Gold Star Chance

by C J Murphy

  Chance rolled her head side to side. “The equipment is being installed. We salvaged as much off the old vehicle as possible to save costs. You know, light bar, radio, siren, and the parts that we add on to turn it into a cruiser. The unit had special technology installed to keep Zeus safe when I have to leave him in the vehicle. I didn’t salvage that. If it failed, Zeus could die. If the air conditioner stops working, alarms get sent to my phone and the dispatch center. If all the systems fail and the temperature continues to rise, the door will open and he’s been trained to get out. This time, I’m installing ballistic film over his area. He’s already got one bullet hole. I’d like to never have that happen again.”

  Another twenty-minute drive brought them to the dealership. Jax admired her new truck sitting out front. Chance whistled. “That thing is smokin’. I’ll have to put twenty-four-hour protection around you.”

  Jax rolled her eyes. “Yeah, a big, silver work truck is so sexy.”

  Chance scoffed. “With you in it? Damn sexy. Come on, let’s get this over so we can go eat. I’m starving.”

  It took another hour to sign all the paperwork to release the vehicle. Jax followed her south on the interstate to Clarksburg, then west until they reached a small, residential neighborhood. Los Loco was a tiny, fluorescent-green building. Black and red calaveras adorned the cement block walls. The smiling skulls gave the place a festive, though out of place, appearance in the Victorian-style neighborhood. Chance led them beyond the cars parked three deep on the cracked blacktop to a street where she directed Jax to park in front of her. They walked back down and were seated by the waitress who served them a basket of warm chips and a bowl of salsa.

  Chance held up two fingers. “Iced tea, please. No lemon.”

  A smile crept across Jax’s lips. “You’re like an elephant, you know. You never forget.”

  “Not when it’s important. Everything about you was important, so I didn’t forget anything.”

  Jax dipped a chip into the salsa. She pushed back in her seat and let out a groan of pleasure. “Oh my God, this is nearly orgasmic. I haven’t had salsa like this since I left California. There’s actually cilantro I can taste.”

  “The owners here immigrated several years ago. Their parents own a larger, chain-like restaurant in a busy shopping center. Pasqual and Anita wanted to have a small place of their own, serving more traditional fare.”

  “How did you ever find this place?”

  “My rescue squad did some training with a group over here. We used a local fire station up the hill for the class work. This place was close, cheap, and serves great food. It’s a well-kept local secret.”

  Jax nodded and loaded up another chip. “They make these, don’t they? You can tell they aren’t store bought.”

  “They do. Hopefully Pasqual or Anita will come over to the table. Everything is made fresh daily.”

  “I’m stealing this secret. Not that I’ll have a lot of opportunities to come over here.”

  “There’s always Christmas shopping.”

  “True.”

  The waitress set down their drinks and took their orders. While they waited for their meal, Faith came up in their conversation. Things would likely come to a head again, and Chance needed to talk out all the options. She had other physician friends, so finding another doctor wouldn’t be hard. The greater concern was the wrath of Faith at gatherings that would happen as the year wore on. The tension would become uncomfortable when they were all together. Eventually, a woman approached the table and spoke in an accented English. Chance rose from her seat and bent to hug her.

  “Fitz, good to see you. Too long, too long, yes?” Anita held her by the hands after releasing her from the hug.

  “That it has been. Apologies. Anita Garcia, this is Jax St. Claire.” Chance looked to Jax.

  Anita reached for Jax’s hand. “Hermosa dama. It’s a pleasure to meet a friend of Fitz.”

  Jax blushed. “Thank you for the compliment. It’s also a pleasure to meet a beautiful woman like you who can make salsa like that.” Jax pointed to the table.

  Anita grinned at Chance. “Oh, I like this one. You keep her.”

  Chance looked at Jax with all the sincerity she could muster. “I intend to do just that. I like her too.”

  They sat and talked with Anita for nearly an hour, before they went to pay the bill. Anita chastised Chance for offering to pay. She was able to prevail when she noticed Anita’s swollen belly. “How far along are you?”

  “Ah, six months. Next time, I plan better. Have the baby before summer.”

