"Raeanne, could you come into my office?" Linda Winston, my new boss,
beckoned to me as I passed her office. I hesitantly stepped in, afraid I
had done something wrong.
"Yes, Linda?" I asked. She offered me a clipboard and a pen.
"Here's your assignment,"
"I, I thought I was doing co-anchor with Hal," I stated confusedly. Linda looked up from the paper she was furiously scribbling on.
"Not today," she smiled.
"Well, when will I?"
"Is that what Callaghan told you?" she inquired.
"That was the impression he gave me when he transferred me, yes," I nodded vigorously. Linda, looking somewhat flustered, stood up and put the clipboard in my grasp.
"Sweetheart, nobody waltzes in from a reporting job and is automatically a co-anchor on the first day. You have to earn your way around here," she informed me kindly. "Now, I don't know what your policy was at the Times, but this station is a lot different than the paper."
"I wasn't asking for a favor," I started to protest. Linda pushed me out of the office gently.
"That," she jabbed at the clipboard. "Is a favor I shouldn't be giving you. It's breaking news and I usually don't let new reporters handle something like this. But, I've seen your work. I like it. So, here's your chance to prove to me you can handle the heat. If you screw up, then you're just going to be a normal issues reporter. No if ands or buts."
"Linda," I looked up from the information. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. "When do I have to be on the scene?"
"30 minutes. No later," with that she shut the door.
* * *
"Sullivan, Davis, Boscorelli, Yokas," Officer Danny Rosenthal called into the dressing room. The four officers looked up from their conversations. "The Lieutenant wants to see you in his office, ASAP."
"What kind of trouble did you get us into this time, Bosco?" Ty sighed, grabbing his coat and hat.
"I get myself into my own trouble, thanks," Bosco sneered.
"Ain't that the truth," Faith sighed softly. The four officers were in no hurry to meet their fate as they approached the room, but they knew if they stalled for time they'd never hear the end of it.
"Knock, Davis," Bosco commanded.
"I'm not knocking, you knock," Ty insisted.
"Hell no. I'm not going to be the first victim," Bosco shook his head. Faith pushed between them as they continued arguing, then rapped on the door shortly.
"Come in," the Lieutenant barked.
"Don't they ever stop?" Sully hissed to Faith.
"And miss a chance to shake their lives up a bit? Not a chance," she rolled her eyes. The group entered the office, promptly standing in a line and saluting.
"At ease," Johnson dismissed. "I can't believe I'm doing this, but I'm giving you four clowns a different assignment than you're used to."
"What assignment is that, sir?" Sully asked.
"There's a hostage situation at the Prada Sport store in Soho. It's not official, but witnesses say there's at least 6 or 7 guys with Pre Bans and all sorts of other semi-automatics. They've got cops on the scene, but there're not a lot,"
"In Soho, sir?" Faith raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, in Soho, Officer Yokas," Johnson snapped. "They want some backup, and I owe the Lieutenant in the vicinity a favor. So, I'm sending him 4 cruisers. Two are already on their way. Gentlemen, Officer Yokas, this is a very dangerous situation. There's an un-disclosed number of hostages in the store, but you can be assured since it's near the holidays it's a lot. From what I understand some of the shooters grabbed people off the street, and there's been reports of reporters being shot at from the upstairs windows. Don't get in anyone's way, your job is to keep the journalists away from the scene."
"We'll do our best, sir," Bosco announced.
"Don't start kissing my ass now, Bosco," Johnson turned around and turned on a TV. A news crew was already at the scene of the situation. It was eerily still, the only things moving were the panic-stricken cops and SWAT team members who were trying to take a firm grip of the situation. Through the large glass windows one could see masked men rushing around with hostages as shield. Johnson shook his head and dismissed his officers to do his duty. He looked back at the TV.
"As you can see, this is a very dangerous situation. There are numerous hostages inside the store. Just moments ago, a reporter for a different station was shot at. His camera man took the bullet," a reporter said. She was in front of a news van, blocking herself from the store windows. The Lieutenant didn't recognize her and figured she was new. He took pity upon her. "Reporting live from the scene of the Prada Sport shop in Soho, I'm Raeanne Spangler for Channel 32 news."
