Chapter 1
Whistler
Iwould never forgetthe first fatality I saw while on the job. The haunting, grisly scene was staple-gunned into my mind, plaguing me, haunting me. I watched as the life of a mother was snuffed out, felt her last breath escape her lips in the freezing rain in the middle of theroad.
Early one evening, in terrible weather with black ice covering the asphalt, my partner and I got the call. I had been on the job for only a few months, and I was not at all prepared for what we were about to encounter. I was a young buck, fearless, ready to be the big bad hero, to swoop in and save the damsel in distress—what a fucking joke that idea was. Up until that point, the worst I had dealt with was a drug bust gone wrong were a UC was shot in the shoulder by a kingpin. That was child’s play compared to what I was about towitness.
That day had started off like any other. I showered, got dress, drove through to get coffee for my partner and I—it was almost like clockwork. We were nearing the end of our shift, that’s when our day went from pretty routine with speeding tickets and regular traffic violations and went into a day that would change meforever.
With lights flashing, my partner pushed the engine of our squad car to her limits. We flew down the road toward the intersection, and we were on the scene within minutes. Off in the distance, the wailing of horns and the blaring of sirens signaled that the ambulance and fire truck were already en route to provide assistance. We were the first to arrive out of all responding units, and I wished that hadn’t been thecase.
The scene was what you’d expect from a damn movie, I honestly could not believe my eyes at first. An eighteen-wheeler had jackknifed and slid off onto the shoulder with a green four-door sedan plastered to its grill like a giant bug. The entire driver’s side of the car was smashed in, the horn was blaring, and the windshield was blown out. The driver had been expelled from the car, the passenger’s head was a bloody mess on the side window, and neither of them were moving. The truck driver wailed in agony as he frantically tried to open the cab’sdoor.
“Sir! Try to remain calm!” My partner was a senior officer and knew what he was doing. He sprang into action as I froze in myseat.
“Get the woman!” Todd screamed at me as he flew out of the driver’s seat. “I’ll try to get the girl out of thecar.”
After shaking my head violently a few times to come to my senses, I rushed to the woman where she was sprawled out on the frozen pavement, her limbs thrown about like a ragdoll as she lay on her back, gasping forair.
Looking down into her pleading eyes, I tried to figure out what to say—but what do you say when you know someone is fighting for their life? How the fuck are you supposed to comfort a stranger when they’re dying right in front ofyou?
“Ma’am, can you tell me your name?” I asked, looking over her mangled body. Her long golden hair was stained with blood. Her clothes were torn and disheveled. Her exposed skin was scraped, bloody and bruised. I tried to access her injuries but I had no idea where to evenbegin.
“My daughter!” she cried. “HelpMyla!”
“My partner is with her. He’s got her. What’s your name? Can you tell me your name?” I yelled, trying to hide the panic that was coating mytone.
She started to gurgle as blood poured from her lips and ears. Her skin drained of color. Her body shook. Her eyes got wide. I pulled her contorted, wounded body into my arms, rocking her while trying to comfort her in her last moments on thisearth.
“You’re going to be all right. The paramedics are on their way. You’re going to be all right.” I repeated it over and over while the EMTs were rushing over to us, but they were too late. She had slipped through thecracks.
In ruthless, bitter rain, I felt her final breath leave her lungs. I watched as she blinked for the last time. I held her as she cried for us to save her daughter. In her last seconds, she was completely selfless. Her love for her daughter was at the forefront of her mind, and right there, I learned what true, unconditional love lookslike.
* * *
It was a long night,to say the least. All I wanted to do after we finished the paperwork was go home, take NyQuil, and pass the fuck out, but I couldn’t back out on my plans with Gavin. I had been blowing him off way too much over the past couple of weeks and with his wedding only a few days away, I knew I needed to be a goodfriend.
“I just got off,” I slurred into my cell while stifling ayawn.
“I just got here, and Jordan is still working,” Gavinreplied.
“Be there in afew.”
“Hurry up. I had a day from hell at practice and need a drinking buddy.” Gavin huffed before ending the callabruptly.
If he only knew what a luxury thatis.
I rolled my eyes, throwing my phone in my pocket, slammed my locker shut, and started to make my way to the street to hail acab.
It wasn’t like Gavin was a stranger to bad days but I felt like he had no idea what it was like for most of us. He came from a wealthy family, was a professional athlete, wanted for nothing most of his life. He was a hard worker and one of the best men I knew, but sometimes I wanted to slap him across the face with something that was not a first world problem and see how hecoped.
“Good work tonight, boss.” Todd came around the corner from the bathroom, slapping me on the back as he shot me a toothysmile.
“Fuck, dude, I don’t know if good is the right word, but thanks.” I rubbed the back of my head with my free hand, choking up on my duffle’s handle with the other. My partner and I got along great, but we were both men of few words. We fell into awkward silences more often thannot.
“See you tomorrow.” He finally waved goodbye and I was out the door, ready for the damn day to fucking end as soon aspossible.
I finally bellied up to the bar, joining Gavin. Jordan bounced over with my drink already poured—four fingers of bourbonneat.