Gunnar's Guardian

by Pandora Pine

  Following along behind him, I had the opportunity to see how his coworkers and subordinates responded to him. He had a high five or kind word for all of them. It was obvious everyone in the firehouse was a fan of Ozzy Graves.

  “There are four firehouses in the city of Gloucester. Mine is number three, that’s why all of the fire engines you see here start with the number three. There are sixteen pieces of fire apparatus in Gloucester and they’re numbered consecutively. That’s why this engine is numbered 313.”

  “For station three, truck thirteen.”

  “Exactly. All the equipment is numbered like this so they’re easier to keep track of during emergency calls. It also gives the 911 dispatch team a way to speak to the individual fire trucks without needing to know who’s on duty during a particular shift.” We walked down the line of vehicles. I couldn’t help noticing the way Ozzy touched each of them. It was a lover’s caress. “Same goes for the ambulances. We have eight that work for the city, so they’re numbered in the same way. This is 303 and 304. What each of these babies needs is a nice warm, soapy bath. The buckets and soap are kept in the cleaning locker behind us.” Ozzy hooked a thumb in that direction. “The hose you’ll use to rinse them off is also back there. May I suggest washing them one at a time, just in case the siren goes off and we have to leave. I guess you’re going to end up riding a hose today after all. Any questions?”

  I had never washed a car before, let alone a fire engine. I had a million questions, but all of them sounded stupid in my head. I mean, how hard could this be? There was one question that I felt I should ask, especially since Ozzy mentioned the siren. “What happens if you get a call?”

  Ozzy’s shit-eating grin was back. “Don’t tell me you’ve never seen this on television or in the movies? We all slide down the pole, get into our gear and drive away.” He was nibbling his bottom lip to keep from bursting out laughing.

  “No, I know that. What I meant is what happens to me?” I knew I wasn’t going to get to do a ride along or anything cool like that, but I didn’t want to be left standing there with my hose in my hand either.

  “Worried I’m not going to have enough for you to do, Newbie? All of these floors need to be washed. The stairs leading up to the common area, kitchen, and bedrooms as well. If there are dishes in the sink, wash them. We all know cooking isn’t your strong suit, but it’s going to be. I’m in charge of all the meal prep in the firehouse on my shift days. In addition to playing the role of Cinderella, you’re also going to be my sous chef.”

  Holy shit. “Is there anything else you need me to do? Shine your shoes? Iron your uniforms?”

  The look on Ozzy’s face went from amused to serious in a heartbeat. “Listen here, boy. Everyone in this firehouse has a job to do. Shut up. Go with the flow. Do your job. Everything else will take care of itself. Understood?”

  Ozzy towered over me. I’d never felt so small in my entire life. I had a feeling that was his exact intent. My heart was pounding in my chest. I’d only been there for ten minutes, and already I was fucking things up. “Understood,” I muttered.

  “That was the right answer.” Ozzy slapped a meaty hand against my shoulder before walking back toward his office. “Oh, and since you mentioned it, Noob, my shoes could use a polish.” Ozzy’s laughter followed behind him.

  “Here, let me help you get started.”

  When I turned around, Hal Rossi was standing behind me. I’d never been so grateful to see a friendly face in my life. “Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

  “No, man. I’m the one who has to thank you. Until you got here, I was the newbie.” Hal walked me back to the cabinets Ozzy had indicated stored the cleaning supplies. I watched in awe as he pulled out a bright red pail and dumped liquid soap into it.

  “But you’re an EMT. Shouldn’t you be making sure the ambulances are stocked with tongue depressors or something?”

  “Like the Cap said, everyone around here has a job. Yeah, we might be firefighters or emergency medics, but we all have to work together to make sure the firehouse runs smoothly. No job is above any of us. You’ll even see Ozzy doing dishes from time to time. Whenever one of us sees a gap, we help out. It’s the reason the boss didn’t give you very many detailed instructions. He knew one of us would step up and do that for him. Now, are you ready to get wet?” Hal dropped me another sexy-as-fuck wink.

