by Mel Todd
~Wefor. Is there a chance my hair will retain any drugs? I mean I haven’t taken them, but I’ve been surrounded by a lot of drugs lately.~
[No, all possible contamination is cleaned out each time you change, though there are limits to that.]
~Really? Huh, interesting.~
"Sure." She reached up and grabbed a few strands, yanking them out. She stood as she dropped them on the desk. "Here, run your damn tests. You’ll see nothing. Do let me know if there are any issues. But if you want a formal collection, call my union rep." Her voice icy cold as she walked out of the office, trying to convince herself not to go kill Raul.
Hands tight in fists as she strode down the hall, she headed for the squad room and directly for the coffee trying to keep her temper.
How? Why? Kala was so fucking green she didn’t even understand the politics going on in this job. I want to kill him.
~Kenna? You okay?~
She jerked as JD’s voice slipped into her head, spilling coffee over her hand. A hiss of pain escaped her lips, and she set the cup down and placed both hands flat on the counter. McKenna forced herself to breathe calmly even as she heard and felt JD coming up behind her.
"Need a fix that bad huh?" His voice held a teasing quality as he re-poured her coffee, but she felt the worry in her mind.
~Kenna?~
"Yeah, that’ll teach me to forget to put coffee on my grocery list." Her words came out light and she straightened, taking the cup from him, as she forced her body to calm down, her mind still spun in rage.
~IA called me in, said someone reported me as using. But what was interesting was what Raul said. I forgot to tell them about the body guarding comment. How did Raul know? And from her lack of reaction, I’m damn sure Raul is the one who dropped the tip. He set this all up, it makes sense. But I think he wanted me to die, not Kala.~
JD had gone stock still and she nudged him with her shoulder as she headed to the desk.
~Not here, not now. Too much stuff going on and other issues.~
She sat down though she noticed her hand had the mug in a white knuckled grip and fought down her anger. The cat eager to come up and hunt Raul, to kill him.
~Wefor, stop it.~
[It is you. Your instincts and your animal are bonded, you want to pay him back, the animal reacts to that.]
~Great.~
She rubbed her face with her hands trying to refocus on what she could affect, so many things out of her control, her job, her AI, aliens, raising a kid. The urge to just beat her head on the desk spiked. Another deep breath and she looked up and focused on her coffee.
One thing at a time. Coffee. Trust Charley. The rest will work out.
The sip of coffee burned, and the sudden pain helped to focus her mind. No matter what, she had reports to finish and the one from Friday promised to be a big one. Shutting out the world she focused on it, trying to make the report as logical as possible, with as little magical shifter crap. No matter what, this wasn’t going to be fun.
The knowledge she’d taken a huge amount of drugs off the street helped, and time disappeared as she wrote the report.
"Largo," the sharp tone yanked her out of her zone and she looked up to see Waris standing over her. From his exasperated look and the snickers on the faces of others she figured he’d called her name a few times.
"Yes, sir?" Trying to shake the report zoning from her mind.
"Kirk wants to see us." His voice dry, and she had no doubt as to why Kirk wanted to talk to them. She saved her progress, and rose following Waris out. The familiar office lay ahead, but she let Waris take the lead.
"Sir, you wanted to see us?"
Kirk lifted his head and nodded. "Yes, come in, take a seat." When they were both seated, he gave McKenna a vaguely amused look. "I don’t believe I’ve ever had any officer in my office as often as you these last few months, and interestingly none of those visits have been for disciplinary reasons. Is this something I should expect through the rest of your career?"
"Oh gods, I hope not."
She slapped her hands over her mouth a second too late and Kirk burst out laughing even as Waris shook his head with a low chuckle.
"Sorry, sir."
"Not an issue. Though I will say you’ve made my job more of a challenge than it had been for the last year. I’ll let you know if it is a good thing, later."
McKenna let her smile show but didn’t say anything, waiting to see what he had to say.
