobbies. My oldest grandson absolutely loves soccer, while his sister is a fan of cheerleading. What do you like to do for fun, Mr. Baez?"
Rubio grabbed his chin and frowned surprised at the question. "Este...I like baseball. Tomorrow my grandpa gonna take me to tryouts for the Dodgers' camp in two weeks!"
"Alright."
"I like SWAT too because we have a team and we train hard."
"SWAT, huh?" the judge asked glancing at Street
"Yeah. Ma and pa help us a lot, and all the guys of the squad. We're Junior Swat, with uniform and everything. It actually helps us stay out of trouble and be friends. We help the kids in our streets and in school."
The judge nodded and took notes. "I understand. Son?" he began as he straightened up in his chair, "Would you excuse us? Adults need to speak now. Bailiff will escort you to the bench outside." Judge Rodgers gestured for the bailiff to go with the teen.
When both had exited the room and the door was closed, the judge continued. "Interesting testimony from the young man."
There were some minutes of silence as the judge put on his glasses and silently went over his notes. He took a dramatic deep breath and turned his attention to the audience.
"Officer Street, Captain Alonso, I want both of you to listen closely: we are in the same team here. We all want to provide the best for this child. Do we agree on that?"
"Yes, Your Honor!" both replied in chorus
"Ok," the judge said nodding once, "With that being said, Captain Alonso, when are you scheduled to return to the greater Los Angeles area?"
"Your Honor, my plane lands on Friday night and leaves again Monday afternoon, at around 6 or 7 pm." she said as the judge took notes
"Alright. Moving on, what is your request, counselor?" the judge asked staring at Alex
"We are requesting full custody. We have adoption papers already signed by both adults, your Honor." Alex said handing the documentation to the judge.
He received it, took a look at it, but then placed it inside of the official folder of the case.
"I'm afraid I cannot sign this, counselor. I have heard all parts, I have read all the documentation, but...I believe the officers have not proven satisfactorily to this court that they are fit to take care of the child in question." Street bowed his head, as Chris just shook her head slowly, "I will contact the CFS agents appointed to the case. For now, the child will remain at an emergency placement foster home. I will authorize the removal of the ankle monitor and the record to be expunged."
"But, your Honor, could we file for a hearing? Both officers have provided a stable home for the teenager and he did pass 9th grade and completed all the documentation required by this court." Alex said
"...but the boy has been in and out of the hospital quite a lot and I'm still seeing delinquent behavior, even under the supervision of the officers. Behavior very similar to the one portrayed by the gentleman sitting next to you, counselor. What kind of example is this officer presenting to that child? How do I sleep at night placing that troubled young man with an officer that has a track record of breaking the law and not following ranks?"
"You Honor, I assure you, that was before. Officer Street has mature and learned his way. He has modified his behavior to that of a responsible adult." Alex pleaded, gesturing to Street
"Then how do you explain him blowing off red lights yesterday night?", the judge snapped angrily, "Did you see the surveillance, counselor? Because that same responsible adult you are talking about had a 14 year old and a canine in the back of the patrol motorcycle going over 50 miles on a 35 miles zone!" the judge finished placing both elbows on the table
Street closed his eyes and bowed his head in response, regretting last night's action to speed off to get to the airport on time.
"Your Honor, he had just rescued the teenager and two other victims of gang violence and was meeting Captain Alonso before her plane left."
"Oh! So, the captain condones this behavior? Interesting! I thought she would improve the chances at a better outcome but I see now who has a stronger influence on the other!" judge said disappointed
"Your Honor, I was not aware of this. I can assure-" Chris began
"Your Honor-" Alex tried
"Sir, I-" Street began
"STOP!" the judge said angrily in a high tone, placing a hand up to gesture a stop sign. "Counselor, control your clients!"
"Yes, your Honor." Alex said as he then shot a look at both adults, who were clearly frustrated
"I'll tell you what. The testimony of that child has me intrigued. So...I will you allow one last opportunity to prove yourselves, officer and captain. I will allow for a hearing but, I will not move a finger until I hear one particular individual." the judge paused as the grabbed the folder, placed his glasses back on, opened it and took out a copy of Street's record papers.
There were some seconds of dead silence as all three adults stared at the man in the black robe. He went paper by paper, very slowly, until he stopped. From where Street was sitting, he could make out what the paper it was. It represented the biggest mistake he has ever done in his life: the letter of retribution of rank.
"If you, Officer Street" the judge said turning to him, gesturing to the document on the table, "say that you have changed -and even the child testified that you have- then let me hear what your commanding officer has to say about that. I will give you until the close of business day today to bring me Sergeant Daniel Harrelson Jr for a chat. I want to hear from him about the man he himself deemed unfit for the most elite position in the LAPD. If and only if his testimony proves satisfactory, I will consider a hearing with an investigation by CFS. On Monday morning I will have all the documentation ready to either deny or proceed with the motion of adoption. I myself will be available over the weekend to supervise everything done. BUT!" he paused, placing an index finger in the air, "If I suspect any foul play with Sergeant Harrelson or his testimony, you will be processed for tampering and he will be for perjury. I don't appreciate been taken as a fool, officer and captain. Do I make myself clear?" he finished angrily
"Yes, Your Honor!" responded both adults
"Get sergeant here before the close of day and maybe we can work with getting your boy back by Monday. Maybe. But! He better tell the truth, officers! For his opinion is the only one I will consider at this point!" the judge said emphatically
"Yes, your Honor!" Street answered
"If the testimony is satisfactory, we will begin a full investigation of the home, the situations that occurred during the period of legal guardianship and interviews with no more than three people closest to the child. Hearing would be Monday before the captain leaves Los Angeles. Also, counselor?"
"Yes, Your Honor." Alex answered promptly
"Give me one second." he said as he placed his glasses on and went over both records."I read these files over and over and I can't seem to identify any living parents of either officer. I have here" he paused going over Chris' record, "Captain has close relatives, but no known father in file and mother is deceased. Over to Officer Street," he paused switching documentation, "No living parent in record. Is this accurate officers?"
"Yes, Your Honor." both answered
"Well, then, I'm confused." the judge said, removing his glasses and staring at them with a puzzled look, "The boy mentioned a grandfather." the judge looked completely lost, as he glanced at both records once again
"Your Honor, may I?" Street asked politely, as the judge stopped and stared at him
"Yes" the man answered
"It's a close friend of mine he calls grandpa, not blood related. They met and-" Street stopped as the judge put his hand up again to gesture stop
"Wait a minute" he said as he rummaged through the pages of the officer's records, "There is a testimony here in your record that you provided when you were a child, in your mother's murder case. According to the transcripts and the detectives' notes, you were pursued by the arresting officer, a Sergeant William Spivey, who later signed your recommendation to join the same unit your were removed from. Is this man still in your life, sir?"
"Yes, your Honor. He kept close contact with me through the years, helped through my police formation and in SWAT. I introduced him to the boy and they hit it off. He sometimes takes him to the movies, to the park, to play videogames... So, he now calls him grandfather."
The judge made notes as Street talked. When he finished, the judge turned to Chris. "Captain, I have here that this grandfather figure was actually your commanding officer in SWAT for several years. Is this true?"
"Yes, your Honor" she answered
"Is this the same gentlemen that was removed from the force for shooting an unarmed black teenager during an operative?" the judge asked turning to Street
"Yes, you Honor." both responded
"And this man had an impact on your upbringing, officer?"
"Positive, your Honor!"
The judge took a deep breath, removed his glasses, placed them on top of the papers, leaned back on his chair and thought for a moment.
"Bring him and Sergeant Harrellson for a chat!"
CHAPTER 11: Voices
RIIING
RIIIING
"That yours?" Deacon asked Tan, as both were stretching after completing intense rounds in the elliptical.
"Yup!" he said as he went for his bag, sitting across from his mat. "Hello" he answered
He immediately made a gesture to Deacon pointing to a vacated area about 15 ft from them. Deacon nodded and the officer hurriedly moved to that side.
Deacon watched him move to that side as he finished his stretches. He then moved towards the weights and benches, where Hondo and Luca were completing their routines.
RIIIING
RIIIING
Seriously? Is it me? thought Deacon, frustrated that cellphones kept ringing around him.
"Yo, Luca, hold up! Gonna get my phone." Hondo said as he straightened up in the bench
" Ok, boss. D, you're up!" Luca called as Hondo jumped out.
As Deacon approached, they saw Hondo went for his ringing phone.
"Yello!" he answered cheerfully. He listened in while Luca lined up the weights.
"Hey Alex! How's it going with Street and blonde?" Then, he listened.
The guys became more interested in listening than lifting.
"What?" Hondo said panicking. He froze!
"Damn!" he said frustrated. He listened closely as he continued shaking his head slowly.
"Yeah, sure. Let me talk to my boss" he said, but was interrupted.
"Oh! Ok, you already did? Ok." he listened some more.
"Oh my God! Ok, ok. Bye" he said as he hung up
When he turned around, both men were staring at him.
"What happened?" Luca asked concerned
"Street lost the kid." Hondo lamented
"What?" Luca asked alarmed
"Oh no!" Deacon lamented shaking his head
"Yeah, judge wouldn't sign the adoption papers. He's calling me to testify or something. Called Buck too!" Hondo said
"Buck? Why?" Luca asked puzzled
Hondo shrugged and spread his arms sideways. "Beats me!"
"Street must be devastated." Deacon said
"Yeah, Chris too." Luca added
"D, Alex told me he spoke with Hicks, but... could you do me a favor and talk to him for me?" he asked, while Deacon nodded silently, "Also, we're on call about the DEA case. Whatever happens, hit me up. Ok?"
"Yeah, sure" Deacon said nodding
"Luca" he said turning to him, "Call Chris. Check up on her. Make sure she's calmed. We can't have her freaking out!"
"Roger!" Luca said digging his hand into his pocket and taking out his cell
"I'm out!" Hondo said quickly, grabbing his bag and exiting the area.
As Hondo made his way out, Tan came in from the side of the room. "Hey! Where's he going with such a rush?"
"Bad news. Street lost the kid." Luca informed
"What? Aw, man!" Tan said grabbing his bag and swinging it from his shoulder, "Let me know how I can help. I gotta go."
"What's up?" Luca asked
"Hicks wants me to go to Dr. Wendy's office to work with the kids from the shoe factory."
Twenty minutes later...
Hondo played a movie in his head. It was on repeat from the moment he left HQ. He couldn't help but to feel guilty because he knew the letter he wrote some years ago was coming back to haunt his teammate. Sure, it was Street's fault that his insubordination had him demoted and kicked out, but now it wasn't just him. That letter pretty much destroyed a family! Who knows if that could send Chris spiraling or frustrate the kid so much he'd want to run!
Hondo kept thinking about his own situation. If the court suddenly told him he couldn't be with his princess or he had to keep his distance from Nichelle and his baby girl, he would go nuts! He couldn't stand the thought of being isolated, let alone to lose his own child! Right now, his only consolation was that his testimony could potentially solve the dilemma.
He felt between a rock and a hard place because he didn't want to lie, but he couldn't say everything he knew. Being too honest could definitely kill off any possibility of them getting the kid back.
He kept thinking and thinking, indulged in his own recognizance. He went back and forth between the past and the present; he kept imagining the future and him going through that with his baby girl; he kept thinking about Chris being far away during the ordeal...
"Hondo?" he snapped back to reality as he heard a familiar voice
He turned around and saw Buck approaching from the far end of the hall. In a blink of an eye, and not sure how, Hondo had made it to the parking, out of the car, through security and was standing outside of the office Alex had indicated over the phone.
"Buck? Whatchu doing here, old man?" he greeted with a smile
"Who you calling old?" Buck frowned
"Hey guys! Thanks for coming" Alex greeted
After all three gentlemen exchanged hand shakes, Alex guided them to a seating area next to the elevators.
"Hey, um...I get Hondo being here. But...me? Why am I here, counselor?" Buck asked confused
"The kid called you grandfather in front of the judge. Now the judge wants to talk to you."
Buck smirked and shook his head.
"Listen, it's really important you answer his questions. He's probably going to ask you as the supervisor of Chris but most importantly he's going to want to know everything you know about their family dynamics. How they talk to each other, how they act around the boy, what you have seen or heard when they're together..."
"Oh boy!" Buck lamented
"Why's that, Buck?" Hondo asked curious
"Coz I've seen Street flip out over the dog. Had to separate them and everything."
"It's ok. Just tell him what happened, if he asks. He didn't put his hand on the boy, did he?"
"No! Absolutely not. He wasn't even yelling that hard. I really don't think he can even punish the kid to be honest!"
"That's good." Alex said
"I mean, having him has actually made Jim more mature, if you ask me." Buck said nodding
"Perfect. That's what he needs you to tell the judge." Alex said, then he turned to Hondo, "You, sir, have a huge task in hand because your testimony might determine if we get the hearing or not."
"What do you need from me?" Hondo asked crossing his arms over his chest
"Listen, you're in a tough spot because the judge is probably going to drill you on Street's delinquent acts. He's basing his negative perspective on the letter and the memos you have written on his record. He's going to want to go over each one. But here's the thing Hondo: you have to tell the truth. Not part of it, not some details, no! The whole truth, even if you think it might hurt his case."
"Just try to sugarcoat it!" Hondo said
"I wouldn't recommend that" Alex snapped sternly
"C'mon, Alex, if I say everything, he's never gonna trust him."
Alex shook his head vigorously, "Look, this judge is known for his three golden rules: never be late, always dress accordingly and always tell the whole truth! If he manages to find out what really happened, which most times he does because the guy is a bookworm and will read every paper available, we're screwed. He spent 15 years as a PI, he knows his way around the truth and how people hide it. Hondo, our best bet is for you to be completely honest and hope for the best. Like..." he paused to think for a moment, "what made you trust Jim again?"
"He had to start all over again. Did his penance. We talked. He did probation. Ultimately, he worked his ass of to get back."
"How do you think it affected Chris?"
"Um...she fought for him! Pleaded with me to give him a chance, which is why I signed him up for the academy and had him work for the spot again."
"There you go. That's great. Listen guys" Alex paused as a pair of well dress men carrying suitcases walked past them, "one of the things that got the judge on board was Chris' record. He was so impressed, it was easy to convince him. Now? It's another story."
"Why?" Buck asked
"I'm under the impression he was expecting her to have a great influence on him. So, by having her sign primary guardianship, she would reflect some of the great character unto him. Unfortunately, judge now believes Street has been influencing her negatively. That puts things into a very very difficult spot."
Buck and Hondo exchanged worried looks.
"This judge ain't easy, huh?"
"He's a complicated guy. But -just- whatever you do, tell the truth!" Alex said emphatically
"Gentlemen!" called a voice from the hall
CHAPTER 12: Judge, I promise
"That's him! Remember, tell the the truth and answer what you're asked." Alex whispered as the figure approached them
"Counselor?" Judge Rodgers asked.
"Yes, your Honor. Sergeant William Spivey" Alex said gesturing towards Buck, "and Sergeant Daniel Harrellson Jr. As you requested, your Honor." he finished gesturing towards Hondo.
Both sergeants nodded once and stood quietly.
"That was fast." he said nodding, staring at them, "I like that!" he said turning his back to them. The man in the robe made it to the office, where he opened the door. He turned to them and gestured for them to go in.
After two hours of intense questioning, the judge was satisfied with the information. There was no doubt the man still had the prosecutor's touch, as he made tough questions to both men. Just as Alex had predicted, Hondo's turn had been torturous! The questions most of the time made him think before answering. The details being demanded had been engraved deep into his brain files! He had to reminisce, take his time, think thoroughly.
This guy's not playing! Hondo thought by mid interview.
The judge dismissed the participants thanking them for their time and collaboration. He ordered Alex to reproduce the defendant and bring them into his chamber. Chris was unavailable, but Street raced his way back after leaving two bags of belongings with Rubio, who had was already in the foster home. With sour taste and a heavy soul, he made his way to the office.
"Yes, your Honor." he answered when called
"Officer Street, before I go any further, I never had a chance to ask you; why do you want to be this young man's father?"
"Because I've grown to love him. I feel a true connection with him that I've never felt before. I can teach him things and work with him stuff that I never got a chance to do with my own father. I always feared having to raise somebody else, just because I didn't trust myself to be a good role model. But with him I've never really doubted myself. He's helped me see that side of me that I never felt was possible for me to own. I feel like the old me is gone. Having a family with him and Chris -I mean- Captain Alonso was the fairy tale I read in books or saw in movies, not something I would ever had a chance to live...and honestly, I wouldn't change it for the world. Yes, I know I made stupid mistakes before, but it was because I didn't really have anything to lose, anybody to lose. Now? I have someone who waits for me to get home. Your Honor, I can't really describe the feeling, I can just say that I feel that they complete me."
"Do you believe this child has potential to be a positive member of our society?"
"I believe he has all the potential, you Honor, to be a great addition to any society! He's smart, talented, amazing cook, story teller, singer, entertainer, he makes people laugh, he's stubborn, strong, inventive...I could go on forever! I just really think life's been hard on him."
"Your supervisor said both times you faltered it was because of your incarcerated mother. If this child were to ask you to break the law again, would you?"
"I would do anything for him, you Honor. But now, instead of going out there automatically, I think things through. I consider alternatives and I always communicate with my bosses. I don't go behind their backs anymore. I learned that I'm not a lone wolf anymore. That's why Chris and I are working together to help him, not just me or not just her. We also have the support of her family, the guys at work, Miss Rita and Buck. We're not alone on this, your Honor. I just...think it's not fair they have to pay for my mistakes!"
"You said it yourself, it's not just you anymore."
"Your Honor, may I add something?"
"Sure."
"You asked about our parents. Truth is neither Chris nor I had a good childhood. Matter of fact, it could be featured in a horror film in any case. We never really had a place we called home. She was lucky to stay with her aunt and uncle and I bounced from home to home until I found a good foster mom and a great brother, but truth is, we both just wanted to provide him with something we never really had. To be honest, it's been very difficult. We've had to teach ourselves along the way. We grew to like the home life, but we have to work on ourselves, our relationship and our home. But, he's been the main reason why. He's been the motor that's been pushing us to get better. You asked about influence, and your Honor, she's been the best influence in my life and I don't doubt I've been in hers. But...it's not about negativity, it's been adjustment issues like any other couple. I have never met a perfect family, it doesn't exist! But for us, this is perfect enough!"
The judge nodded his head, as he listened closely.
"Alright, Officer Street. Thank you for your statement." he said as he read silently his notes.
One full minute of silence went by, as Street glanced between his attorney and the judge. Suddenly...
"The young man mentioned attending baseball tryouts tomorrow, right?" asked the judge
"Yes, for a baseball camp with limited spaces."
"Uh hum." the judged nodded. "His grandfather testified that the boy has talent in the sport, is this true?"
"I believe so. He loves playing the catcher position, you Honor."
"I see." the judge sat back in his high chair, put two feet up and stared out the windows. He took several deep breaths, as a full minute went by in silence. After this time, the judge slowly turned to Street and asked, "Tell me officer, how did you managed to get your job back?"
"I had to start all over again. My supervisor, Sergeant Harrellson, signed me up in SWAT Academy and I had to go through the entire process of recruitment, training and then selection. I actually didn't make it because of budget cuts, but then a spot opened up and I was runner up, so I got in. Chris -Captain Alonso- kinda reserved my spot in the team and I was able to get back."
"...and you spoke with your supervisor, to apologize for your behavior?"
"Yes, your Honor."
"Did a young female officer spoke to him on your behalf as well?"
"Yes, you Honor." he answered with a smirk
"Would you say you had her support throughout the time you paid your penance?"
"Absolutely, your Honor. If it wasn't for her, I don't think I would've gotten my job back."
"So, would it be fair to state that starting from scratch, apologizing and having her by your side helped you grow as a professional, officer?"
"Absolutely, you Honor."
"Would you agree maybe a similar sequence of events happened with that boy? Meaning, you placed her in an impossible situation, apologized once the damage was done and now have lost what fell from the sky, like the spot in a team where the child's grandfather had left vacated and recommended you to occupy, in that way skipping the due process?" judge asked staring at Street
Truth is Jim hadn't realized the scenario the judge was playing out in front of him, but...it made sense. If it wasn't for him that jumped the ship, Chris wouldn't be in such a tight spot and the kid kinda also represented what he wants the most, sort of SWAT back when he was still in patrol. So...the judge was on to something!
"Um...I guess so, yes. Makes sense, your Honor." he said nodding slowly
"Well, maybe you need to start all over again, beginning with a former apology, penance and training, officer." the judge added
"What does your Honor suggest?" Alex asked
"I'm not suggesting, counselor. I'm ordering." the judge snapped annoyed, "Officer" he turned to Street, "I'll take sergeant's example and I will grant you another opportunity, but you must start from scratch, on your own. This time, your apology will be in open court, to Captain Alonso and to this court for falsely involving her in the legal guardianship of this child. CFS will conduct a thorough investigation. You will be mandated several orientations, support groups and community work, starting with the children under the bridge at Covenant's Park. They will be your academy, officer. You are to learn the language, the culture, the tragedy and the misfortune of the children who find themselves orphans and homeless, just like Mr. Baez. Your supervisor tells me you have a security gig this weekend, officer. Is that right?"
"I can postpone it, your Honor!"
"You will not, that will constitute part of your penance because all of that profit will be for two months rent of Captain's home and the rest for a college fund for the child, as an apology for them... for selling the dream of a family, based on fraudulently tricking her into signing. As part of your penance, you will be required to complete several online courses and workshops on parenting, fraud, perjury and others that the CFS agents deem fit. By Monday you will have to had completed at least 10 hours of development, 10 of community service and will present a brief allocution in court of what you did to Captain Alonso, in front of the child. You will recognize your mistake as a grown man, and then...then I will reveal my decision on whether you get your family back or not. Non of this is negotiable and this deal has a 5 second life spam. You may consult with your counselor if you wish."
"No, I'll do it, your Honor. I'll do everything." Street blurted even before Alex could move
"Hearing is scheduled for Monday, pending investigation by CFS. Officer, I need the names of at least three people who have been close to the boy during this period."
"Yes, your Honor." Alex responded, he gestured for Street to respond
"Uh...I would say Miss Rita, Officer Dominique Luca and Sergeant Kay." Street answered
The judge wrote down on his pad, then turned to Alex. "Counselor, I need Captain Alonso informed as soon as possible. Have her open the account for Officer Street to deposit the two months rent and another account for the child. She must present the documentation of that fund to the court come Monday!"
"Yes, your Honor."
"A social worker will be visiting the home and providing you a list of the courses to take, as well as the sessions to be completed, officer. For your convenience, many will be online, except the sessions with the psychologist or the worker. They will report back to me, so any disturbance or negative behavior from your part I will be the first one to know. Understood?"
"Yes, your Honor."
"And let me be very clear on this young man. I will not tolerate any deviance or trick upon this conditions were are agreeing on today. These are not up to discussion and failure to meet each and every one of these will result in the immediate cancellation of Monday's meeting. Do I make myself clear, officer Street?"
"Yes, your Honor."
"Your Honor, I have a question. May I?" Alex asked while the judge wrote down notes. Judge Rodgers stopped and turned to him.
"Yes, you may."
"Seeing how Officer Street has come forward and agreed to every condition presented by this court and shown great remorse-"
"To the point, counselor!" the judge interrupted annoyed
"Yes, you Honor. Could we request the return of the boy from housing placement?" he stated as the judge took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest, "At least during this period, to provide support to the child and to the rehabilitation process of Officer Street. Family sessions and therapies would be highly recommended for these circumstances-"
"Counselor?"
"My humble opinion, your Honor!"
"What do you suggest, counselor?" the judge said leaning back on the chair
"The boy does have scheduled tryouts tomorrow, under the supervision of the Sergeant Spivey, whom you already interviewed and approved the testimony. Thursday was an appointment at the dog's veterinarian, which will be paid for by the boy, who my client responsibly grounded for running away yesterday when he was supposed to be with his grandfather. He had an lengthy conversation to discuss what happened and the consequences of his negative behavior, all in the presence of the other guardian. By Friday the child was scheduled to participate in a weekend tournament at a friend's house, who just so happens is Sergeant Kay's neighbor, another reliable source of supervision."
"Counselor," the judge said staring him down. The man straightened up i his chair and shifted his stare to Street. "you're asking too much! What guarantee will I have that nothing will happen to the child? No running away, no hospital, no violating the law..."
"I will take care of him, your Honor! Please." Street answered before Alex could even open his mouth
"Like these couple of weeks, officer?"
"No. I will do everything is my power to keep him safe and always under supervision. I give you my word, your Honor. I don't want to lose him."
"And he will make it to the tryouts?"
"Yes, your Honor."
"And the vet appointment?"
"Yes, your Honor."
"On time?"
"Absolutely, your Honor!"
"And his tournament?"
"Yes, your Honor"
"What about communication with Captain Alonso."
"Three times a day, with pictures, videoconferencing, whatever your Honor deems fit."
"And he will have his full set of meals, according to his nutritional needs?"
"Down to the last detail, your Honor"
"Counselor?"
"Yes, your Honor"
"Which is the maximum penalty for perjury?"
"Up to 4 years of in prison, ten thousand dollar fine."
"And endangering the welfare of a child?"
"It could be up to six years, your Honor"
"You ready to have a felony charge and conviction in your record, Officer Street?"
"No, your Honor" he said shaking his head
"Then I suggest you keep your word! You may take the child home, but only temporary. One slip, one slip, officer and I will personally intervene. Understood?"
Street let out a huge sigh of relief. Finally, the pouring rain was beginning to dissipate!
CHAPTER 13: Update
The soft monotonous voice in his ears and the illustrations in his laptop were enough of a distraction to calm his nerves. He counted bullet after bullet, shinned weapon after weapon and arranged each shelf. The repetitive actions were just enough to keep his mind from going back to the meeting down at the courthouse. That record kept playing on and on in the back of his mind. Among the worst moments of his life!
"Hey Street!" he heard a faint voice as he looked up to Hondo coming in to the armory.
