A/N: Everybody does hate math, right? Well, I don't HATE it myself, but there are some times were it does get the better of me. Haha- anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying the HUGE updates I've been able to do. Don't thank me; thank the epic writers of Flashpoint who have just enabled me.
"Perra, do you have the solution?" Ed asked me over the radio.
I lined up the scope reticle on the suspect, "I have the solution."
I got up from bed before the alarm went off and went into the washroom. I was half dressed when I came back into the room to turn off the alarm before it went off.
"Wake up, sleepy head." I said to Jules.
"I'm comfortable, I really don't want to."
With a smile, I got into bed with her.
"Still comfortable?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm perfect." She replied, as I kissed her, "I don't want this moment to end."
"Well, it's going to have to. We have to be at work in four hours.
"I think I'm ready…" Jules whispered to me, as she looked up to me, and put her hand underneath my shirt to coax my tense chest muscles.
"For breakfast?"
"For this." She said, "I want to have kids."
I looked at her with amazement.
"I'm not saying that I don't consider Megan my daughter, because I do, you know? I just- I haven't been with a lot of guys, and you're the first one I've wanted to have his kids."
"Why don't we work on that?" I suggested, as I kissed her passionately, and started to tear down the progress I've made in getting ready for work.
Megan looked at her clock in her room. She heard her dad get up and enter the bathroom. Jeez dad, lay off the midnight water chugs, ok?
But she couldn't focus on that. She had to focus on her computer screen where a half-finished weekly Class Sargent report was awaiting to be printed and handed in at noon.
Ok- so it's only 6am. I should have lots of time- finish the report, shower, get dressed, leave for school around 8. Class starts at 11, so that'll give me time to eat some breakfast at the café on campus, do a few laps at the track, shower in the locker room and class at 11am.
Class at 11- ugh, I hate Communications. Yes, I know how to spell and read- my parents taught me!
Talking about parents- oh god- dad? Seriously? Sex at 6am?
Then a chime came from the computer. An email. Sorry report, emails first- then report.
She opened up the screen and looked at the sender.
Haley McLeod. Mom?
So he opened the email and read it:
Hi Megan. Sorry I haven't talked to you in a while, just thought I'd email you, see how things were going. If you want, I'm working at the little coffee shop near Warden High School- if you want to stop by, and have a donut- or a coffee.
She immediately closed and deleted the email. She didn't want anything to do with the woman who had divorced her father two years ago.
Should I tell dad? Yeah, I probably should. It's a breach of the divorce settlement, isn't it? I mean, I was granted exclusive custody to my father, with no contact from my biological mother allowed.
I suppose I'll look into it first, before I tell dad.
"How are you today?" Ed asked me, as he entered the gym, as I spotted Jules at the bench press.
"Outstanding sir."
"C'mon Jules, back in the day you could press upwards of a 150- why you doing 80?" Ed asked.
"That's what she wanted to start at." I said, "Gotta listen to the wife, remember?"
"Oh, yeah, yeah." Ed said, with a smile, as Jules lifted the weights again.
"So, you hear anything more about the NHL…" I started.
"Hey Jack!" Jules yelled, "I don't have this!"
Quickly, before the weighted bar fell onto Jules, I grabbed the bar, so she could safely get up.
"You ok?" I asked.
"Yeah, I just need to work out more."
"Ok Team," Greg said, with excitement, "First day in a long time- no calls."
"Don't jinx it." Spike said, as he opened a salt packet and threw its contents his left shoulder.
"And I'll also call custodial down here to clean up another one of Spike's whacky superstitious messes." Ed said, as he grabbed a phone on the wall.
"Because of this 'gift'," Greg continued, "We will be spending the rest of our shift down here, with our service weapons and more than enough ammo that we could ask for."
"Team One- hot call!" Winnie yelled over the intercom.
"You had to jinx it, didn't you?" Spike asked, as we ran back up the stairs to the locker room, "Couldn't leave well enough alone, could he?"
"Hey," I said to Spike, "I honestly thought the salt thing was going to work."
Once at the call, we piled out and surrounded Eddie.
"We got an unidentified person with an unidentified weapon, making unknown demands. What do we need?"
