by Mel Todd
"A tally?" His voice sounded wary, but he walked over with her to the techs who had finished processing the van.
"Hey, guys. Did you have a final count of everything?"
"Sure did, officer." The man glanced down at his tablet and nodded. "Yes. We had one hundred twenty-five pounds of marijuana, and one-hundred seventy-five kilos of cocaine. In some smaller boxes were fifteen pounds total of methamphetamines." He looked up and grinned at her. "We’ve got it all logged and will be taking it to lock up here shortly. Because of the quantity we’ve called in an escort."
The man waved at them and headed back to oversee the final loading.
Waris just stood there looking at the man walking away, then turned his head by millimeters to look at the van. Shoe boxes were neatly stacked to the side and the entire van had been torn apart checking every space in it.
"Doing a 'Drinking & Driving' check, you stumbled across a van holding more drugs than my department has gotten off the streets the entire time I’ve been in charge of it." His words didn’t hold a question, but she felt like she had to answer anyhow.
"Yes?" She didn’t know how many drugs the department had taken off the streets.
"Largo," his voice trailed off as he patted his pockets absently.
"Yes, sir?"
I swear if I get fired I’m hiding in my house for a month.
"Go home. I’ll talk to you Monday."
He walked away still patting his pockets, and she heard him muttering. "Aspirin, I know I should have some aspirin somewhere."
More than ready to leave and shower, she rounded up JD and they headed back to the station.
"I’m not even changing there. I just want to get home."
"Yeah. I need a shower more than anything. A beer and I just want to not think." JD’s voice had the same fervent need as hers did.
The ride back to the station had a peaceful quality that she drank in, and her drive home had the same, but as she pulled into her driveway in her phone rang. Frowning at it, she answered wary, as the number didn’t appear on her contact list, but it seemed vaguely familiar.
"Yes?"
"McKenna Largo, this is Carlos Lucient."
"Oh, hi?"
Why in the world is he calling?
"I wanted to let you know I had the article done, and I wanted to bring it by. But I also had another reason for calling."
"Well, I do want to see the article, and I assume that sooner is better for you. But what is the other reason?" Her stomach twisted in a knot as she said the words, and she felt like a target hovered over her back.
"Word is, you just made the one of the biggest drug busts in California history. If you wanted that personal reporter, now is the time to do it."
McKenna began to slowly beat her head against the steering wheel with soft thumps.
"Ms. Largo?"
"Can you be at my house tomorrow morning? About nine a.m.? Bring the article and I’ll think about talking to you."
"Thank you. I’ll be there with donuts," excitement lit up his voice.
"Bring lots, I’ll need some to bribe kids and friends with."
"Not a problem. See you tomorrow."
~Why me?~
[Because you are a commander.]
~That isn’t an answer.~
The AI didn’t respond, and McKenna threw up her hands and went to take a shower, ready for a whiskey and her day to be over.
Chapter 27 - Story Time
Rumors are heating up about the ever-elusive McKenna Largo. With her sexy new body, striking looks, and refusal to wear make-up or talk to reporters she is starting a new fashion among those that shift, the natural look. Even Hollywood beauties have come coming out with less and less makeup. Fashionista’s aren’t sure what to make of the trend as flaws are more exposed, but no one seems willing to comment on them. Is this a new wave of accepting us for who we are? Could we handle that? ~Excited Entertainment News
Well after breakfast time the next morning, though she'd warned Toni she'd be late and told her to let Charley know, McKenna pulled up into the driveway that was becoming as familiar as her own. Getting out of her car she grabbed the two boxes of donuts, Carlos had even gotten high end donuts. Rather than run-of-the-mill chain donuts, he'd stopped at a local bakery and got really yummy ones. She should know, she'd already eaten four.
The door opened to a Charley who had a relieved smile on his face. McKenna just ruffled his hair as she went in. She'd been where he was, too many foster parents that forgot about you, or got rid of you as soon as you weren't convenient. But she wouldn't worry about it, this relationship still sparkled with newness. Time would tell, and she knew more words wouldn't make a difference.
"Ooh, donuts. You shouldn't have," Toni said even as she reached out to grab one of the boxes opening it with interested.
"Technically I didn't. Carlos did."
"Carlos?"
"The reporter." Charley froze at those words looking up at her. "He wanted to show me the story he wrote. It should be published today. None of the kid's names were released, though he had gotten all the animals somehow, so I did verify the genders, but no names."
"That mean you're letting him publish it?" Toni asked, taking a seat as the kids grabbed two donuts each.
"I couldn't really stop him. But I have to admit, it read well. But that isn't the only reason he came over."
"Ooh, is there something there?" Toni teased, Charley cast me a horrified look, while the other two ignored us, instead comparing donut flavors.
"Eww. No. So not my type." McKenna shuddered while Toni laughed.
Charley muttered in her head, but she let it go, understanding their responses.
"Nah. We had an incident last night, it’s already made the news." Toni arched a brow but didn’t move, McKenna had noticed the TV didn’t get watched much, and the kids preferred to play than watch TV, especially in animal form.
Charley still watched her, but the twins were still working on donuts, and probably planning to take over the world.
