We were chatting in the briefing room chatting with the others while Lucy complained about not having personal days.
"Yo, I need a break. I can't believe we don't get a single vacation or personal day during our entire probationary year."
With Jackson adding in kind of sarcastically "It's how we prove our commitment."
When Nolan walks into the room and sits hearing Jacksons answer to Lucy's complaint.
"Wearing wool in August isn't enough?"
"Why are you so cheery?"
"I'm just livin' my best life."
"Oh."
"He's totally not happy about talking to Jessica right now." getting laughs from Lucy and Jackson when Nolan spoke up.
"No. Yeah, okay, a little. Yes, yes, yeah, a little. Yeah."
"That's great. You seem really happy." Lucy complemented him
"Thank you."
"Oh, we should do a double date. I'd love for you to meet Gino." Jackson said happy and already planning a double date with them.
"Sounds great, but she's out of town right now. She's, uh, doing a lecture at the Department of Homeland Security." Nolan responded crushing Jackson's double date plans before he could start talking about them.
Before we could even finish The Captain called out to everyone.
"Can I have your attention?
Tim walked over calling us out to the bullpen where Andersen was addressing everyone from the landing from the stairs.
"Let's go, Boots."
"Everyone, gather up. All right, guys, listen up. Internal Affairs will be conducting random integrity tests this week."
Jackson recognizing this from what his dad told him spoke up. "Reversals."
"That's right, Officer West." Grey spoke up
"What's a reversal?" Nolan asked Jackson.
"Where cops go undercover to rat out other cops." Tim spoke up to answer Nolan's question.
"IA officers will be spending the week pretending to be criminals so they can analyze how we treat them."
"So, what Tim said."
"Do you think this is a joke, Officer Lopez? Officer Bradford?"
"No, ma'am." They both responded to Andersen after getting reprimanded.
"Good. 'Cause I take it very seriously. If you have to change your behavior because of these reversals, we have a problem. My officers do things the right way every day. Is that understood?"
"Yes, ma'am" All the officers responded from the bullpen. Before she dismissed us.
"Dismissed."
I was riding with Nolan and Bishop today.
We get on patrol immediately getting dispatched to a disturbance.
"7-Adam-15, disturbance at the Altobello Hotel."
When we pull up it had just finished raining. We step out and start walking up when we hear a woman and a valet arguing.
"You're saying this is my fault?"
"You're damn right it's your fault! Do you have any idea how much my car costs?"
"Please, ma'am. If we could take this inside -" a concierge started to beg her seeing the crowd that had gathered.
When we got to them with Nolan speaking first.
"What seems to be the problem here?"
"Valet destroyed my car."
"That car?"
"Yeah, look, the paint job. Right there." Astrid said while leading Nolan over to the door pointing out a light scratch to the door of her car.
"That scratch will buff right out." Nolan sounding confused over her reaction to the superficial paint scratch on the door.
"You're lying. He's lying!"
Bishop sounding tired of the argument already spoke up.
"This is a civil matter. Feel free to take photographs and send it in for an insurance claim."
"You mean you're not gonna arrest him?"
"There's no crime here, ma'am." Nolan answered apologetically.
"Oh, like hell there isn't." She angrily speaks before turning to the valet.
"I know you did it on purpose, too! 'Cause I caught you staring at my ass when I gave you the car." She stated like she discovered the reason to the damage
"I see nicer asses on the regular."
When he said that it got Astrid angrier causing her to pull a knife and start to lunge at the man causing us to step forward with Nolan getting there first and grabbing her hands to subdue her. While they were struggling over the knife Astrid's dress rips falling down on one side showing her bra causing her to cry out and drop the knife
"Oh! Oh! Let go of me!"
"I'm sorry. Sorry about that. Whoa. Sorry about that. I didn't mean for that to happen" Nolan apologizing the entire time he was cuffing her.
I stepped forward before her bra was out for too long blocking the view and holding her strap recovering her exposed bra.
"Yeah, right. Is that how you get off? You handcuff hot girls and rip off their clothes?!" She yelled at Nolan
"No, ma'am." Nolan replied while we walked her over to our shop and sat her in the back keeping blocked from the crowd that had gathered for the spectacle.
When we finally sat her in the back she glared at Nolan before looking over to me.
