Kevlar to My Vest

by Lani Lynn Vale

  With no response, I knocked again. An eerie sense of déjà vu hit me, and I pivoted to the side as to offer up as little of my body as possible.

  Which saved my life.

  Three shotgun blasts went off at the same time, and I dropped down, hitting the intercom on my mic and shouting loudly. “Unit 5-2. Shots fired. Shots fired. Code 45.”

  Once I was done yelling into my mic, I flipped the switch that would turn it off, and everything went eerily silent.

  I’d hoped that I’d called out the right code seeing as they changed them just last week, but I assumed they’d figure it out as soon as they didn’t hear anything back from me. It was standard protocol to turn off one’s radio after letting dispatch know about your life being in danger. The radio most likely would be blowing up right about now dispatching units to this location, and if the radio was still on, whomever had done the shooting would likely hear it seizing with information.

  Whoever was shooting shotgun rounds through the door went silent after running out of shells, and I stayed where I was, gun aiming at the trashed door without any knowledge of even pulling it out.

  The dogs, both huddled down close to the ground, were quivering in anticipation, and I was glad that Kosher hadn’t lost his shit as soon as the shooting started.

  Only after a good minute of no return fire, I started to get worried.

  I was one single person in the fucking dark, and there could be who knows how many just lying in wait for me to make my move. Which I knew I had to do.

  Flipping the flashlight on my gun, I poked my head around the door only to be met with a face full of shotgun.

  A discarded shotgun, luckily.

  Whomever had had it had dropped it on a table just inside the door and took off.

  I heard scuffling noises coming from the back room, but held my position. Some sixth sense told me they were going around the house, so I gave an order for Radar to stay, and Kosher to go. When Kosher went, Radar and I went into the house.

  I knew immediately that something was dead in the house, and had been for quite some time.

  Snarling from outside the house had me tensing, but I cleared the rest of the rooms, glad to find every one of them empty of any furniture for any suspects to hide under or behind.

  When I finally came into the kitchen, the concentrated smell of rot seemed to permeate the room, but what had my attention was the growling snarling barks coming from Kosher.

  I found him on the side of the house, in between the backyard and the front.

  “Kosher. Heel.”

  Kosher sat, even though he hadn’t been touching the suspect even a little bit. Only barking and snarling to get the suspect to stay put and not move.

  What surprised me was the size of the suspect.

  Oh, and that the suspect was a little fuckin’ kid.

  “Hands up where I can see them.” I said authoritatively.

  The young girl whimpered and raised her hands until they were stretched out above the grass above her.

  Dropping down to one knee in the grass, I cuffed her hands behind her back and urged her to her feet, walking her beside the house and out into the front yard to find three police cruisers and one unmarked, Loki, running up the front walk with their weapons drawn.

  “House is clear.” I called out.

  All the guns went into my direction until I called out, “It’s me, Trance.”

  Relieved sighs came from the four men as I came out further, both of the dogs flanking me.

  “What happened?” Officer Torsos asked.

  Officer Torsos was in our gang division and worked with the neighborhood kids to reduce crime. He’d been on the force for nearly twenty years now, and he had a way with kids. Which would come in handy right about now.

  “I don’t know yet, other than this little shit right here shot at me through the door instead of just introducing herself nicely.” I growled.

  One of the other officers pulled a light kit out of the back of his cruiser and set it up while I sat the young girl on the hood of my car.

  “Why’d you shoot?” I asked bluntly.

  “You said you were the police.” She said simply.

  My eyes raised skyward, and I willed calmness into my body as I tried not to explode at the obviously frightened young girl.

  “Why are you in an abandoned house?” I asked.

  She shrugged.

  “Jesus Christ.” I snapped.

  “How about you go for a walk. I’ll ask her some more questions.” Officer Torsos offered.

  An offer that I took him up on to go back into the house, Loki following at my heels.

  “This is like deja-fucking-vu.” Loki supplied helpfully.

  “Don’t I fucking know it?” I concurred.

  “Something dead inside.” Loki said as soon as we crossed the threshold into the house.

  Turning my radio back on, I contacted dispatch. “Dispatch, this is unit 5-2. Can you contact the electric company and have them turn the grid on for this house?”

  “10-4.” The dispatcher acknowledged.

  “That should be a good hour.” Loki laughed humorlessly.

  I silently agreed. It would be a while.

  Turns out, it was one long fucking night.

  “So while we have the free time, how about you tell me about Paul Russo and what you were able to get on him.” I demanded, turning my attention to him.

  Loki sat down on his squad car and stared up at the sky.

  “Not much, to be honest. He claims the whole thing was consensual. He said they had them when he was still with her. Has one hell of a lawyer and a shit load of money, too. We have to get a statement from Viddy within the next couple of days. She’ll have to file a report from her end before we can officially charge him.”

  “Fuck,” I exhaled.

  I really didn’t want her to know he had a camera on her. She’d feel violated and dirty, and she was anything but.

  “The guy’s a real piece of work. He needs to go down just on the principle of the matter. If he were to be anyone else, he’d have done some time for breaking and entering. His daddy’s a hotshot criminal attorney. Mom’s a psychiatrist. Their son has been beyond spoiled.”

