Hinesville: Prologue (Part 1)

Vivian Foster ran through the rain to her partner's house, Cooper Martin. She quickly made note of the cars in his driveway, and was happy everyone was there. She was running a little late for poker night, and had tried, in vain, to make up some time on the way over. She slid the hood off of her head, and paused for a moment to take a breath. She had just decided the guys could wait one more moment for her to unwind from the day. She knew that beer inside with her name on it would help in short order. She rolled her head around on her neck, as she tried to release some of the tension in her shoulders. It had been a long day, but they closed the case, and the suspect had even confessed to additional burglaries. She removed her rain slicker as she stepped further into the carport, she wanted a slow stroll into the house. These guys were her family, and they knew it, but like any good sister, she couldn’t be, too, excited to see them. She hung the jacket on a hook near the back door, reached over, and opened the storm door. She entered the kitchen, which was much bigger than Cooper needed--rarely did he cook.

Ben Hernandez stood in front of the open fridge, searching for a beer, and maybe some leftovers Cooper hadn’t eaten just yet. He studied the contents, and considered eating an egg roll still in the wax paper bag. Cheri would never find out he ate the fried concoction. He turned as the door opened to see her wander in.

“Look who decided to show up guys!" Ben laughed as he yelled to Cooper, Nate, Lane and Mason, sitting on the couches in the living room, sipping their own beers, killing a little time waiting for her to show up. Ben reached back into the fridge and pulled out a beer for Vivian.

Ben Hernandez, who had known Vivian since her patrol days, worked for the FBI, he joined Cooper and Vivian, off and on, for cases and the local task force.

“Oh, it’s about time!” Cooper shouted as he stood up.

“Yeah, well, if I had a partner that didn’t slack off.” Vivian smiled, poking a little fun at Cooper.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Cooper replied with a sheepish grin as he stepped into the kitchen.

“I went through that booking in record time.” Vivian set her backpack down near the door, trying to shake off some of the dampness from the rain.

"You really did." Cooper nodded just as he picked up a bowl of chips off of the kitchen island.

Mason eased into the kitchen, and rolled his eyes when he saw how Cooper was looking at Vivian.

Vivian was attractive in the girl-next-door kind of way, which she found frustrating.

She took a big sip of the beer Ben grabbed for her, not even bothering to pour it in a mug like some of the guys did.

“Hey Viv.” Mason gave her a lite punch on the arm.

Mason and his wife, Kelly, were Vivian’s best friends. She had known him since kindergarten, and Kelly since middle school.

Vivian grabbed a slice of pizza.“Hey Mase, how’s the Keller case going?”

Mason stood next to her, hemming and hawing a bit, and thoughtfully answered, “It’s going. I kind of hit a dead end, but the victim received a threatening letter in the mail yesterday. The lab is fingerprinting it and testing it for DNA.”

“Hopefully it turns up something,” Vivian commented. “Me and Coop are fixin’ to pull out a cold case, the Stanton Case, the homicide on the Allenhurst end of town.”

Cooper took a step down the stairs to the lower level. “Yeah, somehow we have become the unofficial cold case crew.”

“That’s ‘cause y’all clear all those cases.” Nate spouted off.

Nate Garcia, Ben’s partner, was the newest member of the group, and worked with everyone there at one time or another.

“We don't solve that much more than anyone else.” Vivian always presumed the clearance rates were similar. 

Cooper was surprised she didn’t know. “Yeah, we do.”

Vivian was stunned. “Do we really solve that many?”

“Remember last year when they wanted to split us up, because of Miranda and her shit?” Cooper asked with raised eyebrows.

“Sure, how could I forget,” she replied, wondering why he brought her up.

“Captain Sullivan told me last week, that he fought that tooth and nail because we clear twice as many cases as any other pair in the squad.” Cooper shifted his stance a bit, taking a few more steps down.

“Really?” This was a revelation to her, and she made a mental note to start checking their clearance rate.

“I knew that and I don’t even work there.” Nate grabbed some of the snacks off of the counter.

“I think everyone in the area knows how many cases y’all clear,” Lane informed her.

“Why do you think we call on y’all as much as we do?” Ben stepped over to the rest of the group. 

“Y’all should have never said that,” Vivian chuckled out and shook her head. “Now we’ll get all cocky, and start slacking off, and eventually they’ll split us up.”

“I don’t see that happening--ever.” Mason chuckled as he trotted down the stairs behind Cooper.

