Author's Note- Sorry for the tecnical diffuculty. My computer's been a pain, making me accidently delete things I've been sending to the internet. Luckly it's fixed now. A special thanks to Daydreamer731 for letting me barrow a word used in this chapter.

Keep up the awesome work on your Constitine story!

2

NEW PARTNERS NEW LEADS

Jack Slate

I glanced around the LAPD's bustling precinct, as I waited for a reply from the very interesting story that I had just told my Chief. After the showdown at Jay's the LAPD took me to their Precinct and asked me a few simple questions, then they told me to call my Chief. Which was all right, until I had to explain why I made the call.

It was then the silence that had been on the other end of the line shattered like a kid's baseball being thrown at a car window.

"You mean to tell me, that while you an this Elite Operations Agent where having a pissing contest the one lead that we had on this case gets shot in the back with an f'n shotgun!" Yelled Chief Martel's voice from the receiver.

I winced again for, probably, the twentieth time since I had made this impending phone call. I guess it was deserved though. After all, I blew it. But it wasn't entirely my fault, since I had help from that other cop.

"Chief, I told you that if we had notified the local authorities then we wouldn't have to worry about problems like this," I pointed out.

"Well we wouldn't have to worry about the local authorities if your pride hadn't gotten the better of you," Chief Martel snapped. "Now I've got Dick Hennessey's GAC Unit banging on my door, wanting a name here, Jack. If he finds out that this case is going south, well, we're both screwed."

I sighed. Trying to think up something, anything that could salvage this case and get us on the up n' up.

"Is there anyway you can contact the Chief of the Elite Operations, see if they have any new leads, and pull some strings?" I asked, quickly. "Whether you like it or not the local authorities are in on it this now. They also may know more than we do."

There was a short pause. Then a sigh.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll see what I can do. We may get lucky, from what I hear LA isn't dong so well either," Chief Martel huffed. "Just as long as you find something useful enough to get Pinnacle out of my ass…"

"Thanks Chief," I said with a smile. "You know where to find me."

Click.

I sighed and slumped into a nearby chair. As I did Shadow went up to my knees, nudging them slightly with a slight whimper.

"Yeah you better hope that Chief Martel comes up with something," I told him. "Or we both might end up eating table scraps."

Shadow gave a slight bark, and laid down quietly at my feet. I shook my head at that. I glanced to my right to see an abounded copy of the Los Angeles Times, as soon as I picked it up several bold headlines on the front page caught my eye: LAPD CASUALITES REACH RECORD HIGHS: ANOTHER POLICE OFFICER FOUND DEAD IN HIS HOME, A SUDDEN SHOOTOUT CLAMS INNOCENT LIVES, BOMBING ROCKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

Hurriedly I skimmed through them all. Several sentences sticking out clearly in my mind.

... Near retiring Lt. Peterson was found murdered in his own home yesterday with no signs of struggle. Police say that it is almost as if the murderer had casually stopped for a visit…

…Masked men in tactical clothing where sighted minutes before a major shootout erupted outside the First Equity Bank. Eleven are reported dead, Twenty others wounded…

… Los Angeles International Airport is devastated as it's latest bombing kills both airport employees and ongoing travelers…

Either I was going through a really bad case of Déjà vu, or this newest Crime wave in LA was just like…

There was a ringing from my pocket, quickly I pulled out my cell phone and put it up to my ear.

"This is Slate," I said.

"Alright," Said Chief Martel's exasperated voice. "It wasn't easy but I've got you a window. Head over to the Elite Operations Headquarters on the corner of 7th and Broadway. You and Shadow will get your instructions from there."

"Thanks," I said, getting up walking to the door, my K9 partner by my side. "I'll call you and tell you how it goes…"

Nick Kang

"You mean to tell me that the guy who stuck a gun in your face was a Grant City Policeman, and he thought that you where a criminal? Really?" Spoke a voice in a slight Spanish accent.

I groaned, more than just annoyed by this question. You be to if you had been asked about this nineteen times in the last 15 minutes. I turned to Rosie Velasquiez, my main Intel, who sat at her crome desk in her usual shirt-skirt-and jacket combo, her eyebrows raised, blue lined dark eyes looking at me questionably. Quickly I grabbed a pen off her desk and held it up like a knife.

"Rosie, if you ask me that one more damn time…" I with an edge in my voice. "I swear I'm going to stick this pen of yours right up your-."

"Okay! Okay!" Rosie said, holding her hands up. "I'm just trying to get the facts straight here. You don't have to assault me with office supplies, Nick."

I tossed the pen onto the desk with a sigh, and walked the side of Rosie's desk leaning partially against it.

"Do you have any new leads besides Jay?" Rosie asked.

"Nope," I replied, facing forward. "Any there wasn't any heat or bombs at the warehouse either. Several Special K and Ecstasy dealers where caught, but that's something the DEA can handle."

