SERENITY: A Path Home (Beauty 0f Life Book 6)

by Laura Acton

  “Copy,” Bram and Ray said in unison and moved off.

  Nick rubbed his hands together and glanced up at the sky. The forecast called for heavy rain or sleet again. This winter was predicted to be one of the coldest on record. He hoped they could resolve this call swiftly. He entered the truck as Jon headed to the house with a shield.

  Nick asked, “Dan, do you see the fifth subject?”

  1212 North Pear Drive – Backyard

  Dan moved the scope to scan again. “Just entering the room. A younger female. She’s carrying a cup and going towards Mrs. Partridge. She handed the cup to her. The woman pulled out a bag too.” Adjusting the sight, Dan zeroed in on the bag. “The subject gave Mrs. Partridge cough drops.”

  “Thanks, that might help.” Nick let the information mull in his head. He was glad of Dan’s intel and got the feeling this might end peacefully.

  Dan settled in to wait. He scanned the storm clouds hoping the rain held off. He had no desire to get soaking wet today after yesterday’s drenching.

  1212 North Pear Drive – Command Truck

  Loki and Lexa worked to find information on the five subjects. Loki had tapped into the security system. Unfortunately, all but one camera was inoperable, and it wasn’t the one in the family room. The motion detector camera which took images every ten seconds caught the subjects in the kitchen. Loki sent Lexa pictures of all five, and she started running facial recognition.

  Lexa turned to Nick when she got a hit. “Cory Partridge? Boss, that is Mrs. Partridge’s son.”

  “Tell me about him. Why is he in the system?” Nick peered over Lexa’s shoulder at the picture of the young man.

  Lexa scanned the details. “He’s twenty. Cory was arrested six months ago for cocaine possession and charged with intent to sell as well. The judge gave him probation as a first offender when he gave up his dealer in a plea agreement and then sent him to a drug rehabilitation program.”

  Jon said, “Apparently the program didn’t work. Must’ve thought his parent’s house would be an easy mark to supply his habit.”

  Two more subject’s details popped up. Loki quickly read the information. “Boss, two more identified. Tatum Rebhuhn and Miguel Perdriz were sent to the rehabilitation center at the same time as Cory.”

  Nick instructed, “Send Dan the photos with names. Dan, tune into channel two and try to determine which two are arguing about harming Mrs. Partridge.”

  1212 North Pear Drive

  Ray said to Bram, “I hope it isn’t Cory. Man, that would be terrible.”

  Bram nodded as he glanced at Dan in the tree. He must be cold.

  Dan reached into his vest for his phone as the rain started. Crap, the storm just couldn’t hold off! He studied the pictures and names then put his phone back into his pocket. Dan switched channels then peered through his scope as he listened to the argument which raged. It took a moment before he discerned who was who.

  Switching back to channel one, Dan said, “Miguel Perdix appears to be the one in charge. He and another male subject are the ones who want to kill Mrs. Partridge. Cory and one of the female subjects are arguing against it. Tatum is the one who brought the drink and cough drops.”

  Witnessing a brewing altercation, Dan added, “Boss, things are heating up in there. Cory and Miguel are getting physical, pushing one another.” Dan adjusted his grip on a limb to steady himself better with the onslaught of the freezing rain. Falling is one embarrassment I want to avoid.

  “Copy, Dan,” Nick shifted, wanting more information but knowing that he needed to make contact before the situation escalated.

  Under the portico at the front door, Jon tightened his hold on the shield as he noted the rain coming down. The cold weather and freezing rain today could put Dan at risk for bronchitis again or maybe worse, pneumonia. Damn, I should’ve taken Zulu One. “Dano, how are you holding up?”

  “Okay,” Dan retorted. Jon should be focusing on the job and not me. In debrief, I’ll let Jon know how I feel about this. My lungs are fucking great! They don’t need to be a distraction on a call.

  Dan observed the subjects and noted a change. “The pushing stopped, but Miguel is pacing and looks volatile. He keeps pointing at Mrs. Partridge. Tatum has positioned herself in front of the homeowner. Cory is slowly backing up towards Tatum and the other female subject. They are creating a protective wall around the hostage.”

