Luca goes to work early, hoping to see Isa again. He is not disappointed when he pulls into his spot and finds Isa laying on the branch sleeping, not noticing his arrival
"Morning Isa" he greets, she stirs before sitting up. Isa looks at him, the bruise from yesterday has made her eye almost swell shut "want some ice for that"
"To numb the pain?" She asks, Luca nods "no thank you sir"
"Why not?" He asks
"The feeling of being numb to the world is not a good one sir"
"You don't have to call me that" Luca says "I just realized, I never told you, my name is Dominique Luca"
"Dominique Luca" she repeats "may I call you Dom?" Luca nods which makes her smile for the first time
"Dom?" She asks "why do you say 'don't'?" Her mouth fumbles with the word, unfamiliar with it
"It's putting two words together, do and not, don't. Like can't is can not, I'm is I am, shouldn't is should not, isn't is is not, and many others, it is called slang" Luca explains, Isa looks at him, confused
"I think that is a very odd Dom" she says, he chuckles
"Well how about this instead, I don't start work until 6:30, why don't I show you where I work? If you want to be SWAT, might as well see what HQ looks like" Luca says, Isa considers it and climbs down. She wears the same outfit from yesterday and it appears that it hasn't been washed. However, she seems to have been able to clean herself up. Her face now brightened and short hair neatly finger combed
"May I?" She asks "I am extremely curious"
"Of course" Luca says. Isa gingerly takes his hand, feeling a new instinct to make contact, but then thinks that Luca might not want her to do that. So Isa releases his hand. "It's alright, I don't mind" she nods gratefully, taking it again. They enter HQ and Luca starts the tour
"This is the motor pool, and that there is Black Betty. My pride and joy" he says, pointing to the big car. Isa goes a bit closer, fixated by the unusual vehicle. She traces the light with her finger
"Why do you say pride and joy?" She asks "does that mean you like it?"
"Black Betty is a truck shared by every SWAT personnel. For my team, 20-David, I drive and take care of her. So when she does well, I am proud. I take joy in making sure Black Betty is at her best"
"Her?" Isa asks
"Instead of say Black Betty is an it, I like to say her" Luca explains "most of us at SWAT call her that"
"That is funny" she replies "but I like that" Luca then brings her to another place
"This is Command, everything important happens here" still holding his hand, Isa looks around and feels the computers with her left hand. Her eyes looking at them intently
"Have you seen a computer before?" Luca asks
"Occasionally, but not as high tech" Isa then sees Hicks walking closer. He places his hand on his belt which makes her scared. Isa hides behind Luca as Hicks comes over
"Hey Luca" Hicks greets "you're here early, who's the new friend?"
"Her name is Isa, Commander, just showing her around before shift" he answers, Hicks looks at the child and is concerned at the fear in her eyes
"Hey Isa" he greets, she doesn't reply looking at his belt. Luca follows her gaze
"Commander Hicks won't hurt you Isa" Luca says, Hicks now looks to what they are looking at and realizes what the problem is
"It's alright Isa" he says "I used this to keep up my pants. Or else the whole building would see me in my underwear" Isa smiles slightly, picturing the man before her walking around the place in boxers
"Did you know that?" Luca asks gently, she shrugs, then Isa spots a golden object clipped to the belt
"What is that sir?" She asks pointing at it
"This is my police badge" Hicks explains "want to hold it?"
"If that is alright sir" she says. Hicks smiles and hands it to her. Letting go of Luca, Isa traces the badge with her finger. Seeing her reflection on the gold makes her smile wider. After handing it back to Hicks she asks "are you Dom's boss sir?"
"That is correct, I am Commander Bob Hicks" he says "I look out for all the SWAT teams and patrol"
"You handle on the monitors?" She asks and Hicks nods "is it odd to see the action in third person sir?"
"It is" he says, shocked by Isa's insight "well I'll let you two get back to the tour" Hicks leaves and Luca takes her into the locker room
"This is where my team gets ready for missions" he says proudly "this is my locker"
"It has your name on it"
"It does" He answers, Isa looks at the row of lockers
"Do all of the lockers have names?" She asks
"The ones that are being used, we have to or else how will anyone know which locker is mine" he explains
"That is peculiar" she replies
"Have you never seen a label like that?" He asks, Isa doesn't answer. Luca looks down at Isa and she in turn looks up at him. Then Hondo comes in
"Hey Luca ready for- oh who's this" Hondo asks, taking in the scene. Luca looks at him, and Isa follows, Hondo can't help but think that they look like a father and his child
"This is Isa, just showing her around" Luca says
"Well hello there Isa" Hondo says, remembering Luca talk about her yesterday "do you like HQ?"