"As you can imagine, the news outlets are going crazy about the bust Friday night. We’ve got most of the information out there but McKenna your name made it out."
She snorted and then when the men arched an eyebrow at her she explained. "I had a reporter contact me Friday evening. Looking for the scoop. He’s a contact I’ve been working. Wanting to see if maybe I can get one reporter on my side, instead of all of them being enemies. But he’d already heard about it."
"This place leaks information like a sieve," Kirk muttered. "What did you tell him?"
His voice didn’t hold accusation, just a request for information.
"Just that yes, I had detected drugs, and that it was an ongoing case and I couldn’t comment anymore. He already knew that, so confirming it didn’t seem like a big deal. Oh, he also had this." She pulled out a folded sheet of paper and handed it over to Kirk. "He sent me the copy that will be coming out this evening."
Kirk put it to the side. "Thanks. I’ll read it in a bit. Any issues with the bust itself?"
Waris took this one. "We have the drugs, though the driver probably had nothing more to do with it than driving. Per him, he picks up the truck just on this side of the border, probably loaded via the tunnels as they have dogs at all the check points and drives it up here. He leaves it in a lot, locked up, and puts the key in a magnetic lock and walks away. Outside of an email saying he has a job, he’s paid via money in the truck waiting for him. He doesn’t know anything. He swears he thought he was driving stolen or designer knock off shoes. Drugs weren’t what he thought. Basically, he’s disposable." Waris answered all of this and McKenna listened with interest. She hadn’t heard this yet.
"We’ll keep working him, but I’d be surprised if we get anything from him that will connect to the person behind all this."
"Interesting. If nothing else the drugs are off the street. We might get the case thrown out but I’ll live with that." He turned serious eyes on McKenna. "Normally I’d never say this to any of my officers but if you can make busts like that do it. Even if we can’t make the case stand, getting that quantity of drugs off the street is more important. Expect some challenges but if you can perform the way you did in front of the DA and the judges, we shouldn’t have an issue, though you may get very tired of being the poster child for shifters."
She shrugged. "It is what it is."
"Best attitude to have. Now get out of here and get to work."
They headed out and Waris gave her a side look. "I’m glad I got you. Maybe now we can make some inroads on the drugs coming through our city and shut it down."
"I wouldn’t mind that at all." Her smile creased her face, and she pushed Raul and her other worries to the back of her mind for now.
Chapter 29 - Calling in Favors
In the war against drugs, all eyes are on the town of Rossville in Northern California. A town that seems to be single-handedly leading the nation in drug arrests. We all know that dogs are some of the best tools to stop drug dealers and mules, people who carry drugs, but dogs are expensive to train, take up time and resources and are limited to one or two functions. However, it is looking like shifters might be the answer to this. Viral video star McKenna Largo, an officer in Rossville, is once again at the center of controversy. Her ability to smell drugs is driving their closure rate. While expectations are high for challenges in these court cases, the odds are drug dealers will soon start avoiding this area of California. Maybe other departments with shifter cops will take notice. Perhaps even hiring drivers to g
et more shifters to be first responders. If nothing else, California isn’t a good place for a drug dealer right now. ~ TNN Talking head.
The mug shattered as it impacted the wall.
A man in a crisp linen suit took a deep breath, his hands clenched, then slowly opened into flat palms. He dug into his bottom drawer and brought out a small leather-bound journal. Opening it up he looked at the numbers and curled his lip in a silent snarl.
He looked at the book for long moments, then glanced up at the TV and the news talking about the latest drug bust, netting another fifty kilos of cocaine and twenty-five kilos of heroin.
The muscle in his clenched jaw bounced. He marked off items in the journal with a precise hand, each notation as neat as if from a printer.
Entries with lines through them and the notation - ‘Seized by police’ next to them outnumbered the ones with a notation of ‘Distributed’.
The sharp staccato of his nails striking the top of the desk filled the room even as his eyes never left the little journal.
