The scene outside the rec center could best be categorized as organized chaos, with multiple patrol cars blocking off the immediate area. Reach stood off to the side, the same dispassionate look on his face that had been there since he'd escorted Alicia and Angela out of the building, watching as paramedics attended to the two of them. Angela was propped up on a stretcher, still conscious and trying to wave off the neck brace they were attempting to secure around her. Alicia sat wrapped in a heavy blanket, cradling a bottle of water with both hands as a female EMT knelt beside her, speaking in low, reassuring tones. Despite the buzz of activity, Reach felt oddly disconnected from the scene, his mind still running on combat autopilot.
"Officer Reach?"
The sound of his name snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned his head toward the source, where he found Sgt. Grey and Captain Andersen approaching him. Grey came to a stop just a step in front of him and gave a small nod.
"Sergeant, Captain." Jericho said, nodding respectfully.
"I can only ask you two questions at this time." Grey said, his tone all business. "How many shots, and from which direction?"
"I fired three shots at the suspect from approximately 10-15 feet away." Jericho told them. "He was standing by a doorway in a south-facing direction. I was standing across from him by the wall in a north-facing direction."
Grey gave a single nod. "Thank you for answering my questions, Officer Reach." He offered a curt nod to Andersen before turning and walking away.
Captain Andersen lingered, her eyes tracking Grey for a moment before turning to Reach. "Who do you want to have as your companion officer?"
"Ma'am?" Jericho asked, unsure of what she was talking about.
"They're the ones who will help guide you through the process." Captain Andersen explained. "It can be whoever you want. It's your choice."
Reach considered her words for a moment. He hadn't anticipated needing a "handler," but he understood the protocol. He quickly cycled through the officers he knew, searching for someone he felt like he could trust and who possessed the necessary understanding. The only people he could consider himself close to were Nolan and Chen and they hadn't gone through something like this yet which meant they were a no-go. Lopez had been another possible option, but she had enough on her plate right now that he didn't want to add to it. After thinking about it for a moment, there was really only one person that came to mind who might be able to understand his mindset.
"What about you?" Jericho asked finally. "If there are no regulations against it, and you're willing, I would like to choose you as my companion officer."
Andersen blinked once, clearly surprised by his choice, but not against it either. "Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I know that this isn't your usual role, but you don't reach the rank of captain without having some kind of idea of the process I'll have to go through. You've also worn the same uniforms I did, both kinds. So you'll have a better understanding of my mindset than someone who never served in the military."
For a long second, Andersen didn't say anything, she just stood there and studied him carefully. Then her features softened and the faintest hint of a smile curved her lips. "Alright, Reach. I'm with you."
"Thank you, ma'am ." Jericho replied.
Andersen nodded. "Well, the first thing we need to do is head back to the station. Given that this is being investigated as a homicide, you'll have to go through the booking process. You'll also be required to submit to a blood test so we can determine if you had any illicit substances in your system at the time of the shooting. Don't worry, though. I'll be there with you every step of the way."
Jericho nodded and followed the Captain to her car.
***********************************************************************
Mid-Wilshire Police Division
Walking into the station's booking area, Chen wrangled the hoodie-clad shoplifter toward the intake desk. Behind them, Officer Wrigley followed at a more relaxed pace, showcasing the same lackadaisical attitude he had towards most police work that required effort beyond filling out paperwork.
"Alright, let's get you checked in, buddy." Lucy said, guiding the reluctant suspect forward as they waited for the desk sergeant in charge of intake to return. After a few moments of waiting, the officer still hadn't returned. She glanced around to see if anyone was coming, but everyone seemed preoccupied as she watched arrestees being removed from holding cells and moved out of the waiting area in Booking. "Where are they taking them?"
Before Wrigley could answer, another officer walked over.
"Hey, what's up?" Wrigley asked the other officer.
"Booking's closed. We got a bus in the garage to move everyone outta here and down to county." the officer informed them.
"Why? What happened?" Lucy asked.
Before the other officer could answer her, Wrigley saw Reach being led into the booking area by Captain Andersen. He let out a soft sigh as he realized what had just happened. "Because there's been an officer-involved shooting."
"Oh, shit..." Lucy breathed out as she watched Reach and the captain step into Booking. Jericho's face was unreadable, but she could see the tension in his shoulders and the slight furrow of his brow as Captain Andersen led him over to where they were standing by the intake desk. She was so focused on wondering how Reach was doing that she barely even noticed when the officer took the shoplifter from her and led him away to where the bus was waiting. Lucy walked around Wrigley to stand next to Reach, looking up at him with a concerned look as the Captain and the desk sergeant spoke briefly.
"Hey."
Jericho's eyes shifted from the intake officer to her and his features softened. "Hey."
"Are you okay?" Lucy asked.
"I'm fine." he replied. "This is just standard procedure."
"I-I know, but..." Lucy stuttered, not quite knowing how to articulate what she was feeling. "Just... if you need anything, I'm here."
Reach paused, and for a moment, it looked like he might say something else, but Captain Andersen put a gentle hand on his shoulder. He gave her a quick nod before he turned back to Chen and said, "We can talk more afterward."
Lucy nodded. "Of course. Whatever you need, just let me know."
***********************************************************************
Having his mugshot taken was a... surreal experience. The blinding flashes were something he could have done without, but it went relatively quickly. From there, Reach was moved over to the fingerprinting station to have another set of his prints added to the system. The digital scanners that had replaced the ink-and-paper method made the entire process much quicker and easier. After that, he was taken to another room to have his blood drawn. The nurse, a young woman with kind eyes and a gentle touch, tried to make small talk, but when he gave only short, terse responses, she fell silent and continued her work.
After his blood was taken, Andersen escorted Reach to the men's locker room. A uniformed officer he didn't recognize was already waiting by the entrance, holding a large evidence bag. Captain Andersen stopped just outside the entrance and turned towards him.
