I'm being summoned.
I was working in the garage on my truck.
Ok- I wasn't working on the truck. More like pretending I'm working and instead I'm just staring at it, in its washed and waxed, perfect reflection of a shine glory- off of the glossy clear coat over the deep black paint. To set off the truck even more, I had splurged and got personalized plates for it too, 'KJM'.
Kris, Jules, Megan.
"Dad!" Megan had yelled into the garage.
"Coming." I yelled back, as I went into the house.
"Ok, Megan, call your father in here." Jules said with anticipation. Over a week and a half ago, she had taken an over-the-counter pregnancy test, and it came up positive.
She didn't want to tell Perra right away, but she knew she had to eventually.
Megan was in on it too- she'd had asked Megan to pick up three different tests at three different drugstores on her way home from school the other day. If she was going to tell Perra she had to be sure.
And she was. She was ready to tell him.
When I came in the house, I saw both Megan and Jules sitting at the table. Jules had a series of papers under her arms.
"What do you have there?" I asked, as I sat down beside her, and gave her a kiss.
"Ok dad….dad!" Megan exclaimed, who was happy for her parents, but for some strange reason didn't approve of her parents when they decided to show their affection to each other in certain ways. "I'm sitting right here."
"If you don't like the show, go somewhere else." I teased, "What's up?"
Jules gave me a look. "This is what's up." She said, as she passed me a large piece of paper, with lots of fine print on it.
"Oh god, you want me to put together another chair from Ikea?" I asked, "Because the last one only took me three hours."
"No," Jules said, as she passed me a stick with a blue colored pad on it, like a pregnancy test, "It goes with this."
Wait- pregnancy test?
I immediately picked up the stick and examined the coloration of the colored pad.
"Ok, dad, that's a bit gross." Megan commented.
"It's definitely blue." I mentioned, as I started to read the instructions.
"And you're definitely a Taurus. Want to point anything else out, Mr. Obvious?" Megan mocked from across the table.
Why is Megan here?
"You're in on this, aren't you?" I asked.
"You'd probably find it suspicious if mom went out shopping and didn't come back with anything, right?"
Good point, I would.
I continued reading, until I got to the section titled, 'How to Read The Results'.
Then I continued reading.
"Blue means…" I started.
"I'm pregnant." Jules said, with a smile.
I jumped up from the chair and kissed Jules again, and even with an "oh god", from Megan, I just continued.
When I ran out of air, was when I gave up and sat back down.
"That's, that's amazing." I said, "I'm going to be a father…"
"Hello?" Megan said.
"I made an appointment with an OB/GYN tomorrow. " Jules said, "I want you to be there."
"I'll bet my bottom dollar, I will."
The next day, me and Jules waited in the doctor's examination room. I held Jules' hand, as the doctor used the ultrasound to find our baby.
"I've never done this before." Jules said to both me and doctor.
The doctor kept on smiling as she continued using the ultrasound.
"Hey," I said, "we'll do everything together, ok? Take the classes, read the books, laze around and eat ice cream all day."
I kissed Jules' forehead, as I looked over to the doctor.
"I got it." The doctor said, "It's hard to see, but it's there. Right there."
She moved the monitor so we could both see it.
"Your first child, right?" she asked.
"Yeah," Jules said, "My husband has an 18 year old daughter from his first marriage."
"You're in experienced hands then." The doctor said, "I suppose you want print outs? How many?"
"Two." I said.
"Well," Jules replied, to me, "I'd like to send one to my folks, and do you think you'd send one to your dad?"
"No." I said, not wanting to think about my father, "I'll put one up in my locker though."
After the appointment, we went directly into work.
"Ok- here's the deal." Jules said, as we got out of the truck, "If I put one up in my locker- the only people who are going to see it is Donna, from Team Four, who couldn't care less, and that Vancouver cop from Team Eleven."
"So you're saying you want me to put one up in my locker?"
"Yup." Jules said, as she went into the women's locker room.
I went into the men's and looked around. Making sure, no one was looking, I opened my locker, and pulled out the unfolded ultra-sound image and placed it on my locker door, with a magnet.
As soon as I pulled out my uniform and draped them over the bench, was when Spike came in, followed by Sam.
"Hey Sam," I said, "What's up?
"I'm seeing Laura today. Spike came by and picked me up, to make sure I go."
"The psychiatrist, right?" I asked.
"Yeah, that's her." Sam replied, "Well, and it's a good thing Spike picked me up- my license got suspended."
"The drinking?" I asked, as I put on my shirt.
"Yeah- took me a good few days to sober up, but I did it."
I nodded, "How you getting home?"
"I haven't figured that part out yet. Taking things slow."
"Well, Megan's off from school today- I can have her stop by and drive you back to your place." I offered.
"Yeah?" You think she would?"
"She will." I said as I picked up my phone from inside my locker and dialed the house number.
"Hello?" Megan answered.
"Megan, it's dad."
"How did the appointment go?"
"Oh, it's good."
"Cool. What's up?"
"You mind dropping by SRU- your buddy Sam will need a ride home."
I put my hand over the mic of the phone and mouthed over to Sam "When?"
"Two hours."
