Walker (Cordell Walker x Female!Reader)

Insane B.S. & Bloodshed

(Heads up, this chapter is pretty short & just set up for the next one, that ended up being too long to combine with this one. So two updates today, the next one will be uploaded later on in the day.)

"Oh, God. Oh, no, no, no." Cassie groans, stepping away from Cordell and Trey, who just revealed to her that they've been looking into the Jackal behind James' back.

"You know, I really wish you'd led with, Hey, Cass, that serial killer investigation, we're keeping it from Captain James. Because had I known that, I would have given you a more appropriate response, which of course would have been, Hell no!"

"Cassie..." Cordell tries to intervene but Cassie immediately shuts him down. "No! And that hush-hush warrant I said I'd pull strings at the FBI to get, also a hell no to that."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're doing take-backsies?" Trey asked. "Yeah." Cassie replied. "We're saying Detective Luna got us a solid lead..." Cordell attempts to explain.

"I don't care about a solid lead on some Jackal from some Detective Luna." Cassie retorted, using air quotes. "What's with all the air quotes?" Trey asked.

"I don't know. I'm a little on edge here. I've barely settled back into the Ranger rhythm, and now my first big case back, you guys want to go and change the song? Wasn't the whole Grey Flag thing like a masterclass on why we don't lie to Captain James?" She asked, using air quotes again at the end of her sentence.

"Okay, okay, hold on. First off, this isn't your first big case back." Cordell said, catching the air quotes virus. "And it's happening to me now..." He grumbled and Cassie sighs, placing a hand to her forehead.

"Cass, we just want to look into a lead." Trey stated. "You have no idea how bad this case screwed up James the first time. That's why I know he will understand." Cordell said. "How can you be so sure?" Cassie asked.

"Because he did the same thing for me. Listen, I was in a bad place when Emily died, and around that time, James got a lead on a suspect that he thought may have murdered her. So he and Liam went all the way down to Mexico to check it out, and they kept it a secret because they knew telling me before confirming it would have sent me spiraling. And that's all we're trying to do with Captain James is just protect him from needless worry."

The conversation was interrupted by a phone ringing and Cordell picks it up, seeing James was calling him and shows it to the others. "He already knows." Cassie said, anxiously.

"No, he doesn't... he doesn't know. But I, but I probably should take this. Trey, can you fill in Cassie?" Cordell asked, standing up from his desk. "Yeah, yeah." Trey replied.

"Great." Cordell said and presses answer on his phone. "Larry, hey. How's the conference?" He asked as he walks out into the hallway. "This seriously doesn't worry you?" Cassie asked, walking over to Trey with her hands on her hips.

"No, it doesn't, actually. Because there's another reason I know we're doing the right thing. His wife expressly asked us not to say anything until we knew for sure." Trey explains and Cassie's expression softens.

"Kelly said that?" She asked and Trey nods. "Yeah." Cassie sighs as she turns her head to look at the door Cordell disappeared through. She still doesn't like the idea of lying James but hearing even Kelly doesn't want him to know, means it really was that bad for him.

"Well, two weeks ago, Luna found one of the Jackal's calling cards at a motel in Hayward." Trey begins to explained, filling Cassie in on the Jackel. "What was the calling card?" She asked, unable to believe she's going along with this.