“He’s nobody, Officer Bradwick,” Damon said hurriedly, offering Connor another set of folders. “We’ll take you over him any day. Isn’t that right, Lou?”
“That’s right, Connor,” Lou agreed without hesitation, walking over to grasp Connor’s hand. “We like to go along with Ellie’s imaginary friend remarks so she doesn’t go Postal on us. I don’t suppose you’d like to tell us what happened, would you?”
“Like Ellie said, Lou, not today.” Connor took the folders from Whitlow.
“We’ll have plenty of time to tell tales in the near future,” Ellie added morosely. “The Boss was talking about administrative leave depending on what our beloved Mayor and DA think about the situation.”
“Ain’t that Oakland PD standard procedure?” Damon groused. “Cops guilty until proven innocent.”
The phones started ringing again and the four officers went back to work. Connor helped Ellie with admitting, talking incoming arresting officers into sticking around briefly to assist. By the end of their shift enough regulars had filtered in where the hectic pace slowed considerably. Connor noted the apparent tension easing slowly from Ellie’s features as the day turned into night and they began their second shift.
Donaldson returned near the middle of Connor and Ellie’s twelve hour shift. He pitched in until more officers arrived. In between regular work, Donaldson let it be known Morton was out of surgery and the prognosis for a full recovery was very good. He also informed everyone of Homeland Security now taking over investigation and handling of the earlier incident.
Connor came over to see his Sergeant the moment he had a break.
“Was Luke able to corroborate what happened for Fulton and Guzman, Boss?”
“Not yet. They do have people watching out for the prisoners and Luke at the hospital. The moment they’re able to transport the gangbangers, those pricks will be set up somewhere for interrogation using what you suggested. Fulton told me he’s optimistic the State Department might be able to persuade El Salvador to send someone in uniform to back up the threat visually.”
Connor smiled. “That sounds very promising. We’ll go see Luke when we get off shift. A man who’d go into a situation like that for a friend is a stand up guy in my book. Maybe not too bright, but Luke’s definitely got balls.”
Donaldson chuckled, nodding his head in agreement. “Morton’s on the seventh floor over at Highland. How’s Ellie?”
“Better. The paperwork and phone jungle definitely helped. Can’t say how she’ll be by herself. I’ll watch her tonight. We’ll go have a few beers. I’ll call Doc Morrison and see if she’ll come over to Ellie’s. I have to return her car anyway.”
“That sounds good. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine, Boss.”
“Ellie wounded two who survived. You shot two right between the horns.”
“I’m okay,” Connor replied. He recognized the ill at ease look Donaldson was giving him. “You can level with me, Boss. Am I a liability for you?”
“No, Opie, I’d like to clone you, but we’d need people in authority with cajones. We don’t. The DA’s pretty solid but he’s political too. I’m not going to lie to you. If the Mayor could quietly make you go away he would. You could look a little repentant, you cold hearted prick.”
Connor laughed with Donaldson joining him. Ellie noticed the two sharing a moment of hilarity and walked over from where she had returned the folder on a recent collar.
“Hey, El,” Donaldson greeted her. “I was just telling Connor, Morton and the two perps you shot survived and are doing fine.”
“Yeah, that’s hilarious… now… what are you two laughing about?”
“It has nothing to do with you, Officer James.” Donaldson switched to a sour look instantaneously. “If you’re feeling left out, perhaps I could find something entertaining for you to make the rest of your shift exciting.”
“No… but thanks, Boss,” Ellie replied, inwardly cringing for being dumb enough to show attitude to Donaldson.
“Good. You two… get to work.” Donaldson walked away without a backward glance.
Ellie immediately turned on Connor, hands on hips. “Okay, cowboy, out with it. What the hell were you sharing laughs with Donaldson about?”
“He’s on the spot for my marksmanship.” Connor related Donaldson’s last line.
Ellie laughed.
“I’m going over to see Luke after shift. Want to come along?”
“Sure. We still have to return Jules’ car, remember?”
“I thought I’d do it all together. We’ll pick the Doc up, see Luke, and swing by your place for a beer.”
