To Protect & Serve

by V. K. Powell

  Keri listened to Barnes’s instructions while she scoped out a position nearer the house. Just because she couldn’t go in didn’t mean she couldn’t get as close as possible. She needed to know what was going on inside. She skirted across the patchy lawn, flattened herself against the concrete foundation of the building, and called in her location. The partially opened window she squatted beneath offered an excellent vantage point. She was close to danger; it permeated the air.

  “Car 260, can you tell us anything?” Barnes asked Keri by radio.

  “There’s a car in the driveway, older Buick with no tags. It looks like it’s been here a while and— Stand by. I hear something.”

  Alex felt beads of perspiration forming under her vest in spite of the cool night air. Screams from inside the house could be heard in the background of Keri’s transmission.

  “Sarge…” Keri’s voice was barely audible. “It sounds like he’s assaulting her right now. Permission to go in.”

  Through the open window, Keri heard the pleading voice of a woman. “I just wanted you to get some help. These drugs are going to kill you.”

  The unmistakable slap of fist against flesh brought renewed cries from the house. The sounds elevated Keri’s adrenaline levels and made her feel invincible.

  “Can you see anything, Morgan?” Barnes wanted to know.

  “No, sir, but it’s getting worse. I need to go in. Is my assist close? It sounds like he’s killing her.” Keri was already on her way to the door, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest.

  When it came down to it, Barnes passed the responsibility and looked to Alex for confirmation. She quickly assessed the new information. The only justification for sending an officer into this type of situation unassisted was imminent danger of death or serious injury. Her tactical experience dictated the necessary course of action, but for the first time in her career she felt unaccountably reluctant. That troubled her, but she didn’t have time to consider the reason or its possible implications.

  She nodded to Barnes and he relayed the command. Sirens sounded immediately down the street as the officers complied. “All other units, maintain your perimeter posts.”

  As Keri approached the door of the residence, the sickly sweet smell of fresh blood assaulted her senses. One side of the entryway was covered with bloody drag marks leading back into the house. She slammed her foot against the wooden door, sending a jolt up her leg. At the same time she announced, “Police!”

  The flimsy lock gave way and the door frame splintered to the floor. Everything slowed to half-time as Keri entered the residence. She cleared the living room with a quick scan and followed the moaning toward the back of the house, checking each room as she passed. She found the bloody victim in a south-facing bedroom sprawled across a queen-sized bed.

  At that moment Keri heard footsteps pounding through the house. The victim pointed and Keri gave chase. Her legs seemed to move effortlessly as she approached the back door.

  “Car 260, send the paramedics in, now. The victim’s been cut. The suspect’s running out the back on the east side toward the tree line. He’s armed with a gun and possibly a knife. I’m in pursuit. Have the other units move in.”

  Alex visualized the scene as Keri described it. Her heart pounded as the situation escalated. She struggled with an urge to race to the residence but protocol demanded that she remain at the command center until the scene was stabilized. Sirens wailed as the seconds dragged by.

  Keri crouched at the back door to get a feel for the area before continuing pursuit. She heard the unmistakable crack of weapon fire against concrete blocks as she dove for cover.

  A round whizzed past her head. She belly-crawled behind a stack of firewood. Peering through the logs, she keyed in on the suspect and pointed her weapon at him. Her voice choked in her throat when he stood his ground and took aim.

  “Freeze!” she challenged him. “Don’t make me have to shoot you.”

  At that moment two other officers flanked the suspect from behind the trees, yelling, “Drop the weapon! Do it now! Drop it!”

  The suspect seemed to notice the odds were against him. He dropped the gun at his feet and raised his hands. “Okay, don’t shoot. The bitch ain’t worth all this.”

  As the officers handcuffed him, Keri rose shakily to her feet, holstered her weapon, and sent up a silent prayer. The adrenaline oozed from her. She trembled and began to feel weak as she recalled what could’ve happened. It was the same reaction every time she faced a potentially deadly situation. She stood by the woodpile, surveying the scene and giving her pulse and breathing a chance to return to normal. When her hands finally stopped shaking, she walked slowly toward the front of the house.

