Force Chapter Nine
Author's Notes: Hey, I'm so sorry it's taken me SO long to update, I've been a little manic and unable to concentrate (as is my norm sometimes), and I just COULDN'T sit still to write this. Anyway, it took me a week to thoroughly convince Wendell to come out into the light again, and we are now sitting watching Season 3 of Buffy, courtesy of Sadie. I've decided that this will be the second last chapter of this story, not counting an epilogue. So! I'd better get things wrapped up quickly, hadn't I?
Disclaimer: I own nothing, as you've probably guessed, this is not canon.
*********
Cyrus Lupo looked out over the dumpster, only to duck back down at the bullets ricocheting near his head. He looked across the alley at Bernard, checking his partner's safety. The pudgy man had pushed all of his bulk into the space between a doorway and another dumpster, and was returning fire on their gunman; Jose Yolande.
It had only been a few hours earlier that the two detectives had visited Jose's 'mama' in Yonkers. The old lady had promised that Jose 'was no welcome inna house'. She was sweet, and was obviously very disturbed that one of her children had turned out to be a gang banger. So Lupo and Bernard had left, leaving Mrs. Yolande to tend to her four grandchildren courtesy of Jose's sister.
Their next stop had been the last place he'd been employed, Donny's Pizza. Donny was a rotund Italian with a jolly face. His demeanour instantly darkened when they mentioned Jose's name.
"No, no, Jose was fired, detective," Donny assured them, taking one of his magnificent pies out of the oven. "His little punk friends hanging around all the time, scaring away all my customers. My wife was afraid to bring the kids by."
Thankfully, though, Donny was able to tell them that Jose's little 'punk ass friends' always talked about their plans at 'The Cave'. Lupo put in a quick phone call to one of his old contacts in the Organized Crime Unit and found out that The Cave was a club in Bensonhurst. It was owned by the 3rd Street Assassins.
Pulling up a few doors down from The Cave, Bernard and Lupo looked at the cinderblock building with the blacked- out front window. Above the bar were a series of windows, obviously an apartment or offices. They looked at each other.
"What do you wanna bet that the Assassins give rooms to needy members?" Bernard asked.
"Uh uh. I'd lose that bet." Lupo replied, stepping up and knocking on the heavy wooden door. After a few moments of inactivity they heard numerous locks being flipped and then one eye appeared over the door chain."NYPD, open up," Lupo tapped his badge against the door frame.
The door slammed in his face. Looking to his partner, he backed off, allowing Bernard to kick down the door. They charged inside, weapons drawn. They could hear shuffling footsteps above them, male voices calling out on the upper floors. Lupo and Bernard found the rickety wooden staircase. The two detectives looked at each other. Bernard nodded and went beneath the staircase toward the back entrance; there was no way he was getting his bulk up that rotten staircase. Lupo continued up, sweeping his weapon around on the landing. Everything was quiet for a moment; then he heard the clank. Fire Escape, he thought to himself. He ran down the narrow hallway, clearing all the bare rooms on his way. Everyone had escaped.
Outside the window of the last bedroom, Lupo caught sight of a head disappearing down the ladder.
"Jose Yolande!" he yelled, rushing toward the window and launching himself through it. Their suspect was still descending. Lupo went after him, descending the ladder as fast as he could. At the bottom Jose turned and began to run away. Bernard dashed out of the back entrance to the club, pointing his gun at Yolande's retreating back.
"NYPD! Stop and drop your weapon!" he bellowed. Lupo moved to flank him on the other side of the alley. A moment later they both ducked for cover as Jose began to fire, and he now found himself pressed up against a dumpster, weapon in his outstretched arms, trying to find a way to take Jose down.
Getting tired with being fired on, Lupo stood up, his head still partially protected by the dumpster's open lid. He raised his gun and returned fire while Yolande was preoccupied with firing at Bernard.
Jose went down hard, his gun falling from his hand. The two detectives ran at him, Bernard flipping him on his back to slip on the handcuffs while Lupo kicked the gun from his reach. Aside from a bullet wound in his upper arm, he was fine. Bernard read Jose his rights over his whimpers of pain on the way to the car.
****
"Where is he?" Connie asked, running up the hallway to Lupo. He'd called her earlier to report that they'd found Jose Yolande. He'd been shot while they were bringing him in, and they'd taken him to Bellevue.
Connie was nearly weeping with relief. Now she could finally sleep easier knowing Jose Yolande wasn't going to sneak into her apartment at night. She would be fine. Connie hadn't spoken to Mike since she'd kissed him two days earlier, and she hadn't been back to work. She didn't know what to say to him.
"He's in the ER getting the bullet removed from his shoulder." Lupo replied.
"Who shot him?"
"I did."
"Detective!" Connie whipped around upon hearing the new voice in their conversation. Mike was walking toward them from the elevator bay. With him was a man in a black suit. Beside her, Lupo sighed. "Lupo, this is Agent Watkins from IAB. He's here to get your statement and confiscate your weapon."
Lupo nodded despondently and walked away toward the waiting room with Agent Watkins. Connie and Mike stood together in silence for a moment before Mike reached over and squeezed her hand. "I'm glad they got him."
She gave him a brief smile. "Me too."
"How have you been?"
"Fine." She still couldn't look him in the eye.
"When are you coming back to work?"
"Monday."
He nodded. "Good. I'll be there." He was silent for a beat before saying softly, "I missed you."
Connie's breath caught. What they were doing, or not doing, was so complicated, but when he said something straight from the heart like that...
"I've missed you too."
Mike let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. She'd missed him. Thank goodness. The kiss in his apartment that night was like a dream come true. He was just a little angry that she'd had the guts to do it and he'd run away like a coward. No matter , the ice was broken.
"If you're up for it, on Monday I'd like to start the paperwork charging Jose Yolande with your kidnapping."
"Sure, yeah." Connie wasn't looking at him. "Am I going to sit second chair at the trial?"
"Connie—"
"Answer me, Mike. Is Jack putting me in second chair?"
"No," Mike sighed. "I'll be second chair. Jack's taking charge of this one himself."
Author's Notes: Okay, so the next chapter is going to be the trial and the aftermath, and hopefully Connie will get a little happier in my mind so we can get some real fluff. So, read and review, and please take a look at my new Buffy the Vampire Slayer fic 'New'. Lots of Giles goodness! Anyway, that's enough shameless self promotion for now.