He removed one of the earbuds and greeted, "Hey, Hondo!." he finished by putting the recording on pause and closing the laptop.
"Kid, I didn't notice you had come in."
"Yeah...I just figured I'd kill some time here before the showdown. Went looking for you but you were with a suspect. So..." he said as he laid the long riffle down on the long metal table and took a deep breath. "Listen, I wanna thank you for showing up and meeting with the judge."
"You don't have to. I'm just glad I didn't have to lie when the judge asked me about your progress." he responded quickly.
Street nodded his head silently.
"How did it go?"
Street took another deep breath, then began "Well...it took some convincing and a long list of punishments, but the judge gave in a bit."
"What do you have to do?"
"Service time, take some seminars and courses, shrink sessions, the works."
"He give you back the kid?"
"No, but...I'm allowed to take him tonight and tomorrow, to sleep and then return him in the morning. He'll stay under supervision at all times, in foster during the day. Judge also granted permission to the tryouts, the vet appointment and the sleepover in the weekend. So, it's not full custody, but it's something." he lamented
"I'm glad, Street. Just do whatever the judge says and I'm sure he'll reconsider."
"I'm hoping so. We face him again on Monday for a hearing to determine the permanent housing arrangement for him and I just pray that the judge signs the adoption papers."
"Do what you gotta do to make it happen. Ok?"
"Yeah, I am. I already started the education and got some contacts from a soup kitchen to let me do service hours after shift."
"That's good" Hondo said nodding his head slowly, "Listen, um...something I wanna say."
Street stopped his tasks and stared at him.
"I'm sorry if my reprimand got you into this whole mess. I never thought the consequences would be so horrible as to cost you your family, Street. Yeah, it was your behavior, but...to cause you to lose your kid? Man, I feel kinda guilty! If I put myself in your position, I don't know how I would take it."
"You don't have to apologize. I'm the man I am today partly because of you. I was going down the wrong path and you pretty much shook me straight."
Hondo nodded his head and extended a closed fist.
"Thank you!" Street whispered as he nodded and completed the gesture.
"Aight...I'll see you in the course!" Hondo said as he turned around to leave.
Spending time at a soup kitchen can make anybody reflect. It is often times that we complain about the stuff we don't have, but we fail to see that there's food on the table and a roof over our heads. For Street, washing pots and pans for two hours felt like a waking call. He watched through the small window high up in the wall the feet of hungry homeless and desperate people waiting patiently for what could be their only hot meal of the day. He thought of what kind of jerk he was, of using Chris' name for his advantage, of the many pranks and bullying he committed at school and even in the felt like he wasn't the same guy that entered SWAT. He was able to look at things through a different perspective. Now, his goal wasn't to himself, but the people he cared the most.
"Alright, thank you so much officer."said Gretta Lewis, the lady that ran the service.
"You can call me Jim. Thanks for the opportunity!" he said nodding his head
"Have a good night!" she said waving good bye
"You too!" he said leaving through the back door.
He grabbed his car keys and hopped on. He remembered his bike as he turned on the engine. Even though he felt it unnecessary, the judge made him surrender the keys to the bike to make sure he was not going to race down any express way, let alone with the kid. He had to pay all the ticket fines and wait until the hearing to get the keys back.
"Hey!" he said once he arrived at the foster home
"Pops!" Rubio yelled in excitement, as the lady in the door moved sideways so Rubio could have a full view of him.
The teen had been playing cards with three other girls and two young boys. The house still smelled of food, as dinner had been served just minutes before. It was a one story house, with only three available rooms, so the kids slept in bunk beds. Rubio had tried all day to feel comfortable, especially with the friendly foster adults, but he missed his home.
"You've been good?" he asked opening his arms wide
"Always!" he answered diving into his arms for a big bear hug. "I'ma angel, pops!"
Street turned to the lady, who watched them with a smile. "He ate all of his food?"
"Yes. He actually ate off other's plates too!" she said as the kids giggled
"I am growing. I need food, 'Misis' Catherine!" he complained. He then turned to Street, "We going home, pops, right?"
"Yeah!"
"Really?"
"For tonight!"
After saying good night and hopping into the car, the guys made their way home. Rubio was beyond ecstatic, even when Street carefully explained the living arrangements. He did express feeling comfortable with Catherine and her husband, which was a relief for Street.
They each took their time as Street grabbed snacks and Rubio washed up to get ready for bed. After Street finished in the bathroom, they both settled in the couch. Street had brought some munchies, while Rubio grabbed refreshments.
"So..." he began, "We can watch a little bit of Netflix, but you gotta go to bed soon. Ok?"
"Ok. What time is granpa coming?" the teen said hosting the small dog on his lap
"I think he said 6 to 6:30am. It's about a 2 hour drive to the field, so you gotta get up early."
"I'm not the one with issues of being late, pops!" he said giggling
"Hey!" he snapped, "I'll have you know I have not been late all of this month!"
"It's the 10, pops!" the kid said between giggles
"Exactly! A personal best!" he said confidently
Ten minutes went by, as Rubio turned sideways and slid on the couch, leaning his head on Street's right arm. He was so into the game on his phone, that he hadn't realized Jim had actually slid his arm up and now had it crossing the teen's shoulders.
RIIIING
RIIIING
Rubio didn't even move as he continued fully engaged into the game. Street looked at the side table, as the phone continued to ring.
"Is that ma?" the kid asked, eyes glued on the screen
"No. Deacon." he announced
He wiped his hands on his shorts and grabbed the phone. It seemed he had a lot to juggle; his right arm was occupied by the teen as a pillow and his lap served as Topo's mattress bed.
"Hey Deacon! Everything ok?" Jim asked concerned. It was a little over 10pm, very unusual time to get a call from him.
"Hey Street! Yeah, everything's ok." he answered, "I was just helping Matthew load something in the car. He's going with the in-laws to a robot showdown tomorrow by the Bay."
"Oh,ok. Didn't know he was into that stuff."
"Yeah, he's a huge fan of robotics. Anyway, I got a call from the boss about the gig this weekend. They're calling me in for a meeting tomorrow. Scheduled it for after work. Think you can join me?"
"I got some service hours I gotta complete. I could make it by 8 or 9pm."
"Ok, I can work with that. Hopefully is not that long. Boss wants to meet at the hotel, to brief on surveillance, blueprints, personnel and others. Just to make sure we're ready Friday for when the execs come in. Told him I had an early court date next day, but he said it wont take that long. You gonna visit Rubio after work too?"
"No, I actually get to pick him up. Judge authorized for him to sleep here at home."
"Oh, wow! I'm really happy for you, Street." Deacon said surprised.
"Yeah, thanks. He's staying with the foster s during the day but it's better than not seeing him at all. So..."
"Definitely. How is he?"
"He's ok. He's actually playing with his phone now."
"Do whatever you gotta do, Jim. Trust me, nothing else will be more worth it than him!"
"I know!" he paused glancing at the leaning teenager by his side, "Hit me up tomorrow for the hotel brief!"
"Alright. Have a good night!"
"Bye!" he said hanging up
"Everything ok, pops?" Rubio asked as Jim placed the phone down
Jim had stop frozen for a second, then went to place the phone. That was probably the reason the teen asked concerned.
"I think Topo's snoring!" Street whispered
HAHA
The teenagers burst into laughter, as Jim joined in. Unfortunately, the noise quickly woke up the dog, as it looked around startled.
When Rubio finally calmed down, he turned to Street. "Pops, I need to take Topo with me and his food because you will pick me up very late tomorrow."
"Ok, but don't take the whole bag. Just portion out what he needs and leave the bag here."
"Do I have to go to get pinched, pops?" he lamented
"Yup. The judge ordered a physical and all usual tests that show he has no trust, STDs, HIVs, drug test and CBC."
"Ow! All that?"
"Yeah. Sorry, buddy! I told your grandpa and he said he can take you to the lab before Topo's appointment on Thursday."
"The judge is mad at you?"
"Steaming! But...it's not your fault. Ok?"
"Did Tío Hondo and grandpa help?"
"Yeah, they're the reason why we still have a chance to be a family, essentially. But...it all comes down to us changing our ways, ok?"
"You know, pops? My dad use to say Los errores son necesarios porque nos ayudan a entender y a progresar, which means mistakes are necessary because they help us understand and progress. I was very scared today because I don't want to leave this place. It's the closest to my home in PR!"
"Your dad was right. Trust me, I have learn from my mistakes."
"You know what I miss the most of home?"
"What?" Street asked curious, softly stroking the sleeping pup on his lap
"The water!" he said turning to Jim with a wide grin
"The what?" Street asked confused
"Yeah, pops. My dad used to take me and my sister to water every weekend. We loved it. Don't matter what type! Pool, beach, lake, river...'whatevel'. I think I born a fish. Like...I be merman!"
Street giggled as the teen became more and more excited. "More like a merkid. You're not a man, buddy. If you were, we wouldn't be in this position."
"C'mon, pops. I'm grown!"
"No. You think you are...probably why you've been to a woman's clinic in the last year more than I have in my whole life."
"¡Ay bendito!* C'mon, pops! You gonna grill me like Tio Hondo? I tell you, the girls be crazy!" the kid complained (Aw, man!)
*Typical expression used by people in the island with multiple meanings. In this context depicts the character lamenting or complaining about something*
"Stop your excuses. That thing doesn't pop out of your pants like that! Hondo's right: you gotta start making better decisions, buddy. Especially now! You wanna stay here at home?"
"Yeah" the teen said rolling his eyes
"Keep it in your pants! Be smart! And...help me clean up, so we can go to bed!" he said grabbing the pup with one hand and leaning forward in an attempt to get up.
"Ok" Rubio said getting on his feet and allowing Street to be able to get up.
"Social worker will be visiting again any time soon for a second check up and we gotta have this place sparkling!"
"Uh...pops?" Rubio said, frozen in the middle of the living room.
HAHAHAHA
He busted laughing, making Street turn around and frown in surprise. He giggled as the teen bent over and let out tears of laughter.
"What's so funny?" he asked above the noise
The kid began to calm down as he continued to giggle, putting up his index finger and pointing it to the corner of the hall, where it meets the front door.
"Pops, tus calzoncillos in the door!" (your undies) he said between giggles
His face became redder and redder, while he continued to giggle. Street shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"I was in a hurry, ok? I got the call from the SS just 30 minutes before a huge showdown at work. I spilled a detergent all over me when I opened the cabinet and I couldn't show up like that to work. We're very competitive about drills, ok? The guys would've killed me!" he explained quickly as he went and picked up the underwear.
"Pa, you walk to the bathroom naked? The window is open!" the teen said, now fully calmed
GASP
"Was it?" Street froze, as the kid began to giggle again
"You didn't close it?"
"Aw, damn! Ok, can we keep this between us? Chris doesn't need to know I flashed my junk to her neighbors. Ok?"
HAHAHAHA
CHAPTER 14: She's smart
"Hey!" called Deacon, making Street turn around
The two had met with the head of the company, executives of the event and the director of operations of the hotel for a two hour debrief on everything concerning the building and security measures. Once the meeting was adjourned, everyone went on their way. Deacon met Street in the multi floor parking lot to the side of the hotel. The four story building had capacity for over 400 vehicles and counted with a top of the line security system of its own.
"Hey!" he answered tiredly
"You never told me: did your kid make the team?" Deacon asked curiously
"He didn't, but he made the second team, which means that if there's anyone from the first that drops out, he has a chance to go." he answered between deep breaths
"Aw, man! Is he ok?" Deacon asked concerned
"Are you kidding? He called me between laughs at the end of my shift. Said he had a blast and that even though he didn't make it, he met lots of people. Said he shook the hand of one of the players who showed up to camp. He was ecstatic!"
"That's great! Um...You got any questions? You get everything?"
"Yeah" Jim answered slowly
"You okay? You hardly talked at all." Deacon said approaching his vehicle
"Yeah" the other answered approaching his.
Street took a deep breath and felt the pain hit every spot of his body. As he grimaced he noticed Deacon had taken a few steps towards him.
"You sure you're ok?"
"I'm sorry, Deacon. I'm just...exhausted!" he answered shaking his head slowly
"Yeah, I can see that."
"I mean, I got shot in the vest, so my torso is throbbing; I think I slightly twisted my ankle, so that's sore; all the yelling with the 099s has my throat burning up; and I just spent almost two hours washing a thousand pots and pans, all standing up. On top of that, I still have to complete hours of education and rehab, pick up my kid, make him a snack or something and pack up for this gig. I'm dead tired!" he said bowing his head, taking a deep breath
"Hey!" Deacon called, as he opened the back of his car and retrieved a small plastic bag and a small metallic box with a big red cross on it. "Listen, I know it's been hard for you and all the punishment that the judge assigned, but...Here" he said handing him the plastic bag with half a sandwich, "A BLT sandwich in case your kid is hungry. Have him get something to drink from the fridge. And here." he said opening the metallic box and pulling out a roll of elastic bandage and a to-go package of pain killers, "Take two of these, do salt gargles and wrap the ankle with ice, elevate it. If you fall asleep, no problem coz the cold will control the swelling, the pain killers will help with all the pain. You can pack up tomorrow morning."
"Man, Deacon, this world doesn't deserve you!" Street said relieved, shaking his head slowly
"I know what it's like to juggle the universe in your hands and feel like everything's falling and breaking around you. Just...hang on! It will get better! Get Rubio, go home and rest! Ok? I'll tell Hondo you'll be on desk duty tomorrow."
Deacon had no idea how many millions of tons he just took off his shoulders. Street just wanted to run and hug him! For once, life was actually cutting him some slack!
Coffee was almost done! The eggs were cooking nicely over the stove, as he checked on the freshly made sauteed potatoes with onions and peppers and the slabs of bacon cooking in the oven. He took three oranges from the fruit basket and began squeezing them on the juicer. He couldn't wait to surprise her!
RIIIING
RIIING
Who would call so early in the morning? It's not even 6 am! Hondo thought as he carefully took the hot pans out of the oven and placed them on the counter to cool.
He quickly wiped his hands on the kitchen towel and took out his phone.
"Morning, D! Everything alright?" asked Hondo concerned
"Morning! Yeah. You?"
"Yeah, just making breakfast for my baby."
"Which one?"
Hondo giggled, as he slowly shook his head. "Both!"
"Be careful. If she gets used to it, you'll be a modern day kitchen slave!"
"I'm ok with that. Everything good? Kinda early for a call, got me nervous now."
"Yeah, yeah. Just wanted to run something by you."
"What's up?" he asked as he began to set up the plates and cutlery
"Well, I think I should start with apologizing first-"
"Woah!" Hondo interrupting, frowning and stopping his motions, "Whatchu do, D?"
"Um...I kinda took charge on something before I ran it by you. Sorry about that. I just felt bad for the guy."
"Hum...who?"
"Street."
"Aw, damn! What happened now? Judge issues?"
"No. We met last night and I noticed he was exhausted. The judge has him buried in punishment, which is alright, but...it's taking a toll on him and honestly, Hondo, I need him extra sharp this weekend. Not that the job is less important, but with the amount of pressure he's on to keep his family together, he might start to slip on the day job, let alone our gig. I'm worried about him."
"What'd you say to him?"
"Told him I'd speak to you to stick him on desk duty today. Just so he could have a breather."
"That's it?" Hondo said delighted, "Nah, man. I'm very happy to give him the paperwork I got stacked. Have him finish it up and then I'll look it over and sign. Perfect! You think I wanna see a damn desk, D?"
Deacon smirk as he answered "I guess not."
"You guessed right, my man!"
"Alright, well...I'll see you at work!"
"Yes, sir! Bye!" Hondo said as he finished up the tray with a small rose in a transparent slim vase.
He grabbed everything and headed to the room. Nichelle was still sound asleep as he opened the door carefully, tip toeing to the bed.
"Baby!" he called softly
She opened up her eyes slowly and took a deep breath. She turned her head to face him as a huge smile spread across her face.
"What is this?" she asked slowly, stretching and sitting up
Hondo went around the bed and approached her while holding on to the tray.
"This" he began as he placed the tray on the night table. He turned and removed part of the bedding off of her lap and grabbed the tray to place it on her lap. Nichelle was giggling softly. "is breakfast!"
"What did you do?" she asked looking skeptically
Hondo froze for a second, placing a palm over his chest, acting hurt. "Baby! What?"
"This looks fantastic, but...what did you do?" she repeated
"I'm offended!" he said placing the hand on his chest again, "I can't fix breakfast for my queen and my princess now?"
"Prince!"
"Girl, you gotta stop trippin! You know that's my beautiful" he placing sitting down, placing a hand on her belly, "little sassy babygirl!" he finished as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek.
She turned and placed a hand on his cheek, coming forward and kissing him softly on the lips. They stayed frozen for a bit, lips resting on each others'. Then, she slowly pulled away, as she looked at the beautiful arrangement on the tray. She grabbed a strip of bacon and gave it a hungry a bite.
"He's my prince!"
"She" he said as he kissed her cheek
"He" she said finishing the strip and giggling
He shook his head as she picked on the hashbrowns with the fork, which had been beautifully placed over a flowery pink cloth napkin. She offered him some, but he shook his head and grinned at her. He stared as she took a sip of the freshly brewed coffee, which was spiced up with just a touch of honey, instead of your regular sweetener. It was his special touch!
After some minutes, the plate was half empty and Hondo had not taken a single bite.
"Baby, this is too much for me. Have some!" she said grabbing a strip of bacon and offering it to him.
"Nah, baby. I'm aight." he said putting a hand up
"Did you eat already?"
"Had my coffee" he said staring at her, grinning
Nichelle was beginning to sense something was not okay, she could see it in his eyes.
"Baby, something bothering you?" she frowned, as she placed the tray to the side.
Hondo lowered his gaze and shook his head twice. "Woman, how do you figure me out like that? Damn! Aint nothing get past you, huh?"
"Spill it!" she said with a smile
"A situation at work got me thinking. I don't want anything that I've done to affect our family."
"Hondo, the past is not to be feared but to be the lessons that shape who we are. Honey" she began as she turned to him, grabbed his hand with hers and looked into his eyes, "I have not been perfect and neither have you nor any one in the world, but that doesn't mean we stop living! It's those lessons that will help us teach him or her about life."
"I can't lose you or our baby."
Nichelle took a deep breath, as she could see this was really bothering him. She shook her head and smiled.
"Hondo, does this have to do with Chris, Street and Rubio?"
"Yeah." he said bowing his head, shaking his head slowly.
"They'll be okay. You know that judge has been hard on them, but he's a good kid. He's been a joy to have at the center and Chris and Street are really good to him. They'll be okay."
"Sure" he said dryly
"Baby, what are you thinking? What's really bothering you?"
"If it wasn't for me, he would have his kid home and not busting himself so hard. Deacon just called and said he be exhausted in their meeting yesterday night for the huge job they got this weekend." he shook his head as he pulled his hand away and stood up. He placed both hands on his hips and hung his head low. "Man, I can't help but to put myself in his shoes, baby! I just ripped him from his family. What if it was my family? Not be able to be with my baby or have you and the baby away? I couldn't live like that, babe!"
Nichelle slowly made her way out of the bed and approached him. She stood in front of him and wrapped her arms around him. He responded by placing his hands on her hips.
"Baby, you didn't make him break the rules or defy orders. You did your job by showing him the right way. Think of it this way" she said as she softly grabbed his face, "if it wasn't for your early intervention he wouldn't even be in a position to have a family, now would he? You really think the same rebellious young man that came in the first day is the same teammate you have now? Was that done all by himself?"
Hondo's frown slowly changed into a tender grin as he pondered on her words. She was right, at times mistakes are needed to be done in order for people to mature. If Street had continued the path he was in, there's no telling where he would be now. Maybe not even SWAT!
CHAPTER 15: Surfs up!
"Man, what a thrill!" Luca said excited, shaking some of the sand off his flip flops
"I told you not to go for the tall wave, dude!" Tan said with a smirk, grabbing his board and heading to the lot
The waves, the water, the soft rays of the sun, the breeze...perfect for a great morning surf! Luca and Tan joined a group of 5 enthusiastics as they hit the waves for two hours. Their run had been exactly what they were craving after calling it off for a couple of days.
As they loaded up their cars and downed their refreshments, something caught Tan's eye. Far to the west he spotted a familiar face. He playfully slapped Luca's arm, as the guys continued to chat.
"Hey!" Luca called to the group, "Give us a sec!" Luca gestured with his chin to Tan
The two officers separated from the group as they headed back to the beach. They spotted a teenager with a lean man, stretching. They were softly chatting as they spotted the officers approaching.
Chen immediately smile and went towards Tan. "Officer Tan?"
"Hey Chen!" he greeted with a smile
"Yo!" Luca called as the three exchanged fist pumps.
"Nice to see you!" Tan said
"Yeah, you too." Chen said with a smile. He turned to his companion and pointed at him, "Hey um...this is my cousin, we call him Lon, from Lóng, which means dragon." he quickly turned to his cousin and said, "These are Officers Tan and Luca. They're SWAT."
The shy young man just bowed his head.
"Hey! What's up?" the officers greeted, bowing their heads in respect
"What are you doing here so early, dude?" Luca asked Chen
"Um..my cousin came out here to train for his next marathon and I thought I'd join him. Last sprint we did in SWAT camp, Rubio beat me for like, a millisecond. He's been rubbing it at my face ever since. He can get under your skin, you know? So, I just figured if I train hard I can beat him and get him off my back!"
Luca and Tan smirked as that level of competition between the two young boys seemed too familiar.
"Yeah, I know what it's like. Street can be really annoying." Tan said as Luca shook his head
"How your sisters and your brother doing?" Luca asked
"They're better now. They wont go outside yet, but at least they slept better last night. Thank you so much!"
"Good!" Luca said nodding and grinning
Deacon headed out for early court date, while Hicks sent Hondo and Luca out for specialized training to the bureau. Meanwhile, Street spent most of the day filing and dealing with paperwork. The best part was that he was able to finish a ton of the required hours of education and sessions!
I swear to God, Deacon is my fairy godmother or something! He's a genius! thought Street as he stretched his legs and closed his laptop. Just a couple of more hours and his punishment was completed. Besides, tomorrow he had a couple of hours before the plane landed to complete some service time with a contact doing clerical duties at the airport's Lost and Found Office. If everything goes well Friday and Sunday, he will be able to knock off all the remaining hours there, without much hassle and not far from the gig. By Monday morning he would have completed all the hours required by the judge!
"Hey Street!" greeted Hondo, swinging his backpack off his shoulders and placing it to the side of his cubicle
"Hey Hondo! How was the seminar?" he greeted closing the cabinet door
There wasn't anyone on that side, since it was nearing the end of shift and most officers were closing up.
"Good. Got one more certification added to the thousands they require!" Hondo lamented rolling his eyes
"Well prepared." he said with a grin
"Can we talk?" he said leaning on the side of the cubicle
"Yeah, boss. What's up?"
"I've been thinking about your situation, with your boy and the judge and everything." he began as Street leaned on the cabinet, digging his hands inside of his pockets. "Listen, um...now that I got a kid on the way, I see things differently. I don't just think of the person, but also on the people around that individual."
Street nodded his head.
"I called Chris early this morning before she got on the plane to Philly. Noticed she was down and asked her about it. She's really affected with the whole situation, scared of losing him and her family." he continued as he noticed Street hung his head and shook it slowly, "...and I know part of the distrust the judge has on you is because he sees the guy that came in through that door some years ago, not the guy I have standing in front of me." he said as Street looked up and nodded, "Listen somebody once told me the past is not to be feared, it's there to teach us lessons and to make better of ourselves. So..." he said as he stood and approached Street.
"I called up a really great contact of mine, Mrs. Lewis, she's a beast dealing with family cases. She's one of the first calls Judge Rodgers makes when dealing with troubled teens down at South East LA. She's really close with Sister Carmelita, working with teens at Dos Padrinos Juvenile Detention Center. Told her about you and what happened, said you've been working at her sister's kitchen for the past couple of nights. She gave her a call and Gretta spoke highly of you." he said, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Said you washed pots and pans for hours, no complaints. Said you even helped out a couple of guys there with legal advice. You even helped out closed the place!"
Street nodded slowly, "Yeah." he paused, "Hondo, I'm willing to do anything."
"I figured." he paused nodding his head, "So, she gave the judge a call and got him to lower your sentence by half. She certified double the amount of hours in the kitchen, so you only got some change left."
"Oh my God! Thank you so much!" Street said as he grabbed his head and smiled
"She also got him to authorize the release of the boy to Chris's custody. Judge will allow her to pick him up as soon as she lands and stay with her folks, while she trains and then stay with her until Monday. I think she said she only has half day shift on Sunday, which means she can spend the afternoon with blonde. I already called her up, she's ecstatic."
"Thank you,man!" Street said as he extended his hand for Hondo to shake.
Hondo grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. The two wrapped each other in a manly hug. After seconds, they pulled away.
Hondo slapped him playfully in the chest and pointed at his face. "You better not mess up again, kid."
"Never!" he said ecstatic, turning toward the exit. When he reached the door, he turned to him and said "I'm angel!"
He turned and left, as Hondo watched him go with a smirk.
"Hey Calvin!"
"Hey Jim!" greeted the boy excitingly as he removed the duffel bag from the back of Hondo's car.
"Morning!" called Hondo from the car
"Morning, boss!"
"Hey Calvin!" Hondo called as the young man exchanged fist pumps with Street. He turned to face the car. "Be good, aight?"
"Aight!" he said nodding his head.
"Want me to drop him off at your house on Sunday?" Street offered
"Nah, his momma said she gonna pick him up."
"Ok. No problem."
"Aight, I gotta go. Have fun, Calv!"
"Thanks! You too, Uncle Hondo!" the kid said waving good bye
"Bye Street!"
"Bye!"
The two made their way up the elevator and into the apartment. Street only needed his bag and to finish prepping his suit. Rubio should've been done with breakfast and getting the dog stuff ready.
"Rubio?" Calvin called as soon as Street opened the front door
Rubio was talking with Topo, as he noticed the bouncing teen at the door. "Wepa!" he greeted (Hey!)