  “Well, his luck is about to run the fuck out.” I promised.

  ***

  Viddy

  I woke when a warm body slid into my bed behind me.

  I didn’t jump, though.

  I knew exactly who it was. Trance.

  I’d know the smell of him anywhere.

  “You’re late.” I mused tiredly.

  “Long shift.” He agreed.

  “Glad you’re home.”

  “Me too, cupcake. Me too.”

  Chapter 10

  Never fuck with a woman whose aim is better than her temper.

  -Tips on living in the South

  Viddy

  I’d flipped the coffee pot on, and just started scanning the newspaper when a heading in bold on the front page caught my eye.

  ‘BPD K-9 Officer finds missing teen unharmed

  I scanned the article, and started reading about the young girl who’d been missing for nearly a week, shooting at an officer. My officer.

  I started to shiver.

  According to the article, Trance had responded to prank calls coming from a residence. When he’d knocked on the door, the young girl, terrified of the man who’d killed her mother, shot through the door at Trance.

  Luckily, Trance had been uninjured.

  Luckily.

  What the fuck? Wouldn’t that be something you’d tell your...the girl you stayed the night with? Were fucking?

  At least, I would think Trance would want to know if it happened to me.

  Deciding this was a discussion best had when I had time to actually discuss it, I grabbed my coffee and walked out to the curb where my cab was waiting.

  Trance had said he’d take me, but he’d looked so peaceful sleeping that I didn’t have the heart to wake him.<
br />
  Now, though, I was glad I’d decided to call a cab. I didn’t think I could talk to him about the incident without yelling at him, and he didn’t need my shit after the night he had. Tonight would be soon enough.

  Except I didn’t take into account the bear of the man I’d fallen head over heels for to come barreling out of my apartment as if his ass was on fire. Shirtless. With his pants zipped but not buttoned. His feet were in his boots, with his pants haphazardly sticking half in, half out of his boots.

  His abs rippled as he stalked in my direction, and I had an insane desire to hop into the car and take off. He’d only follow me, though. It would be better for me to just stand here and wait for the inevitable.

  Leaning into the open window of the cab I said, “I’m sorry. Looks like I won’t be needing that ride after all.”

  “No problem, darlin’.” Sylvester, one of my regular cab drivers, said.

  “Have a good day, Sly.” I said as I tapped the window and stepped back just as I felt the heat of a thousand pissed off suns at my back.

  I shivered involuntarily, and leaned back into the heat of Trance’s body.

  His arms didn’t encircle my waist as I figured he would.

  Instead, one hand latched onto my left hip, while the other hand went up to encircle my throat.

  Not tightly, but enough that I felt a tiny thrill surge through me at the absolute differentness to the gesture.

  His thumb pressed against the beat of my pulse while the other fingers wrapped around to the back of my neck.

  “You were just going to leave?” He questioned tiredly.

  I closed my eyes, basking in the feeling of his body warming my back, and the cool morning air blowing over my overheated skin.

  “Y-yes.” I answered.

  My heart was pounding, but not in fear, in anticipation. What would he do? Would he yell? Get pissed and leave? Spank me and then fuck me to death?

  Okay, the last one was more of a fantasy, rather than a possibility, but a girl could hope, right?

  “Why’s your pulse racing?” He rasped, running his lips against my neck.

  “I have to get to work, and you’re going to make me late.” I tried to avert his attention from the way he was making me feel.

  “Tell me.” He growled.

  I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, barely containing the urge to pant.

  “How mad you’d have to be to spank me.” I squeaked.

  He chuckled darkly. “Oh, I’m tempted to right now, and you haven’t even done that much wrong yet.”

  “I’m not into that kind of stuff.” I teased.

  “Neither am I. Or I wasn’t. You’ve got me twisted into knots.” He said just before he licked the cord of my exposed neck.

  I shivered, shaking in anticipation.

  “I have to go to work.” I tried desperately.

  “I’m taking you.” He said and then released me. “Go to my bike.”

  He removed the keys from his pocket, rubbing his knuckles against my ass as he gave me a small shove forward.

  I moved, reluctantly, and walked over to his bike.

  I was contemplating how to get on the bike with a skirt that I barely squeezed my ass into when his callused hands went to either side of my skirt, and hiked it up to just about mid-thigh before picking me up and depositing me on the back of the bike.

  I glared at the man, but he just smiled.

  “You’re not going to get dressed?” I gasped when walked to my side, still shirtless with his pants riding low.

  He smiled widely exposing me to his dimples and making me temporarily dumb.

  Turning to his saddlebags, he removed a leather vest from them and shrugged it on over his shoulders before buttoning the front three buttons.

  “Wow,” was the only intelligent thing I could think to say.

  He mounted the bike, handed over the helmet, and waited patiently for me to get situated before starting it up and walking the bike back out of the parking spot.

  He didn’t take it slow on the way to school.

  Instead, he weaved in and out of the morning rush hour expertly, giving me a small thrill.

  Or the thrill might have actually been from the man’s warm naked chest.