With a sharp gesture he closed it with a loud clap and placed it back where he had pulled it from. In the same drawer lay a phone. Puling it out, he closed his eyes, mouth moving a little then typed in a phone number.
"This is Willard. I'm calling in my favor. You can reach me at," he rattled off a number. "I know you'll use an encrypted connection. Don't call after six pm west coast time." He hung up and put the phone on the desk. The clock on the wall showed three pm, he had a bit.
"Honey? I'm leaving for my book club. Did you want me to bring anything back with me?" A woman's voice came down the stairs to the office he sat in, though there were no steps coming down the stairs.
A smile appeared on his face though it didn't touch his eyes.
"No, thank you, dear. I'm fine. Enjoy your book club. I believe we are headed to the Watson's for dinner. Seven-thirty?"
"Yes. I'll be home by seven, so I should have time to change. It is casual at their clubhouse, not worth wearing cashmere. Bye." the woman called out, as the clicking of heels on tile sounded and a door closed. Everything went quiet.
His smile dropped away as if it had never been there. His cold pale eyes focused on the phone with clenched teeth. Taking a deep breath, he pulled up a word processing program on his computer. With economical movements, he pulled a book from the white oak bookshelf behind him, laid it open on his desk and started to type.
The news played muted on TV, but he glanced up occasionally his eyes narrowing, then would glance at the phone. Each time his jaw clenched but he went back to typing, the keys being struck a bit harder each time.
A sharp jangle of sound from the phone had him jerking upright, then glaring at it before he took a deep breath and picked it up.
"Yes?"
"After all these years, you're calling in that favor. Why do I feel it has something to do with a certain shifter cop?" The voice was rich, cultured, and somehow had an oily sound to it.
"Because you pay attention to national news. Just like I'm aware that a certain former football player has been a pain in your side."
Silence on the other end. "What makes you think that?"
"I recognize how you do things. We've known each other for a long time, did you think I wouldn't recognize your machinations behind that failed attempt?" His voice was calm and vaguely mocking as he watched the news.
"Fine, Willard. What did you want? An accident?" The voice had lost some of its culture, becoming a bit harder, more accent on the vowels.
"Oh, I want something more permanent, and I have something to sweeten the deal. Apparently, your footballer has made their acquaintance, and I have it on good authority he will be at her place for a BBQ this Saturday. Just think, four adult shifters, and three kids, if you take them all you can do whatever you want with them, as long as they are out of my hair."
"Hmmm, four you say? That has possibilities, especially with the children. There were some things I wanted to try. If I do this, we're clear. I owe you nothing outside of fraternity politeness."
"Agreed, though I do hope I see you at the reunion next year." His linen suit reflected the lights of a cop car as the news played the scene again of a new drug bust.
"Plan on it." The line went dead, and Willard smiled, cold, cruel, and it would not have looked out of place on a shark.
Chapter 30 - Attack
And football is back on! I know all of us couldn't be happier with the preseason about to start. The athletes and teams are rushing to juggle the influx of players now back on the rosters and figuring out who to demote, or promote, again. While I'm personally disappointed that Perc Alexander won't be back to play for the Hawks this year, I'm crossing my fingers that another team will snap him up and then laugh all the way to the play-offs with his skills in their backfield. If I'm really lucky the Lions will grab him. ~ TNN Sportscaster Doug B.
"You're sure he's coming?" McKenna asked, no idea why the thought of this man coming over had her jittery and anxious. "And this isn't a set up?"
JD rolled his eyes at her. "No. Though he might fanboy over you a bit. Apparently, you impressed him by how you dealt with all of this. He mentioned something about his reaction not being as calm. Besides when I talked to him last week he put it in his calendar. I told you all this at work, right after I hung up with him. You'll like him. He's down to earth and real."
JD tossed his phone on the counter as he walked through the kitchen
Toni glanced at her as they moved around McKenna's kitchen prepping food and putting stuff away. Between one thing or another, drug busts, press, kids, school, it had taken two weeks to get a weekend to themselves. The kids were already outside playing in animal form, and McKenna itched to go join them.