"I'm gonna finish getting my stuff and suit ready, and then we'll head out. Ok?" Street said as the teens greeted. They turned to him and nodded.
"It's gonna be a long day!" he said to himself as he poured coffee into his mug and went to fetch the last of his stuff and clothing.
CHAPTER 16: Tell the truth!
Between the laptop, the suite, the jacket, the tie, underwear, socks, fancy shoes, Crocs, shirts and everything in between, it was a whole lot for Jim to deal with. Not to mention that, for some odd reason, the bedroom was still messy! He swore he had organized everything, but...somehow...stuff just kept popping out! He couldn't really explain it, plus he didn't have time now!
Deacon had requested everyone to be at the airport by 8am, to have everything set up for when the celebs arrived. They already established a security plan and coordinated the arrangements in the hotel. The group and their leaders were to stay in the two adjacent rooms of each singer. Each star would be strategically placed with a floor in between. As the head of the security detail, Deacon would stay in the floor between the stars.
This all meant that Street had to hurry up and get the kids to Connor's! He had discussed in detail with Rubio what he had to pack and both consulted with the house owners to let the dog stay with Rubio. They promised it would only be until Chris arrived, who would swing by the house at night to pick up the dog. She would stop to greet him and pick up Topo, before heading home for a much needed rest. She did want to stop by the hotel, but Street told her it would be too complicated for him because the job required him to secure the area at all times, which didn't leave him much time to wonder off.
"Alright, buddy! Let's go!" he called from the front door
"Pops!" he called from the bathroom as Calvin made his way out, "You clean the room? Ma is coming tonight."
"Yeah, I did." he said still maneuvering all the bags and belongings.
Rubio froze staring at the room through the space left by the half closed door. He frowned, glancing from Street to the room and back. Calvin, who had grabbed his bags and was already in the hallway, stood at the other side of the entry door surprised.
"What's up, man? Let's go!" Calvin called from outside
"Pops! Ma is gonna kill you!" the teen lamented staring at Street
"Rubio, it's ok. Let's go, now!"
"Ok." he said as he grabbed Topo's crate and two bags. "It's not cleaned" he mumbled under his breath
They finally made their way unto the car, loaded everything and were on their way.
RIIIING
RIIIING
Street signaled for Rubio to give him the phone, as he took a turn down the street, just 10 minutes from Connor's house.
"Hey Deacon!"
"Hey! Everybody good?"
"Yeah. Rubio's ok and Hondo dropped off Calvin. We're about 10 minutes out"
"Ok, perfect. Annie will be dropping the kids off soon. Remember we're meeting in the main room."
"Yes, sir. I'll text you as soon as I get there."
"Please do. I already alerted security, but just in case. Buck dropped off Rex and is on his way here. We'll meet there, alright?"
"Got it. I didn't know Rex was coming." Street said
"Well, same way I didn't know Calvin was coming. Who do you think got them pumped up?" he said as Street stared to the one riding shot gun
"Yeah, I figured."
Deacon smirked, then said "See you here!"
"See you!"
He hung up and immediately turned to Rubio. "Rubio, what did you do?"
The teen was cradling and patting Topo, who laid on his lap. He was startled by the driver, as he jumped out of his skin and gasped.
"Pops, what's up?"
"You called everyone and invited a whole crew to a house that's not even yours?"
"Parker said to me that he need players. If we win we get money, pops."
"Ok, you know what? You're gonna answer me: why are you so desperate for money?"
"You said we need money."
"We've needed money for weeks, Rubio. This desperation from you started just last week!"
"I wanna help?" he said trying to sound convincing
"Rubio! Tell the truth!"
"Ok..."he said hanging his head, "I need money to buy a ticket for a concert for Leyla. She mad at me because I arrested, but if I take her to the concert she gonna leave the other guy and be happy with me." he said as Calvin giggled softly and shook his head
"Buddy, you can't bribe anyone into being your girlfriend, especially Leyla."
"C'mon, pops! Maybe you did it with Chris and look now...it works-"
"No!" he interrupted immediately, "Absolutely not! I have never bribed her, Rubio" he said sternly, stopping at a red light. He turned to the teenager who had a skeptical look. "Never"
"Pops, but..." he sat up straight, shrugging frustrated, "I gotta do something."
"Plan something that you like. Then, invite her if you want, but don't make it about her. She's smart, she'll figure it out!"
"I want to go too."
"Who's concert is it?"
"Ed Sheeran. British guy." Calvin answered from the back as the light turned green
"I know who he is. I'm about to meet him!"
"WHAT!?" yelled both teens as they gasped.
Street smirked and shook his head. "I told you I had a gig, but didn't tell you I'm security detail for Mr. Sheeran while he shoots a video for his new single 'Shade'-"
"WITH BILLIE EILLISH!" yelled Calvin
Street was surprise Rubio suddenly went quiet. While Calvin asked a thousand questions and the conversation continued, the teen became more and more quiet. He turned sideways to stare out the window. At first Street thought it was just the surprise reaction, but then as they approached the house he had a bad feeling about it. He had a hunch something was going on.
He parked the car by the front of the house and watched as Calvin excitedly exited the vehicle. Rubio on the other hand, was moving slowly and quietly. That in itself was a red flag!
He grabbed the dog, placed him in the crate and then swung both bags on his shoulders. He grabbed the crate quietly and opened the door.
"Hey!" Street called
Rubio turned to him, emotionless.
"You ok?" Street asked concerned
The teen nodded twice and turned to leave. Street sat staring at the steering wheel for some seconds until he opened the door and exited. They were interrupted by the sound of a door opening.
"Hey Jim!" greeted Connor, waving from the front porch as Spencer, Rex and Parker came rushing out.
As Parker greeted Calvin, Rex went to shake Rubio's hand. Spencer grabbed the crate and started calling out the dog.
"Oh my God! He's so cute!" he said
"Hey Rubio!" Rex said
"Hey Calvin!" greeted Parker
"Yo!" greeted Calvin
Jim watched as Rubio nonchalantly shook their hands and answered their questions. Judging by his demeanor, Street knew there was something wrong.
"Hey Connor! Thanks so much!" he said to the man in the porch
"Nah, no problem."
"Chris will come by around 10-ish to pick the dog up."
"Alright, no problem. I'm a dog lover, so...Meredith is with her folks, so coast is clear!"
Jim smirked as he applauded the woman's decision. It was probably going to be loud and messy the entire weekend! The boys went over to greet Jim as a series of high five were shared.
"Guys!" called Calvin to the boys, "Guess what? Rubio's pops is gonna be Ed Sheeran's body guard!"
GASP
WOW
The boys immediately reacted by asking tons of questions all at the same time. Connor reacted by approaching and hushing them.
"Hey! Hey! Let him breath, guys!" he called
There was no way Street could understand them because all spoke at the same time. Instead he just moved his head from side to side like a pedestal fan, while grinning and smiling. Once the boys settled, Street continued.
"Hey!" he said to Parker, "What's the plan?" he crossed his arms on his chest
"Well, today we register and play once. Whoever wins goes for the title prize tomorrow. If you lose, there will be consolation games for fun tomorrow. We'll form two teams since we're more than four. My cousin Henry and his brother Jonah are also coming, so...it's gonna be great!" he answered as the others cheered
"Yeah, but dad has to take us to the store because each team needs to wear something for the picture." Spencer added
"What picture?" Calvin asked
"It's part of the registration process. The easiest choice is the same color of shirt. So, yeah." Spencer answered.
The boys gathered to discuss the details of the tournament, as the two adults stared. Suddenly, Street remembered he needed to move in order to meet with Deacon and the others...but before he left, he needed to clear out something.
"Ok. Can you guys take the dog inside and put him some water?" Street asked the boys, "I need to speak with Rubio for a minute."
A collective 'yeah' was heard as a car parked just behind Street's. The backseat door swung open and two boys came running out, each with a backpack.
"Dad, Henry's here! Jonah!" Spencer announced excitedly, shoving the crate unto his abdomen
"Ok, ok...I'll take the doggie here!" the man said with the crate up to his neck
The two boys met with the brothers, as Calvin and Rex went in after Connor.
"Pops, you gotta go. Can not be late!" Rubio said seriously, turning towards the front porch
"Hey! I need to talk to you!" Street said sternly, making the teen stop and turn towards him, "What's going on with you?"
The teen hung his head low and kicked softly the front step. "Nothing" he whispered
"Rubio, tell me the truth!"
Rubio took a deep breath and shook his head. "Pops, I don't wanna get in trouble."
Oh man! I'm not gonna like this! Couldn't have come at worse time! Street thought braising himself.
"C'mere!" he said, as he grabbed the teen by the arm and pulled him to the side of the garage way. "Did you do something?"
"No." he said looking down
"Then, what is it?" Street said lowering his gaze
"I know some bad guys from school. They said they was gonna get tickets for the concert because they know he's coming. They know even the plane he is coming."
GASP
Street took a step back. Oh no! he thought as the teen began to slowly pace nervously in front of him. Street was familiarized with that pacing, it's what he usually does when he's about to say terrible news.
"Pops, these are bad guys. They was in the program with me for robbing...but they know people in gangs that kill. They always do stuff for money and they want to cash in a lot with the tickets. Everybody want to go but the rich people are going to buy them all. Only two functions, so...many of us wont get a ticket. They are dangerous!" he said. He stopped and approached Street, "I don't want nothing bad to happen to you, pops."
"Did they tell you what they were planning?"
"No" he said shaking his head, "but I don't do nothing, pops. I swear. Don't tell ma or the judge."
"Relax. You didn't do anything...if you cooperate, it should be ok. We can spot them before they try anything. Show me a picture and I'll talk with Deacon."
CHAPTER 17: Street + Airport = yikes!
"Ok, guys, listen up. We need to make some minor changes to the original plan..." Deacon said as the men gathered in the Security Control Main Room at LA International Airport.
With the information of a possible threat to the artists, the security group got together with the airport security supervisors and head manager to make sure every corner was secured. This morning Deacon received confirmation that the personal jets are arriving with a 25 minute gap, from two separate locations. Ed will be landing first, as his jet is coming from Melbourne, Australia. Billie's flight is scheduled to arrive 20 to 25 minutes later, from Thuringia, Germany.
"Everyone to their places. Street, you're up!" Deacon called over the talkie
Street was standing by the enclosed corridor meant to receive the artist and his crew as soon as they landed and exited the aircraft. Instead of exposing him, they have asked the airport and one of the airlines for permission to use one of the rolling enclosed walkways that are reserved mainly for larger cargo. The idea was that the attendant would open the door when the security personnel signals, connect the edges of the corridor and then he and his crew would guide the British man through it into a secured area. Then, they would go around the back of the concession stand, into a private parking area where they would load him and take him to the hotel. Street was in charge of the operative with two more men from Deacon's crew. If everything went according to plan, the same would be repeated with the female singer.
While all of this is going on, Deacon, Buck and the other members of the crew and airport security will be on guard for any suspicious movements. Their jobs was to spot anything and immediately remove the threat.
Deacon, Street and Buck will have direct connection with Airport Security Main Room and tower. So, if they see somebody from up above or down in the track, they will receive the warning directly. An earpiece was provided by the company and talkies were provided in the vehicles.
The jet made a smooth landing as it began to line up. Once Street heard the motor being turned off, the flight attendant immediately began working the door.
"Everyone to their places. Street, you're up!" Deacon called on the piece
"HOLD! HOLD IT!" one of the men from the track yelled.
"Hold your positions. Someone from the track spotted something." Street called, as he hunched over, weapon in hand
They waited in silence, breathing quietly, listening to their heartbeats.
"CLEAR!" the heard the voice again
"Ok, move!" he signaled. That same command was then relaid to the captain of the jet, who then told the assistant.
CLICK
The door of the craft made a sound, as the hinges and locks moved. The door swung up as a beautiful skinny lady in an uniform stuck her head out.
"Is it ok to disembark now?" she asked shyly
"Yeah" Street said placing his gun away.
The lady took a step outside, as the men helped her to lock the sides. Street approached the jet and took a peak inside. He noticed the singer was sitting in the back of the plane, head leaning back, mumbling something to himself as he stared at the ceiling.
"Sir? Are you alright?" Street called, looking around.
The blond man did not respond, as three other crew members and personnel gathered their carry on bags and belongings. Street presented himself and shook hands with them. Arthur, the man in the black suit was his manager, Jack with the red tie his promotion director and agent and Melvin was his personal bodyguard, a 6'8, 350 pounder.
After presenting himself and shaking hands, Street made his way through the air carrier to the back. There, he stood in front of the singer, who had not moved or stopped talking.
"Sir?" he asked again, this time startling the man.
He almost jumped out of his chair, saying "Bloody f*ck, mate! You want me dead or what?" he said as he shook his head and tried to catch his breath.
"Oh, I'm sorry. My apologies. Just wanted to make sure you're ok."
"I'm bloody knackered!" he said unbuckling in the chair and stretching his arms, letting out loud grunts along the way.
"Uh...not sure what that means, but ok. I'm Jim Street. I will be head of your security. Welcome to Los Angeles." he said as the singer looked at him attentively.
Ed smiled and offered his fist. "Ed! You seem like a nice man, Jim."
Jim smiled and answered the gesture. He remembered the kids back home, asking him to get the guy's signature and him thinking dude was probably a stuck up or an arrogant prick. So far he's a nice guy.
They finally made their way to the corridor, heading to the parking area.
"Street, halt! Halt!" Deacon radioed on his ear, "Stay with Ed, don't move from his sight. We got movement near the cargo area down below."
"Roger that."
He turned and put both hands up, signaling to stop. "Guys, we have to halt now. Threat spotted."
The two men, plus the three from the craft, the two pilots and the flight attendant gathered nervously, looking at all ways. Street immediately crouched, weapon in hand.
"Street, we spotted one of the guys from the pictures you sent. Your three o'clock!" called Deacon.
He turned to that side and noticed two bellboys approaching with two empty baggage carts. They were young but walked menacingly.
"Órale!" (Hey!) one of them said as he noticed Street's weapon. Both males put their hands up signaling surrendering.
"We just want to help with the bags." said the other with thick Mexican accent
"Don't even think about it, guys. Just walk away." Street warned, as his two partners took out their weapons and lined on each side of his shoulders.
Since that part of the airport was pretty deserted, only one worker actually noticed the confrontation and immediately turned to run.
Meanwhile, the three men plus the pilots surrounded the singer, who was hardly noticeable behind them. The young flight attendant dug into her small backpack and took out her cellphone. She hid behind one of the men and began recording.
"Ok, ok, relax gringo!" said the one with a backpack
"Rivero Sandoval" he heard Deacon on his earpiece
"Rivero? Rivero Sandoval?" he asked as the young man frowned angrily and took a step back.
"Híjole! ¿Cómo c*rajos sabes este gringo mi nombre, compa?" (Hey! How the hell does this gringo know my name, man?) he asked the other guy, as they both took steps away from the cart.
Even though he couldn't understand them, as they continued to talk to each other in Spanish, Street knew he had hit a nerve.
"Be smart guys!" one of his men said as they approached, making a semicircle around the the young men.
"Morgan, secure the guest. Randolph, you're with me."Street said to the guys. He noticed four security personnel rushing from behind the attackers as he turned to his earpiece, "Deac, we got this. Buck, move on."
In a blink of an eye, one of the boys dug into his pants and dropped some sort of smoke bomb in the floor. A giant white cloud spread out as a strong gas spread around them. Somehow they avoided some of the running guards, while others stumbled distracted by the gas.
The two suspects ran off, as Street directed the group through the secure route. Two members of airport security made their way to the group, as the other two went after the suspects following everyone's pointed fingers to the directions the two vandals ran away. The huge white smoke now covered almost seven feet, reaching the group and making some of the men cough.
"Let's go! Let's go!" called Street in between breathes
"Street, talk to me! I heard an explosion." Deacon called
"Suspects dropped two smoke bombs with tear gas. We're getting everybody out of here."
"Roger!" Deacon responded
The group moved to the far end where two big Black SUVs were ready to receive them. Their luggage was already loaded into one of them, the other had extra seating placed down, both vehicles were cooled off and ready to go. The group divided and loaded up the cars.
Morgan drove the first car, carrying the pilots and two of the three men. The second car was driven by Street and had the flight attendant riding shot gun, as Randolph and the bodyguard sat side by side with the celeb.
"Well, that was certainly a rush, wasn't it?" Ed said with a smirk. The rest just shook their heads and giggled.
The bodyguard began asking him questions, just to make sure he was alright, as Rudolph checked his phone and the rest awaited for the signal to depart. They needed Deacon and the airport security to clear the way.
"You were very brave, um...I didn't catch your name." said the flight attendant, almost in a whisper. Her hair was raised up in a messy bun, but her delicate smile and eyes was a nice sight after an attack, Street thought.
"Aw, thanks. I'm actually a cop, so...Name's James Street." he said with a smile
"Nice to meet you Officer. I'm Katie!" she said extending her hand for him to shake.
He took his right hand off the wheel and completed the gesture, as she stared deep into his eyes with a grin.
"You can call me Jim." he said as he heard an incoming order from Deacon
"And you can call me any time you want." she whispered
"Roger that." he said turning his head quickly to the side, then returning to her, "I'm sorry, I was getting instructions. Did you say something?"
She took a deep breath and politely answered, "No!"
"Ok" he then turned to the passengers in the back. "Looks like they're securing the area. We're rolling in two minutes, ok?"
The three men in the back made a pause, heard him and nodded their heads. They continued on. Rudolph actually took the time to make a quick call.
Katie turned and sat sideways, facing Street. She began, "Are you caring for Ed all weekend?"
"Yes. I'm part of the personal security detail here in LA." he said as he removed both hands off the wheel and turned his neck.
"Oh, ok. Ok. Is your wife expecting you or are you staying at the hotel?"
"Uh..." he frowned surprised at the question, "I'm not married...and, uh...yeah. I'm staying at the hotel. It's around the clock private security, so one of use will be up guarding Mr. Sheeran at all times."
"Oh, that must be tiring."
"It's it, but...it's ok. How about you? Anybody waiting for you back home?"
"Not here, no. He's kinda doing his thing and I'm doing mine. Not sure if you know how that's like. "
"I sure do."
"Yeah? No girl in your life."
"Um...it's complicated." he said taking a deep breath
"Street, get ready to move. Buck's in position to receive second package. You leave first, secure the area in the hotel. Make sure one of your men stays in the reception as back up."
"Yes, sir. Ready on your call." he said. He straightened up, put the car on Drive and turned to the passengers. "Alright, we're almost out. Rudolph, when we get to the hotel, you follow me."
"Yes, sir!"
He grabbed the talkie from the dash. "Morgan, be ready to move any second now. Drive straight to the hotel. Wait until everybody unloads and stay in the reception area."
"Copy that!"
CHAPTER 18: Bloody coincidence
"Ed, you alright?" Street asked as he stepped in the room, closing the door behind him
The groups made it safely to the hotel. After checking in, working with LAPD on the police report and other procedures, everyone was secured in their assigned rooms. Only Rudolph, Melvin, the body guard and Street accompanied the singer to his room. Ed had requested single occupancy in the room, so Melvin and Street were to stay on each side of his room. For extra precaution, Rudolph and Morgan were situated in the room right across the hall.
"Yes, Jim." he answered, just before letting out a huge yawn.
Since he seemed overly tired and Melvin had already excused himself, Street figured it was better to let him wash up. Deacon had assigned the trio a rotating schedule to keep at least one by the door of the room at all times. So, Street gathered the desk chair and rolled it to the door, where he took a seat and quietly sat down.
After Melvin and Rudolph did a quick inspection of the room, Melvin chatted with Ed and Jim gave Rudolph the green light to go back to his room. Melvin's conversation was short, as the singer excused him early, to let him get some extra rest. Soon, it was only Ed and Jim in the room.
"Is this part of the security plan?" the singer asked, as he opened his bag.
Two huge bags plus a carry on and a backpack were brought up and placed by the bed, as well as three guitars, each in their own case. He lifted one of the bags unto the bed and opened it. The fact that it was so messy Jim feel great. After all, he wasn't the only chaotic one! The singer rubbed his hair and took out clothing for his night routine.
"Yes, sir! Security around the clock." Jim answered
The singer yawned again, stretching his back and arms. He rubbed his hair into a mess and went for one of the instruments. He opened the gig bag and stroke a few chords.
I thought he was exhausted! Doesn't this guy ever take a break? Jim thought, as he continued to stare at the wall and wonder off.
"Jim!"
Street was startled as he heard the man's voice. He turned to him and noticed he was staring.
"Thank you for your diligence in the airport. Those two were up to no good." the man said with a thick British accent, while nodding once.
"No, problem. I had a heads up before arriving at the airport, actually."
"Oh? Do tell." the singer replied, returning the guitar to its place.
"Well, long story short, my 14yr old heard some guys say they knew what time and which plane was bringing you into LA. Said they would do anything to get tickets for your show, which apparently are the hottest commodity nowadays."
"Good kid!" the singer added, nodding
"Yeah, he's really awesome." Street said proudly
"Pardon me, officer, but... don't you look rather young?" Ed asked, frowning
"Uh...yeah. He's not my blood, but... he's family."
"Oh...is his mum proud too?"
"Yeah, she doesn't get to spend so much time with him, training for work. But, they have a lot in common. Badasses both!"
Ed smiled as he nodded his head. "God, do I know what is like not having time. I need extra hours in the day!" He lamented, approaching the small fridge and taking out a bottle of water.
"Don't we all?"
"Fancy a water bottle, Jim?" he asked offering the bottle
At first Jim froze, then he realize the guy was just offering water. "Oh, no, sir. It's alright. Thank you."
"Stop calling me sir...where I come from Lords are men of the high court or old British storytellers gone mad. I'm neither!" he snapped, annoyed
"Ok." he said with a smirk as the man reached into his bag and retrieved a half empty bottle of water.
" I love children. Tell me about your boy. What is he fancy?" he asked taking a sip and sitting down at the bed, turning to Jim.
"Um...he's really talented, smart, funny, caring...just...unlucky. Life's been hard for the kid. Came to the US from the Caribbean, then escaped a horrible situation after losing his mother in the East coast, then faced trouble here in LA, homelessness. The works!"
"Oh, dear!" Ed lamented
"Yeah, I'm trying to show him there's better. Guide him to the positive stuff, you know?"
"That's admirable...but pardon another inquiry. Perhaps, I'm too nosy."
"It's ok." Jim said shaking his head twice.
"Alright. How come you always speak in singular tone? Is the mum not in the picture at all?"
"Um...it's a complicated matter."
"Oh, alright." he said nodding his head
"Yeah, we haven't really talked...I mean, we both are working to help him and guide him, but between us things are shady, confusing for now. Honestly, I haven't made much of an effort coz she's dealing with a bunch of stuff for a position at work, huge opportunity. A new task force here in the LA, so I want her to focus on it."
"You don't want to be with this woman?"
"I do...I think. I just don't know how she feels...she's doing her thing in the task force for now."
"Wait a bloody minute! Task force you say?" he asked, reaching for his cellphone. His eyes darted out as he moved quickly, nervously.
"Yes" Street answered frowning.
"Oh my! You will not believe it!"
After some seconds the man's jaw dropped as he stared at the screen and then back at Jim, with a huge smile on his face.
"What a bloody coincidence!" he said startled, standing up. He began to read: "James Street, Los Angeles Police Department, SWAT officer from Metro Division."
Street's frowned, showing his disorientation, as he didn't understand the situation. "Yes"
"Oh my!" the singer began to giggle and shake his head.
"What's going on?"
"Allow me to explain." he said approaching Street, "Come and I will show you something."
Street stood up, checked the locks on the door to make sure everything was secured, then walked towards the singer. Ed had taken out a a binder, with many sheets of pentagrams, some filled with musical symbols and others waiting to be adorned.
"Jim, look." he passed several sheets until he stopped at one with the title "Shade". This meant nothing to Street as he could not read music.
The young officer shrugged shyly, which Ed immediately understood as he had no idea what he was looking at. He didn't get it. So, the British man moved quickly and grabbed the guitar again. He began playing cords, creating a quick paced melody and enthusiastic rhythm.
He played for some seconds, as Street listened. Still lost. Ed noticed his reaction and halted his sighed in frustration. Then, he grabbed his cell, clicked on some icons and showed the mobile to Street. A black and white logo with two theatrical masks and the word SHADE was shown on the screen.
"You see, officer. My inspiration most of the time is composed of interesting things that I see or experience. One day, while I was traveling to Italy for an event, I decided to take a break from rehearsal and read the news. I stumbled upon this amazing story of a heroine, from right here in Los Angeles. I found it so fascinating it inspired me to write this song! This brave lady survived an immense fire and almost gave up her life to save her partner, as she was rescued in pieces."
"What?" Jim asked in awe
"Yes. When I first wrote it, I knew I needed a strong female, just like the one in the article. I had met Billie on an award show and she suggested we work together. This was the perfect opportunity! No one more daring than her for a song celebrating the challenges we all face in the shades of fire and passion."
"Wow!"
"Yes, and as my plane was arriving I found an article on this woman, being nominated for a prestigious position in law here in the states. I cannot believe this!" Ed said still stunned
"Me neither!"
She was exhausted! It felt as if she had been traveling for 20 hours, when it fact it was only five and a half! Chris felt her back was screaming for her bed and her body begged for a long nap. However, her brain and her heart pleaded to see her boys. So...as always the toughest organs win the battle!
As soon as she gathered her luggage and was released, she got a ride back home. She dumped everything by the living room, took a bath and went to the parking lot. Then, she went straight to Luca's truck, as she had asked him to borrow it for the weekend, since he was spending most of his time at home assisting his brother with two huge presentations for a restaurant and taking care of two of his father's classic cars. She opened the door, looked into the glove compartment and found the keys. In a matter of seconds she was on her way to Connor's house!
DING DONG
"Hey guys! Keep it down, will ya?" Connor called as the house rattled with high teenage testosterone and voice tones.
He opened the door and recognized the visitor. "Hi, captain!" he greeted with a smirk and a hand extended.