"I'll get on intel." Spike said, as he got into the command truck, which arrived on scene.
"Me and Ed on recon." I said, as I got everything ready.
"And me and Greg on witnesses." Jules replied, as her and Parker went to work questioning witnesses.
"What do we got Spike?" I asked over the radio.
"Unidentified everything, can't even access CCTV. The security guards won't say anything because apparently they are not authorized to do so. We apparently have to wait for their Client Manager to arrive."
"That's a negative Spike." I replied, as me and Ed entered the building, "Under the Private Security and Investigations Act of Ontario, all information relevant to a case or criminal investigation must be surrendered to police forthwith, upon request."
"Apparently it's a company policy, Perra. All that we know, is that somewhere in the Canadian Institute of Technology there is an angry person with a gun."
"Terrific. That really narrows it down." Ed said sarcastically.
"Ok team, listen up," Greg said over the radio, "I got a witness here says the gunshot came from the room beside her."
"Which was?" Ed asked.
"She was in room 411. Spike?"
"Don't have floor plans yet boss, I have to get everything from city hall. Could take a while."
"Probably room 409." I suggested to Ed, as we made our way up the stairs.
Once at the fourth floor, we looked around for signs of a struggle or a hostage taking. Nothing.
We approached room 407. The room we want to check is room 409- the next one.
I grabbed a blind spot mirror from my side pouch, and telescoped it out to its full extension.
With a simple head nod, me and Ed entered room 409.
"Police- SRU! Get on the ground!" I yelled, as I saw a large group of college level persons.
"Spike, we got a large crowd in room 409. We need to evac these people right away."
"I'm on it." Came his reply.
"Ok- does anybody know where the shooter is?" I asked.
Everybody shook their heads. In broken English an Asian woman said, "He left- went down hall."
"Alright, thank you. An officer will be up shortly to get you safely out of the building." Ed said, "Did anyone recognize the shooter?"
Again, no information.
"Alright," I said, as a police officer entered the room, "Follow this officer, he will lead you out."
Before the officer started to corral everyone downstairs, me and Eddie continued down the hallway.
"This would go much faster if we had CCTV on our side." I mentioned over the radio.
"Getting Judge Yasef to order a warrant for the release of the CCTV." Spike said, "Shouldn't take long after that."
"Any more information?" Ed asked Jules and Greg.
"Not much," Jules said, "What one person says, another rules it out. You need me inside?"
"No. Spike- call up Team Four- see if they can give us a hand."
After about five laps around the track, Megan slipped into the showers. After freshening herself up, and changing into her police foundations uniform, she grabbed her phone from the cellphone cradle that her father got her for her belt.
Voicemail. Who the hell is it?
After punching in the voicemail password, she listened to it.
"Hey, Megan. I'm glad you didn't change your number. Did your dad get you a new phone? Where are you? Why don't you stop around 2pm at the coffee place by Warden High School so we can catch up?"
Again- Haley? What the hell- this is starting to get creepy.
"Hey- Megan, right?" a guy from her class said to her, just as Megan finished deleting the voicemail.
"Yeah- Jason, right?"
"Yeah. We have Communications next, right?"
"I know I do. You might not. Some people have Police Powers- why?"
"Oh, well, then I assuming you're on the A-class structure."
"Uh, sure, maybe I am. Why, what's up?" Megan asked again.
"I was just wondering if I could be switched from B-class to A-class."
"I'll look into it."
Megan stopped at a bench outside to jot down Jason's question, when Kelly, the other Class Sargent stopped by.
"Hey Kel." Megan said, using a quick nickname that Megan just invented for her.
"Hey Megan, I have a question."
"Shoot." Megan said, still taking down notes, not really paying attention.
"Are you related to Kristopher and Julianna Perrasmith?"
Megan looked up, "Yeah, why?"
"I was talking about some of my classmates to my uncle- he works in Guns and Gangs in the Toronto Police Service, and when I mentioned your last name, he told me that he knew you."
"Wordy." Megan responded, "Yeah, my dad replaced him when he left SRU. My step-mom worked with him for quite a few years."
"That's cool, having your own parents as cops. All I have is my uncle, and he can't talk much about his job- he's been working on some huge case apparently."