"Made a major drug bust with a traffic stop last night, and the only way to do it was the fact I smelled it. So that meant my, well our, secret is out."
"I’m not sure I understand," Toni admitted frowning.
"There was no probable cause to search the van, so when this goes to court, I’ll have to admit I smelled the drugs. JD did too, but it might cause a major issue."
"Huh? But you found drugs, so all good?"
"More like I got them off the street. Even if the case is thrown out, they won’t get the drugs back." McKenna shrugged. "Waris isn’t happy at the attention, but at the same time this is a lot of drugs, so it will probably all work out. Carlos wanted to talk to me about it, see if he could get the scoop in first."
"Did he?"
"Maybe? I confirmed I was there, and that my senses detected the drugs, but that it was an ongoing case and I couldn’t comment anymore. We’ll see how it ends up in print." She shrugged and grabbed another donut, they were delicious.
"I do believe the plan was barbecue and play at your place this weekend, but can we push that to next week?"
McKenna didn’t know if the feeling that moved through her was relief or disappointment. Maybe a bit of both.
"Sure. What’s up?"
"Stupid reality stuff. I need to get them some new clothes, they are growing too fast, and I’ve got them dentist appointments this afternoon. My dentist is open on the weekends, and I forgot I even had an appointment. This place is a wreck, and I’ve got at least five loads of laundry to do. Not to mention grocery shopping."
McKenna snorted. "I get the feeling you have been making lists."
Toni shrugged. "Reality bites, but I still need to do all that, not to mention pay bills. Not exciting, but I need to."
"Sounds good and honestly now that you said that, I probably have most of those I need to do. Laundry especially, and I want to order two more kilts."
"Oh, yeah. Can you send me the address for
those? I wanted to try one."
"Sure," McKenna replied, pulling out her phone. They chatted for another thirty minutes and demolished the donuts before McKenna collected Charley and headed home.
The weekend ended up being just that. Normal. Chores, errands, shopping, setting up the other rooms in her house and unpacking. At the end it felt relaxing and had her house in much better order than what it had been.
She settled in ready for Monday morning, her house clean, and the bonding with Charley had been fun. They’d never have a normal relationship, too much unspoken, not to mention they’d found out you couldn’t lie mind to mind. Oh, the words could be false, but she knew that it was a lie, even something as simple as fine didn’t work.
~At least we won’t try to lie to each other but it might be hard.~
That thought followed her into sleep and she tumbled into space.
Panic gripped her as she looked out her helmet at the emptiness around her, she wanted to scream and get to safety, but her body didn’t respond.
"Damage is to the left, rotate and shine a light at ten degrees above the docking door." The voice had no inflections but she knew it didn’t come from a computer, simply someone who had the same controls in place as she did.
She rotated and shined the light in her hands on the object in front of her. McKenna want to scream, to gibber at what she saw but the body held calm, locked into actions, no matter where her mind was. A ship hung in space, ugly and blocky, and it seemed the size of a building. The door she illuminated with the light was big enough for three semis to drive in side by side.
"Hold," the voice commanded, and she held the light over a dark gash in the side of the ship. "Verified damage. Apply nanopatch."
She moved forward, gloved hands fumbling in the pouch as she extracted a squishy pouch. Letting the light float, tethered to her, she broke the seal on the pouch and squeezed. Dark, metallic goo oozed out, and she filled the gash with it. Then she took out an instrument, touched it to the goo.
"Activate." her voice so calm and collected but it didn’t sound right. Deeper, less feminine.
She tried to look around but all she could see was a space suit.
"Verified, damage is being repaired. Return."
She moved back towards a smaller dark spot on the ship. As her body rotated, she caught a planet hanging in the darkness beneath her. Reds and golds, with streaks of blue gray that streaked the surface. The clouds came across as dark smudges marring the reflecting lights from the surface.
A wave of vertigo grabbed her, making her head spin, and she sat up in bed, breath loud and rapid in the room.
~Wefor, what the fuck was that? I thought we shut off all the training scenarios.~
A pause, then Wefor’s voice, slow and almost thoughtful.
[Training scenarios were deactivated for you. That did not come from you, but Charley. He is in a ... ]
Another pause, this one longer before the AI continued.
[There is no equivalent word in English, or any language you know. It is a not memory. Not a session, not a specific memory, but a collection of moments combined into a cohesive whole, to appear as a memory of something that never was.]
She frowned even as she got up and headed to Charley’s room. Her night shirt hitting mid-thigh with little slaps as she moved.
~I should wake him up.~
[He is not distressed, if anything I suspect he is enjoying the not-memories.]
~Is there a battle, people dying?~
[Not at this time, but I do not know where the story might go.]
~Story?~
[It is the closest to what is going on, but where the story ends, is unknown.]
McKenna pushed open the door to Charley’s room and stood there looking at him. One of the things they’d done that weekend included getting decorations for his room and some fun stuff. A poster of a dragon looked down at him. Some glow in the dark stars and more books. The kid liked to read.
He lay in bed a half smile on his face, no thrashing or stress.
~Can you tap me back in, and wake us both if the dreams go towards death and battle?~
[This should be possible.]
