Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
Walker didn't waste much time in the shower. Being a beat cop, he'd perfected a shower that took less than five minutes. The last thing he wanted to do was spend too much time in the station house because the last thing he wanted was to be caught on the grounds and volunteered to work an extra shift. Changing into his dark jeans and a T-shirt, he picked up his badge out of habit and tucked it into his pocket. He hardly went anywhere without it.
The last thing he did before he left his apartment was check his phone.
He opened the app to find Kennedy's phone and felt a smile touch his lips.
He'd expected her to have a bit of an issue when he asked her if he could pair her phone with the tracking app, but after a moment of thought, she'd lifted her phone to his and waited for the link to form between her device and his. She'd even chuckled about it, telling him that if she ever needed help from the police, she knew he'd find her without having to give her physical address. "After all," she'd told him, "sometimes I get so wrapped up in the people I'm talking to, I forget where I am. It could be helpful to have you tracking me."
The pin icon appeared on his phone and the app centered it on the screen so he could see her location.
Fire Station Twenty-Nine
Walker nodded and set the phone on the dashboard holder he'd installed. He was just a few minutes away. With a satisfied nod, he put the car in gear and headed out.
Kennedy walked out onto the apparatus floor with Lieutenant Gibson Braun beside her. Kaleo... 'Duke' was there too and stopped short as the engine truck drove up.
She looked at the new firefighter and narrowed her eyes at him, curious about his reaction. "Duke?"
She watched as he dragged his gaze from the Engine, a smile on his face. The smile looked like it was one of surprise. A pleasant one at that.
"What's got you smiling?"
He pointed a thumb at the engine. "It's going to be a bit of a thing to get used to." He looked back at her, his eyes bright. "Red. Back in Hawaii, they're all yellow."
She smiled back at him. "That would take a little getting used to."
"Really?" Gibson looked between both of them. "Yellow?"
Duke nodded. "Every fire truck. I guess I just didn't think about it."
Gibson nodded, too. "The only yellow fire engines I know in Center City are at the airport," he paused, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Funny, I've never thought about it before." He turned back to Kennedy and gestured for her to walk ahead of him toward her car. "Thanks for coming to us with this opportunity, Kennedy."
She took a few steps backwards as she looked at him. "I'm glad you think of it as an opportunity. I was worried that you'd think I was crazy."
Duke grinned at her. "Crazy can be good sometimes."
Kennedy blushed a little. "I'm just grateful that you're willing to help out. These ladies are really worried about their families."
Gibson agreed. "The hardest thing for families is to feel as if your home isn't safe. When I build additions to homes or do renovations, I spend quite a bit of time on making sure that the safety of the structure is front and center in my work."
Kennedy clapped her hands together. "Yes! I remember talking to Pilar about that. Before she moved in with Roan, she was renting an apartment from you."
Gibson's tanned cheeks turned a little red. "I've purchased and fixed up a few properties in my time as a contractor and I like to rent to female first responders. Their hours can be a little odd at times, so they find it comforting that other women are housed nearby. They watch out for each other, and I have security cameras covering the properties to help with their safety as well."
"That's wonderful, Lieutenant. I may have to interview you about that in the future."
She could see in an instant that he might be a little hesitant to speak on camera.
"Okay," she let out a happy sigh. "I'm going to go see a friend at the hospital and I'll check back in with you about the program."
Gibson's easy smile returned. "We'll make it happen."
Yes, we will . Kennedy felt like she was floating on a cloud. She waved at the two men and turned to head to her car. She was halfway there when she reached into her purse for her keys, realizing that she'd need those to operate the thing.
Laughing at herself, she pulled the keys out of her purse and reached her hand out toward the door.
"Kennedy! Get down!"
Later, she'd remember more of what happened, but just after she heard Gibson's voice, she heard the hollow sounds of something hitting the side of her car and then something pinched her... HARD.
