At six, sharp, Jamie and Eddie knocked on the door to the motel room and the door was opened a bit, stopped by the chain. Perez looked through the crack, removed the chain and opened the door to let them in. He and his partner Mulholland was in street clothes as well.
"Nice to see, you look better, Reagan," Mulholland said from the chair in the corner and stood up. Both of the men looked tired and worn out.
"Yeah, anything?" he asked as he put his jacket on the hanger, next to Eddie's. She looked a lot better after a shower and some food, he had thought, when she picked him up again.
"Nothing, she's just finishing up in the shower. We had lunch a few hours ago," Perez said and stifled a yawn when he put on his jacket.
"You should get going, guys," Jamie said and checked the window across the room.
"See ya' later, Reagan and Janko," Mulholland said and closed the door after him. Eddie sat down in the chair Mulholland had left and looked around. The door to the bathroom opened and both Eddie and Jamie looked at Elizabeth Kramer, fully dressed and with damp hair, in the doorway.
"Hey," she said, recognizing the two cops from the hospital. Jamie nodded and Eddie spoke up.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving," she said, sprawled in the comfortable chair. Jamie smiled to himself. Back to normal, like this morning had never happened, he thought.
"You're always starving, Eddie, when you ate last?" he asked and Elizabeth smiled of them. Eddie tried to look innocent.
"Only, like, two hours ago," she admitted.
"I'm a bit hungry, too," Elizabeth said.
"It's settled, then," Eddie said and looked at Jamie. She knew one of them had to stay, while the other went out find some food.
"I'll go," he said, reading Eddie's glance. It told him that Elizabeth might need some girl-time, so he grabbed his jacket and covered the gun at his hip when he put it on. He turned to Eddie, seriousness in his eyes.
"If anything happens, you call me, all right?" Jamie checked his phone and put it in the pocket again. Eddie nodded and Jamie walked out the door, standing still for a moment until he heard the chain rattle and the door being locked. Then he set out to find take-away. He looked around when he got the chance to check the dimly lit shadows behind dumpsters and corners.
Danny was on his way back from coffee run when his phone rang. He was just a block away from his precinct when he answered it, juggling with two cups in one hand.
"Reagan," he said, sounding a little bit annoyed and preoccupied.
"Detective Reagan, I'm Detective Salazar from the 36th, the guns and gangs unit, I believe I have some information you would want to hear," the clear voice said with a hint of Hispanic. Danny knew of him, and his reputation, so he stopped walking for a second, listening close.
"Yeah, what's it about, Detective?" he asked, an uneasy feeling crept into him.
"Right now, my unit is working closely with the DEA on the Black Spades," Danny's heart leapt into his throat for a second.
"Go on," he encouraged and started walking towards the precinct, faster than before.
"As a matter of fact, we have an inside man and he just reported a name and a possible location he heard. We didn't quite get the connection, until a patrol officer mentioned your case," Salazar said and Danny now feared the worst, as he connected the dots. "The name was Kramer, no first name," he broke off for a second talking to a coworker in the background. Danny held his breath and was almost running back to the precinct, tossing the cups in the bin he passed. Salazar was back on the phone again. "The location is a motel close to the FDR, that's all he could get out of them," he said, Danny now running through the hall and up the stairs to his desk.
"When did your guy hear this?" Danny asked and slowed down a bit when he reached his desk. Baez looked up at him and saw the glance in his eyes. It told her everything and she stood, grabbed her jacket and soon after, they were working their way down the stairs again.
"It was around five pm, so a couple of hours ago," Salazar said. "He couldn't get it through earlier, because he has to take care of his cover," he said after.
"Do you have anything on the guy who gave up the name? Or maybe a Duncan Miller? 6' 4", 250 pounds, new guy?" Danny asked when he jumped into the car next to Baez and started out on the streets.
"No, nothing, I'm sorry," Salazar replied. Danny sighed, almost in frustration.
"Thanks, Detective," he said and hung up only to dial his kid brother while he relayed the call to Baez. She braced herself when Danny turned the car tight around a corner and then got her phone out to call for backup. Jamie answered on the first ring, obviously ready.
"Danny? What's up, you got anything?" Jamie's voice said over the line, traffic noise in the background.
"The Black Spades knows about your location. We are at least twenty minutes out, they might be closer. What's your status?" Danny almost barked at the cell phone in his hand.
