A/N: Bonus Sat night Chapter! WHOOP!
When her alarm went off they both got up. They took turns showering and were out in the car only 30 minutes later. The drive to work was short and silent and when Andy went into the locker room to change into her uniform Sam went over to Jerry desk.
"Hey."
"Sam, Hi." Jerry checked his watch. "You're early."
"I just wanted to see if there was any development. Did the OPP have anything to bring to the case?"
"Eh, yeah…" jerry glanced around the room then stood and gestured for Sam to follow him. He led him into a small interview room and closed the door after them.
"What is it? What's goin on?"
"They know the group. They have been tracking them for months."
"Are you kidding me?"
"There is a ring of hierarchy within the group the shallow end being a group of indecent exposures, to minor sex offenders to sex traffickers. "
"All this time they have been tracking them and they did nothing to stop it? To warn us!?"
"Sam it was a closed investigation, they have a man on the inside-"
"Jesus Jerry!" Sam was shouting now. He crossed the room and punched the wall. "One girl was ok to sacrifice? Two? Three? Fucking six?!"
"Sam it-"
"Their lives are ruined, the lives of their families forever changed, all for the sake of an investigation? Where do we draw the line?" Sam's eyes had darkened with rage. His frown was deep and his shoulders were hunched. He held his arms loose by his sides but his fists were clenched into two tight balls. "Where are they?"
Sam moved for the door. Jerry tried to stop him but Sam brushed his arm away. He walked to the other interview room but found it was empty. As he charged through the bullpen he saw Franks office was empty so he made his way through to the back offices by the small gym. He pushed the door open and stopped. The desk in the centre of the room was covered with papers and files. The walls that held notice boards had been covered in photos and a large map of Ontario.
Two men were in the room. One slouched back in a wooden chair balancing it on the two back legs, his hands locked behind his head. The other was perched on the corner of the table, his leg swinging beneath him. They both looked up in surprise when Sam entered, their smiles frozen and fading on their mouths.
"You guys knew about this…all this time?!" Sam walked farther into the room and stood in front of the map that both of them were talking about. "Why didn't you stop it?"
"And you are?" the one on the table stood up and rested his hands on his hips.
Just then Jerry entered the room. "This is Officer Swarek . He's been to two of the scenes of attack."
"Well Officer, we're in the middle of an investigation. The biggest one of its kind in provincial history."
"So big that it doesn't matter that 6 little girls get attacked and raped so long as you get your big collar!"
"Now you just hold on!" The other agent stood up and pointed a finger at Sam. "There was nothing we could have done to stop that."
"Don't you point that fucking finger at me!" Sam roared. He lunged for the officer but Jerry got in his way.
"Calm down!" Jerry yelled. He pushed Sam back against the wall, knocking some of the photos off in the process.
"This is a delicate situation." One of the agents spoke; he stepped back from the table and held his hands up defensively. "You wouldn't understand. There is more at stake than-"
"Than the sanity of 6 little girls?"
"Yes. Yes there is." Sam was taken aback by this reply and the wind seemed to be knocked out of his sails. "6 little girls is nothing next to the hundreds of girls these men have worked through their sex trafficking ring."
There was nothing Jerry could have done to stop him. Sam pushed himself off the wall, tossed Jerry aside and lunged across the table at the agent who spoke. He landed a right hook on the agents jaw and followed through this his elbow. He landed on the floor with him and straddled him, connecting two or three more punches on his face before Jerry and the other agent managed to pull him off. Shaw who was in the gym heard the ruckus came running in in time to see Jerry and the agent holding Sam back while the other agent swung a punch that connected with Sam's cheek.
"Jesus!" Oliver raced into the room and stopped the agent from throwing another punch. Jerry immediately let go of Sam and watched as he fell to his knees.
"Oh Christ!" Jerry knelt down beside Sam and helped him up. "You ok Sam?"
Sam brushed his arm off his shoulder, and stepped back from the group. Shaw walked out of the room with Sam.
"What the hell was going on in there?" Sam didn't speak. He pressed his cheek with the back of his hand as he walked back through the bullpen to the men's locker room. "Sam, talk to me, what happened?"
"Nothing."
"Don't give me that. What happened?"
Sam leaned over the skin and cupped his hands under the running water. He splashed it onto his face then looked up at the mirror. His cheek was cut from whatever ring the agent who hit him had been wearing and there was a red welt forming right on his cheek bone. Sam touched it gingerly with his fingertips and winced at the pain that caused.
"Interdepartmental disagreement?"
Before Oliver could ask him anything else the door was pushed open and Best walked in. "Swarek. My office. Now."
Sam nodded at him through the mirror. Best walked out immediately. Sam went to follow but Oliver pulled on his arm.
"Sammy…?"
"Leave it." Sam walked out of the locker room and towards Frank's office. Before he made it all the way through he spotted Andy stepping out of the break room with a cup of coffee in each hand.
"Hey Sam, I got you a drink. Ready for parade?"
