Part 11
Unmarked units had started to slowly arrive at the two-story building. Frank Strenlich and Captain Simms sat in one car, looking over the blueprints of the building. The fire marshal had been more than willing to give them a copy. City ordinance said that each building was to have an up to date map on file in the fire chief's office in case of fire.
"Team A is here," Frank pointed out, then went on to say where each of the other teams were located. Paul and Peter would be backup since they were civilians, though Frank knew beyond a doubt that those two would not stay backup for long.
"What did the surveillance unit report?" Simms asked, never taking her eyes from the map as she memorized the various corridors, bays, and staircases.
"A few of the men from the photos went in. None were Benson or Wilson. There've been some deliveries made, but no shipments out. I don't know, there's just something…" Frank trailed off. To anyone watching, this had been a very well planned and executed stakeout and raid. "Then why is the hair on the back of my neck tingling?" Frank asked himself.
Karen glanced at her Chief of Detectives. "I know what you mean. Have all units check in and make…" Her words ended as gunfire and an explosion from the warehouse thundered into the evening hours.
Debris rained down on their car a block away. Flames shot into the sky as the front part of the warehouse crumbled. Rockets shot into the air as more and more explosions sounded. Alarms started to sound as other buildings were pummeled with chunks of block and metal. Workers and officers who had been stationed in the alleyways began to run for cover.
Fire engines that had been stationed only two blocks away answered the alarms. The continued explosions and thick black smoke caused the firefighters to leave the station before the claxon bell sounded. As the big red engines pulled into the devastated area, firefighters jumped off the rigs to lay lines from hydrants to the pumpers and from there to the fire. They shielded themselves as best they could as more of the building shot into the air and was forced to the ground by gravity.
Rescue trucks were parked away from the engines. The paramedics raced to those who were running away from the disaster, sending them on to safety and then continuing on to those who were lying on the ground. Those who had been impaled by metal rods were ignored after a quick check for life.
More firemen and paramedics arrived, along with additional police officers. All helped with the wounded. By chance, a police officer checked the cars that sat along the street. He found one with a roof that had been caved in by a chunk of what used to be part of a building.
"Hey! Get me some help over here. I got two trapped in the car!" he shouted to a nearby firefighter.
Reaching into the car, he felt the burly man's neck. "I've got a pulse on this one. He's from the 101st," he reported to an assisting fireman. Looking over to the passenger side, he saw the blonde hair of Captain Simms. She was lying across the seat with her head caught between the seat and Strenlich's upper torso. "Ohmygod! That's my Captain."
More firemen came to the car. One carried a crowbar while two others carried the parts to a K-12 unit. Extricating Frank was not hard, though it was tedious. His large frame was gingerly pulled from the car and laid on a backboard after a cervical collar was placed around his neck. The next step was to get Simms out.
As the rescuers attempted to put a collar on her, she slowly opened her eyes to see strange faces hovering over her. "Wh-what happened? Where's…?"
"Captain, you need to lie still. Your driver has been taken to the hospital. We're going to get you out of here," one of the paramedics explained, gently restraining his patient from sitting up. "The roof has caved in so we'll have to pull you out and put you on a board."
"I-I have more m-men, stake out. Got-got to fin-find them." Again she tried to sit up, duty calling her more loudly than her rescuer.
Trying to calm her down and prevent her from further injuring herself, the fireman promised, "Look, we'll find them and take care of them. OK?"
Simms' body protested her moving any more. Her vision darkened as exhaustion and blood loss took their toll and she nodded her agreement before she passed out.
***
The garbage can didn't stand a chance against the anger that held Kermit hostage. It gave in as he pummeled its defenseless sides with his fists. The inanimate object's only response was to relieve itself of the rubbish that had been placed in it by other visitors. The sound ricocheted through the waiting room and down the hall, causing everyone to stop and look at what was going on.
Paul put up his hand as a large orderly came toward the distraught man beating up on hospital property. The signal caused the employee to wait as Paul went to Kermit and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You need to calm down or they'll make you leave."
"I'd like to see them try" were the words that Kermit hissed out as he once again lashed out at the can, only to have his hand stopped by Paul.
"You won't be doing her any good by being placed in jail. Look, here comes the doctor." Paul tried to reason with Kermit as he watched the doctor come toward them. They had met the surgeon before Karen was taken into the operating room. The female doctor had made no promises then and the grim look on her face did nothing to give hope to either man or the other officers in the waiting room now.
Kermit clenched his fists, forbidding them to attack the bearer of news before him. "How is she?"