"Officer Davies will assist you from here, Reach." she told him. "You've already taken a GSR test, so once you remove your uniform, you can go ahead and take a shower before changing back into your civilian clothing. Once you're done, you will hand it to Officer Davies, who will inventory it in front of you and then place it in the evidence bag."
"Yes, ma'am." Jericho nodded before walking into the locker room with Davies following him in.
He walked straight to his locker, removed the lock, and placed it on the shelf inside. He quickly stripped off his uniform and boots, folding them neatly and placing them on the bench next to him. Once Reach was down to his boxers, he nodded toward his uniform. "That's everything."
Davies gave a quick nod before stepping forward to place the folded clothing inside the evidence bag. Once the clothing was inside the plastic bag, he folded the flap over and sealed it close with evidence tape. He wrote his initials and today's date on the label before he turned and walked out of the locker room. Reach grabbed some clean towels and his soap container out of his gym bag and walked over to the showers. Once the water heated up enough, he took a quick PTA shower to clean himself off before he dried off and got dressed in a clean button-up shirt and a pair of jeans.
Once he was done, Jericho stepped out into the hallway where he saw Captain Andersen leaning against the wall waiting for him.
"How do you feel?" Andersen asked him.
"I'm fine. Just doing what's required of me."
She nodded, a small, sad smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I know that this is a lot to process right now, but it's just as much for your benefit as it is ours. Everything you did and said has to be scrutinized and examined to make sure the actions taken were the only possible way things could have ended. It's a pain in the ass, I know, but it has to be done."
Reach didn't answer right away. Instead, his eyes locked onto hers as he tried to think of the right words to express how he felt. "It's not so much the process itself, but the slowness of its pace."
"How so?"
"Back when I was still in the military, on the kinds of missions I was assigned to, enemy casualties were an expectation, not a risk." Jericho explained. "We gave our after-action reports, debriefed, and went home. We didn't have to go through a week-long process just to prove we had no other choice."
"I see." Andersen said.
"Isn't that why we wear body cameras now? To give the public and other police officers an eyewitness view of what actually happened."
Andersen's mouth twisted in thought. "That's true, but sometimes even body cams don't tell the whole story. A video can't tell you what's going on inside a person's mind. Were they nervous? Scared? Maybe the cop saw something that they thought was threatening that wasn't caught on camera. There's no denying that they've proven useful. But all they can show us is the officer's reactions to a particular situation. Not how they were assessing the situation. You only get that from the interviews and investigations that come afterward."
"I suppose you're right." Jericho sighed as he leaned against the wall next to her. "So what happens now?"
"Now you meet with your lawyer and put together your written statement. Your union rep is already on his way. He'll want to go over a few things." she explained. "From there, you'll have an interview conducted by Internal Affairs with the lead homicide detective, someone from the District Attorney's office, and the independent police auditor in attendance." She took Reach's silence at her words as him feeling nervous over the impending interview. Andersen put her hand on his arm and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Just tell the truth to the best of your ability. It'll be fine."
***********************************************************************
Mid-Wilshire Patrol Division (Interview Room 1)
While Reach was busy putting together his written report and meeting his lawyer and union rep, Chen and Nolan were being interviewed by the detectives assigned to Reach's case. Emily Barrett and her partner, John Lansing, were two of IA's most seasoned investigators, having rooted out dozens of corrupt officers from the LAPD over the years.
"How would you characterize Officer Reach?" Barrett asked Chen. "What's his demeanor like on the job?"
Lucy hesitated, unsure how much to reveal, before finally answering. "Jericho is... kind. I know that he seems kind of stiff when you first meet him, but that's just leftovers from when he was in the military. Back at the academy, while everyone was gunning for each other to be in the top spot, he'd always finish his tests and training scenarios early and help those who were having trouble." A smile grew on Lucy's face as a fond memory of a few late-night study sessions turned into a late dinner for the two of them. In a world not so different from this one, she could have seen things going somewhere between them, but things just never lined up. "Once you get to know him, you understand that his stoic demeanor isn't because he doesn't care, but just how he interacts with people."
***********************************************************************
Mid-Wilshire Patrol Division (Interview Room 2)
Same Time
"He's quiet, b-but not in a weird way, like he doesn't get along with people." John quickly explained, stumbling over his words a bit. "He just prefers to keep to himself most of the time. But, he's always there when you need him. When I was having some trouble at the academy, he was always there for me. As far as I'm concerned, he's a good cop."
"Thank you." Detective Lansing replied, turning his attention back to his notes. "Do you know if Officer Reach is on any type of medication?"
John shook his head. "Not that I know of."
***********************************************************************
Interview Room 1
"No, not that I'm aware of." Lucy replied before another thought popped into her head. "I don't even think he has any allergies. Jericho was always ranked number one when it came to physical fitness tests back in the academy."
Detective Barrett's eyebrow rose slightly as she continued to write in her notes. "How about family history? Any instances of mental illness or substance abuse?"
"I... I don't really know. We never really got that personal with details." Lucy admitted. "I just know he's an only child and that his parents died a few years ago."
"Thank you." Barrett replied before moving on to the next topic. "Has Officer Reach ever given you a reason to suspect he has a propensity towards violence?"
***********************************************************************
Interview Room 2
"What?! Absolutely not." John replied vehemently. "And the idea that he would is just ridiculous."
"Well, let's not jump to any conclusions." Lansing said calmly, trying to bring the temperature down a notch. "All I'm trying to do is get an accurate picture of Officer Reach's mental state."
"I don't care." John said adamantly. "Jericho's a good guy.
***********************************************************************
Interview Room 1
Lucy paused. This was one of the harder questions. "Well... not personally. He can come across as a little intense sometimes. But he's never done anything untoward to anyone, including perps."