  I managed to nod. One thing was for certain. Life around Gloucester Firehouse Three was going to be anything but boring.

  9

  Kennedy

  The full moon was at it again. I’d been on duty for three hours and I’d already made five arrests, thanks to a honeypot sting we were running out at the Seaside Motel on Thatcher Road near Good Harbor Beach. Most of the lodgings on that side of town were pretty pricey, but the Seaside had somehow managed to retain its reputation for renting rooms by the hour.

  Officer Ella Gutierrez was dressed in a skimpy black halter top with an equally short black skirt that barely covered her assets. What sent the outfit over the top were the red thigh-high come-fuck-me boots. They looked like something out of Pretty Woman. She was an absolute knockout and yours for the taking for the bargain basement price of a night in the Graybar Inn, otherwise known as the Gloucester City Jail.

  I was in a room next door with Patrolman Anders March and Detective Mather Welch. There were hidden cameras set up in the room Ella was bringing her johns. It was my job to watch the live feed and when the man gave us enough to arrest him. Mather would burst through the door with me hot on his heels to make the arrest. March would be the one to transport the man to the jail.

  The night had been going like clockwork until twenty minutes before the end of shift. Ella had one more in-call scheduled, but the man was late. I was in favor of packing up and heading back to the precinct, but Ella and Mather wanted to stick around for the last john.

  I didn’t know how much more of this room I could take. It smelled of stale cigarette smoke, rancid sweat, and desperation. The john was fifteen minutes late. I was ready to call the op when there was a knock on Ella’s door.

  We were back in cop-mode instantly. I watched as Ella invited her final client into the room. He was sweating and had a case of the jitters.

  I was instantly on high alert. It was a hot night and some men were nervous the first time they paid for ass, but this was different. Anders and Mather could see it too. Both men were tense, and Anders had his right hand on the butt of his gun. “I don’t like this,” I muttered aloud.

  “Take off your top! Let me see those tits,” the john demanded. He was sweating more heavily than when he’d walked through the door. His eyes ping-ponged around the room as if he was looking for something.

  “Calm down, chico.” She offered him an easy smile. “We’ll get to that. First we have some business to talk about.” There was an uneasy look in Ella’s eyes.

  “March, go outside to Ella’s door, wait for my signal to breach.” My eyes never left the screen as the patrolman left the room. “What’s our play here?” I wanted to burst into the room and grab the fucker before he could spiral even further out of control.

  Mather was standing beside me, to my left. “This is going sideways fast. I say we give her one minute, two at the most to get this guy to agree to pay for sex. If he doesn’t, we have to go in there. He’s tweaking something fierce. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s here to rob her for drug money. He’s nearly a foot taller and probably has fifty pounds on her. Ella’s tough, but guys on meth have super-human strength.”

  I agreed with him one hundred percent. Ella’s safety was the only thing that mattered now. I was halfway out of my chair when the john reached for her but missed. “Strip, bitch!” He looked around the room again with his crazy eyes. “Where’s the money?” His right hand snaked out, grabbing for her upper arm.

  Ella was fast, ducking away just in time. He only managed to grab her tank top strap, which ripped under the pressure. “That’s it. We’re going in th
ere now.” I’d seen enough.

  “Calm down,” Ella was saying. She had backed herself into a corner. The bathroom door was closed behind her and with the way he was advancing toward her, there wasn’t enough time for her to open the door and secure herself inside.

  “Show me your tits!” The man roared. Reaching behind him, he produced a handgun. With a shaking hand, he pointed at her head.

  “Keep him talking, Ella,” I said through her earpiece. “Do what you have to do to keep his attention on you. I’ll try to sneak in behind him.” Fuck, I should have known this bastard had a gun. I should have breached the room sooner when the weapon was still stuck in the man’s waistband.

  “Okay. Okay.” Ella raised her hands in a slow, seductive way. She started teasing her tank top over her stomach. “I’m gonna give you everything you want.”

