Archer"Chief Harrison wants to see you," Tank tells me as I make my way into the squad room. I have no idea what I've done and am immediately questioning what the hell is going on. I try to do everything by the book and I can't remember anything I might've done that was untoward. My stomach rolls as I head toward his office. I've never been called before him before and, truth be told, I never wanted to be. When I reach the door, I knock with a double tap. "C'mon in." Opening it enough so that I can sneak my head in, I glance at the Chief. "You wanted to see me, Sir?" "Yeah, come in and have a seat. There's a few things we need to discuss." I don't like the sound of this shit at all. Going in, I have a seat in the chair facing his desk and prepare to get my ass handed to me. "Officer Fugate has made a complaint and I'm bound by state laws to investigate those complaints." "I told you what happened," I defend myself. "He'
ArcherIt's a gully washer tonight, as my instructor at the Academy always said when it rained hard. Visibility fucking sucks and I've worked more accidents tonight than I have in the previous three months. It's as if when it rains, no one can remember how to drive. It's hard to even see out of my windshield but, as I pass one of the abandoned gas stations on the outskirts of town, I see another cop stopped.They're an eyesore and, at the next city planning meeting, there's going to be a vote on demolishing them. They're a breeding ground for drug use and criminals. We've put up cameras to show what happens at night when there aren't patrols going back and forth. Since it's raining and dark, I figure I'll hit them, just to make sure nothing's going on that shouldn't be.As I round the corner. I'm surprised as fuck to see Alisa's car parked next to a Calvert County patrol SUV. She's kneeling in front of a cop who has a taser pointed at her. My heart gallops in my chest as I wonder
Alisa"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" "Yes." I nod as I sit before the grand jury to give my testimony about what happened with Officer Fugate. "Please tell us when you first met him," the attorney instructs. Archer is sitting in the back row, all hot in his uniform. I don't know how he managed to be here, but he has and it's one of the sweetest things he's done for me. I'm not sure I could be doing this without his dark eyes staring back at me. "I met him when he brought a suspect into the ER. It was obvious that man had been beaten badly and it didn't happen only once. After that day, it happened on a regular basis…"ArcherUshering Lis into the station is like sending a babe into the belly of the beast. She's never been here before, doesn't know how things work, and could honestly be scared, given everything she's dealt with. I'd like to kill Officer Fugate with my own two hands.
ArcherA Year And A Half LaterNerves make circles in my stomach as I stand outside of Laurel Springs Medical waiting for Alisa to come out. She doesn't know I'm here and, the truth is, I didn't know I was going to be either. I've been carrying this ring around in my pocket for the last year and a half of the two years we've been together. Waiting. For what, I'm not sure. The right time? The perfect moment? We live together. I could've done it a million times, but there's something different about these stars against the inky blackness of the sky. They aren't crazy bright, but they aren't muted either. They're sparkling. The perfect backdrop to the plan I have. Tonight, as I helped a woman leave a dangerous domestic violence situation, I realized I'm wasting precious and valuable time. Even after dealing with Calvert County, it didn't hit me that seconds are to be treated with the same reverence as the big events in life. Lo
MenacePresent TimeIt's been a hell of a day. One where I got here late in the afternoon because I had meetings. Something I've learned since taking this position a few months ago is that it's mostly meetings. It's keeping people happy and kissing a lot of ass. My legs ache to get back out on the street, to do a couple laps around downtown, or to drive a car fast. To chase a speeder with the lights bright and the siren blaring. I miss it more than I thought I would. It's close to midnight and I know Rina will be wondering where the hell I am, but I wanted to get a look at what went on today by reading the reports of the officers. This is something I do everyday so I can try to gauge how my officers are doing. It's important for me to know if there's an issue in town. If someone is a nuisance, do we need to step up patrols in certain areas? Community policing is the name of my game and I take it seriously. Reading the last report, submitted by Caleb
VOLUME ONE: RANSOMFROM THE TEXT MESSAGES OF RANSOM THOMPSON & NICK KEPLERN: Can you make it any more obvious?R: Can I make what any more obvious?N: You were checking out Stella hard core today at The Café.R: Yeah? I think maybe she was checking me out too.N: Ummm, negative ghostrider, I know my sister. She wasn't checking you out.R: One day, my friend, one day. I haven't put on twenty pounds of muscle since I started working with Rambo for nothing.N: I'm glad to see your dreaming big.R: Go big or go home, isn't that what everybody says?N: Yeah, if they're giving like a mother fucking TED talk, Ransom.R: Don't talk down to me, Nickolas.N: I just see you missing out on all the chicks who look at you like they'd blow you before they even knew your name.R: Not missing out, Nick. I'm focused. Focused on what I really want.N: You sure about that? What if she never sees it?R: She will. One day she'll need a hero, and I'll be right there. I know my
RansomMy ears perk up as I hear a call coming over the radio. Dispatch is speaking quickly, precisely, and with an urgency I haven't heard in a long time."I've got a report of a man with a gun at the Laurel Springs Urgent Clinic. It has been spotted and verified. Kelsea Harrison called it in, saying Stella Kepler's in the room with the man. At this time, he's not brandished it, but they've requested an officer respond. Apparently, there's a woman who came in with him, whose safety they're worried about."I'm quick to key the radio. As one of the only members on the Moonshine Task Force not related to these two, I can respond while they can't. I've had SWAT training, and besides my dad, I'm the most qualified to take the call. "Show me as responding, I'll be there in less than two minutes.""Got it, Ransom. State Troopers are responding with you. One unit has acknowledged response.""Ransom, you know those two, they wouldn't have called something in if they weren't worried,"
StellaAs I get into my car, I sigh as I turn on the aerated seats. It's hot as fuck in Laurel Springs right now, and this has been a shit-tastic day. I got puked on, felt up by a man old enough to be my father, and then the doctor I work for asked me out. Not for the first time, I might add, but he's so not my type. He's not rugged, he's not manly, and I'll never forget the way he ran out of the clinic when I was in the room with a guy packing a gun.I don't want to be with the man who runs away from danger. No, I want to be with the one running to it. Like Ransom Thompson. A little smile plays across my face as I think about him saving me that day. He and I, we've known each other since we were babies, and he's always flirted with me, from the time we were old enough to know what flirting was up until now. The issue is, I never took it seriously. Until about eight months ago, when I started noticing that Ransom had grown up. Maybe it was the fact we'd both gotten to the "other si