“You’re playin’ me, Opie. I can feel it.”
“Fine. Go home.”
“Now I know you’re playin’ me.”
“Listen. Who was it demanded a sleep over after I killed those three kidnappers? Did I object to your concern?”
Ellie tried staring Connor down, gave up, and shrugged. “Okay, I’m in, but I won’t be patronized.”
“Hey, if you don’t want me around, Shotgun, just say the word. I can probably call Brandy and see if I can go cry on her shoulder tonight.”
“You would pull the Whiney card on me… hey, did you just call me Shotgun?”
“Just a small compliment to your cool handling of cover fire for me.”
“I stuck my head up in time to probably get an AK47 tattoo across my forehead if you hadn’t drilled Araya.”
“What can I say? We make a good team. Now, what’s it going to be? Pick up the Doc, see Luke, and grab a beer at your place or do I go get my oil changed?”
“Okay, but we don’t get off shift until ten. How do you plan on getting in to see Morton?”
“We’ll go over in uniform. They’ll let us see him. I’ve done it before. Clare will let us go up to say hi.”
“Clare’s still working nights?” Ellie remembered the middle aged woman who worked the night shift in admissions Connor had introduced her to the first time they had taken a suspect in for medical care.
“She admitted me when I took the bat to my head playing super-cop as a rookie. Ray already knew her by name. I’m guessing she’s been working nights well over a decade. I’ll call over to admissions and make sure she’s working.”
Ellie nodded. “I’ll let Jules know we’re picking her up after shift. We’re back on duty again at eight so we won’t be visiting long with our private shrink. It was neat riding to work in her Solara. I may have to retire my Jeep and get me one of those.”
“I wonder if she heard what happened today.”
“Depends on if she’s using her police band radio for entertainment – you know, the one she caught a ride along with when we busted the dealers and Jiminy Cricket. She doesn’t own a TV. There’s only so long you can sit on your ass reading. I bet the little minx sits in a loveseat all day listening to cop chatter.”
Connor chuckled as Ellie called Dr. Morrison. “I doubt it.”
“Jules… pick up!”
After a moment the answering machine came on. “We’re picking you up after shift, Jules. We have to make a stop at Highland Hospital. Then we’ll go back to my place and have a beer. It’ll be fun. See you at ten-thirty.”
Ellie shut off her cell-phone. “Maybe I was wrong.”
* * *
“Ellie!!” Dr. Morrison flung open her apartment door before Ellie could ring the buzzer. She hugged Ellie tightly as if seeing her for the first time in years.
“I guess you were right about the police band, El.”
“Ya’ think? Calm down, Jules.” Ellie patted Julie on the back comfortingly. “Your two favorite patients will be legitimizing your presence at the station once again.”
“Oh my God!” Julie pushed away. “Why didn’t you call me? I must have left twenty messages on your cell.”
“Things were a little hectic. Connor and I had to do desk duty today. We were swamped. You know we can’t have cell-phones on when in the precinct, at le
ast we’re not supposed to. I take it you were listening in on the excitement today.”
“I heard everything! Jesus… when I heard Connor urging Detective Morton to tell him which side the bad guys were on with all the gunfire in the background my heart was pounding its way out of my chest! Here you two are without a scratch.” Julie looked from Ellie to Connor with a look of sheer disbelief.
“It was a tight one, Doc, but luckily I had Shotgun James with me.”
“Headshot here gave the East Bay MS-13 gang-leader Araya and one of his minions a third eye.” Ellie pointed at Connor with a theatrical look of revulsion. “He’s out of control, Jules. I saw him dip his fingers in Araya’s blood and make a pagan symbol on his forehead with it. He needs help bad.”
Connor had begun laughing. One look at Julie Morrison staring at him in open mouthed horror turned off the humor immediately. “She’s kidding, Doc! Look what you’ve done, El.”
Ellie laughed anyway, hugging Julie around the shoulders. “Take it easy, Jules. Opie’s not that far gone yet.”
Julie realized she was still staring at Connor. She looked over at Ellie, smiling uncertainly. “Then he really didn’t kill two men? You were just kidding with me again.”
