"Megan- stay behind me!" Ed whispered.
"Copy that Ed." Megan responded, as she re-aligned her grip on the handgun.
"Do it, Spike." Ed commanded, as Spike started to get to work.
Jules drove Megan into the SRU station. When they pulled up and parked, was when Jules realized that Perra's truck was still in the parking lot.
"I'll have to take care of that too." Jules muttered to herself.
"I thought you were just dropping me off?" Megan said, as she got out of the Jeep with Jules.
"No, I need to talk to the Sarge. What does he have you doing today?"
"He wants me to do some warm up exercises and then wants to run me through the same testing that they would test an SRU Officer in.
Jules swallowed hard, as she squinted through the sunglasses. "Your dad would be proud of you."
Megan nodded as she gave Jules and hug before they walked into the SRU headquarters.
After Megan left to work out in the gym, Jules continued walking down the administration hallway and found her way to Greg's office.
She stuck her head into the open doorway, and Greg immediately had his attention on her.
"How can I help you?" Greg asked, as she took a seat across from her, "How you been?"
"Getting through," Jules commented, "It's hard, but we're making do."
"You just need some time." Greg replied.
"That's what I want to talk to you about-" Jules started, "I want to request extended bereavement leave."
"How long you thinking?" Greg asked with concern, "Because you can take however long you want. But if it's more than a month, I'll have to-"
"I know, Sarge." Jules said, cutting him off, "You'll have to find a replacement. I just want to make sure I'm ready. I still haven't thrown out his tooth-brush."
"If you want to talk to anyone…"
"I don't want to talk to Laura, to be honest, I'm not even sure if I want to talk to you. We all saw Lewis die, and that was hard. But what's even harder is that I lost someone that I was close to, that I was married to. You can't just erase nearly three years of your life. Yesterday, some junk mail came for him, and I cried, boss. I don't know how I'm going to react, and until I do, I can't work."
"Are you saying you're unfit for duty?"
"Yes- I'm unfit for duty until further notice."
After Jules and Megan went their own way, Megan found her way into the SRU gym, and started doing some basic stretches.
"Flexible like a swan." She heard a man comment from behind her.
She spun her head to see Spike leaning up against the wall, in full uniform.
"Enjoying the show?" Megan asked.
"He better not be." Ed asked from the doorway of the debriefing room, "Megan, Spike, you mind coming in here for a second?"
Megan got up and followed Spike into the debriefing room.
"What's going on?" Spike asked.
"Well, we're a man down…" Ed started, as he took in Megan's expression, not wanting to push her, emotionally, "And we need a replacement. I was talking to both the commander and Greg yesterday, and we came up with a pretty creative solution."
"Which is?" Spike asked.
"Me." Megan finished.
"That's right." Ed said, "You're not technically a police officer yet, so you can't fulfill the position of an officer, but both the commander and Greg are willing to send letters of recommendation to the Police Association of Ontario highlighting your excellent and well rated achievements both inside and outside the classroom. With that you can be awarded a certification from the Police Academy of Officer-In-Training, and you could immediately start working with Team One as an officer-in-training. If you agree, you won't require any more schooling, but you will be required to meet and pass all SRU requirements. As well, this training would be for SRU only, which means if two years down the line you want to go K9, or something else, you'll have to finish your schooling."
"Can I…" Megan started.
"Exactly like your father, a thinker."
Ed regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He looked over Megan's expression again before continuing, "It's just that we need an answer Meg."
"Yes." Came Megan's reply.
"Excellent. It isn't official just yet, but welcome aboard Officer in Training Megan Perrasmith."
Jules signed some papers for Greg, which would allow her to continue her bereavement leave, and that since she was declaring herself unfit for duty that she would have to re-qualify to come back to work.
After the paperwork, she left Greg's office and continued walking down the administration hallway, again, looking for another office.
She came to a door, that had a glazed window, so a person couldn't see in, but it was marked with a sign noting 'Emily Makinson- Strategic Response Unit Police Services Legal Representative'.
She knocked on the door.
Emily opened the door.
"Who is it?" she asked, only opening the door a few inches.
"It's Jules Perrasmith. I was wondering if I could talk to you about some legal concerns."
She opened the door wide, and let her in.
It was Jules' first time in a legal representative's office. It wasn't as drab as Greg's but it still had the faux-stainless steel wall finishing that was throughout the SRU building.
After Jules and Emily took a seat Emily asked, "How can I help you?"
"Well, I was wondering if I could have access to the case files of my husband's death."
