Got Your Six

Chapter 8

"Hey," Calvin says, standing in the doorway to my office.
I have barely talked to Calvin all week, we've both just been so busy with our jobs. This is the first time he's been home this late in the day all week. I can tell Calvin has still been stressed about the whole situation with his brother, but we hardly ever get to even eat dinner together most days so I never get the chance to ask him about it. The majority of the time he comes home and goes straight to bed only to wake up and head out the door back to the station. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get worried sometimes but, that's what I get for marrying a police officer. He was still in college when we first got together but I still knew what I was getting myself into.
"Hey," I say back, not really knowing what I should say. Though, I get the feeling he'll be leading the conversation anyway.
"Captain said I didn't need to be in today until around two in the afternoon," Calvin informs me, stepping inside my office and sitting on the edge of my desk. 
I look down at my watch and notice that's only in half an hour. I begin to wonder what he's been doing all morning, but figure he's probably been trying to catch up on his sleep. He's not been getting too much of that lately. Even when he's lying in bed, I can tell he's just lying awake a majority of the time.
"Is today the day?" I ask him, already knowing the answer. Why else would his Captain tell him to come in so late in the day?
"You mean the day I have to lead a drug bust to take down this town's biggest drug dealer with my brother in the middle of the whole thing?" He pauses as he lets out a dreadful sigh. "Yeah, that's tonight," he says quietly.
"I'm sure it'll go fine. I know you can handle your own and Cameron can too," I assure him.
"I know, it's just been kinda weird lately," Calvin says, his brow furrowing like he's thinking deeply about something.
"What do you mean?" I ask curiously.
"I mean, like on the day we set everything in motion. We had Cameron run into our suspect at the mall and Cameron was handling the situation like he was the one calling the shots," Calvin says, his voice starting to sound irritable.
"What do you mean?" I ask again, making myself sound repetitive.
"Like he was pushing the guy. Trying to see just how much information he could get out of him," Calvin says, then his eyebrows furrow again, as if he's trying to crack a mystery.
"Well, that's good isn't it?" I ask, not fully understanding what part of this has him so upset.
"Normally yes, if an actual cop was performing an actual interrogation. But in this instance it was just risky and stupid," Calvin says angrily.
I keep my mouth shut, mostly because I feel as if he's got more to say, but on the other hand, I just don't know what I should say right now. Luckily, I don't have to say anything because he keeps going on his rant, and I just sit back and let him.
"Then, our suspect basically hands us an invitation to get the drug bust over with that night and Cameron declined it and told us he thought we needed more time to get ready. As if we haven't done this before. We know what to do, we know how to get the job done," Calvin insists loudly.
"Maybe what he really meant is he needed more time to get ready. He hasn't done this before like you have," I remind him.
This gives him something to think about, but only for a second before he continues ranting.
"You know what was weird about the whole thing though?" He asks me.
I don't say anything, I just raise my eyebrows and lean forward to let him know I'm waiting for him to tell me.
"Captain Bennett didn't have anything to say about it when it was over. If anything, he defended his actions," Calvin says.
I debate telling him that his Captain probably just wants Cameron to feel safe and ready when it comes time but I don't need Calvin thinking I'm taking someone else's side.
"Okay, well, tonight is finally the night. Is everything, or rather, is everyone ready?" I ask him, more so asking if he is ready, knowing how nervous he was before about doing this with his brother.
"Everything's ready, everything has already been set in motion. I've been practicing with Cameron to make sure he knows how it's all going to go down. To make sure he doesn't make any mistakes," Calvin tells me.
"Are you still nervous?" I ask carefully.
"I'm more ready to just get this over with," he admits. "Although, when it's all over I may just have to work with Cameron everyday."
I'm about to ask what that means but then I remember him telling me last week that Cameron was offered a job when the operation was over with.
"Maybe that won't be so bad," I say hesitantly.
"Yeah, if he's not on the same shift with me. He's always acting really chummy with the Captain and it just bothers me," says Calvin.
"Why? Cause you're not the Captain's favorite?" I ask, trying to joke around to lighten the mood a bit but it doesn't seem to work.
"No, because I always see them talking and when I try to ask Cameron what they're talking about he just gives me some bullshit excuse. And if it turns out they're talking about the case, I should be involved because I'm the lead officer on this case. Obviously, Captain Bennett is running the whole thing but it doesn't make sense for him to leave me in the dark if he made me the lead officer. I wasn't even involved when he had Cameron text the suspect to set up the meet. The Captain just came over to my desk on Wednesday and told me it was happening on Friday night," Calvin ends his rant and turns to walk out of my office but then stops himself at the doorway and turns to face me again. "Maybe I am a bit jealous because the Captain gave Cameron a half day yesterday and I had to work a whole day, even though there was nothing to do."
"Maybe that's just because he's not a real officer yet," I say, trying to make him feel better.
"It's just bullshit," he mumbles as he walks off towards the front door.
"It'll be fine," I tell him as I follow him out of my office.
I make a pit stop at the coat closet and grab him a jacket and then meet him at the front door. He grabs the coat from me and I pull him into a tight embrace.
"It'll all be over after tonight. You just have to make it through the night," I assure him
"I know," he says before leaning back to give me a kiss. "I love you."
"I love you too," I tell him before he walks out the door.
I stare out the window as I watch him get into his truck and start the ignition. I knew what I was getting myself into when I married him, but that doesn't stop the nerves from shuddering through my body as I look out the window. All I can do now is hope and pray that he makes it home. Just like I do every other day. Although, something just seems different about today that I can't put my finger on.