The doctor hadn't missed the noise of someone hitting metal, nor the fists that were balled and the strain on Kermit's face. "We stopped the bleeding. She was fortunate to have been shielded by the driver. Her hip is broken, along with a few ribs, but she will be fine. We'll be moving her into a room in a few hours and you can talk to her then." The doctor gave them a brief smile, then turned to leave.
Peter came into the room, passing the doctor. Meeting his father's look, Peter breathed a sigh of relief, understanding that Captain Simms would live. "Jody's going home with Mary Margaret. Dakota has a broken leg. They wanted to keep him overnight."
"Good. Frank's still in surgery, though. We can go see Simms in a little while. I'd prefer that she didn't know about McIntyre and Phillips. At least, not yet." Kermit gave his report, knowing that Peter's wandering eyes had locked onto the battered trashcan.
An hour later, Kermit sat in Karen's room, keeping vigil over her while she slept. The cuts he had received from the explosion had been cleaned and bandaged by Peter after Kermit refused care in the emergency room. All Kermit wanted now was to make sure that his Captain and lover was safe.
Karen stirred and gave a low moan as once sleeping pain awoke. Her vision was blurred as she attempted to look around her. Her eyes stopped at the dark haired visitor sitting at her bedside. His sunglasses were tucked neatly into his breast pocket; the small wave of white hair combed neatly back added a look of distinction.
"What happened?" Simms' memory went back to the image of flying debris, the caving in of the car's roof, the windshield cracking, and Frank's body lying on top of her. "Where's Frank?" Leaning forward, Kermit took her hand. "He's fine, they have him in ICU. Molly's with him. Don't worry, everything is being taken care of."
"Kermit, please. I-I know you're not telling me some-something." Karen's mind was slowing as exhaustion tried to overrule her desire to stay awake.
"Don't worry. We're taking care of everything. You just go back to sleep." Kermit stood and leaned over her, placing a kiss on her forehead as he heard the door opening. Turning his head, he saw Paul and Peter standing in the doorway.
His partners walked into the room, followed by Jessie, who Kermit had decided was affixing herself as Peter's permanent shadow.
"Hi, Captain." Peter smiled, walking over to his former boss. He held her hand and willed his chi to her. It was a slow healing method, but one he could perform without losing his own strength. He needed to be strong today.
Karen saw the same sadness that had been in Kermit's eyes reflected in Peter's hazel eyes. She felt the warmth that flowed from him to her and a sense of peace settled over her. "Who…died?"
"McIntyre and Phillips. They found their bodies after the fire was put out," Peter answered, ignoring Kermit's stare, warning Peter to keep the bad news away from Karen. "Paul and I think it was a set up. The fire department found a body inside the building. Nicky is trying to make an ID." Leaning over Karen, he kissed her on the forehead, then said, "I have some more work to do." He then left Paul to take care of Kermit and Karen.
Karen nodded and closed her eyes. Blame for the deaths fell into her hands, no matter what had caused them.
"Jessie is going to stay with her while we go and do some work," Paul told Kermit. The glare he received from Kermit was ignored.
Kermit relinquished his vigil and left. The anger that had filled him earlier had gone to sleep. Leaving the room woke it back up. "It was a set up, Paul," he hissed.
"Yes, it was and we will find out who did it." Paul kept walking, never fearing that he'd lose his companion.
"Don't lie to me, Paul. You know who did it. What have you and Peter found out?"
"That only one person could have told Benson what was going to happen. Nicky ID'd the corpse. It was Wilson. Found a bullet in his heart, so he didn't die from the fire, someone killed him first. Peter is going to try and track down Benson."
As the two men waited for the elevator, Paul's cell phone rang. As Paul answered it, Kermit watched as his friend's face seemed to lose some of the worry lines that apparently had become permanent fixtures.
"Peter's found Benson. He's heading to the park," Paul said hurriedly, rushing into the elevator that had just opened up.
***
The weeping willow's limbs gently swayed with the breeze as couples lay in the shade and children ran and played in the sunshine. Flowers bloomed in the well-manicured gardens that were situated strategically around the lakeside park. Boats in the harbor blew their horns on occasion, much to the delight of the kids. Kites flew in the air, performing their own ballet to the music of rustling leaves.
"I suppose you can't get any more public than this," Benson commented as he strolled up to a man feeding ducks.
Without turning around, the man answered, "I always take my lunch break here. No one would suspect that I was meeting with someone who likes to blow things way out of proportion."
Looking around, Benson saw his two bodyguards as they walked around an invisible perimeter, watching for any sign of attack. "I didn't know you were such a nature lover."
"Actually, a police officer turned me onto the lake. Said he always loved to hear the laps of the water and the tide. Seemed to be a type of cleansing of the soul." The man turned toward Benson. "You look worried, Benson. I told you, no one will think anything about me meeting someone here. Besides, you have your henchmen with you." He nodded to each of the darkly clad men around them.