  I’d snuck my fingers underneath the leather, running my fingers over the ridged muscles of his stomach.

  His stomach contracted and relaxed with each pass of my fingers, and by the time we arrived at the school, I was beyond thinking about anything but the party going on between my legs.

  It was Trance who chuckled, and patted my leg, urging me to get off.

  Oh, but did I want to get off.

  “Your snooty teacher friend is giving you the stink eye. She also has her phone out. Better hurry and get off before she starts up a stink about how high your skirt is hiked up.” Trance said, jolting me out of my wayward thoughts.

  I scampered off the opposite side of the bike with Trance’s help, and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “I get done around two.”

  He smiled widely, and I heard sighs. Not from me, though, but from the entire girl population of Benton High.

  “Get out of here before you start making their panties drop.” I whispered.

  He snorted. “See you around two.”

  With that, he took off. I watched him until he was too far away for me to see before turning around.

  I wasn’t the only one watching until he was gone, either, because every single person who was outside was still watching him. Man, women, and teens.

  “Wow, Ms. Sheffield, he’s smoking hot.” A young girl said from beside me.

  Turning my head, I studied the young girl’s features, putting them into memory.

  Jade was a sophomore in my study hall class.

  I hadn’t seen, nor heard, her in nearly a week due to the Benton High Cheerleading team away at a district meet.

  She was gorgeous.

  On the shorter side, but quite muscular, she reminded me a lot of Baylee.

  “Hi, Jade. And yes, I do agree with you. He’s one fine specimen if I do say so myself.” I agreed.

  Jade giggled and started walking into the building with me, chatting about nothing consequential.

  “Ms. Sheffield,” Jade questioned. “Are you going to the homecoming game this Friday?”

  I pursed my lips in thought. “Well,” I hesitated. “I guess I could. What time does it start?”

  Jade squealed in excitement. “That’s awesome. I can’t wait for you to see...I’m sorry. I can’t wait for you to be there. There’s never a dull moment. This’ll be my first time on top of the pyramid. Usually the seniors are the only ones that get to go up there, but I beat Chelsea in our weight class...”

  The girl could talk, that was for sure. She lost me at pyramid.

  I listened with half an ear as we made it to the Special Education room, and I gave a wave and sent her on to class.

  “By the way, Ms. Sheffield, bring Officer Spurlock with you Friday!” She said giddily before bouncing away, catching up to one of the men from the football team.

  The boy-man wrapped little Jade up into a bear hug and carried her to class, making me smile at their antics.

  I was one of the laid-back teachers. As long as they weren’t fighting, I was fine with it.

  “Put her down!” Sandra screeched as she passed them on the way to the Special Education door.

  Sandra was one of the not so laid-back teachers. In fact, she was a right bitch, and I hated her guts.

  I didn’t think there was a thing she could do that would make me hate her more, but I was proved wrong moments later when she walked into my office, balled up a piece of paper she had in her hands, and tossed it into the trash before leaving for her own office.

  Walking slowly to my trash, I lifted out the only thing in the trashcan. The crumpled up piece of paper Sandra had thrown before leaving. Unfolding it and smoothing it out on my desk, I scanned the note, thankful I was able to see it clearly, and fumed.
r />   Ms. Sheffield,

  Please come to my office at your earliest convenience.

  Ronald.

  Ronald was the Principal, and technically my boss.

  Standing up straight from my hunched position over my desk, I stomped out of my office and towards Ronald’s.

  I only waved at the old bat behind the desk, not nearly in the mood to deal with her surliness, and walked straight into Ronald’s office and closed the door.

  “Ahh, Ms. Sheffield. I’m glad you could make it this time.” Ronald said turning away from his computer and giving me his full attention.

  “This time?” I asked confused.

  “Yes,” he nodded sagely. “I’ve been doing everything short of walking down to your office to get you up here. Calling you, sending you notes. Hell, last week I actually did walk down to your office and Sandra said you were out to lunch.”

  My eyes closed, and rage simmered in my belly. “Did you end up speaking with Sandra all these times?” I asked softly.

  His bushy eyebrows scrunched together as his lips purse. “Now that you mention it, yes, yes I did speak to Sandra all of those times. Why?”

  I shrugged. “Well, I never received any messages, and I actually found this note balled up in my trashcan.”

  His eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really? Sandra just told me she delivered all of my messages and assured me you were getting them. In fact, she told me she read them to you aloud each time.”

  His eyes were hard, as if upset that I was ignoring his summons. “I can assure you that I have not gotten any of your messages. In fact, I specifically saw Sandra walk into my office with this note and throw it in the trash can.”

  It took him a few moments before he finally caught on to what I was saying before he smiled widely. “You can see?”

  I held my hand out and made a so-so gesture with my hand. “Sort of. In fact, it was about 75 percent in my left eye when I walked into school today, and is now down to about 50 percent. My doctor says it has a lot to do with my stress levels.”

  He was nodding vigorously. “Well, I’m just happy that you’ve made improvements. Now, all I wanted to really know was how you liked your job. What improvements do you feel that we need to make in the special education department?”