"Damn, I was just going to get some dinner," Jamie said. Danny heard him turn around and then his footsteps sounded on the line. "I'll call you back," Jamie said and cut of the line.
Jamie had always been a fast runner and when he cut of his brother he called Eddie. She picked up after what seemed like a decade, laughter in her voice.
"Hey, Jamie," she said.
"Eddie, listen up, Danny called about a tip, and he says the Black Spades knows where we are. You need to…" Jamie was cut off, when Eddie spoke up, now sounding serious.
"The door is locked, curtains are drawn and Kramer is locked in the bathroom, I know… it's all quiet outside, same cars, as when we got here," she said. Jamie was in full sprint, which started to show in his breath.
"Backup is on the way, I'm just around the corner," Jamie said and ran a little faster, left hand to his ear and right hand on the butt of his gun, ready to draw if necessary. The sun was setting, it blinded him a little.
"I'll open the door for you," Eddie said and hung up. Jamie put the phone in his pocket and turned the corner, he slowed down to a jog and his eyes scanned the parking lot for changes. Everything was quiet, he though, just as a movement in the corner of his eyes caused him to turn, grabbing for his gun. Duncan miller had waited behind a van, out of sight to both the room and the road. Jamie was lifted up of the ground with a hand around his neck and another grabbing his arm so he dropped his gun, it skirted away under the van. He was slammed into the side of the van, already seeing stars from running hard to suddenly be out of breath. His head hurt even more now, the stars exploded in his eyes. He couldn't breathe. The door opened and for a second Duncan became distracted enough for Jamie to kick him in his guts. Duncan let out a grunt and bended over and Jamie fell to the ground, heaving for air to fill his lungs and.
"Jamie!" Eddie called from the door, still chained.
"Get inside!" he yelled, husky and gruff, when he saw a second figure run from the other side of the van to the door. Jamie got to his feet as Eddie closed the door. He charged at the man, this one on his own size, both of them slammed into the wall and Jamie threw him around so they fell to the ground. Sirens grew louder, a lot of them, Jamie acknowledged as he threw a punch to the unknown man's left jaw so he fell to the ground, knocked out. A second later, he was grabbed from behind, a giant arm under his chin, blocking the air from entering his lungs. Duncan Miller was upright again, Jamie thought, when a loud shot broke the silence in his head. For a short moment the grip around his neck loosened, but not nearly enough. Another shot made Miller jerk left so Jamie fell to the right, coughing and gasping for air. Red and blue lights flickered when squad cars entered the motel lot. Eddie knelt down next to Jamie and put a hand on his shoulder, just like she had in the morning, when she woke him up, to keep him down.
"You all right, Reagan?" she asked and holstered her gun, he only nodded, that was all he could manage. Officers in blue spilled around them, cuffing the two guys, calling for busses and securing the lot. Elizabeth Kramer was walked out of the room and put in a car, shocked and surprised. Jamie stayed on the ground in the middle of the lot, coughing and wheezing. His head hurt and his breathing was laboured, but he was alive and Eddie was next to him.
"Jamie, you all right, kid brother?" Danny called as he approached in a jog. He knelt on Jamies other side, putting a hand on his chest. Jamie nodded and sat up. Eddie still had her hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah," he coughed. "I'm good," he said and Danny patted him on his back.
"You had me worried for a second, when I saw you on the ground," Danny said and breathed out, relieved.
"Is Kramer all right?" Jamie asked as he moved to stand up. Danny and Eddie stood up on their feet, both of them helped Jamie up. He stood a little slumped over for a second, wheezing, until he stretched out and took a deep, unstable, breath. Eddie ducked away for a second and came back with Jamie's gun in her hand. Jamie secured it and placed it in his holster on his waist.
"A little bit shocked, but not a scratch," Danny said and looked towards the cruiser she was in. Baez made a motion for him to come, so Danny shot Eddie a glance and then looked at Jamie.
"Go to the hospital, kid, I'll see you later. Good job, guys," Danny said and walked to his partner. Eddie let out a relieved sigh and Jamie coughed.
"Are you all right, Janko?" Jamie asked his partner, considering that she had just shot and injured a man.
"Yeah, but you scared me," she admitted softly and caught him around his waist when he swayed a bit. "I'm still hungry, though," she commented when they made their way to the ambulance that had just parked.