  The man’s attention was riveted to her. I wasn’t going to get a second chance to do this. If he saw me, he was going to turn and shoot. I had no doubt about that. His hands were shaking so badly that I didn’t think he would be able to hit me, but I was more worried about Ella. She was only a few feet away from him and if he decided to turn the gun back toward her, there was a greater chance she would be hurt or even killed. “I’m coming in now. Keep his attention on you.” Before my eyes left the screen, I saw her black tank top lift over her red lace bra.

  I was out of my seat and heading toward the connecting door. “Cover me,” I whispered as I started turning the doorknob. This was a shit room in a shit hotel. It didn’t have two doors between the connecting rooms, there was only one door with a flimsy slide lock on both sides.

  The doorknob creaked in my hand. I froze, my attention back on Mather who was still staring at the screen. He shot me the signal to go ahead. Apparently, the gunman hadn’t noticed the squeak.

  Pulling the door toward me, I was able to get a look inside the room. Ella had been reduced to teasing her bra straps down each of her arms. I pulled my gun from its holster and took my first step into the room.

  “Hurry the fuck up, bitch! This ain’t no strip club.” The gun was shaking in his hand. The man reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow with his gun hand. The pistol glistened with it.

  “Put your hands up, pal.” I used my indoor voice, not wanting to scare him too badly. His finger was itchy on the trigger and the last thing I wanted was for the gun to go off in Ella’s direction.

  He swung toward me, his unfocused eyes were wide. The gun wasn’t shaking now. “Fucking pig!” He shouted, his voice ringing loudly against the low ceiling. “Die, you fucker!” He pulled the trigger.

  I’d known what was coming and hit the deck just in time. I felt the bullet whistle by my shoulder. It had been a closer call than I’d anticipated.

  “You’re a fucking cop too, aren’t you?” The gunman snarled at Ella. He raised the gun at her. Any vestige of the shakes was gone. The man looked sober as a judge with the exception of his crazy eyes. He pulled the trigger without waiting for Ella to answer.

  I had gotten back to my knees when the shot went off. Without hesitation, I fired at him. The back of his head exploded, sending blood and brains splattering onto the bathroom door and wall.

  Ella was down. She had a hand clutched to her stomach. Blood was oozing out between her fingers.

  “Mather! Get an ambulance here.” I heard the motel room door open. “Anders, get me all the clean towels you can find.” I hit my knees in front of Ella. Terror and pain warred in her eyes.

  “I don’t want to die, Kennedy. Please don’t let me die.” Her dark eyes pleaded with mine.

  “You’re not going to die, Ella,” I reassured her. It was part of our training. If a victim saw a hopeless or scared look in your eyes, they wouldn’t fight to survive if they thought the battle was already lost. Blood was pouring out from between her fingers. I hadn’t seen the wound yet, but I could already tell this was bad.

  “You’re going to be okay,” I reassured her. Anders’ pounding footsteps came toward me.

  “These are all the towels I could find.” His eyes were wide with the shock of it. Anders March had only been a member of the GPD for six months. This was his first experience with an officer being shot in the line of duty.

  “I need to get a look at this, Ella. Anders is going to take your hands away from the gunshot.” I nodded at him and he reached for her bloody hands. More blood oozed out. I grabbed one of the towels and pressed it hard against the wound. “Get outside and wait for the ambulance. Make sure they know this is one of our own.”

  When he was gone, I chanced a look up at Ella. Tears were leaking from her eyes. “Tell my husband I’m sorry. Tell him how much I love him. We had a fight this morning.”

  The last thing Ella needed now was to be reminded about that. “Look at me, Ella.” I waited for her eyes to meet mine. “We’re going to get through this together. You’ll be back yelling at Javi in no time. I think after this, he might even let you win an argument or two.”

  Her lips quirked into a quick smile.

  I could see her emotions rising to the surface. Detective Gratziella Gutierrez was one tough customer. She was hard as nails, but even the most seasoned cop feared being killed in the line of duty. “It’s okay, chica.” I gave her my worst Spanish accent. “Everything is going to be okay. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Damn straight, JFK.” She raised an eyebrow at me.