Megan thought to herself that she probably knew what that case was about, based on what her dad had told her.
"It's not that great. I have to pass a uniform inspection before I leave the house every day. My dad's been taking me to the shooting range, and he already expects me to get SRU accuracy results. My step-mom, she isn't as anal about it, but she's been helping me develop my workouts."
"Still, it's cool. See you in General Policing."
"CCTV?" I asked again.
"And- let there be cameras. Only three of them," Spike said with disappointment, "I'll see what's going on."
"Anything else Greg?" Ed asked, since we had stopped in the middle of the fourth floor hallway.
"Not much. Wait til he shoots again?"
Then a bullet smashed through a window ten feet away from us.
"Perra, Ed- status." Spike asked.
"All ok." I replied.
"No harm."
I risked a peek out the window.
"Probably in the atrium below us, any cameras there Spike?"
"Nope. Still only got three."
"Ok, Jules," Ed said, "Meet up with us, we're taking cover up on fourth floor. Bring a precision rifle. Perra- you'll be Sierra, and me and Jules will recon the atrium."
"10-4, Ed." Greg said, "We're still flying blind."
Jules came up pretty fast, and handed me the rifle, as I gave her my PDW.
After Ed and Jules sneaked away, I opened a small window. After checking to make sure the magazine on the gun was full, and locking a round in the chamber, ready to fire, I set up my Sierra perch.
"Sierra comfy." I noted over the radio.
"Got eyes?" Ed asked.
"Nothing yet." I replied, as I put down the rifle, and took out the binoculars to look around with.
"I got a snapshot of our suspect on CCTV." Spike radioed out, "Coming to you on the PDA."
I pulled out my PDA and opened the file.
"Ed- we're looking for an early twenties man. Facial construct looks to be European."
"Copy, that." Ed said, "Atrium is clear. Any leads?"
"None yet." Greg replied, "Keep looking."
"Alright Perra- cover us," Ed instructed, "We're going out in the open. If he's around, he might try to approach or shoot. Look for muzzle flashes or movement."
As both Jules and Ed approached the middle of the atrium, I looked around. Nothing.
"Nothing Ed."
"Alright- new information team one," Greg said, "Suspect is Alban Gruber, 23 years of age. No known family or friends. He immigrated to Canada 2 years ago, and his Canadian Status application was fast tracked because he was a member of the Russian Militia. He is living on campus in the residence in room 21A."
"Second floor- Perra, meet up with us for dynamic entry." Ed said, as they rushed to the residence location.
Once we were all there, I strapped the rifle to my bag, and readied the door sledge.
"Ok, Perra," Spike started, "Those doors in the residence- they're fire rated. They're not going down without a fight."
"Copy that." I whispered.
With Ed's signature head nod, I rammed the door. I could tell that the door was leaning in, but it was definitely not down. With another slam the middle of the door started to dent.
"I'll only be able to get one more, good hit." I mentioned to Ed, as I swung the door ram for the 3rd time.
This time, it blew off its hinges.
Jules entered first, followed by Ed, then me. Once inside, it didn't take us very long to clear the empty room.
"He's not here Sarge." I replied, as I started looking around for clues, just as Ed and Jules were, "Spike, any luck with the CCTV?"
"Not for lack of trying." Spike replied, "There- he's back in the atrium!"
After her Communications class, Megan had about a half hour before she had to report in at her General Policing class.
To kill some time, she decided to change into her workout clothes and hit up the fitness room.
It was empty, so she decided to tape up her hands and pound the boxing bag.
After a few minutes, lines of sweat were building up on her forehead, and she could feel her arm muscles contract every time she placed a hit on the bag.
So far, it's been a good day. General policing from 12:30 to 4, and group fitness testing at 4:30- I'm going to exhausted. Oh well, when I get home, I'll jump in the pool, and cool off. Dad and Jules…mom, should be home around 10 tonight. Off for the weekend. Well, except the fact that dad will want me to go the range with him this weekend. Ugh….
Then over from her book bag, and neatly folded uniform, Megan heard her phone ringing.
Stopping her workout, she went over, and without looking at the call display, pressed the answer button.
"Hello?"
"Megan?" came a woman's voice.
"Who is this?" Megan asked.