"Very sir" she replies "is he your friend Dom?"
"Yes, Hondo is leader of 20-Squad" Luca answers "Deacon is friends with him too"
"Hondo? Deacon? Why are their names so different?"
"My name is Daniel Harrleson" Hondo explains, squatting down to be eye level with her. Isa backs up a little, but isn't afraid, finding the same comfort that she feels with Deacon and Luca "Deacon is David Kay. There isn't a reason why, but people call us Hondo and Deacon"
"It is like you go by Isa" Luca adds "words that make people's names shorter to say, or just for fun, are nicknames"
"For fun?" she repeats, Luca nods "does anyone else you know have nicknames?"
"Yeah a bunch. My roommate Street, is short for Jim Street. Another team member, Tan is Victor Tan. And I have a friend named Chris, short for Christina Alonso"
"You have a lot of friends Dom" Isa then notices the time "it is 6:30, I should go, you have work to do it looks like" Luca smiles before leading her out. They go back to his car
"Will I see you again after shift?" He asks her, she shrugs, not sure herself "well I hope I do Isa"
"Me too Dom" she says, Luca begins to walk away, only to turn around and see that Isa is gone again.
The moment everyone has arrived, Hondo and Hicks rally the team. In command, the group huddles together
"Today SWAT has been alerted to a new type of pill roaming the streets of LA" Hicks says "people call it the Sleeping Beauty Pill"
"Creative" Street jokes
"This pill effects the brain and heart, if consumed both organs are temporarily shut down" Hicks informs "the target age is teens to college students. The consumer will take the pill and die temporarily. However, many people are unaware of this fact and use the pill as a way to sleep"
"Great" Tan says "let's just make them a coffin to sleep in" the group chuckles, including Hicks and Hondo.
"This pill is serious and the gang responsible is unknown" Hondo says "there is almost no info on the chain. However, one man, which is the only known person selling the pills is named Danny Robinson" Tan searches the name into the computer
"35, white male that graduated with a degree in marketing. Later when he found no job, went into a door to door sales man position. Has priors for harassment and soliciting"
"He is perfect for selling pills" Street comments "the marketing background and the ability to persuade people to buy, that's the recipe for an ideal pill seller"
"Where is his house?" Deacon asks
"Place is 67 Bristol Driv, already have the warrant" Hicks says "get ready to roll" In Black Betty, the team is mostly silent, daydreaming
"Hey Luca" Hondo says, breaking the silence "that girl Isa, she ever tell you about her family?"
"Kinda hard to ask" Luca says from the front
"Why is that?" Tan asks
"She didn't know what that word meant" Deacon says "do you know her age?"
"Thinking 10, but she is super skinny, can't tell" Luca says "didn't realize she was a girl. Thought Isa was a boy until she told me otherwise"
"Well she seems to be really smart" Hondo says "wonder what her home life is like, if she has one"
"Wait you met her?" Street asks, Hondo nods "what is she like?"
"He only met her briefly" Luca says "met Hicks too, but didn't go as well as with Hondo. She was terrified of his belt"
"Why?" Hondo asks
"Probably because her parents use it on her" Street explains bitterly. The guys become quiet, realizing that he is most likely right. At the house, the team surrounds the place
"20-David, making entry" Hondo says with Deacon. The pair enter to find Danny watching TV. Beside him is a box full of the pills. On the side of the box is a symbol that is a black silhouette of the rose from Beauty and the Beast "Danny, do not move" Danny turns and looks at the two. He stands and is about to run for it when the other three appear from behind
"I wouldn't bother" Street says "I really wouldn't" Danny hangs his head in shame before putting his hands up. Street goes to the box and cuts it open, inside are the cases of pills, each having the same rose stamped on the lid
"Start searching" Hondo says and the guys go around to clear the place. Hondo arrests Danny and looks at him "want to start talking?"
"I only did it for the money" he says, the pressure of Hondo standing there making him talk "theses guys asked me to help them out. It was easy money, a one time thing"
"Then let me guess, the demand rose?" Hondo asks
"You could say that again, the pills are extremely addictive" Danny says, words tumbling out without permission "makes it so the customers come to you. But, I tried to warn them that you could die if you take too many"
"Yeah, and you still thought the product was five stars huh?" Hondo asks
"The rest of the house is clear, and it appears that this is the only box" Deacon says as the team comes back
"Let's get you back to HQ" Hondo says to Danny.
