Andy dropped to the ground next to the trunk. She knew the sound when she heard it but wanted to make sure. "15 Sierra 3, I've got a baby in the trunk of the suspect vehicle."
"Copy that, fire rescue is just arriving on scene"
Andy looked over her other shoulder and could see a fire truck heading at her. "It's okay, buddy helps here," she tried to talk to the baby through the trunk.
A couple of the fire fighters got out and approached the car, the rest went towards the house and the squad car inside it. Andy told them about the baby and they nodded and got to work getting into the trunk. Andy went over to the house to see what was going to happen there.
"You're in charge here?", one of the firefighters asked.
"Offi-, I mean, Sergeant McNally," She stuck out her hand and the firefighter grasped it.
"Lieutenant Madic, do we know anything about the house, occupants?"
"No," Chris spoke up, "we tried to make contact visually or verbally with anyone inside but got no response. Sergeant told us not to try to get in the house.
"Smart. This is what we are gonna do. My guys and I are gonna go in through the back if we can. Is there a door?"
"Yeah, there is," Chris said.
"Okay, we'll go in see if there's anyone in there, anyone else that needs help, and check on your officer. What's her name?"
"Wendy Young," Andy supplied.
"Alright, sit tight, direct the medics over when they get here. Let's go boys!" The firefighters marched off to the back of the house.
"You two stay here and keep me posted," Andy instructed Diaz and Zettle.
"Will do."
Andy jogged back to where the firefighters there were working. When she got them in view she found them already in the trunk and pulling the baby out.
"Got her," the one who pulled her out said triumphantly.
"15 Sierra 3, fire rescue has extricated the baby from the trunk."
"10-4, tasking additional medic units your way."
"I can sit here with the baby if you want to get in the house with the rest of your squad."
"Might as well, can't really help out here anymore," one of them said. The other handed the baby to Andy, and they trooped off toward the house. The poor infant had a cut on it's head that was bleeding a little. Pretty lucky, Andy thought, given the condition of the car and that the baby was unsecured in the trunk. It struck Andy how small the baby was. Probably only a couple weeks old. Who would put such a fragile life in a trunk and get in a police chase?
She keyed her shoulder mic, "Update on search for ejected driver."
"This is Foxx, we found a significant blood trail leading away from some shrubs through some yards and through a gate on a fence into a yard."
"Any signs of continuation of the trail?"
"Negative"
Alright, sit tight for now, I'll get over there when I can. Price, can you get back here and stay with the baby?"
"On my way."
A minute and a half later Chloe pulled up and took charge of the baby. Andy ran back to her truck and got the address that Peck and Foxx were at.
When she got out, she walked up to Gail and asked if anything had changed.
"Nope, no movement, we've tried to make contact but haven't gotten anywhere."
"Ok, I'm going to knock on the door and let the owners know what's going on. Hopefully he's not in the house."
She walked up the porch steps and rang the doorbell. And older couple opened the door and she introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Sergeant McNally, 15 Division. We are tracking a suspect and have strong reason to believe he is on your property. Are you alone in the house?"
"Oh, my," the woman said. "I believe we're alone. This door and the back one are the only ways in and we've been right by that back door for a while now."
"Okay, my officers and I are going to get into your back yard, hopefully we can apprehend the guy without issue.
Chloe's voice came over the radio, "Sergeant? Medics are here to transport the baby to Memorial. If you don't need me for something, I'll follow them over and sit over there."
"Go ahead Price." Turning back to the couple in front of her, do you have a basement?"
"We do," the husband said.
"Could you two please go down there, just for safety? You know, incase anything happens."
"Alright, I hope nothing happens though," the wife said.
"Me too, ma'am," Andy said. The couple headed off to their basement. "15 Sierra 3, can I get another unit to back us up for entry into a back yard?"
"This is Diaz, we'll head your way, got another unit on the house."
