Josie and Bender left the sandwich shop where they’d just had lunch. Their dining choices were few. They chose to eat only where the food was prepared in front of them. Cops in uniform couldn’t trust that foreign substances wouldn’t be inserted into their meals unless they watched while it was being made.
“Let’s clear, and we’ll head up into the hills. I’ll show you the main drags, and you can see how easy it is to get turned around on the streets that are similarly named and twisty.”
“Sounds good.”
He drove their cruiser north.
“17A67, 17A67, 459 suspects there now, 19410 Shearling Drive. Two males, both in black hoodies and blue jeans. Suspect vehicle is an older silver Honda four-door. Handle the call Code 2 high.”
Josie grabbed the mic. “17A67, roger.”
He grinned. “At least we were already heading that way.” Then his smile faded, and he was all business. “Ask the RTO for an airship and for any further.”
Her mind was going so fast, she couldn’t remember what the acronym meant, but she knew he was talking about the dispatcher. She grabbed the mic and made the request for a police helicopter and further information. As soon as she was done, she remembered RTO stood for Radio Telephone Operator—a throw-back to earlier days.
“17A67, the PR hung up,” the dispatcher said. “I’ll try to get them on the line. Standby.”
Josie grabbed the dashboard as their black and white skidded around a corner. “Why would the person reporting the crime disconnect the call?”
“Usually, it’s because they’re excited and they don’t listen to the RTO telling them not to hang up.”
The incident wasn’t authorized for using their lights and sirens, but her partner maneuvered through the traffic without them.
“Air 11, we’re en route to A67’s 459, on Shearling.”
Before she could acknowledge the message, several other units advised they were backing her and Bender.
“Keep your eyes open for the suspect vehicle coming down.” He bobbed his head toward the windshield. “There’s the airship en route from the east.”
“Roger that.”
The engine roared from their black and white as they climbed into the foothills crammed with tract homes side-by-side standing like soldiers as they flew up the street.
“Air 11, we’re over A67’s call on Shearling. We’ve got two suspects getting into a silver Honda going south on Goldstone.”
Josie caught a glimpse of the street sign as they rounded another corner. “This is Goldstone,” she shouted, her heart pounding.
“Air 11 to A67, they’re heading your way.”
Bender slammed on the brakes and reversed their black and white into an empty driveway. As soon as the suspect vehicle passed, they’d pull behind the suspects and try to initiate a traffic stop.
What a great move to get us in position. With this privet hedge between these two houses, the suspects may not even see our car until we’re in back of them.
“Air 11 to A67, they’ll be coming past you in a few seconds. You can jump in as soon as they pass. You’ve got no cross traffic.”
“If we go in pursuit, your job is to help me clear the intersections. I’ll glance left, you look right. Let me know if we’ve got cross traffic either way that isn’t stopping.”
“Roger that, sir.”
A silver Honda, at a high rate of speed, crossed in front of them.
Bender stomped the accelerator and when they hit the street, they were fifty yards behind the suspect vehicle.
“17A27,” a female voice said, “we’re Code 100 at Nugent and Goldstone.”
“That’s Lolo and Hoppy,” he said.
“All units, 17A27 is Code 100 at Nugent and Goldstone.”
Without taking his eyes off the sedan, he said, “A27 is waiting for us and the suspects to go by. Lolo and Hoppy will fall in back of us. We’ll pick a good spot for the traffic stop. If these guys rabbit, we are the primary. You’ll broadcast that we’re in pursuit, and then you’ll ask that the secondary unit take over the broadcast. Understood?”
Now her heart pounded like a frantic woodpecker attacking an oak tree. “Yes, sir.”
Once they hit Nugent, the Honda increased its speed to sixty miles an hour in a residential neighborhood.
Her partner activated the lights and siren.
A few seconds passed.
“Notify we’re in pursuit.”
“17A67, we’re in pursuit of a silver Honda four-door southbound Nugent approaching…”
“Rinaldi,” Bender supplied.
“Rinaldi,” Josie said.
“Tell the RTO you want A27 to take over the broadcast.”
“Attention all units, 17A67 is in pursuit of a silver Honda sedan, south bound Nugent approaching Rinaldi. Suspects are wanted for possible 459.”
“17A67, once they’re in position, advise A27 to take over the broadcast,” Josie said into the mic.
Before the dispatcher could tell A27 to take over the broadcast, the radio came to life.
“17A27, roger,” said Lolo.
“A27, westbound Rinaldi from Shoshone.”
“The passenger tossed a gun,” Josie shouted.
“If A27 doesn’t put it out on the air, they didn’t see it. You put it out. Another unit will go and pick it up,” he said.
“17A27, passing Zelzah.”
“She didn’t see it,” Bender said. “Advise it’s just east of Zelzah north side of the street.”
Josie keyed the mic. “A67, the passenger tossed a gun about 25 yards east of Zelzah north side of Rinaldi.”
“All units,” the RTO said, “passenger tossed a gun 25 yards east of Zelzah on the north side of Rinaldi.”
“A27, we are now northbound on Wilbur.”
Josie saw a white SUV pulling out of a driveway from the west in front of the Honda.
The suspect vehicle and the SUV collided.
She gasped. “Oh my God,” she cried.
“A27, suspects have TC’d at Doral and Wilbur. We’ll need an RA and a traffic unit.”
The two occupants leapt out of the Honda—the driver fleeing west, the other running east.
Bender pursued the driver.
From behind them, Lolo yelled, “Go! Go! Go! We’ve got the TC.”
Josie started running east after suspect two, but academy training kicked in, and she diverted to stay with her partner.
As she ran, Josie keyed her mic. “A67, we’re in foot pursuit of the driver northbound from Doral north of Wilbur, black hoodie, black jeans.”
Bender gained on his suspect, then tackled him from behind, knocking him to the ground.
“Air 11, we’ve got suspect two running northbound on Wilbur, north of Doral. He’s between the houses east toward Yolanda. We need units for a perimeter.”
Josie ran to assist her partner, who had the driver on the ground and handcuffed.
Bender was bent at the waist, trying to catch his breath. “Get him off the ground, search him, and get an FI,” he directed.
She got the suspect to roll over and assisted him to his feet, then searched him.
“17A45, Code 4 on suspect two. We’ve got him in custody.”
Bender stood upright. “Ling and Shaffer, low key, but always where they need to be.” He bobbed his head at their suspect. “Put him in our backseat, then get the FI.”
“Got it.”
As she walked the suspect to the car, she heard the air unit clearing from their call to respond to a shooting in North Hollywood Division.
Her partner trailed behind her by about twelve feet.
Then, Sergeant Fox arrived.