A Dozen Deadly Roses (9 page)
Jade walked into the roll call room and did a double take. The whole right side of Mac’s face was the color of eggplant and almost as rounded. Similar ugly markings covered his arms - at least the parts his uniform shirt didn’t cover.
“Holy cow. I think the Los Angeles River won the bout. You look terrible,” she said. “Do you think you’ll be able to work today?”
Mac nodded. “I’m stiff as hell, but I look worse than I feel.”
Jade moved to the back of the room where most of the training officers sat and took her seat. As the sergeants filed in, she remembered the feel of Mac’s lips on hers. His kiss had been gentle, inviting. She’d been so startled, she’d responded. When he’d pulled away so abruptly, her brain had shouted, “more.” She’d thought about that kiss the rest of the night and it had inspired some interesting dreams.
Jade’s thoughts were interrupted when Lieutenant Lasko swaggered past the probationary officers sitting in the front row and came to a stop in front of Mac. She smiled broadly at him.
“How are you feeling today, Mac? You really took care of business yesterday. Remember those nights working down in the ‘hood’ together? We handed out our share of bruises, didn’t we? Let’s grab a cup of coffee later and reminisce. I’ve got to get roll call underway.”
The buxom blond sat in the Watch Commander’s position at the large desk that faced the officers. She looked across the room and favored Mac with another bright smile. Next to her sat Sergeant Phil Blank, who’d transferred in a few months prior from the elite Metro Division. He took the position of Assistant Watch Commander.
Lasko began giving officers their assignments by calling out their names and unit numbers. When she got to Stryker and Donovan in 15 Adam 21, Sergeant Blank interrupted her.
“Jeez, Donovan, haven’t we told you to take it a little easier on your probationary officers? Stryker’s almost the color of Barney the dinosaur.”
Several officers chuckled.
Lasko glared at the officers, deep furrows between her brows. “Knock it off! It’s no laughing matter. Stryker could have been killed.” The jovial mood in the room instantly cooled.
The Watch Commander cleared her throat and continued with the routine roll call assignments and announcements. When she was done she turned to Sergeant Blank. “I know you wanted to debrief the troops on yesterday’s water rescue incident, but I’ll do it since I was there. At the captain’s request, I’ll keep it short and sweet.” There was no mistaking the controlling power in her voice.
Jade sat in her chair twisting a paperclip until it snapped in two. “Monday morning quarter-backing” in the name of debriefing was a common occurrence after a major incident. More often than not, peers were tough in their appraisal of a fellow officer’s actions in a critical situation – especially if a female officer was involved.
Lasko stepped down from the platform and paced in front of the desk while recounting the events of the rescue.
“Yesterday we had a close call. A young child fell into a flood control channel. Two of our officers responded, and from there, the whole incident fell apart.” The lieutenant tugged on her equipment belt, causing the leather around her thick waist to creak. “The probationary officer jumped into the water after the child and placed himself at risk. His training officer attempted to follow in the black and white and tried to broadcast her partner’s location, which was impossible because she had no idea where her partner was. In the Academy it’s taught as a fundamental you never separate from your partner, yet the training officer thought she knew best and let her partner face the danger alone.”
When Lasko began speaking, Jade felt her face flush. As the tirade continued, Jade twisted the remaining bits of paperclip until, too small to bend, they poked painfully into her fingers. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but someone beat her to it.
“You know Lieutenant Lasko, with all due respect you’re full of -”
“Stryker!” Jade blurted out, “I can speak for myself. I’ll take this up with the lieutenant after roll call.”
Mac swiveled in his seat to face her. “Listen, partner, I’ve got no problem debriefing an incident I was involved in, but when it turns to personal attack, I’m going on the offensive.”
Mac turned to face Callie whose face had gone pale during their exchange. “Now lieutenant, with all due respect why don’t you tell us how you would have handled the situation? I’m sure with all the extensive street time you have, you’ve faced equally intense situations.”
A dazed look replaced smug superiority on the Watch Commander’s face. It was common knowledge Callie Lasko left the field right after she completed probation and worked a series of inside jobs until she was promoted.