  “Which is why I’m paying for our meal. Soon you’ll be needing diapers.”

  Anita patted her abdomen. “True, Pasqual is helping out at his father’s restaurant as manager tonight. He’ll be sorry he missed you.”

  Chance winked. “We’ll definitely be back, soon. You be careful and don’t overdo.”

  Anita waved at them. “My abuela had seven kids by my age. I’ll be fine.” She hugged Chance. “Jax, nice to meet you. You do your best to keep this one in line. Is big job, no?”

  “That’s an understatement. I promise to do my best. It was very nice to meet you. The food was unbelievably good…as good as I used to have in California.”

  “I’m glad you liked it. Safe travels, mi amigas.”

  Chance hugged her, and they made their way out.

  “Ready to head home?”

  “I am. Although I’m full as a tick. That will make me sleepy. Guess you’ll have to keep me awake by talking to me.”

  Chance eyed her skeptically. “You do remember we’re traveling in separate vehicles?”

  “I do, and I know that both of them have Bluetooth. Get ready for an epic game of I Spy.”

  Chance’s laughter startled a bird from its perch. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  It was nearly nine when they reached Philippi on the way home. They stopped to fill Chance’s truck with gas, and Jax got out and stretched her legs.

  “I’m going to call home and check on Marty while we’re here.” Jax stepped away from the pumps and pulled out her phone.

  “Okay, tell him hi for me.”

  Chance slid her credit card in and started the pump, as she placed the nozzle in the tank. She watched Jax’s brows furrow as she held the phone to her ear. After she disconnected and tried the call again, Chance walked over to her.

  “Problem?”

  Jax looked up at Chance and looked at her phone again. “He’s not answering his cell or the house phone.”

  “Maybe he had to go to the clinic? If he’s driving, he probably won’t answer his cell.”

  “Maybe. Let me try the clinic.” Jax dialed and put it on speaker. The call rang through to the house answering machine. “The phone is still on forward. He doesn’t normally go out after dark. His eyes just aren’t that good anymore.”

  “Let me see who’s on duty and have them run by the house. Maybe he’s outside and didn’t hear the phone or something.” Chance pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed dispatch. When the call was answered, she recognized the voice. “Hey, Ron. This is Chance. Which one of my deputies is out?”

  “Hey, Sheriff, Kenny’s on duty.”

  “Can you patch us together?”

  “Can do. Hold on.”

  The dispatcher put her on hold, and in a few seconds she heard him put her together with Kenny.

  “Okay, Sheriff, he’s on the line.”

  “Ron, stay on the call for a second. Kenny, I need you to take a drive over to Doc Hendricks’ place and check on him. We can’t seem to reach him, and he doesn’t drive much after dark.”

  “Not a problem, Sheriff. I’m only about five minutes from there. I’ll give you a call back once I get to the house.”

  “Okay. We’re going to get on the road. I’m in Philippi now.”

  “Ten-four, Sheriff. I’ll let you know.”

  Chance turned her attention back to the dispatcher. “Thanks, Ron. I wanted to put
it on tape so you have record of the call for service.”

  “I’ve started an incident for a welfare check, Sheriff. Let me know the disposition, and I’ll close the call when you tell me.”

  “Good man. Thanks.” She hung up and looked at Jax. “Let’s get going. I’ll let you know what Kenny says as soon as he calls.”

  “It should only be a few more minutes. Can we sit still until he calls you? My mind is spinning.”

  “We can. Dispatch didn’t say anything about a medical call to his place, and Ron would have told me if there had been any calls to either location.” Chance was silently counting down the minutes, as she took Jax’s hand in her own. “He hasn’t had any issues of late, has he? Health wise?”

  Jax clutched her hand. “No. For his age, he’s in incredible shape.”

  “It’s going to be okay, honey. No matter what the issue is, we’ll deal with it.”

  Jax was shaking. Chance’s phone rang, and she hit the speakerphone icon so Jax could hear. “What’d you find, Kenny?”

  “Nothing, Sheriff. The house is dark, his truck isn’t here. The place is locked up.”