  “I’m gonna position Bram, Ray, and me at the door to the room containing all the subjects,” Jon said. They needed to be close in case the situation deteriorated.

  Nick said, “Alright, Jon. Go in but hold. I want to see if we can discover a little more information before I call.”

  “Copy,” Jon said as he cautiously opened the front door. “Ray, Bram, in quiet and slow. I’ll meet you at the bottom of the stairs, and we go up together.”

  Bram responded for him and Ray, “Copy.” They moved into the house, both happy to be out of the cold weather.

  Dan’s voice came across the headset. They all heard the shiver in it as Dan reported, “Aw man, Miguel just pulled a gun out of his jacket. It’s currently pointed at the floor but …”

  1212 North Pear Drive – Command Truck

  Lexa contacted the rehab center. After being shuffled around to a few people, she finally reached the director of the center. He began to give her some details on Miguel, Cory, and Tatum after she explained the situation.

  Nick looked at Loki. “Can’t wait any longer. Place the call.”

  Loki called the home number, but it only rang, no one answered. Loki tried several times to no avail. Dan continued to provide updates on movement in the room. Miguel maintained the weapon in a non-threatening position.

  After five minutes Loki called again. He tried twice more then said, “Boss, I have an idea. The monitoring system we are listening to them on is two-way. I can patch your phone into it, and you can talk to them that way.”

  “Do it.” Nick handed his phone to Loki.

  Loki’s fingers flew as he set it up. “Done. Just hit unmute when you are ready.”

  Nick nodded taking the phone. “Jon, I’m coming to you with Loki.” He noted Lexa was still speaking with the rehabilitation program. She would feed him any pertinent info she found.

  Lexa hung up as Nick and Loki opened the door to leave. “Boss.”

  Nick stopped and turned. “What did you find out?”

  “The director said Miguel was kicked out two weeks ago for a policy violation. He brought drugs on the premises after a visit home. Cory and Tatum got caught doing drugs with Miguel but weren’t expelled because they didn’t bring in the drugs. He also said both Tatum and Cory are on a short release to visit family for the holidays. Both were doing well in the program until the incident.”

  “When were they released for a visit?”

  “Yesterday afternoon,” Lexa answered.

  “Then it’s unlikely they took part in the other thefts,” Nick surmised.

  Lexa nodded in agreement, “Sounds like Miguel and the two unidentified subjects are responsible for those robberies. Perhaps Miguel knew where Cory lived and thought it might be an easy score or wanted to talk him into joining them.”

  Nick stepped out of the command truck with Loki and noted that while they were in the truck, the weather changed significantly. The heavy freezing rain came down with force. They carefully hurried to the house and entered the downstairs. “Jon, we are coming up,” Nick said as he rubbed his chilly hands.

  “Copy,” Jon replied quietly.

  1212 North Pear Drive – Second Floor

  As Nick reached the landing of the second floor, he stood behind Loki who held a shield. He pressed unmute on his phone. “This is Nick Pastore with the Tactical Response Force. We have been trying to call the house, but no one is picking up. We would like talk and resolve this, so everyone goes home safe today.”

  Miguel looked around the room. “Where the hell is that coming from?”

  Cory blurted out
, “Miguel and Hugh want to kill my mom. You need to get in here. Miguel has a gun.”

  Nick said, “Cory, we will not be barging in, let’s just take this slow. Miguel, can you tell me what you need? I’d like to help.”

  Miguel demanded from Cory, “How is he talking to us?”

  “The security system. I activated it when you threatened my mom. I don’t want to be around you. I’m done with drugs. So is Tatum. You should’ve left when I told you to.”

  The team all thought good for you Cory, turning your life around. There is hope for you.

  Nick tried to engage Miguel again. “Miguel, please put the weapon down. We don’t want anyone hurt accidentally. Let’s end this peacefully.”

  Miguel waved the pistol at Cory.

  Dan was freezing, but he didn’t need that to distract the team. Trying to keep the chattering sound from his voice, Dan informed them, “Gun up and pointed towards Cory but he is waving it around.”

  Hugh gaped at Miguel. “Whoa man, don’t shoot Cory. Dude this is not worth it now. We only wanted some quick cash so we could get high. This just got real with the TRF here.”

