Where the hell was backup?

[Deleted]

Jamie despised the rain, if ever there was a time she hated rain it was when she was on duty. She'd finally settled into things in the patrol division. It was strange being back after so many years, but it was better and now that she was cleared after her psych evals she could focus on her job. She practically tripped through the door frame. "One ice caramel latte" the lady behind the counter got it out before Jamie even had a chance to speak.

The crackling on the radio caught her attention. Jamie listened to everything over the radio. There was some domestic call down a few blocks but there was already two patrol units responding. Though she knew those things could get out of hand and quickly so she stayed with her ears pinned to the radio. She was one of those who kept her volume fairly low when she was in a place like a cafe. Though she wasn't going to make herself too comfortable even if two units were on the call. Jamie was quite a bit more hyper vigilant since the IA hostage situation. Though she used it to her advantage and focused on using the energy productively. It wasn't hard to see the wheels were turning as she leaned on the wall but didn't take a seat. The cafe people were used to her standing there quite a bit of the time.

Tag: @alex

[Deleted]

Alex maneuvered the big burly cruiser into a parking spot alongside the narrow street outside his new favorite stop.  He began stopping at this particular cafe about a week after he started with the CPD, his FTO saying they had the best Columbian brew this side of Chicago.  He had to agree, after having his first cup, and now he was hooked.  Shifting the charger into park, he idled the vehicle as the big engine slowed down to a low rumble, intermixed with the noise of rain hitting the roof.  The pale streetlamp above him case a dull shine off the new badge on his chest.  Gone were the days of quiet nights rolling through woods and small towns, replaced by busy downtown, honking taxis, and constant calls for help on a radio that never quit.  There was constant action too, something that suited Alex.  Back as a trooper, he pulled his gun maybe two, three times a week.  Now, he was pulling his gun three times a NIGHT.  This was also his first shift out alone, being that they couldn't place him with a partner.  He got the charger because of his highway experience, and the higher ups didn't want to stick him in a car with someone brand new.  So, for now, he rode solo.  

    Grumbling inwardly about the rain, Alex pushed the white and blue door of his car open, not bothering to pull a raincoat on.  it was five steps to the door and he'd be out of it.  Apparently there was another officer already here, as he brushed by a Tahoe with the same paint job as his car.  This was a new beat to Alex, so he didn't know anyone over on this side yet.  He was eager to meet whoever was inside.  Stepping through the threshold. Alex was greeted with warm air, the intoxicating smell of brewing coffee, and chatter from the many guests already inside.  He detected the usual lull in sound as people sized up the new uniform in the room, but resumed when they recognized him.  Most of the coffee drinkers at this hour were regulars, and they knew Alex's large frame from anywhere.  He walked up to the bar, nodding to the barista as she handed him a cup.  "Black, two sugars right?" Alex joked as he handed the woman money.  He teased, and he knew she liked him, but beyond casual flirting, he didn't make a pass.  He liked the coffee, and wanted to keep it that way.  

As Alex stepped away from the counter, he saw another uniform down the way from him.  A slender blonde, who wore the bars of a lieutenant.  Alex locked into his professional mindset mode and approached his supervisor.  "Excuse me LT, I don't think we've met yet.  I'm one of your new patrol officers.  Alexander Beachwood."  He said with a business face as he extended a hand to the woman.   

[Deleted]

all the kids cried out please stop you're scaring me

I can't help this awful energy

god damn right you should be scared of me

who is in control?

Jamie watched as one of the newer officers came wandering into the shop. There had been a new academy class that had graduated as well as a few transfers from out of state. It was half a guess to figure out who was who. Like trying to sort the Oxford cousins, multiplied by you know a few hundred. Then again what did one expect in a city like Chicago. The high turn over rate had been avoiding the twenty first district. So far. Though not in its entirety. She broke from her ministrations in her iced latte when she heard a voice call her name politely.

