The Protectors: Vigilante Justice (Vigilante Cops Book 1)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “That sounds good.” Connor led the way out of Julie’s kitchen.

  Inside the viewing room, Connor closed the door.

  “They bugged us.”

  “What the hell did they do that for,” Julie asked in bewilderment. “You agreed to do what they wanted.”

  “They must still have their doubts about us, Jules.”

  “It could be they were ordered to do it whether they liked it or not,” Connor offered.

  “Keep thinking those happy thoughts, Opie. You must have had some reason to suspect they were planting a bug.”

  Connor shrugged. “A gut feeling gone bad since it became reality. I should have brought Nasty down to greet them.”

  “I wish I hadn’t said anything about sex.”

  “They probably already suspect all kinds of things, Jules. We can’t stop them from thinking what they want. We should go back in the kitchen and have Opie do us right on the table over the bug.”

  Connor laughed and Julie blushed.

  “Leave it to you, El. I think we’ll stick with your movie idea.”

  “Let’s rent some porn, Opie. That’ll get you in the mood.”

  “Forget it.” Connor walked to the couch. “Sit down, El. You’re embarrassing the Doc. Maybe you should lay off the coffee. The caffeine is stirring your hormones up out of control.”

  “Jules isn’t embarrassed. I think she’s getting ready to flash the girls.”

  “Am not.”

  “Are to. C’mon Jules, give Opie a little glimpse. You’re already poking the robe out with your nipples.”

  “Ellie!” Julie gasped, pulling her robe tighter. It irritated her Ellie was right. She wanted to take the robe off. Her earlier liaison with Ellie had triggered a yearning long buried in her job and career.

  “Leave her alone, El.” Connor sat down and picked up the remote for Julie’s home theater setup.

  “Fine, I’ll get things started.” Ellie stripped off her robe. The remote control dropped from Connor’s fingers. Ellie knelt on the couch over Connor, a knee on each side.

  Julie sat next to Connor having followed Ellie’s example. Her left hand slid up around Connor’s shoulders while leaning into him and stroking Ellie’s bare skin with her other hand. Ellie’s shoulders heaved breathlessly. The excitement and taboo aspects of what she initiated left her panting for breath as she gripped Connor’s shoulders.

  “Say… something, Opie.”

  “Can I call Brandy?”

  “Get him, Jules!”

  * * *

  Ellie found a Chinese restaurant that delivered. The dinner, delivered only moments ago, was transferred to the serving trays in the viewing room. Ellie smiled at Julie who blushed every time she looked at Connor. She shivered slightly, remembering the hours spent since first seducing Connor.

  “What do you two want to drink?” Connor asked, walking toward the door.

  “Whatever soda’s in the fridge.”

  “Yes… I have Diet Pepsi in there,” Julie remarked, staring at a point to the right of Connor. “I’ll have one too.”

  Connor returned with their sodas. “I’m starving.”

  “You should be with the workout you gave us,” Ellie whispered, winking at Julie.”

  “Yeah, I started the whole thing. Let’s eat in silence.” Connor dished a large portion of everything onto his plate.

  “We might as well have eaten in the kitchen if you were going to give us the silent treatment, Opie.”

  “Which reminds me. We didn’t hear anything from the MIB’s.”

  “Do you think there’s something wrong, Connor?” Julie felt grateful for any change in subject away from their liaison.

  “They may figure we don’t need to be kept in the loop after all.”

  “If something goes wrong they still need a scapegoat. I don’t doubt those gangbangers asked for us to be with them. I’m sure they’ve discovered the low regard Guzman has for us. She probably flipped out when Adelmo suggested it, which made us all the more attractive to them as insurance against being dumped on scene or their deal written off.”

  “Sounds reasonable, El,” Connor agreed.

  “Good Lord!” Julie exclaimed. “You’d think those two would have some other feelings about you and Ellie besides resentment.”

  “Fulton’s all about the business at hand but Guzman needs some anger management classes. I wonder what the hell set her off about you, El.”

  Ellie shrugged. “I kind of get Guzman. I can’t stand the sight of her either, and I can’t really explain why. It happens. You ain’t on her Christmas list either, Opie.”