  Red lights from the ambulance flashed eerie shadows across the lawn and Alex seemed to move toward her in a rapid series of still photos. Even in freeze-frame, Alex was the epitome of military bearing and personal grace. Keri thought for a second Alex was going to touch her as she stopped inches away, well within Keri’s personal body space, a violation no cop ever committed on duty. Instead, Alex gazed at her with a look that caused more apprehension than being shot at. Her eyes momentarily burned with something stronger than fear, then softened.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I think so. At least I’m not hit.”

  “Do you always get into this much trouble?” Alex’s lips curved slightly at the corners.

  “I don’t go after trouble. It just seems to find me. But I really had no choice. Did I do something wrong, Lieutenant?”

  “You saved the victim from further injury, got the bad guy, and no cops got hurt. I’d say that’s a pretty good day. We can talk about the rest another time.”

  Keri’s confidence rose at Alex’s compliment, then immediately vanished as she thought about the accusatory interview years before. “What do you mean the rest? What else is there?”

  Alex hesitated. Keri’s complexion had paled and Alex longed to see its characteristic color return and hear a snappy comeback from the young officer. She didn’t want to hurt Keri’s feelings again, but she did want to understand. Her interest was mission specific, Alex assured herself. It had been an extremely tense situation. Motioning Keri to the side, she asked, “Why do you always volunteer for positions like forward point on these dangerous calls?”

  “Who told you that? Barnes, right?”

  “That’s not really the issue, Morgan. It’s an officer safety thing.”

  “I think this officer is pretty safe, ma’am.” Keri knew she’d been right not to trust Alex, and she hoped her attempt at levity would mask her growing irritation. The last thing she wanted was Alex Troy poking around in her inadequacies and insecurities.

  “You can’t always hide behind humor. What are you trying to prove?” Alex’s internal edit alarm sounded. But the words were out. She knew they were beyond the true scope of operational evaluation and into the personal arena. Why she’d asked she wasn’t exactly sure.

  “I’m a police officer. It’s my job to keep other people from getting hurt. The guys on my squad have families, and that woman needed help fast. I couldn’t wait. If you’re going to write me up for something, go ahead. I won’t fight it.”

  She cares more than she wants to admit and is willing to risk her life to prove it. An unfamiliar feeling crept into Alex’s chest. “This isn’t about writing you up. I’m just trying to…” Understand you. The thought was sobering and Alex shook her head to dismiss it.

  “Trying to what?”

  “Never mind. It’s not important.” Alex added as Sergeant Barnes approached them, “Just make sure your relief asks this guy about his connection. We need to know where he gets his drugs.”

  Barnes avoided Alex’s stare, directing his comments to Keri. “Morgan, it’s time for you to go off shift. Debrief with Ventura, hand the investigation over, and head in.”

  After Barnes finished, Keri turned to complete her conversation with Alex, but she was gone. D
riving toward the station, Keri felt proud of her performance on the call, but dismayed that Alex Troy had suddenly started haunting her again.

  *

  “Hey, Morgan, over here.” Patricia Walters, Keri’s best friend, waved from the parking lot across from the police station as Keri crossed the street toward her Jeep. Flashing lights from patrol cars sprayed a jittery luminescence through the night as officers checked their equipment.

  Keri smiled as Pat covered her ears against the short yelps of siren tests and motioned her over. “My God, you cops sure are a flashy, noisy bunch,” Pat said, giving her a quick hug. “I thought I’d drop by on my way to the hospital and see how it’s going. Haven’t heard from you since our near all-nighter. I hope you didn’t get into trouble for showing up to work in your trolling attire.” She studied Keri closely. “So, what’s up?”

  Keri thought about her exchange with Alex Troy not an hour before and felt her spirits sag once again.

  “So what’s going on?” Pat settled her five-foot-five frame against the side of Keri’s vehicle and raked pudgy fingers through her jet-black spiked hair.

