Major Crimes 1. Chapter 1

_It was pitch black outside. Pitch black and very wet. Midnight on a Friday night in L.A. _

_Two men stood under the overhang of a store located a block off Sunset Strip. Except for a pair of stray dogs, the street appeared deserted, the miserable weather having driven even the ever present crackheads and hookers inside in search of a dry spot. _

"This rain keeps up, we're going to need a boat to get back to headquarters." Lieutenant Andy Flynn stuck a fresh toothpick in his mouth and stared at the river of water rushing down the dark street.

Lieutenant Louie Provenza took off his soaked white cotton hat. Wringing it out, he put it in his pocket and pulled up the hood on his LAPD issued rain slicker. "When's the tow truck getting here? And what's the ETA on the fire department rescue squad? They need to get the power shut off to this building so the tow truck can get to our vehicle."

Glancing at his watch, Flynn shrugged. "Tow company said 45 minutes, but who knows. And the fire station chief said they were swamped, literally and figuratively. Lots of idiots needing rescue tonight."

"I hope you're not including present company in that description."

"Certainly not," Flynn responded, rolling his eyes. "Although others might. We ran out of gas while in hot pursuit of a suspect and then a flash flood floated our incapacitated, department issued vehicle off the road and into a trashy lingerie store."

"Obviously we're going to have to come up with a better story for Captain Raydor," Provenza mused. "Something that paints us, or at least me, in a slightly more favorable light."

"Yeah, sure." Flynn pulled the toothpick from his mouth and tossed it. "Got any ideas?"

"No, but I'll think of something."

"Better think fast. We're running out of options. She's going to notice that I'm missing."

"Right." Provenza narrowed his eyes. "She might need a massage or something."

"Hey, I told you. She had a headache. I was just helping her out. Nothing happened."

"Sell that story somewhere else."

"How many times do we have to go over it. She had a headache and slept most of the day away. I ate pizza and watched the ballgame. There was no sex." Andy sighed. "Come to think of it – the whole encounter was kind of like the last two years of my marriage."

"Leaving a discussion of your pitiful love life aside for a moment, we could try calling Tao and Sanchez again about our current predicament. But, oh, wait," Provenza said, his expression relaying his disgust with the entire situation, "They're busy hauling our suspected kidnapper back to headquarters for questioning. They had gas in their car!"

"That's not my fault. If you hadn't insisted on driving, I would have been behind the wheel and checked the fuel gauge."

"You know I don't run, Flynn."

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"In a chase, I need to be the one doing the driving so you're free to bail out of the car and handle the foot pursuit part. We're partners. Foot pursuit, that's your part. And keeping the gas tank full."

"Everyone knows that the driver is responsible for making sure the tank is full." Flynn crossed his arms and leaned against the building. "Oh, hell. At least Taylor is on vacation, that's a piece of luck."

"Yeah, we're two lucky guys alright."

The dogs that had been roaming the street before, a small muddy terrier mix and a very thin lab, decided to join them under the overhang.

The strong odor of _wet dog_ filled the air.

"Great. This night is just getting better and better." Provenza frowned. "Do they have tags?"

"Fleas maybe, but tags definitely not." Flynn chuckled. "Something about them kinda reminds me of those stewardesses we dated a few years back. You know the ones from Dallas? Wonder where they are now?"

"Probably still in jail. And I don't see the resemblance." Provenza stared down at the dogs. "Don't you two even think about shaking. I'm wet enough as it is."

The small dog growled. The lab whined and moved next to the wall, sitting down. After a moment, the small dog followed. They both looked expectantly from one man to the other.

"One was tall and thin, the other was short and scruffy." Flynn continued to stare at the dogs and shook his head. "I can't remember their names."

"We weren't that interested in their names," Provenza commented. "Speaking of well-stacked, think the Captain might be interested in a gift of lingerie? We could pick up something cheap while we're here."

"Don't go there. We're in enough trouble."

The men resumed their contemplation of the rain and the disappearing roadway.

"You really didn't—"

"No." Flynn sighed. "I thought about it though. I'm waiting for her to make the first move."

"Yeah, well, her next move might be writing both of us up. Listen, you don't want the grief of getting involved with someone you work with – or even worse – work for. You piss her off, she can fire you."

"Yeah, but I think the risk might be worth it. She's the kind of woman that you could have a real relationship with. She's someone I could talk shop with, someone who shares my interests."

"You already have somebody like that," Provenza argued. "So what if my legs aren't as good? We talk shop. We share baseball. We support each other. We go to bars together. I drink and you watch me. That's a real relationship. Plenty real. And hanging with me is a lot cheaper than getting involved with a woman. Be smart about this."

"Says the man who's been divorced as often as he changes socks."

"Well, I've finally learned from my mistakes. You should learn from them too. Forget about Raydor."

"Is that your phone ringing or mine?"

"Mine." Provenza sighed and looked at the name on the screen. "It's her. I'm putting this on speaker so you can get your fair share of the ass chewing."

* * *

><p>"Captain, you didn't have to come yourself. We would have found a ride."<p>

Sharon Raydor glanced across the street at the two men standing next to the LAPD vehicle being pulled out of the broken storefront. A patrol car with lights flashing was parked near them. Since the sky was continuing to dump torrents of rain over the area, she had chosen to speak to her senior squad members on her cell phone from the comfort of her vehicle.

"I had to see this to believe it. We're short staffed with Amy out and you two decide to pull one of your annual stunts! I don't have time for this. We've still got a missing child to find! Lieutenant Tao and Detective Sanchez broke our suspect's alibi, but he's not giving up any information about Emily Carson. It's been twelve hours since her mother reported the abduction. We're running out of time."