"Thank you, you saved me from exposing too much." She said to me when Nolan stepped away to get statements.
"No problem, ma'am it's our job to protect and serve even if it's just holding a strap of a dress to protect someone's dignity even when we are arresting them." I responded honestly while I patted her down and checked her clutch before gently pushing her into the shop and closing the door.
We get the statements from the valet then head back to the shop and drive her to the station to get processed.
While the Astrid was getting her mug shot taken we were off to the side of the processing room watching as she treated the mug shot as her own picture show. Nolan still feeling really sorry about breaking her dress spoke quietly to us.
"What if she's one of the reversals?"
"It's not your fault her tacky dress broke when she tried to stab a guy. If she's IA, she'll report you used reasonable force given the threat." Bishop said trying to calm him down.
"You think it's possible that the dress was designed to fail on contact? You know, like those break-away pants?"
"I'm gonna go finish the paperwork." Bishop said rolling her eyes and walking away.
"I mean it could be a dress that is not cheap but the process to make it softened everything up." I said as we walked up to Astrid to lead her to a holding cell
" Thanks, you guys." Nolan said before turning to Astrid. "Right this way. Please, believe me, I did not mean to expose you like that. Um - The woman with the phone, I spoke to her. She was very reasonable. I watched her delete all the footage."
"You have no idea who I am, do you?"
"Uh, you are Astrid Heisserer. No priors, no outstanding warrants." He spoke up with knowledge from the database.
"What's your name? Not you him." She asked Nolan cutting me off before I could speak up.
"John Nolan."
"Badge number."
"25253. If you want to lodge a complaint, that is your right."
"Oh, I'm gonna lodge something, believe me." She finished while glaring before we got her settled into the holding cell closing the door behind her.
We finished today shift and met at the food truck to convene and talk about what we walked about happened today.
"Tim was so convinced we caught another reversal, he pried open the bear trap. I've never seen someone actually pass out from pain before."
"That's tough, not as bad as the helplessness in that kid's eyes." Jackson said before looking over to Nolan and me asking about our shift.
"I had to pry a psycho off a valet at a five-star hotel. Uh, her dress ripped as I was cuffing her, exposing her unmentionables. Boy, she was pissed."
"Wow." Lucy said surprised
"What?" Nolan asked
"That was for sure a reversal." Jackson added after thinking about it.
"Yeah, dress was probably rigged. Like break-away pants."
"Mm-hmm." Jackson nodded.
"That's what I thought! But Elena doesn't think so."
"I am just saying the name sounded familiar for some reason." I said shaking my head taking my food from the food truck waiting for Nolan as he was heading over to my place to help with a issue I had with my kitchen sink and disposal.
"Yeah?" Lucy said jokingly
"Oh. Okay, I see what you're doing. Can I get that to go, please?" Nolan realized what she was doing and chuckled before turning to the food truck to make sure his food was to-go.
"No, come on! Don't be like that." Lucy then laughed at him.
"No, as much as I would love to keep telling war stories - Thank you, Dez - I have another full day of reversals tomorrow and I need to help Elena with her kitchen issue"
We laughed walked back to our cars which were a bit down in a parking lot splitting up heading to our cars. When a man we passed walked into the same lot as us walking up to a SUV pulled out a AR and unloaded in Nolan's direction while walking around the SUV. I rolled out of my car pulling my back up and unloading into the mans direction causing him to duck after he finished firing and hop into the SUV and peeling out.
I ran over to Nolan while keeping an eye on the direction the shooter came from. When I got to him he was stunned at the shots fired in his directions. After calling it in cops started rolling in canvasing and closing off the scene when Lucy and Jackson ran in slowing to a walk when they saw us fine.
"Hey. So, they canvassed the area. No one saw the shooter." Lucy started with.
"He fired a couple hundred rounds." Nolan surprised at what she said before looking back over to his truck.
"Yeah, no one's admitting they saw him."
"Yeah, patrol found the car he escaped in. It was reported stolen this afternoon. SID is all over it." Jackson reported to us when Bishop and Tim walked up to us in street clothes.
"Who'd you piss off?" Bishop asked
"Clearly someone with access to heavy weaponry." Tim answered her back begrudgingly.
"I didn't recognize the guy." Nolan said while I shook my head in agreement with Nolan.