Unwilling to go back to bed and not be able to wake up immediately, McKenna grabbed a spare pillow and blanket and lay down on the floor next to his bed. She closed her eyes.
~Do it.~
She fell back into space, but this time she worked on repairing and cleaning vehicles she’d never seen. Learning stuff that seemed to click. No laughter or joking like she would have expected in the squad room. But there was a sense of companionship, faint and understated that competed with the aura of stress and despair.
Even as she slept her mind worked over what she saw and the knowledge she’d do anything to prevent him having that existence, and something deep in her brain began to solidify.
Chapter 28 - Discovery
The war on drugs has a new star and for all of us shifter fans it is our favorite cop. Officer McKenna Largo, who is still single boys and girls, is the new rising star of the Rossville police department. She’s now been the primary officer responsible for over two million dollars' worth of busts. I’m sure our local drug lords know her name well. I hope they enjoy this disruption in their supply chain that helps us to get this evil off the streets. ~ TNN Celebrity News
Monday brought normalcy, until she walked into the station. First thing the desk sergeant looked up at her and gave her a flat stare. "IA wants to see you when you get in. Amanda Bohn said she’d see you immediately."
Her good mood trickled out, but she forced up a smile.
"Thanks. I’ll head that direction."
What in the world? I don’t need any more drama in my life. Really, I don’t.
The thought seemed all too much like she was throwing a gauntlet down at fate, but she walked smoothly towards the section of the station that Internal Affairs had their office. A tiny two desk office, as most stations didn’t have enough drama to even justify that much, but as this was headquarters they needed someplace secure to file papers.
Amanda sat at her desk, typing away on the computer, in a starched white shirt that had sharp edges, her hair in its normal neat cut, and everything on her desk in perfect order.
"How in the world do you get your shirts to stay so, perfect?"
Great my thought to mouth disease strikes again.
Amanda didn’t look up. "A good dry cleaner that understands that starch doesn’t need to be used sparingly. Sit, please."
"Doesn’t it scratch?" McKenna asked as she sat down, still looking at the shirt.
"Silk undershirts, the rest you get used to dealing with. I’ve received a tip that you are using drugs." Between one sentence and the next her tone or rhythm didn’t change as she typed.
"Okay." McKenna didn’t know what else to say. She didn’t use, never had, but how do you respond to that?
Amanda raised her head and pale blue eyes latched onto McKenna. "What no protestations of innocence?"
"You didn’t ask me a question. You made a statement. Did you have a question? Or are you done with me?"
How she stayed calm and unpanicked McKenna didn’t know. Maybe more than just her body could change, had changed. But she knew she could prove she didn’t use, but why this? Why now?
The woman stopped typing and leaned back to look a McKenna.
"Huh. Good answer. Most people start babbling."
McKenna shrugged. "Not using, not worried about it. As long as proof is required, I’m in the clear." McKenna narrowed her eyes, looking at the woman. "Out of curiosity when did you receive this tip?"
Amanda pursed her lips, then shrugged. "Early this morning, about six a.m."
"And, of course, you can’t tell me who it passed it on. But do you know?"
Amanda arched an eyebrow, but nothing else.
"So, I have another question. My case, when I was taken. Do you know what had been released up until last week? I mean what another officer could get a hol
d of?"
The IA agent blinked then turned to her computer pulling up some data. McKenna sat trying to not panic or thinking too much. It could be all a big mistake.
"The only thing released was that you were abducted, that you rescued yourself, and none of the children came to harm. The actual records will be released today ahead of your press story," her voice remained flat, telling McKenna nothing of her opinion about McKenna talking to the press. "Which means all anyone would know was the basics. Though I suspect the rape and beating might have been mentioned out where others could hear."
Damn, she’s cold. Not even a flicker of emotion or sympathy.
The thought whispered through and McKenna pushed it away, it didn’t matter that happened in the past. Not now.
"Another officer shouldn’t have had the knowledge to taunt me with training the kids with drugs, though he might have heard about the rape."
Amanda stiffened in her chair leaning forward a bit. "Are you implying this happened?"
"Imply? No. I’m stating. Raul Hernandez came up to me after the demonstration of my abilities to find drugs and made allusions to training the kids, the rape, and that I helped set up the entire thing. Interestingly, I didn’t mention about the bodyguard part. I’d forgotten until he mentioned it that one of our captors had dropped that bit of information."
All emotion disappeared from Amanda’s face.
In her mind, all the puzzle pieces snapped together, and a wave of crystal clarity flashed through her.
"Holy fuck. He set it up. He’s the one that caused all this. He got Kala killed and put me in that situation. He knew."
Her hands gripped the arm rest so tight her nails started to crack as she pressed her fingers into the ungiving arms.
"Do you have any proof?"
"No! And you know it. But he’s behind it."
Amanda didn’t even bother to ask why, most likely she didn’t care. "Then it doesn’t matter. I’d like to collect a piece of hair for evidence to clear you of the drug accusation. But I will be taking this into consideration." Her voice remained calm, ice cold.
McKenna wanted to refuse, require her to make it formal investigation, but right now she had nothing to prove Raul was behind it, except her gut feeling.
