"Vehicle belongs to a Duncan Ranger. CIU and Unit 55 have him flagged- doesn't say why." Spike chimed in from my passenger seat.
"Spike-make some calls, find out why."
"Does it matter, Ed?" I asked over the radio, as I inched closer to the vehicle, "We know he has a female hostage and might have a weapon."
"Good point."
Mom drove me into work. I had decided to trade in my dad's truck that I had inherited, for a small, fuel efficient car. Since the car was new, it still needed to be prepared for pickup, so I had no vehicle until 1700 hours tonight.
I knew Jules had some sort of interview with someone at SRU. She didn't tell me who. After getting into the main doors, I went for the women's locker room, while Jules continued on to the administration hallway.
Jules walked down the administration hallway. She was nervous, but it didn't show. She got to the door she wanted to and stepped in.
"Julianna Callihan?" the woman said behind the desk, as she looked at the clock on the wall, "You're early."
"Better early than late." Jules nervously said before sitting down.
"Ok," the woman said, as she grabbed a file folder and opened it, "Just some preliminary questions- You are related to Mrs. Megan Perrasmith, correct?"
"Yes."
"In what capacity?"
"Step mother."
"Your husband, Kristopher Perrasmith, has passed away?"
"Yes."
"Sorry for your loss, Mrs. Perrasmith. Ok- now the real questions."
"Bring it on." Jules said with enthusiasm.
"So you've been an SRU member for several years, and you're coming back from time off. Without getting into too much detail, what was the purpose of the time off and are you a dedicated team member?"
"I was on bereavement leave from the death of my husband, which then extended into pregnancy leave- and yes, I am a team member, I was a team member of SRU Team One for several years."
"Congratulations." The woman said, "Boy or girl?"
"Girl."
"What makes you want to come back to SRU in this capacity?"
"Like I've said, I was a member of Team One for several years, and I worked hard to become an SRU member. I'm not letting that go to waste."
"Why not come back as a member of Team One?" the recruiter asked.
"My step-daughter, Megan is a member of Team One. If I pulled rank and came back, she would have to be re-assigned to another team. She has been very successful, and I don't want to over-shadow her."
"Ok," the recruiter said, as she made notes in the file, "Now, you did admit that your husband had passed away. Would that emotional trauma affect your work?"
"I don't feel comfortable answering that question." Jules admitted, "But if you want to know if I'm fit for duty, you're more than welcome to ask my therapist- Laura Green, SRU psychiatrist."
"Is that the same reason why you don't want to come back in the role of an officer- because you may see something in the field that may trigger an emotional response?"
"No- I have a 5 month old baby girl. I realized that I want to see her take her first steps, and be there when she comes home from school for the first time. An SRU Officer puts themselves in the line of fire to save the lives of other people. How can I be there for my baby girl when there's a chance that I might not make it home from a shift?"
"Ok, well, thank you for your time, Jules." The recruiter said, "As I'm sure you're aware- you passed the COMET test with flying colors. Also- the process could take a long time. We typically send profiles of each new member to all of the SRU Team Offices, to get their opinions before we make a final decision. In your case, the process could be shorter, because of both you and your families' advanced standing within the organization. That being said, I don't see why you wouldn't be approved to come back to SRU in the role of a Dispatching Officer."
With all my strength, I pushed the bench press weight up into the air. As I brought it to my full extent, Ed grabbed the bar and hooked it onto the frame of the upright pieces on the bench.
"Wow." Ed commented, "Just wow."
"Think you can top that?" I asked.
"Bench press close to seventy percent of the combined team weight?" Ed asked, "Doubt it."
"More like exactly five times my weight." I corrected.
From across the gym Spike yelled, "What'd she press?"
"575 pounds." Ed yelled over.
Spike came closer. "Muscles and curves in all the right places- now I see what Sara sees in you."
"She loves me for who I am," I said, "Not how I look."
"Some of it might be looks." Spike suggested.
"Spike," Ed said, "Sounds like you might need to take a sexual harassment refresher."
"It's fine Ed." I said, defending Spike.
"When do we get to meet her?" Spike asked.
"Hopefully never." I whispered, as I looked around the gym, to find Brad out of earshot, "Because between you and me, all Brad would do is stare at us both and imagine us doing unspeakable things."
"You don't think I would?"
"You would Spike," I reasoned, "But you have the brains not to do it while everyone is watching."
Then we both saw Jules come out of the administration hallway and into the gym. "Pick you up at four- then go get your new car?" mom said to me.
"Yeah." I replied, "How'd it go?"
"Good."
"How'd what go?" Spike asked.
By this time, Ed, Brad, and Greg were converging on us, as most of them hadn't seen Jules for a while.
"How you've been?" Greg asked.
"Good. Finally got all the baby fat off." Jules replied, "You guys want to come over tonight?"
"What's the occasion, Goldilocks?" Ed asked jokingly.
"Nothing formal- Kristina is 5 months old. Just thought of getting the gang together- Wordy is going be over."