“Don’t be shy,” Mac goaded, “I’m sure we’d all love to hear some of your war stories.”
Measured clicks from the clock in the back of the roll call room were the only sounds as everyone sat stunned at Mac’s bold outburst.
Sergeant Blank cleared his throat. “We all know our main goal on this job is to do the best job we can, and have everyone go home safe at night. Yesterday, Stryker and Donovan saved the child and although Mac is a little worse for wear, last night they both went home. It doesn’t get any better than that.” The sergeant pushed back his chair. “Be safe out there and let’s get to work.”
The officers were silent filing out of the roll call room past Lieutenant Lasko. The grapevine would hum between the black and whites about today’s briefing, and by tomorrow, Mac’s challenge of Lasko would be all over the department.
The lieutenant called out after the officers moving down the hallway. “Stryker and Donovan, after you get your equipment and black and white, I want to see you in the Watch Commander’s office.”
“Count on it,” Jade snapped, setting her mouth in a hard line.
After stopping at the kit room for equipment, they walked out to the parking lot.
Mac tried to make light of the incident, but Jade just grunted in reply. Too angry to talk, she slammed her war bag in the trunk and shoved her ticket book on the dash. Lasko thought she’d been ineffective yesterday, and now Mac jumped in and defended her in front of the whole roll call. Everyone was going to think she was spineless.
After they got their patrol car set up for the day, they returned to the station. Sergeant Blank intercepted them.
“I talked to Lasko and got her straightened out. Forget what she said in roll call. You guys did an outstanding job yesterday. I’ll be writing up a commendation. Go hit the streets and try not to do anything else that’s going to get Callie all riled up.”
Jade folded her arms across her chest. “Listen, Sarge, that woman has no idea what being a street cop is all about. Then she goes into roll call and calls me out in front of my peers, and you expect me to forget about it? I’m not made that way.”
Mac shifted and looked at Jade. “There’s no sense in getting Lasko’s panties in a twist. I slammed her good and she knows I’m not going to take any crap off her. Sergeant Blank is writing a commendation, so why make waves?”
Jade turned her gaze to him, her fury white hot. “Easy for you to say. She didn’t criticize you in front of your coworkers. In fact, she wants to get together and reminisce about the good old days.”
Why did that bother her so much?
Jade bit the inside of her lip.
Mac’s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to reply when Sergeant Blank held up his hands indicating they should calm down.
“Look, you two,” he said, lowering his hands, “You both did a great job yesterday and everyone knows it.” He smiled. “Well, everyone but Callie. But does she really matter? The answer is no. So don’t waste any more time on worrying what she’s going to say or what she’s going to do. Go out and do another bang-up job…except make sure neither of you get banged up in the process.” He gave them a wide grin.
“You got it Sarge. Come on, Jade,” Mac said, turning toward the parked black and white patrol cars. “Let’s get to work.”
“You know, you really ticked me off,” said Jade a few minutes later as she turned their patrol car back toward their assigned area. “You seem to be trying to make a name for yourself at my expense.”
“I defended you in front of the whole roll call, what more do you want? Besides,” he said adjusting the passenger door mirror, “Everyone knows the only reason Callie Lasko was promoted to lieutenant is because she found inside jobs where she could spend all her time studying for exams. I’ve listened to stuff in the locker room. You’ve got a fine reputation.”
Jade glanced from the road to look at him. “Who’s been talking about me in the locker room? What are they saying?”
Mac fought to keep a smile from creeping upon his face. Female officers were often the topic of conversation in the male locker room. However, Jade was always the most admired in those discussions. Almost every man in the locker room admitted to wanting to bang her. But mixed with their lewd fantasies were tales of respect for her common sense and dedication as a police officer - a distinction not easily won by a woman in the department. Of course, the fact she refused to date any of her co-workers only added to her mystique.