She shook his hand, and answered annoyed "Chris, Connor. Call me Chris, please."
"No captain? Rubio's been telling everybody to call you that!" he said with a giggle as she shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Dad! We ran out of-" Spencer yelled as he started coming down the stairs. He froze after two steps, staring at Chris.
GASP
"Rubio, She Hulk's here!" he yelled turning his back to the adults.
There was suddenly a deep silence as both adults smirked. Chris turned reddish after hearing the nickname.
"Ma?" they heard him call from the room to the left side of the stair case.
He stuck his head out, as did Parker and Calvin. From the other room, the rest of the guests appeared, extra curious.
"AAAAAAhhhh" Rubio yelled when he saw her. The others joined in with laughter, as the teenager dropped his controller, shoved a laughing Spencer to the side and jumped all the way to the door. He threw himself unto her as they entangled into a big bear hug.
"He may be excited to see you!" Connor said giggling, as the rest of the boys looked on from the second floor railing.
"Ma, ¿Cómo estuvo el viaje?" (Mom, how was the trip?)
"Larguísimo. Pero...hablemos en inglés para que ellos entiendan. ¿Está bien?" (Really long. But...let's talk in English so they can understand. Ok?) she said gesturing to the others.
The kid nodded as he pulled away.
She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, while turning to Connor. "Has this fellow here behaved, Connor?"
"Ma, I'm angel!"
"sssshhh" she said placing a finger on her lips
"Oh, yeah! He's the life of the party!" the man replied as the kids cheered
After sharing pleasantries and Rubio giving her a tour of the spaces plus the kids' explanation of the tournament, she asked to talk to him outside.
"Amor, ¿qué tal si visitamos a Jim?" (Love, how about we visit Jim?) Chris asked, more because she wanted to surprise him, but also so Rubio can see them together.
"Pero...¿el no está trabajando?" (But...isn't he working?) asked the teen confused
"Le textié hacen varias horas y me dijo que estarían terminando temprano hoy por que mañana el trabajo empieza bien temprano." (I texted him some hours ago and he said they would be finishing early today because work tomorrow begins very early.)
"Ma, yo le dije a el que estuviera super pendiente porque dos chamacos de mi escuela estaban con nebuleo raro. Ellos tienen muchas conecciones con gangas y eso...no vaya a ser que le hagan algo a pa." (Mom, I told him to be extra careful because two guys from my school were acting really shady. They have tons of connections with gangs and stuff...I don't want anything to happen to pops.) Rubio lamented
"Si, me explicó. Pero creo que leí en las redes que la situación fue controlada y resultó todo bien. Ya deben esar todos en el hotel." (Yes, he told me. But I think I read in social media that the situation was under control and everything turned out well. They should be in the hotel.) she answered
"Ah, pues...ok." (Oh, well...ok)
"¿Qué tal si vamos por un helado y luego paramos en el hotel?" (How about we go for ice scream and then stop by the hotel?) she said going around the truck and opening the driver's side door.
"¡Seguro!" (Sure!) said the excited teen
They both loaded up Luca's truck and headed out.
CHAPTER 19: Surprised
Disclaimer: Strong language and descriptions. Reader discretion is advised!
After such a long day, working with LAPD and a quick meeting with Deacon, it was off to bed for everyone. Both of the guys in his team were exhausted and didn't even waste a minute to head to their room. Street did the same, as he quickly washed up and jumped under the covers.
Bad news? He kept turning and turning and turning. His mind was racing with memories. He kept thinking about them. The two most important people in his life. And the dog! Can't forget about his pet, which feels wrong just thinking about it, but there he was...remembering even the dog!
At one point, he just stopped trying and laid there, staring at the darkness. He kept yawning, but his eyes were wide awake. No sign of his brain shutting down anytime soon.
He removed the covers and sat up, turning on the lamp on the night table. He noticed a small flyer he'd dropped from when he checked in. It was promoting the 24/7 bar service of the hotel, plus the live piano playing every Friday night until 2 am.
I mean...I'm not tired. If I push myself to sleep, it's gonna be worse. I gotta tire out my brain! What the heck? I'm going! he thought as he put on both slippers and grabbed his wallet, exiting the room.
He made his way down to the main floor, through the lounge area and into the bar counter. He sat down on one of the stools, as the bartender greeted him.
"Jim?" he heard a familiar voice
He turned to his left and noticed Katie. She had a drink in hand, which she placed on the counter while she occupied the seat next to him.
"Hey!" he said, with a full Dimple grin
"Waiting on someone?" she said softly
"No. Just came here to get my mind off of stuff." he lamented
"Oh...trouble in paradise?" she asked curiously
"No, just couldn't sleep. How about you?" he answered as she placed her small handbag on the counter.
"Well, I thought I'd treat myself, since it's such a beautiful night!"
"Oh." he said as he noticed the bartender approaching
"Evening, sir. What can I get you?" the man asked placing a napkin in front of both guests
"What drink will you be having, officer?" Katie asked
"None, really, I'm on the job. So..." he said. Then, he turned to the young man behind the counter and said "I'll have some Ginger Ale, please."
As the conversation moved along, Katie and Jim enjoyed good laughter and giggles, as the couple shared much more than just the experience in the airport. Turns out they both enjoyed the same type of movies, had spent time in Long Beach and loved extreme sports. With every passing minute they became closer and closer, both physically and emotionally.
"No lo consigo. He llama'o y llama'o pero no contesta. Tío Deacon tampoco." (I can't find him. I've called and called but he doesn't answer. Uncle Deacon neither.) Rubio lamented as they approached the hotel
"Esta bien, tal vez tiene el cell vibrando." (It's ok, maybe he has his phone on vibrating)
"¿Estará dormi'o?" (Could he be asleep?)
"Puede ser, pero no creo. El me dijo que si podía, que pasara." (Could be, but I don't think so. He told me that if I could, to swing by.) Chris said taking a glance at him.
"Esta bien." (It's ok.) he lamented
"Si no lo vemos hoy, cuando salga de trabajar mañana lo visitamos. ¿Está bien?" (If we don't see him tonight, we'll visit him tomorrow when I get out of work. Ok?)
"¡Sí!" (Yes!) answered the teen excited
They went into the parking lot and the teen was so excited he opened the door before she finished parking the vehicle.
"Amor, ¡tranquilo!" (Honey, relax!) she snapped, shaking her head
"¡Avanza!" (Hurry up!) he playfully hurried her
Chris and Rubio went in through the huge front doors. They asked the receptionist but she tells them that since it's top secret, they're not allowed to give out information about anyone of the guest or security personnel. She informs them they are more than welcome to look for them in the main floor, but elevators only work with a key. So, Chris turns to Rubio and tries to convince him to leave. She promises him to try the next day, but the teen just wouldn't take no for an answer.
He convinces her to give Street another call while he called Deacon. It goes straight to voice. He calls Deacon but it goes straight to machine as well. She's tired so she calls it a night, but the kid insists in looking around. He heads one way, she heads another.
The hotel was beautiful and the environment was lively. Guest wondered around the lounge area, the casino, a small dancing floor in the middle, and by the sides. There were even guests at the pool area.
Chris watched as the kid headed towards the lounge area and the reception counter, while she moved towards the bar and dance area. Many people were enjoying the jam of the DJ, as others just sat and watched him work. When she turned a corner a cold shiver went up her spine as she froze.
There he was! Having drinks and laughing with another woman. She couldn't believe her eyes!
Rat bastard! she thought as she felt a thousand arrows go through her heart and a million tears gathering in her eyes. The knot in her throat was tied up so hard, she couldn't even breath!
How could he? Use Deacon as an excuse to cover up his lie? How long have they've been dating behind her back? Is this the reason why he wanted her in the program? So he could use her name, her place and all her stuff to keep the kid and the other woman?
Her jaw trembled uncontrollably, as tears began to race down her cheeks. She shook her head, swiped as many as she could with her hand, which shook at 100mph, and lowered her gaze.
Was this all a trick? She had a trillion questions and thoughts going through her brain as she saw the woman place her hand on his shoulder. On her man's shoulder! Or at least that's what she thought!
That b*tch! She thought as she observed the lady rest her head on his arm, as she laughed at probably a joke meant for her, but... since she was at work, he went ahead and found a replacement! Motherf*cker! You're dead and your ass is outta my apartment!
Her fury was about explode as the young couple got up from the bar stools and headed to the elevator, together. She shook her head as she watched them laughing, staying close, wait for the elevator and then go in it together. Chris payed close attention as the lady grabbed his hand while the doors closed, making him look her way, as she leaned towards him.
I can't believe him! I bust my ass for a job he insisted on me getting while he messes around with some bimbo? He's gonna get his! This is horrible! She thought as pain spread through her body and tears kept pouring out.
She needed a break...just a second...she needed to breath!
She looked to her right, then her left, then she spotted the ladies bathroom. She went in, let all of her frustration out, yelled and even struck a beautifully decorated chair with her bare fist. She just felt out of it! She grabbed the chair and swung it to the other side of the room!
BOOM
It flew and struck one of the opened stall doors, making a strenuous noise. She leaned against the wall in the vacated area, remembering all the beautiful moments, reliving the memories, listening to the sound of his voice...it just hurt!
She slid down the wall, until she sat down on the floor. She cried and cried, holding his head down...pure despair! She pictured some evil hand coming out of the wall, grabbing her beating heart and ripping it out of her chest! Veins popping out, blood spitting everywhere, her eyes being flooded by blood...the most macabre sight possible! The worst of all nightmares!
Everything hurt!
She will never recover!
CHAPTER 20: Incoming call
"Hey! Hey!" Street called as he grabbed Katie's hand. with his free arm he grabbed her waist to avoid her falling forward.
The young lady had lost her balance once the elevator doors began to close.
"I dont..." she began to say. Her eyes slowly closing, as her jaw dropped
"Katie, you ok?" he asked concerned
What came out of her mouth was inconsistent speech in a whisper. Street figured the woman was intoxicated. It would be irresponsible of him to just leave her and continue on to his floor. So, he grabbed her tight by the waist and walked her to her room. She was dragging both feet, but at least she moved. Slowly but steady they made their way down the hallway, as Street tried to remember which was her room.
"709? 710?" he asked her
Her head was hanging from her shoulders, but Street heard her mumble something like nine, so he assumed Room 709. He grabbed her handbag and immediately found the key.
"Ok, ok...I got you" he said trying to be comforting.
The lady was out of it, as she hold on to his shoulders with one arm while the other lingered in the air loosely. He turned her body to the side as he made his way into the room. The door closed behind him, while she went forward to his face aiming at his lips for a soft kiss.
"Dad, Sammy ate all of my gummies!" Matthew complained
"He wasn't gonna eat them, dad!" he heard Sammy in the back. The two brothers began bickering, going back and forth.
"Hey! Hey!" Deacon called, as he stopped mid sentence on the police report. He needed to calm both of his boys. "Sammy, c'mon! There's a reason why I got both of you a bag!"
Bickering began again, as Deacon shook his head and allowed them to solve it themselves.
"Matthew, relax! We buy another tomorrow in the store. Chillax!" Rubio's voice was heard
"Fine, but little rascal here is not eating any!" Matthew snapped, annoyed.
"You're the rascal!"
"Beaver! Get out! I'm gonna talk with dad!" Matthew complained angrily
"He's my dad too!" the boy snapped
"Call him later! What is it with you? Copying everything I do. Go away!" he complained as Rubio giggled in the background
"Dad!" Sammy called as Deacon took a deep breath
"Mat, be nice to your brother!"
"He's so annoying, dad!" Matthew responded, followed the by the sound of a door slam.
"I hope you two are not spending this weekend fighting so much, Mat! C'mon, you're the older one. You have to have patience with Sammy. We talked about this." Deacon said as he finished the paperwork
"We talked about him not annoying me and that's not working! At all! He better stay with Spencer and Jonah. They squeak louder than the Chipmunks!" he complained
"Be nice!" Deacon repeated annoyed
"Anyway, I got news dad."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah. Connor's taking us to the water park on Tuesday, to a skate park on Wednesday and we're going hiking with Henry's dad to Death Peak on Thursday. Then on Friday, Henry said some guys from his school are planning a Fortnite and COD tournament with prizes. So, Henry convinced his mom to let him stay with Parker, and Calvin's gonna try to convince Uncle Hondo to crash with him for this week. The little kids can't go hiking or participate in the tournament, so it's gonna be awesome!"
"You got all figured out, huh?"
"Yeah! Rex already called his grandfather and Rubio's figuring out how much money we are gonna need."
"I don't want to hear that...you can call your mom for that one!"
"Dad, I need a favor."
BEEP
BEEP
"What?" Deacon asked as he felt and heard some beeping interrupting the call
"Can you talk with Uncle Hondo? You're pretty close to him, so, can you help to convince him? Calvin said his mom's not gonna want to do the drive every day and he really wants to come with us. Dad, please!"
BEEP
BEEP
"I think I'm getting another call, but...just tell Calvin to call Hondo early in the morning, that's when he's usually at his best mood. Either that or after dinner time." he paused, "I gotta go, buddy. Behave and stop fighting with your brother!"
"Ok, dad, thanks. Love you!"
"Love you too!"
BEEP
Deacon clicked on the screen as the image changed.
"Deacon?" called Buck from the other line
"Buck? Everything ok?" he asked panicking, immediately stopping.
Buck had reported that the female singer had requested to go to the pool area to work on an upcoming track. Deacon approved as long as he was with her every step of the way. So, she made her way down with Buck and a small backpack, with a notepad and a pen.
"Yeah, yeah. Everything's under control." Buck said, as Deacon exhaled.
"Good."
"Listen, um...out of curiosity, we're right at the corner, overseeing the parking lot. Um...what is Luca's truck doing here?" Buck asked
"Luca's truck? What?" Deacon said frowning
"I think I'd remember that from my SWAT days. Yup, that's definitely Luca's truck. Did he say he was coming?"
"No, actually that's strange. He spent all this week talking about the spare parts he ordered for his dad's cars, which he's fixing up this weekend. Said he was planning to be home all weekend long."
"Well, it's definitely his truck. If it's not him, who's driving it?"
GASP
"Where's Street?" Deacon asked panicking. He didn't have a good feeling about this!
"Chris!" Buck said in panic, "I don't know. Wasn't he going to bed?"
BEEP
BEEP
"Buck, I got another call."
"Take it and keep me posted!" he said quickly
Deacon clicked on the screen and changed the call.
"Deacon! We got a problem!" he heard Luca's desperate call.
"Luca, slow down! Buck just spotted your truck. Are you in the hotel?"
"No, I lent my car to Chris for the weekend, since I wasn't gonna use it. But listen, Deacon, we got a problem!"
"Tell me!" he said placing all papers away
"Rubio just called me, in full panic mode! He can't find Chris anywhere and security found her cell smashed in the floor of the ladies' bathroom in the main floor."
"What?" Deacon asked startled. He froze, listening closely.
"Yeah, he said they went to the hotel to visit Jim, but couldn't get a hold of him so they separated to see if they could find him in the lobby and by the pool. No luck. Security said footage showed her coming in and out of the bathroom minutes after standing still in the main room, staring at something. Get this!"
"Yeah?"
"She was crying and they found blood in one of the stall doors, which was smashed to pieces. Deacon, I don't like this at all!" he said panicked
"Oh my! Ok, um...let me call-"
RIIIING
RIIIING
"That's the room phone." he said as the ringing interrupted his call
"I told security to find you. They said they were going to review more tapes to see where she went."
"Ok."
"Listen, I'll call Hondo. We'll meet you there!"
RIIIING
RIIIING
The night was beautiful as the crickets sounded loud and the moon shone brightly. The cool breeze was perfect, as Nichelle enjoyed a nice quiet time in the back patio. She sat with a tall glass of pink lemonade, prepared by the chef of the house. He also set up a beautiful charcuterie board filled with delicious cuts of cheeses, hams, artisan bread, olives, melon slices and other delicacies. A candle show lighted up the space under the wooden ceiling and Nat King Cole's The Very Thought of You played softly in the background.
"How my princess and my queen doing?" Hondo said as he joined Nichelle in the double lounge chair. He held a glass of the same drink.
"This is so romantic, Hondo! But...prince and queen." Nichelle said leaning on his arm
"Cess...you forgot that, baby!" he said as he slid his arm around her shoulders.
"He's my prince!"
"You go'n wait til the doc says I'm right, baby. I know what I'm talking about."
"Right! He or she, as long as the baby is healthy, honey, I'll take it!"
"Me too!"
He said as he pulled her close to him and laid a soft kiss on her lips. She smiled, as she looked up at him and their eyes met.
"I love you, baby!" she said tenderly
"I-"
RIIIIING
RIIIIING
Hondo closed his eyes in disbelief. No way that thing was ringing right there and then! Why did he even bring it out to the table? Just horrible timing.
"I swear to God, baby, this right here's somettin I did and I'm paying for it!" he said extremely annoyed
She giggled, as she watched him clinched his jaw and take a deep breath. She placed a soft hand on his chest, "Go on, answer it."
"Nah, it's alright. Tonight, I'm spending time with my baby!" he said as he pulled her face upwards towards his and they began to kiss.
RIIIING
RIIING
"Baby!" Nichelle said as she pulled away slowly
"No! I'll go to whoever's funeral tomorrow!" he said as he leaned forward and they began to kiss again.
RIIING
RIIING
Nichelle pulled away slowly and insisted, "Baby, c'mon! Answer it!"
"Why you gotta be so nice?" he complained as he went for the phone
"Because I am!" she said with a big smile
"Aw, hell nah! If this about that boy, I'ma kill him!" Hondo said looking at Luca's name on the screen "Don't you worry, I'ma spend a bunch on great lawyers, baby! I'll murder him and still come home!"
"Hondo!" she called
"What's up, Luca?" he answered annoyed, clicking on SPEAKER
"Hondo, finally! We got a problem, boss!"
"It better not be your boy Street, Luca! For real!"
"Uh..."
"Damn! What did he do now?" he asked extremely annoyed
"Not him, Chris. She's missing!"
"What?" Hondo said panicked, as even Nichelle paid attention.
"Rubio went with her to the hotel but they can't find her. Security found her phone smashed and traces of blood!"
GASP
Nichelle covered her wide opened mouth, as Hondo's eyes darted out. He turned to her and she immediately said, "Go, Hondo, go!"
"I'm on my way!"
CHAPTER 21: Road rage
Disclaimer: Some strong language. Reader discretion is advised!
"Alright, listen. We figured out what may have happened" Deacon said as Hondo and Luca came in through the enormous front doors.
Deacon, Luca, Buck, Hondo and Roger, the hotel security manager, huddled in the entrance. Buck had secured the singer back to her room and came down as soon as he heard the news.
"Where's Rubio?" Luca interrupted
"I got one of my guys stay with him, but he's pretty shaken up." Roger answered
"I'll stay with him, you guys find her!" Buck volunteered, as he moved out
"So, what happened?" Hondo asked
"You'll never guess. Let's walk." Deacon said as he guided the guys towards the elevator. He continued, "Camera shows Chris staring at the direction of the elevator because Street was in it with the flight attendant, lady named Katie."
DING
"Oh my God!" Luca said grabbing his head as all four stepped into the elevator
"What in the hell?" Hondo lamented
"Yeah. The camera then shows her going to the bathroom, where she makes quite a mess. Nobody came in and out during the time she was there. So, the blood must've been caused-" he began as he placed the key card in the security slot
"By her own fists!" Hondo finished as the doors closed and Deacon hit 7
"She must be devastated." Luca said, then angrily added, "Street's a damn idiot!"
"That boy aint thinking straight. Where's he now?" Hondo asked
"That's where it gets worse. Cameras caught him going into her room and closing the door. Been there ever since."
GASP
"I can't believe him!" Luca said angrily
"What about her?" Hondo asked
"Last time the camera gets her she's running out of the bathroom and into the back stairs. What I can't figure out is how did she know where to go? Because our location and rooms are not disclosed. Right?" Deacon asked turning towards Roger
"No, sir." said the security manager shaking his head
"Well, then, how did she figure out where to go?" Deacon asked
"Oh no! Oh no! God no!" Luca lamented, "Where was Street before he ended up with the lady?" all four men stepped outside
"Bartender says he served him ginger ale before they went out." Roger answered
"What are you thinking, Luca?" Hondo asked turning to Luca, who was grabbing his head
"I know, Chris! She's smart. She must've figured out that the bar was the only thing opened and that he probably met her there. I'm sure if we ask for the phone records they'll show her calling the bar and getting the information of the guests, especially is she used her badge."
"She's must've figured out there room." Hondo added
"We're here!" Deacon said
DING
As the doors swung opened, loud screams were heard. None of the voices were recognizable and the language was foreign to them. The three SWAT officers immediately got in position and in formation, as they excited the elevator. When they turned the corner into the corridor, they noticed the loud noises where coming from a group of four Asian women who were approaching the elevators.
GASP
All four women froze, as they noticed the weapons. They put their hands up, frightened and panicked.
"Oh my God!" said one with a thick Chinese accent while the others sobbed and shook
"Relax, ladies. Relax." Hondo said as he signaled for the others to put their weapon down.
They moved to the side, hugging the wall as they gestured for the ladies to go on. The rest of the hall was empty and calm. The officers tucked their weapons and breathed.
"Luca, you and Roger here check the stairs. Deac, you and I, the room." Hondo ordered
"Copy." Luca said as he and the other men moved quickly
"Woah! Woah! Wait!" Hondo said, grabbing Luca by the shoulder and pulling him back. They all hid behind the corner wall as they heard a door opened and Chris coming out. They noticed the bloody scratches in both her hands as it was clear she had hit her knuckles pretty hard on something.
She was so desperate, she looked everywhere, except to where the men were hiding. They saw her tip toe to one of the doors and listened in, placing her ear on the door.
"Deac, which room is the lady's?" Hondo whispered
"709" he whispered
"Boss, she's one door away!" Roger said pointing at her direction
RIIIIING
RIIIING
Chris immediately turned to their direction. However, the corner wall covered them pretty well, so she couldn't tell much besides the sound.
"Damn!" Hondo said as he clicked shut the phone, but not before reading CALVIN in the screen.
"Who's there?" she called pointing her weapon at their direction.
Hondo nodded once, then all four made it out.
"Hondo?" she frowned
"Chris, put the gun down!" Luca ordered
"Luca, I thought you were gonna stay home." she said as she tucked the weapon behind her back
"What are you doing here, Chris?" Hondo asked approaching her
"What happened to your hands, sis?" Luca asked dissapointed, following Hondo
"I got into a fight."
"Liar...no one came into the bathroom. You punched the door of the stall so hard, you broke it! You probably need stitches, Chris!" Luca snapped angrily
They were interrupted by the sound of a door opening. To their surprise, Street came out in a hurry, but stop dead frozen when he saw the scene outside.
GASP
"YOU BASTARD!" Chris yelled as she lunged towards Street, who was still putting on his shirt, pants sagging on his waist because his belt was loosen. She yelled...and yelled...and yelled...the intensity growing with each fallen tear.
He went backwards, hugging the wall, as Luca went towards Chris. He grabbed her and swung her around. Deacon and Hondo immediately stood by Street, as Hondo grabbed him by the shirt.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Hondo yelled as he grabbed the young officer by the shirt and slammed him against the wall.
"NOTHING HAPPENED! I SWEAR TO GOD!" Street kept screaming
The scene was chaotic as Chris continued to screamed harsh words at him and he continued apologizing, while Hondo scratched his head, wondering what the heck was he going to do. Luca and Deacon had managed to moved her towards the stairs to cool off. Then Deacon turned to assist Hondo and make sure the team leader didn't kill Street.
"Go home, Chris! Wrap that up in ice, take some pills-"
"NO!" she yelled as she yanked his arms off of her.
"Where are you going?" he called as she flew down the stairs
Suddenly, Chris stopped mid step and turned to Luca, with a deadly look, "Luca, listen, DO NOT defend him! He's making a fool outta me, you, Rubio, Hondo, Deacon and the whole planet!" she finished extremely angry
"Ok, ok." Luca said taking some steps towards her, with a soothing voice
"Luca, that lying son of a b*tch isn't worth your friendship! Your loyalty. I gotta face the damn judge in two days, Luca! What the hell am I supposed to do? He's a f*cking idiot!"
"He is. But...cameras show him going to the bar on his own. She almost fell in the elevator, lost her footing-"
"I don't give a rat's ass, Luca! He's dead to me! DEAD!" she finished loudly as she began flying down the stairs again
"Where are you going?"
"If I can't kick him in the nuts, I'll mess up his priced possession!" she called
She continued flying down the stairs until...
SLAM!
Luca made his way down to the main room, still trying to figure out where Chris was heading. He went towards Buck, who was standing next to Rubio. Both guys immediately approached Luca.
"What happened?" Rubio asked panicked
"Did you see Chris running out?" Luca asked
"No. She must've gone through the other side." Buck answered
"What side?" Luca asked confused
"There's another access to the parking lot through the pool area." Buck answered
"Hey Rubio! Could you give us a sec, buddy?" Luca asked turning to the teenager
Rubio nodded, as Luca placed a hand on Buck's shoulder and guided him to the side.
"Buck, I think Chris is gonna do something crazy." he whispered
"What? Why? What happened?"
"Don't tell the kid. She saw Street with another woman."
"No! Oh my Lord!" Buck lamented, as she grabbed his head with both hands.
They turned to Rubio but thankfully the teenager was looking out the window and didn't notice Buck's reaction at all.
"Maybe you can help me figure out where she's going." Luca said
"Ok" Buck responded, nodding
"She said if she can't hit Jim she's going after his most priced possession."
Both men stood quiet for some seconds until *DING*
"His bike!" both said
"Police has it. Probably in impound." Buck said
"Why?"
"He told me the judge took it after the meeting today. So, it must be in 'VIL'." Buck said (Vehicle Impound Lot)
"Damn! If she flashes her shield or rank, they'll let her in, no questions asked."
"Here!" Buck said digging into his pants and retrieving his car keys. "Go get her before she gets herself thrown out of the program for destroying property. I'll stay with the kid."
