Chapter 2: It was a blue box
Chris and Street exchanged a worried look, grabbed their handguns, and went along each of the boxes they had previously climbed. Putting their ears on each, hoping to find what the sound was and where it was coming from. As they reached the third one, they heard the clinking stronger.
They nodded at each other and decided it was time to call Hondo. They got down on the ground and told him to come. He was finishing with LBPD officers taking the perpetrators to SWAT HQ.
"What's up, guys?" Hondo was finally coming to meet them after they called him some minutes earlier.
"Street and I heard a clinking coming from one of the containers." Chris immediately answered, anxiously.
"And?"
"And it was very strong when we came closer from the second one." Street pointed the blue box with his finger.
"Could be rats?" Hondo asked.
"At this height? No chance! And the noise is regular, as if it was mechanical or…" Street was 100% sure those little beasts would rather run on the ground.
"Or as if there's someone inside." Chris eventually told, very seriously.
"You mean, it could be Rodriguez?" Hondo gave them his dark look. Luca, Deac, Tan and he had only been able to catch his hitmen earlier. The man had run and remained nowhere to be found.
"It could or someone from his crew?"
"Deserve to have a look, Boss." Street emphasized Chris's last sentence. They really had to check every angle.
"Ok, kids. I'm listening to your instincts. You really seem to think there's something there. Let me check with the guardians of this place. In the meantime, you stay here and keep a look on this box. Tan, Luca, you come with me, Deac, keep Hicks updated!"
Chris and Street remained here for hours. At one point, they thought Hondo had forgotten about them. Both were anxious about what was in this container. And also curious. Street was so focused on what was inside that he was almost quiet.
"Not very talkative today…"
"And you're missing this?" He gave her a large smile.
"Almost." She giggled.
"I can tell you a lot of stories you know… What about a drink tonight and a burger…"
"Let's finish this and we could talk about this burger I owe you. Twice!"
He grinned at her. She soon imitated him. It was easier between them since they had both admitted the way they felt. There was still this rules problem but day after day, they tried to find a solution. Street felt that Chris was not on the defensive anymore. She was more cheerful, open, peaceful. He loved discovering this new part of her.
"Hey kids, sorry for letting you wait so long! Meet Mr. Dixon, the manager of the place."
"Nice to meet you both. Mr. Harrelson told me you heard some weird noise coming from a container."
"Yes, this one. The blue one." Street answered before Chris could open the mouth. She recognized him better this way.
"Oh this one…"
"Yes this one." Chris answered sharply. Hondo sniggered, hearing her telling this with this tone.
"It's that it's gonna be complicated… It's not on the ground, so we'd need a crane to lift the three over it and then to put the blue one on the ground and..."
"And what are you waiting for, then?"
Dixon turned to Hondo with dumbstruck look. Making him laugh a little louder. He could even heard Tan and Luca doing the exact same thing behind his back.
"You heard the girl, go and get a crane." Hondo ordered Dixon.
"Order from LAPD! Just hung up with Hicks. He finally got in touch with the mayor who agreed to contact the attorney and push things faster. Warrant will be here within the next hour." Deac confirmed a few second later.
Dixon lowered his head, understanding he will spend his evening getting a box out of a pile instead of chilling in front of his TV in his lodge. He handed his phone reluctantly and called his chief of sector.
"Gabriel will be here in twenty minutes, just time for him to end some work in sector 5."
"We're not in a hurry. We've been waiting for almost three hours now." Chris was still sharp.
"Yes, what is waiting 20 more minutes?" Street winked at Chris who gave him her famous shy "squishy cheeks" smile.
While waiting, Tan and Street explored the area. Luca followed them, checking on the other containers, looking for any clue. Deac, Hondo and Chris stayed with Dixon, trying to get some more information about the place and the landlord of the blue container.
Gabriel finally arrived, lazily, dragging his feet. The man was as enthusiastic about moving the contained as Dixon. Hondo and Chris shared a concerned look.
"Gabriel, I suppose? I'm Sergeant Daniel Harrelson but you can call me Hondo. And this is Officer Chris Alonso."
"And I can call her…"
"By her name, It'll be perfect." Chris grinned at Hondo. He had answered Gabriel faster than she. Not she didn't want to. She just didn't have the time. He winked at her.
"So Gabriel, Officer Alonso and Officer Street, right there." He showed Street, in the background, with his finger.
"Street!" Chris called him out. Street turned and waved at her before hurrying to join Hondo and Chris.
"Meet Officer Street, he's the other one of my officers who heard the weird noises coming from the blue container."
"Yes that's me!" Street tried to joke but he quickly understood Dixon and Gabriel where not the kind to get those kinds of jokes.
"Listen, two of my officers told me they heard something in this box. And they insisted on me to call both of you so it'd be very nice of you of getting that box on the ground so we can have a look inside."
"Oh and look" Deac handed his phone to the two men. "The warrant is on his way! Commander Hicks will be here in 10 minutes."
The two men exchanged a look, understanding they had no other choice than working all night.
"Gabriel, call your team and tell them to be there within the next 15 minutes. I'm taking care of getting the crane here."