  “Just the usual police department administrative bullshit.”

  Pat gave her a concerned look. “Wanna go to the bar and check out the scenery? I’m sure I can find somebody to cover for me tonight. We’ve both been on the high-and-dry list for a while.”

  “Don’t you ever think about anything but sex?” Having known the feisty ER nurse for five years, Keri already knew the answer was a resounding no.

  “Why would I? Our jobs are all about life and death. Why waste time waiting for one when you can be enjoying the other?” Pat eyed Keri mischievously and smiled.

  They’d met in the ER after a vehicle chase ended in an accident. Pat was the trauma nurse who’d flashed a tiny penlight in Keri’s eyes, asking, “Can you see me now?” They’d based their subsequent friendship on laughter and complete honesty. Keri knew Pat would understand her feelings about Alex and give her the second opinion she needed. Maybe she was just paranoid where Lieutenant Troy was concerned.

  “Mind if we skip the bar tonight? I’d like to run something by you.” Keri unlocked the Jeep and motioned for Pat to get in.

  “This must be good if you’re passing up liquor, laughter, and lesbians. Unless of course this involves another lesbian.” Pat directed a sharp stare at her. “Oh, my God, tell me already. The suspense is killing me.”

  “Can you get your mind out of your pants for a second? It’s not about a woman, it’s about a frigging lieutenant who’s trying to make my life total and complete hell.”

  “Just tell me who the bastard is. I’ll have my cousin Frankie and his buddies stump-break his ass.”

  “It’s not a guy.”

  “Aha, so this is about a woman.”

  Keri groaned. “Pat, remember Lieutenant Troy, the one who conducted the use-of-force investigation I was involved in a few years back?”

  The laugh lines around Pat’s eyes vanished. “Tough on you—and unfair?”

  “You could say that.” Keri swallowed a knot of anger that threatened to choke her. “She just came on one of my calls tonight and lit into me again. This time it was about officer safety.”

  “I thought you told me she was assigned to Vice/Narcotics now. What’s she doing answering calls in the field?”

  “Recruiting for a Narcotics task force,” Keri answered offhandedly. “It was a hostage call. I thought I did pretty damn good, securing the victim and catching the suspect. She seemed okay with me, then the criticism started.” Keri paused, reevaluating something in her mind. She could have sworn she saw genuine concern in Alex’s eyes for a few seconds, but no way was she giving her the benefit of the doubt.

  “Did you get a chance to talk about it at all?”

  “Oh, no. She issues decrees from her high perch and rides off into the sunset unconcerned about their effects on her minions.”

  Sliding her hand over Keri’s on the console, Pat ventured into the hot zone. “Is it at all possible that your past with this woman is casting everything in a bad light? You obviously still have very strong feelings about that. I’d hate to see that stuff interfere with your career forever.” She gave Keri’s hand a squeeze. “And how anyone could accuse you of dishonesty, I have no idea, sweetie.”

  Knowing Pat would see through anything but the truth, Keri acknowledged, “I’m not sure what I think, or why, anymore. But I know one thing for sure. I could never work for her, no matter how much I want to be on that task force. I don’t trust her.”

  “I’m really sorry, Ker. I wish there was something I could do. Just keep the faith. It’ll work out.” Glancing at her watch, Pat opened the Jeep door. “Wish I could stay and talk because I know you’re too wired to sleep, but duty calls. We’re meeting in the morning for our run, right?” When Keri nodded, Pat added, “Get out and give me a hug.”

  Keri exited the vehicle and joined Pat in a full-body hug. “I love you, girl. And thanks for listening.”

  Pat hugged Keri tightly. “I love you, too. And remember another very important thing…never say never.”

  At that moment Lieutenant Troy walked through the lot toward a red Corvette parked on the street. She paused, surveyed Keri and Pat with a lingering visual examination worthy of a couple of nudists. Without a word, she continued to the curb and joined a woman Keri recognized as Sergeant Beth Price.

