- H.O.L.T. Blue 1/?
Date: Thursday, January 11, 2001
- sue hantak <hantaks@mtco.com>
- permission to archive
H.O.L.T. Blue
by Suejue
He held the black article in his right hand reminding her, "Ah,
Laura, you're forgetting this."
"I'm not putting that thing on," she responded defiantly.
"Well, Jarvis must have included it with the intent for
you to wear it."
Ignoring him, she adjusted her belt, put her gun in its holster
and slapped it against her thigh, "Well, how do I look?"
"You'd look better with this on." He tried one more
time to get her to wear the armored vest.
"Since when are you trying to put clothes on me rather than
take them off?"
"This will just be the first layer I get to peel off when
your shift is over. That rasping sound of me tearing velcro from
your body, what could be more seductive?" he flirted light-heartedly
hoping she would indulge his anxiety.
"I'm suppose to be undercover, you know, blend in. Wearing
that inside the precinct will just draw attention."
Remington closed the distance between them taking a step with
each pleading, "Wear it?....Please?.....For me?"
"I'll be fine." Laura kissed him briefly, took the
bulletproof vest and threw it aside, "I'm just investigating
who's behind the thefts from the evidence locker, I'm not planning
on responding to any armed criminal actions." She walked
towards the door but turned and added, "I do plan, however,
to apprehend you this evening on a charge of domestic aggravation."
"Apprehend me?" he responded with a hopeful smile.
"Can't wait."
Detective Jarvis was assigned to a special task force. He enlisted
their help prompted by yet another high profile drug case that
was dismissed when the critical evidence disappeared from the
police lock up. With egg on its face, the district attorney's
office need to put an end to the corruption. A war was brewing.
An ugly, finger-pointing, pissing contest between the police
department, internal affairs and the District Attorney's office.
Ostensibly they are all on the same team but justice was not
being served amid the turmoil. Not knowing who was involved,
combined with the police department's unspoken policy of blue
loyalty, Det. James Jarvis had to go outside the police department
for help on this one. He would go through the motions of formal
interviews, and all the 'official' procedures dictated by the
"book" while Laura secretly operated without the stickiness
of any red tape.
The first stop on the trail of the missing cocaine was the arresting
officer, Detective John North. He was a 20-plus year veteran
with no apparent motive. Why would he want to lose probably the
biggest collar of his career? Unless he was dissatisfied with
his meager pension and was padding his retirement nest egg. Laura
bumped into him at the firing range. She chose the bay next to
the one where he was practicing. Laura put on her glasses and
ear plugs. In truth, she detested guns, but they were a necessary
evil in her line of work. Although she rarely even had the agency
gun with her, she did periodically go to the range to keep in
practice. Her form and accuracy gave her a credible presence
among real policemen. She spent her ammunition then stopped to
reload.
"Not many rookies choose the revolver these days,"
Det. North commented.
"I have a Remington 9mm automatic at home." Laura held
in a snicker thinking how insulted Mr. Steele would be with her
entendre. She further explained, "My father is a cop in
San Diego, it was a gift from him. It makes me feel like he's
with me. Pretty silly, huh?"
"I think that's admirable...." he looked at her nametag,
"Holt.. is it?"
Laura nodded.
He quickly glanced around jokingly, "Oh, I hope nobody heard
or saw that."
"What?" Laura asked genuinely puzzled by his actions.
Det. North spoke as he reloaded his gun. "Well I just said
something nice to a woman and looked at her chest. Might be construed
as sexual harassment. You never know these days. Whole department's
fucked up. Cops suing other cops, stabbing each other in the
back for promotions, beating up suspects, evidence walking away
from the property room. It's not the same department I joined
27 years ago. It's a damn shame."
He replaced his safety glasses and earplugs and fired at the
target with a loathsome expression. Laura took note of his genuine
disgust of the current state of the LAPD. It was unlikely that
he had anything to do with it.
- End Part 1
- To Part
2
- BACK