"It's a plan." Greg said, "Suit up guys, we're on patrol in an hour."
We all got up and started walking towards the locker rooms.
"You're getting a new car?" Spike asked.
"Yes sir."
"What was wrong with the truck?" Ed asked from behind us.
I spun around and started walking backwards.
"Uh, it was a truck."
"Trucks are awesome. Why would you get rid of a truck?" Brad asked.
"Because it was costing me nearly eighty bucks a week to fill up."
"Move closer to the station." Ed suggested, "What kind of car?"
"Chevy Cruze, 1.8 litre turbo charged diesel."
Spike was about to enter the men's locker room when he said, "Is there anything you don't know, Textbook?"
As we entered the garage Ed barked out the alpha and bravo assignment- "Me, Brad and the boss on alpha, Megan and Spike on Bravo."
I got into the driver's seat of the one SUV.
"Downtown?" Spike asked, as we pulled out of the station parking lot.
"Sure."
It took some time to get downtown, but once we did we took our time, as we were carefully looking at everything and anything that crossed our line of sight.
"I'm going to run this plate." Spike said.
"What plate?"
"The one in front of us- read it off, will you?"
"Bravo Hotel Alpha Charlie Six Three Niner"
Spike punched in the license plate number, "Can I get a drum roll?" he asked.
"Spike, if you want me to pull him over, tell me know, 'cause there's a good spot coming up."
"Yeah- he's got a warrant for his arrest in Alberta for failure to appear in court." Spike said, as I turned on the sirens and lights and proceeded to pull the man over, "Winnie- contact Edmonton PD- see if they want to extend the boundaries of the warrant for his arrest."
We came to a stop, as I got out of the SUV and approached the vehicle.
"License, proof of insurance and registration please." I calmly said.
"SRU? Am I in trouble?"
"License, proof of insurance, and registration please, sir." I asked again.
He handed me the documents as I took them back to the truck.
Once inside, I passed the information to Spike, as he started to run the information checks.
"SRU Team One Bravo," Winnie said over the radio, "Edmonton PD wants us to pick this guy up."
"Copy that." I said, as I grabbed the radio, "This is an all call to Unit 34- please send your closest car for a warrant pickup at my location at Queen and Princess."
"Copy that SRU Team One Bravo." The general dispatcher replied, "Sending closest unit."
"Advise the unit to stay quiet- lights only." I replied.
"Copy that."
"Drum roll?" Spike asked again, "Insurance invalid."
"How does his registration check out if his insurance is invalid?"
"Insurance dropped him just a few weeks ago- stopped paying."
I looked out the rearview mirror to see the unit 34 squad car pull up. I got out of the SUV and approached the suspect's vehicle.
"Get out of the car for me please."
"Am I under arrest?" he asked.
"Get out of the car."
He complied, and got out.
"I just want to do a quick field sobriety test- face your back to me, and put your left hand on your head, and take your right arm, and stick it straight out."
The man assumed the pose. "Like this?"
I was quick, as I cuffed his left hand, and grabbed this right arm and swung it behind him and secured the cuffs, "Dalton Squire- you're under arrest for failure to appear in court for the charge of possession of a controlled substance under the Edmonton Police Department, and for driving a motor vehicle without insurance. Do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am."
We continued our patrol. We pulled up to an intersection, to see a young couple smoking marijuana.
"You have to be kidding me." Spike said, as I turned on the lights and sirens and pulled over.
Both me and Spike got out of the SUV as we approached them sure enough, they started to butt out.
"Stop right, there." Spike said, "We just want to talk, ok?"
They didn't answer.
"Nice day, eh?" I asked Spike.
"Yeah, perfect autumn day- not too cold, just warm enough. You guys liking this weather?"
They nodded.
"Are you smoking anything illegal on this fine day?" I asked them.
"I'm sorry, you are?" the man said to me.
"Strategic Response Unit Officer Megan Perrasmith. What's your name, sir?"
"Aren't you a bit young?"
"I worked hard. I asked you a question, you mind answering it?" I asked.
"I'm sorry officer," the woman said, "I didn't see your badge?"
Frustrated, I grabbed my badge from my belt and showed it to the couple.
"Turn around for me, will you?" I asked the woman.
She complied as she turned around, and put her hands up.
"Both of you." I demanded, as Spike roughly turned the man around.
Right there, in the middle of the downtown sidewalk we frisked and patted down the two.
On the woman, I found an ounce of cut marijuana and lighter. Spike found three rolled marijuana joints on the man.
We placed them under arrest and called in another Unit 34 squad car to pick them up.
"This is getting to be an interesting day." I said, as we continued our patrol, "Getting my new car, pressed 575 on the bench in the gym today, arrested a dude for a warrant from another province, and busted two people for possession."
"We're on a roll." Spike said with a smile.
"Bravo unit- what's your 20?" Ed asked.
"What's going on?" Spike asked.