"Sit your ass down!" Hondo ordered angrily
Deacon and Hondo took Street back to his room, as they tried to figure out what their next move was. Street sat in the bed, head hanging low, quiet as a mouse.
KNOCK KNOCK
"Deacon?" a voice called from the other side of the door
"Come in, Buck!" Deacon said
Buck joined the group, shooting a menacing look at Street.
"Where's the kid?" Hondo asked
"He called Connor and he came and picked the boy up. He's on his way back." Buck said staring angrily at Street, "Just what in the world is wrong with you, Jim?" he asked crossing his arms on his chest, frowning angrily.
Street shook his head and grabbed it with both hands.
"Ok. I wanna know what happened." Deacon said, the only one in the room who was calmed.
"Wait! I want you to know something" Buck interrupted. "Look at me!" he ordered angrily
When Street finally removed his hands and lifted his gaze to him Buck said, "I want you to know one thing: that dream that you told me you always had, and always chased, it's gone!"
"Buck, please don't say that!" he pleaded
"Jim, Luca is racing down to VIL to stop her from destroying your bike, which -heads up- will probably cost you north of 3 grand to fix, especially if she finds a crow bar... coz she told him you're dead to her. Dead, Jim. Dead. Sorry is not gonna help you at all!" Buck said
BZZZT
BZZT
"Let me get Luca!" he said as he read the text. He exited the room in a hurry.
Once Luca joined the room, tempers flared exponentially.
"Bro, you gotta be the dumbest dude I've ever known! For real! This time, don't count on me. You messed this up, you fix it!"
"Luca, c'mon!"
"No, bro, listen to me...I just spent half an hour holding my sis in my arms desperately crying out of her mind because she felt betrayed by the one person she trusted in the whole world. I don't know if you've realized but opening up for Chris is very very difficult. She's been through so much crap, she doesn't trust anyone and she even has doubts about herself. With this...you just dismantled her, man!"
"Ok, stop!" Deacon said putting his hand up gesturing to stop,
"No, Deacon, no! He gotta hear this" Luca paused to take a step towards Street, "Chris was so out of it, man, she went to the VIL, took out a crow bar and smashed your bike to a pulp. I don't know if it truly can be repaired, but...as for her or the relationship, dude? I doubt it. I really don't know how you are even gonna get her to face you! Don't even try to call her because before she smashed the phone, she erased every single social media account she had, every picture, text message...everything! You know what she said? You're dead to her!" Luca said shaking his head.
"Oh my God!" Street said slowly, exhaling deeply.
After some seconds of deep, awkward silence...
"I wanna know why would anyone wanna throw away five-six years of their life to the trash? Why?" he asked turning to Street
"Because he's an idiot!" Luca blurted out
Street sighed, then said "Because I'm an idiot that likes to help people."
"What the hell does that mean?" Hondo asked crossing his arms on his chest, while the others looked perplexed
"I didn't sleep with her or anything. Nothing happened." he said slowly
"What did happen?" Deacon asked
Street shook his head slowly three times, then took a deep breath. He stood and paced the floor as he spoke, "I couldn't sleep so I went downstairs. I went to the bar and that's where Katie came in and joined me. I asked for ginger ale because I'm on the job. So, we have a nice conversation, then she starts feeling woozy." he paused as he noticed the others were paying close attention to him.
"What was she drinking?" Buck asked
"I don't know. I never asked. Pretty strong Vodka smell."
"Go on." Deacon said
"So, I tell her it's better if she calls it a night, but she's so disoriented, she's giggling and loosing her balance, I figured I'd help her up. We get to the elevator, that's when she grabs my hand coz she's falling forward. I grabbed her and drag her to the room. When I close the door I notice she's going for a kiss, which I avoid but in the process she turns and barfs all over my shirt. I can't go around the hotel like this, so I placed her on the bed and took off my shirt to hand wash it in her bathroom. Then, I blow dried it."
"Why were your pants sagging?" Hondo asked
"I had to wash the belt too! I heard the commotion outside and hurried up to leave. I wasn't expecting Chris to be out there, let alone you guys." he paused and sat back in the bed, taking a long deep breath, "Nothing -absolutely nothing- happened!"
"You think Chris will go for that that, Hondo?" Buck asked turning to the angry black man
"Hell nah!" he answered pissed
CHAPTER 22: Old fair
"Hey Calvin! I got your call. Everything alright there?" Hondo asked
"Yeah. Where are you?" he answered
"I'm on my way back home. Was solving an issue. You wanted to talk bout something, boy?"
'Yeah, but...uncle Hondo, something's up and it ain't good." the boy lamented
"What happened?"
"Don't freak out."
"That's not a good way to start, homie!" Hondo said shaking his head, as he made a stop at a red light just a couple of minutes from home
"I know...it's just- What happened with Rubio? Ever since Connor brought him, he's been down. Real quiet, like. I hope he doesn't run."
"What makes you think he's gonna run?"
"Coz when we went camping, he told us some stuff that happened when he was homeless. I 'ont want him to go back to the streets, uncle Hondo. What happened with him? Or his parents? Do you know?" the boy asked as Hondo sped along to the green light
"Listen, Calvin, his folks are not in a good place right now. Whatchu need to do is help him out. Get his mind off of it coz aint nothing he can do about adult issues."
"Is he going back to foster?"
"I don't know."
"I hope not. The guys here have tons of plans this week and I...well..."
"Yeah?"
"Mom's not gonna want to drive me back and forth and I still have a full year to go to get my driver's license, uncle Hondo. They're going to water parks, skating, hiking, all those stuff. She's always on my back bout not hanging out with the bad crowd but them white dudes she wants me to hang out with always look at me down coz I'm black. These guys, they don't mess with me, they're actually cool."
"You like hanging out with 'em?"
Hondo turned off the engine and stepped inside. Nichelle was in the kitchen counter swiping through her phone and drinking tea. Hondo rolled his eyes and greeted her with a soft kiss. She gestured to the cup, to offer tea, but he shook his head. He opened the fridge and went for a bottle of water.
"Yeah, they aint stock up, they aint treating me like crap and they aint bullies. Plus, this Rubio kid is so cool."
"Life of the party, huh?"
"Yeah, I hope his parents don't split up, that he gets to stay with them."
"It's complicated, young man."
"I know, but um...I wanted to ask you if you help me out? I wanna hang out here with my dudes!"
"Whatchu need?"
"Can I stay with you? Just for this week, uncle Hondo. You know momma always be saying we should spend more time together."
"Yeah, but a whole week? Listen, Calvin, I gotta consult that, coz I don't live alone no more and I got tons of work."
"I aint gonna be a bother, uncle Hondo. I did an internship and got paid." he said while Nichelle made hand gestures
"Why not?" she whispered
He shrugged. "Baby, it's a lot!" he whispered back
She shook her head and returned to her cellphone.
"C'mon, Hondo. Just this week!"
"Aight, let me think about it. Give ya momma a call too, coz you be doing stuff like you grown now! You forget you only 15!"
"I know, I know. You gonna let me know tomorrow?"
"Boy, you better not be rushing me!"
"My bad, Hondo."
Sleeping was a nightmare...Street couldn't concentrate! Tossing and turning... Morpheus definitely won that hide and seek game! He knew he needed to stay sharp. He was lucky enough Deacon let him finish the job! It was only because there was no way he was going to find a good replacement with such a short notice.
He went to the breakfast bar and looked for the tallest cup he could find, filled it up, drank it and went for a second cup. He needed the extra caffeine! Today promised a full day of meetings and a 10 hour shooting by the bay. Complicated business!
His mind was on lockdown. His home, gone. His girl, gone. His kid, gone. Everything lost on a booty call...or at least that's what it seemed! To the whole world!
"Officer Street?" he heard a voice from behind him
It was Katie, but...she looked pale, sick, lost. Street couldn't be mad at her, he could only blame himself for last night! But he did feel sorry for the lady because she looked terrible.
"Good morning." he said as he noticed Buck and Deacon observing from one of the tables by the window
"I need you to come with me." she said as she went past him.
He frowned, but didn't ask questions. She directed him towards the table where Deacon, Buck and two of the officers on duty were at.
"Gentlemen." she greeted as the man made silence upon her arrival
"Good morning" everyone repeated in the table
Street nodded once at each one of them, as the lady cleared her throat. Her eyes became watery, as she took a deep breath.
"I want to inform that I just came from the hospital. The doctors found traces of a drug similar to Rohypnol in my system. My rape kit came back negative, thank God and thanks to this man." she said as tears came racing down her cheeks. She turned sideways gesturing to Street, "Instead of taking advantage of me, he placed me on the bed. I had terrible pain, loss of memory...I grabbed an Uber and went to the hospital."
"Oh my God! Are you alright, miss?" Buck asked concerned, as the other gentlemen stopped eating
"I am. I don't quite recall much of anything last night, except that by the time, I spotted Jim, I was already feeling funny." she said, then turned to Deacon, "Sgt. Kay, I don't remember anything else of last night" she began as the lump in her throat made it harder to speak, "but I want to apologize to you, to Officer Street, and everyone here for my actions." she finished crying and sobbing
"Ma'am, it's ok." Deacon said as he stood and placed hid arms on her shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Jim. I don't know what I did. I swear." she said between sobs, lowering her gaze
"It's ok, Katie. The important thing is that you're ok." Street said comforting
"We need to find this man. Let me call someone from the precinct." Deacon said
After a series of meetings, transporting the singers back and forth, they finally made their way to the set. The old fair had been completely transformed. More than 15 trailers blocked lined up to each side of the entrance, as a huge fence surrounded the entire perimeter. Not much had been done to the old structures and only some sweeping was done to the ground. It seemed the producers really wanted to go with the dirty, old, abandoned look.
Huge statues of gargoyles, witches, angry ghosts, killer clowns and other scary characters were basically the only decoration in the space. The shooting was going to be concentrated in the Ferris Wheel, the old concession stands near it and the space to the beach side.
If there was something even weirder than the set up was the costume and make up selection. Every one of the dancers and extras had to wear a black or white theatrical mask, except for the singers who wore the only two colorful ones. The attire reflected misuse, burn, injury, bloody bodies, exposed organs or tissues, torn clothing, etc. It was a scene from a horror movie combined with a Sci Fi thriller!
Later in the morning, Street was accompanying Ed to trailer six to finish dressing up, while Buck and his crew accompanied Mrs. Eillish to trailer 17 for a quick lunch. The singers were placed far apart by request. Billie preferred a trailer nearest to shore, while Ed preferred closest to the instruments and props.
The guy really loved goofing around but at the same time was devote to his music. In the morning. He skipped breakfast to complete voice therapy, followed by individual chord exercises and quick yoga session. Before beginning shooting he had relaxation sessions and a healthy brunch.
The female singer couldn't be more different! She had a huge breakfast, only met with a vocal coach once and was having a nice hearty lunch.
The day went by extremely slow. After over nine straight hours of shooting, rolling, editing and everything in between, it was time to call it a day. It was almost eleven when the producers dismissed everybody. Both artists were beat and the security crew was dog-tired.
After wrapping things up with the team, Deacon called Street apart to talk.
"Hey! Nice job today."
"Thanks! No incidents, no fans out of control. Everything ran smooth."
"Perfect!" Deacon said nodding once. "Now...how are you holding up?"
"I'm happy I could do good for Katie. God knows what would've happened."
"Yeah." Deacon said, as Buck turned the corner and nodded his head towards him. Street didn't notice, since his back was to him.
The older gentlemen had excused himself, went downstairs to meet someone and headed for his car.
DING DONG
"Coming!" Luca called as he made his way to the door, "Chris, you better not eat it!"
"Nope!" she said eating the last dumpling while he went to the door. Rubio laughed hysterically, as Terry giggled, with his mouth full.
"Aw, c'mon, sis! Not the last dumpling. You owe me an order now!" he lamented, pointing at her while she stuck her tongue out.
"Luca, it's me. Hondo. Open up!" everyone heard the serious tone in his voice and the mood completely changed
CHAPTER 23: We care
Disclaimer: Strong language presented. Reader discretion is advised!
"Hondo?" Chris mumbled, as she stared at the puzzled frowns on the faces of the other two in the table.
An awkward silence followed, as the group waited for Luca to open the door. Tension was so thick and evident that the only sound in the whole house was of intense heart beats.
Luca finally made his way to the door, unlocked it and opened it. Hondo was waiting by the front of the house. The sitting guests missed when he nodded once to Luca and he answered with the same gesture.
"Boss, what are you doing here? It's late." Luca said sounding surprised
"I'm looking for Captain Alonso." he said sternly, crossing his arms on his chest and sporting an angry frown on his face. He said it loud enough to cause the walls to shake, sending the only female in that house towards the door.
She placed her hands in her pants pockets and looked at Hondo suspiciously.
"Hey Hondo" she greeted shyly
"Hey? That's all you gotta say for yourself?" he paused looking to the left, then to the right. "Captain?"
She stared at him and swallowed hard. She could sense he was mad, but honestly, she came to Luca's house to lower the adrenaline rush and just forget about everything. She was not about to get lip from her former boss.
After an awkward silence, Hondo took two steps towards her, then stopped as he noticed Rubio and Terry approaching the door. He took a step back, then said "Hey Terry! How bout you take blonde back to Connor's?"
Rubio and Terry exchanged looks, as Luca nodded once to his brother. Terry immediately got the message and placed a hand on the teenager's shoulders.
"C'mon, buddy!" he said leading the kid outside, past all the other adults.
Rubio stopped mid way, turned to Chris and the others. He said, "Ma, espero que te sientas mejor. Te quiero mucho" (Ma, I hope you feel better. I love you very much!) he lowered his head and continued to the car. Chris nodded and showed half a smile.
As soon as Terry's car hit the road, the adults breathed calmly. Attention shifted to Hondo, who now was standing just besides his car, parked right in front of Luca's house.
"Tayshawn, a homie of mine from the VIL, said there was a commotion in one of the lots, where a motorbike was destroyed to pieces! While in police custody...which is a felony! Camera shows a mad women going at it with a crow bar! Amazing batting swing, by the way! You should hit the try outs for the local Triple A team, Captain!" Hondo said sternly
"Whatever!" she said, stopping herself from swearing at her teammate. She turned to head inside, but Luca stepped in the way.
"Chris!" Hondo called, making her stop and turned around. She was now extremely pissed, and her face clearly showed it.
"Chris, relax." Luca said softly
"What is this, Luca?" she asked as she shot menacing looks at both of them.
"I spoke to him and we smoothed things out, which means, I'ma ask you for a favor and you can't really say no, Chris." Hondo said sternly
Chris titled her head and frowned. "Yeah?"
"I got someone here that wants to tell you something."
"NO!" she yelled, wide eye, fist closed (as much as possible!). Her nostrils blew out hot air as she stared angrily at Hondo. "I don't wanna see him Hondo. I'm not kidding!"
"Relax, Chris!" Luca said placing both hands out
"It's not a he. Calm down!" Hondo said calmly
"What the hell is this? Some kind of intervention or something? Luca!" she demanded angrily, turning towards Luca
"Relax, ok?" he said calmly
She took several steps away from them, as she went to her car.
"Chris, wait! Just wait! Please!" Luca said.
"Chris, listen to me! I'll be right here. I aint even mad at you-"
"How can you? He's an idiot, Hondo!"
"He is!"
"So, why are you both acting on his behalf?"
"We're not. We're here because of you! You deserve to hear the truth."
"The truth about what?" she asked loudly
"You promise to calm down?" Luca asked softly
Chris just stared at him and shook her head slowly. Her hands began to throb in pain, making her grimace and pinch her lips.
Luca turned to Hondo and the latter moved towards the passenger side door.
"Chris, just listen." Hondo said as he turned to the door and clicked to open it.
There was an awkward moment of silence as Chris moved forward towards Hondo, closely followed by Luca. Katie sprung from the car slowly.
Chris froze, confused. It took her three full seconds to recognize the woman from the elevator. Eyes blurted out, blood rushed to her brain and suddenly she didn't even feel her hands at all!
"What the f*ck is this? What the hell is she doing here!?" she yelled as she turned to Luca, "Hondo, you gotta be out of your damn mind!" she lunged towards the shy lady!
"Chris! Chris!" both men yelled as Hondo blocked the path to the car and Luca moved in front of her.
"Why are you doing this to m-?" she asked as she couldn't even finish the question because the waterworks began. Her jaw trembled, her throat closed up and her hands immediately went to cover her face.
"Because we care about you!" Luca whispered as he wrapped his giant arms around her shoulders. Hondo came in and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. They stayed like that for some seconds while she calmed herself. After some seconds, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down, pulling away from his arms, slowly.
"I'm sorry, sis!" Luca said comforting
"Chris, just...breathe. Ok? Breathe!" Hondo said softly, leaning towards her
Chris just stared at the ground, wiping her tears and shaking her head. Hondo placed an arm on her shoulders and turned her around, to face the awaiting lady, who to their surprise had also shed some tears of her own.
Chris turned her head sideways, to avoid her stare and control herself from lunging towards the lady and breaking her face! She clinched her jaw shut and breathed quickly, still sobbing softly. How could she? She had some nerve showing up here? She just spent a moment with him inside of a hotel room! What the hell did she want with Chris?
"Chris, listen to me. Ok?" Hondo said taking a step sideways, pulling himself away from her ever so slowly. "This is Katie. She was victimized yesterday by some low life that spiked her drink with a new drug, same components as Rohypnol. Surveillance confirms it's the work of 'Black Suite', a serial rapists racking up enough victims to land him number three in Hollywood Division's most wanted list with over 9 assaults in just three weeks. Same MO: drugs them, takes them, strangles them and leaves their body in a dumpster site."
Chris stared turned into a frown as she was calmer. She took several steps towards the lady who was sobbing quietly. She couldn't help but to feel guilty!
"Sis, she went to Street for help. She was already feeling woozy by then. Camera shows her walking awkwardly, which is one of the effects of the stuff this creep uses. That's why he helped her into her room." Luca said as Chris kept staring at the sobbing lady.
"He told us she vomited on him, which is another effect of the drug. Victims are usually dehydrated before he snatches them. Street went to the bathroom to wash it off, including his belt, which is why he was dressing up when he came out of the room. Police found traces of vomit in the floor and around the bathroom sink." Hondo added, as Chris now turned to him and Luca.
"Chris" Luca called, as he approached her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "She told the guy she knew a cop and headed towards Street, making him split. If it wasn't for Jim, she probably wouldn't be standing here." he finished gesturing towards Katie.
Chris bowed her head, now regretting her visit to the impound and smashing her phone.
"I'm so sorry. I-" Katie said pausing to wipe her tears, "I didn't know what else to do. I don't remember anything, but...I am sorry if I caused any pain to you, to him or your family. I swear, it was not my intention!" the lady said before bursting into an intense cry
Hondo went to the car, took out a box of tissues and offered the lady. Then, he placed a hand on her shoulders and waited patiently for her to get it all out. Meanwhile, Luca did the same as Chris joined in the water party.
Back in his hotel room, Street kept thinking about them. As he washed up for bed, he couldn't think of anything else. He got in bed and for the second night in a row, turned everything off and went to bed with a thousand thoughts racing around in his brain. He stared at the darkness for over an hour, until he couldn't take it anymore. This time, he needed to talk to her, get everything off his chest!
He put on a shirt, his Crocs, grabbed his wallet and his car keys (her car keys to be exact!) and headed out. He went out the hotel and headed straight home where he hoped he could put an end to this miserable day. He arrived and noticed Luca's truck already parked nearby, so... He stepped out and took a very very long breath. He needed to be strong because he knew what awaited him was intense. He needed to prepare as if he was one of the 300 Spartans in the Battle of Thermopylae!
He stood by the door some seconds, pondering and replaying the movie that had been on his mind since yesterday night. He was ready to beg until his knees broke!
He took one last breath, swallowed hard and turned the knob. He opened the door slowly, peaking his head through. Silence. The kitchen was sparkling clean, the living room marvelous and the dining room table spotless. He tip toed his way in just to be heartbroken when he saw it...
GASP
No! Please no! he thought, feeling a thousand sharp daggers go straight through his heart.
A pile of black plastic bags, with his boots on the side and his SWAT backpack laid right next to the front door. He shook his head when he took a step and recognized one of the sleeves of his favorite black leather jacket sticking out of the bag laying on top of the pile.
No! Please! I don't wanna leave! My life's over! he thought, fearing he had lost his family for good.
His heart chattered...his soul in pieces...
CHAPTER 24: Get out!
This couldn't be happening. No! No way was she kicking him out...what was going to happen with them? With Rubio? What about their meeting with the judge? If the adoption happens, she wont let him sign next to her name, which meant he would have no rights to his own kid. Besides this, where would he go? Also, thanks to the judge, he didn't even have a form of transportation any more! This was a disaster!
He looked around, not able to move, let alone produce a sound. His brain was in a coma! His body just worked enough to move his neck from side to side, as the rest of his muscles and organs were idled.
Suddenly, the door to the bathroom swung open and Chris came out. She had her back to the front of the apartment, so she couldn't see him. She bent over to pick something, having a towel wrapped around her head, which she usually does right after she washes her hair. She uses that awesome shampoo that he absolutely adores and hypnotizes him, making him run his fingers through her hair and give her kisses on the neck every single time! As a matter of fact, the aroma of the sweet scent spread all over the apartment as he breathed it deep, making him grin in agreement and comfort.
"Topo, ¡ven, mi amor!" (Topo, come here, my love!) she called
The little pup came running from the main bedroom towards her as she turned, still her back to Jim, to the kid's room. She went into the room and Jim could hear the sound of her opening the dried food and pouring in a small quantity in the dog's metal bowl.
"¡Buen provecho!"* she said cheerfully as she came out of the room and removed the towel.
*No real translation in English. Closest in meaning is: Enjoy your meal*
She went into the room and Jim could hear her combing her hair. She came out with the towel in hand and...froze!
GASP
"You've got some nerve coming here!" she said as her face expression completely changed. She went from pleasant and content to angry and infuriated.
Jim showed both hands in front of him and took a step back, leaning against the closed front door. "Chris, please...can we talk? Please!" he begged
"Get out of here, Jim! I'm warning you!" she said in a threatening tone. She stuck a hand out, gesturing to the door.
"Nothing happened, Chris. I swear. Please, don't do this!"
"I don't have time for this!" she said extremely annoyed, placing the towel in the bathroom. "Go and have fun with that chick!"
"I didn't have fun. I couldn't sleep so I went to the bar. Only had ginger ale and a conversation. Period."
"You mean you flirted?"
"No, we just talked. But..."
"But what?"
"Being with her felt wrong-"
"Right"
"Coz all I could think about is being with you...and how much I missed our kid. I even thought of the dog! I missed being home, Chris!"
"My apartment, under my name!" Chris snapped, as she came into the kitchen.
Street sighed as she hung his head and regretted ever mentioning the place. Chris went to the fridge and retrieved a water bottle. All this time Jim just stared at her, silently.
"Get out!" she said stopping mid way to the bathroom and turning towards him. She continued to the bathroom, opened the medicine cabinet and took out a bottle.
"Babe, please-" she raced out
"Excuse me! Do NOT call me that" she said loudly, popping open the bottle and taking two pills, one by one, with huge gulps of water in between.
"Nothing happened between me and the lady. She was drugged, I helped her up and what you saw was because she vomited on me. I swear, Chris. Please don't do this! Let's talk!" he begged motioning to the bags.
Chris finished the water bottle quickly, placed a hand up signaling to stop and then threw the bottle in the trash. "Just go!" she said sternly, turning around heading to the bedroom. "By the way, the car is under my name. So, leave the keys, take your bags and figure out how to get back to the hotel. Don't let the door hit you on your way out, officer!"
Street was so frustrated, he just hung his head and shook it slowly. He had no idea how to proceed.
Meanwhile, Chris went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She turned off the small lamp by her bed, as now only the light coming in from the window lighted up the space. She lifted up the giant t shirt, unhooked her bra and removed it, hanging it on the closet door handle. She let out a huge sigh as she began to feel the effects of the Melatonin. She groan as she stretched her arms up, feeling the tissues, tendons and muscles of her whole body tired and ready for a well deserved rest. She took a deep breath and sunk in the bed, wrapping herself comfortably between the sheets, which she replaced earlier since the ones that were displayed were half on the floor and half on the bed, with a strong male stench.
She took another deep breath as she felt so comfortable between the warm bed covers and the chilly breeze coming in from outside. She turned to the side, as she always preferred sleeping facing her right side and hugging the pillow, while keeping her legs mostly straight. She was slowly sinking in, when she heard the slight sound of the door opening. She felt the bed move just a touch as the warm body accommodated next to her, to her backside.
"Shouldn't you be in Room 709?" she whispered, not moving a muscle
"No. I'm where I'm suppose to be...with my dream girl!" he said as he turned to his right, placing his arm over her left arm, which was bent towards the pillow.
She removed his hand softly, then moved her body to face upwards. She turned her neck towards him, "Didn't I tell you to go?"
The shallow light coming in through the window highlighted a look of despair and sadness on his face as he answered, "I don't wanna leave, Chris. This is home!"
She was so hurt, so mad, so furious...she just wanted to call him off! Liar! Cheater! She just...couldn't help but to push the lonely tear back, as it fell innocently down her left cheek, causing him to feel even worse than he had felt since arriving there.
He lifted his upper torso, went towards her and carefully grabbed her face with his left hand, while using the other arm to keep his balance. He slowly approached her, then planted a soft kiss on her lips whispering "I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry."
He could smell the soothing sweet aroma of the shampoo, while they entangled in an intense kiss. Eyes closed, tongues compromised, her hands grabbing his face, while he ran his fingers through her wet hair.
Suddenly, she pulled away, placing her hand on his mouth, "You're an idiot!"
He nodded his head silently, letting out a sigh. She removed her hand from his mouth and placed both elbows on the mattress, lifting her upper body.