“Uh… actually, Jules, he did pop two guys,” Ellie answered, seeing she would have to be careful with the gallows humor around Dr. Morrison. “He didn’t really dip his fingers in their blood.”
“Oh… okay then… no problem.” The frightened tone was back in Julie’s voice.
“Jules, it was self defense. I had to wound two guys who could have died. You do understand we didn’t have a choice, right?”
“Of course… it’s just other officers I’ve counseled who’ve had to use their weapons are devastated – for quite a while afterwards. You two went back to work for the whole shift and come over here cracking jokes.”
“Humor is one way to cope with stuff,” Connor replied. “Look, Doc. Get your coat and drop us off at Highland Hospital. Ellie and I can take a taxi from there to her apartment. We can even take a taxi over to her place now.”
Ellie took Connor’s cue and got her cell-phone out. Julie grasped her hands.
“Don’t call a taxi. I’ll go to the hospital with you. I didn’t mean to make it sound like you two are monsters. I was so happy to see both of you here uninjured I forgot it couldn’t have happened in a non-violent way. I’ll get my coat.”
“Sorry, Connor. What an idiot I am.”
“That was funny, El. Luis and Jas would be rolling on the floor laughing if they’d heard your line. The Doc needs a little time to absorb reality. That’s all.”
“She must think you’re a-”
“Psycho?” Julie asked, closing her apartment door.
“I’d be dead if not for him, Jules,” Ellie stated.
“And I’d be dead if not for Ellie. We’re not accountants, Doc.”
“I know. I want to hear all the details of this latest Connor and Ellie adventure.” Julie walked around them toward the elevator. “What survivor are we going to see?”
“Detective Morton,” Ellie replied. “Opie saved his life by using Morton’s belt as a tourniquet. Otherwise Luke would have bled out at the scene. Araya killed Councilman Stennis though. Stennis talked Morton into helping him record Araya but it was a trap.”
“Why would the councilman do something so stupid? Wasn’t the talk last night about setting up a sting with full backup?” Julie asked, getting on the elevator.
“Opie thinks it was suicide by gangbanger.”
“But… Morton was his friend.”
“That’s the part we haven’t quite worked out, Doc,” Connor explained. “Stennis walked over to meet with Araya while Morton was out of sight in the back seat to record the conversation. Maybe Stennis didn’t do it consciously.”
“Look at this, Jules.” Ellie pulled open her jacket, revealing the Glock 9mm in a clip on holster. “Donaldson was so worried about retaliation he gave me his own piece because our weapons had to be bagged at the crime scene.”
“Wonderful.” Julie sighed and looked up at the elevator ceiling as Ellie winked at Connor.
With Julie driving, the three sat quietly for the first part of their trip to Highland Hospital. The holiday traffic at 10:30PM was very light. Ellie knuckled the back of Connor’s head lightly as he sat in the front seat next to Julie.
“Hey, did you remember to call Claire?”
Connor rubbed his head plaintively. “Yes, and you could have just asked.”
“I saw you staring at Jules’ legs and figured I had to get your attention first.”
“Was not,” Connor lied.
“You so were. Claire’s a nurse Connor knows from back when he was getting beat with a bat in his rookie days, Jules.”
“You’re cruisin’, El,” Connor warned.
Julie smiled over at Connor. “It’s in your file, Connor.”
“Wonderful.”
Julie parked the Solara. The three walked the short distance to the hospital entrance. A thin black woman in her middle fifties waved when she spotted Connor and Ellie from the main admissions desk.
“I heard about you two.” Claire frowned at them in mock disapproval. “You’re goin’ to get killed hanging around with this cowboy, Ellie.”
“Good to see you too, Claire,” Connor said.
“More likely I’ll get killed if I don’t hang around him. This is Dr. Julie Morrison, staff psychologist for the city or Alameda County or something. Jules, this is Claire Dyson, night-nurse extraordinaire.”
“Hi, Doctor.” Claire shook Julie’s hand. “When will you be getting Connor committed?”
