overlooking Hollywood and sipped SoBe out of a plastic bottle. His badge with the LAPD logo imprinted on the front lay on the banister and he looked at it and ran his finger over the grooves as the setting sun reflected off it in shimmering rays. He didn’t feel like a detective with the LAPD even though he had been one for four years before joining the DEA. Being a detective meant a crushing caseload, late night visits with victims and their families at hospitals, and the bureaucratic nonsense of shit rolling downhill in a department where no one wanted to take responsibility for anything.
But that wasn’t what he had now. What he had now was a shield and a gun and a single case to work. Even William couldn’t possibly have had illusions that he would stay on the case after the men who shot Autumn were apprehended. This was revenge, pure and simple. And that clarity made him feel comfortable with his new role. At least comfortable enough to push himself to continue.
It’d been over a week since William put in a request for surveillance of American Security and they’d had it granted two days ago. It was only during the business hours of seven to five, even though the drive-thru was still open for another two hours after the lobby closed. But it was better than nothing.
Jack’s iPhone rang and he answered. It was Nicole.
“How is she?” he said.
“She’s responding to stimuli. They tickled her feet today and she moved.”
“I’ll be right down.”
He dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and was about to leave the house when he realized he didn’t have his Desert Eagle. He went upstairs and found it hanging in his closet and strapped it to himself with a leather holster before locking up and heading to his car.
The hospital was only twenty minutes from his condo and he arrived in fifteen. He parked in visitor parking and got out of the car to go inside when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a 310 area code he didn’t recognize. He thought about ignoring it and then thought that it might be William with an update on the surveillance.
“This is Jack.”
“Um, Detective Kane?”
“Yes.”
“This is Officer Bolten with the surveillance unit.”
“Oh, right. What can I do for you, Officer?”
“We’ve been trying to get ahold of Detective Yates, sir, but haven’t been able to. He’s not picking up his cell phone. You’re the other senior officer listed on the case so we thought we would call you.”
“What did you need?”
“We have a possible suspect matching the description you gave us of the initial perp. We think he’s back.”
“Dreadlocks, blond, tall and skinny?”
“Yes, sir. He’s sitting across the street in one of those outdoor cafés. He’s looking back every few minutes but he’s not doing anything else. If there is a casing going on, he’s not doing it in front of us.”
“Is he there with anyone else?”
“No, sir.”
“Okay, well, stay on him. If he moves or does anything else call me. If he spots you, just get out of there.”
“Gotcha.”
Jack slipped the phone in his pocket as he entered the hospital. He went upstairs to the coma patient ward and found Autumn’s room. Her mother sat next to her and Jack pulled up a chair. Nicole had been crying and crumpled tissues were piled up on the side table next to the bed.
She leaned over and put her arm around Jack, resting her head on his shoulder. They sat like that a long time before either of them spoke.
“Do you remember when we were kids,” she said, “and we’d dream about who it was we were going to marry? What our kids were going to be like?”
Jack nodded. “Yeah.”
“I always thought you would be so close to my kids. Uncle Jack. You would be their hero. I mean Hank’s her hero but not in the way you could’ve been. And I thought that you would come over every day and spend time with them. You would take them to Dodgers games and teach them martial arts. But in my dreams…I never
But that wasn’t what he had now. What he had now was a shield and a gun and a single case to work. Even William couldn’t possibly have had illusions that he would stay on the case after the men who shot Autumn were apprehended. This was revenge, pure and simple. And that clarity made him feel comfortable with his new role. At least comfortable enough to push himself to continue.
It’d been over a week since William put in a request for surveillance of American Security and they’d had it granted two days ago. It was only during the business hours of seven to five, even though the drive-thru was still open for another two hours after the lobby closed. But it was better than nothing.
Jack’s iPhone rang and he answered. It was Nicole.
“How is she?” he said.
“She’s responding to stimuli. They tickled her feet today and she moved.”
“I’ll be right down.”
He dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and was about to leave the house when he realized he didn’t have his Desert Eagle. He went upstairs and found it hanging in his closet and strapped it to himself with a leather holster before locking up and heading to his car.
The hospital was only twenty minutes from his condo and he arrived in fifteen. He parked in visitor parking and got out of the car to go inside when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a 310 area code he didn’t recognize. He thought about ignoring it and then thought that it might be William with an update on the surveillance.
“This is Jack.”
“Um, Detective Kane?”
“Yes.”
“This is Officer Bolten with the surveillance unit.”
“Oh, right. What can I do for you, Officer?”
“We’ve been trying to get ahold of Detective Yates, sir, but haven’t been able to. He’s not picking up his cell phone. You’re the other senior officer listed on the case so we thought we would call you.”
“What did you need?”
“We have a possible suspect matching the description you gave us of the initial perp. We think he’s back.”
“Dreadlocks, blond, tall and skinny?”
“Yes, sir. He’s sitting across the street in one of those outdoor cafés. He’s looking back every few minutes but he’s not doing anything else. If there is a casing going on, he’s not doing it in front of us.”
“Is he there with anyone else?”
“No, sir.”
“Okay, well, stay on him. If he moves or does anything else call me. If he spots you, just get out of there.”
“Gotcha.”
Jack slipped the phone in his pocket as he entered the hospital. He went upstairs to the coma patient ward and found Autumn’s room. Her mother sat next to her and Jack pulled up a chair. Nicole had been crying and crumpled tissues were piled up on the side table next to the bed.
She leaned over and put her arm around Jack, resting her head on his shoulder. They sat like that a long time before either of them spoke.
“Do you remember when we were kids,” she said, “and we’d dream about who it was we were going to marry? What our kids were going to be like?”
Jack nodded. “Yeah.”
“I always thought you would be so close to my kids. Uncle Jack. You would be their hero. I mean Hank’s her hero but not in the way you could’ve been. And I thought that you would come over every day and spend time with them. You would take them to Dodgers games and teach them martial arts. But in my dreams…I never
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