"Hondo and Luca, as always, saved your ass. They told me what happened. They explained about the drug and the suspect and stuff." she said sternly
"Nothing happened." he added softly
"Doesn't mean you didn't flirt with her!" she snapped back sternly, shaking her head
Street bowed his head, and calmly said "I didn't! We just talked."
"Really? So...what did you do when she asked you if you were seeing someone?" Chris asked.
Street knew he had to pick his words carefully, as he noticed she was clinching her jaw, probably holding a bunch of curse words back.
"I...kinda...told her...that...it was...sort of-" he stuttered
"You know what? Forget it!" she angrily interrupted and turned her back to him, pretending to go back to sleep
"Listen, listen!" he said placing a hand on her left arm, "I just told her it's complicated, ok?"
"Are you serious?"
"Chris, I'm sorry, but...I'm confused as it is! We haven't really talked about it and I don't even know what we are at this point!"
"And that gives you the right to just go around flirting with chicks?" she paused as she abruptly sat up again,"I surround myself with men, day in and day out, Street. Take a guess on how many hit on me, daily." she snapped angrily, making a dramatic pause, "How would you like it if I just went around opening my mouth to all of them?! Even one! It's the same, Street!"
He just bowed his head and shook his head, letting out a long sigh.
"Listen, I'm tired and the pills are really kicking in, if not we would talk about it right now. But we definitely have to talk about us before we tell a judge that we're taking in a kid! Street, that's a lifetime commitment and I'm not planning to go through this stuff again. Take the time to think bout what you wanna do and tomorrow, after shift, we'll talk. For now...I just really need to sleep!" she finished angrily.
She turned to her side and yawned silently, as she accommodated herself once again. Street, who had settled in next to her, had remained quiet, until...
"Chris?" he paused, to turn his neck towards her, he also needed to breath as the huge lump in his throat made it challenging to talk, "did you really pack all of my stuff?" he finished with watery eyes.
She turned her head to the left, trying to get a glimpse of him. She could see from the corner of her eye that he was hurt.
"That's just all the dirty laundry I found across the apartment, you pig!"
She heard when he let out a huge gasp of air, as he caused the bed to move slightly when landing his head on the pillow. He sat up again, abruptly, stretched his thick arm across from her and opened the closet door. There, all of his shirts, shoes and pants still hung unmoved making him breath normally again.
He slid the door back and repositioned himself on the bed.
"Babe, please don't ever scared me like that. I was devastated!"
She sat up again, but this time showed calm as she answered, "Now you have a small glimpse of what it felt like being humiliated in front of my teammates and friends with you half dressed coming out of a hotel room!"
He turned his neck towards her and nodded slowly, "I wish I could go back. I really do. Be straight with her since our first conversation in the airport." he paused as she leaned back on the pillow, facing up. "I don't want you to ever feel like that, babe. I love you!"
Chris turned sideways again, as she responded "I love you too...sometimes."
"I deserve that." he whispered
She closed her eyes, which were becoming heavier by the second, and took a deep breath, when suddenly...
"Chris?"
She sighed loudly, now getting annoyed. "Jim, go to sleep."
"Are you not wearing a bra? Coz we technically made up-"
"Listen to me" she snapped angrily, raising herself so abruptly, it even scared him, "do not even think about make up sex... coz if you make a move, I guarantee you, Street, you'll be peeing blood! For a while!"
The light of the reflected off of her face, which showed an intense menacing angry look that could scare even the toughest villain the Marvel universe!
"Yes, ma'am!" he answered as he sunk his head into the pillow, intimidated by her furious expressions.
She stood for half a second, then slowly shifted back into position. "Good night!" she said sternly, closing her eyes.
A cold breeze entered the room in that moment, as both grabbed on to the covers and submerged themselves deeper within them. As Street closed his eyes, now relieved that his life wasn't completely over, he felt a slight movement in the bed as his female companion had slipped her body backwards, caressing his right side.
A slight grin spread through his face as he turned to his right and wrapped his massive arm around his damsel in distress, heading both to the land of dreams. Morpheus rode the carriage as they both closed their eyes feeling the warmth of each other's bodies.
Temperature in Los Angeles had become so unreliable and ever changing that the local news could report each end of the spectrum in one day! Today was no exception as the cold and chilly temperature of the night and early wee hours of the morning quickly dissipated into a steaming and humid morning.
As Chris began to leave the state of oblivion and opened her eyes, she felt thin droplets of sweat going from her forehead down to the left side of her face. What she thought was drool was actually sweat that was falling very slightly unto the pillow. For some odd reason she felt scorching hot and sinking into the mattress, being pulled down by a heave force. She couldn't turn her neck as something was pinning her down, something so heavy, none of her muscles were allowed to move either.
She squinted her eyes to a full lighted room and realized Street was peacefully snoring, his body on top of hers. Seems in the night she must've rolled unto him and he unto her, but she was sweating profusely and getting cramps, with that amount of weight pinning her down.
"Jim, you're heavy!" she complained softly.
She couldn't even wipe the sweat because both arms were resting to her side and each of his arms were on the way. Unfortunately for her, Street did not even move! It seems that he was not ready to leave dreamland.
"Street, off! You're crushing me!" she yelled as he was startled
The drop that fell on the pillow was definitely drool, as the young officer half opened his eyes in complete panic.
"What happened? What?" he asked panicking, moving his head from side to side, aimlessly.
She stuck her arms out, moving his body slowly, as he was still trying to understand the situation. "Sorry, sorry, sorry" he mumbled, scratching his head and squinting his eyes to the hot sun rays coming from the window.
She took a deep breath and stretched her arms up. "You're heavier, Street!"
"You're saying I'm fat?" he asked letting out a loud burp
"Geez!" she complained disgusted with the smell of bad breath and garlic. She turned her head sideways, as playfully pushed him backwards, "you're such a pig!"
BURP
"Just be thankful it's coming from the mouth!"
"Urggghhh! Smells like garlic, Jim!" she complained
"Sorry. I had pasta with garlic bread for dinner, Chris! Relax!" he said annoyed, as he continued to pass gas through his mouth, but keeping it closed. He rubbed his belly and scratched under the covers, while she stretched.
"Uh oh. Incoming" he said turning sideways from her.
It took her a couple of seconds, until she finally got it. She opened her eyes wide and with both hands, pushed him out of the bed. "You fart in my bed and I'm gonna kick your ass out, Street! Bathroom, now!"
He didn't fight her off at all, instead he giggled his way to the bathroom while she continued complaining.
After making the bed, Chris went to look for her phone. She was surprised she didn't hear her alarm...maybe she was early. She couldn't find her old desk clock, so for now she had to rely solely on her cellphone. She intended to gather both males and inquire about the apparatus later on!
After putting on her bra, she grabbed her folded uniform from the top of the dresser, where she had left it along with clean underwear neatly placed. The ideqa was that int he morning all she had to do grab everything and head for the shower before going out. When she finally found her cell, she clicked on the home button and...
"OH MY GOD!" she yelled
She forgot to take the phone off vibration and so...the alarm never actually went off!
"Oh no! I'm so dead!" she repeated over and over again, as she moved quickly into the bathroom. "Get out, I need to go."
She literally kicked Street out the door midway through brushing his teeth, panicking and moving extremely quickly.
"What is it, Chris?" he mumbled with the brush still in his mouth
"It's twenty minutes past my alarm, which means I only have like 20 minutes to get my ass downtown for a huge meeting with the chief's board and members from the city council. F*ck!" she answered extremely frustrated.
"That's enough time. Relax!"
"I don't have a bike that can fly past every red light in the city, Street! Not to mention hundreds in speeding tickets!"
"Hundred? Ha! Try thousands. One year I had 2 grand on tickets." he said giggling
"Which is why I'm teaching Rubio how to drive and he's not ever getting a bike while I am alive! Ever!"
"Hey! I'm offended by that. I can be a great teacher for him."
"Are you out of your mind? Hell to the no!"
"You wanna do everything around here! Not fair. I should be able to contribute too!"
"Yeah, taking out the trash!"
"Funny! Hilarious, babe!"
He heard her close the faucet and move quickly around the bathroom. After some minutes the door swung opened and Chris came out, moving a thousand miles per second.
"Hey! Um... Jealous Chris was kinda sexy!" he said leaning over the door frame as he admired her, still fidgeting with her uniform
"Oh yeah? Wait til you see how your bike ended up in the pound! See how sexy you think I'll be after that!" she said quickly taking out her makeup bag.
"What? Wait! What do you mean?"he asked startled
"After the whole thing in the hotel, I went psycho mad and went at your bike with a crow bar."
GASP
"What?" he said as his jaw dropped tot he ground
"Yeah, was gonna get in trouble coz it's a felony but Hondo helped me out." she said with a grin, as she closed everything, organized her stuff and put on her uniform shoes. She made her wait to the kitchen and took out the jug of orange juice.
"What happened to my baby?" he asked panicking, both hands on his head.
She quickly poured a small amount of liquid onto a glass, drank it and returned to jug to the fridge. "It's probably on its way to the junkyard."
"What? Stop!" he said as she stopped midway to the bedroom and turned towards him.
"I'm sorry, ok?"
"Chris, I love that bike! How did you- oh my God!- how could you- I- Oh my God!" he stuttered as he moved nervously
"Hey hey!" she said as she went to him and placed both hands on his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'll make it right, ok? I gotta go. Sorry." she said seriously
Street was in a state of shock so bad that his mouth was opened but nothing came out. After some seconds, he placed his arms down and took a deep breath. "Pleas tell me you're kidding! I love that bike, Chris!"
"I'm sorry. It didn't really help when I saw you coming out of a hotel room half dressed, Jim!"
"Nothing happened, Chris!" he snapped, as she gave him a kiss on the cheek, opened the door and left.
I should've cheated! he thought angrily, standing alone in the empty apartment.
CHAPTER 25: Don't be cheap
There was nothing better than a good run on a quiet Sunday morning. The soft warm beach sand under his feet felt relaxing as he jogged listening to his favorite tunes. The soft rays of the sun created the perfect temperature and climate to sweat some pounds off but not scorch under the heat. The heavy droplets fell continuously down the back of his neck with every step he took.
Once he was satisfied, he took his running jacket off, as well as his shoes and headed for the water. He placed his belongings together just 10 ft from shore and went towards the water.
What a refreshing plunge! The water was the perfect temperature against the hot body. The waves were easy, allowing for a nice swim.
After 20 minutes, he was good to go. He rummaged his hair with his hands, then placed the jacket back on. As he was exiting the beach...
RIIING
RIIING
"Yellow!" he answered cheerfully, as he put on his shoes and began walking home. The 25 minute walk was probably going to be interrupted by a quick stop to get some refreshments.
"Good morning. May I speak with Dominique Luca?" said a male voice he didn't recognize
Oh no! What did Terry do now? he thought as he was beginning to lament answering the call.
"Yes, sir. Who is this?"
"This is Jeremy Owens, from Jr. Dodgers Kids Club. We have your number as alternative contact in regards of Ezequiel 'Rubio' Baez . We have been trying to contact Miss Alonso since yesterday regarding his application for the Junior League Baseball Summer Camp."
"Oh...yeah, she had an issue with her cellphone. She told me she was supposed to get a new one today."
"Alright. We had a drop recently, so there is an open spot in his division. Is Rubio still interested?"
"Really? That's awesome. I think he still is." Luca said slowly, somewhat skeptically
"Could you have her call us? We must get a response no later than noon today. Today is the last day to confirm and send in the initial payment. I have here that he requested be considered for the International Kids' Grant, they also need confirmation by today in order to review his documentation."
"Ok, I can talk with his other legal guardian."
"Please do so. We would love for him to join us at camp!"
10 minutes before...
Right after breakfast, Deacon and his crew gathered in the table by the window. Deacon debriefed them on their assignments again, making sure everybody knew their roles and responsibilities for the day. According to the schedule drawn, the shooting was to be continued for another 12 hours in the old fair. They estimated they'd be wrapping things up by 10 or 11 pm, so that each singer could head off for a small break and then return to the hotel for a nap. Ed's flight was scheduled to leave at 1am and Billie's at 1:30 am. So, the day promised to be long and arduous, as the men needed to move and be on their toes for most of it.
"Hey Street, how do you feel?"
"Devastated, Buck! I can't believe Chris went after my bike with a crow bar, man!" he lamented as he pretended to sob softly, "Ow!" he grimaced, holding his chest, by the side of the heart.
"You're lucky!"
"What?"
"Coz that wasn't were she was aiming!"
"Luca got her to turn around and head out coz she was going after you. I'm not saying what was her target, but it was going to leave you knocked down!" Deacon said as he approached the duo, who were making their way to the elevators to pick up their guests.
"Yeah, she made it pretty clear she was willing to leave me neutered, brutally speaking!" Street lamented, shaking his head
The three men stood by the elevator as the other four gathered in the lobby. Other guests lined up beside them, including a little girl on a wheelchair with an older lady and two pregnant ladies. The officers (and former one!) were not to forget their chivalry, as they made sure the next two empty elevators were for them. This allowed for more chit chat.
"You gotta be the dumbest guy on Earth, Jim!" Buck said with a smirk, "Who in the world would get an ex SWAT officer, with tons of training and expert sniper skills, hell mad?"
"Man! I didn't do anything, which makes matters worse!"
Deacon shook his head as he held two folders.
BZZZZT
BZZZZT
"Did you at least call her yesterday? Got to talk to her?" Deacon asked as Buck dug into his pants pockets to retrieve the buzzing mobile.
"Yeah." Street answered nodding
"Ok." Deacon nodded satisfied, as he fist pumped the young fellow. "That's a good start!"
"Yeah, I mean, we're not fully ok, but at least she's civil."
"No longer threatening?"
"Oh! That never stops, Deacon."
"Oh Lord!" they heard Buck lamenting holding the phone up to his face. He grimaced dramatically, as the others approached him.
"Noooooooo! Oh my God! I wanna cry! My baby!" Street lamented putting both arms up and grabbing his head. He began to sob, "How could she does this?"
"Hondo says his buddy declared it totaled." Buck informed
"Noooooooooooooooo" Street leaned his back to the wall and slid down, holding his head. "Why, Chris? Why!?" he lamented, acting out loud sobs.
Meanwhile...
"Baby, you ready?" Hondo called as he sprayed his favorite body spray and aired out his shirt.
Nichelle came out of the room still fidgeting with her earrings, wearing a beautiful loose spring dress over low heals. The yellow color made her look brilliant and refreshed. Hondo admired her as she got the last piece of jewelry on and fluffed her curls.
"You look handsome!" she said approaching him.
"Nah, you stealing all the spot light with that gorgeous dress." he said as he twirled her around. She made a halt in his arms, as she rested her hands on his soft beige polo. The couple shared a soft kiss.
RIIIING
RIIIIING
"Are you serious?" Hondo asked frustrated, tilting his head backwards and closing his eyes to contain his rage! He took a deep breath, as Nichelle giggled softly.
"Baby, relax. Just answer!"
"I swear to God they be watching us! For real, for real!" he lamented, nodding his head twice
Nichelle smiled and shook her head. "Go!" she said pulling his shirt towards the counter, where his phone laid
"I'ma trow it out the damn window!" Hondo said resisting.
Nichelle took a glance and then frowned. "It's not SWAT!"
Hondo froze, "What?" he asked not believing it
"It's your sister!" Nichelle said somewhat concerned
Hondo immediately grabbed it and swiped on the screen.
"Winnie, what's up girl? Everything alright?"
"Hey! I'm doing good. What's up witchu?" she answered cheerfully
"Heeeey!" he heard Brianna's voice
"Bri!" Hondo said pleased
Nichelle smiled, as Hondo clicked on the screen to put it on speaker.
"That's right...we calling to give you a heads up. We about to burn a big hole in your wallet, Hondo!" she responded as both ladies giggled
Nichelle joined in their giggles.
"What are y'all up to?" he asked skeptically
"You gonna cover half of the nursery we gonna set up for the baby and we gonna do the rest." Winnie reported
"Oh my God! This is gonna be so great!" Brianna added excited
"We already talked with Nichelle and got the theme and the colors and everything." Winnie added
"You two go on and disappear for a weekend... we'll take care of everything." Brianna said
"Woah! Woah! I aint leaving you two nut jobs alone in ma house!" Hondo protested
"Boy, who you calling nut job?" Brianna said sternly
"You better watch yourself, Hondo!" Winnie snapped
"You two better stop tripping." he responded as Nichelle shook her head
"Why not? We wanna surprise y'all!" Briana asked
"Put Nichelle on the phone, she gonna tell you we already ran everything through her and she said she loved our ideas." Winnie demanded
Hondo frowned at Nichelle, who was still containing her giggles.
"Hi girls!" Nichelle said with a smile
"Heeeeey girl!" the ladies answered cheerfully in unison
"Hold up! It's ma house! Don't I get a saying on this?" Hondo protested
"NO!" all three ladies recited at the same time making Hondo take a step back and frown.
"Hell to nah!" Brianna added
"You already did your job, now we gon our do our thing!" Winnie snapped
"So...pack up ya bags coz in a few weeks, y'all gonna go for a weekend trip and when you return you gon be amazed!" Brianna informed
"That's right!" Winnie cheered
"And, Hondo? You better not be taking my girl Nichelle to no cheap ass hotel!" Brianna said making the others burst into laughter.
"Oh no! I aint about to get lip from you!" Hondo complained as he shook his head and giggled, catching Nichelle as she leaned on him laughing and covering her mouth.
"Coz you are not gonna stash her up in some skanky ass hotel with no damn pool and a crazy, beat down room...Uh uh!..better be some fancy boogie stuff!"
"Girl!" Hondo complained as the laughter continued
CHAPTER 26: Work, work, work
The four men zipped up their black jackets, placed on their cap and strapped on the fake identification card. Their black buttoned shirts were covered by the black jacket with the card holders off the front pocket. All four made sure the IDs were authentic and identical, because they needed to be convincing. They needed to look on point!
The red haired man was in charge of loading up all of the firearms, while the youngest member checked each trigger to make sure none got stuck. Once every automatic riffle and handgun was loaded and checked properly, the brothers were in charge of placing each in the suitcases and duffel bags, under all the tools and construction materials. The weapons needed to be disguised enough to fool a human eye, but not as deep to have them out of reach. They had gone over their plan and everybody knew exactly what they needed to say and do.
Besides the firearms, they stored kerosene containers, matches and the pots and pans needed for their cover story. Tasers, gas bombs and other non lethal weapons also were packed and ready. Each men would have a backpack filled with all the necessary components to set up a small fire and gasoline to help it spread.
"Did you get the first payment, Manny?" the red haired one asked as they loaded up the white van
"Yup! Hillshire was on point. Second will be wired after we finish. So, don't screw it up and you'll get paid!" Manny answered
"Yeah, man! Relax. We know our queues." the youngest of the brothers said on behalf of everyone
"Remember, it's a scare! We need the singers alive." Manny said as they left the parking lot.
The set was a busy one. The masks, statues, deck, balloons and all props had made the fair come alive in a gloomy and dark way. The old entrance was kept intact, as it was part of the beginning of the video. The beach in the background was a perfect shot, as the waves contrasted perfectly with the black and white figures that walked alongside the singers and the main characters of the video. The only radiant colors were those of the masks that everybody wore, including the singers. In total, the production spent over five digits on setup and materials alone!
Ed and Billie had been at it since 9 am, going shot after shot after shot. There was no doubt they were having fun, but the scorching LA sun was definitely having its effects on their skin and overall energy levels. Numerous water breaks were given. It was a good thing that the managers had set out to contract enough models and participants to keep rotating them as the shooting continued. The singers were allowed breaks for snacks and cold beverages between takes, but most of the times they would refuse to stop and the camera would continue rolling. Instead the producer made sure to keep them under shade as much as possible!
Buck stood to the right of the set formation, as Street guarded the left. In between them stood the other members of the security crew, forming somewhat of an rectangular shape. Their job was to not leave the singer's side at any time, but since they would not move away from the different sets of the fair, their job was rather simple.
"Status?" Street heard Deacon through the ear piece
"Clear" he reported
Deacon went one by one, as the scheduled midday check up called for. They were very close to lunch, which meant they had to move in unison to deliver the singers to their respective trailers.
"Street, do you copy?" Deacon called a few minutes after
"Yeah, Deacon."
"Listen, I'm gonna stay in the control room, there's a problem with one of the cameras and they're still working on it. It's the one located by the south of the Ferris Wheel for the solo shot of your guy. When this shot finishes, ask him if he wants a break for lunch. His solo is gonna have to wait some minutes."
"Ok, I'll tell him." Street said nodding his head
As the crew worked to get the perfect angle, the singers lip synced the lyrics of the song in perfect harmony as the recorded version of it.
While the shooting continued... Outside of the restricted area, a white van came approaching the parking lot entrance of the old fair. The shooting was taking place much farther from the area, but the production crew had requested all perimeter be enclosed. A line of orange traffic safety cones had been placed ten feet from the enclosed space, with one guard on sight.
"Good afternoon!"
"Afternoon, Caleb's Catering for late lunch."
"We already have lunch served, what are you talking about?" he security guard asked confused, wearing a frown
The back door swung opened and one of the pen pointed a gun at the guard. He was smart enough to hid behind the wall of the vehicle, so as to not get caught by any nearby camera.
"DON'T put your hands up! Don't move your hands at all." said the driver sternly
The guard nodded silently as he stood frightened, staring a the man with the gun.
"Call in that there was a delivery issue with lunch, but that the company is sending the remaining food now. DO NOT TRY ANYTHING!" the drive said menacingly, ending with a threatening high volume tone.
The guard nodded. "Catering service forgot some food, but they're bringing it now. Checking content and will let them pass on approval."
"Ok, now, get in and check!" the driver immediately ordered.
The man with the gun took a step backward as one of the other passengers put on a face mask and glasses, and stepped outside so the guard could step in. The man took a deep breath and went forward, landing inside of the van. He saw many boxes filled with pots, pans, food items, etc. As he was turning to leave and go back to his post, the man with the weapon snatch his radio off his waste while another stuck a needle on his back. Between the man that provided the needle with the tranquilizer and the man outside, they managed to return the idled guard back to his post as if nothing had happened.
"Before you pass out, call in the all clear." instructed the driver
"I'm dizzy." the guard complained
"Call it!" the driver urged
"All... clear!" the guard said to the talkie
And so the crew closed the van's door and rolled on to the restricted premises.
"Ed, will you be joining us for lunch?" Street asked the singer. He was staring far into the distance, mesmerized by the waves.
"Do you mind if I stay out here for a bloody minute? I love the smell of beach salt, the sound of the waves...I find it to be relaxing. Don't you?"
"Yeah...but let's find shade." Street said gesturing his hand to the front, leading him towards the beach side.
"Ah yes! I wrote it!" he said jokingly
He continued to walk until reaching the closest area to the beach. They walked just beside the huge Ferris Wheel until an empty walk way to the southern most part of the park. There, Ed took a seat on a bench overlooking the ocean. He took a deep breath, as the salt from the water had a strong presence on the breeze. The sound of the slow waves gently crashing into shore created a smooth rhythm of peace and tranquility. Street took a look at him and noticed he had closed his eyes and was humming something. It sounded rhythmic, but it was catchy. Street was definitely liking it, nodding slowly as he listened attentively.
"I'll be writing it down soon. Hopefully it makes the new album." said the singer, eyes still closed
"It's catchy!" Street said with a grin
Ed opened his eyes and turned to look at him, "You think it's alright now?"
"I think so, yeah." Street responded with a nod
"Thank you!" he said with a confident nod
"You're welcome." he said and then paused. "What's it based on? I mean, you always say your songs are based on experiences. So..."
"It's based on a brave man that saves the day and then goes back to an empty home. The story of having all the strength and bravery of the world, but not having love."
For some reason, Street felt identified with his words.
Some miles away, on a small shack by the beach, Hondo sat on a stool behind a counter overlooking the beach. The sun was blazing, but people didn't care. Hondo watched as more and more people walked up and down the busy sidewalk. The beach was pretty full, yet the people didn't stop arriving.
Hondo observed the hectic surrounding around him as he patiently waited for his teammate. He wore a lose buttoned shirt, with only one button closed, so as to leave the breeze palpate every single spot of his upper torso, as the heat was beginning to intensified.
"Hey Hondo!" called Luca from the side of the shack. He was still dripping water from his swim trunks and his feet were covered in sand.
"Hey Luca! Want something to drink?" Hondo offered as Luca sat down on the next stool
"Beer would be great!" he said cheerfully
"Coming right up." Hondo said as he stood and got his friend a beer. He returned and placed the cold beverage in front of him. "Here."
"I got next round!" he said as he lifted the bottle to gesture salute.
CLINK
Both bottles made a clicking sound, as the men cheerfully made a silent toast. They went ahead and took a gulp of the cold refreshing golden liquid.
"So...how's the water action?"
"Man, it's awesome. I'm gonna be red burned tomorrow, but it'll be worth it." Luca said with a big smile. Hondo smirked as he noticed Luca's shoulders were already red!
"You better not call in sick, ya heard?"
"Nah, don't worry about it. Hey!" he called, "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Hondo took a sip of his beer, then placed the bottle back on the counter. "Listen, Luca, there's something I need to talk to you about. It's important!"
CHAPTER 27: Request
The sun continued to shine hard on the beach goers, but it didn't stop the fun and games. Many families gathered off shore, while others enjoyed the fun in the water, splashing, jet skying, paddle boarding, etc. It was a perfect Sunday to be out in the beach in Los Angeles!
By noon, the West Yorkshire born singer was still enjoying his sandwich in the same spot as the mid morning break. He was still mesmerized by the energy felt throughout the scenery. However, he was also oblivious to the events that were to unfold on the other side of the set.
The four man crew split up, two heading to the west and two to the east, each with a backpack and clear goals. The brothers headed to the female singer's trailer, as lunch was served. She had requested to stay indoors, to enjoy the cold AC. Security personnel lined up on each door of the trailer and only Buck was allowed inside, per Billie's request.
"So, officer, how are things in your world?" she cheerfully said as she took a bite of her sandwich.