"Yeah, I suppose I can. Can you ask Greg if there's anything for the Crew to do? Me and Christina need to make up some hours before the month's end."
"Yeah, I'll ask him. Ok, see you at noon then."
I hung up the phone and put it in my locker, and continued getting dressed. "You got a ride."
"Appreciate it Perra." Sam said, "I really do."
"Don't mention it."
Then Ed came into the locker room.
"Braddock- what's the good word?" Ed asked, as he opened up his locker and started getting ready.
"Not too much, sir, taking things slow."
"Going overseas?" Ed asked.
"I don't think I am." Sam said, "Looking for a new job."
"Good for you, Sam." Ed said, as he turned around and started tying up his boots, "How are you today Perra?"
"Excellent." I said, as I downed a pill with some water.
"What are you taking?" Ed asked.
"Went to the doctor's the other day- sleep deprived. I have to take something to knock me out at night, and it works pretty well, so I'm taking some vitamins in the morning now to get me going."
"Alright," Sam said, "My appointment with Laura is in 5 minutes, don't want to be late.
After Sam left, I finished getting ready, but I decided to keep my locker doors open, to see if anyone would notice.
"There's the man of the hour." Spike exclaimed, as Greg came in.
"Hey boss," I said, "Megan wants to know if there's anything the Crew can do, because Meg and Walker need to make up some hours."
"I'm sure I can find them something to do," Greg said, as he opened his locker, "Tell them to come in."
"I'll text them." I said, as I got up and grabbed my cell and started texting. "By the way Ed, you re-decorate your locker?"
"Yeah, you mind Perra?" he said mockingly, with a laugh, "Some of Isabel's drawings, she wouldn't let me leave home without five of them the other day."
Me and Spike laughed.
"Laugh all you want gentlemen," Ed said, as he looked at Spike's locker which had pictures of his father, mother, and Lewis- pictures no one would dare talk about, "Like you're one to talk Perra, what's this? A sheet of black with a few squiggly grey and white lines on it that says- 'Perrasmith, Julianna'…."
Ed thought about it for a moment, as both Greg and Spike craned for a look.
"Oh, no, this real?" Ed asked, as he took a closer look, "Nice to know the boys can still swim."
"What are you talking about?" Spike said, who wandered over and squinted at the picture, "Rock on Perrasmith!" he ended with.
"She expecting?" Greg asked, who didn't feel the need to closely examine the ultra-sound of my wife's uterus, "Congratulations."
"Thank you sir."
At noon, I waited out front with Sam, while we waited for Megan.
"You don't have to Perra." Sam said, "Go back in, I'm sure Ed wants to drill for something."
"Ed can wait five minutes." I said, "How are you doing?"
"Laura says I need to stay positive. Look past the lives of the people I've taken, and look to the lives of the people I've saved. My homework is to try to remember how many people that is."
"You've had a lot of cases." I said.
"A lot of memories, a lot of blood."
I saw Megan pull up, "Stay positive Soldier Braddock." I said, as he got into the passenger's side.
Megan rolled her window down.
"What's up?" I asked.
"Nothing, it's just hot in here." She said.
"Ok, Meg," I said, as they pulled off, "Straight back to his place- no stopping!"
As soon as I stepped back into the SRU building, the call horn rang out.
"Team one, hot call- domestic disturbance on Riley Avenue; neighbors say that there are firearms in the house." Kiera yelled out.
Me and Jules rode in one SUV, with Ed and Spike following, with Greg in their backseat.
Once at the address, me and Jules piled out, and readied our MP5's and pointed them at the house in question.
I looked over to see Ed and Spike setup similar to me and Jules, and Greg staying behind one of the open doors on the SUV, with a loudspeaker in his hand, as he spoke into it, "This is the Police Strategic Response Unit, everyone in the residence of 451 Riley Avenue needs to calmly walk out the front door with their hands above their heads!"
"No movement." Ed said, "Perra, Jules- bravo, me and Spike are alpha, let's move!"
I grabbed the door sledge, as me and Ed ran up to the front door.
Without even stopping to stack up, I slammed the sledge into the door.
Ed started in, followed by Spike, as Jules took up the rear. I stayed outside and acted as a spotter to the windows.
"Action on 2nd floor on red wall." I radioed.
"We got action in the driveway!" Greg yelled out, as I pointed my firearm in that direction, "One man getting into an older Chevrolet Camaro!"
I jumped over the black wrought iron railing on the front porch and landed in the driveway. "Police- get out of the car, right now!"
I felt Greg come up behind me, as he pointed his handgun at the car.
"We got an injured female occupant," Jules said over the radio, "Kiera, we need an ambulance right away!"
"Get out of the car!" I yelled again, as the man started the vehicle.
Greg used the loudspeaker, "Turn off the car, and get out now!"
Suddenly the man put the car into gear, and he started to inch forward. He started to gain speed, I saw Greg jump out of the range of the vehicle, but I waited until the last second to do so.
As the car raced past us, I regained my target- the rear wheels and fired at them, with no results.