"But, you admit that Reach can seem intimidating?" Barrett pressed.
"To some, maybe. I mean, he's huge." Lucy pointed out. "But sometimes you need to be a little intimidating. It makes it easier to take control of the scene when you first roll up."
"Do you know if Officer Reach is going through anything in his personal life?"
***********************************************************************
Interview Room 2
John paused, unsure of where Lansing was going with these questions. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, has Officer Reach experienced anything emotionally or physically traumatic recently? Death of a parent? The breakup of a relationship? Interpersonal conflict? Things of that nature." Lansing clarified.
"Not that I know of." John responded, but even to him, his answer sounded hesitant.
***********************************************************************
Douglas Shaw Memorial Hospital
Later
Meanwhile, at Shaw Memorial, Sergeant Grey had gone to talk to Lopez in Emergency. The 33-year-old Latina had only suffered minor injuries in the attack. Other than the bump on the back of her head and the bruising on her chest from getting shot in the vest, she was otherwise fine. The doctor had checked her over and given her a prescription for the pain before telling her she was free to go. The sound of the curtain being opened drew her attention as Grey stepped inside before closing it behind him.
"Hey, Sarge." Lopez greeted him, a weary smile on her face.
"Lopez." Grey said in greeting. "How you holding up?"
"I'll live." Angela answered as she did her best to ignore the pain in her chest while she buttoned her uniform shirt.
"Yeah, but how are you really doing?" he asked, a knowing look in his eyes.
Angela let out a deep sigh. "Worried... angry." she confessed. "I'm angry that I didn't see it coming and I'm even more pissed that Alvarez shot me with my weapon."
"I couldn't get the details from Reach because of protocols, but how did the suspect get your weapon?" Grey asked.
"I heard a noise coming from the basement and I told Alvarez to let me go downstairs first in case things popped off." Angela began to explain. "I didn't know that he was responsible for the kidnappings, so I didn't see it coming when he attacked me from behind. I got my bell rung and the next thing I know, I was staring down the barrel of my own gun." Grey was silent for a moment, which Angela used to ask the question that had been weighing on her mind. "How's Reach doing behind all of this?"
"Not as bad as you're thinking." Grey admitted. "I get the feeling that this isn't his first time having to take someone's life."
"You mean back when he was in the military." Angela guessed. "He didn't go into any detail about where he served or anything when I asked, but after he found me on the ground, he was very adamant about making sure I was out of danger before he went after Alvarez. I practically had to force him to leave. I think something might have happened to him when he was still in the service."
Grey nodded. "According to his service records, his entire team got wiped out on their last deployment, with Reach being the only survivor. He got an honorable discharge once he recovered from his injuries."
"Jesus." Angela breathed out.
"He isn't showing any signs of shock or anything, but maybe it just hasn't hit him yet." Grey remarked.
Angela shook her head in frustration at the situation. "Today was on me, Sarge."
"Hey." Grey said firmly, getting her attention. "What Alvarez did was not on you."
"I'm the one who was pushing things." Angela replied. "I needed to find out if he could handle himself out there as soon as I could. I didn't want to end up in another situation like I did with West and have a boot that couldn't cut it when it really mattered."
"I understand that, but this case had nothing to do with the calls you two were responding to." Grey told her. "A few minor details are the only thing keeping me from saying that it literally fell into your laps. And I'm glad that it did." Angela looked at him curiously. "Two little girls are safe and sound at home because of you and Reach. Enjoy the win, Lopez."
Angela gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Sarge."
"You're welcome." Grey replied.
"So, where do we go from here?" she asked.
"IA is still investigating the shooting. Until they've reached their conclusion, Reach is on administrative leave and you're on medical leave for the next 48."
"How's that looking for him so far?"
"Not sure. I talked to Reach before he was taken to the station. He asked for Captain Andersen to be his companion officer." Grey said. "I'm sure they'll be asking you for your statement as soon as we get back, so I'd be prepared for that."
Angela sighed and nodded. "Got it."
"Come on, I'll drive you back to the station." Grey offered.
"Thanks, Sarge." Angela replied as she grabbed her paperwork and gingerly stood up from the bed before following him towards the exit.
***********************************************************************
Mid-Wilshire Patrol Division (Interview Room 1)
One Hour Later
Back at the station, Reach had met with both his union rep and lawyer. The union rep went over the basic guidelines that would be followed during his interview, as well as covering the possibilities he might face if things ended up going to a civil trial. His lawyer, Amanda Stevens, guided him on what to say during the interview and what not to say. She put special emphasis on making sure that he understood that under no circumstances was he ever to express any feeling of guilt over what happened. When he asked why, she explained that it would imply that he had done something wrong and that while his statements couldn't technically be used against him, that protection only covered a murder trial. They could, and would, be used against him in any civil proceeding.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, the door to the interview room opened and three people, two men and a woman, walked in. Reach didn't know who the younger man or woman was, but the older man wearing an LAPD uniform, Commander Percy West, was the head of Internal Affairs for the LAPD. West sat down on the other side of the table from him as the other two sat down in chairs just in front of the observation window.
"Officer Reach, my name is Percy West. I'm the Commanding Officer of the LAPD's Internal Affairs Division." he said in introduction as he held his hand out to him.
Jericho took it and gave a firm shake. "Commander."
"This is Detective Emily Barrett and Assistant District Attorney Sean Del Monte." West said as he gestured towards the younger man in a suit and the woman sitting next to him. Reach again politely shook hands with both of them. "Before we begin, the first thing I want you to understand is that this is going to be an interview, not an interrogation or anything." Commander West explained as he removed a notepad from his bag and set up a minicam to record the interview. "I'm going to ask you a series of questions about what happened earlier today and some of them may get pretty pointed, but I can't help that. We need to get all the details of this incident down while they're still fresh in your memories."