  Frustrated at the turn of events, Miguel shouted, “I have hostages. You need to meet my demands, or I’m gonna start shooting.”

  “What is it that you want?” Nick asked.

  Striding back and forth but keeping the gun trained on Cory, Miguel tried to think. He wasn’t prepared to go down this route. Demands, what do I want? Dammit, this should’ve been easy. His hands shook needing his next fix. “First I need some coke. You get me coke and then we can talk.”

  Nick shook his head. No way would he be giving the subject drugs. He began negotiations with the subject noting that Miguel seemed confused and unsure. The young man was winging this, and he hoped to make a connection and resolve this with no one harmed.

  Tatum sat down near Mrs. Partridge as Miguel continued to talk with the cops.

  When Miguel began focusing more on the cop than his mom, Cory moved to her side. “Mom, I’m sorry.”

  Mrs. Partridge coughed several times before she responded. “Cory, I’m glad you are making the necessary changes. You have so much promise, and your life can be full without drugs.”

  Frozen Sniper in A Pear Tree

  4

  December 12

  1212 North Pear Drive – Backyard

  Dan clenched his jaw long ago to stop his teeth from chattering as he shivered. He so wanted this to end without having to take a shot but also quickly because the weather turned bitterly cold, the wind picked up, and freezing rain poured down harder. Dan held still in his position, poised for lethal action if required, even as icicles formed on the branches, his rifle, and his clothing when the rain froze as it made contact. The temperature felt like subzero, but Dan knew that below freezing he would have snow coating him, and he’d be warmer.

  1212 North Pear Drive – Second Floor

  Nick briskly rubbed his face. He made no progress with Miguel. It was clear now he was dealing with someone in need of a fix. The erratic behavior and outlandish demands keyed him into the mind of Miguel. So did the data Lexa fed him as she researched the young man’s history.

  Time dragged on for Tatum as she noted twenty minutes had passed since the TRF guy started talking. She wished Miguel would give up already.

  Miguel became antsier as the need for drugs increased. The cop wouldn’t give him what he wanted. He shouted, “Give me coke now, or I start shooting.” He raised the weapon unsteadily towards Cory. “This is all your fault the cops are here. If only you came with me, now I’m gonna kill you for this.”

  Cory’s eyes widened. So much for a full life. His short life flashed before his eyes. Remorse filled him for all he put his family through.

  Tatum glanced out the window and was surprised by what she saw. “Miguel, you better drop the pistol, or that sniper is gonna shoot you.”

  Miguel whipped his head in the direction Tatum stared in the backyard. “Sniper? Where?”

  She pointed. “Can’t you see the sniper in the pear tree?”

  Miguel spotted the ice-laden constable high up in a tree with a rifle pointed in his direction. Fear roiled up in him. He started to lower his gun, not about to mess with a sniper who would stay out in this weather. That cop must be friggin’ crazy to be outside. Miguel laid his pistol on the coffee table. “Don’t shoot. I put the gun down. Tell him I set my weapon down.”

  Dan called out in a shivering voice, “Gun is on a table. Miguel is backing away from it with his hands up.”

  Jon, Bram, Loki, Nick, and Ray rushed into the room. They took the three actual subjects into custody and cuffed them.

  Mrs. Partridge hugged Cory and told him how proud she was of him and how bravely he behaved. Cory apologized again to his mom that Miguel showed up and insisted he wanted no part of drugs anymore.

  Tatum stayed in the chair and quietly watched the cop outside as the police handcuffed Miguel and his two cronies. She turned to the dark-haired officer who cuffed Alicia and said, “So when does the sniper get to climb down? It’s gotta be freezing up in the tree.”

  Shocked to have forgotten about Dan being outside, Loki turned and peered out the window. Holy smokes, he must be a popsicle by now. His body and face mask are covered in ice. “Hey, Dan, you okay?”

  Dan endeavored to break the hold the ice had on him. One gloved hand was ice welded to his gun. His arms and legs were so stiff and cold, making moving near impossible. If that wasn’t bad enough, the freezing rain stuck his back solidly to the trunk of the damned tree. He struggled to move his feet, but they remained locked to the branches encased in a thick layer of ice. Dan realized he was not getting down by himself.