  As the two officers headed back into the station, Keri cringed. She could just imagine what Alex was thinking. Probably Slut. Or worse, Unprofessional.

  *

  “So, did you see any good prospects for the task force tonight?” Beth asked.

  Alex bit back the reply that burned on her lips. Did Keri get off making out in public? Her embrace with the dark-haired woman was just another example of her immaturity. At least she wasn’t in uniform. Alex decided her response to Keri’s behavior was concern for the department’s image. Had Keri been a male officer groping his girlfriend, she’d have had exactly the same reaction.

  “That Morgan girl we just saw in the parking lot was impressive on a hostage call, although that display just now wasn’t exactly what I’d call appropriate behavior outside the police station.”

  “From what I hear, she’s a damn good officer.” Beth hesitated.

  Alex knew her friend well enough to know there was more to the story. “But?”

  “Nothing about the job. She has a few family issues, like we all do. But you would, too, if your old man throttled you every time you tried to take a liberated breath.”

  Alex’s body stiffened as though she’d been fisted in the gut. How could a parent strike their own child? For that matter, how could anyone hit a person he or she supposedly loved? Her mind flashed to Helen and she forced the memories away immediately, resenting their power to surface.

  “How do you know about her father?”

  “I overheard one of the guys on her squad talking about it. Keri speaks her mind, and that didn’t set well with her father. Her twin brother was apparently the chosen one, always pampered and protected. He didn’t have Keri’s adventurous streak.”

  Alex tried to make sense of this latest news in the context of what she thought she knew about Keri Morgan. “But doesn’t she still live with her parents?”

  “Yeah, she moved back to help out when her mother developed Alzheimer’s. Her dad’s supposedly mellowed a lot with age, and stopped drinking. He’s in poor health now, too. Heart, I believe.”

  “I can see why she’s always joking around. I had no idea. But how can you live with someone abusive?”

  Beth cleared her throat. They both knew the answer to that question and didn’t need to revisit it now. “I think she’d be worth a look for the task force if you can get past your first run-in with her. Besides, that turned out all right in the end.”

  “I don’t think she’d agree with you. She still seems pretty angry.” Alex chose not to tell Beth that Keri Morgan was virtually on the projec
t already. She needed more information about the young officer before finally adding her name to the short list. Maybe with just the right piece of intel she could talk the chief out of a personnel assignment that could only prove disruptive and unproductive for the entire team.

  “Give her some slack,” Beth said. “She doesn’t know all the facts about that incident three years ago and you do.”

  “I don’t have time to baby-sit on this one. Councilman Chambers is already climbing the chief’s ass about Stacey’s death. She was a great kid, but her father can be a pain in the butt. I don’t blame him, though. I’d be doing the same thing if she was my daughter.”

  Beth stopped halfway up the building steps. “Is this really just about Morgan sulking over past history? Or is there something else?” Her sideways smile told Alex she liked the young officer’s potential and looks.

  “I’m afraid she’s a time bomb waiting to go off, and I don’t need to be dealing with anybody’s issues in addition to…” Alex felt her insides tighten.

  “In addition to what?” Beth eyed her with concern.

  Alex hesitated, knowing her friend’s reaction would be immediate and strong. “Layton PD is in on this.”

  “Oh, hell no. Who do I have to talk to? Ain’t no fucking way this is happening. You know Callahan will try to make you look bad and take over the case. And you can bet your sweet ass that she’ll try to get you in bed again—that’s a given.”

  “It’s a done deal, Beth. I’ve just got to work with it. I want this guy bad, and if he had anything to do with Stacey’s death, I’ll find out and bury him. Besides, there’s a promotion waiting for me.” Just the thought of it quickened her pulse.

  “One more promotion won’t change anything in this shithole of male ego and favoritism, and I don’t think it’s worth the fresh hell of dealing with Callahan again. Besides, it’s not like you do it for the money.”

  “No, I don’t. So will you come by tomorrow and look over some names with me?”