Jericho nodded. "I understand, sir."
"Good." West said. "First, let's start with your name, badge number, and time on the job."
"Reach, Jericho. Badge number 29352. I've been with the LAPD since September 24th of this year." he replied.
"Thank you." West nodded. "Okay. I want you to start from the beginning. Walk us through everything leading up to the incident from the moment you arrived on the scene."
"Officer Lopez and I had been searching the nearby Hawley Park for an adolescent named Alicia Williamson. Her mother had called in saying that her daughter had failed to return home or inform her mother of a change in plans. We didn't think much of it until she said that her daughter was supposed to go and play in Hawley Park. Earlier in the day, we had brought in another girl named Kelly Moore after she had stolen and crashed an ice cream truck. After questioning both her and the truck's proprietor, we learned that the two of them had both been in the vicinity of Hawley Park. After canvassing the area and finding nothing, we noticed that the parking lot of the Ballard Rec Center had fresh tar spread on it. When we interviewed her, we both noticed that Kelly had tar stuck to the bottom of her feet."
"And what made you believe that the rec center had anything to do with your investigation beyond the tar in the parking lot?" West asked, taking notes.
"At first, we assumed that Kelly had passed through the area, not where she had originated from. During questioning, Kelly was initially hesitant and evasive with her responses because of the presence of her father, but she eventually admitted that she had been running away from the rec center when she'd stolen the truck. Officer Lopez and I were unaware of that last piece of information when we first arrived. The rec center became a place of interest in our investigation because we noticed that the bottom window of the building's main entrance had been broken out. However, the majority of the shards of glass were located on the outside of the door frame, suggesting that someone or something had broken it from the inside of the building rather than outside."
"So you two thought that perhaps whoever broke the window had something to do with your missing person case."
"Yes, sir."
"What did you find when you entered the building?"
"It was empty and there were no lights on." Jericho answered. "To cover more ground, we split up. I headed up to the second floor and Officer Lopez searched the first. While I was clearing the rooms on the second floor, Officer Nolan called and informed me about the information Kelly provided."
West glanced through Reach's written statement, looking for that section. "And that's when you heard the gunshots?"
"Correct."
"Tell me about your interactions with the suspect."
"Once I heard the shots, I went back downstairs to assist Officer Lopez. From an observation window overlooking the gymnasium, I saw her lying on the ground and not moving."
"Did you see the decedent, David Alvarez, in the area?"
"No, sir, I did not." Jericho answered.
"But the fact that Officer Lopez was unresponsive, combined with the gunshots, made you assume the worst?"
"Yes."
"After you checked on Officer Lopez and ensured that she was stable, then what happened?"
"She told me that Alvarez had got the jump on her, took her weapon, and shot her with it." Jericho answered. "Then she informed me that she believed Alicia was down in the basement and that Alvarez might harm her."
"To put on the record, Officer Reach's call into dispatch requesting backup and EMS came in at 3:10 PM Pacific Standard Time on October 3rd, 2018." West said for both the recording and the room's other two observers. "You may continue, Officer Reach."
"Once I'd received the information from Officer Lopez, I went downstairs to search for Alvarez and located Alicia Williamson tied up to a pole. She seemed to be in good health, but while I was attempting to free her, I heard Alvarez muttering something from nearby. Given that he was armed, I believed it would be safer to leave her there while I went to go and arrest the suspect. I confronted him and ordered him to surrender. He failed to heed my commands and that's when the incident occurred." he finished.
"During the incident, did you have any less-than-lethal weapons available? Taser? Pepper spray?" West asked.
"Yes, but at that particular time, they were more of a detriment than an asset." Jericho replied. "The suspect was armed with Officer Lopez's firearm at that point and had already attempted to kill her with it."
"Understandable." West acknowledged. "Do you think the decedent's attempt on your Training Officer's life had any impact on your decision to shoot him?"
"Beyond showing that he was willing to kill if cornered, no, sir. "
Before West could continue his questioning, ADA Del Monte cut in. "You said that Alvarez had taken Lopez's weapon. How exactly did he gain access to Lopez's weapon?"
West threw the ADA an admonishing look before turning back to Reach to wait for his answer.
"According to Officer Lopez, she was attacked from behind by the suspect when she moved in front of him to go down the steps into the rec center's basement first." Jericho answered. "She was struck in the back of the head and she lost her grip on her weapon. The suspect picked up her firearm and shot her three times in the chest with it. Luckily, she was wearing body armor."
"When you confronted the suspect, did you have any cover or concealment?" West asked.
"None, sir. Both the suspect and I were standing out in the open."
"Did the suspect discharge his firearm?"
"No."
"How many rounds did you fire at the suspect?"
"Three." Jericho replied.
"What were you aiming at?"
"I was aiming for his chest. Center mass, like I've been trained to do."
"Describe what he did or what you saw to make you think you struck the suspect." West said.
"He stumbled backward after he got hit. Then he tripped over some paint cans that were on the floor and fell to the ground." Jericho described. "He wasn't moving, so I approached and checked him to confirm."
Del Monte leaned forward in his chair. "Where was Officer Lopez's weapon when you opened fire?"
"When I first approached and ordered him to surrender, it was tucked in the front right pocket of his coveralls. I repeated the command for him to surrender two more times before he reached for the weapon. That's when I opened fire."
"Was the weapon in his hand when you fired or was he still reaching for it?" Del Monte pressed.
Jericho's gaze didn't waver in the slightest. "I didn't open fire until the weapon was in his hand and he was beginning to aim it in my direction."
"I see." West said as he wrote the information down in his notes. "I have one more question to ask you. Appreciating the fact that police work involves rapidly changing environments and situations, is there anything you would have done differently?"
"No, sir, there is not."