Buck, who was to eat lunch after the change of shift, was standing by the door with arms placed behind his back. So far he had found the gig to be rather simple, for the female hardly ever talked and spent most of the time humming songs or listening to music with big earphones. So, having a chit chat was quite a change of pace!
"Uh...pretty good." he said surprised, he paused to think of a proper way to ask it back. "You feel good?"
"Yeah...you surprised I'm talking, huh? I get that a lot. I'm not much of a talker myself."
Buck nodded his head respectfully.
"But...you're one of the only guys who's inspired me to maybe... have small talk? Does it bother you, mate?"
"No, not at all. Um...pardon, are you British, like the guy?"
"No, but...I spent so much time with British people, plus listening to Ed you kinda catch that accent easily!" she said with a smirk
"You've been friends for long?"
"Um...not so long. Wish I would've collaborated with him before. Dude has sang in different languages. Love his Spanish interpretations, by the way!"
Buck nodded, and added "Oh"
Billie continued to eat her sandwich while humming on to a song, while Buck took a seat opposite of the front door. Some minutes went by in silence, when...
KNOCK
KNOCK
"Yeah, who is it?" Buck called, as the singer continued to enjoy the tunes
Silence.
"Who is it?" Buck called again, this time louder.
KNOCK
KNOCK
Buck shook his head annoyed, took a deep breath and stood up, heading to the door. Billie didn't seem bothered at all, as she went to the small bathroom in the camper. She stood, back to the door, as the old man opened the door. She didn't even notice when the taser gun impacted Buck's abdomen, making him bend forward.
His entire body shook as the electrical current went throughout his body. The nervous system responded with uncontrollable movements and clenching of the jaw. He was unable to warn her, as the masked man grabbed him and immediately began wrapping his hands behind his back tightly with strong rope. In a matter of seconds, both his arms and legs were restrained and the man took a piece of tape and covered his mouth. Just before his eyesight was covered, he took a glimpse around and notice another man, wearing one of the masks from the video, coming in dragging the bodies of the other two men in his crew.
Everything went dark and then...SSSSZZZZ...SSSSSZZZZ...ZAP!
A strange force took over Buck's body, as he became sleepier and sleepier...unfortunately, because the trailer was sound proofed, there was no way anyone could here her screams!
Meanwhile, miles away in a very popular snack shack by the beach, two officers enjoyed cold drinks and a nice conversation.
"Tell me, boss, what's so important!" Luca urged
"Well, I've seen how you've been with Kelly and now with Rubio. It seems you got a great touch with kids."
"Yeah. I gotta admit helping Kelly was good, but blonde dude got me hooked!" he said with a smile, taking another sip of beer
"Oh yeah?" Hondo said after enjoying his beverage
"Yeah, man! Dude's so smart and talented...it's just sad how life's been so rough on him."
"Yeah and he hasn't made it any easier on himself." Hondo said sternly, shaking his head. Luca took another sip.
"I mean, I guess so, but...maybe if I was in his shoes, I would be the same or maybe worse."
"Nah"
"C'mon, Hondo. Don't be so hard on the kid." Luca said playfully slapping his arm, then taking another sip of his beer. "You know what he told me the other day?"
"What's that?"
"He said where he comes from there's a saying that goes 'Son or daughter you are, parent you will be, whatever you do will be your penalty.' or something like that. Made me think coz my old man used to say me and my brother drove him crazy like he did to my grandfather. So..."
"Aw...damn! I'm screwed!" Hondo lamented
"Let's hope your little one gets to be more like Nichelle!"
"Exactly!" Hondo said sternly, nodding his head emphatically. He took a sip of his drink, then continued, "Listen, I wanted to talk to you about that."
"About the baby? Something wrong?" Luca asked panicking. He placed the beer on the counter and turned his body to face Hondo, wearing a concerned expression. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, yeah" Hondo said as he noticed Luca let out a huge sigh of relief, "Listen, man, I wanted to run by you..."
"Yeah?" he said taking another sip of beer
"If... you wanted to be my baby's... godfather." Hondo said slowly, with a shy smile
"Wow! Really?" Luca asked excited as a huge smile spread across his face.
"Yeah, yeah"
"Awesome!" he said as they shared half a hug, giggling and smiling
"We'd be honored!"
"No, man! Honor's all mine. Wow! I was scared for a second, now I'm ecstatic!"
"I'm glad to hear that, man!" Hondo said with a smirk. He paused to take a drink then continued, "Besides, you gotta help me keep 'em cats away from my baby girl coz my baby ain't dating til she 30!" he finished with a frown
"Thirty? Make it forty and I'm your guy!"
"That's what I'm talking bout!" Hondo said extending his first for his friend to hit
"I'm so excited. You already checked the sonogram?"
"Nah, appointment's the other week...but I know it's gonna be my princess. Check it out!"
"Yeah?"
"Nia Danielle Harrelson." Hondo announced proudly, wearing a huge smile
"Wow! That's beautiful. Sounds poetic and everything!"
"She my baby girl, Luca. Gotta keep the Daniel tradition alive, though. I already got the perfect spot for the tat" Hondo said as he lifted his shirt and signaled to his left pectoral, right above where his heart was.
"Man, you so sure!"
"Luca, I can bet everything I've got: that's my baby girl! I know so. Been dreaming of this my whole life!"
"Alright..." Luca said nodding his head, "Thank you!"
They nodded at each other, fist pumped and turned their attention to the hectic scenery in front of them.
Meanwhile...
"Jim!" Rudolph called
Street, who had been enjoying his lunch plate with Ed, by the beach side, immediately stood up and approached his teammate.
"What's up?"
"Sarge told me to check up on Red Team, their walkies show interference of something. I'll check out what the problem is. Morgan had gone for another round of lunch but he's back at post."
"This is pretty good." Street said taking another big bite of food
"Yeah" the man answered with a smirk
"Ok, I'll stay with him." Street said with a mouthful
Rudolph just nodded and left.
"Str...t...do...co..." Street heard through his earpiece. Must be the interference Rudolph was talking about, he thought.
"Deacon, I can't hear you well." he paged back
"ee...a...ta..."
"What?" Street said as he kept staring at Ed, who had his back to him.
He looked everywhere and all he saw was the other participants in the video, wearing colorful masks.
"Deacon, come in?" he called. He placed the styrophone plate on the side, then approached the post. "Morgan?" he called
The spot was isolated, with only masked people going about their business. It seemed like they were in a rush, but nobody said a word. They just walked...and walked...and walked...
Street frowned confused, as he didn't understand what was going on.
"Deacon, come in!" he demanded strongly
Silence.
He turned to his right, then his left. Masks everywhere.
Something's not right, he thought.
He turned and headed towards the singer, only to be met by...a mask!
CHAPTER 28: Panic
"ED!" yelled Street, "EDWARD?" he repeated over and over again for 5 full minutes, going over every inch of the area.
He suddenly stopped and paged Deacon, "Deacon! Deac! Do you copy? I'm missing Ed!" he called desperately.
Silence.
"What the hell is going on?" he asked himself, still looking everywhere.
The area was totally isolated, with just a few extras walking to the far end, wearing brilliant masks. None seem altered as they continued to walk in different directions.
In pure panic, Street took out his cellphone and dialed Deacon's phone. The line was dead.
"What?" he asked out loud, still glancing everywhere.
I left him alone for just three seconds! he thought frustrated. He turned to the post spot to check for Morgan, but to no avail. The area was also deserted.
What is that smell? Like...barbecue? He wondered, as a strong smoke smell inundated the area. It seemed to come from the other side of the set, very close to the trailers.
Street wasn't sure where to turn, he was still missing his guy. The problem was that the more he looked, the more bodies he found all either full black or full white, wearing colorful masks. There was no way to tell who was who!
SIIIIZZZZZZLEEE
SIIIIZZZZZ
A huge cloud of smoke took over the area, as the smell of burning rubbish became stronger and stronger. Street went in the direction of the black cloud and stumble upon a horrific scene!
The young singer's trailer was backed up by flames, as the entire backside was lighted up.
"SOMEBODY CALL 9-1-1!" one of the producers yelled, as a crowd was beginning to gather around the structure.
"Street!" he heard someone called from afar
Morgan came running in, terror reflecting off his eyes. "I can't find Ed!"
"Me neither!"Street added in pure panic, looking everywhere
"I was right there when someone fell and I helped them up. When I turned around two guys had gotten in the way. I heard you call but I was being dragged by the audience. When I finally made it back, you two were gone."
"Oh my God! What happened here?" Street asked confused
"I don't know. I can't communicate with Sarge."
"Me neither. Where's Williams?"
"No clue. No one in the red team is answering either!" Morgan answered panicking
"What's going on? Why is that on fire?"
"Guys!" came the one lady of the crew, "I can't find Billie and she's not answering her cell. We don't know where the security team is either. We need to put out that fire now!"
Street suddenly remembered her as one of the assistants of the director, Miss Madeline Cross. She moved quickly, guiding everyone to stand back.
Two men from the crew came in with fire extinguishers and began putting out the fire when...
BOOM!
A loud explosion came as wires came in contact in the back of the trailer. The explosion sent everybody back, as more fire broke out.
In the distance, Street could hear sirens approaching. He quickly urged the people to move back and to the men to give up with the extinguishers. It seems that someone had mixed up kerosene in the back of the trailer and the oxygen provided by the motion was causing the sudden explosions.
AHHHHH
People in the crowd began screaming when they noticed movement from inside the trailer. The smoke was making the audience cough uncontrollably as shadows and silhouettes were seen through the closed curtains of the two windows of the trailer.
"Ahhh!" Luca said enjoying the last sip of his beer.
It had been over 45 minutes, yet he and Hondo were still enjoying the breeze from the beach.
"Good, huh?" Hondo asked, downing his own beverage
"It's so hot out, man! Just a perfect day!" Luca said as they stared out
Hondo took in a deep breath, then frowned. "You smell that?"
"Somebody's making some mean barbecue somewhere!"
"I'd say. Damn! They got the whole beach covered!"
"Yeah, nice smoke cloud!"
"Well, I better head out. Get cleaned up for a nice dinner with my folks."
"How are they?"
"Doing good. My momma and my sisters be driving me crazy! Told Nichelle she better calm em down."
Luca giggled, then added "Sorry, boss, but they outnumber you by a lot!"
"Damn!" he lamented shaking his head with a smile. It was the kinda tortured he actually enjoyed!
RIIIIIING
RIIIIING
"I'm out!" he said hurriedly, as Luca's phone sounded
Luca dug into his pants pockets and took out his mobile. A huge smile spread all over his face when he saw the name in the screen, "Wait, Hondo!" he called sticking a hand out and grabbing the gentleman's shoulder. "It's Chris!"
"Captain?" he asked pleasantly surprised, "Put her on speaker!"
...and so, Luca did! "Sis! What's up?" he greeted as both men huddle over the phone with bright smiles.
"Hey Chris!" Hondo greeted cheerfully
"Hey guys!" she responded rather cold, "Did you get the call?"
"Call? About what?" both men asked simultaneously, going from smile to frown
"There's an emergency down by the beach, the old fair. 911 got a call about a huge fire, trucks are there, but they also reported several missing and hostage situation. Three gunmen threatening to shoot out the place!"
"What?" Hondo asked
"Oh my God!" Luca panicked as he excited the shack and headed to the back. Hondo followed closely behind.
RIIIING
RIIIIING
BEEP
BEEP
"Whoot! There it is!" Hondo said as his phone began to ring and Luca heard the beeping of the incoming call
"Give me a sec!" Hondo called as he stepped away to answer it
"Is your task force getting the call?" Luca asked
"Yeah, but it's not my call. Again, I'm leader, not commanding officer. They made a bunch of changes, straight from Washington, including the name. I'll tell you later. I just need to know if Street is ok."
"Oh, right! He and Deacon were going to work that security gig for the big superstars. Are they the ones missing?" Luca asked as he watched Hondo deal with his phone
"No idea...but they can't account for the celebs. When you go, be careful with the thousands of reporters. They made it tough for the firefighters and rescue team to get there. We're 5 minutes out. SWAT got the call, but I think 60 squad is on duty!"
"Luca, let's roll!" Hondo call rushing to his car
"I gotta go. See you there!" Luca said hanging up in a hurry
"General, where should we set up?" called Chris as the group unloaded the vehicle and headed to the SWAT Command Center.
"Follow my lead. Captain, you and Hanson work with LAPD and SWAT to neutralize the situation and evacuate all victims. I will work with the negotiator and the chopper for better angles. Listen to the ear piece as I guide you."
"Yes, sir!" she said as the other men followed her lead. "Hanson!" she called the bearded man, who stood in the middle of the task force crew of 7.
"Captain!" Commander Hicks called as General Sims and two other men approached at the same time.
"General Sims, sir." the military commander greeted with an extended hand, stepping on his way to Chris. "I will be leading this operation."
"Commander Hicks at your service, General." he said shaking the man's hand, making an occasional glance at Chris, who had turned her attention to the group of armed men.
"Commander, we will have air support providing us a better view. Captain Alonso will be working the crew, leading them in the field. We need your group as backup. Our mission is to remove the threat with the least amount of damage possible, no casualties allowed!"
"Yes, sir. What do you need from us?"
"We will set up the angles for a better coverage and I will communicate with our perps to see what they want in exchanged of our hostages. Then, send in our troops to control the situation and gather as many victims as possible. Were the firefighters able to go through?"
"No, general. Perps threatened to shoot hostages. They're awaiting instructions. Plus, we have some bodies unaccounted for. No real leads as to where they might be." Hicks reported
"How many suspects are we dealing with, Commander?"
"Three, so far. But we suspect more since there are missing victims."
"Ok, I'll start with the hostage situation. Can you have SWAT work on counting how many bodies are we missing? Do we have some type of attendance log?"
"Yes, General. Production has provided a copy of all members on set today. All round up to 150 people."
"Oh my! How many are being held hostage at gun point?"
"We have witnesses stating that just over 110 were able to escape, 15 were trapped outside of the fire and 4 inside, including who we presume are the female singer and her security team. One of which was our own team leader, Buck Williams."
"That makes 129. Are we missing 21?" General asked
"Yeah, mostly extras and come crew members. One of the security personnel, a guy named Rudolph, reported the male singer gone and the head of his security detail as well, one of our own, Officer James Street. Both are unaccounted for." Hicks reported
"Commander! You gotta see this!" Steven interrupted guiding the men to the bus. "A camera just outside of the trailer caught this, minutes before the fire started." he said as he hit play on the tablet he held.
The image was sent to the main screen on the bus, which presented the view from outside of Eilish's trailer. It showed the man attacking someone in the inside, stepping in and being followed by two men dragging two bodies inside. Since the door automatically closed behind them, the camera didn't catch anything else, until the men left the trailer in a hurry, locking up the door with a key.
"So, we now have evidence that there are four people in that trailer. Buck, two men and the female singer." Commander concluded
"I'll get FBI to put me through, see if I can get a hold of these men!" General said
"Sir, there's more!" Stevens said urgently, "LAPD found camera footage from another part of the set where those men went into a dressing area and exited wearing the same attire and colorful masks as all of the extras of the video."
"Which means, there's no way to tell who is an extra and who is a perp!" Commander lamented.
"Commander!" Hondo called, coming through the heavy traffic of reporters established in the perimeter
"Hondo, you and 20 squad had off today! Who called you?" Commander said stepping away from a huddle with deputies and officers
"Tan! He saw the news." he called, as Tan and Luca hurried to the back of the car.
"And Chris!" added Luca as he rushed to the back of the car with Tan.
They popped open the trunk and quickly geared up with vests and weapons. Luca brought a vest for Hondo and he quickly put it on.
"We're here, Commander! What do you need?" Hondo asked sternly
"We need bodies and backup!" Chris called, coming over from the other side of the gathering. Hanson and the seven heavily armed officers quickly followed.
Chris wore a vest and a holster on her right leg, but no heavy gear. On each of their vests were the letters MTO. Each officer of her crew wore heavy duty cap, protective eye gear and professional black boots.
"Sergeant Harrelson," Chris began, "meet the Mass Tactical Operations Task Force Unit." she turned to Hanson, "Sergeant Hanson, this is part of 20 squad, SWAT Metro Division."
"We have met" he said as he and Hondo exchanged nods and Luca and Tan joined in.
Chris continued, "Our commander General Sims has assigned us first the hostage situation, then we do a countdown, then find the missing victims."
"How many are we talking about, Captain?" Luca asked concerned
"Last count was 150 in total, with 15 being captive near the fire, 4 inside the trailer that's on fire, and over 20 missing. We just got confirmation an officer and the male singer are unaccounted for."
Tan and Luca exchanged looks, admiring her composure while referring to Street being missing.
"We are heading to the far left side to control the situation now. Hanson, work with Hondo to set up perimeter, while I work with Hicks getting the coordinates and plan for a proper approach." Chris called going towards Hicks.
"Yes, captain!" the bearded leader nodded once, as he approached Hondo
"Street is missing." Hicks whispered when they were out of ear sight. "Hey! We'll get him, ok? Nice composure." Hicks said with a nod
"I'm freaking out, commander!" Chris admitted as they both headed towards the center.
CHAPTER 29: Tough rescue
"Folks, welcome! We are back here at the Old Fair, live, as we are hearing now that LAPD is working alongside the newly created Mass Tactical Operations Task Force Unit in the occurrences here in the music video set of two of the world's most influential pop stars, Ed Sheeran and Billie Eilish. A group of hostages are kept just outside a burning trailer, one which is believed to hold the female singer, as the British singer songwriter is yet to be found..." the reported was heard throughout the command center as a number of people moved quickly, trying to help with the rescue mission at hand.
The crews lined up by the side, hiding behind a trailer 20 feet from where the group stood. Everyone wore a tiny ear piece that connected them to the mobile center.
"We have 15 bodies, 3 possible suspects infiltrated between them. No way to tell them apart. Shots were fired, so we assume at least 3 of those people outside the trailer are dangerously armed." Chris called
"Captain, keep them aside while I get the call through. Maybe we can get them talking." General Sims directed himself to her
"General, the fire is spreading rapidly. We need to act as quickly as possible." Commander interrupted
"Of course!" he agreed, nodding his head emphatically
General Sims call was forwarded to the adjoining trailer, the one from which the figures stood out. His attempt failed as no one was willing to answer. No one moved. All the figures stood still while the phone rang.
"General?" Chris called, as the older gentlemen stood frozen with the phone to his ear. He quickly gave up on the idea and turned his attention to her.
"Yes?"
"What if we create a blind entry point?" she asked as both commanding leaders frowned and turned to look at each other.
Chris went on to explain her plan, as the fire reached new highs and the hostages became more impatient. The smoke and hot temperatures inside of the trailer made it unbearable, as Buck and the others tried both doors. When that failed, they figured they could escape through one of the two windows, but both were extremely small to go through. They were able to open both, but the air circulation made it worse, as the smoke from the outside met the one from the inside, causing an even bigger cloud of darkness.
"Drop! Stay low!" Buck yelled between the noise, while they coughed for air.
"I...can't...breath!" one of the men said between breaths. He was suddenly hyperventilating, trying to catch any clean air available.
Buck looked everywhere, until he spotted a colored blanket on top of the singer's chair. He grabbed it, tugged it into a roll and placed it over the man's nose. "Here! Try to breath in through this!"
"As...th..ma!" he mumbled between tries
"Oh my God! Just breath, deep breaths!" Buck panicked, as he turned and saw the singer unconscious in one corner.
"Miss? Miss?" Buck called
BUUUUUZZZZZZZ
BUUUUZZZZZZZ
Suddenly he turned to the opposite side of the fire and heard the sound of a drill. He could see the thin line cutting through the wall. The infrared light moved quickly, forming a straight line from bottom up.
BANG
BANG
Loud shots were heard from the other side, as Buck lifted himself through the smoke to see movement outside. The fog and the smoke made it impossible to identify anyone or anything! He coughed wildly, so he retrieved to the floor. The asthmatic officer was almost passed out, while the other laid flat on the floor and the singer was motionless in the corner.
BUZZZZZ
BUZZZZZ
"HERE! HELP! HELP!" the only conscious member of his crew yelled, as now the whole was bigger. The line had gone from the ground up and then turned to the side and finally was going downward, marking a doorway.
BOOM
The metal frame dropped inward, as Tan, Hondo and other two officers came into view. Buck yelled for help, as the group of officers came into the room and rescued them. They carried the singer out, as well as the fallen security guard and guided Buck and the other officer out.
"Buck!" he heard Hondo call as he handed Buck a mask so he could breath while being guided out.
Buk turned and saw three men dressed as extras handcuffed and headed out, escorted by LAPD officers. Other men, heavily suited, were helping in the rescue and removal of the hostages. He noted the hundreds of flashing cameras form the news crews in the outside, as well as the two familiar faces coming from the command center.
"Captain, we spotted several people running in different directions. Some were crew members, others extras. No sign of the missing perp, the singer or the officer." Hanson called once the group was reunited outside of the mobile center.
She nodded as she relaid the information to General Sims, who was still inside attending a call. After taking care of the rescued hostages, Hondo, Tan and Luca joined the group who stood outside of the bus. Hicks clicked on the screen and continued the explanation.
"Alright, we were able to identify our perps as Manny Marrero, leader of a small gang calling themselves Mataderos." he paused as he took a glimpse at Chris, who nodded in response. The screen showed the mug shot of four men. "This Mexican gang usually does small robberies and misdemeanors, not known for high end crimes. Alondro and Maximiliano Pérez are brothers that met with him doing a stint in juvie four years ago, and the youngest pal, Romero Cárdenas, just turned 18 and has a rep sheet of armed robbery and assault. And get this, all have connections with the two guys that were involved in the attempt to attack the singers on Friday night."
"We think they might be working for someone because we found cash in the white van they came in with. Besides, these guys would not target such high end celebs just for tickets." Chris added, "My kid said these guys tend to get in trouble, but they're not killers. Three years ago, the brothers met Romero and the two guys from Friday's attack doing rehab and community service. The two boys from Friday are still in school, but they are 18 already."
"These guys are not known as killers, so my guess is that Manny wants something. Probably trusting that he wont be captured or if captured his money source will pay a good lawyer to get his sentence reduced." Hicks said
"Captain, Commander" Hondo called, "I think the fire was not set up on purpose. I think something must've happened to set it off and the guys panicked."
"So, now our job is to locate the remaining victims, including the officer and the singer." Hicks said
"People, I found the singer!" General Sims called, coming out of the bus. He went down the stairs quickly and clicked on the screen. It showed the live image of the singer going up the beam in the middle of the Ferris Wheel. The air surveillance closed in on the singer being pursued by the assailant, who help a gun on his right two were going up the beam between the double A stand support, as the helicopter roamed above.
GASP
The entire group turned around and squinted their eyes as the sun beamed on the young man climbing up the rusty ladder in the far end of the fair. The structured jolted back and forth as it was clear that it wasn't in the best conditions!
After calling in the plan, General Sims instructed Chris and Hondo to divide the squads and head out for search and rescue. A safety net would be in place, as firefighters rushed to the scene to set it up.
"Sarge, go through the back, find the control room. Take Tan and Hanson. I think if we control the movement of the machine, we might be able to stabilize the structure enough." Chris said
"Copy that. You can take Alvarado and Luca, and two others to take on the front of the structure. Get him to talk. Distract him." Hondo answered
"If we use the chopper, he'll know and can open fire on Ed. That's not an option." Hanson added
"Non lethal." she said sternly, "We'll distract him while you get the best shot. Once he's stabilized, we can rescue Ed."
"Uh...guys? Captain?" Luca called as the others followed his gaze up in the wheel
"What's up, Luca?" Chris called
"I found Street!" he said skeptically
"Spiderman!" Alvarado whispered
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for tuning in. A stoning turn of events as our cameras have caught British singer songwriter Ed Sheeran climbing up a scaffold unto the middle beam of the old Ferris Wheel, being urged by an assailant with what looks to be a semiautomatic gun. This live take shows the angry man tying the superstar unto the iron support at the rest of the stair case. Not only that, a member of the security personnel of the event, by the name of Officer James Street, SWAT Metro Division, was caught climbing unto one of the hanging cabins. An exchange of words was caught by our camera crew, but the angry assailant showed no backing down. Ladies and gentlemen, it is important to keep in mind that this structure has not a received any maintenance or check up in over a decade, which could represent a great danger...for it could potentially be a threat to the lives of all three men!"
Hondo, Tan and three others went around the structure, tip toeing their way around. Since they were still on the look out for any other possible suspects, they need to be extra careful.
BSHHHH
Hondo placed his fist up, signaling to stop. The group immediately stopped, as he heard another sound, coming from the back of an old haunted house.
"This is LAPD! SWAT! Come out with your hands up!" Hondo called
"Hondo?" a familiar voice was heard as two hands came out.
"That ring!" he paused as his teammate came into view, "Deacon?"
"Yeah!" he said fulling coming into view, placing his hands down slowly.
"Boy am I happy to see you!" Tan said as the others breathing in
"Come out. It's ok. It's safe!" he instructed to the group. A group of 14 people came out from behind the hiding spot, as Deacon turned to Hondo "We heard the shots and the arguing. One of them said to stay here, so I couldn't risk leaving them alone. What happened?"
"Well.." Tan began to explain briefly
"General, Commander, we got Deacon and 14 other missing people."
"Hanson and Luca found the other three. Only ones missing are in the Ferris Wheel!" Chris called
"C'mon, dude, don't do this! This place is surrounded!" Street called from the cart
"Shut up, cop!" the man snapped as he kept tying up the scared singer
He moved quickly to tie Ed to the beam, as the singer shivered in fear. He had gone up more than seventy steps and was now suspended more than 80 feet up. The only thing keeping him from hitting the pavement was an unsteady metal rest at the edge of the support. Meanwhile, Street used the cabin to get close to the assailant, without realizing some of the rusty bolts holding the structure together were beginning to give out! He climbed out through the outer rim and onto the wire rope, when...
CRANK
CLUNK
CRANK
The structure groaned with each step the men took, especially the two in the middle. The support in the middle began to rock back and forth with every movement, until...