They all laughed and started to gather the rest of the snacks, then followed Cooper.

Vivian walked to the mini fridge. “Who wants a beer?”

Everyone raised their hands.

She brought over the remainder of the six pack, set them down on the table.

“Whose deal is it?” Lane moved on to the game.

“Nate’s I think.” Ben answered. 

The game soon commenced, and two hours, twenty hands, and at least three six-packs later, it concluded.

Vivian and Nate stood in the middle of the basement, talking about a bank robbery Nate was tasked with the day before.

Ben bumped into her, brushing against her back near her weapon, “I’m sorry Viv.”

“No, problem.” Vivian let it roll and continued her conversation with Nate as Ben trotted up the stairs.

Cooper and Mason then started wrestling on the floor. This was not uncommon for poker night; Vivian thought most of the guys didn’t advance emotionally beyond the fifth grade.

Cooper reached over and grabbed Vivian’s leg, “Come on! and help out your partner!”

“Just say ‘uncle’ and be done with it.” Vivian laughed at him and resumed her discussion with Nate.

“Alright guys!” Ben yelled from the top of the steps.

Nate spun Vivian around, handcuffed her, took her duty weapon, and handed it to Cooper. Nate then draped her over his shoulder.

“What are y’all doing?” Vivian demanded, laughing a little.

Cooper grabbed duck tape from Mason and taped her legs together. He removed her ankle holster and handed that gun to Mason.

Cooper walked over to Vivian as she still dangled off of Nate’s shoulder. “You didn’t think we forgot.”

"A girl can always hope," she said, as her long dark hair fell in her face.

Ben walked down the stairs from the kitchen, with a cake in hand.

“We had to disarm you so you wouldn’t shoot us, and handcuffed you so you can’t leave.” Mason admired their work as Nate set her down in a chair.

“I can still shoot you.” Vivian laughed with a feigned glare aimed at the men.

The crew started to sing happy birthday.

Vivian laughed and shook her head. “Y’all suck.”

“Yeah, yeah, save it,” Ben told her as he set the cake down in front of her on the table.

“Make a wish.” Nate prodded her.

Vivian quietly made her wish and proceeded to blow out the candles.

Nate bent over and unlocked her cuffs. She, in turn, took the duck tape off of her legs.

“Thanks guys,” she said and gave them each a hug.

The crew indulged on the cake, and Vivian was ready to leave when her cell phone rang. She pulled out her phone and saw the Department’s number on the screen. Cooper’s phone rang a few seconds later. Everyone deflated a little, knowing their party would soon be breaking up. They both answered, to find they were needed at a homicide. Cooper stepped away from the group to get the information he needed.

“You’re not going to leave without opening your gift,” Ben told as she hung up.

“What gift?”

Cooper then walked in from the utility room with a large box.

“What did y’all do?”

“Open it.” Mason ordered her.

She soon ripped the paper to reveal a plain brown box. She slid out what appeared to be a nylon long gun case.

“Open that, too.” Cooper nudged her.

“No, way,” Vivian muttered as she set the case on the table and opened it.

There, in the case, was an AR-15 rifle, and she thought it was beautiful.

Mason smiled, holding his last beer of the night. “I talked to my dad, he told me he saw you checking it out, in the shop. It was on sale a couple of weeks ago, plus the owner knocked off a few dollars, ‘cause we’re the police.”

“Guys, this is so awesome!” Vivian jumped up and hugged all of them again as she started crying.

“The only girl we all know that would cry with joy because she got a gun for her birthday.” Ben laughed.

“But this is awesome!” Vivian chuckled as she wiped the tears away.

Ben stepped toward the door, he needed to get home. “Don’t forget we’re having a cookout at my place Saturday. We’ll start at four.”

“We’ll all be there.” Cooper waved at Ben as he started up the stairs. “Mason, can you lock up the house for me?”

“Sure,” Mason answered and him and Nate continued to pick up.

“Viv, I’ll meet you there, I need to change and do a few other things before I go,” Cooper told her, as both of them ran up the stairs into the kitchen. Cooper’s phone rang again. He quickly looked at it, a look of anger coming across his face. He wondered why they were calling him now, they knew better. “I have to take this. I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay, I’m going to change, too.” Vivian grabbed her bag and jogged out to their unmarked unit.

Part 2


http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1955159-Hinesville-Homicide-Part-2...

Hinesville: Homicide (Part 2)  (18+) Viv and Coop investigate the death of a local hermet, and things aren't what they appear.