by Laura Acton
Dan’s Apartment – 8:35 a.m.
Eyes flickering open, Dan sensed something different in his apartment. Rolling over, he scanned and saw nothing. Then it hit him. Coffee!
Dan inhaled, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled his olfactory sense. Why can I smell coffee? He listened, hearing no sounds out of the ordinary. He sat up and pushed off the bed, intent on finding the source of the odor.
As he made his way into his common room kitchen combination, his eyes landed on a new coffee maker sitting on his counter with a full pot of hot, black gold. He strode over quickly after glimpsing a piece of paper next to the machine. He picked up the refined stationery. The missive, written in a delicate script, filled Dan with warmth, awe, and most of all hope.
Dan,
Enjoyed our waltz. Hope you savor the real coffee. Have fun baking cookies with Bram’s girls today. See you later.
Merry Christmas,
Lexa
Dan broke into a huge grin. Now he possessed a coffee machine. Lexa was telling him she wanted to spend nights here with him. His heart soared as he reached for his coffee mug and poured a cup. His day couldn’t have started better. Well, not entirely accurate, Lexa being here would make it better.
As he took a sip, he realized with a great deal of bewilderment that Lexa slipped into his apartment and he slept right through it. This never would have happened in Kandahar. His mind settled. Perhaps I have changed more than I realized.
Fortified with his first cup of java, Dan moved to his fridge deciding to make an omelet. Not normally one for cooking, Mom had taught him to make the simple dish when he recuperated at home. He pulled out eggs, ham, cheese, and a green pepper then set to work.
Several minutes later, turning off the stove and sliding his omelet onto a plate, Dan’s mind ran through last night’s fun, after Settimo left. Last year he intentionally skipped the holiday party. He had spent that night by himself in his empty apartment feeling incredibly alone, missing Brody and the unit, and with suicidal thoughts. At the time he believed his unit brothers had abandoned him, but in reality, his brothers, and for that matter, his cousins, had no idea where he was and were actively searching for him.
He was no longer alone. Dan poured another mug of coffee then went to his swivel chair with his breakfast. As he sat down, balancing his plate on his thigh, he ate recalling the details. Lots of laughter, joking, singing, heck he even loosened up enough after a few beers to dance when dragged onto the floor.
No one drank in excess because they worked later today. Even though they didn’t consume much alcohol, he, Lexa, and Loki shared a taxi home last night. It was the responsible thing to do plus he wanted to make sure Settimo was not lurking around Lexa’ house.
With grace and minimal grumbling, Lexa agreed to let them check around the exterior and stay until she cleared the interior of her home. She must’ve taken a cab over sometime after he left. Did she knock and I didn’t hear? Man, she picked my lock. He chuckled. Damn, I’m slipping in my awareness.
As his mind recalled the ornament exchange, Dan felt the bulge in his pocket. He set the plate down on the table and reached into Jon’s jeans pocket and pulled out his ornament. He smiled as he gazed at it and stood to go hang the perfect bauble on his tree. He found out that Kellie wrote Family on the back with a paint pen. Bram said he was inspired by Dan’s story about his sixth Christmas and wanted Dan to know he had family here too.
This Christmas was shaping up to be as memorable. Today he would bake cookies with Bram’s girls, and on Tuesday, he would attend Kent’s concert. He actually looked forward to it regardless of Jon’s thoughts. Music had been a fundamental part of Brody, and Dan liked supporting Kent’s love of music. Jon’s oldest was fun to be around and he felt a bit like a big brother to Kent—a new concept for him since all his male cousins were older than him when he lived in Ottawa, and he was the youngest in the unit and the team.
This year was vastly different. Life could be so beautiful, just like Brody always told him. His phone rang interrupting his musings. “Hello.”
Bram stretched in the luxurious bed and said, “Morning, Dan. How about Kellie and I pick you up on our way home? Save you the cab fare. You can ride into work with me, too.”
“Sounds like a plan. Just call when you arrive, and I’ll pop down,” Dan responded.