"911 dispatch received a call from several women at Hallsview Fitness Centre saying they think there's a man outside with a gun."
"Twenty minutes out, Ed." Spike informed, "What's our approach?"
"Stay quiet and come from the north." Ed said.
Once at the location, Alpha unit pulled into the parking lot of the Fitness Centre, while we parked on the street across from the main entrance.
"I see him." Spike said, as he looked through the binoculars, "Male- mid forties, short black hair. Hands concealed, and he looks like he might have a concealed weapon. Something very bulky on his right side."
"What's the plan Eddie?" Brad asked.
"Ideas anyone?" Ed branched out.
"Bravo could approach- checking IDs, nothing special- alpha on standby in case something goes strange." I suggested.
"Spike, you got a snap yet?" Brad asked.
"Doing it now." Spike spoke, as he attached a telescopic lens to a DLSR camera and took a headshot picture of the man, "Running the picture into the computer, and will check against DMV records."
"Run it against the RSO list." I suggested.
"Why?" Spike asked.
"You never know."
Suddenly the man grabbed a nearby, unsuspecting young teenager, as he looked around and made sure there weren't any witnesses.
"Did you see what I see-" Spike asked with a hint of rhyme in his voice.
Knowing exactly what Christmas song Spike was referring to I continued, "I smile, I smile, thinking it is him."
"What on earth are you guys doing?" Brad asked, "He's getting into a vehicle."
"We can be on his tail in five seconds." I said to Ed.
"Give him some space Bravo. We have a hostage, and an unconfirmed weapon. We do not want to put the hostage at risk." Ed commanded, "We'll follow from a safe distance, and with absolute stealth."
"Copy that."
Ed radioed to Spike, "Spike, you run the plates?"
"Vehicle belongs to a Duncan Ranger. CIU and Unit 55 have him flagged- doesn't say why." Spike replied.
"Spike-make some calls, find out why."
"Does it matter, Ed?" I asked over the radio, as I inched closer to the vehicle, "We know he has a female hostage and might have a weapon"
"Good point." Ed said, "Still- this may or may not be the killer. Either way- he has a hostage."
"Bravo still has the target. 10 seconds behind." I radioed in.
"And alpha is 3 seconds behind you bravo, you're doing great."
"We need to bring this to a close, Ed- he has a hostage."
"Spike, we know anything yet?" Greg asked.
Spike just hung up his phone.
"Unit 55 has him flagged as a possible suspect to the murders." Spike informed, "CIU would really like a DNA sample from him- that's all they'd need."
"So we take him down." Ed said.
"Rolling roadblock?" I asked.
"Too risky with the gun in play."
"Pit maneuver?"
"Might be the only way, bravo-" Ed said, "We'll take the left flank and cover once you start the maneuver."
"Copy that," I replied, "On three alpha- two, one…"
Using Ed's sudden lane change to our left, as he turned on the lights and sirens, I turned on my lights and sirens and gave the SUV more gas, as I used the reinforced bumper to hit the left rear part of Duncan Ranger's vehicle, causing him to skid and slide to one side.
One Mr. Ranger's car came to a stop, both me and Ed brought our vehicles to a stop.
Team One got out of our vehicles, weapons pointed at the vehicle.
Over the loudspeaker Greg initiated contact- "Duncan Ranger- turn off the vehicle and exit it immediately!"
With no response, we moved in.
Ed and Brad took the driver's side, as me and Spike took the passenger's side. Using my baton I smashed the one window, and Greg threw in an active smoke grenade.
"Get out of the car now!" I yelled, as the driver came out and surrendered himself to Ed.
"Any movement over there?" Ed asked us, as he put cuffs on Mr. Ranger.
"Negative." I said, as I opened the car door to find a teenaged girl sprawled out on the rear seat.
I took off my glove and searched for a pulse.
"Very faint- Brad, get us the defib, boss, we need EMTs!"
With Spike's help, I moved the woman out onto the asphalt of the road, which several police cruisers now had sectioned off.
Spike started chest compressions as I started mouth to mouth.
Finally Brad came with the defibrillator.
Working as quickly as we could, Spike ripped open her shirt to expose part of her chest, where he attached the defib pads.
"Charging." I informed, as I pressed the 'CHARGE' button on the defibrillator.
"I'm clear." Spike muttered.
"Sending." I spoke, as I sent the electrical charge to the pads on her chest, in attempt to kick start her heart.
"EMTs are here." Ed said.
After the incident, Winnie put Team eight on patrol, and put us on station duty. Once at the station, we started to debrief.
"Winnie, any news from Unit 34?" Greg asked.
"Yeah," Winnie replied, "It's him. You guys got him."
Greg looked back at us and nodded. I smiled as I looked to Ed, Spike and Brad. Together- we brought the Goddess killer to justice.
"The girl?" Greg asked.
"She wasn't wearing her seatbelt in the car, and her head hit the backseat fairly hard. The EMTs figured there would be severe brain damage."
"And?"
"She died on route to the hospital."