"We got a vehicular pursuit!" I yelled, as Jules, Ed and Spike ran out of the house, carrying the wounded occupant, as the ambulance showed up, "Blue Chevy Camaro, probably around 1975 to 1980 of make, marker one, ninety nine, one, yankee, papa."
"Let's move!" Ed yelled, as we got back into the SUVs and started chase.
Megan continued driving.
"Stop here." Sam said, as he indicated a spot alongside the road, outside a liquor store.
"I'm not stopping Sam." Megan said firmly, "Spike texted me, saying you might try to…"
Sam reached over, and pulled on the steering wheel, as Megan descended her speed and came to a stop in the parking space. "I told you to pull over."
"I'm calling Spike." Megan said, as she grabbed her phone from the cradle on the dash and pressed in his speed dial number.
"He told me you two were close." Sam said, as he reached for the phone.
With one hand, Megan unbuckled her seatbelt, and slapped Sam's hand away.
"You little…" Sam started to reach for the cellphone again.
This time Megan was too quick for Sam, as she pulled away, and got out of the car.
Once she was, out she noticed that Sam as getting out; and coming around the car.
She cancelled the call to Spike and dialed 911, "Get away from me!" she said, as she backed away.
"911, what is your emergency?" came the operator's voice, as Megan had put the phone on speakerphone.
"This is Megan Perrasmith, I'm with the Strategic Response Unit Rover Crew- I'm being assaulted by Sam Braddock, he used to be a member of-" Megan started.
Sam however, ran forward and knocked Megan to the sidewalk. Once Megan was knocked on her back, she rolled to one side, and used her arm to block any oncoming attacks.
"Ma'am, are you still there?" the operator asked.
"Yes, I'm here." Megan said, as she stood back up and creating space between her and Sam, who was having difficulty getting up.
Megan looked around and found her location. Once she found it, she turned her back to Sam and said, "I'm at the near the liquor store on 18th Street!"
That's all Megan, was able to say, as Sam came up from behind her, and punched her in the neck, which caused her to pass out, and crumble to the ground.
Once Megan was knocked out, Sam could still hear the operator on the phone say "Ma'am, are you still there? We are sending units immediately to your location- please stay on the line!"
Sam walked over and purposely stepped on the phone, rendering it useless. After that, he rifled through Megan's pockets and stole her credit card, and her car keys. Once he had everything he needed, he got into her car and took off.
"Alright," Ed said, "We need to end this ASAP. We got team 6 up ahead who cleared some space and have setup spike strips and are ready to apprehend if required. Perra, who's driving your vehicle?"
"Jules, is- why?" I asked.
"That's good, that's good. Grab a rifle and create a Sierra if this goes bad."
"You want me to Sierra a shot out of a moving vehicle and into another moving vehicle?" I asked, "That's a sniper's hell! That is too many variables Ed, even if we can maintain distance and speed."
"There's no other solution here Perra, and you're the lead vehicle."
"Copy that Ed," I said, as I reluctantly, reached back and grabbed a rifle, "Last resort, right?"
"Copy that." Ed replied.
"Ok, Perra-" Spike instructed over the radio, "Latch your harness to the grab bar on the inside of the vehicle, and the roof rack- that'll be your most secure latch points."
I latched myself in as instructed and leaned out of the vehicle, with the weapon in hand.
"Do you have the solution?" Ed yelled.
"No solution," I yelled back, "Passenger side B pillar blocking path. No solution."
"Let's hope those road spikes work then." Spike replied.
Through the scope, I saw the Camaro go through the spike stripes. They seemed to have a good effect in stopping the car.
"I have the solution." I informed.
"Hold-"Greg said, "Team six is doing the apprehend."
When Megan came to, a passerby had propped her up against his car, and had his cashmere business jacket draped over her.
"Are you ok?" he asked, "She's awake."
Megan looked over to who the man was talking to. She didn't have to look far to see three police cruisers, six police officers, an ambulance with two EMTs and the Emergency Response Supervisor.
The EMTs came over with their supervisor and they started to work on cleaning out the broken skin, applying salves, and dressings to where her elbows and knees had scraped and bled.
"Do you know the man who assaulted you?" a police officer asked, as she approached Megan.
"You don't want to know about the situation around the assault, to confirm it was an actual assault?" Megan questioned.
"Well, there were several witnesses, and I heard the actual 911 call in progress." She explained, "I'm Jessica Sanders. You're a Perrasmith, right?"
"I suppose you know my mom or dad."
"Your dad- Mr. Kristopher Perrasmith," Jessica said, "Your dad was my training officer back in Brockville."
Megan looked up at the officer.
"But I suppose you don't want to talk about that." Jessica continued, "Do you know the man who assaulted you?"
"Sam Braddock. He used to be a member of the SRU in Team One." Megan answered.
"Ok, Ms. Perrasmith," Jessica started.
"Call me Megan." Megan interrupted.
"Ok- Megan," Jessica corrected, "I'm going to ask you a yes or no question. If you answer yes, I'll have probable grounds to put out a warrant for Mr. Sam Braddock's arrest. He'll be arraigned with Assault, Theft over $5000, and Credit Card Theft. Do you wish to lay charges against Sam Braddock?"
Without hesitation, Megan responded, "yes."