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Every part of her, every instinct, from cop to mother and back again, told her it was a bad idea. But her eyes fell to the murder board, to the two victims who stared back at her, and she let out a sigh that sounded more like a groan.
“Only if Taylor approves.” She couldn’t make the final decision, couldn’t choose to risk her son’s life.
“I already approved,” Taylor said as he walked around the corner, his eyes moving from Rusty to Sharon to Provenza. “And since the kid’s eighteen, he really doesn’t need your permission.”
Her back straightened and she felt anger starting to overtake the worry she felt. She considered a handful of responses and after deciding none of them would help the situation, decided to ignore it and turn to her team. “Amy, I want you with Lieutenant Cooper and SIS. I’ll go inside instead.” She fought to keep her voice calm.
“Captain…” Provenza took a step closer but she cut him off.
“If we’re going to do this, we need to do it now.” She fiddled with her hands for a moment and then stuffed them into her pockets. “Rusty, go with Amy, please.” She paused and moved closer, her hand briefly coming up to cup his cheek. “And you will listen to every word they say,” she added, her voice firm.
“I know, Mom, I will. I’ve done this before, remember?” He looked at her and she tried to swallow down the lump of emotion in her throat; she couldn’t do anything about the one clenching around her heart.
“That’s what worries me,” she said softly before she forced herself to pull back.
She watched as her son followed Amy and Cooper out of the room, Taylor lingering a few moments before he left too. She took a deep breath and smoothed out her jacket, aware of at least Provenza staring at her back. She slowly turned around, preparing herself for whatever protest he had.
“I don’t think this is a good idea, Captain,” he said immediately.
“I don’t either.” She glanced at Andy standing behind his partner and the concern on his face distracted her for a moment. “I hate every bit of it, but it’s Taylor’s stupid decision and we’re going to make it work. If it stops the murder of another teenage boy, it’s worth it.” Some of her distaste crept into her voice before she carefully boxed it back up.
“At least let Sykes go in with him. Right, Flynn?” He glanced back at his partner but Andy didn’t react, his eyes still focused on her.
“Are you worried I can’t do my job, Lieutenant?” Her words came out harsher than she meant them to, but she stood her ground.
“Yes, I am.” Provenza’s words were blunt and caught her off guard. “I’m worried you’re going to be too distracted in the field.”
She knew it was a valid concern. “Which is why Amy is with SIS. Why the two of you will be in the next room, Mike down the hall. Also,” she paused, watching him, “I could make the same argument for you.”
He grumbled for a moment and then his shoulders sagged in defeat. “Don’t work with family,” he huffed. “And then this crap happens.” He waved his arms around and then headed for his desk to grab his jacket.
Despite the concern and the situation, she couldn’t help the small smile that appeared briefly. Without her team, she never would’ve allowed Rusty anywhere near a crime scene, but she trusted her squad with his life and her own. They had proven themselves too many times and she hoped it wasn’t about to happen again.
One long hour later, she stood in a small church gymnasium, mixing powdered lemonade with water and sugar. Her eyes scanned the room as she stirred, watching the boys who had already gathered. Rusty hadn’t and she swallowed down her concern by thinking through the details of what they knew. Both times, the killer had convinced the boys to leave the church with him, killed them somewhere nearby, and dumped their bodies in the canal. It had taken too long to identify and connect the bodies, and to hope the killer had a pattern. There was too much risk and not enough evidence; too much room for something to go wrong, especially when they had no suspect and she had no gun. They had fo wait for someone to not belong or hope he took the bait in Rusty. She closed her eyes at the thought, only opening them when she heard a voice in front of her.
“Uh, are you making lemonade or sugar water?” A young teenager stood there, arms crossed over his chest. Dark hair partially covered his face and he frowned as he stared at her.
“Oh.” She forced a soft laugh and offered a smile as she sat the sugar container back on the table and resumed stirring. “I thought you boys would like it a little sweeter.”
“Yeah, no, lemonade is supposed to be sour.” He rolled his eyes and reached for a cookie, but she grabbed the container first and pulled it back.
“Those are for after the meeting.” Her smile lingered as she tried to match him to the list of attendees in her head.