Jamie shifted her drink to her other hand and took his hand shaking it rather firmly. "Jamison Oxford" She usually preferred Jamie but her full name slipped out in professional encounters more as she got older. It was just a habit. Her french accent mixed with her Boston one had never much left her. It was one of the many things she had always managed to hold onto much better than her older sister. "Commen..." she started in French. "How are you doing tonight?" She realized she was slipping into old habits and they died hard.

She wasn't really one much for small talk but when it came to being polite she knew how to be professional. After all one didn't comb through the ranks like she had over the years and not get anywhere. She'd been in the department far longer than she cared to count. But back on patrol is where she felt like she belonged. IAD hadn't exactly been a fun walk in the park. "Oh he's talking to Lieutenant rat." The other officer chimed. Jamie wasn't going to have any of it. "Excuse me a moment." She stated to Alex before going to address the issue.

She took a look at the name badge and precinct numbers on the uniform. "The 2nd is clear across town Officer Mulholland. I suggest you have a decent reason to wandering these parts. Where's Simmons?" She was asking questions because she had an inkling. Didn't Simmons live in the 21st?

"I um... he didn't report for work this morning Lieutenant." Not that it was any of Jamie's business but she could tell by the way Mulholland was acting something was up.

"Beachwood. Come on, we are gonna take a little detour." She made it her business to know which cops lived in her district.

@alex

► kaigra ◄

[Deleted]

    He sipped his coffee, and observed the encounter between Oxford and Mulholland.  Alex watched body and facial reactions, and he could tell bad blood ran somewhere.  He heard the word rat, and knew that term was used for the bad guys who reported other bad guys, or police officers who made a habit of running to Internal Affairs for everything.  OK, so Oxford either was a rat or worked in internal affairs at some point.  Alex really didn't care either way.  He approached this job like every other one.  Keep it clean, keep it professional, and only joke in the squad room.  Rumors, gossip, that only led to trouble, so he kept his ears closed to it and never repeated what he heard.  It was safer that way.

    While the other two talked, Alex took the time to size them up.  Mulholland looked like every cop who didn't take the job seriously; overweight, shabby uniform, slouched posture, and duty belt that sagged too low.  Oxford was different.  She wore the uniform like Alex wore his.  Clean pressed, button up tight, fitted well, and every piece of the belt was immaculate and in a precise position.  She was the type to intimidate and she had the aura of business.  Of course, Alex couldn't help but also notice how well the uniform hugged her slender frame.  He had already seen her ring, and pushed the thought from her mind.  Her comment snapped him to attention.  

    "Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, what are we detouring for particularly?  I'm the kind of guy who likes to be in the know.  I don't intend to step on toes, but I've been in the field for nine years, and i hate surprises."  Alex said as he fell in line behind Oxford as she walked.  He wasn't going to smudge his reputation too early by being insubordinate to a commanding officer, but at the same time he hoped to achieve high places in the CPD.  K-9, SWAT, drug task force.....all units that he had his eyes on.  He also learned a long time ago that no matter how long you've been at a place, its always best to keep your nose clean, and maintain neutrality.  That way, if shit hits the fan, you don't have to stand behind the blades to get hit with it.  


Reply for @jamie

[Deleted]

all the kids cried out please stop you're scaring me

I can't help this awful energy

god damn right you should be scared of me

who is in control?

Jamie wasn’t withholding information from Beachwood, she just didn’t want to talk in front of Mulholland. There was a strategic difference in how she operated. That meant Beachwood got to be momentarily out of the loop. Oh well, if he was any amount of smart he’d deal with it. Jamie heard more chatter on the radio about the domestic dispute and listened to make sure they didn’t have to take a field trip off their field trip. Once they were outside she turned her radio up more appropriate for an outdoor setting.

Jamie was one of those tactic people who looked before she leaped into anything but she also had her instincts. “Ride with me. I’ll explain.” She replied as she opened the door to her Tahoe. The nice thing about her Tahoe was that it was set up for two people. Even her car was in immaculate order. Jamie perhaps was a little too organized but it worked for her. Somedays there just wasn’t anything better to do. She was on night shift today covering for an officer who was in the hospital. The least she could do was do her part in helping get the district covered.