  “No but I think this personality clash is edging into the danger zone. Gee, and there’s nothing I like better than being teamed up with traitorous Salvadoran gang thugs.”

  Ellie laughed. “And making them into millionaires. The MIB’s will probably stiff us for our time spent in the killing fields too.”

  “There are people who want you two for something beyond this,” Julie remarked. “I believe Guzman’s envious of the attention she thinks you and Connor are getting undeservedly.”

  “She has nothing to worry about as far as I’m concerned. I’d end up in prison if I went into the government agent business,” Connor pointed out. The way they do things is what makes agents like Guzman.”

  “Like the city of Oakland’s any better.”

  “I think if it’s offered, you should take it, El. With your Guzman like temperament you’d make a great MIB.”

  “Frack you, Opie!”

  “I’m serious. Forget the Guzman crack. You have the skills and coolness under fire they can’t instill in people with training. Tell the truth. Is there anything you think Guzman can do you can’t?”

  “Connor’s right.”

  “Stay out of this, Who-Bird. I would have thought after what we shared this morning the last thing in the world either of you would want is for me to end up in a different part of the country.”

  “The FBI has an office in San Francisco. Besides, what does raping me have to do with a career in the FBI or HS?”

  The three shared a laugh at Connor’s joking take on their sexual encounter. They finished the meal in comfortable silence. Connor stood up, motioning for his companions to stay put.

  “I’m going up and check on Nasty. She seems to love the room, but I probably better make sure she’s not doing any furniture redecorating.”

  “Bring her down here, Connor. I don’t mind.”

  “Are you sure, Doc?”

  “She’s good when you’re around. I have to stop being so weird about my place. It’s not like I’m going to turn into one of those old cat women you see in the news.”

  Connor chuckled. “I doubt, if you ever did get a cat like Nasty, that it would allow another cat in the house. I’ll be right back.”

  Chapter 23

  Mime Incident

  Ellie hurried over to the loveseat next to Julie the moment Connor left the room. “Well?”

  “Well what?”

  “Don’t be dense!” Ellie ran her hand over Julie’s thigh with feather-soft touch causing Julie to shiver. “What did you think of being with Connor?”

  Julie felt her face redden in spite of trying with all her might to not blush. “God, Ellie, do we have to talk about it right now?”

  “You are so cute.” Ellie pinched Julie’s cheek jokingly while moving her hand under Julie’s robe.

  “Don’t… oh Ellie… Jesus, you already know. I’ve never cried out before when I came. It was so intense I thought I would pass out. It probably had a lot to do… stop that… with you being there too.”

  “Chinese food makes me horny.” Ellie giggled. “You think you have something to be embarrassed about. What about me? I guess you’ve been right about the pent up sexual current running between me and him. That sanctimonious prick turned me inside out.”

  Julie smiled and pointed her finger at Ellie. “He made you beg.”

  “Shut up!” It was El
lie’s turn to blush. She slapped Julie’s thigh. “Don’t ever mention that again you snot.”

  “There are drawbacks to having three participants, huh?”

  Ellie leaned in and kissed Julie. “Nothing I couldn’t get used to.”

  “You mean that?”

  “Mean what?” Connor asked from the doorway as he carried a purring Nasty into the room. “You two want me to take the cat and go in the kitchen for a while?”

  “Why don’t you put Nasty down? She can run around and get used to my house. You, on the other hand, can come over and help me and Ellie work off all the Chinese food. Ellie said it made her horny.”

  “I hate to be the one to mention the little problem of nosy FBI agents and terrorist cells but-”

  Julie pointed at Connor’s pants’ front. “Oh shut up. Look at the front of your pants. You aren’t thinking of terrorists and FBI agents either.”

  Connor shrugged. “It has a brain of its own. We react to different stimuli.”

  Connor put Nasty down on the floor. She looked up at Connor for a moment before scurrying over to rub against first Ellie and then Julie. Surprising Connor, the cat then jumped up on Julie’s lap and laid down, purring loudly. Ellie laughed at Julie’s frightened look as she tentatively stroked the cat.