"I know, I know. I'm just antsy and don't know why. Feels like people are staring at me. I probably need a few drinks and to go play. I haven't been a cat in way too long."
JD laughed, handed her an iced tea. "Go out on the deck, enjoy the sun, make sure the kids don't kill each other."
"I see how it is, kicking me out of my own kitchen. I know when I'm not wanted." She grabbed her tea and stomped out to the deck in a mock huff.
Outside she smiled at the sounds of the chuffing growls and scrabbling claws. She’d copied Toni’s idea, but made it a big bigger and more robust from IKEA and set a few cheap robes and some of her larger t-shirts in there, just in case. Sitting down on the deck she watched the kids and enjoyed the first feeling of peace she’d had in a while. Though she couldn’t get rid of the impending doom feeling. Maybe it was just meeting a professional footballer player. She didn’t follow sports much, but Perc’s actions against the NFL had raised a lot of eyebrows and attracted a fair amount of attention. She’d even watched one of his press conferences and had to admit he had a compelling presence.
Only the fact that she trusted JD with her life and beyond made this man coming here, invading her personal space, feel okay. JD would never do anything to harm her or the kids.
Relax woman, I swear.
She wished there was some hard cider in the fridge. Stocked with beer for Toni and JD, soda for the kids, it didn’t have much for her as normally it was tea, water, or whiskey, but something light would be nice right now.
Her skin crawled with the need to change, to move, but she refused to meet him for the first time in animal form, there had to be some proprieties observed.
Relax, enjoy the quiet, you need to relax more.
McKenna repeated the words over and over, then slowly started to relax a little, focusing only the on the sounds of the kids, and trying to ignore the acrid smoke from the fires burning down in the valley. Hundreds of miles away, the smoke still traveled coating everything with a smell of burnt grass and trees. Off duty she ignored her nose, not feeling like the headache and effort of sorting out smells from the smoke. So far, a three pack a day smoker had the best bet of fooling her nose, mainly because the tobacco burned so bad she almost couldn’t handle it.
Voi
ces pulled her out of her musing, and she refocused on the here and now as the back doors slid open.
"She’s out here." JD said as he stepped out. "Kenna, I wanted you to meet Percival Alexander, this is McKenna Largo."
She stood and looked at a man who matched JD in height and weight. An inch or two taller than JD, but a bit less massive, he had sandy blond hair, and piercing blue eyes. He blushed a bit as he held out his hand.
"It’s nice to meet you Ms. Largo, or is it Officer Largo?" His large hand held hers firmly and she flashed a smile.
"How about McKenna, Mr. Alexander? I’m not at work, and I’m definitely not up to being Ms’ed all day."
"Only if you call me Perc. I get enough of that from reporters and lawyers. I really don’t need it on my day off."
His smile held warmth and humor, and she felt something inside her unkink.
Huh, maybe this won’t be too bad.
"Take a seat, or if you want to go play with the kids feel free," JD offered as he held open the door for Toni who walked out with snacks and a few extra beers.
"Kids?"
"Well the two cats are mine, she took the wolf," Toni grinned as she spoke and nodded her head at McKenna.
"Hey, he adopted me. I just made sure they couldn’t take him." McKenna protested. She felt the laughter from Charley at that in her mind. "I’m going to go grab some more tea. Anyone want anything?"
"Nah, going to start the burgers here in a bit, so I can wait."
She grinned as Perc and Toni stood talking about and watching the kids, who were clearly showing off for an audience. She paused as gun oil, and something sharp and antiseptic hit her nose. At home she never carried and had bought a gun vault when Charley moved in to secure her weapons.
"JD, you carrying?"
He looked up at her frowning. "No, locked in the car. Why?"
"I just thought," she broke off as a sound like a muffled shot filled the yard and something slammed into her thigh.