  Resigned to that fact, his voice shook with cold, “I co … uld use a lit … tle hel …p here. I’m fro … zen to the da … mned pear … tree.”

  Inside the command truck, Lexa felt instant regret. My God, Dan is still out there! How long has he been outside in that storm? Lexa grabbed a bag containing rappelling gear and hustled out. “On my way, Dan.”

  Jon’s head shot to the window. Dammit! I should have swapped Lexa out with Dan. If he becomes ill, it will be all my fault.

  Nick glanced at Jon noting the concern which mirrored his worry for Dan. “Go. Loki, you too.”

  Loki and Jon raced out of the house. Bram, Ray, and Nick herded the three subjects downstairs to await pickup by the uniformed officers. Mrs. Partridge, Cory, and Tatum stood at the huge window watching as a petite officer raced toward the sniper in the backyard.

  1212 North Pear Drive – Backyard

  Slipping on the slick, icy ground rushing to Dan, Loki took a spill. Jon stopped long enough to help Loki up before running again.

  Lexa skidded to a halt by the tree right before Jon and Loki arrived. She looked up and realized how frozen Dan was to the tree. She began to gear up. “We’ll have you down in a moment, Dan.”

  Dan grumbled in a shivery voice, “They ne…ver covered this … in advan …ced marks…man … ship in arc …tic con … ditions train … ing.”

  Jon chuckled. “Not often a sniper gets frozen to a pear tree.”

  Dan gave Jon the evil eye for laughing at his predicament, but he admitted, reluctantly and only to himself, it was damned funny.

  Lexa cautiously climbed up, worried her added weight, and that of the ice might topple it over or break off the branches. When she reached Dan, she tried to free him with her hands. Drenched and shivering in very short order, Lexa called down, “No go. I need an ice pick or something to chisel it away.”

  Loki sprinted to the SUV to find something, sliding and taking another spill on the slippery ground, but glad to be moving in the freezing weather. A few choice words slipped out as he assured the team he was okay. Reaching the vehicles, he rummaged around and grabbed the tire iron after not finding anything else suitable. By the time Loki got back, icicles were forming on both Lexa and Jon.

  Jon took the bar and ascended only eno
ugh to hand it to Lexa. He could go no further because this tree couldn’t bear their combined weight.

  Dan shuddered as he gazed at Lexa. As she pulled back the iron preparing to whack the branch to dislodge the ice trapping him, his voice shook with cold as Dan half teased, “Don’t mi … ss.”

  Lexa made eye contact before she responded with Dan’s tried and true response, “I never miss.” She hit the bough near one of his feet hard, sending shards of ice falling. The guys covered their heads just in time as the icicles crashed down under the tree.

  Several more whacks and Lexa had broken the ice’s hold on Dan. He was so frigid and stiff that Lexa needed to help steady him as they descended. When they reached Jon, he took over and helped Dan the rest of the way down.

  When they finally made it to the ground, Bram, Ray, and Nick had joined Loki ready to lend a hand.

  Bram stepped close and put his arm around Dan’s waist. “Let’s get you someplace warm.”

  Dan shivered out, “Co … py … th … at.”

  Lexa jumped down, slipping on the ice as Loki and Jon reached out to stop her from falling.

  Bram assisted Dan to the SUV which he started before joining the others. He had turned the heat on full blast to warm the interior knowing Dan was freezing. Bram removed Dan’s ice-laden jacket, and Ray put a blanket over his shoulders before Dan got in the front seat. Bram closed the door.

  Dan stripped off his mask and gloves, dropping them to the floor. He held out his frozen hands to the vent as he shivered.

  Nick got into the driver’s seat and studied Dan for a long moment. “Should you be checked out by EMS?”

  Dan shook his head. “Ju…st a bit c…old. Wa…rming up … now.” At Boss’ raised brows, Dan said, “Re…ally, B… boss. I’m g… good.”

  Leveling his gaze at Dan, Nick said, “Alright, but I’m giving you a ride home tonight and will pick you up tomorrow morning. No debate.”

  Dan inclined his head in agreement. His bike was probably covered in a thick layer of ice anyway. As Dan leaned forward, close to the warm air vents, the rest of the team got in the other vehicles and they left for headquarters at a slow pace on the treacherous icy road.