She didn’t answer his question until they were in the car. “I wasn’t going to answer that back there. Mulholland and Simmons are out of the second district. Simmons lives over in our district. I’ve dealt with these two back when I was in IA. Simmons has a substance abuse problem with alcohol and Mulholland likes to try and cover it up. It’s never really interfered with Simmons work and that’s not my business anymore, but I have a bad feeling. I just think someone needs to check on him, make sure he’s okay. Mulholland didn’t offer any reassurances that his partner is okay. And the way he was walking in, the look on his face. He’s hiding something.” She explained as she pulled the vehicle out of park.

“I’ve been on the job for almost two decades.” Her mangled Boston French still as bold as ever. Even if she had been in Chicago since she was in her early 20’s she still sounded like she wasn’t native at all. “Almost all of them in Chicago. You learn a thing or two about the city and the cops who live in the area. Especially coming out of IAD” Jamie remembered everything and although approachable and friendly getting on her bad side was ill advised. Mulholland was already on the that bad side.

@alex

► kaigra ◄

[Deleted]

Alex followed Oxford and listened as she spoke.  This was uncharted territory for him.  IA complaints were almost a non-issue in the state patrol back in Minnesota, an unintended combination of Minnesota nice and the type of officer the patrol force attracted.  It was all business all the time, and everyone signed up for the same proud reason; to patrol some of the busiest sections of the states road system with distinction and honor.  That usually pushed out the bad and retained the best.  Granted, one or two bad eggs always slipped through the cracks, but they were usually drummed out quick enough to prevent future problems.  the same probably couldn't be said for the manpower-heavy agency he now worked for.  

When Jamison said they were taking her Tahoe, Alex quickly moved to his vehicle and pulled out his duty bag.  it held key pieces of kit that didn't have a home on his person, like his quick response trauma plates for active shooters, and four extra magazines for his Glock.  He kept other miscellaneous kit in the bag, but the extra ammo and protection was bred from his time in a sector where twenty plus minute waits were common if you needed assistance.  The last thing he wanted was to run out of ammo on a critical incident and become another statistic.  Returning to the Tahoe, he opened the passenger back door and hefted his bag onto the seat, then got in the passenger seat up front.  He placed his coffee in a cup holder and did a quick hand check of his belt, making sure everything was tight and ready to go as Oxford talked.  
    
"Are you concerned this will be a bigger issue than it already is?  I mean, we almost never made house calls on our own guys back in Minnesota.  I guess ill just watch and observe while you do all the talking?"  IA was a sector of work he never had interest in, and frankly he didn't like getting mixed up in other officer's affairs.  However, Oxford was the ranking officer here, his direct supervisor, and he would back up the blue family no matter what, even if he didn't have a high opinion on the subject,  

[Deleted]

all the kids cried out please stop you're scaring me

I can't help this awful energy

god damn right you should be scared of me

who is in control?

It wasn’t that Jamie was going looking into an IA issue, but she would feel pretty stupid if she didn’t go and check on someone when she had a suspicious feeling. Around this place there was no telling. If it had been a civilian, she might be making the same house call if she had enough information. Chicago was a different city. She wasn’t always suspicious of other cops but she had the ability to see them as any other part of the population when it came to scrutinizing them for lying. Too many years in IA and the logical side of the woman couldn’t leave something alone.

To say her stomach wasn’t in knots was an understatement. There was a small sigh from her as she put her head on the desk. Her head resting on the steering wheel. Soon she was mumbling some stupid kids song to herself to keep herself awake. This was not her time of the night and coffee was taking its sweet time to run through her veins. “I’m little acorn man, lying on the cocoa ground. Won’t you come and play with me? Just don’t come and step and me, that is why I’m cracked you see.” She waited until Alex was in the car to start off for their destination.

“I don’t know. I just have that feeling that something isn’t right. I’m getting all the cues. You have been on patrol long enough to read people. I just get this misfortune of knowing these two characters.” She rolled her eyes. Maybe you’re paranoid Jamie. This isn’t your job anymore. She was fighting with herself. It’s my job to check on people in my district, cop or no cop. Just knock it off.

"This district is far from quiet. We get a lot of gang activity, dirty cops in the ranks are just a fact of that. Simmons had a falling out a while ago let the job get to him.” She’d been there before. Hell, she’d just come back from being caught in every bar from here to the state line, she wasn’t a saint. “Minnesota’s a bit easier to trust people; I can see that. Chicago… is an eclectic group. We get a lot of cops playing with some of our gang members. Some undercover, some dirty. It’s hard to know the difference when you work the streets.” She had been through something and it was clear in her body language. Something that caused her not to trust people easily, not trust cops easily. Then there was not really trusting a partner; even though her partner was off tonight for a family thing, Jamie had refused to ride with another officer for the whole night.

When they got where they were going she parked the Tahoe on the curb. “It’s just a welfare check.” That was the simple way of putting things. They got calls like that all the time. Just this one she was going off instinct. She radioed in the call with her badge number, in case something happened. Jamie knew better than to do something without covering all of her bases. But she hadn’t exactly wanted to give Mulholland a heads up either. The place was pitch black inside. For someone who was home? Then again she had to remind herself it was dark outside. This wasn’t her usual shift.

@alex
ooc: i am sleep deprived and writing this as i am crashing on the keyboard again. hope it makes sense.

► kaigra ◄

[Deleted]

    Alex was intrigued at this point.  Dirty cops?  Undercovers?  He knew shady dealings happened all the time, especially in a job where taking possession of property was common, especially in arrests.  Hell, a county drug task force was brought under fire in Minnesota not too long ago.  They were stealing money, drugs, and personal property by pocketing it without filling it under evidence.  But that was just one bad unit.  He couldn't imagine a whole city full of bad apples.  Soon they pulled up in front of a property.  Had to be the subjects place, because Alex listened as Jamison called on scene.  Alex put himself out on the radio to back, for accountability purposes.  Besides, he would rather his name be on the report with the sergeant to keep him clear if any wrongdoing went down.  

Alex stepped out of the vehicle to stretch.  He hadn't bothered to adjust the seat, and whoever usually rode with Jamison was smaller.  Alex's large frame was beginning to cramp up.  He stood by the fender of the SUV and fiddled with his belt, getting things squared away.  He flipped his holster open and drew the Glock up, keeping it low but high enough for him to flip the TLR2 on and off a few times to check working ability.  When it shone bright, he dropped it back on the holster and flipped the hood back up.  "So, I guess I'll let you take point, and ill just back you up.  Don't worry about me, this isn't my first rodeo."
    

[Deleted]

all the kids cried out please stop you're scaring me

I can't help this awful energy

god damn right you should be scared of me

who is in control?

The Lieutenant heard a crash in the back lawn just as she was checking her own firearm. “I’m glad because I don’t have time for lessons right now.” She replied. If the guy had experience with the force she wasn’t going to patronize him or make him feel like he had nothing to add to the new force. She nodded before heading off in the direction and whomever had caused the crashing sound. Jamie wasn’t exactly Miss quick runner. Jamie pointed off into the alley way so they could maybe corner the male who came out of the house.

Except the guy disappeared from sight. Look up Jamie just as she did the male jumped off the ladder. Everything from point A to B moved quick but Jamie was getting the raw end of this fight. She had the advantage of training on her side and she was much more agile but she had been caught by surprise and the male was much larger and stronger than her. All she could do was defend herself from the prone position he’d knocked her over with from the leap from the ladder.

Jamie managed to spray the guy in the face with her pepper spray. It was all she could reach from her positioning on the ground. Except some of it got in her own face when she did it, a partial hand and some wind was all it took. It wasn’t that she didn’t think Eric had her back; it was more just survival mode for her. She wouldn’t be able to give chase if she couldn’t see. Though she forced herself to get up. Lucky for her it was not full exposure; but that didn’t matter. Jamie kept crunching her eyes with tears welling up. That hadn’t gone to plan at all but the guy was loose and screaming something about crazy blondes.

@alex

► kaigra ◄