A minute later Diaz and Zettle pulled up. "Peck, Foxx, enter through the gate. Diaz and Zettle, with me, we go I through the house. We'll radio check when we are in position and go in on a three count." Nobody needed to say anything more. They all drew their guns and moved to position. Some would say that they should call for an entry team, since they didn't know what was waiting for them exactly. But Andy felt judging from the blood loss of the suspect, there wasn't enough time for that and she made her first major field decision to go in.
Once they were all in position Andy counted down from three. At one, Chris opened the door and Andy led out with Marcy fanned out to her Left and behind, Chris formed up behind her on the right. Peck and Foxx came around the corner of the house and signaled that they had something.
"We got him, he's dead. Up against the side of the house over here," Foxx said.
They holstered their weapons and Andy went to check out the body. He was definitely dead, bled out from a large gash in his neck caused by a shard of glass from the windshield he flew through.
"I guess he should have worn his seat belt," Gail remarked.
"What happened to your 'real cops don't wear seat belts' attitude?", Chris asked.
Gail glared at him.
Andy spoke up, "I'll call it in and get a detective down here. Peck, Foxx, you two sit on it and brief the D when they get here. Diaz and Zettle, get back to the house and give me an update."
"You got it," Diaz said and he and Zettle headed back to their squad and took off back down the street.
"You two good here?" Any asked Gail and Jake.
"Oh, yeah. Nothing like sitting on a body."
"Good, I'll probably head back to the scene and coordinate with the people down there."
Andy walked back to her truck, climbed in and called in the body and its location.
"Copy 15 Sierra 3, detectives are en route."
Andy flipped the truck around and drove back to the scene. She got out and walked up to the house. "Diaz, what's going on?"
One of the firefighters just came out, the house was empty, for sale actually. Officer Young took out the yard sign before crashing into the house."
"That's good news, any word on her?"
"They're working on cutting her out, she appears to be unconscious. Medics standing by," he pointed to the ambulance parked at the curb. "They said they should have her out in just a few minutes."
"Any visible injuries?"
"They didn't say anything about that."
Andy's phone rang, it was Sam. "Hey Sam," she answered.
"Hey there, I heard over the radio about the accident. Oliver's gearing up to head over there."
"Are you coming by as well?"
"No, Oliver's got me and Dov going Memorial. There was a baby in the suspect car?"
"Yeah, unsecured in the trunk."
"Ah, hell. What kind of a person would do that?"
"I don't know, but he's dead." Neither said good riddance or that he got what he deserved because they both had to be professional, but they both felt it and knew the other did too.
"Well," Sam continued, "you have a traffic detective heading your way. S.I.U. will be on it to.
"Oh, joy," Andy remarked sarcastically.
"Yeah, I know. Anyway, just wanted to check in before we got to the hospital."
"Chloe's there with the baby, she'll probably know more than I do."
"We'll talk to her. Take care honey, love you."
"Love you too."
Andy clicked off and on cue, the firefighters emerged from the house with Young on a backboard. The medics were rushing to meet them with a stretcher. Andy rushed up to meet them too. "How is she?", she asked as they set her down on the stretcher.
"Looks like a broken nose," Lieutenant Madic said, "probably from the air bag. Also, a significant bump with a bruise forming on her head. Maybe a concussion, could explain the unconsciousness."
The medics had finished strapping her to the stretcher and one of them spoke up. "We'll get her vitals when we get her hooked up in the rig, know more then."
"I got to stay here, but I'm gonna send a couple officers to follow you. If you learn anything can you let them know at the hospital so they can relay it to me?" They were moving back towards the ambulance.
"Sure thing." The medics loaded her in and Andy turned to find Diaz and Zettle had followed them.
"You want us to go?", Diaz asked.
"Yeah, let me know anything."
They nodded and hustled back to their squad car.
Now Andy had to wait of the detectives and Oliver to get there. One hell of a first day. And it wasn't over yet.