In interrogation, Hondo and Tan join Danny
"Please" Danny pleads "I don't want to go to jail"
"Why, is it a terrible place?" Tan asks sarcastically
"If anyone dies from these pills, you will go to jail for assisting murder" Hondo replies "so start talking and I advise you do it fast"
"I can't help you" he says
"You want people to die Danny?" Tan asks, he shakes his head "kids could die out there. Innocent kids who want to just get some good old sleep. Death shouldn't be the price for it"
"I'm serious, I have nothing you want. I got no address, names, hell not even a number" Danny says
"Anything you say that is helpful Danny, can help you get out of your hole" Tan replies. Danny runs his hand through his hair, then his mind presents a memory
"I meet a supplier at a loading dock every month. He gives me a text when they're close and where they are going to be parked" Danny says "but it is a burner"
"I see" Hondo says "any faces?"
"Not that I can remember" Danny says "but, but there will be another shipment tomorrow. I have to be there or else they'll know I was caught"
"Well then Danny, guess you're going a meeting" Hondo says "for us, got it?" Danny nods
"Why don't you tell us everything about that meeting" Tan says
For the rest of the day, the team researches trying to find out more about the meet up. At the end of shift, the group discusses what they found.
"Danny said he will get the address at some point today, after a bit of waiting, I got the address" Hondo says "Tail Lines Loading Dock at 7:00am, but no boat name. Danny said that normally the boat is easy to see, but anyone find anything about what dock it could be?"
"Danny said that the ship comes once a month" Tan says, pulling up a picture of a boat "there is only one boat that does that. Called the St. Sandler, a smaller boat and comes in almost undetected. When you look at the CTV, the boat comes and goes as if it were invisible"
"Easy way to pass pills" Street says, looking at the boat now "the boat claims to bring in fragile vases. Dock number twenty-five"
"Great work, all of you" Hondo says "now all you go home and get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a busy day" the guys nod as they head to the locker room
Luca quickly grabs his stuff and races to his car. Isa sits in her tree, watching him come out
"Hey Isa!" Luca says "how was your day?" She shrugs. As a bug almost flies into her eye, Isa rubs it away, that's when Luca notices a dirt patch on her left wrist "got some dirt on your wrist" she rubs it away, revealing a tattoo with the numbers 2-15-25
"Thanks" she says
"Isa, why do you have a tattoo?" She doesn't answer, covering her arm
"Hey there Isa" Deacon says, seeing the two and deciding to come over "how are you?"
"I am fine" she says, then Deacon notices red slashes on her legs. Each are deep and progressively get worse as they travel down "what happened there?"
"Got into a fight" she answers
"Isa, where did you get the tattoo?" Luca asks again "we won't judge, right Deacon?"
"Of course not" Deacon says
"Had it since I was small" she answers "I don't want to talk about it" the two men look at each other. Silently agreeing to let it drop, but that the conversation was not over
"How did the fight go?" Deacon asks
"Some boys wanted my food" she answers "I lost, and winners always need to show their dominance"
"Are you hungry?" Luca asks, Isa shrugs then against her will, her stomach growls loudly. Not being missed by any of them. Her face turns red "do you want something to eat?"
"I am unable to pay you back" she answers
"You don't have to do that" Luca argues "I can take you to the store and you can pick something out"
"What is a store?" She asks, the men look at her
"It's a place where you buy things" Deacon explains
"The place where you pay with money?" Luca nods "oh" Isa looks at the ground again, embarrassed. Trying to make her feel better Deacon says
"It's ok if you don't know Isa, because that means you learned something new" she looks at Deacon, finding comfort in his words
"One of us can take you and you can get something there" Luca says
"No" she replies "I refuse to accept favors, those are for people down on their luck, that is not me" Deacon smiles at her words
"Listen Isa, how about this. Tomorrow, Luca and I will bring you some food to have. And if we ever need a lunch someday, then you can get it for us?" He asks
"Is that a bargain?" She asks
"Kind of, it's what friends do" he says, Isa looks at the two before nodding
"Deal" she says "now what about you? How was work?"
"We had an adventure before doing a lot of research" Deacon recites in a more friendly way, Isa smiles, knowing this
"I saw you guys go in, that car you call Black Betty" she says "did you find something bad?"
"No" Luca says "just doing the job"
"Do you ever come back empty?" She asks
"Sometimes, but that means that the world is going on like normal" Deacon says. Then they hear Street
"Hey guys!" Street calls, the two men turn, before realizing that probably wasn't the best idea. They turn back and just as expected, Isa is gone. Street comes over "sorry"
"It's alright, probably would've happened anyways" Deacon says
"Where does she go?" Luca asks
"Somewhere where no one can find her" Street answers "abused kids always know how to hide"