"According to intelligence, you've been greenlit by Southern Front." Andersen said while walking up to us.
"Greenlit?" Nolan asked confused with the term.
"Means they put a hit on you." Grey answered.
"How's a rookie get greenlit before me? I gotta step up my game." Tim groaned out to the group getting disapproving looks.
"It's not a badge of honor." Bishop said reprimanding Tim.
"Violent white supremacist gang wants you dead, you're doing something right." Lopez said joining us.
"I-I'm sorry, white supremacy gang and greenlit? W-Wh- What the hell is going on?"
"Normally, gangs don't target cops; more trouble than it's worth. Unless a cop disrespects a gang member, then all bets are off." Grey said answering Nolan's question.
"That's why I recognized her I knew that I knew her from somewhere." I said smacking dropping my fist into my hand.
"You arrested a woman today. Astrid Heisserer." Andersen asked.
"Her dress broke. I-I embarrassed her. I thought she was IA." Nolan repeating what happened at the arrest.
"She's not. She's the baby mama of the leader of Southern Front, one of the most violent criminal enterprises in the country." Andersen answered.
"And because of how you treated her, he authorized everyone in the gang to kill you."
"What about Talia? or Alverez."
"Yeah what about me or Alverez."
"Nolan is the one who put hands on her breaking her dress. He's the one they're after. Alverez helped keep it hidden from view by stepping in and covering her up."
"How many Southern Front members are there?" Lucy asked worried.
"In the greater Los Angeles area? Several thousand." Andersen answered worried.
"And protecting you will be our number-one priority." Grey added.
"Step one is to get you off the streets. Come with me, Nolan. I'm gonna escort you home." Andersen said walking Nolan to shops with a small crew of cops.
Lucy and Jackson shared a look with me before we nodded all driving over to Nolan's home and walking up right when Andersen was leaving.
"Hey. What are you doing here?" She asked us.
"Guard duty." Jackson answered.
"I think we have that covered."
"Now it's extra covered." Lucy added
"He's family we will stay inside with him tonight." I spoke up looking at her.
After a minute of hearing our response she spoke up. "You call me directly if anything happens."
"Yes, ma'am." The three of us said
"Okay" She said before walking away.
We walk inside when Nolan sees us.
"West and Chen reporting for duty." Lucy said while I waved walking to the kitchen to steal a glass for water.
"Guys, this is very sweet, but honestly, it's unnecessary."
"You'd do the same for us."
Jackson all ready and hyped up started to plan. "So, how do you want to do this? Personally, I'd go with alternating two-hour shifts with a static position plus a rover. Oh, and I have earpieces and walkies, just so we can keep in constant contact." Jackson said while digging into his backpack.
We shared looks before looking at Jackson. Lucy then asked Nolan while I went to the couch.
"You got anything sweet?"
"Yeah, I think there's some ice cream."
"Wait, guys. Guys! Look, come on. We need to stay focused." Jackson said while following Lucy and Nolan.
The next morning we were sitting outside of Nolan's house drinking coffee.
"You know, the whole point of guard duty is that we take turns being up so everyone gets some sleep." Jackson complained to us.
"I did don't know what yall are complaining about Jackson."
"Yeah. You could've left at any time."
"Yep. No one would've given you grief."
"Yeah, right." Jackson said looking doubtful at Lucy's statement.
I check the time before getting up heading to the kitchen when Lucy spoke again.
"Ohh. We got to get to the station. Our shift starts soon."
"I should go in."
"What - To work?"
"Absolutely not. You're safest right here. We'll manage without you for a few weeks at work. Right Elena she should stay home and not go in."
I shook my head. "I can't decide for him, while I don't want to him to get hurt I rather him go in so he doesn't do something stupid but that is me Nolan is grown he can decide."
"What if it's longer than that? My training would be put on hold, I'd stay a rookie while you guys moved up. We'd be separated." Nolan said worried answering Lucy.
"That's never gonna happen. This, uh - This will all be over soon." Jackson said after pausing for a minute letting what Nolan said sink in.
"Yeah." Lucy said agreeing with Jackson.
"And if it's not?"
"Then it's good you have a pool." Lucy said trying to cheer him up.
We were leaving I stopped waiting for the other two to be out of ear shot. Then look at Nolan.
"Look it is entirely up to you for what you decide but this will probably not be the only time you are under threat." I said hugging him before turning around to leave.
We got to the station and were sitting in the briefing room listening to Grey and Andersen.
"All right. Everyone, settle down. Captain."
"Thank you for coming in, most of you on your day off. Till this is resolved, all overtime limits have been lifted."
"As you may know, Southern Front originated as a white supremacist prison gang about 15 years ago. Since then, they have branched out in a big way." Grey started explaining to us.
"Drugs, prostitution, extortion. But what sets them apart is their access to military weapons." Andersen added.
"Their leader, the so-called "King Midas," is currently serving three consecutive life sentences. His son, Cole, he controls the day-to-day operations on the street. But make no mistake, his father is pulling the strings."
"Lifting the greenlight would be a huge loss of face for Cole, so he's not gonna do it willingly." Andersen explained.
"So, we gotta make this a business decision. We put a big enough hurt on their operation, they'll lift the greenlight." Grey added her reponse giving reason why we listed out everything about what they do.
Andersen was about to start speaking when she spotted Nolan hesitantly walk into the briefing room in uniform. "Sorry I'm late."
As he walked to the seat Tim stood up giving a nod of approval followed by other officers standing and applauding from the other cops.
"Yesterday, Southern Front tried to kill one of our own. Today, we hit back." Andersen finished.
We had on a plate vest and were packing the shop up closing the trunk when we noticed Bishop's look.
"What?"
"Nothing." Bishop paused before saying what's actually on her mind. "Look, everyone else sees this big hero move, but I see your ego getting in the way of you doing the smart thing."
"Look. If you don't want to ride with me -"
"It's not about my safety. It's about yours. You're risking your life to prove a point." Bishop said before Andersen walked in, in her patrol uniform.
"Seems worth it to me if you're making the right point. But there's no sense in taking a needless risk, which is why Officer Nolan will be staying far away from anything Southern-Front-related. And I'll be riding with him.
"Whether I agree with his decision or not, he's my rookie."
"And I'll take good care of him."
"Yes, ma'am." Bishop said after pausing for a couple seconds before walking away. I hopped in the back while Nolan opened the passenger side for the Captain.
"Riding with the captain. And I thought being greenlit was scary."
"I drive." Andersen said seeing Nolan holding the door for her.
"Of course." Nolan said before preceding to start getting into the shop forgetting to hand over the keys.
"Officer Nolan. Keys." Andersen said while holding out her hand.
"Ah, yes." Nolan said digging them out of his pocket before handing them over and asking a question.
"How exactly are we hurting Midas' operation?"
"By attacking Southern Front where they make all their money: the three Ts. Drug trafficking.
Weapons trafficking. And sex trafficking."
We were in the shop patrolling a route that did not cross over into SF territory when we got dispatched to a call.
"7-Adam-15, possible 459 in progress, 1936 Kristol Lane."
"7-Adam-15, show us responding." Nolan answered before turning to Andersen.
"I hate this. Feels like everyone's fighting my battle for me."
"City still needs policing." Before she could continue we saw a van coming from the rear getting on the passenger side and paced us for a bit causing us to unholster our weapons and meet their eyes and hold the eye contact for a good couple of seconds before they sped off.
"Ah, that was -" Nolan said sighing in relief while we holstered our guns
" Exhilarating." Andersen added to end his sentence.
"I was gonna say "terrifying." Guess I better get used to that."
"You know, when I was first stationed in Baghdad, I used to get these headaches. Took me a few days to realize it was 'cause my eyes kept darting around, looking for trouble. That's what it is. I didn't stop looking, but it does stop hurting."
"7-Adam-15, go to channel 2 for Sergeant Grey." Dispatch called us to another channel.
"Copy. Andersen."
"It worked. Midas forced Cole to lift the greenlight." Grey shared over the radio
"I guess you are back to being just another rookie." Andersen said happy
"Thank God."
"Thank you, Sergeant."
"My pleasure."
"So, does that mean this little "Odd Couple" partnership is over?" Nolan asked after we switched back to another channel.
"Hell no! We got a burglary call to take."
We got to the house that the caller listened
"7-Adam-15, show us Code 6 on the burglary call."
"I doubt he will listen, what child ever listens to a parent completely and all the time I think we should call for back up to be careful." I said still looking around.
We were walking up to the house when we saw the front door open.
"Be advised, we have an open door. Going in to clear." Andersen radioed in.
We entered clearing room to room we find a Boom box playing very loud after clearing the house we start back to the front door when we hear a ping and a thud realizing what it is Andersen yells out getting off two words before the flashbang goes off.
"Nolan! Cover -"
While we were trying to clear our sight someone comes up from the side hitting me with the end of a gun knocking me out.
When I awaken I hear Andersen and Cole talking
"But two bars? Oh, for crying out loud. And a badge that says "Captain"? You've just crossed a line that anybody with half a brain would run screaming from. A line that even your father might whack you for crossing. Understood? So, let me tell you how this is gonna go. You and your little goonies are gonna -" She was talking only to get interrupted by Cole when he hit her with the prod again.
While this was happening I started to slowly work my hand free from the cuffs dislocating my thumb and slipping out while Cole was yelling at Nolan holding the cuff with my hand that still had a cuff I waited.
"Hey! Cole! No! Hurt me! Right? I'm the one you wanna hurt, right? Killing me, that's trouble you can handle, okay? But not her. You need to let her go." Nolan yelled at Cole as he shocked her with a cattle prod.
"Do you think I'm dumb, too?" Cole questioned he asked Nolan after he finished shocking Andersen.
"No."
When suddenly Cole kicks Andersen backward.
"NO!
"No! No! No!" I heard Nolan yell as he was fighting the cuffs.
"f the line's already been crossed, then there's no going back. Which means neither of you are walking out of here. As long as your bodies never turn up, the murder can't be pinned on me."
"No, you're wrong." Nolan said again we I heard Andersen struggling in the water
"And Southern Front'll weather the storm."
"It's gonna be so much worse. You need to get her out of there now. Hey, listen. What about this? What if I - What if I made a video? I'll apologize to Astrid. You just have to let her up." Nolan tried to explain.
"I already told you that it's not gonna work, man. It's done."
"Hey, think about it. Me, like this, you standing over me? Come on, she'll eat it up. You'll get laid for weeks."
"Okay, yeah."
"Okay. Just get her out first. Right now."
"No, you got to make the video first. Come on!" Cole said before calling one of his henchmen to start recording them.
"Yeah, here. You recording? Hey, baby girl, this is for you!"
"Astrid, I apologize. I should not have laid my hands on you. You deserved more respect than that. I am sorry." Nolan said to the camera before looking at Cole "Can we please let her up now?"
"Nah, you got to do it again. You got to put some feeling into it. I didn't believe that."
"Come on, man!"
"I didn't believe you! Do it again!"
"No!"
"Do another take right now! Say it with feeling!" Right before they could record another video Andersen is able to get out of the water enough to grab one of the henchmen pulling him into the pool. When I heard that I jump up grabbing one of the men closer to me pulling his gun from his waist band and hitting him in the back of the head knocking him out and dropping him to the floor and started to shoot at Cole and his henchmen getting joined by Andersen who was shooting from the pool I had to stop realizing that the gun ran out and feeling my backup in my hidden holster I dropped the one I grabbed pulling out my spare and firing again walk over while firing grabbing Andersen out of the pool and we passed Nolan with me covering while Andersen unlocked him while I was shooting at Cole and his last 2 men I felt it slamming into my arm almost knocking me over from the pain and shock of realizing I got shot in the arm. She was able to get Nolan up and we made it to the back behind cover hiding while Nolan called for help and Andersen started help me get my body armor off and my uniform while I pulled a tourniquet out and started to apply it while Andersen packed the wound before covering me.
After what felt like forever Grey and every cop close to us showed up to help clearing the building and taking us to the hospital.
All three of us got checked out Nolan and Andersen got checked out immediately with some bed rest and time while I had to go and check a through check over to confirm that the bullet went through me and was only a flesh injury. I got given orders for rest and put into off duty for a couple of weeks.
Grey and Andersen were able to find Cole stopping him on a road him and Astrid were on trying to leave LA and I got to be there for when Andersen and Nolan put on the cuffs.
We decided after shift to stop by and hang at Nolan's house to enjoy some drinks but got micro managed by Jackson and Lucy stopping me from drinking anything alcoholic and seeing how I was down to only my dominate hand didn't help my case either.