Emily gave Jules a blank stare. "I've seen that file. It has some pictures that you may not want to see. What did you want it for?"
"I just want to know more information, because I was thinking…well, you're going to think it's stupid."
"Nothing is stupid Jules," Emily said, "I just think it's unconventional unless you're building a case."
Emily looked into Jules' eye.
"You're building a case- aren't you?" Emily asked.
"I don't have a lawyer yet, but, yeah."
"Who do you want to sue?" Emily asked, "Don't worry- client confidentiality."
"Would you be able to help me- as my lawyer?"
"Absolutely- unless you're going after something public; if its private and it pertains to the Toronto Police Services, and even better, the Strategic Response Unit, I can and will help you. Who do you want to sue, and for what?"
"Greg Parker and Edward Lane for disregard of officer safety and wrongful death of a police officer."
"Ok- let's get started then."
After Megan finished her stretches, Greg came out and gave her a few pointers to the test that he was going to have her do.
"Got it?" Greg asked, as they stood outside, in full gear, waiting at the beginning of the same obstacle course that her father had run on his SRU re-qualifying test.
Once the whistle blew, Megan gave it her all in the first stretch of the run, and she easily cleared all of the barricades. It was her first time wearing actual SRU issued uniforms, but it felt similar to her Humber College uniforms. The parts that threw her for a loop was the added weight of the vest, gear, and dummy weapons.
Once she got to the ladder, she expected to be out of breath, but immediately started climbing. Instead of exerting too much upward pressure on her arm muscles to pull her over onto the platform, she anchored her right elbow and rolled over.
"See that?" Ed said, as he started putting on the foam protection for the hand to hand section, "She's creative. Never seen anyone do that before."
"She's a smart kid, Eddie." Greg commented, as he made a note on his clipboard.
Once on the platform, Megan secured the dummy to her using a rope harness, and tied off another piece of rope to the structure as she descended on the rope.
What on earth are you doing? Spike thought, as he observed from a distance, who didn't understand her untraditional methods.
Once back on the ground, Megan dropped and secured the dummy. She heard the paintballs whizzing by her on all sides, and instead of grabbing a shield, she immediately took cover.
This is why dad took me to the paintball arena to play some speedball…
She immediately scanned the field, and found her best route, which she took.
She sensed that she was getting closer to the source of the paintball gun, so she took cover behind the nearest bunker. She chanced a peek at the shooter of the paintball gun and saw Spike firing away with a smile on his face.
Once Megan had cleared Spike's field of death, she was tackled by Ed onto a foam mat.
Megan was knocked to the ground, but with her practiced agility, she was too fast for Ed to actually fall onto her, and instead Ed fell onto his chest, with Megan standing up.
"Excellent, continue." Ed confirmed.
Megan ran down the last section, which had even taller barricades to jump over. Her legs were starting to become sore, but she ignored the pain and crossed the finishing line.
Once there, she immediately grabbed a bottle of water and downed the entire thing. It was a good thing that there was another foam mat here, because she decided to lay down to let her exhausted muscles relax.
"That was good." Ed said, as he approached her, "I've never seen anyone lift themselves onto the platform before like that, and no one has ever used a rope harness to secure the dummy to themselves and rappel down the wall."
"Didn't want to over exert the biceps in a singular motion, and the rappel serves as the path of least resistance to the ground," Megan explained, "If you used the foot and hand holds to go down, you are then limiting yourself to one hand and one foot. In a situation where you are apprehending a suspect, you would ideally want to use both of your hands and feet, in case the suspect over-powers the officer."
"I've heard that somewhere…" Spike said, "Oh, that's right, Basic Police Training textbook."
Greg walked over and shared the results, "Ok, your time was one minute, and thirty seven seconds. If this would have been an actual SRU testing, you would have definitely passed. Didn't listen to my tips though- why did you full out run in the first section?"
"I knew I had the energy to do so, Sir." Megan responded.
"Ok." Greg accepted.
"Team One- hot call," came Winnie's voice over the loud-speaker, "Armed…something in progress."
Spike and Greg immediately ran back to the station. Ed however, gave Megan a hand to get back up on her feet.
"Just go to your call Ed." She said, as she stood back up.
"Did you think we'd leave you here? You're coming with us."
Megan rode in Ed's SUV, while Spike and Greg rode in another.
"SRU Rover Crew Sargent Megan Perrasmith is on this call with us." Ed radioed them, "Spike, she'll need a radio when we get there, do you copy?"
"Copy that." Came his reply.