  Jax shook her head. “Something’s wrong. If he didn’t leave the porch light on, then it was still daylight when he left, or he never got there. The last time I talked to him, he was going home. Said he’d handle anything from there, if need be.”

  Chance could see that Jax was near frantic. “Kenny, call dispatch and have someone go check the Three River’s Animal Hospital. See if you find him there. We called and got no answer. The phone was forwarded to the house. We’re about forty minutes out.”

  “You got it, Sheriff. If he’s not there, I’ll check the road between the two places and get back to you.”

  “Good plan.”

  They hung up and Chance looked at Jax. “You’re in no shape to drive. Follow me over to the 911 center here in Philippi. We can leave your truck there and pick it up tomorrow.”

  Jax nodded, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

  “Hey, it’s going to be okay. We’ll find him. Let’s get moving.”

  Chance called the 911 center and asked to leave the vehicle on the premises. Five minutes later, Jax was sitting beside Chance. She needed to get them back to Tucker County and kept both hands on the wheel as she floored the truck. She hadn’t heard from Kenny yet about the clinic. There was an area where she knew she’d lose service for about ten minutes. She’d use her portable radio to make contact with dispatch. Her focus needed to be on the narrow, winding highway, while the love of her life fell apart in the seat beside her. The helpless feeling she had was one of the most painful things she’d ever experienced.

  Jax’s voice was small. “Why haven’t they called?”

  “This is a dead zone.” Chance picked up her portable. “SD-1 to SD-4.” She waited for a reply, knowing there were shortcomings even with the statewide radio system. If the radio couldn’t hit the tower, the signal went nowhere. “SD-1 to Comm Center.”

  “Comm Center. Go ahead, Sheriff.”

  She pushed the talk button on the side and held the radio to her mouth, hoping the signal would hold out. “Make contact with SD-4. Find out if he’s made it to the clinic.”

  “Ten-four. Comm Center to SD-4.”

  There was a long pause before the communication center tried again with no response from Kenny.

  Chance came up with another idea. “SD-1 to Comm Center. What trooper is working?”

  “Comm Center to SD-1. State Police unit 207 is on duty.”

  “Call Harley and see if she’s near there.”

  “Comm Center to SD-1. We were advised that unit was tied up on a stranded motorist call about twenty minutes ago. We’ll make contact.”

  Chance pushed the vehicle. She didn’t want to make a mistake and cause them to get in an accident. A whitetail deer sprinted across the road in front of her, reminding her that her driving skills still depended on her ability to avoid unexpected objects in the road.

  “Jax, I need you to control the radio for me, so I can keep both hands on the wheel. Key that mic up for me if they call my unit number. Hold it to me the way I did.”

  Jax nodded. “Okay. Chance, I have a bad feeling.”

  Chance risked taking her hand off the wheel to hold Jax’s momentarily, in reassurance. “We’ll find him, baby. I promise you. We will.” She noticed the small tear track running down Jax’s face. “Hold the radio up for me. After I talk, hold it a second longer, then release. Okay?”

  Jax nodded, and Chance put her hand back on the wheel. They were past the county line and headed back into town. Chance nodded for Jax hold the radio. “SD-1 to 207.”

  “This is 207. Go ahead, Sheriff.”

  “207, have you made it to the clinic?”

  “I’m two minutes out. I was at the other end of the county.”

  “Okay, I’m at St. George. Have the Comm Center transmit your findings in the blind. They should be able to reach me even if I can’t answer back.”

  “Ten-Four.”

  Chance weaved her way through the small community and started up the narrow back road. This route would cut off ten minutes and put them closer to the clinic. The curves were sharp. Thankfully, Chance had been driving these roads all her life. Headlights would alert her to oncoming traffic and allow her to take the center of the road.

  The radio shattered the silence. “207 to Comm Center, officer down! Get an ambulance rolling to the Three Rivers Animal Hospital!”

  Before Jax could offer the radio to Chance, the communication center set off the alarm tones that would bring every law enforcement officer with an active radio to attention. “Any available law enforcement, State Police Unit 207 is on scene at Three Rivers Animal Hospital requesting assistance. Officer Down, officer down!”

  Chance grabbed the radio from Jax. “Harley, what’s going on?”