  I laughed along with her. She’d been calling me JFK since the first shift we worked together. It had taken me two weeks to ask her why she called me that. It turned I was so bossy, she said I was acting cocky like the president. We’d been friends ever since. She kept me grounded and my ego under control. I couldn’t lose her.

  “Ambulance is pulling in!” Anders shouted from outside the door.

  Relief flooded through me. It was going to be okay. Ella was going to be okay. “Listen to me. You hang in there. Fight, Ella. Do you hear me? I’ll be there for you every step of the way.”

  Ella set her blood-stained hands on my own. “Promise,” she whispered to me.

  I looked up to see Hal Rossi and his partner, Sunny Michaels, run into the room. They were from Ozzy’s firehouse. I knew my brother, in one of his engines, was sitting outside too, ready to escort the ambulance to the hospital.

  “Jesus, Ella, after all that Taekwondo, I thought you were faster than this.” Hal was shaking his head. He set his kit on the floor next to me. “Thanks for the assist, Kennedy. I’ve got it from here.” He rolled his dark eyes. “You believe this? Cop’s trying to muscle in on my job.”

  I knew he was trying to keep her mind off what was going on. I moved out of the way and watched Hal work. I’d known him since he joined the department. Ozzy loved the hell out of this kid. All he did was talk about how lucky they were to have him at the firehouse.

  Within minutes, Hal and Sunny had Ella stabilized and ready for transport. I watched as they wheeled her out of the room. Moments later, the twin wails of the fire engine and ambulance sirens sounded.

  All I could do at the moment was survey the shitty room. The gunman’s blood and brains were drying on the walls. There was a huge puddle of Ella’s blood on the floor. Jesus Christ, was it possible for her to survive after losing that much blood?

  I knew the Essex County Medical Examiner would be on the way. Same for the crime scene unit. I’d need to get back to the precinct to write up my incident report. Ella was the only thing I could think of at the moment. She’d fought with her husband this morning and might never have the chance to set it right.

  I should have called the op when the last john was late. I should have called it when he walked into the motel room. We all had seen there was something obviously wrong with him from the start. We could have burst into the room at the point before he’d had a chance to pull his weapon. For whatever reason, I’d sat on my hands and it almost cost Ella everything. It still could cost her everything.

  The one thing I did know
, at the moment, was that Ella’s blood type was A+. That was one of the things we’d learned about each other when we started working together. I was O-, the universal donor. My first step was going to be to get my ass to the hospital and donate blood.

  It was going to take some time for me to get over what happened tonight. A part of me wished I could go home to Gunnar and tell him what I’d seen. There was no way he’d understand. People outside law enforcement rarely did. No. After I donated blood and made sure Ella was safe, I’d pick up a bottle of whiskey on the way home and drown my sorrows alone.

  10

  Gunnar

  I couldn’t sleep. The new bed was perfect. It wasn’t the problem. My racing mind wouldn’t let me rest. It kept bouncing between my first day on the job with Ozzy and Firehouse 3, and Kennedy mobilizing his family to help me out.

  We didn’t know each other from Adam. Hell, he thought I was a dick the first time we’d met each other. If I were being honest, I was a dick the second time we met too. Yet here I was, lying in a bed with soft sheets that were gifts from his family.

  I’d never wanted for anything growing up, but what my parents gave me was out of a sense of keeping up with the neighbors, not out of concern for my comfort. This was different, the kindness of the McCoys was everything.

  Half an hour later, I still couldn’t sleep. Getting out of bed, I shuffled down the stairs. Maybe I’d feel better after a snack. David McCoy had brought food and a new television the other night. Thanks to him, I wouldn’t need to food shop for the next two weeks. A part of me was still struggling with the notion that there were people this good on earth. I was going to do everything in my power to be one of those people.

  After wolfing down a banana, I headed outside. The townhouse had a nice little back deck with steps leading down to the backyard. The humidity hit me the minute I walked through the door. I hadn’t realized how cold I’d had the A/C set in the house. The warm night air felt good on my clammy skin.