JR SWAT 4: JunIor AdVocates

Chapter 8: Pack up, but...wait!

The next morning....

RIIIIING RIIIIIING RIIIING

Damn! Hondo lamented in his head.

He didn't want to open his eyes because it was so surreal. It had been a beautiful afternoon, birds were chirping, sky was clear and gorgeous and the temperature was just right! He was at a park with Nichelle, both were happily playing with their daughter. The little girl was running around in a pink dress with a huge white bow on her head and hundreds of curls jumping up and down as she jogged. Their sandwiches were getting stale, but they didn't mind. Smiling, giggling... fun all around!

RIIIIING RIIIIINNG

"Ugh!" He opened his eyes, then frowned. Sigh.

Damn shame! he lamented, shaking his head slowly.

He turned to the ringing mobile on the night stand and checked the screen.  HICKS. Now that was a surprise! He wasn't expecting his boss to call so early in the morning, especially on a Sunday.

Hondo straightened up and sat up in the bed. He noticed it was a request for a video call, so he scrambled to find a shirt. While he grabbed the first one he could find -the one he took off last night, which hung from the bedside table, he noticed Tan's bed was vacant.

"HONDO, phone!" Tan called loudly from the bathroom.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm up!" he answered, grabbing the phone

CLICK

"Boss? Morning" Hondo greeted, settling on the side of the bed.

"Good morning, Hondo! How's everything in DC?" Hicks answered, with a glass window behind him. Hondo could see the back patio of his house.

"Great news, boss. Chris woke up from the comma!" Hondo informed, happily.

"Yeah, Luca called super excited. What a relief! How's Street holding up?"

"He's ok. Trying to keep it together. Man's been sleeping in the hospital since he came here!"

"Damn! I knew this would hit him hard. How's Tan doing? How are you?"

"Doing good." he replied with a quick nod. "He's getting ready for the day."

"Yeah, about that." Hicks said skeptically. 

"Yeah?" Hondo asked frowning.

"Your stint in Washington is over. Last night I got a call from the bosses downtown. MPD called and said they're ready to call it done. Investigation is coming to a close, so you can come back home. We need you back here tomorrow. I just got a text to let you know your flight leaves at noon today."

"Today?" Hondo called perplexed.

Tan came out of the bathroom, still drying his hair, wiping it with a towel. His shoulders were still damp but his abdomen was wiped dry. He wore long jeans, while walking barefooted. He stared at Hondo with a frown.

"Yeah. Hondo, we're running low on bodies back at HQ and some of the newcomers didn't do well on Friday's metrics. Luca is in a meeting now with the high officials, explaining the results. Academy is a mess and even with Deacon's help, our image isn't good with the bosses. That damn report really screwed us!"

Tan noticed Hondo holding his phone out and quickly realized it was a video call. He turned to his bag and looked for a clean shirt. 

"Damn!" Hondo lamented, holding the phone out. "Deac told me you were kidnapped all day on Friday. Bad news?"