Good Start
Chapter 15
Things were going well. Mike was keeping his distance from his partner socially. But, he had concerns about him drinking on the job. He had voiced them to the sergeant, but his partner was well-liked and Mike was viewed as a rookie detective. All he could do was do the right things at work and go home to his wife and daughter.
Christine had mentioned a second baby a few times; but agreed they needed to wait until they could afford something on their own. Since admitted that they loved each other; things were going well. They did a lot of talking and planning for their future. One day; at work, Mike was working on paperwork when his partner; Al came into the squad room and grabbed his jacket.
"C'mon, kid. I gotta follow a lead." Al said.
"On what case?" Mike asked, looking at his notes.
"None of those. It's a new one." Al said impatiently. Mike stood up and followed Al out. He was still completely confused but was keeping his mouth shut. They got in the car and by the time they stopped; Mike was pretty certain they were outside their district.
"I think we are out of—" Mike started.
"Shut it, kid. I'm meeting an informant." Al said. Mike looked around at the abandoned buildings and instantly become nervous.
"I'm calling into dispatch." Mike said. Al gave him a dirty look but Mike didn't care. He was going to let someone know where they were. Other officers couldn't help him if they didn't know where to find them. He had just finished giving the address to dispatch when a shot rang out and he saw Al fall. He immediately yelled out that an officer was down when a second shot rang out and he felt a burning pain in his left shoulder. A second later; there was another shot and he felt pain in his chest. "Dispatch, I need immediate assistance. I believe there is a sniper or something. My partner has been hit and I'm going to try to get to him. I've been hit twice." Mike said. He put the mic down and drew his gun before getting out of the car and running towards where Al was.
It took everything Mike had to drag Al behind the car and to prop him against the wheel. He could hear sirens in the distance and could feel a very faint pulse on Al's neck. He opened the driver's side and picked the mic back up, but just as he did; several police cars rolled in. A search was conducted and the sergeant began applying first aide to both Mike and Al.
"Kid; had you not called into dispatch when you did; we wouldn't have known where you were. What were you doing out here anyways?" Sergeant Adams asked.
"Al…Detective Smith wanted to talk to an informant. I didn't know what we were doing or where we were going until we got here. He said it was a new case?" Mike explained.
"I benched Al last week. He is supposed to be working on his cold cases. No new cases. To be clear; you weren't benched but he was." Sergeant Adams explained as she pressed her gloved hand into Mike's shoulder.
"Is he going to be okay?" Mike asked.
"Mike…I stopped controlling the bleeding when I lost his pulse. He's dead." Sergeant Adams said.
"He…has four kids. We have to do CPR." Mike said.
"Hey…this is not on you. Those kids will be taken care of. We just have to keep your pulse so you can get back to your kid." Sergeant Adams said. Just then Mike heard over the radio that they had found the suspect and had him detained. "Send an ambulance in. 3-3-4 dead on arrival." Sergeant Adams said. Mike noticed there was no emotion in her voice even though she had always been very nice to him. It probably reflected the sort of officer Al was more than anything.
"Can you call my wife? She's going to be so scared." Mike asked.
"You bet. And you don't worry about Al or his kids. They will be well taken care of." Sergeant Adams said as the paramedics took over his care. She took his badge and gun with her and Mike was headed to the hospital. He knew he was badly injured, more so than he was being told but he was fighting consciousness. He just needed to see Christine and Katie.