His frowned deepened and he sighed before he turned and trudged toward one of the chairs in the circle. She watched him go until she caught Rusty out of the corner of her eye. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he kept his head down as he headed for a chair away from others and closer to an exit. She kept an eye on him as she finished the lemonade and the rest of the chairs filled up. There were a handful of boys that didn’t match the list and she sighed, knowing they’d have to wait the meeting out now.
She watched the group for a moment more, noticing a blonde haired boy that swapped seats to sit next to Rusty. Her brow furrowed, but the meeting leader caught her attention and smiled.
“Thank you for the help with snacks. I’m afraid I have to ask you to leave during the meeting, but you’re welcome back in an hour,” he told her with a wide smile.
“Oh, of course.” She returned his smile. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.” Her eyes wandered around the room once more before she headed to the attached kitchen.
She had no desire to listen in, but the kitchen kept her close enough. She walked through the door and left it partially open behind her, her eyes moving to her two waiting Lieutenants. They had propped the serving window open enough to give them a narrow glimpse at the circle of boys.
“Blonde boy directly to Rusty’s left, red shirt two seats away, black hoodie near Rodger, and Rams jersey,” she sighed, ignoring Andy’s offered chair to lean against the counter.
“Blonde boy swapped seats,” Andy commented.
“I know, but it’s not enough. We can’t risk scaring him off if it’s not him.” She turned her back on the scene, knowing Provenza was still watching and SIS had cameras in the room. “We have to wait.”
“Damn it.” Andy leaned back in his chair and looked up at her. “How are you holding up?”
She waved him off. “I’m fine. Ready to arrest this…”
“Homophobic piece of shit?” He supplied.
“Yes,” she agreed when she couldn’t think of a better phrase. “Those two boys deserve justice and to rest in peace.”
She started pacing as the meeting wore on, annoying Provenza who refused to say anything. His only reprieve was when the meeting paused to do snack early. Sharon returned to her table, watching and smiling as the boys grabbed cookies and lemonade. Some thanked her but most ignored her, leaving her to watch and analyze each of them as they walked by. Rusty came by halfway through the line, his new friend right behind him. Rusty mumbled his gratitude and then followed the teen back to their seats. He laughed and her brow furrowed as she once again returned to the kitchen.
“I’m liking our odds on that one.” Provenza leaned back in his seat and watched her.
“Me too.” She glanced at her watch and took a deep breath. “We’re going to have to arrest him outside. If he tries to take Rusty anywhere, we grab him and pray for a confession.”
“We’ll get him, Sharon,” Andy reassured her.
“I know. Still don’t like the circumstances.”
They were silent through the rest of the meeting, the minutes dragging on almost agonizingly slow. Without a word, she forced a smile on her face and walked out, her gaze immediately going to Rusty and the teen talking to him. She started gathering up trash and tied the bag off when she was done, looking back up to see the blonde boy standing in front of the table.
“I can take that.” He extended his hand and she passed over the trash bag after a moment, distracted by small scratches along the back of his hand.
“Thank you.” She smiled and met his gaze. Up close, he looked a little older, closer to Rusty’s age. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “I hope tonight was helpful.”
“Oh, it was.” He returned the smile and lifted the bag up. “Have a great night.”
“You too,” she murmured, watching as he turned and gestured to Rusty.
Most of the other boys had quickly left and the meeting leader approached her. “Thank you for your help. I can finish up if you’d like to head out.”
“Yes, thank you. Goodnight.”
Her smile faded as she crossed the room toward the doors Rusty had left through. Her heart pounded in her chest and she trusted Andy and Provenza would be right on her heels as she walked down the hallway. She assumed the dumpster would be in the back, realizing that also put them further away from the rest of the team if she was right. Her sneakers were silent on the carpet as she walked, finally reaching the door and stepping outside. She quickly glanced around, raised voices catching her attention as she found the small wall that blocked off the dumpster. She barely processed the words, only their tone and venom, before she took off running. Andy and Provenza reached the door and one shouted after her, but she ignored them to focus on running.
By the time she circled the wall, the teen had a knife out and Rusty’s hands were up in the air. She had managed to pull her badge out and came to a stop opposite Rusty, hoping to hold the teen’s attention and keep it off him.
