Recovery
Chapter 10
Journal of John Nolan
Things can change entirely in a split second. It happened to me when the robbers invaded the bank back home. Today it happened for Mid-Wilshire when Sergeant Wade Grey went down. Bullets were flying, but he wasn't hit, at least not this time. Most of us didn't know until the story surfaced tonight, but Grey was shot years ago. It's one of the reasons he's behind a desk and that Luna was so anxious for him to retire. The bullet did a lot of damage, the kind that builds up scar tissue over the years and causes continuing complications.
I spent a lot of tonight at the hospital. Tamar wanted to be there for Luna, and I wanted to be there for Tamar. And whatever differences I've had with Sergeant Grey, we are part of the same brotherhood. Rarely have I felt that more deeply than I did tonight.
Grey was in surgery for hours to repair whatever went wrong. Jackson was pacing the entire time. He feels like he's responsible somehow because he was there. If anything, Jackson helped keep Grey alive. He called for help as soon as humanly possible and pulled Grey out of the line of fire. Still, Jackson is Jackson. He always thinks he could have done more. In this case, I don't see how.
I missed class tonight, but I called Professor Ryan. She emailed me the lesson for the evening and said I'm going to have to pass an oral quiz on it to keep the credit for the course. I guess that's tough but fair. I'll have to arrive 15 minutes early for class tomorrow night to answer her questions. I have no idea how work will go tomorrow without Grey. If I end up with a lot of paperwork, it will mean changing fast and skipping dinner, but that's better than setting myself back one more time.
Damn! That's a selfish thing to say. What matters is Grey's recovery. Whatever happens tomorrow, will happen. I'm going to check in with Tamar one last time and then try to get some sleep.
Every eye in the roll call room is on Tim Bradford as he takes the podium. "First of all, an update on Sergeant Grey. According to his wife, he spent a comfortable night and is listed in fair condition. He will be allowed visitors, but his doctors request that visits from anyone other than his wife be kept short."
Jackson raises his hand. "Is he coming back, Sir?"
Tim's jaw clenches as responses run through his head. "I have no information on that at this time. Now, Officer West, you'll be assigned to the front desk until we figure out who will handle the last leg of your training. All other assignments are as they were when Sergeant Grey made them.
"We continue to anticipate increased gang activity, possibly escalating to warfare over territory. Sergeant Grey's orders stand. Ensuring the safety of civilians takes precedence over making arrests. However, I will repeat the instructions to keep your body cams active at all times. If you catch evidence of a crime, you can return to the scene to make an arrest after civilians are cleared from the area. That's all. Get out there, be safe, and prove that we can get the job done."
"You drive," Tim orders as Lucy stows their gear in their shop. "I need my hands free for the radio. I'm the lead supervisor."
Lucy eyes the insignia on his sleeve. "Is your promotion permanent?"
"I don't know," Tim confesses. "After I passed the sergeant's exam, I had a chance at another division, but I didn't want to leave before you were fully trained. You get yourself into enough trouble even when I'm around, and I don't leave my work half done. If and when Grey comes back, he'll be in charge again. If he's here, unless another vacancy opens up after I get you squared away, the promotion will be temporary. I'll be training another rookie."
"What if Grey doesn't come back?" Lucy asks.
"Then I'll be assigned his spot," Tim answers tersely.
"Is that what you want?" Lucy presses.
Tim's hand tightens on his radio. "Not under those circumstances. But I want to move up. Why wouldn't I?"
Lucy pulls out on the street. "That's your question, not mine."
"Just keep using your eyes, Boot. I'm still your T.O., and I'm not about to let you fail now."
"And I'm not about to fail," Lucy returns.
"What's going on there?" John wonders, pointing through the windshield as Harper cruises the neighborhood around the community policing station.
Harper eyes a group of young men and women striding toward the recently rebuilt playground. "Most of them are carrying."
John indicates another group coming from the opposite direction. "Different colors, and also carrying."
"We could be seeing armed conflict any second," Harper predicts. "Call it in and request a supervisor. This is the kind of thing Grey knows how to handle. Bradford's going to have to show what he's got."
John can almost feel the heat coming off the gang bands nearing each other. "God, I hope Lucy doesn't decide it's time to play Officer Krupke. You know, the cop the gang tries to snow in West Side Story."
Harper rolls her eyes. "I know who it is, Nolan. But I don't think these guys are about to be offering any sob stories. This is a turf war, and we're heading right into the middle of it."
"Floor it, Chen," Bradford commands before calling in other units. "This shift isn't going to start out easy."
"What's the plan, Bradford?" Harper queries as Tim and Lucy approach the potential battle scene.
"Form a barrier between the gangs," Tim instructs all the arriving units. "Stay in your shops if possible. More backup is inbound. Keep your weapons at ready, but hold tight and don't engage unless threatened. If either side starts to move in, respond with flashbangs to stun and confuse. Cuff as many as possible and keep them down on the ground. Don't worry about looking for drugs. We can find them later."
"Bradford better know what he's doing, and backup better get here fast," Harper mutters, driving the shop into position. "Two units aren't going to stop these armies with anything except our M4s. That could be a bloodbath. And if those gangs start shooting at each other, we'll be right in the crossfire."
Sirens scream with a rising pitch, and Nolan draws in a breath. "Help's getting close."
Six vehicles form a line on an asphalt expanse between the opposing factions. Tim steps out of his shop, shielded by an open door. He displays a SWAT-style assault weapon before activating his P.A. microphone. "No one's been hurt yet. But this is a fight neither side can win. You won't gain any territory. You'll just lose your soldiers, your friends. If you back off now, there will be no arrests. You won't have to give up anything you're holding. But if you make any threatening moves, if one shot is fired, you will be met with full force. We have superior weapons, and we are trained to take you down. We follow a policy of aggressive arrests and incarceration in response to gang violence." Tim holds up his M4. "With this, I can take out at least ten of you before you get a foot closer. Every cop here has one of these and is trained to use it. So does every cop still on the way. Be smart. Stay alive, and get out of here while you still can."
John can hear guttural rumbles coming from both sides. The hair rises on his neck. "You think this is going to work, Harper?"
Nyla's hand tightens on her M4. "It better."