I tapped my fingers on Rosie's desk, thinking a bit. Then a thought came to me. I turned back to my partner.

"Just out of pure curiosity, check out the latest newspaper articles and Police Reports in Grant City," I told her. "Maybe they will say what the hell a cop from Northern California is doing all the way down here."

Rosie shrugged her shoulders, but swiveled the chair to face the computer on her desk. In no time at all Rosie was busy clicking away on the internet, while I stood there staring off into space. But my thoughts where soon interrupted when a black middle set women in a professional set of clothes caught my eye. She stopped when she reached Rosie's desk and crossed her arms giving me "The Look" that I knew all to well.

"Mornin' Chief," I said a bit sheepishly, when she gave me that look. "Having a good day so far?"

"Don't even start, Nick," She said, her voice hard.

I could quickly see where this was heading. Here we go, brace yourself Nick.

"Our only lead gets killed, and we still have no clue whose behind this latest crime wave, and you mean to tell me that you lost your one chance to go after him because of another cop?"

The Chief had said it like a question, but you didn't have to be a dumbass to know what would happen if I answered it with a 'yes'. So I just stood there, expecting her to give me the short lecture that she had reserved for me (The Chief knows better than to give me the long one). I wasn't disappointed.

"Nick, I know that the man who got in your way was acting (as you have said many times) like an ass. But you should know better. You where there to do your job, not to have spitting tactic with another cop. At least try to put your anger aside for a while."

"Chief, I told you I would have had him if it wasn't for that son of a-."

"Don't even," The Chief said annoyed.

I rolled my eyes, but said nothing. I had enough respect for the Chief to not say anything.

"Besides what we really should be thinking about is why on earth is a Grant City Policeman in LA?"

"Mera Chief," Rosie spoke up suddenly, her tone a bit surprised. "You would be too if your city was facings shootouts, bombings, and murders."

We both turned to her.

"Uh Rosie," I said a bit awkwardly. "This is Grant City we're talking about. Anyone who visits that city says that people aren't born there, their made. They also say the Fortunes are lost and found at that place on a daily basis, and if your not one of the lucky finders, your probably dead in a side alley somewhere."

"No it's no just that," Rosie said, shaking her head. "Their crime rate is raising to almost as high as ours, and look at this."

She gestured to the computer screen. Glancing at each other, the Chief and I leaned forward to see what she meant. Rosie the read aloud the part of the newspaper column that she had discovered.

" 'Detective Neal Cohen and his wife where found dead in the comfort of their own home. Police say that there was no sign of struggle. The next-door neighbor says she didn't hear anything strange, but she does say that she swears seeing-'."

"Wait-wait," I said stopping her, making both women turn to me. "Letmme guess: it was a figure in funny black clothing, and the police think that the murderer had just knocked on the door and strolled right in."

"Basically, Sí," Rosie nodded.

Score! Five Points!

"But that's not all," Rosie said suddenly, scrolling down the page on her monitor. "Look at these other articles. There's one that talks about a bombing at a airport nearby Grant, and a shootout outside City Hall and they where reported to be wearing the same black clothing as the murderer."

I let out a low whistle, stepping back trying take this in. This was getting freakier by the minute.

"The Grant City Policeman must have found out about our friend Big Jay from a lead he got," The Chief said, putting our little mystery together. "Makes sense why he went all the way down here."

"But why didn't he come to us?" Asked Rosie. "It's against regulations not to alert us and besides, the cop would need help to take Jay down wouldn't he?"

"Not really," I commented, remembering all the thugs he had shot down at the club. "He seemed to hold his own pretty well."

"Maybe, but he should of alerted us at least," The Chief said.

I wondered a bit on this. If I knew anything about the guy it was that in the short time I ran into that Asshole, he didn't strike me as the one to go against regulations, much. It was then I just thought of something. It was bad, but it seemed to jar.

"Unless he was told not to by his boss," I said in a low tone.

The Chief turned to me and nodded, Rosie looked over he shoulder and nodded too. At that moment there was the familiar sound of a phone ringing in a particular office upstairs.

"That must be the Grant City Police Chief," The Chief muttered, turning to the staircase.

"Speaking of the man we wanted to lay a smackdown on," I muttered.

Rosie and I watched the Chief walk in to her office, answer the black cordless phone, and shut the glass door. I'll just say this, glass doesn't muffle a person yelling very well, cause I swear I heard her saying words that she doesn't usually say (She seemed to use a few of my favorite ones, a lot). It wasn't 30 minutes (and several phone calls I think) later that the Chief came back downstairs.

"I've gotten us an opening," She said simply.

"Really?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

She nodded.

"It seems that one of the bombers from the Airport bombing was sighted in a house in Santa Monica. The LAPD have him surrounded, right now, and are waiting for us to get him out of there."