***********************************************************************
Once the interview was completed, Reach surrendered his badge and weapon to Commander West who warned him not to leave town while the investigation was still ongoing. After assuring West that he'd make himself available for any additional questioning, Reach was now officially placed on administrative leave. He headed back into the locker room to gather his things, but just as he was about to leave the station, he was called into the captain's office.
Jericho knocked on the open door to get Andersen's attention.
"How did it go?" she asked, her voice quiet.
Reach gave a curt nod. "As expected. They asked a lot of questions, and went over everything in detail."
"They're just doing their job, Reach." Andersen said softly. "Trying to get all the facts."
"I understand." he replied, though his tone lacked conviction. "Though the level of scrutiny is still... jarring."
"I know." she nodded.
"Is there anything else you'll be needing from me, ma'am?" Jericho asked.
"Not so much what 'I' need, but rather what 'You' need." Andersen replied.
Reach looked confused. "Excuse me, ma'am?"
"The PIO is going to be briefing the press soon. You might want to call your family and let them know." Andersen offered him the use of her landline to make the calls. "It would be better if they found out from you rather than seeing it first on the evening news."
"I appreciate the offer, ma'am, but that won't be necessary. There's no one left for me to call." Jericho stated matter-of-factly.
Her face softened at his reply. "No parents? Siblings?" she asked as she grabbed his personnel folder off of her desk and started reviewing his family history. "Not even a girlfriend?"
"My parents died in a car accident while I was still in the Marines and I was an only child." Jericho explained. "And I am romantically unattached for the time being."
"I see." Anderson responded as she continued going over his file, wondering what else she might have overlooked in his family history.
"Is there anything else?"
Instead of responding right away, Andersen grabbed one of her business cards and quickly jotted something down on the back of it before walked over to him and handed it to him. "This is my personal cell number. If you need anything, if you just want someone to talk to, you'll always be able to get ahold of me on there."
Reach accepted the card and put it into his pocket. "I will, ma'am. Thank you."
***********************************************************************
Jericho Reach's House
The drive home had been a quiet one as Reach played out the day's events in his head. He wasn't worried so much about the investigation turning up something against him, it was a clean shoot. Unfortunately, until they came to the same conclusion, he was going to have a lot of spare time on his hands. He grabbed his gym bag from the back seat before getting out of the truck. As he was walking up to the front porch, a woman's voice called out to him.
"Hi, Jericho."
He stopped on the steps and looked off to his right to see his neighbor, Elena Gonzalez, working on her herb garden.
"Afternoon, Mrs. Gonzalez." he greeted her.
"How many times do I have to tell you, it's just Elena." the 23-year-old, mother of one, insisted. "You make me feel old when you call me that."
"My apologies, Elena." he nodded. "How are you?"
"I'm doing okay. Just trying to wear this one out so I can put her down for her nap." she replied, gesturing with her head to the three-year-old who was running around in circles, making bubbles shoot out of a wand. "How was work?"
"It was... busy." he said, keeping the details vague.
Elena must have noticed his hesitancy because she was quick to change the subject. "Oh, hey, I wanted to thank you for helping Armando move the armoire into the bedroom the other day. That man always thinks he's Superman."
"It was no problem. I was happy to help." he replied. "I'll see you later."
"You too." Elena smiled as she watched him enter the house.
Once he was inside, Jericho dropped the bag by the front door and walked over to the fridge to grab a bottle of ginger ale. Although alcohol didn't have any effect on him thanks to his enhancements, he had drunk a few beers before to maintain appearances while out in public. The taste always left something to be desired, but he had enjoyed the sensations created by the bubbles from the carbonation. A cold ginger ale eventually became his drink of choice whenever the occasion called for it.
He twisted the non-twist cap off the bottle and took a sip as he made his way towards the basement stairs. When he'd first moved in, the house was already in good condition. There were a few things that could use some updating, but for the most part, it had purchase ready. However, what really made him choose it in the end was the unfinished basement. The walls were exposed concrete and the floors were no different, but it wasn't its appearance that interested him, but the room it provided. After a few weeks and some elbow grease, he'd completely transformed the dreary gray dungeon into something more appealing.
The mechanical side of the basement, where the washer and dryer were located, had been walled off to make it its own separate area. The main 'room' had been split in half to create a home gym for him to work out and train in. Against the far wall, opposite the stairs, was an entertainment center complete with a TV, Blu-ray player, and cable system. All in all, it was a very normal-looking room... or at least, that's what most people would see.
Just off to the side of the entertainment space, a large bookcase was situated against the wall. It was a fairly normal-looking piece of furniture, and for the most part, it was. The bookcase itself wasn't what was special, it was what it was hiding.
Jericho set the bottle of ginger ale down on the coffee table and stepped up to the bookcase. Pressing a small indentation near the top right corner of the case, a loud click could be heard before he pushed the bookshelf aside on hidden rails. Hidden behind it was a custom-made metal door with a keypad and hand scanner. If the power ever went out, and the hand scanner became inoperable, the battery-powered keypad would allow for another means of unlocking the door.
He placed his right hand on the scanner and waited. A moment later a light swept back and forth across the face of the scanner, mapping out the details of his palm and comparing it to the only print stored in its memory. With an audible thunk, the lock disengaged, allowing him to pull the heavy door open and lay eyes on its contents for the first time in over a year.
Standing upright on a specially built, reinforced platform stood his Mark V Mjolnir Power Armor. The wave of nostalgia hit him hard as he walked over and ran his fingers gently over the armor's forearm guard, the still-present scorch mark from a Covenant plasma weapon clearly visible. He'd certainly put the suit through a lot during his deployments but it had served him well. Though there were plenty of nicks and scratches across the armor's titanium alloy shell that told stories of its previous adventures, Jericho's gaze inevitably fell upon the melted gash in the armor's chest plate. His fingers ran absentmindedly over the same spot on his own chest, a faint phantom sensation ghosting through his skin.