  There was no response for a few seconds, as Chance fishtailed the truck onto the main highway, five minutes away from the clinic. She listened as Taylor and several other officers from varying agencies marked up on the radio, en route to the clinic. Finally, she heard Harley’s voice. “207 to Comm Center. I’ve got an officer down with a gunshot wound. K9 unit is secure. Get a helicopter in the air. Chance, Kenny’s down. No sign of Doc Hendricks other than his truck.”

  Jax held her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God.”

  “I’m two minutes out, Harley. Watch your back.” Chance was watching for any vehicle coming from the area around the clinic and saw none. “SD-1 to Comm Center. Have all law enforcement agencies watch for any vehicles coming from the area. How far out is the ambulance I heard respond?”

  “Ambulance 36 responded from Canaan, and we have another crew headed to Station 2. They may get there sooner. We have Healthnet 6 coming from Buckhannon. Landing zone will be at Thomas Ball Field.”

  Chance skidded into the clinic and could see Harley bent over Kenny in the flashing red and blue lights. She slammed the vehicle into park and jumped out with Jax right behind her. Her weapon was in her hand. “Where’s the wound?”

  Harley looked up at her with blood pouring between her fingers. “Under his arm, right above where his vest is. Tyson’s secure. I put him in my vehicle. He’s got blood all over his muzzle. I’d say he got a bite of whoever did this.”

  Chance looked up to see Jax coming out of the clinic with an armload of supplies. She threw them down and pulled open Kenny’s eyes as she tried to talk to him.

  “Kenny, it’s Jax. Come on, talk to me.” She handed Harley a pressure dressing. “Chance, see if you can get a blood pressure on him. I don’t like his color. The blood pool around him tells me he’s lost a good deal of it. I’ve got some lactated Ringer’s from my jump kit for the equine squad. I’m going to start a line.” She tore open the packaging with her teeth and threw the clear plastic bag across her shoulder, while she pulled IV tubing out of another package.

  Chance applied the cuff to Kenny’s arm, as another law enfor
cement vehicle showed up. She saw who it was. “Get this place secured, Taylor. Harley, did you get a chance to look around?”

  “No, there were no other vehicles here, and Tyson was sitting with Kenny. My focus was on getting the bleeding stopped.”

  Taylor held up a hand. “You take care of Kenny. Quade is behind me. We’ll secure the scene.” She had her weapon out and went over to coordinate with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer.

  Chance put the stethoscope in her ears to listen for the pulse that would give her one of the vitals they needed to judge Kenny’s stability. “His pressure’s for shit. Eighty over fifty. Pulse is bounding.”

  Jax had a tourniquet on his upper arm and was slapping his forearm. “He’s got no pressure. Hitting a vein is going to be a bitch.”

  Chance watched her palpate the skin, then deftly slide a needle into his arm. She watched for the flashback that would indicate Jax had been successful. It was slow, but there it was. Jax shoved the tubing into the port. She removed the needle and jammed it, point down, into the ground. Chance watched as she opened the flow and saw the clear liquid run through the bulb in a steady stream. She took a few minutes to look at the amount of blood that was soaking into the dusty earth. The volume she saw told her Kenny was critical.

  “His breathing’s for shit too. I’m betting the bullet caught a lung. I don’t have anything to tube him. Hopefully the ambulance coming has a medic onboard. We need to get his vest off.”

  Chance pulled at the Velcro straps around his torso, then grabbed the scissors Jax had brought with her and cut through the shoulder straps so the vest could be lifted off. She cut his uniform shirt off and found his white undershirt covered in blood. She leaned close to his ear and whispered. “Kenny, you fight. We’re with you. You keep fighting, dammit.”

  “We need to look for an exit wound. Feel around his back, Chance.” Jax grabbed the stethoscope and put it to his chest, moving it all around. “I’ve got no breath sounds on that right side, and his trachea is deviated. That lung’s down.”

  Chance looked up and saw Taylor running back to her. “Scene’s secure. No one around.” She grabbed her mic. “Comm Center. Scene is secure. Tell the ambulance to pull directly up to us.” Taylor knelt beside Chance. “How is he?”