  “I guess you have scent of Opie on you, Jules.”

  Connor knelt down on the other side of Julie. “It looks like Nasty has adopted you.”

  “I don’t think so. The moment you’re out of sight, she’ll eat me.”

  “She likes your house.”

  “Don’t do this, Connor. I’m serious.”

  “I promise I won’t leave her here unless you ask me to.”

  Nasty sat up on Julie’s lap, licked her face, and jumped down to take a tour of the downstairs. Julie smiled as she watched Nasty strut out of the room.

  “Maybe she does like me.” Julie looked from one friend to the other. “This is a complicated mess, isn’t it?”

  “You started this, Jules. Don’t be getting all down at the mouth about it now.”

  “Which part’s bothering you, Doc?” Connor ran his hand over Julie’s stomach. “Is it my enlisting you in the surveillance team or you enlisting us in carnal pursuit?”

  “A little of both I guess,” Julie admitted, her breath quickening. “Let’s stop talking. I want to hear you make Ellie beg again.”

  Julie squealed as Ellie launched on her with a growl.

  * * *

  A haggard looking Donaldson waited to meet Connor and Ellie when they exited the locker room. The Oakland Police Department was in the midst of a second day rounding up every MS-13 gang connection they could find. He held papers in his hand signed by the police chief, review board members, city council, and mayor. Agent Guzman had placed the papers on his desk that morning, and requested full reinstatement for Officers Bradwick and James immediately. Donaldson happily complied, knowing he needed every available officer. He didn’t trust either Fulton or Guzman but he knew when a deal has been struck. When politicians pass up potential camera time making grandiose gestures of solidarity with the populace, against out of control cops, it means they’re scared.

  Donaldson watched the couple emerge laughing from the locker room with Ellie bumping into Connor aggressively but merely bouncing off. He could tell something had changed between the two, physically, mentally, or both. With nearly twenty-five years on the police force, Donaldson knew the dangers inherent in cop/partner romances. They ended in one officer quitting, changing partners, or reassignment to a different department. Even the suspicion drew intense scrutiny, and every action questioned. As the smiles dropped from his two officers’ faces at the sight of him, Donaldson grinned. These two were rapidly becoming a legend – a legend he did not want to see end.

  “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Wyatt and Calamity, fresh from their vacation. Thank you for joining us today.”

  “Vacation? You call that-”

  Connor nudged Ellie into silence. “Thanks, Sarg, I’m glad you called us in. We can at least stay up on what’s going on. Hiding out is overrated.”

  Donaldson nodded in agreement and handed each of them a sheaf of stapled together papers. “These are your full reinstatement papers, signed by everyone but the janitor. I don’t think I want to know how they came into existence. I need one reassurance from you, Calamity. Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t have any of Guzman’s relatives wired to explosives in some warehouse.”

  Ellie laughed appreciatively. “You have my word, Boss.”

  “Good. Do I want to know how these papers came about?”

  “We’d like you to know,” Connor answered.

  “Step into my office then.”

  A half hour later, Donaldson sat with his arms folded, sitting behind his desk as Connor finished explaining what the Homeland Security agents had in mind. “So, the gangbangers get new identities and a small fortune while you two get hosed. Shrewd, Opie, shrewd.”

  “I’m open to alternatives that don’t have me railroaded into prison, Sarg.”

  “I got nothin’.”

  “Yeah, that’s what we thought.”

  “I’m glad you included Dr. Morrison on the surveillance team. It doesn’t give me happy feet knowing Homeland Security’s desperate enough to give in to a demand like that though, especially since they bugged her kitchen. When you find out the place and time I can have a lot of cops in the area discreetly, just in case your patron Guzman leaves you a little shorthanded.”

  “We’d appreciate it,” Ellie replied. “You know what’s at stake here. We don’t want to screw this up for the MIB’s but it would be nice to have some friends in the area without it being obvious to the bad guys.”

  “Count on it. I’m surprised Dr. Morrison signed on to this after what you two have put her through.”

  “She likes us.”