20-Squad waited for 20 more minutes. Hicks soon arrived with the warrant and talked for a while with Dixon who seemed more and more overwhelmed by the whole situation.
"Someone is losing all the sweat he has ever had!" Tan joked making the others laugh.
"Don't think he's already sweating a lot…"
"Oh Street, that was harsh!" Chris giggled.
"What? Just spitting facts! Don't think he does a lot of sports or any physical activity…"
"He's more into procrastinating into his seat."
"Luca? You too? Haven't known all of you so bitchy in a while!"
"Oh, oh, oh, who's bitchy here, Chris?" Hondo popped behind her, coming back from his little talk with Gabriel.
"All of them, boss!" She burst into laughing.
"Not bitchy, more like truthful. " Tan announced, proudly.
"Yeah, boss just speaking the truth here!"
"Exactly, Luca, we're just telling the truth! Is it really bad from us?" Street continued.
"Sorry to kill the mood but they have some problems with the crane. It's too narrow around here and it's gonna take more time than planned… Add to this, they're absolutely not motivated. We're here for at least three more hours."
"Really?! Guess I need to text Bonnie to tell her I won't be here for dinner and to help her with her work stuff."
Tan quickly slipped away to call his wife.
"Think I should do the same. If you excuse me!" Deac followed Tan.
"And what do we do, Boss?"
"Luca, you keep the pressure on Dixon, just need a few minutes to call Nichelle. Chris, Street, go and talk to this Gabriel and help him to get the crane faster than he's planning to do so."
"On it, Boss." Luca, Street and Chris left Hondo and walked to their assignment. Each other in the right direction.
"Guess the burger will be for another time…" Street lowered his head, a little disappointed. This situation reminded him of a bad memory when Chris was forced to bail out their dinner at Paul Chopshouse because she had an emergency to handle for one Mama Pina's protégée.
Chris, walking next to him, noticed his sad smile, pouted and immediately understood why he was like this. She was still sad and bitter about this missed rendezvous.
"Rain check only. Like last time…" She shyly smiled to him. "I mean… Our time is coming, I've no doubt about this."
He raised his head and looked at her in the eyes. "Really?" He was using his mischievous and flirty tone and she liked this.
"Because you see another option?"
She gave him a large smile before turning her head and focused on the case again. She swore she saw him blush. And it made her heartbeat raced a little more.
"Hey Gabriel, any news about the crane?" She tried to come back to her mind. The man seemed surprised she brought this again.
"On its way. My guys are half way. Should be here any minute."
Five minutes later, the crane was here. Gabriel and his two guys took care of the installation. Chris and Street remained on the background to let them know they were waiting.
"Almost done? " Hicks joined them.
"Matter of minutes, now." Street answered.
"And Dixon?" Chris asked.
"Hondo is on his back, we should have the listings of the area very soon."
Gabriel finally came back to them and told them it was OK. That they were ready to start the unloading. Hicks called Hondo to supervise the things while he left with Dixon to get the files.
Gabriel gave the order to one of his guys to get into the crane and to get every box on the ground till he reached the one that interested SWAT. The guy nodded and started the work. One box after another. He finally arrived to the blue one and took it as delicately as he could. He then put it on the ground and got out of the crane as soon as the work was done.
Hicks and Hondo thanked him and asked him, his colleague and Gabriel to get farther.
"Deac and Luca, get on each side of the box and you open the door when I give you the go."
The two men nodded and placed on each side of the container, ready to complete their mission.
"Chris, Street, you are our back ups."
"Copy that!" They told at the same time before placing right behind their teammates, ready to intervene at any moment.
"Luca, you're with me! As soon as the doors open, we check inside!"
"Copy that, boss!"
The team made the last checks before Hondo eventually gave the go of the operation. In less than ten seconds, Tan and Deac pulled the doors in synchronicity and unveiled a large, dark opening.
"LAPD SWAT!" Hondo screamed loudly to be sure everyone one around had heard him. But no one answered. Not a move. Just a loud silence.
"I repeat LAPD SWAT, is there anyone here? We're all armed here, better get out now!"
All of a sudden, a noise came from inside. All the squad shared a quick look. Hondo started again.
"LAPD SWAT, if there's anyone inside, you'd better get out now!" Hondo's tone became sharper.
This is when they saw a shadow. Getting bigger step after step. And suddenly freezing. They could distinguish a silhouette in the dark. It seemed like it was shaking.
"Chris, Street, have a look!" Hondo ordered them.
Chris and Street got closer to the entrance of the container. Their guns in hand. Till Hondo, Tan, Luca and Deac saw them lower their arms.
"Kids, what's happening? What are you doing?"
Street turned to their teammates with an astounded look on his face.
"It's ok, it's ok, you can all lower the guns. We're ok."
Chris kept walking and entered the container. For a short while, she vanished inside. As soon as they lost eyes on her, all started to panic. Until they saw her get out of the box, Street rushing to help her to carry what she had in her arms.
"It's ok, guys, it's ok… It's just…"
"A little girl… " Deac ended the sentence, totally abashed by the scene he had under his eyes.
