Chapter 21-22 - Former CIA, Now LAPD

Chapter 21 – Between Lines and Streets

February 6, 2016 – 5:38 PM

West Division Parking Lot – LAPD

The late afternoon sky had that golden hue that lasts for a few minutes before the city plunges into darkness. Mike adjusted the holster on his side, while Athena closed the trunk of the patrol car, checking the first aid kits and rechargeable flashlights.

"Did you bring your own flashlight?" she asked, eyeing Mike's equipment.

"Dual-beam tactical light. Range up to 300 meters. Bought in Virginia in 2009."

Athena smiled.

"Always prepared."

"Old habit. And in the CIA, improvising can cost a life."

They got into the patrol car. Mike took the wheel.

"Any important briefing?"

Athena checked the tablet attached to the dashboard.

"Just a notification from Captain Reyes about an increase in thefts in the Venice Boulevard area. And a warning about a vigil scheduled for Lafayette Square at 8 p.m. No direct threats."

"Hopefully, we'll have a quiet shift."

Athena closed the tablet.

"Mike, you already know that when someone says that, the universe listens and laughs."

Mike laughed, starting the engine.

"Then I'll refrain from wishing you luck."

6:04 p.m. – Venice Boulevard – Routine Patrol

The Venice area was busy. Lots of people on the sidewalks, bars opening for the night, street vendors with food carts. The patrol car cruised slowly. Mike kept his speed low. Athena watched the action carefully.

"Remember when we could walk here without looking over our shoulders?"

Mike shook his head.

— "For me, that never existed. I only lived in environments where trust was a calculated risk."

— "Even in your childhood?"

— "Especially in my childhood."

Athena didn't ask any more. She knew when Mike's silence was a complete answer.

Suddenly, the radio crackled:

"Unit 405, we've received a report of a robbery in progress. Electronics store on Venice and Lincoln. Two suspects seen carrying backpacks. Exit through the rear. Closest unit, respond."

Athena picked up the radio:

"405 listening. We're four blocks away. En route."

Mike turned the wheel, crossing into the left lane, accelerating steadily. The lights flashed discreetly—just enough to clear the way without causing panic.

6:11 PM – Electronics Store, Venice Blvd

The storefront had a shattered window. Glass on the floor. A middle-aged man the owner was waving nervously at the patrol car.

"They came out the back! Two kids! They must be 16, 17! Black backpacks!"

Athena quickly got out of the patrol car, gesturing for the man to wait.

Mike was already running toward the side alley. He knew the pattern—quick entry, shrapnel, escape through the back. They probably knew the perimeter. But they ran on impulse, which meant failure.

He turned the corner and saw two young men turning an alley. One of them stumbled—the smaller one.

"LAPD! FREEZE!"

The boys hesitated for a second. Athena was already coming around the side, cutting across the street. When they saw themselves surrounded, they stopped. One of them dropped his backpack. The other raised his hands.

Mike approached cautiously, gun lowered but visible.

"Get down on the ground. Now."

They obeyed.

Athena rummaged through the backpack. Inside: tablets, chargers, two digital cameras. The alarms were still ringing.

Mike looked at the younger boy, who was trembling.

"Name?"

"Rico."

"Age?"

"Fourteen."

Mike crouched down.

"You know this is a crime, right? That even though you're a minor, it's still on your record?"

The boy nodded, almost crying.

"We just wanted to sell and help around the house. My mom's sick. He had the idea."

Mike looked at the older boy.

"And you?"

"I... I was going to share with him. That's all."

Athena watched, silent.

"They're not criminals. They're desperate."

Mike stood up and looked around. The city surrounded them, impersonal.

They had no weapons. They hadn't hurt anyone.

But they had crossed the line.

"We're going to take you to the police station. We're going to call social services. But know that this was your last chance to make a mistake without serious consequences."

The boys nodded.

7:32 PM – Back in the police car

After handing the young men over to the police station and ensuring they would be sent to the juvenile diversion program, Mike and Athena were back in the police car, parked in front of a convenience store.

Mike was drinking coffee. Athena was biting into a cold chicken sandwich.

"Do you think they'll learn?"

Mike looked out the window.

"I think it depends on who holds their hand now. We can only deter them. The only ones who redirect them… are families, systems. Luck."

Athena sighed.

"Sometimes, all that's missing is a conversation no one had."

"Or an example no one saw."

Silence.

8:15 PM – Lafayette Square – Peaceful Vigil

The square was silent. A small group of people with lit candles sat in a circle. Posters against urban violence, calls for peace. A woman handed out leaflets. Small children wore t-shirts that said, "Justice Begins at Home."

Mike and Athena just watched. There was no risk. Just a reminder: not every fight needs weapons.

9:48 PM – Last Round

Mike drove slowly through the streets of the east side. The city lights glowed in the background. The radio was silent. Nothing more urgent.

Athena looked at him.

"Have you ever thought about teaching?"

Mike looked away for a moment, surprised.

"Teach what?"

"Tactics. Life. Survival. Ethics. Those things that don't fit in manuals."

Mike took a deep breath.

"I think first I need to believe I deserve to be on this side long enough to leave something."