“Probably be in about forty minutes.” Bram gazed at Kellie, pulling her to him and she settled her head on his shoulder gazing up at him with alluring eyes. It was not often it was only the two of them without the girls. He planned to make it a special morning. Bram amended, “Make that an hour.”
“Whenever is good for you,” Dan said and hung up after Bram mumbled a distracted bye. From the sounds of it, Bram and Kellie were about to enjoy a delightful morning without kids. Dan chuckled as he returned to his chair, sipped his real coffee, leaned back, and stared at his Christmas tree.
Bram’s Home – 10:30 a.m.
Giggles rang through the home from the kitchen. Bram sat at the table and watched his girls interacting with Dan as they put red and green sprinkles on the sugar cookies and noted Sharlie managed to douse Dan with as much colored sugar as she put on the cookies. It made him smile.
Coming up behind Bram, Kellie slid her hands down his chest and lowered her lips near his ear to whisper. “Dan appears so happy this year.”
Bram turned and kissed her cheek. He whispered back, “Thank you for last year. I think that made all the difference to him.”
She kissed his lips lightly. “That was all you, dear. Your idea. An excellent one. I’m so glad he called you for help Christmas Eve.”
A new wave of giggles rang out along with Dan’s laughter and Bram returned his focus to the scene at the kitchen island. “I believe four little angels had a lot to do with it. Especially, Allie. Still, makes me grin when I recall finding her curled up asleep on Dan Christmas morning.”
As if Allie knew she was the object of her parent’s discussion, she loudly piped up asking, “Daddy, is Uncle Danny staying with us for Christmas?”
Bram kissed Kellie once more. He stood and strolled to the kitchen island where the cookie production was in progress. “No, sweetie. Dan is going to be spending it with his family.”
Allie pouted and crossed her arms. “We are Uncle Danny’s family.”
Dan grinned as he handed one-year-old Sharlie over to Kellie as she approached with outstretched arms. “You are, but what your dad meant is I’m going to visit my parents, my sister, all my cousins, and aunts and uncles. People I can’t often be with like I can be with you and your sisters.”
Leslie nodded and said, “Allie, you havta share Uncle Dan. He came to make cookies with us today.”
Allie still pouted, her frown growing and eyes sullen. “Don’t wanna share Prince Charming.”
Dan’s heart warmed.
Emilie said, “Stop pouting, Santa Claus is watching. You don’t want to be put on the bad girl list.”
Allie’s eyes popped open with worry. “But … I …”
Dan picked up Allie and hugged her. “You’re on Santa’s nice list. Don’t you worry one little bit about that! It’s okay to want someone you care about to be with you on Christmas. I want to be here with you too, but I haven’t spent Christmas with my family in a very long time. It would make my mom extremely happy for me to be there.”
Allie reached her small hand up, and her dainty fingers touched Dan’s face as tears started to pool in her eyes. She wanted Uncle Danny here. She didn’t want to share her prince.
Those eyes were tugging on Dan’s emotions. “Princess, I’ll be here with you,” he tenderly tapped his index finger on her heart, “right there.” He took hold of her hand and placed it on his own chest. “You’ll be with me in my heart too. When I eat one of the cookies we all made together, it will be like we are together, little one.”
Allie wiped at her eyes with her free hand. “Promise.”
Dan spoke in a soft voice, “
Pinky promise.” He held out his pinkie.
Not thoroughly convinced, Allie wrapped her pinkie around his and shook twice sealing their deal.
Wanting to dispel Allie’s maudlin mood, Dan turned up the brightness of his smile and with a cheery voice said, “I hung your ornaments on my Christmas tree. Want to see?”
Allie nodded as a small smile began to form on her face.
Dan shifted Allie in his arms and pulled out his phone. He pulled up a picture of his little tree he took this morning and showed it to Allie. “The first ornaments I put on were the magnificent ones you and your sisters made me last year.”
Allie took the phone and giggled. “Why is Uncle Loki covered in onion rings and yellow glittery stuff?”
Dan grinned at her tittering. “Um, he had a little accident, they fell on him.”
Emilie turned Dan’s phone, so she could look and added her laughter. “You and Aunt Lexa are on the top of the tree.”