CLIP
"Ahhhhhhhhh! HELP!" Ed yelled, as one of the hinges holding the structure together suddenly rocketed out, releasing part of the wheel from the middle beam. The double A stand support made a sudden movement as the bolts became loosened. The man turned and began descending when...
CRAAAAANK
PLUNK
"AHHHHHH" the man yelled, as the structure gave way and moved, causing the assailant to lose his balance. He lost his footing but hung on with one arm, as the rest of his body flung loosely, some 70 feet in the air.
"Hold on!" Street called as he approached one of the sides of the stand support, about 35 ft from them.
"No! Stop!" the man threatened as he swung himself towards Street
BANG
BANG
Two shots were fired, as the officer ducked away. He grabbed a hold of the metal cable for dear life!
"STOP SHOOTING! PLEASE!" Ed begged, unable to move hands or feet. "Stop, please! What do you bloody want?"
"Don't air the video. Ever!" the man snapped
"What?" Street called confused, as he finally made his way unto the side support, now just 15 ft from the flailing body. The structure kept moving, making it tough for Street to keep his balance.
"Don't air it! My guys went to burn all the tapes. You better not air this video!" he yelled
The suspect finally found enough balance to grab the railing with both hands and resume his descent. Street's focus was on the singer, who was still tied up to in the middle of the structure.
CRAAAANK
Uh oh! Street's weight was beginning to be too much for the wheel, as the support was sprung from the middle beam.
"HEEEEELP! JIM!" Ed yelled, as he looked down and spotted the officer.
WEEEE WOOOOO
All three men looked down as they heard the siren coming from the horn. "STOP MOVING!" Captain Alonso called. "Structure might collapse! STOP!"
Now all three shivered...as and clouds began to crowd the sky!
Nobody could dance til the the sunlight cracked!
CHAPTER 30: Can't get worse
"Ladies and gentlemen, things are definitely not looking good for the Grammy award winning artist, Ed Sheeran, as he has been tied up to the support beam of the Ferris Wheel down here at the old fair. Yes, people, the same attraction that was responsible for at least two deaths the last five years the fair was opened and one of the main reasons why it closed in the first place!"
The command center was buzzing, as officers, leaders, commanders and others moved about. Phones kept ringing and ringing, while things in the field got more and more complicated.
"General Sims? Come in" Chris called
"What is it Captain?" General Sims answered after hanging up with the chief's office
"I have the suspect's attention now. I will try to lure him down, while SWAT goes for the victim."
"Move faster!" he urged
"Yes, general!"
"Deacon, stay in the control panel. I have an idea!" Chris called, "Hondo, send Luca and Tan with non lethals. You and Hanson, look for any victims and send them out. Send the others to help set up the net."
"Roger that!"
She did have an idea, but it involved several steps. First, stabilize the machine by stopping all mechanized movements, then neutralize the suspect and finally go for the victims. Simple? Sure. Easy? Nah! She wasn't one hundred percent sure it was going to work, but...she needed to have a lil faith!
"Sir, Mr. Marrero, do not move. The structure is not stable. I know you're not found of heights coz I know you chose wood working at school instead of rock climbing." Chris said over the horn, as she approached the structure.
"How the hell do you know that?" the man demanded, hanging on to dear life.
While this was going on, Luca and Tan went around the structure, setting up at the side of the platform. Tan set the weapon on a milk carton that Luca found laying around because he needed height. Luca stood next to him with his binoculars.
"We gotta wait for her call, Tan. Make sure you got the aim."
"I can't from here. Too far." he said looking through the weapon
"Damn! Ok." Luca lamented, shaking his head. He then turned to the earpiece, "Chris- I mean, Captain!-"
"From where you are, the target is too far, Luca. Move quietly, I'll distract him!"
Tan and Luca turned to each other and frowned. How the heck did she know? ,they wondered. They hadn't noticed she did in fact caught a glimpse of their position. Besides, a lot of sniper training was a plus!
A few seconds went by, until they received the signal. Luca directed Tan closer to the support beam, now just 10 ft away. The perp was still hanging on, still aiming his weapon to Street, who by now was just a few feet from Ed.
The coming of the clouds had intensified the breeze, which now was blasting harder and harder. The wind gusts made all three men moved back and forth with force, consequently making the structure cringe and groan.
CRRRRUNK
CRIIIIINK
"Captain, line up the team to take down the assailant. We cannot let the musician fall off the structure! There's no way to determine what the landing spot will be with the wind picking up!"
"General, I have SWAT ready with non lethals. They are finishing the set up as we speak!"
"Captain, we need to move fast. If rain starts to come down and we get another hinge fly off, that man is dead! This is being seeing in national television!"
"Sir, I have a plan to get all three down safe. Just..give me two minutes!"
"Two minutes, Captain!"
"Yes, sir!"
Chris had her mind set into getting all three men down, at all costs. The last thing she wanted was to gun down a young guy. Besides, she wasn't sure that was going to help at all. She just needed to...
TRUUUUM
The sky turned grayish as a heavy thunder was heard. Aw, man! Just what I needed! she lamented.
TRUUUUUM
The crowd in the beach began to scuffle as people ran out of the water. The panic created by the deep roar from the sky was evident, especially among the men up in the structure. Meanwhile, Street reached Ed and began ripping the rope with his pocket knife to get the singer free.
Just...as long as it doesn't start raining and lightning doesn't happen, we're good! she thought.
...and that's when everything went to heck! Slowly the rain made its presence felt, coming down first as shy drops, then as heavier sky occasionally flashed bright white as lightning preceded thunderous sounds.
"Marrero, it's not worth it! C'mon! I don't want you to get shot down" Chris yelled over the horn.
"I don't care! He better not air the video! I'ma make sure he don't!" he yelled back, staring up at Ed. This time, he changed his target to get the singer. Ed looked down and noticed the weapon being pointed straight at him.
"Don't shoot!" he yelled as...
BANG
One shot went off his weapon, sending slashed of blood down along the rain.
"Luca, now!" Chris yelled immediately, wasting any microsecond.
BOOONNNG
Tan's shot hit the man in the back, making him lose his balance and letting go of the rail. The man let go of the weapon and in an instant his body went flying down and into the net.
The rescue team and firefighters immediately went to the man, as he groaned in pain. He held his back, as the rescuers grabbed him and pulled him to the side. LAPD and members of the MTO crew immediately apprehended him. Hondo threw him on the ground hard, as he and Deacon placed him on handcuffs.
"Suspects secured!" Hanson called helping the man off the ground.
"HEEEEELP! The bullet hit Jim!" Ed yelled from above
Everyone turned their attention to the bodies up top, as rain was coming down harder and the wind continued to pick up. Street managed to cut Ed lose, but now was bending sideways, holding his left arm tight to his body.
CRAAANK
ZAAAAP
Another hinge went flying down as the heavy rain was now causing the structure to become slippery and to tumble forward. Both men tumbled sideways, as some of the rusty metal cables began springing off the middle of the frame.
"STREET! Hold on!" Chris yelled over the horn. The sound of the rain drowned most of the attempts of communication.
"Captain, tell them to jump. We will catch them." the chief of the firefighters yelled over the rain
"One of them is hurt!" she yelled back, "We can't jeopardize it! His injury might be bad!"
Luca and Tan came running from the side, as Hondo and Deacon approached. The rain drenched all of them, as they huddled to figure out their next move.
"I say we go for Street, let the singer jump to the net." Luca said
"How? That structure can't take more weight, Luca!" Tan said
"Firefighters! They can use the ladder!" Hondo suggested
TRRRUMMMM
A flash was seen in the dark skies as heavy thunder came down. The rain continued to pour as the squeaking sounds of the wheel now sounded like cats in the middle of a fight.
"HELP!" Ed yelled from above as the rain continued to come down substantially.
"Captain, let Ed jump into the net. I'll figure out how to come down!" Street yelled
A second went by as all officers stared at Chris, who had no idea what to do. She feared that any sudden movement would make the structure collapse, pinning Street. Then again, not doing anything might put both lives at risk. She was leaning towards Hondo's suggestion, though.
She took a deep breath, then grabbed the horn, "Mr. Sheeran, let go and jump into the net. We will secure you!"
"What about Jim?" he yelled
"We'll get him with the ladder." she responded
"We'll go together!" the brave artists yelled
CRAAANK
ZAAAP
Another hinge loosen, as now the base of the small platform tore in half. Both men tumble. The double support began to separate, each frame leaning to opposite sides.
"Chief, go! Go!" Chris yelled over the noise
It took the entire crew, LAPD, SWAT and Chris to help move all the things out of the way to make space for the truck. Wet, sticky, sweaty, muddy...they each waited for one of the giant fire trucks to make its way through.
CHAPTER 31: More trouble
"Ladies and gentlemen...Finally, after a day of sun, rain, thunder and even lightning... a happy ending! British pop sensation Ed Sheeran was rescued safely alongside SWAT officer James Street from a dangling structure, under pouring rain and thunder. The scene seemed taken from a fictional work of art, as the wet bodies were retrieved using the extended ladder of a fire truck that was pulled into the recording area. Both men made their way off the huge Ferris Wheel and into the truck. Reports indicate Officer Street's arm was impacted by a bullet from the suspect detained, a man by the name of Manny Marrero. LAPD informed Officer Street was taken to a local hospital, but is in stable condition. Let's hope he makes a full recovery!"
5 am...
Sigh. What a weekend! But...he was finally home! After filing papers, finishing the gig, visiting Street in the hospital, delivering the celebs, police reports, making sure the guys were ok, checking in with his boss, changing in the station...what a mess! He took a deep breath as he turned off the engine of the car in the driveway. He sat back, taking a moment to just relax, enjoy the silence of the early Monday morning.
He had spoken with Hicks about coming in a bit late today, so he wasn't about to rush things this morning. He closed his eyes, rest his head, which was throbbing by now. He was so tired, he began to fade away...
"Dad?" he heard from outside the car. He sat up startled, turning to the front of the house.
Matthew stared at him with a surprised frown, as he approached the vehicle. Deacon unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. As he exited the car, Matthew came around.
"Dad? You ok?" he asked concerned
"Yeah, yeah! Just... tired!" he said slowly, extending his am and giving his son a side hug. Matthew held him as the older gentlemen planted a soft kiss on his head. "What are you doing up so early?"
"Sleeping schedule's kinda messed up."
"How was your tournament?" Deacon asked as the young man pulled away
"Oh, we sucked!" he answered with a smirk, "But it was fun!"
"Wow, ok?" Deacon said closing the driver's door and going to the back to retrieve his bags
"Yeah, it was lots of fun. Um...dad?" he asked as he followed his father. He rubbed his hair, then turned to the empty porch. He glanced back and noticed Deacon staring at him. He took a deep breath.
"Something on your mind, Matthew?" Deacon asked concerned, completely frozen
"Just...no, nevermind!" he said and abruptly turned away
"Hey! Hey! C'mere." Deacon called, going around the car to step in front of him
"You're tired, dad. You should get some rest." the young man said before trying to go around him.
Deacon placed one hand up, gesturing for him to stop. The teenager had no other choice. He stared at the ground as he took several steps back.
"Spill it!" Deacon said frowning
"I don't want you to freak out or be disappointed, dad."
"Matthew, what's going on?"
"I've been thinking bout what I want to do, and well... what if college isn't part of my plans, dad?"
"Where is this coming from?"
"Been thinking for some time now...but more this weekend, especially after things kinda turned sour on Saturday." Matthew lamented as he helped his father with the garment bag.
"Why?" he asked frowning, as they both headed towards the front door.
"Coz Rev, one of the guys from JR Swat, got arrested. He's going to jail!"
"What?" Deacon asked startled. He stopped mid way and turned to Matthew with a surprised expression.
"Rubio told us." Matthew lamented
CLANK
The holding cell was dim and cold, as the door was automatically opened. The only teenager behind bars was calmly reading the small Bible he had requested. He occupied the side of the floor, as he wanted no part of the censored discussion between the inmates. He sat in the corner, knees up, eyes glued on the small book.
"D'andre Thomas Hobbs!" the officer called loudly, "Visit!"
Rev stood up, placing the book on the small bed, the only other object in the cell. The teenager quietly made it out and followed the deputy to the bench, where he was handcuffed and instructed to wait for the visitor to approach him. The officer did inform him that even though he was prohibited to receive any formal visits, this particular individual was a friend of his.
The teenager nodded his head quietly and sat staring at the floor.
"D'andre?" he heard a familiar voice call
"Sarge, whatchu doin here?" he asked surprised to see Sargent Kay approaching him.
"I read what happened, but I wanted to talk to you. You ok?"
"I bet you hate me, huh? Disappointed, sarge?"
"No, confused."
"I just...I got in the middle of it all, sarge. They're my homies. I'm sorry. I let you down, I know."
"Hey! I just want to know if you're ok."
"Nah, it don't matter. Cop said I'm going away for 15 yrs for sure, but it's aight. I'll take the time to live the path to God and help the inmates get to know the holy Word."
"Just...what happened?"
The teenager took a deep breath and straightened up in the bench, as Deacon took a seat next to him. He took his time as he explained the incident and Deacon listened carefully.
Thirty minutes later, Deacon was walking out of the station towards his car. He was disappointed, but glad he had a chance to talk with the young man. He hoped things would turn out and the kid would get the minimum, but at that point, it was hard to tell.
"Deacon!" he heard, when he turned to the parking lot.
Hondo stopped just beside the side walk, right next to where Deacon stood. The older gentlemen approached the car. Hondo rolled down his window, being accompanied by Nichelle, who waved at him from the passenger seat.
"Hey Hondo! Nichelle" he greeted
"Heard what happened with Rev. He aight?" Hondo asked concerned
Deacon sighed, as he nodded his head.
"Aight, I'm giving Nichelle a ride to work. I'ma try to come by and talk to him."
"He's being transported to court now and deputy told me bail is probably going to be very high. So... he'll be taken to the facility at once."
"What the hell happened?" Hondo asked frowning
"Says he and his friends got jumped. Went to defend themselves when the cops showed up. Told me the police didn't believe him and added an assault charge. Probably going to do more time than the guys who actually started the fight!" Deacon lamented
"Damn! Can't believe this man." Hondo lamented, shaking his head.
"Sarge!" they heard someone call. Marv approached Deacon, oblivious to who was in the car. "What's up, Sarge Kay?"
"Hey Marv! You doing ok?"
"Tryin'a stay positive, you know? Kinda hard when my homie's getting locked up or shot dead!" he said shaking his head.
Hondo placed the car in park, unbuckle his seat beat and stepped out. The two males outside froze as Hondo closed the door behind him.
"Yo! Sarge, I didn't see you!" the teenager said offering his fist. Hondo responded to the gesture.
"What's up, young buck? You aint about to do somettin stupid, are ya?"
"Nah, sarge. I'm straight. Been cleaning up my act, like you said. Working, getting my ass back home early. None of the gang stuff no mo."
"Good" Hondo said frowning
"C'mon, Hondo. I told you I aint gonna mess up this time. I gotta pay you back the bail!"
"That's right. So, whatchu know bout this fight?"
"Man, some homies from the hood. I know Rev, he good, but...them homies had been flexing muscle with them hood rats from the 68...turns out one of em got a girl pregnant, from the head of the enemy crew. So, they went for revenge. But sarge, I'm telling you, Rev was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Marv lamented, shaking his head slowly
"He told me he got slapped with an assault charge to top it all off" Hondo said
"That's just a scare tactic, sarge. Them cops actually hitting those females, but they don't want no one in blue to know. Everything's in the low!"
Hondo shook his head thinking, What a damn disaster!
"Where were you?" Hondo asked quizzically
"I was still at work"
"You sure? Boy, don't make me go to hood and check you out!"
"Nah, sarge. I told ya! I'm clean. I even met this nice girl from the other side of town. Fine young thang, but she's straight, Hondo. Been keeping me on line like that. She don't let me get into no fights or nothing. She sweet and fine as hell, but, damn! She be keeping me on on a tight leash, sarge! Even got me pumped about graduation and the academy and stuff."
"That's good to hear."
"Yo, check it out. Me and Rev was talking. I respect my homie coz he gonna be loyal to his peeps and all. He says he gonna do his time, spend time with the Bible. Do God's work inside. Like...lately, it's been so damn complicated, man!" he paused, shaking his head slowly, " But it's aight. I just came to make sure my man is aight. I told him I'ma visit as much as I can and the guys too. But, um...I'll see y'all around?"
"Yeah" both men said in a chorus, nodding their heads.
The young man extended his hand and both shook it, as Hondo opened the door to his car. Nichelle had been sitting quietly, attentive to the conversation.
"Hold up, Marv! What bout ya squad. Y'all can't be 5!" Hondo said shaking his head and crossing his arms on his chest, leaning against his car.
"I know. I was talkin' with Rev bout that coz I can't run this squad on my own, man. Like, sarge! This damn phone" the teenager said showing them his phone, "it blowing up and I'm going crazy. Like... I be with my girl, right? And we be getting all cuddly and stuff, doing our thing and then the damn thang start ringing. I'd be so mad, sarge! For real, just throw it out the damn window!"
Hondo repositioned himself against the car by leaning sideways, occasionally glancing at Nichelle, who grinned and glanced at him from the corner of her eye, while looking out her window.
"This thing is possessed, for real. But see? My girl she be so nice, she want me to answer it. Like, always. And if it aint Leyla jumping on someone's ass, it's the kid climbing up a damn tree, Chen running all over town, Kelly getting another cast... girl's gotten hurt like three times already and we still got like three more weeks of summer, sarge! Like, this is surreal! Ya feel me?"
"Oh, you got no idea!" Hondo said then turning to face Nichelle, as he dug his head towards the car. "Right, baby?"
Nichelle just giggled, while Hondo straightened up.
Deacon and Marv just shrugged.
"Anyway, we talked but I think we set."
"Word?" Hondo asked frowning
"Met this kid this weekend. Nice Catholic kid. Gives me that Zen vibe, coz I damn sure need it with them cats! I just need someone that can hold me back to not kill em, you know?"
"I can relate!" Hondo said with a grin and a nod
"Right? So, this kid. Rubio brought him over. I mean, he white, but he from the good white people. So, he cool. Nice folks." he continued walking away slowly, "We call him Kay Kay! I'm out!" he said with a smile, turning around and heading into the building.
Hondo and Deacon turned to each other with frowns. "Kay Kay?"
"As in...Rubio's best bud now: Matthew Kay" Deacon said as he finally understood where his son was going in the conversation that morning.
FINALE
"Hey! Heard what happened with Rev. What a shame!" Luca said as Deacon came in to the main hallway, back at HQ
He yawned, covering his mouth, then turned to his teammate. "Yeah, but he's ok for now."
"You still tired, huh?"
"Exhausted. Hopefully we take it easy today?"
"Nah, man. We don't do easy in this spot right here!" Luca said excited.
"Yeah" he said with a sigh
"Did you hear from Street?" Tan said approaching the guys from the ring, joining the conversation.
"No, his trial's today, right?" Deacon asked turning towards Luca
"Yeah, but I called him this morning. He said something about a huge outbreak of Monkey Pox and Covid down at the courthouse. Judge moved the hearing for when sis comes back." Luca announced
"What about blonde? Where's he gonna stay?" Hondo asked coming from Hicks's office to join the group
"Street was excited when Alex told him he convinced the judge to sign temporary housing placement with him. So, looks like Rubio's staying put. Yeah!" Luca said putting two fist in the air
"He better not mess it up!" Hondo threatened
"I wont!" Street said with a huge smile. Luca lunged into him excited about the good news.
The rest of the day went quite smooth, since it was a slow day at work. Only one call right after lunch, which was a custody dispute turned violent, in a local nursery. Luckily for them, the situation was resolved in a matter of minutes.
The rest of the week went quite normal, with the occasional calls and backup to certain situations. The only thing standing out was Street's rep, as the young officer was quick to become famous for saving Ed Sheeran's life. He did interviews, his social media accounts sky rocketed and by Wednesday, Hicks was fed up with calls inquiring about his young officer.
Thursday, early evening, near end of shift...
The guys had been doing paperwork most of the afternoon. They were tired and exhausted, especially after a boring slow day. Deacon and Luca had being with the recruits all morning, while Hondo had court date, Street completed workouts and physical therapy and Tan worked in the armory and with Black Betty.
It was close to the end of shift, the mood was silent and still as the men did paper work, worked the cabinets and completed documents in their laptops. Everyone was in their own little world thinking about after work: Deacon was taking the family to the in laws to say happy birthday to Annie's mother; Hondo was going for groceries to prepare a nice dinner for Nichelle; Street was picking Rubio up from Sarzo's place; Tan was heading home; and Luca was getting together with some friends for beer.
Just as the bell was about to ring, Hondo was called to Hick's office. The squad leader made his way there, while the rest continued their tasks. Hicks and Hondo talked for some minutes, before Hondo opened the door to exit the office. Both men were interrupted when the sound of whistles was heard coming from the main hallway.
PHHHHOWEEEET
"What's going on?" Hicks asked curious, rising from behind his desk
"No idea" Hondo answered with a shrug
CLAP CLAP
PHHHOWEET
All of a sudden the whistles intensified, as now clapping and cheering were added. A group of officers gathered by the hallway making it impossible for the two men coming out of the office to spot the cause of the commotion. Hondo and Hicks made their way down the hall, when they noticed that even in the boxing ring the action had stopped. Those in the small gym area had stopped and were now clapping and cheering as well.
WOOOT WOOT
YEEEAH
The group was more and more enthusiastic as they surrounded the incoming guest.
Back in the cubicle section...
"Man, I'm so tired of doing paperwork, I don't wanna see a laptop for a month! I hate it." Street complained. He had been typing away for over 45 minutes, and was nowhere near finished the filing of documents in the cabinets. Unlike his teammates, who were mostly finished and waiting by the lobby area next to the stairs, he continued to type and file away inside.
"This paperwork thing, yeah, it gets monotonous." Tan added accommodating file into folders.
"Boring as hell!" complained Luca, "Luckily for me, I got a couple of buddies waiting for me at the pub with ice cold beer and tonight's Lakers game on prime time! Yeah!" he said excited, as he closed the laptop dramatically and put both hands up in triumph.
"Your ass is staying home. Get a six pack at the store, if you're lucky!" Hondo said coming in, hiding a grin with a folder he held in one hand.
He removed the folder from his face and revealed a smile from ear to ear. He stared down at Luca, who in response frown in confusion.
"What? Boss, I finished everything...what are you talking about?" Luca asked spreading his arms wide, lost and confused.
"You gonna be stuck with someone, trust me." Hondo said with a smirk
"Huh?" Luca responded as the others turned to Hondo, who stared at them grinning.
"Give it a minute" he said turning to glance behind him as he heard her steps.
TAP
TAP
Luca shook his head in confusion, turning to Deacon, who shrugged. He then turned to Tan who came in with an empty folder and he too shrugged. He then turned his body around to look at Street. The younger officer was far into the storage area, unaware of the events.
TAP
TAP
TAP
All three men turned to the stair case, glancing occasionally at Hondo, who had crossed his arms over his chest, but was using one hand to cover his big grin.
What's so funny? Luca wondered not remembering the last time he had seen Hondo so excited or silly.
TAP
TAP
The sound of the steps intensified as the figure came higher and higher up the stairs. The guys continue to wonder, as they turned to each other, now completely forgetting about their tasks.
They saw the brilliant, strong female figure land on the top step, wearing a uniform none of them had seen her in before. The cling-cling of the medals in her chest, the elegant shoes outshining everything in the building, the perfectly ironed edges, the soft and subtle makeup over her eyes, her shoulders that demanded respect, lips plumbed and lightly red, highlighting a brand new hair style featuring a Pixie cut, with half of her hair landing softly over part of her face...
GASP
An awkward moment of silence as the guys were mesmerized by the figure. Even she was surprised by their stunned look.
"Wow!" they whispered
Deacon was speechless. Tan couldn't believe his eyes. Luca's jaw dropped as a huge smile formed in his face.
"Wow! Sis! You look incredible!" Luca said as the bubble burst and everyone approached her.
Luca went for a big bear hug, then Deacon, then Tan. Chris went over to greet Hondo again, just to make sure he didn't feel left out.
"Hey guys! The I-49 form goes under registration or department policies?" they heard Street calling from the cabinet storage at the end of the hall.
Silence.
"Guys? Tan!" he called, sounding somewhat frustrated
Chris placed a finger on her lips to gesture for them to be quiet. She tip toed over to the cabinet area, then turned back to glance at them. Street was still accommodating files into the different cabinets, back turned to the door.
He sighed and exhaled dramatically.
"I gotta agree with Luca. This has to be the worst part of SWAT." he said out loud
Chris smiled, remembering all the times she had to drag his butt to do paperwork. Him complaining about hating it and she finally having to do most of the job anyway! She waited a full minute, as the guys came and stood behind her in the door frame.
"Don't people actually work around here?" she asked
"Yeah, well-" he stopped after turning and seeing her stunning new look. She grinned and his jaw drop. "WOW!" he said eyes bulging out.
HAHAHAHA
The guys burst out laughing as Street stood motionless, glancing at her for a full 20 seconds! Not even breathing! Just like when Bugs looked at Lola the first time in the outdoors.
Suddenly, he dropped the files and went flying towards her, wrapping his massive arms around her. In one motion he wrapped her up, lifted her into his body and carried her out in a hurry.
"Street! Wait!" she kept repeating, between giggles
Deaf to her calls he continued with her in his arms, until he reached the top step. He turned to the guys, "Luca? Rubio. Thanks!" he said, as he immediately turned and headed out!
HAHAHA
Another round of laughter was heard as they moved to the base of the stairs watching the young couple made their way to the main floor.
"Got 'im!" Luca said shaking his head, waving good bye.
He turned to Hondo, who between giggles said "Told ya!"
Thank you for reading! Votes and comments are always welcomed :D
Remember to look for the other stories within the Unexpected series: Trojan Horse, JR Swat, Alonso Gone, Digital Purge, The Perfect Daughter, Street's #1 Fan, Franken Doc and Stand Proud.
Series Finale: Lightning and Rush