“What the hell do you want?” He groaned and swung the knife away from Rusty and toward her.
She flashed her badge, wishing it was literally anything else. “LAPD.” She didn’t bother saying more, knowing she wasn’t likely to get a confession out of him so quickly and not intending to arrest him herself. “Put the knife down.”
“Or what? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Sharon…” Rusty’s voice drew the attention back to him and she bit her lip.
“Wait, you know her?” The teen looked between the two of them, his knife swinging with every movement. “Are you the one telling him all the bullshit? God still loves him, it’s okay to be gay. You’re a lying bitch!”
He screamed the last word and charged at her.
She tried to duck out of the way, but he slammed into the side of her body and the force threw her to the ground. She rolled out of the way, wheezing as the wind was knocked out of her. It took her too long to suck in a breath, her eyes watering and vision dancing. By the time she managed to move, Provenza was by her side, stopping her from sitting up. Her head rolled to the side to see Andy with his arms wrapped around Rusty, pulling him back from the teen on the ground. She blinked a few times, Provenza’s hand finding hers and giving it a tight squeeze.
“Sharon, answer me,” he demanded, finally catching her attention away from Andy and Rusty. “Are you okay?”
She shook her head, not in answer but to sidestep his question. “Rusty,” she gasped, her chest aching as her lungs started working again.
“He’s fine, he’s good. Now, are you okay?” Concern was seeping into his voice and she looked up again, trying to get her eyes to focus.
“Went down a little hard.”
“Mom!” Andy let go of Rusty and he rushed over, skidding to his knees beside her. “Oh my god, are you okay?”
Andy stayed to stand guard over the groaning teen, but his attention was focused on them.
“Fine. Help me up.” She coughed and tightened her hold on Provenza’s hand. He shifted and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, gently pulling her into a sitting position. Rusty moved so she could lean against him, her eyes sliding closed as her lungs and chest complained. “Rusty, what did you do?”
Upright, she was able to get a better view of their suspect, including his blossoming black eye and split lip. She turned her attention back to her son, but she didn’t expect to see the fear on his face.
“Shit, you’re hurt!” He started to reach for her but pulled his hands back to pull his jacket off. He bundled it in his hands and then pressed it against her upper chest and shoulder, causing her to wince. “I’m so sorry….”
Provenza made sure she was stable sitting up before he traded spots with Andy. The sounds of approaching cars and sirens filled the night and she felt a headache starting to blossom at the base of her neck.
“Let me see, kid,” he said, his hand already resting on her shoulder before Rusty moved the jacket. She looked down, but could only see his hand as he ran his fingers along her collarbone. She shivered and he quickly pulled his hand back. “It’s not too bad. Maybe a couple of stitches, probably won’t even leave a scar. Keep the jacket on it.”
Rusty pressed the jacket against her again, but she shifted and nudged his hand away to replace it with her own, her attention returning to her Lieutenant and suspect. “He needs to be mirandized.” She was starting to feel the wound across her shoulder and groaned softly, her eyes sliding closed for a moment while she listened to Provenza list of the Miranda rights. “Get him taken care of and Rusty cleared,” she ordered, but it fell flat with her persistent breathlessness.
“Unfortunately, Captain, you’re injured and involved which leaves me in charge.” She didn’t have to look at him to know he was smiling, but she didn’t see the concern that tightened the corners of his mouth. “Flynn, get her to that ambulance. Sykes, get the hell over here!”
“This will hurt like a bitch, but I’ve got you,” Andy murmured in her ear, his arm winding around her waist to support her.
“Not going anywhere until he’s cleared.” She looked at Rusty who had moved back to give them space and was inspecting the damage to his knuckles.
“Sharon…” Andy sighed, his arm tightening. “Provenza will look out for him. Hell, they all will. He’ll be fine, but you need to get checked out.” He shifted to meet her eyes, his hand seeking out the one not holding the jacket to her chest. Seeing she was still unwilling to move, he sighed again. “I could carry you.”
“Don’t you dare,” she said immediately. She glanced back at Amy rushed over to Provenza, two paramedics and the gurney headed for her. She glanced back to her son and realized it was a losing battle. “Fine, but I’m not leaving yet.”