Not wanting to be left out Leslie peered over Emilie’s shoulder. “I like the one with the little boy on Santa’s lap.” Her face became serious as she asked, “What did you ask Santa for, Uncle Dan?”
“Family.” Turning to Bram, Dan’s eyes lit. “He already gave me my gift.”
Bram acknowledged Dan with a slight nod and a smile of his own. “That’s because you are on his extra special good boy list.”
Dan chuckled.
Kellie beamed as she said, “Shall we put this batch in the oven. We still need to make snickerdoodles and oatmeal raisin walmut cookies.”
Dan nodded and set Allie down so she could scamper off to the pantry for the cinammammon sugar and walmuts. He glanced around the yellow kitchen and at the people who accepted and cared about him—family. A sense of calm, warmth, and love washed over him, seeping into the darker crevasses of his soul illuminating them. Dan desperately wanted to have this one day—to create a loving family with Lexa.
Abandoned Farm – 4:30 p.m.
Shortly after shift started today, they got a critical call on a bank robbery. They had chased five female subjects to a rural farm cornering them in the farmhouse, and after some negotiation, they surrendered. As five women exited with their hands raised, Dan maintained Zulu One on top of the command truck as Jon, Bram, Ray, Loki, and Lexa stepped forward to cuff them.
Suddenly one of the women bolted towards the old barn. As Bram gave chase, Dan slid off the truck roof and called out, “Got your back!” as he raced after Bram.
Pouring on the speed, Bram entered the barn right after the fleeing subject. In the dim interior of the dilapidated barn, Bram scanned and caught a glimpse of her climbing a ladder. “Going to the loft,” Bram informed the team.
Nick cautioned, “She may be armed, watch yourself.”
Dan skidded to a halt just inside the barn and noted Bram reached the hayloft. He aimed his MP5 at the subject. “I’ve got the solution.” Then he coughed. Dan had been coughing on and off all day. Likely to do with inhaling a mouth full swimming pool water last night. At the same time Bram began talking to the scared woman, urging her to give up, Dan sneezed twice.
Once she realized she wouldn’t be able to escape, Bram moved forward to cuff her and Dan heard an ominous creak. “Oh, shit!” he shouted as the rickety loft collapsed.
Bram pulled the subject’s body close to his as the rotted boards gave way. She was handcuffed and unable to put her hands out to protect herself in the fall, so he used his body to shield hers. Bram landed with a resounding thud, taking the brunt of the impact on his left shoulder and whacking his head on the hard-packed dirt floor as the woman’s body landed on him.
Dan rushed forward. “Bram! Bram!” He wanted to check on Bram first, but the woman was on top. He gently rolled her over and asked, “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “No, only winded. Why’d he do that?”
“What?”
“Protect me.”
Helping her up, Dan replied, “It’s what we do.”
Jon and Nick jogged into the barn. Jon knelt next to Bram. “Hey, buddy.”
Bram blinked up at Jon as he drew in a breath. “I’m alright.” He started to rise and winced when he put pressure on his shoulder.
“I’m thinking, not so alright,” Jon said as he helped Bram sit up. Jon glanced up at Nick. “We’re so far out in the boonies it will take EMS forever to reach us. I suggest we send Bram to get checked out in one of the SUVs.”
“I’m alright. Just bumped on my shoulder.”
Dan held the subject and peered down at Bram. “You hit your head pretty hard too.” Dan sneezed three times in quick succession.
“I’m alright I tell you,” Bram insisted.
Jon chuckled. “Sounding a lot like Dano. You’re a senior member of the team. You need to set a better example for the rookie.” He gazed up at Dan who rolled his eyes.
“I’ll drive him,” Dan offered.
Assisting Bram to his feet, Jon stated, “Okay. Don’t like the sound of your coughing and sneezing, Dan. You should have the doc check your lungs too.”
“I’m good,” Dan replied, but sneezed as Jon took custody of the woman and glared at him with an expression which read ‘don’t make me order you.’
Milk Bath
31
December 19
SUV En Route to ER – 5:00 p.m.