“Oh, you’re hilarious tonight, Claire.” Connor grimaced as both Ellie and Julie shared a laugh at his expense.
“Glad to meet you, Claire,” Julie said. “I may end up publishing a paper on these two. Every few days it’s a new gun battle.”
“As much as I enjoy this abuse, would it be okay if we go up and see Luke Morton?” Connor asked.
“Sure.” Claire handed Connor a small card with the room number on it and a short note. “Hand this to the nurse on the floor. We’re really short handed today with the holiday and illness. There were a lot of people hanging around to see your friend earlier. If he’s sleepin’, I don’t have to tell you to let him sleep, right?”
“We’ll leave him alone if he’s zonked. Can I slap him a couple times just to be sure?”
Claire laughed. “No, you big goon. Don’t think I’d put it past you either. Don’t let him touch our patient, Ellie.”
“I’ll keep him in line. Luke had a real close call.”
“I heard if not for the belt tourniquet Connor here put on him, your friend would have died. Nice battlefield bandage, Connor – want your shirt back?”
“No thanks. You were here when he came in?”
“I did a few hours in Emergency earlier. You cops ain’t the only ones working long hours on the holidays.”
Connor smiled at the nurse’s upbraiding. “I guess not. We’ll stop by on our way out.”
When they reached the seventh floor the doors opened and the trio walked out into a darkened hallway. They walked to the floor nursing station but no one was there. After five minutes waiting near the counter, Connor began checking the hallways, glancing into the rooms nearest the station.
“The nurse could be anywhere. Maybe we should go see Luke and forget the check-in.”
Ellie, who had been glancing down the halls along with Connor, went around the counter and checked the monitor. “Hey Jules, you know anything about nursing stations?”
“I did my internship in Boston,” Julie answered, walking around to join Ellie. She checked the clipboards and paperwork before shrugging. “Everything looks okay. The nurse is probably in one of the rooms.”
“Luke’s room is down at the end of the hall,” Connor said. “They don’t have anyone outside the door. I figured Donaldson would have someone watching his room.”
“Hey,” Connor called out, holding up his cell-phone. “My cell isn’t working in here.”
“Mine either.” Julie looked around worriedly.
Connor reached over the counter and grabbed up a land-line phone at the nursing station. After trying to get a dial tone for a moment, he hung the phone up. “Julie, you better go back down. Tell Claire there’s nobody on station and the phones are dead.”
“I’m not leaving you two! I’ve read horror novels. The monster always gets the idiot who goes for help.”
Ellie muffled a laugh with her hand.
“Okay, but stay between us.” Connor walked toward Morton’s room, hand gripping the Colt .45 caliber automatic handle inside his jacket. “Watch our six, El.”
Ellie put a hand on Julie’s shoulder, guiding her along the hallway wall directly behind Connor’s bulk. She glanced behind her every few seconds, Donaldson’s Glock already in her other hand. Each of the open patient rooms appeared normal as they went by. In contrast to the silence they could hear the inevitable groans of pain coming from a couple of the rooms where patients were having a difficult night.
Connor took a quick glance around the open door when they reached Morton’s room. He motioned for Ellie to stay in place with Julie. Easing into the room, Connor quickly cleared the bathroom. Moving to Morton’s bedside, Connor could tell the Detective was breathing evenly in his sleep. Morton had only a heart monitor hooked up to his arm. The IV stand near the bed had an empty bag on it. Connor rejoined his two companions at the doorway.
“Luke’s fine. I don’t know what’s going on.”
“This stinks, Opie. Remember in the ‘Godfather’ movie when Al Pacino goes to visit Marlon Brando in the hospital?”
“Who?” Julie asked.
Ellie slapped the back of Julie’s head. “Don’t start that again.”
Connor chuckled but nodded his head in agreement. “Good call, El. Let’s find a place to put Luke. We’ll wait with him until we can find a nurse or figure out what the hell’s going on. Better safe than sorry. Come disconnect the heart monitor, Doc. I’ll go see if I can find a nearby empty room.”
The Protectors: Vigilante Justice (Vigilante Cops Book 1) Page 21