The Protectors: Vigilante Justice (Vigilante Cops Book 1)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “What do you think Ray has planned for Araya after he gets him to confess?” Ellie asked as they got underway in her Jeep.

  “I don’t know, El. When local authorities arrested the MS-13 leader in Richmond a few years ago, they took thirty well armed officers with them. They also spent six months making a case before moving in with the FBI spearheading it. If this turns out to be a trap we’ll be toast.”

  “Jason and Luis will be all over you when they find out you decided to exclude them for their safety. Family or not, they’re cops and-”

  “I’m not excluding them,” Connor cut her off. “If we do this I want a couple people we can trust Stennis and Morton don’t know about. If Stennis comes up with what you asked for, I’ll talk to Luis and Jas about watching our backs.”

  “Have you felt lately like we’ve entered a different dimension since rescuing those kids?”

  “It was just a trigger, El. Things happen for a reason. Is it getting old yet? You did survive your third brush with the darkness.”

  “Speaking of which what the hell did you think you were doing going Kung Fu Panda on our perps this morning? You should have had your piece out and pointed for business.”

  “How would you know what I did ‘Ms. Float Into The Fog’ and get schooled?”

  Ellie laughed, glancing over at Connor. “The Godfather filled me in. Don’t change the subject. I want to know if I’m going to the next gunfight with headshot Connor or Jackie Chan.”

  “I screwed up,” Connor admitted. He knew if anyone deserved the truth, Ellie did. “Our recent weapons use and the resultant investigations have taken their toll on me. I didn’t think I could live through another week of your whining about desk duty.”

  “Hell of an apology.”

  “I’m sorry for endangering your life.”

  “Apology accepted with the caveat you mentioned me whining in the first phase.”

  “Noted. You can bet the first question from Donaldson is going to be ‘Officer Bradwick, why do none of these reports indicate a firearm being pulled by one of my officers. Have you and your partner found a pharmacy with invincibility pills, Opie?’.”

  Ellie chuckled appreciatively. “Your new nickname has really started catching on. I heard Donaldson call you Opie in the squad room and no one even laughed.”

  “Yes, you have given me the gift that keeps on giving, El…vira, Princess of Darkness.”

  “You’re welcome, Opie…wan Kenobi. So, when do we go see your crush about the new problem with drawing your weapon, and I don’t mean your weapon in the biblical sense?”

  “I’m not having a problem with…” Connor shut up as Ellie began pumping her right fist and laughing. “You… are… such… a… little… tool!”

  “I’ve been nailing you regularly, Opie. I believe it’s the dawn of a new age in our partnership. Now, do you make the appointment or do I? Jules needs apprised of your new angst.”

  “You know, El, this channeling Wanda Sykes phase you’ve been going through is annoying.”

  “I guess since you’ve been dishing it out since we partnered up it’s about time you learned to take it.”

  “Dish…dishing it out?” Connor gasped uncharacteristically. “I swear, Ellie, if you had any idea what dishing it out means you’d know I’ve been handling you with kid gloves. If you want your own Ellie daily bulletin board, just keep it up.”

  Ellie shifted uncomfortably as embarrassing events from their nearly three years together began popping into mind.

  “Uh huh!” Connor looked sideways at his now silent partner. “I see you’re not totally without memory of past less than stellar moments.”

  “You’re not Arvizo. Besides, you have to ride with me every day.”

  “Acknowledged, but any escalation of your sharp tongued banter will have consequences.”

  “Understood, now when do we see your girlfriend for an appointment? You haven’t forgotten about Christmas dinner tomorrow at my folks’ house, right?”

  “Frack you on the first part of your question. No, I haven’t forgotten on the second part. Will Tara and Stan be coming down with the kids?”

  “They’re due in this morning at eleven. Think we can get a couple hours off between three and five tomorrow for dinner?”

  “Sure, Donaldson’s glad we take up the slack we do on holidays. It also earns us points with our fellow officers. Besides, we’ll be on com. We’re taking Tommy and Devon out on patrol after dinner to piss off your sister then, right?”