"Let's just say that I don't like being out in the open and ducks are better eaten than eating," Benson began.
"Then you should have stayed under your rock, Benson." A strange voice interrupted the conversation.
Both bodyguards reached for their weapons, as did Benson, only to be met with a lone unarmed Shaolin priest.
"I think, Mr. Caine, that you have made your last mistake. Would you like to know the first one before I have my men kill you?" Benson walked over to the man he had been meeting. "Judge Montgomery, why are you sweating? I'm sure you have met the former Detective Caine. He is the one who turned you onto the water, isn't he?"
"H-How did you…?" Montgomery stuttered, trying to find the words and strength to get around his misdeed.
"How did I what? Figure you were the one involved in the killing of two officers? Find you here? Let's just say that I have my ways." Peter walked forward, ignoring the guns that were trained on him. "You see, I started thinking about the only people who knew of the raid. None of those on the task force would have warned Benson, so that left the person who signed the warrant. I went back to the courthouse. You know which judge's name I found on the license? Yours."
"What do you plan to do? You can't arrest us. You are no longer a police officer and you are all alone. What is to stop my men from shooting you and us leaving your bloody body here for the people to gawk at and the ducks to feed off?" Benson questioned with a sneer.
"I may not be able to arrest you, but he can." Peter nodded, indicating one of the men who walked up behind Montgomery.
One of the bodyguards turned and, with reflex action, fired a shot. The bullet hit its intended target as Kermit shot back, hitting the bodyguard.
Seeing Paul go down to his knees with a red stain spreading over his shirt sent Peter moving toward Benson. A knife hand strike, followed by a jump kick, drove Benson toward the ground as more shots were fired around them. Nothing mattered to Peter except to get the man who was responsible for shooting first Kelly and now Paul.
Kermit stepped between Paul and the gun that was aimed at him. "Drop it!"
A sudden motion from Montgomery led Kermit to pull a spare .38 from his waistband and toss it to Peter, who caught it with ease and without second thought.
Time slowed for those involved in the fight. Benson grabbed for the gun, causing a struggle between him and Peter. The closeness of their bodies prevented anyone from seeing what happened next. In one tragic second, the trigger was pulled, sending the projectile into soft flesh as the judge found a rock, the size of two fists, and drove it into Peter's skull. He and Benson went down, their bodies tangled and bloodied.
Kermit had been busy securing the other guardsman who used the distraction for an attempted escape. Setting his foot out, Kermit tripped the man as the gunshot sounded.
A second shot from Kermit's gun stopped Montgomery as he was pulling Peter's dead weight off the now still Benson. Uniformed officers stood around them, weapons drawn on the suspects.
"Judge Montgomery, you are under arrest. Bo, call an ambulance," Kermit said as he looked first to Paul, then to Peter while another officer handcuffed the judge.
Epilog
Once again, Kermit found himself in the waiting room, pacing the floor. The only difference this time was that the inanimate objects were safe from his wrath.
Paul had been rushed into surgery as Peter refused the doctor's effort to admit him for overnight observation with a concussion. Annie promised she and Kelly would watch Peter for any signs of internal bleeding. After visiting with Karen for a short time and giving a report on how Benson ended up dead with a bullet from a gun which he had been holding, Peter met Annie and waited for the doctor to come out and tell them how Paul was doing.
Minutes turned into hours as the waiting room filled with officers, friends, and family waiting the outcome of the surgery. Molly Strenlich sat next to Annie, both feeling the role of officer's wife, both former and present, bearing down on them. Fear of losing their husbands was constantly on their minds.
Molly remembered the time not so long ago when she and Frank had filed for divorce. After so many years of marriage and children leaving home to start their own lives, the two had grown apart. She knew about his dates with Kelly Blake, and after a few months, Frank came knocking on the door, saying he realized how much he loved and missed his wife. A second honeymoon for Molly and Frank brought the two closer together than they had been before.
Doctor Sanders approached the crowd. Seeing him, they parted to allow him to come face to face with his patient's wife. "Mrs. Blaisdell, your husband will be fine. He won't be able to use that arm for a few weeks and he'll need physical therapy, but he won't suffer any long term disability."
A collective sigh of relief was heard down the hall as all the visitors and family members smiled and congratulated each other.
"What about his lung?" Peter asked, experience from his own previous injuries filling his mind.
"Luckily, a rib deflected the bullet and sent it down the intercostal space between the ribs. It lodged in some muscles. He'll be sore with each breath, but that, too, shall pass." Doctor Sanders smiled, knowing Peter's history. The young man had been a patient under his knife on several occasions in the past fifteen years.