"Why the sudden trip down memory lane?" Dot asked, tearing Reach away from the sight.
"No reason." Jericho answered as he looked over at the helmet perched neatly on top of a platform just to the right of the armor. "Just reminiscing about old times."
The technology of this time period made it practically impossible to install Dot directly into any modern network infrastructure. Luckily, they had an easy workaround on hand with the helmet of his Mjolnir armor. Since the helmet already housed her data crystal, Dot designed a connector for Jericho to build, which used the helmet as a pass-through for her data crystal, allowing her seamless integration into both the house's network and the broader internet. Taking a step back, Jericho closed the safe door before he pulled the bookcase back into place.
"I never took you for the nostalgic type." Dot pointed out.
"I like to think we've both evolved along the way."
"I suppose that's true." she admitted. "Now, would you like to tell me why you're home so early? Your shift isn't supposed to end for another two hours."
Jericho's brow furrowed slightly. "I assumed that you already knew."
"Knew what?" Dot replied. "I only actively monitor your audio and visual feeds when you ask me to open up a secure line. Otherwise, my awareness of your activities is limited to monitoring your location via the GPS on your phone. I do not sit around listening in to your conversations like a 'Nosy Nancy'. I have far better ways to spend my time, like handling your investment portfolios and watching my stories."
Jericho sat down on the sofa with a tired sigh. "I was involved in an 'OIS' earlier this afternoon. I've been placed on administrative leave while they conduct an investigation."
"I was almost about to ask if the shooting was justified until I remembered who I was speaking to." Dot commented.
"I waited until he had the gun in his hand before I opened fire." Jericho told her. "I made sure it would get caught on my body cam. It's an open-and-shut case."
"And yet, I can't help but feel like there's something else bothering you." Dot said.
Jericho reached for his soda, taking a sip of it before answering. "It was something Alicia Williamson's mother said when we questioned her."
"What did she say?" Dot asked as she accessed the LAPD's internal network and began looking into what Reach had gotten into that day.
"She mentioned that a couple of girls had gone missing from that neighborhood last summer. I can't help but wonder if Alvarez might have had something to do with their disappearances as well."
"Names, locations?" Dot asked.
"The perp is named David Alvarez. According to Lopez, he said that he worked as part of the maintenance crew at the Ballard Rec Center." Jericho informed her. "The Williamsons live in the Crestview Apartments on 8th Ave."
The TV turned on by itself as a series of missing person pictures rapidly flipped past on the screen until it stopped and displayed two pictures side by side.
"There are only two results that match those criteria. Tasha Young and Jessica Sanchez." Dot informed him. "Both girls went missing within a two-month timespan of each other."
Jericho leaned forward as he looked over the pictures. Both girls were around the same age, somewhere in their early to mid-teens. Both of them also possessed long dark hair and slender builds like Kelly and Alicia had. "Any connection between the two?"
"Other than living in the same neighborhood and attending the same school district? No." Dot replied. "And given the lack of evidence they've uncovered by this point, I doubt they'll find one."
"Keep an eye on theirs and the Alvarez case for me. Update me if there's any significant changes." Jericho said before grabbing his drink and heading for the stairs.
"Of course." Dot replied.
***********************************************************************
Office of Dr. Maureen Cahill
The Following Day
Jericho looked around the room, searching for something interesting enough to hold his attention and let him brush off the discomfort of being under Dr. Cahill's quiet observation. She was a tall, slim woman with fair skin and shoulder-length dark hair. She sat opposite him in a comfortable armchair, her legs crossed, a small notepad resting on her lap.
"I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to be doing right now." Jericho finally confessed, breaking the silence.
"And that is perfectly alright." the doctor replied calmly. "Do you know why the department makes it mandatory for their officers to speak with a psychologist after an 'Officer Involved Shooting'?"
"To determine whether or not they should return to active duty."
"That's part of it." Dr. Cahill acknowledged. "But it's also to help the officer work through their feelings. To process the emotions they experienced during the incident and deal with the aftermath in a healthy manner."
"I am not an emotional person, doctor." he told her. "And this isn't even close to the first time I've killed somebody in the line of duty."
"That's right. You were a lieutenant in the Navy." Dr. Cahill remembered as she reached for a folder on the side table beside her and skimmed over its contents. "Bet you saw some pretty intense stuff?"
"More than most, I'd imagine." he nodded.
"So, given your... experience in such matters," Dr. Cahill continued, her voice gentle but probing, "one could assume that you've developed coping mechanisms to help you deal with it. Yet, here you are. Why do you think that is?"
"Protocol, I assume." Jericho replied. "The department doesn't differentiate between someone who's been in this situation before and someone who hasn't."
"That's true." Dr. Cahill conceded. "Protocol exists for a reason. Even those who have experienced similar situations can benefit from processing these events. Trauma, regardless of prior exposure, can manifest in unexpected ways. How have you been sleeping?"
"Fine." Reach answered curtly.
"Have you been having any nightmares?" Dr. Cahill continued.
"No."
"Why do I get the feeling that's not entirely the truth?"
Silence hung in the air between them.
"You don't have to keep up the 'stiff-upper-lip' act here." she told him. "What we talk about in this room, stays in this room. Nothing leaves this office without your express permission. Unless, of course, I have a reason to believe you are a threat to yourself or others."
Jericho leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and resting his chin atop his folded hands. "How much is in my personnel file?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm asking how much detail is included in it concerning my history before joining the LAPD."
"Just the basics. Where you're from, employment history, your enlistment dates from the Navy, that sort of thing." she told him.
He nodded but chose not to elaborate further.
Dr. Cahill jotted down a few notes. "Are there things that happened during your military service that are affecting you now?"
"No, it's..." Jericho shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm fine."
"What does 'fine' look like?" Dr. Cahill pressed.
"For me?"