  “Oh yeah,” Ellie confirmed, a wistful satisfied look on her face as she considered the prospect.

  Dr. Morrison approached them in the parking garage, shortly after Ellie and Connor left the Jeep. Ellie grinned when she noticed Julie wearing a sleeveless black dress ending at mid thigh with matching black wrap-up stilettos. She elbowed Connor who was studiously pretending to not be looking.

  “Jules looks like she wants to eat you up, Opie,” Ellie whispered, as she waved at Julie.

  “Ellie, are you alright?” Dr. Morrison asked. “I heard you were knocked unconscious. Sergeant Donaldson wants to see both of you.”

  “I’m okay, Jules,” Ellie replied, taking Julie’s arm in a sisterly escorting way, propelling her back toward the building. “Spill it. What does the big D want from us?”

  “I… I don’t know. I just assumed it was to see how both of you were.”

  “Did you meet us to see how I was, girlfriend, or model that slinky new dress for Opie here?”

  Julie blushed. She laughed at her own immediate guilty feeling.

  “Pay no attention to her, Doc. The stun-gun zapped the part of her brain where the knowledge of polite interaction is stored,” Connor cautioned, falling in behind Ellie and giving her hair a yank.

  “Actually, I was just worried, plain and simple,” Julie replied. “I heard no weapons were fired or even drawn. I hope that isn’t because of me but just a matter of restraint.”

  “You’ve been hunched down next to your cop band radio looking for some drama, huh? Not everything’s about you, Jules. Get over yourself.” Ellie reached down to pinch Julie’s buttock. She then immediately pulled away in disgust, pretending Connor pinched Morrison. “Connor! What’s wrong with you?”

  Connor saw shock on Dr. Morrison’s face as she spun to face him where he had stopped abruptly. “Oh, come on, Doc. You don’t-”

  “Don’t what?” Julie smiled up at Connor. She moved in close to him, stroking her hands slowly around his sides to where she could grip his butt. She pulled up tight to him, knowing exactly who had pinched her and what the scene was doing to Ellie now.

  The sight of Julie on tip toes, hands on Connor’s butt, with lips only inches away from his sent a chill down Ellie’s spine unconnected to the cool air in the parking garage.

  “Calm down there, Jules,” Ellie ordered, walking away toward the building entrance. “We have to get in to work.”

  “Did I do well?” Julie whispered, before easing away from Connor.

  “You did just fine, Doc,” Connor acknowledged, moving past her.

  “Ellie tried to change the subject expertly as usual but did something happen concerning your ability to use deadly force?”

  “No, Doc,” Connor called back over his shoulder. “It’s Christmas Eve morning. I figured I should curb my murderous tendencies for the holidays. Nice dress.”

  Julie laughed, smoothing the front of her dress as she watched Connor catch up to Ellie.

  “That was a very exciting bit of police work this morning.” Donaldson gestured for Connor and Ellie to sit down in the chairs near his desk. “What, double shifts through the holidays aren’t enough for you and your partner, Opie? Did you just not draw your weapon as Officer James lay unconscious in the spirit of Christmas or did you think to hone your martial arts skills to impress our city’s official? Perhaps one of you could shed some light on why Councilman Stennis was recruited for this morning’s unauthorized Jack London Station operation. I inq
uired as to why Yost was taking his statement a few minutes ago. Please… enlighten me.”

  Donaldson sat down, elbows on the desk and hands clasped under his chin, facial expression set in an exaggerated look of concerned interest.

  Connor wondered how Stennis had beaten them to the precinct. He started at the beginning, explaining their actions against the aggressive panhandlers, and what he and Ellie had decided to do. After laying the foundation, Connor gave Donaldson every detail of what transpired, including his hesitation to react with deadly force. He followed that up with Stennis’s situation in regard to the MS-13 gang leader, Araya. A quarter of the way through his explanation, Donaldson gave up all pretense of levity. When Connor finished, he looked over at Ellie.

  “Did I miss anything, El?”

  “You got everything right including predicting the boss would toast you about not drawing down on the raggedy men.”

