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Chapter 3

The port was eerily quiet as the team took their positions, the only sound the faint lapping of water against the docks. Bella and Edward crouched behind a stack of shipping containers, their earpieces crackling softly with updates from Alice.

"Movement on the north dock," Alice reported. "Two vehicles just pulled in. Looks like they're unloading something big."

"Copy that," Bella whispered. She glanced at Edward, her eyes sharp. "Ready?"

Edward gave a curt nod, his grip on his weapon firm. "Let's do this."

As they moved in sync toward the dock, the tension was electric. Edward knew this was his moment to prove he wasn't just a good addition to the team—he was a vital part of it.

The tension was palpable as Bella and Edward crept closer to the dock, their steps silent against the damp concrete. From their vantage point behind a stack of shipping containers, they could see Mendoza's crew unloading crates from the backs of two black SUVs. The suspects worked quickly, their movements efficient and rehearsed.

"Four targets confirmed," Bella whispered into her comm. "Two by the vehicles, two securing the crates. No sign of Mendoza yet."

"Copy," Solomon's voice came through. "Emmett and Jacob are in position on the west dock. Rosalie and I will approach from the south and Jasper's scoped in above us. Alice, keep eyes on the whole area."

"Got it," Alice replied, eyeing Jasper set up on top of the southernmost building. "I'll let you know if anything changes."

Edward adjusted his position, his eyes locked on the group below. "They're making moves. We'll need to act fast if we want to catch them with the product

Through the comms, Jacob's voice crackled in, his tone sharp. "Masen, didn't realize you were running point on this."

Edward's jaw tightened, but he kept his focus forward. "Just calling what I see, Black."

Bella's hand hovered near her earpiece, her gaze shifting briefly between them. "Focus up, both of you. On my signal, we hit the two by the SUVs. Sarge will sweep the perimeter."

"Copy," Edward replied curtly, though the tension in his voice was palpable.

"Sure thing, boss," Jacob muttered, sarcasm dripping from the words.

Edward finally exhaled, his patience fraying. He pressed his comm. "You got something to say, Jacob?"

Jacob's figure appeared a few containers over, moving toward Edward's position. "Yeah, I do," he shot back, keeping his voice low but loaded. "This isn't Vice, Masen. Maybe take a step back and let the people who know the job do it."

Edward stood from his crouch, his eyes narrowing. "Funny, I didn't realize your ego came with tactical expertise."

Jacob closed the gap between them, his tone quiet but no less heated. "You think you're tough shit, or something, Masen?"

Bella stepped between them, pressing a hand against both of their chests. She threw them heated looks, disbelief marring her features. "Knock it off. Are you two seriously doing this right now?"

"Exactly," Solomon's voice growled through the comm. "You two want to play pissing contest? Do it on your own time. Get back in position."

Edward and Jacob exchanged a heated glare before reluctantly moving back to their posts.

Bella shook her head and muttered in exasperation, "Unbelievable. Grow up, both of you." As Edward moved back towards Bella, her face was a mix of anger and disbelief as she pulled him aside.

"What the hell is your problem?" she snapped, her voice low but furious. "You're supposed to be proving you're a team player, not picking fights."

"He started it," Edward muttered, his tone defensive, but he instantly grimaced at how immature he sounded.

"I don't care who started it," Bella shot back heatedly. "This isn't high school. Next time, ignore him, Masen."

Edward nodded stiffly, though his jaw was still clenched. Bella gave him one last glare before returning to her position.

"Targets are unloading again," Alice's voice broke through the tension. "The east side vehicles just parked. Looks like another four, maybe five suspects."

Solomon's voice followed. "Everyone in position. No more distractions."

Edward exhaled, forcing himself to focus. Bella crouched beside him, her voice softer, but still brimming with agitation. "Let's finish this."

On Bella's signal, the team moved in seamlessly. Bella and Edward took out the two men by the SUVs quickly, their weapons trained vigilantly for any movement . Solomon neutralized the remaining targets with Emmett taking a few down in tight-gripped choke-holds and Jasper firing off calculated sniper shots from his discreet position on the roof. Even Jacob, despite his earlier outburst, executed his role flawlessly, taking down several of the offenders with quick, rugged movements.

Within minutes, the dock was secure, and Mendoza's crew was in cuffs. No casualties, no escapes.

As the suspects were loaded into patrol cars, Solomon motioned for Jacob and Edward to step aside. Bella stood a few feet away, her eyes following the retreating line of squad cars, though she kept an ear tuned to the tense conversation behind her. Solomon's expression was unreadable, but the weight of his disappointment was unmistakable.