"It's mom."
"Why would you call me, you know I'm at school." Megan said, expecting the caller to be Jules.
"School? You're in school? Where?"
"Who is this?" Megan asked again, this time, with a stronger cadence.
"It's your mother."
"My mother is Jules Perrasmith, and anyone pretending to be her should stop right now."
"No, it's your mother- Haley."
"Stop it." Megan said, as she sat down, and looked around, "Stop calling me, stop emailing me, just stop it. I don't want to talk to you."
"I'm your…"
"You're not my mother!" Megan yelled into the phone.
Suddenly, Megan noted that her General Policing instructor came into the room, "Everything ok in here?" he asked.
"I have to go." Megan said into the phone, as she hung it up.
Flustered and angry, Megan put the phone back on top of her clothes, as she covered her eyes, wanting to forget all the fights that she saw her dad in with the woman who has been trying to contact her.
"Everything ok Perrasmith?" the instructor asked.
"It's my dad's ex-wife," she said, as she held back tears of anger and fear, "She's been emailing, and calling me. I don't want to talk to her- she's not supposed to!"
"Is she your biological mother?" he asked, as he sat down beside her.
Megan nodded.
"I can't imagine what you're going through Megan, and I wouldn't want to. Why don't you take off?"
Megan looked up at her instructor, "But….the report and the fitness test."
He smiled, "I saw you running on the track this morning. You're also here right now. I don't have to test you to know that you're in excellent shape."
"But-"
"There's no 'buts' here Perrasmith, ok?" he said, "Go home, get a start on your weekend, and deal with the things that need to be dealt wih- ok?"
"Here- I have the report for you." Megan said, as she rifled through her bag and handed the instructor the report, in a neat file folder.
"Nice touch." He said, as his finger's grazed the folder, "Go home."
"Perra- get a proper Sierra position!" Ed barked at me, as I climbed the stairs and found an excellent spot for my perch.
I didn't have to check the gun this time to make sure it's good to go, because I knew.
After deploying the bipod, and resting it on the thick staircase wall, I peered through the scope.
"Perra, do you have the solution?" Ed asked me over the radio.
I lined up the scope reticle on the suspect, "I have the solution."
"Hold, Sierra One," Parker said, "Ed- you take this one. Jules- you cover him."
"Got it." Came Jules' acknowledgement.
"Alban-" Ed yelled, to get his attention, "My name is Ed Lane, I'm with the Police Strategic Response Unit- I want to help you buddy."
"Nenávidím matematiku! Višchni nenávidí matematiku!"
"What's he saying?" Greg asked.
"No clue, definitely a derivative of Russian- maybe Czech?" I suggested.
"I just want to help you." Ed yelled out, "Help? You understand that?"
"You think I'm Russian, you think I stupid!" Alban yelled at Ed.
"It's ok boss, we won't need a translator." I relayed back to Greg.
"I don't think you are stupid Alban, I just think you need someone to help you, right? Someone who can explain things better, right? A friend or family member- you have anyone you want us to call?" Ed asked.
"Don't try!" Alban yelled as, he pointed the gun- which was a Walther PPQ, at Ed.
"Scorpio." Ed quickly muttered over the radio.
Without hesitation, I lined my shot, and took it.
Megan changed into her normal clothes in the locker room, and went out to her car, a cheap 2003 Acura TL A-SPEC that she bought off of Jules' brother, when he was in town buying a new car.
After throwing her bags into the rear seat, she got in and started her 45 minute drive home.
After merging onto the highway, like she learned to in her driver's training, she continued on, at a good speed in the driving lane.
Never drive in the passing lane, unless you have to, she remembered her father telling her, The transports, they love driving in that lane. Also- the OPP use that lane a lot to get from various locations along the highway.
Then her cellphone beeped, as she received a text message. Since her phone was connected to the installed aftermarket Bluetooth system, it read the message out loud.
"Hello, Megan-" the highly computerized voice said, "It is Haley. I need your help. I need some money."
Beginning to cry a bit, Megan finally got the opportunity to pull over to the side of the highway, although she had stopped right beside a sign that noted that there was no parking alongside allowed.