"I guess I owe you dinner for saving my life," Jamie hissed and tried to hold back laughter so the pain in his chest and neck wouldn't get worse.
"Oh, I think you need to chip in for appetizers, desserts AND a beer on top of that," she stated and couldn't help smiling at him. Her heart had slipped a beat, when she had seen Jamie locked in the arms of Miller. She let him go when they reached the ambulance and Jamie sat down on the gurney.
"You eat too much, Janko," he said with his hoarse voice when an oxygenated mask was pressed over his mouth and smiled back at her. Renzulli showed up behind Eddie and she turned to face him.
"How's Mr. Ivy League doing?" he asked her, as Jamie himself was answering questions from the EMT's.
"He'll be fine," she said, still sounding relieved. She glanced at the Duncan Miller, when he was loaded in another ambulance. He stared at her, eyes in pain but fully focused on her. He scowled at her until his view was blocked by another officer. She had shot him in the back of his right leg, just above the knee at first, hoping the round wouldn't go through and hit Jamie. The second shot was aimed at his left shoulder, it was riskier, because it was closer to Jamie. But she had to take it to save her partner from being suffocated.
"And you, Janko? Are you going to be fine?" Renzulli asked and looked at her for a second until she nodded.
"She's hungry, Sarge," Jamie said, still hoarse but cheerful, from the back of the ambulance, clearly effected by the clean air in the mask. Eddie and Renzulli turned to see him grinning.
"I think he hit his head a bit too hard… you should go with him to the hospital," Renzulli said with a smile. Eddie nodded.
"Will do, Sarge," she said, when Renzulli walked over to Danny and Baez, searching for updates on the case.
"Ready to go, partner," Jamie called out, still hoarse. Eddie turned her head to the sound of Jamie's voice and she smiled when she stood up. He was holding a hand on his sore ribs and walked a more cautious than normal. But he was almost smiling, she thought, and fell in next to him.
"I was thinking of pizza, but I wondered if burgers and beers are more like it," she started. Renzulli had clocked them out, so they didn't have to go back to the precinct at all. For the second time in the short period they walked out from the hospital and towards Eddie's car. She couldn't help but feel a bit alert due to the day's action. She was wondering if that was caused by the adrenaline or the shock of having shot a man. She had pulled the trigger at lots of paper targets and she had even killed a man that once drew on her. That was something she could never forget.
"Burgers and beers it is," Jamie said and headed for the passenger side. Eddie could feel him glance at her when she passed the fender on the car.
"What, Reagan?" she asked and pushed the nagging feeling aside while plastering a grin on her face. "Let's go eat, I've been starving since… forever," she said with a smug. "I almost forgot when I ate the last time," she said and smiled because she made Jamie smile.
"We got the bad guys today," Jamie said as he gently lowered himself down into the seat.
"And that demands celebration and food," Eddie continued and laughed as they drove out on the streets.
Danny had been talking to a lot of people when they decided to stop for the day. Elizabeth Kramer was back in her apartment, a detail was out on the street in the front, just to be safe. Renzulli was put in the loop and he was kind enough to pull Jamie and Eddie out for the rest of their shift. Frank had called and wanted an update for him and the mayor. Gregory Kramer had stopped by the 5-4 to give thank the detectives and officers in person. Duncan Miller had not yet been questioned, because he was sedated at the moment. His partner in crime and also former cell mate, Jim Parson, had clamped up like an oyster. The only words in his vocabulary seemed to be 'lawyer', 'lawyer, goddammit' and utter silence. He couldn't blame him for not exercising his rights. But the case against Duncan Miller was almost a slam dunk. The domestic dispute, the first assault on officers and the second, accompanied by Jim Parson was more than enough to keep them both behind bars for a long time.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Baez," Danny said, without looking up from his desk, as she headed out.
"Bright and early, Reagan," she called back and left. Danny was just typing the last words for the day, before he would head home, too. Tomorrow he would take another crack at Duncan Miller and Jim Parson, hopefully they would be more cooperative and able, he thought. His cell phone buzzed on the table and he answered it, annoyed by the disturbance.
"Reagan," he answered. No one replied and Danny looked at the caller ID, having missed it before. Blocked. "Hello?" he asked again. "Who are you?" he demanded and then the like was cut.