Gasping, she fell against the side of her car, her hip smashing into the metal.
That's when her brain managed to piece together one important fact.
She'd been shot.
"Hey, hold still!"
Gibson slipped his hands under her arms and dragged her around the car so there was a wall at their back and the bulk of the car in front.
A car squealed to a stop in front of the firehouse.
"Kennedy!"
Walker?
She saw him coming around her car and lifted a hand, waving at him. "Go... Go..."
He recognized the sound of gunfire. He'd heard it enough in different situations that there was no mistaking it.
Generally it was directed at him.
He could handle that.
He was fucking trained to do it.
But when he saw Kennedy fall against her car with a sudden jerk, he knew what that meant too.
Kennedy had been shot.
How he managed to pull his car to a stop without crashing into something, he'd never know.
His brain all but shut off at that moment.
He opened his door, his heart in his throat, and he saw Gibson Braun drag Kennedy behind her car for cover, he ran to join them.
Kennedy looked at him and waved for him to, "Go... Go..."
He shook his head. "Fuck that."
He picked up his radio and called in, "Detective-"
"Detective Ashley. Irish Noble. I'm following the car via our CCTV footage, police already tracking him down."
"Thanks. Keep me informed."
"Will do. Ambo Sixty-Five in route."
Braun looked up at him. "Ramsey and Raffe's ambo."
Walker nodded, watching as Braun shifted his hands over Kennedy's bullet wound and she sucked in a breath, moaning.
"Watch what you're fucking doing, Braun!"
"I have to check for an exit wound."
Walker saw him look up and he was nodding before the firefighter had to say a word. "What can I do?"
"Here," Gibson angled his body so that Walker could come closer.
Walker got down on his knees beside Kennedy.
"Put pressure on the entrance wound."
Walker put his hands down on her belly and moved them in as Gibson lifted his away. Together, they managed to transfer their hands without leaving her wound uncovered.
Kennedy hissed and sobbed, and it cut Walker deep. "Fuck, I'm sorry, baby."
Gibson didn't seem to notice the exchange as he turned Kennedy, rolling her on her hip toward Walker.
It was crazy. Walker was dividing his attention on Gibson's face and Kennedy's. Trying to determine everything when he knew next to nothing.
"Damnit. I wish Roan was here."
"No. I want you here." Kennedy reached out and gripped his arm. "You."
He nodded, his gaze directed fully at her face. "Then you better hold on for me. Got it?"
Her face paled as Gibson set her down. "Bossy."
Gibson looked up. "Ramsey's here."
Walker realized that he hadn't even heard the wail of the ambulance's siren as it approached. "Shit! My car's probably in the way-"
Gibson shook his head. "Halo moved your car out of the way while you were helping me."
Walker felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. "Walker. We got this."
Ramsey reached in as Gibson rattled off the pertinent facts to the EMT.
When Walker moved his hands away, he felt another hand take his and looked down.
Kennedy's eyes were shining with tears. "Walker..."
"Baby, you're going to be okay."
Her expression told him she didn't believe him, but that only made him hold her hand tighter.
"You’re going to be okay." He ground the words out between his teeth.
"Okay, boss." Her eyes closed for a moment and Walker heard Raffe, Ramsey's partner mutter an apology.
"Sorry, Miss Heart. We've got to move you onto the gurney. I wish there was a painless way to do it."
She turned her gaze to the other EMT and gave him a weak smile. "It'll be nothing compared to my cramps, Raffe. Go for it"
Kennedy laughed a little and the tension in the area eased a little.
Ramsey shook his head. "Are you going to put us on the news, Miss Heart?"
He moved to her head and Raffe moved to her feet. Walker kept a hold of her hand.
"If I do and call you guys hot blond bookends, will you hate me?" She started to laugh and then gasped as they lifted her onto the gurney.
Raffe winced and Kennedy immediately apologized.
"Sorry."