She leaned her head on the steering wheel, as she started crying harder. Why is she doing this to me? Doesn't she get it? Doesn't she understand that I don't want to talk to her?
Then Megan had an unpleasant feeling, as she bolted out of the car, and immediately went for the grassy ditch as she began to be sick to her stomach.
Finally finished heaving, leaving only large gasps of air, only to be coughed out, Megan laid on the gravel beside the highway, in front of her car. With tears in her eyes, he grabbed her phone- the only thing she managed not to get any of her stomach contents on.
She pressed the button combination for a speed dial contact, as the phone began to ring.
It continued to ring, until it went to voicemail.
"Dad- I need help."
I sat beside Emily Makinson, my police lawyer, during the SIU inspection meeting.
"It's just procedure." Emily assured me, as the SIU inspectors were over in one corner, quietly talking to each other.
Then my cellphone rang. Loudly.
"Cellphones off!" the SIU inspector yelled at me.
"Yeah, sorry," I said as I took the phone and turned down the ringer into vibrate without looking at the caller ID.
"C'mon guys-" Emily said, "What's the hold up here?"
After a few more minutes, I felt my phone vibrate, motioning another call.
The one SIU inspector gave me a dark look. He obviously heard the vibration.
"My wife is probably waiting for me right outside the door- can I at least give her the phone to answer?"
The Special Investigations officer looked at me, and nodded yes.
I jumped up and opened the door.
"Hey Perra- you ready?" Jules asked, as he leaned up against the wall across from the door.
"Can't talk long," I said, "My phone's been ringing- you mind answering it?"
"Yeah sure." Jules said, as she took her husband's cellphone.
After Perra went back into the room, Jules waited outside the room still, with the cellphone in her hand.
Then suddenly it vibrated.
"Hello?"
"Is this Kristopher Perrasmith?" came a male's voice.
"Who I am talking to?" Jules asked, as she took her safety and security very seriously.
"Ontario Provincial Police Constable Aaron Coutu- I'm assuming you aren't Mr. Perrasmith?"
"No, I'm not." She answered, "What is this about?"
"Would you happen to know the next of kin, or closest family relation, after Mr. Perrasmith to a Megan Rosie Perrasmith?"
"Yeah, I am. I'm her step-mother."
"Mrs. Perrasmith?" Constable Coutu asked.
"Yeah, that's me." Jules replied, "What's going on?"
"I have your daughter in custody."
"What- why? What did she do?"
"She stopped alongside a section of the McDonald Cartier Highway that doesn't allow for roadside stops."
"That's no reason to arrest her!" Jules exclaimed, "It should only be a ticket."
"Don't worry ma'am, in this case- there will be no ticket. She's in rough shape, keeps on telling me she needs to talk with her father. I took her into custody for her protection. She's down at the detachment on Keele."
"Ok, thank you. What about her car?"
"I had the driver of the tow truck tow it to your home."
"Thank you. I should be down there shortly."
After hanging up, Jules was already eating her words.
Shortly? I can't be down there shortly, I have to wait for Perra.
"Spike!" she yelled from down the hall, as she ran up to meet him before he left.
"Yeah- what's going on Jules?" he asked.
"Can you do me a big favor?"
"Anything- what do you need?"
"Can you pick up Megan at the OPP Station on Keele?"
Spike drove down to the OPP station and picked up Megan. While he drove her back to the SRU station, there wasn't much talking, which was bugging Spike, so he figured he should say something.
"So- what did you do to get arrested by the OPP?"
Megan looked over to Spike. "I don't want to talk about it."
"How do you think your dad is going to take it?"
"What do you mean?"
"He idolizes you Megan. He's proud of you. He's always talking about your achievements. Sometimes we send him for coffee to shut him up."
Megan bit her lip. "I wasn't arrested. It was protective custody. Haley's-"
"Your mother?" Spike asked, as he turned the last corner.
"She's not my mother, Jules is. She's been trying to contact me all day, and I don't want to talk to her. When I was coming home from school I got a text from her, and after that, I couldn't take it. I was sick to my stomach on the side of the highway and passed out in front of my car."
"Hey," Spike said, "Everyone passes out on or beside the highway."
Megan smiled back to Spike's comforting words, "Spoken like someone who has."