Chapter 53: Sheriff
*You normally have to be bashed about a bit by life to see the point of daffodils, sunsets and uneventful nice days. – Alain de Botton*
Sheriff Gina Dawson firmly believed that a good leader would lead by example and sacrifice. Not by demands and special treatment. And that is why she volunteered to do a twelve-hour tour on the holidays. Every holiday. She always wanted to make sure that her deputies had time with their families. Especially those with young children.
Her own kids were grown and most had kids of their own now. She enjoyed being a grandma. There were times that she wished she was not being a grandma on her own. But fate had its own plans. She learned that when she buried her husband of twenty-seven years.
He was killed in a shoot out with bank robbers. Wasn’t that the stereotypical death for a cop? With them both in law enforcement, they always joked that at least one of them would die in a bank robbery. When the police captain and sheriff pulled her into the sheriff’s office, she knew that her life was going to change.
Four years later and she still missed him. His bad jokes. Off color comments. If she were honest, she even missed picking up his socks.
Smiling at the clerk, Gina paid for her coffee, even though the gas station offered it for free to first responders. “Give mine to someone who needs it. There’s usually a homeless man around. Jack, I think.”
The clerk smiled and nodded. “Yeah, he’s a nice guy. Just…”
“Yeah. So many of us are just one paycheck away from joining him.” She pulled out a card and handed it over. “My brother has a construction company. Maybe if someone else suggests it, Jack will listen.”
“I’ll give it to him.” The clerk agreed taking the card.
“Thanks.” Gina grabbed her coffee and walked out to her cruiser. As she settled back behind the wheel, her phone rang. She started her SUV before answering, using the speaker phone.
“What’s up baby brother?” Gina asked cheerfully as she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the state highway.
“Domestic. I’m sending you the address. Abuser is a cop.” He said angrily. “Go to JD’s.”
His muscle car roared to life in the background, and she could picture him in full protective Dom mode. She knew his kinks, just as most of the family did. He might not be a demanding Dom, but he was still a Dom. And he was extremely protective of all his women.
“The fucking bastard is hiding behind his badge to beat his wife.”
As soon as Reese said that it was a cop, Gina knew exactly why her brother called her. They would put up that blue wall and defend their own. Even if they were guilty.
She had seen it many times in her thirty years of law enforcement. When she became undersheriff, she let it be known that she would not tolerate it.
The previous sheriff had undermined her on it last year. She told him off, and then filed the paperwork to run against him. He was completely surprised when most of the active and retired deputies supported Gina.
They were also tired of the good old boy system. The department was seen as corrupt and backwards. With Gina as the undersheriff, it had changed. And now as sheriff, it was expected to get even better.
“We’ll take care of it.” Gina assured him. “I promise you.”
“I know.” He said just before his phone chirped and then a moment later, hers also chirped with a notification. “Just sent you the address.”
“I got it.” She replied as she pulled up to a stop sign and entered the address into her laptop. “I’m headed there now. One four three.”
“One four three.” Reese replied before ending the call.
While he had been deployed, sometimes he would not be able to send much. He would send a simple text message of 143. It indicated the number of letters in the words. I. Love. You.
Looking at the map that popped up on her screen she reached for the radio microphone on her shoulder.
“Radio availability and location check for available deputies in Morgan City, sector K.” Gina said into her mike.
“Pawlowski available. Current location Vista Park and Miller Drive.”
“Hendricks available. Currently headed west down Wesley Avenue.”
“Carter available. Not in K but can be. I’m at Morgan City Promenade.”
“Jenson available. Diamond T gas station on eighth and Pine.”
As each one responded, she marked them in her computer and their GPS tracker appeared.
“Carter hold location and prepare to respond if necessary.” Gina ordered. “Carter. Jenson, Pawlowski and Hendricks go to secure channel please.”
“David Michael two one seven, holding.”
After receiving confirmations from the deputies, she reached over and changed her radio channel on the dash and retrieved that mike. “Proceed to 1547 Vista Park apartment 1489 for a reported domestic. Be aware suspect is a local. Consider armed and dangerous.”
“Again, one five four seven Vista Park. Apartment one four eight nine. Please confirm.”
She again waited for confirmation before flipping on her lights and taking the next left. Approaching an intersection, Gina hit the sirens and horn before going through.
“David Michael five-nine-three on scene.” Pawlowski called over the radio.
“I’m two minutes out.” Jenson responded.
“David Michael four-zero-nine on scene.” Hendricks declared.
“David Michael two one seven, still holding.”
With her lights and sirens going, Gina rushed back to Morgan City. It would take her several minutes to get there. Longer if she were obeying the speed limits and traffic laws. Laying on the horn, she approached another intersection.
“Yeah, the big flashies and woo-woo’s mean you have to move.” She muttered to herself as a pickup slowly moved out of her way.
Slowing down only a little, she moved around the pickup and into the turn lane before crossing the intersection.
The apartment complex sign came into view as Gina’s shoulder radio crackled to life again.
“Five-one-seven to dispatch.” Jenson said.
“Go ahead, Five-one-seven.” The dispatcher officer replied.
“Female victim unresponsive with faint pulse and shallow breathing. Box needed ASAP.” Jenson said as Gina pulled around to the right building. The looky-loos were already out.
“Confirm ambulance to scene.” Dispatch replied as Gina stopped and got out of her car.
Walking towards the apartment, Gina grabbed her shoulder mike. “David Michael Alpha zero-one on scene. Requesting investigator to scene. Please advise, no local PD allowed on scene.”
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