One of the younger guys even acted friendly and teased him about how he was too old to nail his ‘hot’ training officer. But Jade didn’t need to hear about that. Naturally, Mac’s thoughts had turned to making love to her - especially after that kiss in her apartment. It had taken every bit of his will power to pull away from her tantalizing lips and provocative full breasts. The memory of her kiss haunted him several times an hour.
“The guys say you’re a good, solid cop,” he said finally.
She kept her attention to the road. “I’m glad they feel that way. I work hard to do a good job. But I could have stood up for myself in roll call.” Seeing a vehicle with expired registration tags, she motioned for him to run the license plate number on the computer.
He tapped the number into the machine. “Seems to me you’ve got some kind of inferiority thing going. I wasn’t going to let Lasko rag on the good job we did yesterday.” The return message showed the vehicle he’d run was not stolen, and the registration current. The owner hadn’t put the new tags on yet.
“I don’t care if you make a name for yourself as long as you don’t jeopardize my job or my reputation,” she said.
Mac input another vehicle plate into the computer. “Seems to me we both have the same goal, so let’s find us a bad guy to put in jail.”
The day passed uneventfully. They recovered a stolen vehicle that was left in the parking lot of a mall, returned an Alzheimer’s patient to the care facility from which she’d wandered, and arrested a gang member for selling methamphetamine.
At the end of the day, they made a last loop through the five square miles that comprised their basic car area when they got a message on the computer.
Come to the Watch Commander’s office Code 2
.
Mac groaned and read the message aloud to Jade. “What do you think the witch woman wants now?”
“I don’t know, but it must be fairly important if it’s Code 2. Whatever it is, let me do the talking. After the hard time you gave her in roll call, she won’t mess with you, but I want her to know I’m not going to put up with any of her crap either.”
At the station, Mac noticed how Jade’s whole persona changed when they got out of the car. She stood taller and had a “don’t screw with me” look on her face.
I wouldn’t want to be Lasko. Jade’s ready to do battle
.
They entered the Watch Commander’s office.
“Did you want to see us?” Jade asked, with an edge to her tone.
Lasko looked up and Mac saw her hands trembling as she shuffled some paperwork.
“Uh, um, yes. I’ve got training orders for both of you - Arrest and Control training.”
“They’re still doing that nonsense?” Mac questioned.
Jade turned to him. “Yes, but they’ve shortened the class to eight hours instead of forty.”
“You’ll need to sign the receipt to show you were issued the orders,” Lasko said.
Jade took the orders and handed Mac his copy, then frowned.
“Lieutenant, the training is scheduled for tomorrow.”
“So?”
“Well, don’t you think we should have been given a little more notice?”
Lasko slammed the arrest report she was reviewing on her desk creating a breeze sending other paperwork airborne. She glowered at Jade.
“Officer Donovan, you signed on to be a Los Angeles Police Officer. The Department doesn’t revolve around you or your schedule.”
“I think Officer Donovan might be concerned with child care issues,” Mac said.
Jade shot him a warning look.
“Perhaps she should have thought of that before she pinned on the badge,” the lieutenant replied while reorganizing her paperwork with a flourish.
“Lieutenant Lasko, because I’m a professional, I’ll make arrangements for my child and be at the training even with this short notice.”
The Watch Commander ignored Jade and turned her attention to Mac. “I’m sorry I’m not scheduled to go to the class. We could work out together and ‘mix it up’ a little.”
“Maybe next time,” Mac said dryly, giving Callie a nod as they started into the hallway.
“You would think after that tongue-lashing I gave her in Roll Call she’d want to avoid me,” Mac said incredulously, shaking his head.
“I hate that woman,” said Jade as they moved down the hall. “She sure seems to want to jump your bones. Are you sure you didn’t have a fling with her when she was your boot?”
Mac snorted and made a face in reply.
“I need to go to the car and finish my D.F.A.R.,” he said, referring to the daily log of their activities.
Jade resented the lieutenant’s provocative manner toward Mac; it was completely unprofessional. Besides, Jade bristled at the innuendos that Callie and Mac were more than partners years ago. It made Jade uncomfortable to think that she’d been one of several of Mac’s conquests.