  “I’m glad you two didn’t try dealing with this on your own. I can think of twenty cops who’d give their eyeteeth to be in on this takedown. Let’s do this, but with overwhelming force, and I’ll do on site command. We’ll let Morton and Stennis work their sting anyway they want. If it works, Morton will be getting some surprise backup. If it doesn’t, we’ll pull your out on a limb asses back from the brink and keep Stennis from getting his fool head blown off. I agree with Ellie about the conditions. If Stennis doesn’t come up with the confession, we back away. Nothing leaves this room. You come to me if the pieces fall into place. I’ll coordinate backup. No one will know what’s happening until Araya agrees to a meeting with Stennis.”

  “Can you go along with the agreement, Sarg?” Connor asked.

  “We’ll honor it. The FBI boys ain’t dummies. If Stennis doesn’t have this supposedly coordinated undercover operation with Morton down pat to the last detail, they’ll come after him. You can bet if he did reveal it to them, they’re already busily giving his life an anal exam. Anymore holiday parties you two have arranged I should know about?”

  “Can we take a two hour dinner break Christmas Day from three to five, boss?” Ellie asked. “My family is having us over for dinner if it’s okay.”

  “Tell Bartola I said to put you two on call for those hours. Anything else… a mob hit maybe?”

  “Can we take my sister’s kids on patrol for a couple hours after Christmas dinner?”

  “Still fighting with the favored one, huh Ellie?” Donaldson chuckled. “If it’s okay with your sister, it’s okay with me. Were there any pictures from this morning’s stun-gun attack?”

  “Fortunately, we were working with Yost and Gerard instead of OPD’s paparazzi, Arvizo and Ladd,” Ellie replied, taking out her Nikon and playing the video on her camera display for Donaldson she took of the three after the incident.

  “Well, they look properly chastised. Dr. Morrison was around again this morning with you two the highlight of her morning. What’s her interest in the Bradwick and James show?”

  “She’s in love with Opie, boss.”

  Donaldson smiled questioningly at Connor, who shrugged.

  “I got nothin’, Sarg, except Ellie’s imagination.”

  “Two pieces of advice: keep it out of the office, and I don’t want to know about it.”

  * * *

  Ellie kept glancing over at Connor as he drove, gritting her teeth against saying anything. He was giving her the silent treatment, daring her to try and break it at the same time. I am so weak… damn it!

  “You know I was just kidding with you.”

  “I know,” Connor replied, looking at his watch. “Seventeen minutes, El, a new all time record.”

  “Frack!”

  “Uh oh, El, look at the Lexus up ahead. It looks like our first of the season.”

  A late model silver Lexus turned onto MacArthur Blvd a block ahead of Connor and Ellie’s squad car. They watched while it weaved in and out of traffic at twenty miles over the speed limit of twenty-five miles per hour. As Connor increased his speed to stay with the Lexus he cringed as it narrowly missed sideswiping a parked car.

  “Jesus, that was a close one,” Ellie said, turning on their siren and lights. “It’s stopped at the 35th Ave light behind three cars.”

  Other vehicles pulled over ahead of them as they came up behind the Lexus. Connor used their speaker while Ellie ran the plates. He watched the driver twitch and turn around at the sound of his voice ordering the Lexus to pull over at the next open curb area and the sirens wailing behind. When Ellie was sure Connor had the driver’s attention, she shut off the siren but kept the lights going. When the light turned green, the cars ahead of the Lexus drove away. The Lexus driver steered into the first open patch of curb on MacArthur Blvd. The driver did not turn off the engine.

  “It’s registered to a Jean Sisqual. She lives in Berkeley. She has multiple DUI’s and her license has been suspended,” Ellie said. “Damn… I hate drunks. Couldn’t we handcuff her to the steering wheel and come back later on tonight?”

  Connor laughed, caught himself, and made disparaging noises while looking sternly over at a smirking Ellie. “Shame on you, Officer James.”

  “You’re up, Opie.”

  “Am not.”