"Not now McNally." Sam hurried passed her and went straight up to Franks office. When he entered he noticed Jerry and the two OPP already in the room. Frank was standing behind his desk the others were in a corner by the window. Jerry was leaning back against the glass wall by the door. The blinds were down, offering them a modicum of privacy but Sam knew, maybe better than most that the walls weren't sound proof.
"What the hell happened?"
Sam remained quiet. He looked over at the agents. The one he had punched was holding an ice pack to the side of his face and his left eye had swelled up. Sam felt a glimmer of satisfaction form the look on his face.
"Well?" Frank persisted. Jerry stepped away from the wall and paced the back fo the room.
"It was a discussion on the case, a disagreement, it got out of hand."
Sam looked over at his friend and spotted the almost imperceptible nod.
"Out of hand? I wouldn't call one of my officers and a provincial agent having a punch up in my interview rooms a disagreement that got out of hand."
"That officer of yours is out of control." The agent spoke up. He stood and dropped the ice from his face to show the full extent of his injuries. "He should not be on this case, hell he should probably be removed from the division."
"Officer Sam Swarek is one of the best coppers we have."
"Then I weep for the state of your division." The agent shouted. "Now this case has been building for the guts of a year and we won't let some overzealous cop destroy it."
"Agent-" Frank tried to speak but he wasn't given a chance.
"Now I won't press charges for the assault, but if I see or hear of him anywhere near this case then I will be calling SIU."
The agent stored out of the room and was followed by his partner. When the door closed behind them, Frank turned the full power of his gaze onto Sam who had the good sense to look contrite.
"What. Were. You thinking?" Sam didn't reply. Jerry stepped forward but Frank held a hand up to stop him from speaking. "This is gone beyond anything you've done Sam. Assaulting an Agent of the OPP?"
"Yeah, I know."
"Knowing now is not good enough." Franks voice was loud and dripping in anger. "My hands are tied. You need to leave. You need to go home now. You're suspended until further notice."
"Frank…" Jerry tried to interject but Frank wasn't listening.
"No. There is no debating this. Hand over your weapon and badge."
Sam closed his eyes and took a few breaths, then slowly nodded his head. He stood up from the chair and walked out of the office, patting Jerry's arm as he walked by him. Sam walked to the weapons room and surrendered his weapon and badge. As he walked back through the bullpen he turned to see Andy sitting in the parade room. She was in his usual spot. Sitting at the back on a desk by the window and she turned as he walked by. She waved at him and smiled but her face fell when she spotted the bruise and cut on his cheek and the dark expression on his face.
He looked away and continued out of the division to the car lot. She turned back to the parade meeting just as Noelle was wrapping up. She didn't wait for the usual sign off and instead hurried out of the room. She caught up with Sam just as he was pulling out of the car space and ran out in front of his truck.
"Sam!" she yelled and he jammed on the brakes.
"Jesus Christ McNally!"
"What the hell? What's goin on?"
"Nothing, just leave it."
"Sam! Don't you dare drive off! Talk to me! What happened to your face?" she reached in through the car window to his chin, to turn him so she could get a better look. "What was frank yelling at? And where the hell are you going?"
"Andy…please…" his voice was low, barely containing his anger. "Please, let me go." She stared at him for a moment more but the pleading look in his eyes was breaking her heart. So she stepped back from the car and watched as he drove off. Sam didn't look back and instead just stared at the road. He watched the city go by and eventually disappear in his rear-view mirror. And he still kept driving. It took a few hours but soon he pulled up outside a house. He checked the clock. It was just 11pm. The porch light was on but he couldn't see any other lights on. Now after driving all this way he was hesitant to go knock on the door. But he decided he couldn't sleep out here in the car and his body was too racked with exhaustion to drive home.
Sam stepped out of the car and slowly made his way up to the porch. It was a detached house with a wraparound decking porch. There were a few swing chairs on the porch and the house was surrounded by large garden. There were tall trees and hedges blocking the house from the road, making the area seem darker than it actually was.
Sam lifted his hand and knocked on the door. From the inside he heard footsteps approaching and he brushed down the front of his top in anticipation. When the door opened he looked up and tried to smile.
"Sammy?"
"Hi Sarah."
"Oh my god!" she raced out to the porch and gathered him in a tight hug. "Oh my god!" she repeated as she held him away from her as if she couldn't believe he was really there. "What are you doing here?"
"I drove up to see you."
"Come in! Come in!" she took his hand and let him into the house then closed the door behind them and brought him to the living room. There was a large fire lit. A glass of wine on the table next to an upturned book. She pushed him down onto the couch and sat next to him, her feet curled under him. "I can't believe you are here? How are you?"
"I'm good."
"Sammy…you did not just drive over 100 kilometres to sit on my couch and tell me you're good."
Sam looked over at her. She was looking at him with worry written all over her face. Her smiling eyes at the delight of his unexpected visit were tainted by her concern. Both of her hands held onto one of his and she squeezed him tightly. Sam looked down at their hands and when he looked up she saw the tears in his eyes.
"Oh Sam…" she buried him into a hug and he cried.