While the rest of team wrapped up the call and waited for patrol units to come to take custody of the subjects and secure the scene until the crime scene unit arrived, Nick agreed Dan should drive Bram to the emergency room to be examined. The investigative unit was running thin this time of year with several out sick, so it might be some time before they arrived.
Dan glanced at Bram and noted him rubbing his shoulder again. “How’s the shoulder?”
“Only tender.” Bram dropped his hand from his aching shoulder.
At a four-way intersection, Dan slowed and halted at the stop sign. Checking to his left, he sighted lights of a truck as it barreled down the road to the intersection. He waited to turn until he was satisfied the fast-moving vehicle would stop. “Man, some people never learn to drive safely in the snow and dark.”
A dark red truck came to a sliding stop almost entering the crossroads. Before Dan turned right and continued, he noted a female behind the wheel when the cell phone illuminated the interior of her truck. With the reckless driver behind them, Dan continued to check the review mirror. The driver tailed a bit too close for a while, but then backed off and slowed down.
Bram checked the side-view mirror. “Must’ve gotten a clue we’re cops.”
“Perhaps, though it’s hard to see the light bars at night unless they’re on.” Dan kept an eye on the trailing truck because the woman driving appeared to be in a big rush.
After ten more minutes the pickup truck crept back up on his tail. As they approached a T-intersection where they would need to stop but the cross-traffic didn’t, Dan put the brakes on, but the impatient driver gunned it and flew around him.
The irresponsibly driven truck blew through the stop sign causing an approaching semi to brake suddenly to avoid a collision. Jack-knifing as the pneumatics held the tractor, but not the trailer, it lost traction on the icy road and skidded towards oncoming traffic. Barely missing seven vehicles, fate frowned on the eighth.
The van’s brakes locked up veering into the path of the tractor-trailer. Impacting on the passenger side, the vehicle spun off the road. The eighteen-wheeler continued skidding sideways for some distance then went into a ditch and tipped over. The back doors of the cattle transport burst open as the thoughtless pickup driver sped away.
Accident Scene – 5:10 p.m.
Dan put the SUV in park and hopped out as he raced to the multi-passenger van which had been hit. Bram unmuted his headset and radioed in the accident and details of the truck which caused it to Tia. Then he made his way out and over to the semi’s cab in the ditch.
Cows bellowed inside the mobile pen. Their mournful cries, indic
ating many were hurt. The lights of the stopped vehicles showed several cows staggering out of the open trailer adding to the overall chaos.
Dan quickly reached the driver’s door. The dark rural area had no streetlights, so he shone his flashlight inside. A shattered window revealed a driver slumped onto the airbag, held up by her seatbelt. Dan ripped off his glove, then reached in to check for a carotid pulse. Relief surged when his fingertips felt a steady pulse and the woman moaned.
“Hold still, help is on the way, ma’am,” Dan said as the lady began to stir.
Opening her eyes, and trying to focus, she made out an officer. “My girls, help them.” Then she lost consciousness.
Dan redirected the flashlight to the back. He shouted over to Bram, “I need some help here.” He raced to the opposite side with doors to the rear. He tried to wrench the swinging doors open, but the cattle trailer had mangled them in the impact. Bram reached him as he was still yanking to no avail. “Doors stuck. Need to force them open. A bunch of girls are inside. The female driver is alive but unconscious.” Dan dashed to the SUV to grab a pry bar.
Bram strained to release the doors, but his injured shoulder prevented him from utilizing his full power.
Dan came skidding to a halt with the long metal lever. “How’s the semi-driver?”
“Shaken up but no serious injuries,” Bram said as people from the other cars started converging on the wrecked van. He directed his light on the door for Dan.
Shoving the bar between the double doors, Dan pulled with all his might, but they didn’t budge. For leverage, Dan placed a boot on one door as he tugged again. The crowbar slipped, slamming into his chest. Dan ignored the sharp pain, only grunting on impact, as he attempted to wedge the tool back in, trying a third time.
When the metal whined and started to give, Bram began to yank on the door with one hand while he held the flashlight with the other.
Concerned flared in Dan. “Bram, don’t! Your shoulder is hurt. You could damage it more than it already is.”