  “Right. Give me my back-up, Ellie.” Donaldson reached into his desk drawer and pulled out two bags containing the weapons belonging to the two officers. He set them down on the desk and accepted his weapon back from Ellie. “Your riot gun is cleaned and back in its place in a new squad car. Take a little time and go clean your weapons. Then report to the desk and get assigned. I guess I don’t have to tell you it would be bad to use those weapons on the job today, but worse if you don’t and you need to.”

  “Wow, that’s cryptic enough for me.”

  “Get out of my sight, Calamity and take Opie with you. Call me when you have something on the big day.”

  “Dr. Morrison asked if it would be okay to ride along today, Sarg. She’s a little freaked about being alone at her place.”

  “And she thinks it’ll be safer in a squad car with you two?”

  “That hurt, Boss.”

  “Fine, take her with you. It will be one more reason for the suits to crucify us if something happens to her. We have over twenty MS-13 bangers in custody and still working on the list. Homeland Security interrogators have requisitioned our precinct for questioning the punks. If they’ve acquired any knowledge they haven’t shared it yet.”

  “We’ll share if we get anything from our MIB handlers,” Connor replied.

  “You do that. Keep in touch. I want hourly reports from you tools.”

  “Tools? I-”

  “That’s enough, Calamity. Let’s get out of here.” Connor pulled Ellie up and toward the door.

  * * *

  Julie met them as they walked out of Donaldson’s office.

  “Is it okay for me to ride along?”

  “Donaldson said it was okay with him if we didn’t mind having you like an Albatross around our neck for the day.”

  “He did not.” Julie slapped Ellie’s arm. “What did he say, Connor?”

  “He thought the idea of you feeling safe with us was funny.”

  Julie sighed. “He has a point. I’d rather be with you two than alone at home with Nasty or pretending like I could work at my office.”

  “Nasty slept
on your head, Jules. It looked like the cat’s bonded with you.”

  “She purred me to sleep. Where are we going now?”

  “We have to do a quick cleaning on our artillery and then we go get a squad car. I’ll get my cleaning kit. We’ll get dumped on if we do it in the locker room.”

  “You’re not smelling up our squad car either, Opie.”

  “I love the smell of cleaning fluid in the morning. It smells like-”

  “Shit,” Ellie finished for him.

  “Do it in the parking garage,” Julie suggested. “You can show me how it’s done.”

  “Meet you out there,” Connor agreed, veering off toward the locker room.

  * * *

  “You were a natural handling the weapons, Jules. We didn’t have to break you of any bad habits. I’ll bet you’ll be like Annie Oakley firing them at the range.”

  “It was fun learning how to clean and handle them. I’m getting excited about shooting.” Julie looked out the squad car’s rear driver’s side window at the light rain as Ellie drove down McArthur Blvd. She laughed suddenly. “Ellie, is that a mime?”

  Ellie kept silent, as they passed the waving figure in pancake makeup trying to get their attention.

  “El, a citizen is flagging us down and you’re ignoring him,” Connor pointed out, turning to watch the man now jumping up and down on the sidewalk while waving for attention. “He may need our help. I’ll handle it.”

  “Just what I need to start my day – a fracking mime.”

  “This would be good therapy, Ellie. I could observe your interaction and maybe see something about mimes that bothers you.”

  “I’m not handling a mime just so you can psychoanalyze me.” Ellie turned the squad car around. “Connor handles all the mime incidents.”

  “Maybe you should handle him, El,” Connor said. “I don’t see what he’s all worked up about. There’s no one near him. I’ll be right next to you.”

  “Fine! Stay by the car until we signal you to come over, Jules.” Ellie acquiesced.

  She parked across the street from the sidewalk where a man dressed in brightly colored red and white striped pullover shirt, black pants, black beret, white gloves, and white makeup ran up to their squad car gesturing for them to follow him. Thin and nearly Connor’s height, the mime made angry faces with his hands placed impatiently on his hips as if he were being kept waiting. Ellie left the car first. She walked across to the sidewalk as the man then moved away, still gesturing for them to follow. He appeared to want them to follow him into an alleyway between two buildings with construction scaffolding set up for major repairs.