"Yes."
"Being able to process and react to things without allowing the emotional fallout to affect my behavior or quality of my work." Jericho answered. "I was trained to be methodical and precise. Nothing has changed about that beyond the job title."
"What about the relationships in your life?" Dr. Cahill continued.
"Excuse me?"
"Do you have any romantic attachments currently?"
"...No, ma'am."
"Why is that?" Dr. Cahill asked. "You're gainfully employed, handsome, and very kind from what I can tell. What's holding you back from pursuing a relationship?"
"I..." Jericho shook his head.
"Do you enjoy being alone, Jericho?" Dr. Cahill asked.
Jericho didn't respond to her question right away because, to be honest, he wasn't sure of the answer to that question himself.
***********************************************************************
Two Days Later
Smoke and fire painted the skyline of New Alexandria in splotches of angry oranges and blacks as Six looked out on the landscape in silence. He joined up with the rest of Noble Team inside the heavily damaged tower that used to serve as ONI Headquarters. Kat was busy trying to get a comm unit fixed, leaving the rest of the team to just stand around and wait until she finished. At least that's what he, Jun, and Emile were up to. Carter was busy 'discussing' things with Kat.
"I need that link to SATCOM, Kat." Carter-A259 demanded.
"I'm working as fast as I can, but this console has more shrapnel than transceivers. And you didn't answer my question." Catherine-B320 responded.
"You want to know if we're losing?" Carter replied.
"I already know we're losing!" Kat snapped back. "What I want to know is if we've lost."
Carter sighed as he turned to look out the window at the ruins the city had been turned into. After a few seconds of silence, Kat turned back to the comm unit. Her efforts paid off as the beeps of an incoming hail started chirping from the speaker.
"Colonel Holland. Hailing us!" Kat informed them, a hint of surprise in her voice. "What's he doing on an open channel?"
Carter turned to face her. "Let's hear it."
The distorted voice of Colonel Holland crackled for a moment before Kat cleared it up. "-near the southwest quadrant of the city, over? Sierra Two-Five-Nine, if you are receiving, I am authorizing override of radio security protocols to link with this channel."
The leader of Noble Team hesitated for a second as he tried to weigh the risks of using an unsecured channel.
"How long until you can get a secure link set up?" he asked Kat.
"I can't guarantee secure anymore." she replied.
Carter swore under his breath. "Could the Covenant trace it back to our location?"
Kat finally looked up, her stare meeting with Carter's. "I could."
The colonel's voice came back over the line, interrupting their conversation. "Noble Leader, this is a Priority One hail! If you are receiving, acknowledge immediately."
Kat handed Carter the communicator, removing any choice he had in that matter. "Keep it brief."
Six watched Carter walk over to stand next to the window as he put some distance between himself and the team while he took the call from the Colonel. Out the corner of his eye, he noticed Jun perk up.
"We've got movement. Multiple Covenant vehicles vacating the area...and they're in a hurry." Jun-A266 called out as he peered through his binoculars at the retreating enemy.
"How often do you see Covenant retreat for no reason?" Emile-A239 asked from his place, sitting against a wall.
"Radiation flare! Big! Forty million roentgens!" Kat exclaimed as her scanner detected a sudden spike in radiation.
Carter walked back over and handed the communicator back to Kat. "I just lost Holland. What's going on?"
"Atomic excitement scrambled the signal." Kat replied as another spike was detected. "Ninety million now!"
"Source?" Carter asked.
"Airborne. Close!" Kat reported.
"How close?"
Carter's question was answered not by words, but by a massive plasma blast lighting up the entire room. The resulting shockwave slammed into the tower, shattering the windows into a shower of glass shards and knocking them all on their asses.
Six pushed himself up from the ground and shook his head as the powerful winds generated by the blast rushed through the openings in the building. Kat grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his feet as the team raced towards the elevators. He felt a chilling sense of deja vu as the elevator door closed behind Kat and she slammed the button for Sublevel 2. That unsettling feeling only grew stronger when the elevator doors opened once again and he saw Jun, Emile, and Carter already dashing down a dimly lit corridor ahead of them. The place was damaged by the Covenant attack, but it was a section where the roof had been completely destroyed, exposing the night sky, that he finally realized what was happening.
He felt himself start running after them, Kat following close behind. He screamed at them in his head, trying to warn them about what was going to happen, but nothing came out. He saw the shadow of a Covenant Phantom fly overhead and moments later heard the distinct, high-pitched whine of a Covenant Needle Rifle being fired. He watched in horror as a bright pink projectile streaked down from the sky and penetrated through Kat's helmet from behind. Her body went limp, collapsing to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
***********************************************************************
Jericho gasped, his eyes snapping open and his arms flailing around as he tried to save a woman who was long gone. Instead of the damaged hallways of Olympic Tower, he found himself lying on the couch in his living room. His clothes were sweaty, his breathing ragged, and his heart racing a mile a minute as his brain tried to reorient itself to the waking world. He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the sofa and dropping his head into his hands as his mind continued replaying the last few seconds of Kat's life.
Jericho gasped, his eyes snapping open and his arms flailing around as he tried to save a woman who was long gone. Instead of the damaged hallways of Olympic Tower, he found himself lying on the couch in his living room. His clothes were sweaty, his breathing ragged, and his heart racing a mile a minute as his brain tried to reorient itself to the waking world. He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the sofa and dropping his head into his hands as his mind continued replaying the last few seconds of Kat's life.
He would have stayed there, losing himself inside that horrible memory, but a loud knocking at his front door brought him back. With a tired sigh, he rose to his feet and headed for the front entrance. When he pulled the door open, he was surprised to see Angela Lopez, standing on his porch.
"Officer Lopez." Jericho greeted with a slight tone of surprise coloring his voice. "What brings you out here?"