"Ok, Megan," Ed said, "reach into the back there, and grab one of those Glock 17s. Take off that ridiculous training MP5, and attach one of the MP5A3s to your vest.
"For real?" Megan said, as she reached back and started doing what she was told.
"This is for real, Megan." Ed explained, "You do everything that your superiors tell you, and you will be fine. If me or Greg tells you to stand down, you stand down. If anyone tells you to do something specific, you do it, and if Greg calls Scorpio?"
"I shoot?" Megan asked, as she took in the scope of things.
"That's exactly right, you shoot."
Once there, Megan got out with Ed, and followed him into the command truck, which had arrived.
Once inside, Spike was already at work on the computers.
"Radio's ready for you." He said, as he nodded to the equipment on the desk.
Without guidance, Megan was able to setup the radio.
"What do we got Spike?" Ed asked.
"An armed stick 'em up at Frontier Videos, specializes in state of the art video games and video game systems."
"Customer?" Greg asked, as he took notes.
"Or a disgruntled employee." Megan offered.
Greg snapped his fingers and touched his temple, "Good thinking Meg. Tac plans Ed?"
"Intel. We'll get eyes and ears in. Let's move Meg."
Together Ed and Megan left the truck. Ed opened an SUV and grabbed a large bag and handed it to Megan to carry. "We got a location for our eyes yet Spike?"
"Under the front door is going to be your best bet. No roof access."
Megan followed Ed to the front door, as they used a thick cement pillar for cover.
"Do you know how to setup eyes?" Ed asked, as he looked to the door then back at Megan.
He didn't even need to ask, as Megan had already opened the bag, picked out the proper receiver and a long video snake.
"Good job." Ed commented, as she made the connections and fed the snake camera under the front door.
Once under, Megan pressed the transmit button, and radioed into the command truck, "Eyes online."
In the truck, Spike looked impressed. "She's a natural." He said to Greg.
"Ok, Eddie," Greg said, not even reacting to Spike's comment, "We got a single suspect- looks like he's holding a needle."
"A needle?" Ed asked, "The weapon of choice is a needle?"
"More available than a gun," Megan said, as she starting making the connections to the receiver to get the ears online, "Lots of people have them for legitimate reasons, available from pharmacies and training colleges. Ears online."
"I told you-" the suspect said, as Spike routed the signal over the headset, "All I want is an apology."
"I told you sir, I'm sorry it didn't-"
"I want a real apology!"
"You going to call in boss?" Ed asked.
"Yeah, copy that Ed- take Spike, see if you guys can get in there and stay concealed."
"10-4." Spike said, "I'm coming to you."
Once Spike was at the same location as Ed and Megan, he whispered that there was a rear loading dock that would take them through the stock and staff rooms.
At the loading dock, Ed nodded to Megan than at the lock.
"Don't know how." She admitted.
Without further discussion however, Spike unlocked the door, and they entered. Once inside, they silently crept through the stock room, and into the staff room. In the staff room, they found two staff members who had taken cover.
Ed motioned to them to stay quiet.
"In position." Ed radioed Greg.
"I think they've moved around a bit Ed, have Spike recon the area."
Spike pulled out a telescopic mirror and used it to see into the front area.
"Two cashiers, one male, one female. One suspect- no other persons."
"Alright Eddie, he's going to threat level red, you need to get in there."
"Copy that boss," Ed whispered, "Draw your weapon. Spike- strobe and CS gas. Megan- stay behind me!"
"Copy that Ed." Megan responded, as she drew her handgun out of its holster for the first time, and aligned it to a tight, firm grip.
"Do it, Spike." Ed commanded, as Spike had drawn out a strobe and CS gas.
Spike immediately threw in the strobe and CS gas at the same time. Upon impact with the floor, the strobe immediately began flashing high intensity colored light, and the CS gas started spewing out.
Spike had handed Megan a spare gas mask, and all three of them wore their masks as they entered.
Ed went first, followed by Megan, as Spike took up the rear.
"Police- SRU! Put the needle down, do it now!" Ed yelled.
"Put it down!" Spike yelled from behind Megan.
The adrenaline pumped into Megan, she took a tactical stance as her father had taught her, and without hesitation yelled, "Put it down, and heads on your head!"
With the appearance of the SRU, the man immediately dropped the needle as Ed placed a set of cuffs on him.
Spike handed Megan a single needle sharps container, as she carefully picked up the needle with her hand and placed it in the container.
"Suspect detained." Ed radioed in.
"Good job Team One, good job." Greg cheered from the command truck.