"Masen, Black," he began, his voice low. "You almost compromised this operation with your shit back there. If you can't learn to work together, you're both off the next case. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Edward said, his tone subdued.

"Yes, sir," Jacob echoed, though his expression was equally sour.

Solomon nodded, then turned steely eyes towards Edward. Edward clenched his jaw, mentally berating himself for letting Jacob get to him – he wasn't usually like this. He could hold his temper, but the unabashed and unwarranted aggression Jake has shown him got under his skin so deeply for some reason. "This is your warning, Masen," Solomon said tersely. "You've got potential, but that temper's had no place on this team. You're both dismissed."

As Solomon walked away, with Jacob also departing right after, Bella sighed, looking at Edward, and said seriously, "You're a good cop, Masen. Don't let Jake get under your skin.

Edward nodded, her words hitting harder than Solomon'sHe suspected Solomon had already decided they'd be partnered again after today's performance. A solid partnership was everything in this line of work. Straightening his shoulders, Edward met Bella's gaze with quiet determination. "I won't. Next time, I'll handle it better."

Bella's expression softened slightly. "Good. Because despite all that, you pulled through when it counted." She grinned faintly, her tone taking on a playful edge. "Just don't make me regret saying that."

Edward watched Bella walk off to rejoin Rosalie, leaving him alone for a moment to gather his thoughts. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself. The success of the mission almost felt overshadowed by his clash with Jacob, and Bella and Solomon's warnings lingered in his mind. Bucannon would've handed him his ass if he'd witnessed what happened between him and Jacob.

From across the dock, Alice's voice cut through the comms again, "Well, that was a goddamn rollercoaster. Congrats, team! We got the data, the suspects, and a whole lot of drama. Someone owes me coffee for sitting through all that."

"Make that two coffees," Rosalie's voice added, her tone cool but edged with her signature dry wit. "One for me, for not throttling anyone."

"Noted," Bella replied, her voice laced with humor. "Edward and Jake are buying."

"Perfect," Alice said. "I like mine black with thirty-four packs of sugar."

Edward let out a low chuckle despite himself. The team's banter was light-hearted again, but he could still feel the weight of their earlier tension. As he moved to help secure the scene, he noticed Jacob leaning against a patrol car, arms crossed, scowling at the ground.

Edward hesitated, then decided to approach.

"Hey," Edward said, keeping his tone neutral. Jacob glanced up, his expression hard.

"What?" Jacob muttered.

Edward sighed. "Look, about earlier… I shouldn't have engaged. It was stupid."

Jacob shrugged but didn't look at him. "You've got something to prove, I get it."

Edward nodded. "If I want a place on this team, sure. But for the record, I'm not here to step on anyone's toes. I just want to do my job."

Jacob finally met his gaze, his expression softening slightly. "Good. Then do your job, and we'll be fine." He let out a deep sigh and after a brief moment of hesitation, held out his hand. "I'm sorry, man. Bella and I… I mean, we haven't really been partners for a long time. Solomon's been bouncing us around with the squad. But we used to be partners. It's just a dynamic shift, ya know? But I'm sorry."

Edward nodded, appreciating his honesty and the sincerity behind his apology. He gripped Jacob's hand in his, giving it a firm shake. The handshake was quick, a silent truce, but it was a start. Solomon watched from his spot across the dock, eyes squinted as he nodded in approval.

Back at the precinct, the team gathered in the squad room for the debrief. Solomon stood at the front, arms crossed. "First off, good work tonight," he began, his eyes scanning the room. "We've got Mendoza's crew in custody, and thanks to Alice, we've pulled enough intel to hit their entire operation. This was a win."

There was a murmur of agreement, but Solomon's expression remained serious. "That said, we don't get wins like this if we're not functioning as a team. Personal issues have no place in the field. I've said my piece on that, and I expect it won't happen again."

His gaze lingered briefly on Edward and Jacob, who both nodded.

"Good," Solomon continued. "Now, Alice, what's our next move?"

Alice perked up, her fingers dancing over her laptop keyboard. "I'm working on decrypting the rest of the files we pulled. Should give us a clear picture of Mendoza's network, including some high-value targets we didn't know about."

"Perfect," Solomon said. "We'll regroup tomorrow and plan our next steps. You're dismissed – Masen, my office?"

Emmett whistled lowly, teasingly, and Edward nodded and followed Solomon into his office as the team dispersed. He closed the door quietly behind him while Solomon sat down in his chair, then gestured for Edward to take a seat across from him.