  “Are too! I handled that bald headed, three hundred pound drunk three weeks ago.”

  “He doesn’t count. He was so shitfaced he couldn’t get his key in the ignition. We only caught him because we thought he was having a seizure.”

  “It still counts.”

  “Frack!” Connor muttered much to Ellie’s delight. He didn’t like handling DUI’s either but there was no surer way to save lives than to get them off the road. Connor used the speaker again. “Open both your driver’s side and passenger side windows. Then turn your engine off and put your hands on the steering wheel at ten and two, please.”

  The driver did as ordered. She clamped hands angrily on the steering wheel, twisting them over the wheel in a rage. Connor switched on their squad car cam.

  “Uh oh,” Ellie groaned. “This one may not have had enough to drink. Better get your Mace cocktail ready.”

  “No way am I Macing her, El. She’ll be barfing all the way in to the station. We’ll take it nice and easy. I’ll be very polite and defuse the situation.”

  “You have been banging Jules. You’re even talking like her.”

  The only response was a low growl from Connor as he exited the squad car. Ellie took a moment to put on her stern police officer face before stepping out of the other side. She kept a hand on her weapon as she walked up along the Lexus’s passenger side. Connor approached, keeping an eye on the MacArthur Blvd traffic, wondering how many cell-phone pictures and movies would get made by rubber necking motorists. Connor stopped, keeping a buffer space between him and the Lexus. A well dressed woman with her brunette hair in swept back fashion stared straight ahead, her lips tightly compressed.

  “License and registration, please Ma’am.”

  “I don’t have my license… but you probably already know that,” the woman answered in almost a snarl with only a slight slur.

  “If you’re Ms. Jean Sisqual, you’re right. I do know you don’t have a license. It was taken away after your last DUI conviction,” Connor answered with stern authority. He could tell even from the side, the lady was Sisqual from the DMV records Ellie had accessed. “Do you know why we stopped you, Ms. Sisqual?”

  “Because you’re a stupid Fascist? I’m not taking any of your fucking tests either!”

  “We observed you driving recklessly. Because your license has already been revoked, we will be placing you under arrest. Please step out of your car and put your hands behind your back.”

  “It’s fucking Christmas Eve!” Sisqual screamed, finally turning toward Connor.

  “Yes, and we want the other drivers sharing the road with you to live through it. Please step out of the car and put your hands behind your back.”

  “I will not!”

  “You will, Ma’am. It will be much wors
e if you force us to help you out of the car.”

  “Believe me, Ma’am, you don’t want me to have to drag your ass out of the Lexus,” Ellie told her from the passenger side window. “Officer Bradwick here would be restrained in his actions. I won’t be. Now do as he says right now!”

  Ellie’s tone and manner startled Sisqual. Connor smiled as the woman’s countenance drooped in defeat, knowing a woman officer would be handling her. She opened the door and stepped out unsteadily, facing the car and putting her hands behind her back. Ellie hurried around and cuffed Sisqual while Connor watched. He led the way over to the squad car and opened it for Ellie. Sisqual was gently inserted into the back without further fanfare. Ellie closed the door, smiling up at Connor.

  “You’re still up, Opie. You have to take the next two.”

  “Agreed. At least no one got shot or zapped.”

  “Someone will get shot before I ever get zapped again,” Ellie stated with conviction.

  * * *

  “Where are we eating Christmas Eve dinner?”

  “The Café on McArthur will be open,” Connor suggested, glancing at his watch. “I don’t want anything big anyway.”

  “Sounds good and the coffee’s decent.” Ellie called in their intention to be cleared for break.

  No more than ten minutes after arriving at the Café of the Bay, Ellie saw a couple walk in she knew instantly were law enforcement. The tall thin black man in dark overcoat unconsciously looked over the right side of the restaurant while his partner, a dark haired, olive complexioned woman of medium height scanned the left side. Ellie noted the woman wore an overcoat much like the man with a matching pantsuit underneath. When the couple saw Ellie and Connor in the back of the small restaurant, they immediately approached, ignoring the waitress who had stepped up to greet them.