Walker moved with her, but he had to let go when they set the gurney in place and lifted it into the ambulance.
He looked up and met Ramsey's gaze.
He waved for Walker to get in.
Walker climbed up inside after Raffe and before he could ask about the back doors, Halo and a guy he didn't recognize closed them.
He felt Kennedy squeeze his hand. "That's the new guy on Crew. His name is Kaleo."
He turned to look at her. The words on his tongue were a question about how she knew so much about the new guy, but he saw how pale she was and that's when it hit him that her words were tight and clipped.
"You should do a story on him."
She startled and then she smiled, just a little. "A story?" He could almost see the wheels turning in her head.
He grinned. "Why not? Is he from here?"
She started to shake her head and winced.
"Kaleo? Hawaii?"
"Yeah, he just moved here." She smiled and out of his peripheral vision he saw Raffe smiling. She had an IV in her arm and Walker was hoping that she was being treated to some pain relief.
"Maybe you can ask him where's the best place to go and visit?"
Kennedy was relaxing, her hand losing grip on his. Walker leaned forward and grasped her hand in both of his.
"Maybe when you're healed up you can plan a trip for us to the islands?"
She frowned at his words. "A trip? Why?"
He shook his head and then rolled his eyes. "You scared me shitless, Kennedy. I'm going to need a few quiet days alone with you to get my head back on straight."
She moved and he heard a little groan.
"Can't you give her more meds?"
Raffe shook his head. "Sorry. Just a little. Any more and she'll need orders from a doctor."
He opened his mouth to complain, but Kennedy squeezed his hand. "Why didn't you go?"
He heard the tightness in her voice. "Leave you?"
The front of the ambulance tipped up and he knew they were headed up to the Emergency Room entrance of Cole Med.
She smiled at him, her eyes bright with pain. "You were in your car. You could have caught them."
He knew that. It was one of the thoughts in his head.
"I didn't know..." He swallowed and let out a breath. "I couldn't leave you just then. Not until I knew that you were going to be okay."
The ambulance leveled out and he felt his own emotions doing the same.
The back doors opened, and he saw some of the Emergency Room staff who he was familiar with looking up at him.
He kept his mouth shut as Raffe and Ramsey did their jobs.
All Walker could do was stand back and focus on what was really important. Kennedy.
She, on the other hand, had something on her mind.
Waving him off to the side of the gurney, he crossed the space between them, willing to take Baldwin's arm off if he actually tried to push him away.
"Walker," Kennedy grasped his hand and gave him a look and an impassioned plea, "don't stay here waiting. Go. Go find them."
Walker nodded. "You got it." He brushed a kiss across her knuckles and gave her a smile. "I'll be back later."
He felt a hand on his arm and turned to see Doctor Kay Hata at his side.
"We've got her, Walker. Do your thing."
Oh, he was going to do it all right.
Jerzek pulled into the parking lot and found a spot at the back end of the lot. From there, he walked down the alley and stepped into the back of an abandoned warehouse.
He didn't even look for a camera on any of the buildings. This part of town had stopped advancing back in the Eighties. A bunch of the businesses that he'd passed were closed and the rest were barely holding on.
The whole area was depressing.
He took out a handkerchief and wiped his hand off on it. It didn't matter that the doorknob looked clean. Just breathing the air in that area of town made him feel grimy.
He also took the time to look around the room.
It had been a meat packing business when it was open. Even then it wasn't much cleaner than it was at the moment. A handful of people got food poisoning from some ground meat and the business had closed when the resulting civil lawsuit had forced them out of business.
Movement in the far corner didn't turn his head. The noise was too low to the ground, the shadow that moved was telling, too. A rat.
He hadn't expected anything to live in this squalor, not even a rat.
There was another noise. This time from off to his right.
There was an office space in that area and the shadows were long, but he didn't worry about it. No one would be stupid enough to draw down on him.
"You should come out now, unless you want me to think you're a threat."
The door creaked as it moved and Jerzek looked up to see it swing until it touched the wall.
The young man who stepped out gave him a little wave.
If he thought it was funny, that was just another mark against him.
"Tell your friend to come out, too."
The young man stopped walking and leaned back as if that would do anything to help his situation.
"Don't make me ask again. I know he's here with you."
Another figure stepped out into the light. This guy was taller than the shooter. His shirt didn't fit well, the shoulder seam hanging down a few inches lower than it should and the pants he was wearing looked like they'd come off of a man forty pounds heavier.
"What's your name?"
Jerzek already knew Jamil. He'd been the one to take the job to prove himself, but this other man? He'd never met him before.
"Gantt. That's what people call me."
"Gantt." Jerzek's lip curled up. "What kind of name is that?"
Jamil huffed and shrugged. "His gramma called him Gannt, cuz he's a tall mother fucker. Near as I can figure, it's supposed to be giant."
Jerzek nodded. "Fits."
He put out his hand. "Give me the gun."
Jamil kept his hands at his sides. "Don't you think it would be better if I threw this into the river? I don't think I like a police officer having my prints on a gun." He lifted his chin. "Even if you're on the take, I don't think I like that idea."
Jerzek lifted his hand and wiped at the corner of his mouth with his thumb. "I don't care what you think. You don't get to make a decision. I gave you the damn gun to do a job. And you didn't do the damn job."
Gantt looked at Jamil, but the smaller man kept his gaze locked and even on Jerzek's face. "I shot the bitch. Saw her go down with my own eyes."
Keeping his gait slow and even, he walked closer mulling over the information.
"I saw her go down." Jamil repeated the words, his head shaking slightly. "She got hit."
Jerzek gave him a look, cocking his eyebrow up over his eye. "Well, if you were going to shoot her, maybe not in front of a fire station. She was in the hands of a firefighter before she hit the ground. She's at the Emergency Room now. My contacts say she's going into surgery."
Gantt look at him, a hopeful look in his eyes. "Surgery? Maybe she'll die."
Pointing at the taller man, Jerzek was still looking at Jamil. "You brought him into this. What the hell were you thinking?"
Jamil leaned in, mirroring his own stance. "I was thinking I can't drive and shoot at the same time."
"Well, apparently you can't shoot either!"
"Man, what's your problem with the bitch?" He scoffed. "All she does is talk about food festivals and community projects. What do you have to worry about?"
Jerzek had half a mind to pistol whip the little shit for talking back to him.
"I don't answer your questions. I give you orders."
"You're not in charge of me-"
Jerzek saw Gantt move. It was easy enough. A man that big didn't move smoothly or quick enough to get past him.
The tall man pulled a gun out of his waistband. Before he could aim it at Jerzek, the detective grabbed his hand and turned the gun around, almost one hundred and eighty degrees.
The movement was fast enough and restrictive enough that the finger Gantt had on the trigger squeezed.
Gantt stumbled back, but Jerzek kept a hold on the gun, and wrapped his hand around the man's skinny arm. He turned to Jamil and saw the man fumbling for his own gun.
Times like this, things came down to who was willing to do what needed to be done. Jerzek wanted to get out of this with his life and his job intact.
So he shot Jamil. Not just once, but twice. The first shot had drilled him in the side, Jamil had been turning, likely trying to get away.
The second shot went into his leg, and he jerked before clutching at his leg, to try and staunch the blood.
"Fu---uck, man! I did what you asked!"
"You must have been shit in school if you think you followed my instructions. I said to kill her and get away clean."
"We stole the car! Wiped it down."
Gantt flopped back as soon as Jerzek let go of his arm, gathering his over-sized shirt to press down on the wound.
Keeping an eye on the man who tried to shoot him, Jerzek wiped the weapon off with the handkerchief he'd used to clean off his hand. When he was satisfied that he'd wiped off the parts of the gun that he himself might have touched, Jerzek reached down and pulled Gantt’s hands away from the wound.
He wrapped Gantt's hand around the grip of the gun in a few different angles before dropping the man's hand back down.
"What... what the fuck, man?"
Jamil looked like shit. Even with both hands trying to put pressure on his wound, his hands were dark with blood.
He smiled. "Looks like you're equally shit at trying to stop the blood from oozing out of your body. It'll go faster if you just let it out."
"I got a kid, man. I got a kid back home."
"Not my problem."
"Call for help," Jamil ground out the words, "I won't say shit to the police."
"You would." Jerzek grumbled. "You would and I'm not going to let that happen. As it stands, I'm going to be the one called in when they find your bodies and it's going to look like you two idiots took each other out. Probably nervous about going down for a hit on a highly visible television personality."
"You gonna do me like this when I did... when I did what you said."
Jerzek leaned over his body. "I told you to put her down. How the hell do you think you did what I asked. Hell, your boss is going to be thrilled that I got rid of a royal fuck up like you."
"I don't wanna die..."
Jerzek looked over at Gantt and saw a dark puddle swelling under him.
The lanky man might not want to die, but this was just another wish for the day that wasn't going to be answered.
He'd seen men die before, some by his own hand, but this was the first time he'd outright killed one.
Two.
It was a means to an end.
A messy one, but something that had to be done.
Even if he'd succeeded, he would have ended up splayed out on the concrete floor of the meat packing factory.
As much as he hated that Jamil had brought along someone else when he'd shot Kennedy, it actually made things easier in a way. Instead of a random shooter, now they'd have a dispute between two criminals.
One trigger happy, and both dead.
He lifted his left arm and looked at his watch. Gantt looked like he was gone, Jamil was still fighting it.
Jerzek shook his head as he waited. He couldn't assume that Jamil would die if he wasn't there to watch. He was still keeping an ear to the ground in WCCN. His old friend had already promised him that he'd call if Kennedy was trying to do a story on him.
Jamil was right. Kennedy did the puff pieces, but some people lived for advancement.
Kennedy might be one of those people.
She probably had footage of him meeting with his... less savory contacts in Center City.
It was pure dumb luck that she'd been around with a fucking video camera, no less.
She might not have anything that she could use on him, but he wasn't about to let his guard down.
He had his retirement coming up.
The last thing he needed was IA snooping around in his bank account.
He didn't serve the city as long as he did for some starry-eyed little cornpone bitch to ruin everything for him in the last few months of his career.
She might've survived this, but she lived in Center City.
It was dangerous on the best of days, and she spent a lot of time on the streets.
He wasn't about to risk his neck doing things himself, but with his activities over the last few years, he'd come into contact with criminals who owed him favors. And he'd call those favors in to make sure that Kennedy didn't have the time to dig through her footage.
But he'd have to be careful. One drive by could just be a thing.
If someone else tried to hurt her the same way, or too close in time to the shooting, they'd have curious eyes looking at the crime.
It didn't help that she was dating Walker Ashley.
The fucker was everything Jerzek had never been and didn't care to be.
The CCPD was a paycheck.
And a decent retirement.
It just turned out that Jerzek wanted... more.
A breath rattled out of Jamil's throat and Jerzek sighed.
He moved over to Gantt first and felt for a pulse.
Nothing.
The man was cool to the touch.
Then, he moved over to Jamil.
It was kind of a waste, he thought as he leaned over and felt for Jamil's pulse.
It was gone.
There was a moment where he spared a thought for Jamil's family. He didn't know if Jamil was married but he knew the guy had a kid.
There was a good chance that his family already knew that he was a criminal. Jerzek wondered if that made a real difference to them, or did love really conquer all?
Maybe he really did need to retire, he was getting a little too soft... in his head.
Moving back to Gantt's side, he put the gun in his hand and then let go of both, letting it fall where it may.