"Hey, Boot." she replied. "I wanted to stop by and check up on you. See how you were doing."
Jericho stepped aside, gesturing for her to come in. "I'm fine, ma'am. I was just... resting."
Angela's gaze drifted over his living room. It looked pretty much like she expected for someone with Reach's personality. Neat, organized, and sparsely decorated. That's not to say there was nothing of note in his home. Given his minimalistic tastes in decorations, Angela's gaze quickly found itself being drawn to a large glass-door cabinet situated against the far wall. Her eyebrow arched up in curiosity before she made her way across the room to get a closer look.
Inside the cabinet were several dioramas all neatly arranged on the cabinet's shelves. He had one that she recognized as the Pyramids of Giza, although it wasn't like any version she'd ever seen before. Instead of the worn-down, sandy-colored blocks she was used to seeing in pictures and on TV, the pyramids in his replica had a smooth and polished white exterior. The white paint he used made the golden-colored caps on each of the structures' tips pop out even more.
"This is beautiful." she said softly. "You made all of these yourself?"
"When I have the time, yes." Jericho replied, stepping up beside her. "I visited a museum once and they had an entire section dedicated to re-creations of places from Earth's past. I really enjoyed seeing them. Theirs were a lot more elaborate than the ones I've done, but the concept stuck with me."
Angela moved from one diorama to the next, studying each of them in turn. The detail on them was incredible. She didn't even want to imagine the time it'd taken him to get them to look so meticulously detailed. On the top shelf of the cabinet, holding an obvious place of honor, was a large diorama set in some kind of hilly, mountainous region. On one side were a dozen figurines armed with spears and crimson cloaks attached to their bronze-colored armor. Opposite them were three times their number, all were wearing coats that were painted in such a way that it reminded her of fish scales. Besides its scale, the thing even more impressive about this one was the dozen figures amid battle. They looked as if each one had been sculpted to capture a specific action scene. She saw one of the crimson-cloaked figures in mid-thrust with his spear, the tip stabbing his opponent through the heart. Another showed two of the scaled-coat fighters piercing one of the cloaked fighters through the front and the back simultaneously with their own spears.
"Why do I feel like I know this one." Angela wondered.
"It's the Battle of Thermopylae." Jericho answered.
Angela got a look of surprise on her face. "Oh yeah! That's the one from that movie, uh, 300? I really liked watching that."
"It was... well filmed... though inaccurate." Jericho replied. When he saw her quizzical expression, he continued. "The Battle of Thermopylae didn't happen the way it was portrayed in the movie. It wasn't just 300 Spartans that fought against an army that numbered between 100,000 to 300,000 soldiers, King Leonidas led a combined Greek force of approximately 7,000 men to block the pass at Thermopylae. It was only after Leonidas became aware that his force was being outflanked by the Persians that he dismissed the bulk of the Greek army and stayed behind to guard their retreat with the 300 Spartan hoplites and 700 Thespians."
"Wow." she replied. "I can't believe you made all of these. I had no idea you were so creative, Boot."
A small smile tweaked at the corner of Jericho's lips. "It's nothing. I like working with my hands. Having a hobby that plays into that seemed logical."
Angela turned away from the cabinet to look at Reach, her expression shifting from one of awe to one of concern. "So, how are you really doing? After... you know."
"I'm alright, Officer Lopez. Truly."
"Are you sure?" Angela said gently as she walked over to sit on the edge of his sofa. "Taking a life... it's not something you just walk away from without it leaving a mark."
"You're right about that, but that mark was left on me a long time ago." Jericho told her. He sat down in his armchair with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Things would have been easier if he had simply surrendered, but he made his choice." A faint sigh escaped his lips. "Though... with the way things played out, he won't be able to hurt anyone else either. There is some comfort to be taken from that."
Angela nodded slowly, understanding in her eyes as she remembered what she went through after she'd killed someone to protect herself and a former boot from being shot during an arrest. How the 'what ifs' and 'if onlys' swirled around in her mind for months. She'd had no choice but to fire on the suspect after he'd turned it into a 'his life versus theirs' type of situation, but it still hit her hard.
A comfortable silence settled between them for a moment. "You had my back in there, Reach. When things went sideways... you didn't hesitate. After what happened with West, I couldn't stand the thought that I'd get assigned another boot who couldn't cut it." Angela's look turned to one of frustration as she thought about that day in the rec center. "I pushed you and I ended up putting us in danger because I wanted to test you. I'm sorry for doing that. You need to be able to trust my decisions just as much as I need to trust yours."
"It's what we do, Lopez." he replied simply. "We protect each other."
Angela smiled, a genuine warmth blossoming on her face. In the privacy of his own mind, Reach admitted to himself that Angela looked quite attractive when she wasn't scowling all the time.
Jericho rose from his seat as a thought suddenly came to him. "My apologies." he said. "I forgot to ask if you'd like something to drink?"
"Nah, I'm good." she said before glancing down at her watch to check the time. "Actually, I should be getting out of here. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing." She stood up from her seat and headed for the front door. "I'm glad everything worked out."
"As am I." he replied, walking her out. "And thank you for stopping by to check on me."
"Like you said, we look after each other." Angela replied, flashing him a small smile. Just as she reached for the handle, she stopped, a look of feigned surprise on her face. "Oh, damn it! I almost forgot something." She reached inside her jacket and pulled out his department-issued M&P and his badge.
He gave her a surprised look.
"IA officially cleared you of the shooting this morning." she smirked. "I was down at the station when Commander West came in to tell Grey and the Captain. I asked them if it would be okay if I was the one to give you the news and they gave me the go-ahead."
Angela held out the gun and badge to him, which Jericho accepted. "Thanks."
"Yeah, no problem." she said before opening the door and walking outside. "I'll see you at work tomorrow, boot."
"Yes, ma'am." he replied before closing the door behind her.