"Alright I'm on it," I said, about to pass her to go to the revolving door outta here.

Suddenly, she stepped in front of me, stopping me abruptly. I admit I was surprised at this. She doesn't want me on the case anymore? I instantly thought. Jeez, I knew she was mad, but not that mad.

I guess the Chief must of thought what I was thinking 'cause almost as soon after I thought it, she spoke up.

"Now, Nick, the Grant City Police Chief and I had a little chat, and we both agreed that both cities must have the same crime syndicate that's causing all this."

"And?" I asked, waiting for the ball to drop.

"GCPD would feel a bit more reassured if they had one of their own detectives on the case with you. And since there's… Well…"

At first I couldn't get it. What was the Chief having so much trouble spitting out? Then a sudden thought came to me like a punch in the gut.

She had got to be kidding!

Of all people, she should know what happens when I have a partner. And if she was telling me that I was going to partnered up with that guy…

"You mean to tell me that-!"

But before I could finish, a rather familiar man walked threw the door that got the Chief's attention.

I turned to see a particular looking man in a leather jacket with brownish black hair and blue eyes near the revolving doors. A Husky with the same steely blue eyes stood at his side.

Aw Shit.

Jack Slate

As soon as the cab driver pulled up to the corner of 7th and Broadway. I couldn't help but think he had made some sort of mistake. The building on this corner didn't look like any Precinct I'd ever seen. It was made of tan granite and limestone, making me think it was a government building or a library. But it was then I saw carved above the door the words:

E.O.D.

ELITE OPERATIONS DIVISION

PROTECTING THE CITIZENS AND THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES

AT ALL COSTS

Talk about high class, I couldn't help but think as I got out of the Taxi. Shadow stepping to my side. I looked down to him.

"I suggest you don't chew on anything in here, boy. I'm already on their bad side, and I don't think you want to be on that side with me," I told him.

He cocked his head, slightly as if taking this into consideration.

I strode up to the revolving door to see the headquarters of the famous EOD.

The first thing I noticed was how professional the place looked. Black carpet, small cubicle areas with crome desks, swivel chairs, and high tech computers, the latest pictures of LA's most wanted posted on a billboard next to the door. Glancing to the side I could see what looked like a second floor of some sort. Where, I guessed, the offices of the best detective must be.

Nice place, I thought as I looked around. Now to find the leader of this department.

I was just about to ask a person at a nearby desk where the chief was when at that exact moment a black women, fairly middle set, in a professional work suit strode up to me. She gave me the impression of a motherly type person. Kind and understanding, but firm, and no nonsensed as well.

"Are you Jackson Slate, Grant City Policeman and Detective?" She asked in a strong sure voice.

"Yep," I nodded, looking around. "Do you know where I can find Chief of Detectives, Wanda Parks?"

"You won't have to look far, Slate," She said suddenly, extending her hand. "You just did."

She was Wanda Parks? I couldn't help but be a bit surprised at that. This was the women who had one handedly started one of the most controversial police division in LA? She had to be several decades older than me! But at that moment in her hard dark eyes could see the women that I had read about in several LA Newspapers.

"Oh, uh sorry about that," I said as I took her hand and shook it.

"Don't worry," She said in an understanding tone. "You're not the first to make that mistake Slate."

I nodded, feeling a bit better.

Well, she seems alright.

"It's just Jack, by the way," I told her, and motioned to my K9 partner. "And this is Shadow."

She smiled when she saw him.

"I know," She said, petting Shadow on the head. "I've read about some of the things you and this partner of yours have done. They've even come to call you the 'dynamic duo' if I remember correctly."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm just doing my job," I told her simply.

She nodded.

"And that's why, I'm told, the Chief sent you here," Chief Parks said. Motioning for me to follow her.

She led me past the row of desks. Which one in particular she wanted to go to was anyone's guess. But as we went through the rows she asked me a simple question.

"Do you know what the purpose of the EOD is, Jack?"

"I read that it was created to combat the extreme crime rate that has been coming into the city," I replied. "Sort of like our GAC unit."

"You read right, Jack," she said. "But unlike Hennessey's idea of a super SWAT team. The EOD is an independent branch of Police force complete with its own training in ammunitions, martial arts, and automobiles."

"I was also told that you also accept rehabbed gangsters as well," I said looking at several of the desk job employees

"Yes, we do. We're one of the few police forces that do as well. Former gangsters have experience and they know the street as well as any LA Policeman does. Not only that but they know what to expect from the scumbags they are sent to take down."

Chief Parks stopped at a desk near the back. At it sat a women with dark brown hair in a bun, eyes lined with eye shadow and a nice, yet casual, skirt, turtleneck shirt, and jacket. I could also see a man with dark hair nearby, leaning partially on the desk, but his back was to me so I couldn't see his face.