"How're you feeling, Masen?" Solomon asked, his gaze not showing anything that Edward could gauge on how this conversation could go. Edward cleared his throat. "I'm feeling good – great. We got some good intel today and Sarge, despite what happened on the docks, I'm ready to move forward with this case. I shouldn't have acted out like that, and I apologize."

Solomon nodded, his eyes still hard. "You've got some balls coming in here on your first day and engaging in a fight with one of my team members. We use that word interchangeably with family, you get that? Everything we do, we do it together and if we're not a cohesive unit, we're nothing."

Edward took in a deep breath and nodded his understanding.

"That being said, Masen… you did some damn good work. Family will fight, and they'll get over their shit. You have to get over this shit between you and Black, whatever the fuck it is. I won't have it on my team, disrupting my missions. You understand?"

"I do," Edward said. His chest felt a little light when the Sarge smiled, just a small tilt of his lips. "We're glad to have you here, Masen. You're good to go."

Edward grinned back at the sergeant, nodded once, then stood to leave. The squad room was almost completely cleared out, aside from Bella, who had lingered by her desk and was organizing her notes. Edward approached, his expression thoughtful.

"Hey," he said. "Thanks for backing me up earlier."

Bella looked up, her eyes steady. "Don't thank me yet. You've got work to do."

Edward nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Fair. But I'm serious. I won't let you down."

Bella smiled. "Good. Because Solomon's got high expectations, and so do I."

Edward chuckled, the tension between them finally easing. "Noted."

As Bella gathered her things and headed out, Edward watched after her for a small moment, before reaching for his own bag and walking silently out of the precinct.

…

Edward unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside, letting the door close softly behind him. The silence was deafening. No hum of comms, no background chatter, no sharp directives from Solomon. Just the steady ticking of the clock on his wall and the low groan of the city beyond his windows.

He tossed his keys and a bag of half-eaten Chinese food on the counter, then shrugged off his jacket, letting it fall onto the back of a chair. The weight of the day clung to him, heavier now that the adrenaline had worn off. Today had been a success, technically, but the confrontation with Jacob and Solomon's reprimand replayed in his mind, a nagging reminder of how easily things could have gone wrong.

Edward exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair as he moved to the kitchen. He filled a glass with vodka and leaned against the counter, staring out the window at the city lights.

Closing his eyes, Edward let his mind wander, though he knew where it would inevitably go. The images were always there, lurking at the edges of his consciousness. Faces. Names. Shadows that refused to fade.

His time undercover had been brutal, every day a tightrope walk between survival and exposure. He'd witnessed atrocities—women and children treated as commodities, lives snuffed out for defiance, and a level of human depravity that no amount of training could prepare him for. He had played the part, immersed himself in their world, but at what cost?

Edward opened his eyes and downed the vodka in one burning gulp, as if it could wash away the memories. The nightmares would come later; they always did. Sometimes they were fragmented—faces he couldn't place, voices he couldn't match. Other times, they were vivid and relentless, dragging him back to those cold, dimly lit rooms where hope had long since died.

He set the glass down with a soft thud and rubbed his eyes, trying to shake the images loose. His therapist had once called itsurvivor's guilt.

Edward called it penance.

Tonight had been different, though. He wasn't alone in those moments on the dock. Bella had been there, sharp and steady, pulling him back when he veered too close to the edge. For the first time in a long time, Edward felt a glimmer of something he couldn't quite name—belonging, maybe. Or the beginnings of it.

But the weight of proving himself still pressed heavily on his shoulders. The team was good—damn good—and Edward knew he couldn't afford to misstep again. He had to be more than just the guy from Vice— he had to be someone they could rely on, someone they trusted implicitly when things got rough.

Yet, even as he resolved to do better, doubt gnawed at him. Would they ever see him as more than the scars he tried so hard to hide?

Edward moved to the couch and sank into it, the soft cushions offering little comfort. He stared at the ceiling for a long time, letting the quiet settle over him. Eventually, he grabbed his phone and opened his messages. There was nothing new, but his eyes lingered on an unread text from his former sergeant, sent weeks ago.

Take care of yourself, Masen. You deserve it.

Edward scoffed softly. Did he? After everything he'd seen, everything he'd done in the name of justice, he wasn't so sure. But he tucked the thought away, like he always did, and let his phone fall onto the cushion beside him.

For now, the silence was enough. Tomorrow would bring another day, another challenge. And Edward would face it steadfast, as always, even if it meant standing alone.

I'm not a detective, but I can work a Google search engine. I also watch a lot of cop shows. See you tomorrow!