Athena replied firmly:

"You already have. In me. In the Grants. In everyone you've stopped from falling deeper."

Mike looked ahead.

The street ahead stretched out, lit by streetlights and promises.

"Then maybe I'm learning."

Athena nodded.

"Maybe you're already teaching, Mike. Without realizing it."

Chapter 22 – Different Uniforms, Same Mission

February 7, 2016 – 9:15 AM

LAPD West Division – Briefing Room

Athena sat with her tablet propped up on the table, reviewing the week's statistics. Mike, beside her, was reading a physical report of undue force eyes alert, but expression relaxed.

Captain Elaine Maynard strode in, carrying a red folder. Behind her, a thin, impeccably poised man in a dark suit under his light gray LAPD tactical vest. The crest on his left sleeve revealed: Metropolitan Police Service – Scotland Yard.

"Attention," Maynard began. "The West Unit will, for the next three weeks, be integrating a special observer from the London Metropolitan Police. He is here as part of a tactical and community exchange program. This is Senior Detective Jonathan Ashcroft."

The man nodded, his British accent clear but polite.

"Nice to meet you. I'm here to learn. And, if I can, to help."

Maynard continued:

"Athena. Mike. He'll be with you for the first two days. I want him to see what real patrol is like, away from the reports and cameras."

Athena and Mike looked at each other. Mike extended his hand.

"Mike Edwards. Welcome to the noisy side of the law."

Ashcroft shook it firmly.

"I appreciate the opportunity. And I apologize in advance if I seem a little... formal."

Athena laughed.

"You'll see that formality here lasts until the first call."

10:04 AM – Police car in motion, Pico-Union

Mike was driving. Ashcroft was in the backseat, watching everything with alert eyes: the pedestrians, the broken traffic lights, the graffiti on the walls.

"It feels more... organic than London," he commented. "Less controlled. More improvised."

"That's because it is," Athena replied, turning slightly toward him. "Here, the rules change from block to block. And each neighborhood has its own code."

"And its own version of right and wrong," Mike added.

Ashcroft was writing in a small leather notebook.

"And how do you deal with that? With the fact that the law doesn't always impose itself through presence?"

Mike replied, without taking his eyes off the street.

"We don't impose. We negotiate. We gain trust. We show we're here to protect, not to punish. But when it's time to act... we're firm."

Ashcroft nodded, visibly absorbing the philosophy.

11:17 AM – Urgent Call – Disturbance with Weapon in Mid-City

The radio crackled:

"All units, possible robbery in progress. Pawn shop on Adams and La Brea. Reports of a gunman threatening employees. Requesting immediate response."

Mike accelerated without hesitation. The patrol car's engine roared.

Athena activated the flashing light.

"Ashcroft, have you ever been to a potentially armed call in the US?"

"Negative," he replied, adjusting his vest slightly. "In London, guns are much rarer among civilians."

Mike glanced briefly in the rearview mirror.

"Then pay attention. And listen before you act. Here, hesitation saves. But reacting poorly... kills."

11:23 AM – Robbery Location – "Frank's Gold & More" Pawn Shop

The store was narrow, with a metal facade and reinforced windows. A group of pedestrians kept their distance. A man stood inside with his arm raised, pointing a pistol at a kneeling clerk.

Mike parked in a blocking position. They got out. Ashcroft calmly observed the proceedings.

"Suspect in view. Weapon apparent. No mobile hostages," Mike said.

Athena grabbed the police car's megaphone.

"This is the LAPD! Drop your weapon! Come out with your hands up!"

No response.

Mike looked at Ashcroft.

"Are you ready to see how we handle this?"

Ashcroft nodded. Mike led Athena around the side of the store, down the alley. He knew the layout of the businesses there he knew there would be a service door.

As they reached the back door, they heard the sound of glass breaking.

Mike whispered,

"He's trying to escape through the back."

They took up positions. When the man kicked the door open, he came face to face with Mike—gun in hand.

—"ON THE GROUND! NOW!"

The man hesitated, raised his gun, perhaps thinking he could run.

But Athena was already aiming steadily. And Ashcroft, surprising them both, advanced with precision, grabbing the suspect's armed arm with a tactical British block move, knocking him to the ground.

The gun fell. Mike pinned him down. Athena handcuffed him.

Ashcroft was breathing heavily but controlled.

—"You said to listen before you act. But also not to hesitate when the time comes."

Mike smiled, satisfied.

—"You listened very well."

12:45 PM – Police car parked – report break

Sitting in the car, the three of them processed the incident. Ashcroft wrote, Athena typed on the tablet. Mike drank a gas station coffee.

"Back at the Yard, we train to solve problems with minimal force. But I admit that here... the line is thinner," Ashcroft said.

"Here, the line is drawn with neo-spray in a cracked wall," Athena replied.

Mike added:

"And if you step on it, you have to be ready to bear the weight of the decision."

Ashcroft looked at them both. His respect was clear.

"It's not just patrol. It's a choreography with chaos."

Athena smiled.

"Welcome to Los Angeles, Detective Ashcroft."

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Chapter 11 - Chapter 21-22