Want You to Stay || Chenford / The Rookie

Part 31

The negotiator hangs up the call and turns quickly to face the small group gathered around her. "Put together some cash," she instructs a member of the crisis response team, who nods and hurries away. "He's agreed to allow two paramedics with a gurney inside to get the gunshot victim out of there in exchange for the first installment of his demands."

She's barely gotten the words out before Tim is halfway out of his uniform and down to his undershirt and vest as he gestures quickly for one of the paramedics standing nearby to hand him the shirt off his back.

"What are you doing, Bradford?" Detective Ramirez asks, narrowing his eyes.

"What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" Tim replies gruffly. He scowls in the direction of the young paramedic, whose hands have momentarily frozen on the buttons of his shirt as he glances back and forth between Tim and the rest of the hostage team.

"With all due respect, Sergeant," Ramirez ventures, warily watching Tim unbuckle his duty belt and tuck his gun into the back of his pants before handing the rest of the belt to a uniformed officer. "A member of the SWAT team is probably better equipped to handle this."

"No," Tim says flatly. "And we don't have time to argue about this, so get me another paramedic and a gurney so we can get going."

Ramirez interjects from behind him, "Chen needs someone with specific experience in there, she's just a P2 —"

Tim whirls around toward Lucy's boss, his eyes flashing with anger. "She isn't just a P2, which you should know because you've read her file. She can more than handle herself," he spits.

He turns his focus to the negotiator, knowing she will ultimately make the final call. "We were partners for a year and a half. I know her. She trusts me, and we know how to work together. I'm the best person for this."

The negotiator looks briefly conflicted as her gaze darts back and forth between the two men until she levels Tim with an unflinching stare, as if trying to read him. Finally, she briskly nods, "From what I've seen, Officer Chen is handling herself like a pro; I trust Sergeant Bradford's judgment on this. Let's get this done."

***

It's like time freezes when her eyes meet his as he walks through the temporarily unblocked convenience store doors pushing a rolling gurney alongside what she can only hope is a real paramedic. A briefcase holding what she can only guess is the first installment of Patrick's 'billions' of dollars is dangling from his free hand.

The mix of emotion that overtakes her is almost impossible to describe. His presence alone is enough to flood her with relief; there's no one she trusts more to have her back than her battle-ready T.O. But there's also a panic rising up in her chest; the person she may care about most in this word has just willingly walked into a volatile situation that could get him killed.

This is a job for a tactical responder, not a field sergeant. He's here because of her. He's in danger because of her.

Lucy watches as Tim's gaze quickly sweeps around the store, logging a multitude of details with feigned nonchalance. He moves toward her slowly while watching Patterson carefully, the other paramedic following closely behind him with the gurney in tow.

Tim swallows, feigning nervousness as he lifts the briefcase and gestures toward Patterson, who stalks forward and jerks the case from Tim's hand, swinging the gun to veer across the group of them. "Nobody moves until I say so."

And there's really no other word but glee to describe the expression that washes over Patterson's face after he sets the case on the counter, pops it open, and takes in the stacks and stacks of bills inside.