"Captain," Provenza coughed, "Uh, Flynn feels badly about not checking the gas gauge before we left. He'll never make that mistake again, I'll see to it personally."

Flynn frowned. "What the—"

Provenza made a cutting motion towards Flynn. "Captain, since no one was injured, procedure is that we give a statement to a patrol officer about the accident, which we've done. So, just tell us what you want us to do next. We're ready to go."

"I have a search warrant that needs executing. You two can ride with me since it appears your vehicle is still stuck in the checkout line."

* * *

><p>Sharon glanced in her rear view mirror. She didn't know who was wetter, the old man or the two dogs flanking him. When Provenza had opened the back passenger door, he was rushed by the pair. Lieutenant Flynn had taken the front passenger seat and was doing an excellent job of ignoring his partner's string of complaints.<p>

"Sorry about the mess in your car. The shelter opens up in a few hours," Flynn advised. "We can drop them off then, well the dogs at least. We're stuck with Provenza for the duration."

"Hey, we all have guns and know how to use them. We can get rid of these mutts right now."

The lab whined and hugged the door, the small dog bared his teeth and emitted a low growl.

"Lieutenant!" Sharon knew he was joking, but still...no animals were going to be harmed on her watch. Or threatened. "It appears they've bonded with you. You have a house with a yard, don't you?"

"Forget it! Flynn can take them. He's looking for companionship. And he's not that picky."

Flynn turned and glared at the older detective.

Sharon noticed and gave Flynn a sideways glance. Before she could comment, the GPS navigation on her vehicle informed them that, "You have reached your destination."


	2. Chapter 2

The apartment was three rooms over a garage located behind a condemned house. Sharon Raydor greeted the patrolmen waiting for them at the curb. The rain was still coming down in sheets, severely limiting their view of the surroundings. Despite the rain slickers, all were soaked before reaching the rickety staircase leading to the kidnapping suspect's rental.

The open door gave all of them pause.

"Was this open when you got here, Officer Andrews?" Sharon directed her question to the patrolman closest to her, a huge man whose bulk wouldn't have been out of place on a linebacker for a professional football team. His partner wasn't much smaller. She had a stray thought about how they managed to find uniforms that fit.

"Yes, it was open, ma'am. My partner and I didn't touch anything. Just cleared the apartment and the garage space underneath. The doors were open on both."

"Thank you. Please set up a perimeter. We need a couple more units." She glanced at the rain, knowing that with the weather she'd given him an almost impossible task. Yellow tape would be a waste of time and extra help would be a long time coming, if at all. "Do the best you can."

Dismissing the patrolmen, Sharon motioned to Flynn and Provenza to follow her into the residence. They all pulled on gloves.

"The suspect," she glanced down at her small black notebook, "Harley Peterson...Mr. Peterson was the last person seen with Emily Carson. Emily is 3 years old, 38 inches tall, 30 pounds, brown hair, and blue eyes. Clothing unidentified. Mr. Petersen was an acquaintance of Emily's father, now deceased. Mr. Petersen reportedly took Emily from her babysitter at 10:20 this morning."

"What did you get from the interview?" Provenza lifted up a corner of the box spring mattress on the double bed pushed against one wall. He dropped it with a bang, after checking that the space under the bed was empty.

"Nothing. He invoked. Judge gave us a warrant based on the babysitter's statement." Sharon walked into the small kitchen, her heels clicking on the wooden floor. As a concession to the weather, she'd traded her skirt for slacks. She wished now, she'd had boots in her locker at work.

"Bathroom is clear," Flynn yelled from the other room. "Clear but not clean. Smells like something died in here."

Sharon opened the refrigerator door and found a half-empty bottle of apple juice. "Peterson brought Emily here. I'm sure of it. Check any space a three-year-old could fit."

"Closet is clear. Bunch of clothes piled on the floor, could have been used as baby bed, or maybe the guy is just a slob." Provenza used a baseball bat he'd found to poke at the mound of clothes.

All three met back in the small living area.

"You said something about a smell?" Sharon turned to Flynn. "Show me."

"You really don't want..." Flynn was talking to her back, so he stopped. He trailed her into the bathroom.

She lifted the top off a small plastic bucket next to the toilet. The foul odor flooded the room. "Diapers. Used diapers. Emily was here."

"God, what was he feeding her?" Flynn coughed and backed away. "So where is she now?"

Sharon shook her head. "No indications that he had a partner in this kidnapping. We need to search outside. Right now. If he left her alone here, she might have wandered off."

Provenza glanced towards the open door and the rain. "Oh, hell."

* * *

><p>"I've got flashlights in the trunk of my vehicle. Let's get them." Sharon used her remote on her keychain to unlock her car. "There's also one in the glove box."<p>

Provenza opened the side door and was knocked backwards on to the muddy ground by the two dogs who'd been left in the backseat. "Damnation! Flynn, this is your fault. We should have shot them the first time we saw them."

"Lieutenants! We need to hurry." Sharon handed Flynn a flashlight after he helped Provenza to his feet. She motioned to the patrolmen to join them. "Officer Andrews, any luck getting more help out here?"

"No ma'am. Central said it would be at least a half hour. Roads are flooded. Helicopters are grounded. Pile up on the 405. It's a mess."

Provenza spared the dogs a glance. They had taken care of business and were now standing inside the garage area out of the rain.

Sharon pointed towards the brushy area behind the garage and towards the foreclosed house in front. Check out the house, then let's do a grid search. We need to find this child, gentlemen. And we need to do it quickly."

"Captain Raydor?" The younger patrolman stepped up. "Officer Hernandez and her partner use our squad car during the day shift. I noticed she left a pair of running shoes in the trunk. Would you like to borrow them?"

Sharon smiled, checking the name on the officer's slicker.. "Yes, Officer Willis. I would. