Another silence, followed by the sounds of him calling out to someone, telling them to come to his office at once. “And?”
“It’s bad, sir. She might not make it.”
“Are you calling in the unit, Master Guns?”
She didn’t answer right away. Part of her wanted to do just that. The “unit” was much more than that. It was a company of Marines ostensibly “on loan” to Homeland Security but that was actually a part of a deep cover security element, tasked with not only policing shapeshifters but with also making sure the public didn’t become aware of their existence before the government and shifters at-large were ready. It was comprised of Pures and normals, including not only Jael but Mac as well.
“Not yet, sir, but place the captain’s squad as well as her cousin’s on standby. I will keep you updated on her condition.”
“All right.” There was a murmur of voices before he said anything else. “I expect you and Norwood to determine ASAP if this is anything we need to worry about.”
“Understood, sir.”
She frowned at the thought of Nate Norwood, shapeshifter and a detective assigned to Homicide. When they’d spoken the night before, he told her he would meet her at Mac’s that morning. He had additional information about the trial Mac wanted to review. So where the hell was he?
“Jael, let me know if she needs anything, no matter what,” Flynn continued. “Same goes for the family.”
“I will, sir.”
A knock sounded at the door. A moment later, Chelsea peeked in. “Mom, the nurse just came out and said they’d be talking with Uncle Jackson soon.”
“I’ll be right there.” She tried to smile and knew she failed. “I need to go, sir. I’ll be in touch.” She ended the call and slid the phone into her pocket. As she did, she glanced down and frowned. She needed a change of clothes. Mac’s blood stained her uniform pants and tee shirt. Jackson didn’t need to see that. Hell, none of them did.
“Press is starting to arrive,” Chelsea said as her mother stepped into the corridor.
“Thanks. Get back to Jackson and stay with him. Let me know if you need me.”
Chelsea nodded and turned to do as she said. Then she turned back, frowning. “Mom, you need your go bag.”
Unfortunately, she didn’t have it with her. Maybe one of the nurses could get her a pair of scrubs to change into. Then she remembered the spare go bags in the back of Mac’s SUV. They’d taken to keeping a bag for both of them in the vehicle the last few months. Telling Chelsea to go on, she sent a quick text to Kaplan, asking him to bring her the bag and explaining why.
Five minutes later, Jael once again exited the ladies’ room. As she did, she pulled her badge on its chain over her head. Dressed now in a pair of black cargo pants and a DPD golf shirt, she looked around. Kaplan stepped up, reaching for the duffle she carried, telling her he’d stow it in his patrol unit. As he did, she nodded in thanks.
“Report?”
“Media’s outside. Brass is about five minutes out, depending on traffic.”
“Then let’s get started.”
The next few minutes blurred as Jael worked. She spoke with hospital security, making sure they understood no one, and certainly not the press, was to get near Jackson. Then she spoke with those officers already present. No one was to make a statement without first clearing it with the Public Information Officer and the brass. She wanted a second perimeter set up outside the ER, this one pushing the media and onlookers back even further. Guards were to be posted on all the inside entrances to ER. Fortunately, or unfortunately, for all involved, the hospital was well-versed with how to respond. They had seen too many cops and firefighters come through their doors. But that was the life of a first responder, something they each accepted when they swore to serve and protect.
Until relieved, hospital security was to station someone outside of Mac’s treatment room. They would go up to OR with her as well. Full security measures were to be in place until more DPD officers were on-scene to take their places or her orders were countermanded by DPD brass.
There was one more duty she needed to do, one she prayed Jackson understood.
“Jackson.” She sat on her heels in front of him, waiting until he looked at her. “We’re going to need to get a statement from you soon, more than what you’ve already given me.”
For a moment, he stared at her, as though he didn’t understand what she said. Then he nodded.
“I know Pat and Culver will do all they can to keep the investigation in-house. But you need to be prepared. Mac’s a cop and a well-known one. That means the media is going to do all they can to find out what happened. They are going to try to get to you and other members of the family. There will be speculation about what happened and why, some of it unflattering.
“More than that, IAB’s going to try to push their way into the investigation. That means they will try to get to you and the rest of the family. If they manage to get past our people, you are to say nothing to them. You aren’t to go anywhere with them. In fact, all you are to do is tell them to talk to your attorney. Then you make two calls. The first is to Chief Culver. Then you call your attorney. Do you understand?”
He nodded again. She smiled and patted his hand. Then she stood and stepped away. She was walking a fine line, but her loyalty lay with Mac, Jackson, the pride and DPD. It did not lie with the weasels of IAB.
“I’ll make sure he does as you say, Mom,” Chelsea said softly as she followed Jael out of the small room off the main waiting room.
“Thanks, Chel.” She gave her daughter a hug. Then she looked back at Brandon where he sat next to Jackson. She nodded to her son. When this was over, she’d make sure both he and Chelsea understood how proud she was of them. “Text me if you need me, Chel.”
“I will, Mom.”
Jael watched as the seventeen-year-old returned to Jackson’s side and reached for the man’s hand. Satisfied her children would send for her when necessary, she walked away from the office and once again pulled out her phone.
“John, it’s me,” she said the moment John O’Hara answered her call.
“Mac?”
“No change. We should hear something soon.” She wished she could tell him more.
“You’re not trying to protect the rest of us, are you??”
She understood why he asked. Part of her duty, and his as well, was to protect them. That didn’t always mean protecting them from discovery. “I’m not,” she assured him. “Last I heard, they’ll be out to talk to Jackson soon. I assume they’re prepping her for surgery. But I need Dillon here for Jackson. Mac’s been a thorn in the IAB CO’s side for a long time. Because of that, they’re going to be all over this unless we find a way to shut them down. I want to make sure Jackson isn’t forced to leave the hospital, at least not until we know how Mac’s doing.”
“I’ll make sure Dillon understands. I’ll also call Callie.”
Jael chuckled softly. Callie Tamlin was a pit bull of an attorney, something no one expected when looking at her. Petite, elfin-featured, she looked delicate, almost fragile. But beneath that exterior beat the heart of a warrior and one of the toughest criminal attorneys Jael knew. If anyone could keep Wysocki and her rat squad away from Jackson, it was she.
“Thanks. I’ll be in touch.”
“You keep your temper in check, Jael, and try not to worry.” He paused and Jael heard someone in the background say something. “Moira says she’ll be leaving in a few minutes. Make sure the guards know to let her through.”
“I will and thanks.” She ended the call as the doors leading outside slide open.
She turned in time to see hospital security step forward, stopping a woman before she could enter. The blonde’s eyes flashed dangerously as she all but shoved her badge in the security guard’s face. Then she stood straight, shoulders squared. In that moment, Lt. Patricia King looked taller than her 5’7”. Pat didn’t wait for the guard, who outweighed her by at least fifty pounds,
to clear her through. She shouldered past him and strode across the waiting room to where Jael stood. As she did, Officer Murray spoke softly with the security guard. A moment later, she and Marie Duncan joined the others waiting for news.
“Anything?” Pat asked softly, her concern clear.
Jael glanced around the room, suddenly aware it was filled with cops, some in uniforms and others in soft clothes. Their expressions grim, they waited for her to respond. Before she could, one of them stepped up to the hospital security guards and suggested they take up position outside. This was for them. Until they knew how their captain was, no one else needed to be there.
“Last I heard, they were prepping to take her up to OR.”
“Jackson?”
“In there.” She nodded to the private waiting room. “Chelsea and Brandon with him. They were with me when I got to Mac’s this morning.”
“Her mother and grandmother?”
“Not yet notified, unless you took care of it.”
Pat shook her head. Then she closed her eyes for a moment and Jael knew she was considering her options. “Make sure that happens now. I’ll take care of things here. Then I’ll check on Jackson. The brass is right behind me. Culver said he’d be here as soon as his driver arrived.”
“Understood.”
“Jael, do you have anything that might help us find the bastard who shot her?”
She shook her head. “Not really. She was unconscious by the time Jackson got to her.” Once again, she wished she had gotten to Mac’s house a few minutes earlier. “Everyone agrees the shooter fled in the white van I told you about. It caught my eye because it was driving like the dogs of Hell were after it. Hell, LT, it almost hit my car. I didn’t see any plates. Windows tinted dark enough I couldn’t see the driver. There was damage to the rear quarter panel.” She closed her eyes and pictured the van, doing her best to remember every detail. “American made, maybe Dodge or Chrysler. It wasn’t this year’s model but no more than a couple of years old. Nothing else, sorry.”
“Don’t be. That’s more than we had before.” Pat rested a hand on her arm. “Mac?”
Jael glanced around and led Pat further from those waiting for news. “She regained consciousness once before we left the house. She didn’t say much. Said the shooter was male. She couldn’t remember anything else. She also said she wanted to shift, needed to shift. That’s one of the reasons we didn’t wait for the EMTs. I needed Jackson able to control her if her jaguar took control and I wanted to get her here, with our own doctors, before anything else happened.”
Pat’s mouth firmed and she nodded. “You did the right thing.” She looked around again. “I’m going to check on Jackson. We should have enough people onsite now to take over for hospital security. Get them set up and send our people to make the notifications.”
“Do you want me back at her house?”
“Not yet. Tanaka has the case, for the moment at least. Sears and Nguyen are on their way here to talk with Jackson. Let’s get her mother and grandmother here and then we’ll figure out what our next step should be.” Pat glanced around and then frowned. “Where’s Norwood? I expected to find him here since he wasn’t in the bullpen when the call came in.”
“That’s a question I’d like answered as well.” Jael didn’t try to keep her concern, and her anger, from showing. “I haven’t heard a word from him.”
And that bothered her. There were few reasons he wouldn’t have heard the Officer Down call and none of them were good. Sooner rather than later, she needed to find out where he was and what the hell was going on.
Before anything more could be said, Jackson appeared. Seeing him. Pat nodded once to Jael and then hurried off. The moment she joined him, Jackson pulled her close. Jael watched for a moment, knowing the blonde would stay with the man until they knew more about Mac’s condition. Then she turned. She had her orders, orders that couldn’t wait. God, they might already be too late, considering the speed with which the media broke stories these days. Fortunately, the press was usually good about not releasing the name of cops wounded in the line of duty. But, if they were ever going to jump the gun, this would be the time.
“Marie,” Jael began as she moved to the woman’s side. “The LT’s given me my orders. Will you keep an eye on my kids until Moira gets here? They’re going home with her.”
“Of course.” The woman smiled but it didn’t touch her eyes. “The captain?”
“It’s bad.” She wouldn’t lie. “Dr. Patek is with her. He’s the best.”
Marie nodded. “Do what you need to, Sergeant. I’ll make sure your kids are all right.”
Jael thanked her and then moved to join the knot of cops waiting nearby.
“Sarge, what can we do?” Lara Hansen, one of Homicide’s night shift detectives, asked softly. She looked as worried as Jael felt.
“I want you and your partner to locate the captain’s mother. She should be at work, but she might already be in court. Track her down. Hell, hack the GPS in her car if you have to. But get her here as quickly as you can. Just keep the media away from her.” She didn’t need to say anything more. They knew how seriously their captain had been injured.
“After you’ve told her what happened, find out how she wants to handle the twins. If she wants us to send someone for them, we will. If she doesn’t want to wait that long, we’ll arrange for Austin PD to meet them and escort them to the airport. We’ll arrange their flight home once we know what she wants to do. Local PD will wait with them until the twins are on the plane. Bring Mrs. Wheeler here and then you two are to meet the twins when they arrive. Unless something breaks that needs your attention, you are with the family until the LT says differently.”
Hansen and Trevino nodded. Jael watched as they moved to where Jackson and Pat sat. They spoke softly to the man for a moment and then left. At least that much was taken care of. But there was one more notification that needed to be made and she would do that one herself.
A moment later, she once again knelt in front of Jackson. Smiling slightly, she rested a hand on one of his. When she did, he looked at her, his expression tense, his eyes dull. It broke her heart and she wished there was more she could do for him.
“Jackson, I’m going to go tell her grandmother and bring her here. Chelsea and Brandon will stay with you. Moira’s on her way. John’s contacting the rest of the family.” The slight emphasis she put on “family” caused him to swallow hard and then nod. He understood she meant the rest of the pride. Those local shapeshifters who looked to Mac and him for leadership and protection. “Who else do you want me to call?”
“Mateo,” he said hoarsely.
She nodded, unsurprised. She had already planned on calling Mac’s cousin. Lt. Colonel Mateo Santos, technically an active duty Marine but so much more, had resources the DPD didn’t. He wouldn’t hesitate to use every one of those resources to find out what happened and who was responsible for hurting his cousin.
“All right.” She glanced over her shoulder as the outer doors slid open. Seeing the two men who entered, she got to her feet. “LT.” She motioned in the newcomers’ direction.
The blonde nodded and told her to go. She’d handle the brass. More than glad to let her do just that, Jael slipped down an adjoining corridor. She wanted to exit the hospital well away from the reporters gathered outside. As she walked through the winding hospital corridors, she texted one of the uniforms assigned to CaP, telling him to meet her outside the Labor and Delivery entrance. Before doing anything else, she needed a ride to the station so she could get another vehicle. Then she’d go tell Ellen Santos about her granddaughter.
She’d give almost anything not to have to make that notification.
6
Pat stepped off the elevator and glanced at her watch. It wasn’t yet ten and she felt like she’d been on duty for days instead of less than three hours. Worse, she knew it would be many more hours before she could call it a day. For now, she steeled herself for what
she needed to do next.
From the moment she entered the station, cops watched her, their expressions serious, anger reflected in their eyes. Each of them knew one of their own had been ambushed in her own home. Mac had been her partner and they knew the captain was one of her closest friends. Now they wanted to know if Mac would survive. More than that, they wanted to know what they could do to help. No one, absolutely no one, shot a cop and got away with it.
As she paused outside the doors to Homicide, she drew a deep breath. She’d left Marie at the hospital with orders to call the moment she heard anything new about Mac’s condition. Their captain, their friend, was still in surgery and would be for at least another couple of hours. Pat had wanted to stay but she couldn’t. She had something else to do, something more important. She needed to make sure every effort was being made to find out who shot Mac and why.
Bracing herself, Pat pushed open the doors and stepped inside. Instantly, a hush fell over the bullpen. Detectives and uniformed officers turned to her, their expressions telling it all. They worried about their captain and they wanted blood.
Well, so did she.
She looked around, taking mental roll as she did. Almost every detective under her command, including those who had gone off-shift hours earlier, was there. So were the uniforms assigned to the squad. Most had been at the hospital until she’d told them to get to work, promising to return to the station shortly. The only exceptions were those currently at Mac’s house, not to mention those testifying in court. Those present had changed into either soft clothes or their daily uniforms. Remaining in their dress blues would be too much like holding a death watch and none of them wanted to admit they might lose another CO, and especially not Mac.
“Listen up.” She moved to the front of the bullpen. “Captain Santos is still in surgery and will be for a while. I’m not going to lie. It’s bad. The doctors don’t know if she’s going to make it.” She swallowed against the fear once again trying to claw its way out of her chest. There would be time for it later, after they found out why Mac had been shot. “Sergeant Lindsay is at the hospital with the family. So are Chief Culver and the Chief of Ds. They will let us know the captain’s status as soon as they know something.”
Nocturnal Revelations Page 5