Taking the compromise as a win, Andy didn’t argue as he slowly helped her to her feet. She tightly held onto him until she was settled on the gurney, the thin mattress feeling significantly better than the ground, especially as the ache in her chest started t spread toward her back. A paramedic placed an oxygen mask on her face but she knocked it aside until Andy gave her a warning look and put it back.
“Behave,” he told her, a weak smile drawing at his lips.
She reached for his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “Always. Go finish up.” She let go of his hand and gestured around them, her eyes never leaving him and Rusty as the paramedics rolled her toward the ambulance.
Several hours later, she was finally able to sit on her own couch in clean clothes. A tank top and cardigan revealed the four inch bandage across her chest and shoulder until she tugged the cardigan close and sank back against the pillows with a groan. Rusty was sprawled out across the chair, already picking at the bandages on his hand while watching her.
“What am I going to do with you two?” Andy asked as he walked into the living room. He handed her a mug of hot tea that she cradled close and passed a cup of water to Rusty before he sat down. His arm stretched out across the back of the couch toward her but she didn’t move. “Hobbs signed the deal, before you ask. As soon as Provenza let him know what the consequences were for assaulting an officer, he crumbled. Homophobic piece of shit dirtbag, like I said.” He scowled for a moment until her hand came to rest on his knee.
“It’s done,” she said. “Dylan and Jeremy can rest in peace. I hope.” She took a sip of tea and closed her eyes as she let her head fall back.
“I think I’m gonna head to bed…” Rusty set his water aside and stood up, but Sharon’s eyes shot open and she looked at him.
“We still need to talk about what happened tonight.” Rusty froze at her voice and rubbed the back of his neck. “Not now, but soon.”
“I’d do it again,” he replied after a moment. “If it kept you safe.” He shrugged and she found herself speechless.
“Thank you,” she finally decided; anything else could wait for the morning. “Get some sleep. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom. Night, Andy.” He didn’t linger and headed straight for his room, the door shutting immediately.
Sharon sighed and closed her eyes again, her fingers tightly gripping the hot mug. She didn’t say anything and he was starting to wonder if she had fallen asleep until she groaned softly.
“You should probably head to bed before you fall asleep or your back seizes up,” he said softly as he watched her.
“Too late…” She grimaced and forced out a breath. “Oh, god.”
“Yeah, stop, drop, and roll isn’t as fun as they make it look.” He sat up and gently pried the mug from her hand, setting it aside before it spilled. “Muscle relaxers should kick in soon, but I’ll carry you to bed. Do you want to sit up or lay down?”
“Lay down. Definitely down,” she gasped.
“I’ll be right back.” He kissed her head as he walked by to the bedroom.
Her glasses, medication, and water were already organized on her nightstand, so he pulled the blankets back before returning to the living room. He quickly picked her up and winced in sympathy as she cried out, quickly carrying her back to bed. He eased her out of her cardigan and tucked her in before he sat on the edge of the bed beside her, his fingers gently massaging her neck on her good side while he waited for her breathing to slow.
“Rusty saved your life tonight.” His voice was soft, but he knew she heard him. “You moved, but that knife was headed for your throat and he wouldn’t have stopped.”
Her fingers moved to lightly dance over the bandage and she let out a breath as she looked up at him. “Still doesn’t require excessive force,” she replied quietly.
“He’s a kid who watched an asshole nearly stab his mother. He doesn’t have the training, he shouldn’t have even been there,” he countered.
“I know…” She covered her face with her arm and winced at the movement, her breathing growing ragged again. “God, I know…”
“Hey, Sharon…” He stretched out on his side next to her and gently moved her arm. He stroked his fingers down her cheek until she opened her teary eyes. “It’s not your fault, so don’t even think about blaming yourself. It’s that teenager with messed up ideas and Taylor for allowing Rusty to go. Not you. Never you.” He leaned down and kissed her softly. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gotten you riled up. You need to sleep.”
“It’s okay,” she mumbled, and he could tell the medications were starting to take effect. “Make sure Rusty’s okay…”
“Of course, babe. I’ll check on him before I go to sleep,” he promised.
She gave him a sleepy smile in response and she drifted off, tear tracks still damp on her cheeks.