"Yes, Linda?" I asked. She offered me a clipboard and a pen.
"Here's your assignment,"
"I, I thought I was doing co-anchor with Hal," I stated confusedly. Linda looked up from the paper she was furiously scribbling on.
"Not today," she smiled.
"Well, when will I?"
"Is that what Callaghan told you?" she inquired.
"That was the impression he gave me when he transferred me, yes," I nodded vigorously. Linda, looking somewhat flustered, stood up and put the clipboard in my grasp.
"Sweetheart, nobody waltzes in from a reporting job and is automatically a co-anchor on the first day. You have to earn your way around here," she informed me kindly. "Now, I don't know what your policy was at the Times, but this station is a lot different than the paper."
"I wasn't asking for a favor," I started to protest. Linda pushed me out of the office gently.
"That," she jabbed at the clipboard. "Is a favor I shouldn't be giving you. It's breaking news and I usually don't let new reporters handle something like this. But, I've seen your work. I like it. So, here's your chance to prove to me you can handle the heat. If you screw up, then you're just going to be a normal issues reporter. No if ands or buts."
"Linda," I looked up from the information. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. "When do I have to be on the scene?"
"30 minutes. No later," with that she shut the door.
* * *
"Sullivan, Davis, Boscorelli, Yokas," Officer Danny Rosenthal called into the dressing room. The four officers looked up from their conversations. "The Lieutenant wants to see you in his office, ASAP."
"What kind of trouble did you get us into this time, Bosco?" Ty sighed, grabbing his coat and hat.
"I get myself into my own trouble, thanks," Bosco sneered.
"Ain't that the truth," Faith sighed softly. The four officers were in no hurry to meet their fate as they approached the room, but they knew if they stalled for time they'd never hear the end of it.
"Knock, Davis," Bosco commanded.
"I'm not knocking, you knock," Ty insisted.
"Hell no. I'm not going to be the first victim," Bosco shook his head. Faith pushed between them as they continued arguing, then rapped on the door shortly.
"Come in," the Lieutenant barked.
"Don't they ever stop?" Sully hissed to Faith.
"And miss a chance to shake their lives up a bit? Not a chance," she rolled her eyes. The group entered the office, promptly standing in a line and saluting.
"At ease," Johnson dismissed. "I can't believe I'm doing this, but I'm giving you four clowns a different assignment than you're used to."
"What assignment is that, sir?" Sully asked.
"There's a hostage situation at the Prada Sport store in Soho. It's not official, but witnesses say there's at least 6 or 7 guys with Pre Bans and all sorts of other semi-automatics. They've got cops on the scene, but there're not a lot,"
"In Soho, sir?" Faith raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, in Soho, Officer Yokas," Johnson snapped. "They want some backup, and I owe the Lieutenant in the vicinity a favor. So, I'm sending him 4 cruisers. Two are already on their way. Gentlemen, Officer Yokas, this is a very dangerous situation. There's an un-disclosed number of hostages in the store, but you can be assured since it's near the holidays it's a lot. From what I understand some of the shooters grabbed people off the street, and there's been reports of reporters being shot at from the upstairs windows. Don't get in anyone's way, your job is to keep the journalists away from the scene."
"We'll do our best, sir," Bosco announced.
"Don't start kissing my ass now, Bosco," Johnson turned around and turned on a TV. A news crew was already at the scene of the situation. It was eerily still, the only things moving were the panic-stricken cops and SWAT team members who were trying to take a firm grip of the situation. Through the large glass windows one could see masked men rushing around with hostages as shield. Johnson shook his head and dismissed his officers to do his duty. He looked back at the TV.
"As you can see, this is a very dangerous situation. There are numerous hostages inside the store. Just moments ago, a reporter for a different station was shot at. His camera man took the bullet," a reporter said. She was in front of a news van, blocking herself from the store windows. The Lieutenant didn't recognize her and figured she was new. He took pity upon her. "Reporting live from the scene of the Prada Sport shop in Soho, I'm Raeanne Spangler for Channel 32 news."