"Jack this is Rose Velasquiez, she is the member of one of our tops teams that you'll be working with," Chief Parks said.

"You should say the main Intel to the top team that he'll be working with, Chief," Rosie corrected. I quickly caught her accent slightly, my guess was she was Latin American.

"Ever since that first assignment with the partner you gave me."

I could swear I heard the man give a slight chuckle at this, but he still didn't turn to face me.

"Got stuck with one of those partners, huh?" I asked.

"Sorta of, I originally thought he was loco," Rosie shrugged. "But after awhile you get used to it."

"Rosie's also one of our rehabilitated officers," Chief Parks also said.

I turn to Rosie.

"You where a gangbanger?" I couldn't help but say, shocked.

"Once," She replied. "When you grow up in Latino gang territory, and almost half of your family is living la vida, it's almost natural to get jumped into a gang or two."

I cocked an eyebrow. For some reason I couldn't imagine Rosie as a homegirl. But she seemed to have a way to her, like she had seen more than I can imagine. It was then something the Chief said hit me.

"Wait," I said turning to Chief Parks. "You said I'll be working with her and her Partner…"

"Yes, it' was something that your chief and I discussed." Chief Parks nodded, I noticed she seemed to look a bit … Awkward, glancing to the man leaning against the desk.

"I see," I said. "So when will I meet the other half of the team?"

"You already did, Slate," spoke a sudden deep voice in a such a confident tone it was damn near arrogant, a voice that I couldn't help but feel like I had heard… somewhere before.

I turned to the man who had his back to us through the whole conversation. He seemed to know that we where staring at him, since he suddenly stood up and turned around as if he was one of those gung-ho action heroes.

His dark hair was slicked back, he dark eyes where piercing. He may have been wearing a different pair of cargo pants, a different T-shirt, and a different jacket then the other night but I recognized him just the same.

It was that Asian cop that I had met at Big Jay's club.

At once my blood almost ran cold.

"You…" was all I could say when I saw him.

"Yeah I'm me, Slate, and 'Hello' to you to, by the way," He said, he seemed about as happy to see me as I was to see him. "Twice we've run into each other in the last twenty-four hours, it must be our lucky day, huh?"

"Nick," The Chief said warningly. "Don't start."

The man stopped, but still looked at me with accusing eyes, while I glared at him.

"This is Nick Kang, Jack," Chief Parks said, looking back and forth from both of us like she was watching a tennis match. "He'll be working with you on the field."

You're kidding me!

"Ma'am," I said, turning to the Chief. "With all due respect, there's a reason why I only work with Shadow…"

"Is that because he's the only one who can agree with you?" Kang asked. "Oh that's right, it's not in his jurst-dick-tion if you leave city limits and screw up someone else's case."

"Excuse me, Kang," I said, darkly, turning to Kang, my fists clenching instinctively. "It wasn't in my jurst-dick-tion to have a gun in my face, by a lunatic wearing a badge."

"Are you talking about me? 'Cause it really sounds like your really talking about yourself, you and your cocky-"

"Am I interrupting something," The Chief snapped suddenly, stepping between us, her sharp tone almost made me jump.

The women's dark eyes seemed ablaze with hellfire, her face hard. It was almost scary.

"No, really," She said. "I think you two should slug it out. We're in the middle of one of the biggest crime wave's that we've ever had and you boys want to get back to mopping the floor with testosterone."

She folded her arms.

"Go ahead," She said suddenly. "I'll deem you both unfit, send you back to Grant City, Jack, give you a different case Nick, and I'll give this case to a more suitable team."

For awhile she paused as if she was waiting for us to go at each other. I couldn't say anything much less try to swing a punch. Her sudden yelling stole my anger. I glanced at Kang, he sighed resignedly, he too looked blown out.

"Well then, I don't want hear anymore about whose fault it is that you two where forced to team up, and honestly, I don't care. The only thing I care about is can you two stop being Assholes to each other? If you like it or not, your going to work together if you want to solve this case. So can you?"

She first turned to Nick.

"Yes," He admitted reluctantly.

She then turned to me. Her eyebrows rasied expectantly.

Aw hell.

"Yes ma'am," I admitted, almost as reluctant as Kang.

"Good," She said. "Now that your done washing the floors with testosterone. Go with Nick to Santa Monica, he'll fill you in on everything on the way there."

"Okay, Chief," Kang said. "Come on."

I nodded to Chief Parks and followed Nick to the door.

"Damn," I couldn't comment on the lecture that we had just received.

He glanced at me, I swear I could see a grin on his face.

"Tell me about it," Kang replied, pushing on the revolving door.

Author's Note- Also, while I remember, If you like this story I suggest you check out MasklessDuckman's High Crimes it's gotta be one of the best crime stories that I've read yet.