Peter hugged Annie, then Molly, only hearing a small part of the doctor's words about seeing Paul in about thirty minutes. Peter was glad Paul would survive this and not leave his family once again. A part of Peter was also in mourning. He had taken a life. Admittedly, the life he had taken was that of a man so sinister that his soul had not seen the light in many years, if ever. The ease with which Peter had accepted the gun troubled him, but that was for later thought and meditation. Now, he wanted to see his father.
Leading the way to Paul's room was slow. Annie was not accustomed to this hall and needed to count the steps so she could find her way without escort later.
Paul lay with his head slightly elevated, his gray hair contrasting with the white pillowcase. His tan skin was a slightly paler shade, but there was no other indication that he'd lost any blood. A thick bandage at his shoulder was the only article that pointed to the bullet's entrance. Hearing the soft rustle of fabric brought him out of his slumber.
"Hi, babe," Paul was able to murmur as he felt his wife feel her way up his bed, searching for his hand.
"Fancy meeting you here," she joked, the pressure of the long wait slowly ebbing. She squeezed his hand. With her other hand, she reached back for Peter.
Paul's eyes met his son's and he saw the trouble that the face and eyes were not able to conceal. "I'm going to be fine, Peter."
Releasing his mother's hand, Peter walked quickly to Paul and placed a kiss on his father's forehead. "I know. Kermit wants to come in, so let me go get him. I'll be back after you've gotten some rest."
"Peter?" Annie's voice held an unspoken question.
"I'll be here to pick you up. I remember the terms of the agreement, Mom."
As Peter walked out, Paul squeezed Annie's hand. "What agreement?" "The doctor wanted to admit him for observation, but he didn't want me to have to choose between staying with him and staying with you, so I told the doctor I would look after him. The judge hit him in the head with a rock."
***
Paul eventually fell asleep again after Kermit visited. Annie left him sleeping to seek out her son and get him home and taken care of.
Remembering the steps to the waiting room, Annie was greeted by Mary Margaret and Jessie.
"Where's Peter?" Annie asked as she hugged the female officer and Jessie.
"He left not long ago," Jessie answered. "Said he'd be right back. Why?"
Annie told the two women about Peter's injury and her fear that something else was troubling him.
"I'll go find him and bring him home," Jessie offered as she retrieved her purse.
In the short time Jessie had known Peter, she had learned about his secret place. The place he went to seek solitude in those times when deep thought was needed. Times when one needed to think of his actions and the consequences of those actions.
He sat where blood dried in the gentle breeze and sunlight. A yellow police ribbon surrounded him as it marked where the violence from hours ago had occurred. His hair had grown lighter in shade with each passing day, a side effect of working in the sunshine most of the day.
Jessie debated on disturbing him. She stopped and sent her chi out to him as he had taught her to do. The guilt that she felt radiating from him was overpowering.
"Peter?"
He had heard her coming, had felt her cool spirit meet his troubled soul, so her voice did not startle him. "I killed a man today."
"I know, but it was in self defense."
Unable to meet her gaze, he picked up a small pebble and threw it toward the water. "It doesn't matter that it was self defense. I should have found another way to stop this from happening. My father could have."
"You are not your father." Jessie paused, trying to think of the right words, praying that they would come to her. "I think the reason your father left wasn't to see if Laura was alive, but instead to give you time to find yourself. You are living in his shadow when you need to be out in the sun, finding your own path."
Peter looked around, seeing the tape and the blood, remembering the shooting. "I accepted the gun with no second thought and I used it. Seeing Paul get shot…I forgot all about my lessons and the teachings and let instinct kick in. One time, my father said 'to have two families is to be truly blessed.' Well, then I have truly screwed up because I have failed them both."
Seeing that no words would comfort him, Jessie sat beside him silently. They sat there together watching the waves come to the shore and leave it again and the ducks beg for food from park visitors.
***
Miles away, a young woman alternated pushing her son and daughter on the swings. The days had been so beautiful, with no threat of rain to spoil their vacation. The smell of bar-b-que filled the air, chasing away the sweet odor of flowers and pine that surrounded them at the small cabin. She smiled as she remembered the fish her husband and son had caught and their daughter curling up her nose at the sight of them cleaning supper.
Feeling two arms wrap around her and warm breath on her neck, she stopped pushing the children and turned to kiss her husband. It had been a second honeymoon, almost. The rented cabin came with its own security.
A man named Rykker came around every hour, though Alexa was sure he watched unseen from a distance. It was as Mr. Blaisdell had said. She and her family would be safe here while their belongings were moved to an undisclosed location, then they would move in to their new home, new town, new life, assured that she would no longer be hunted down.
The end.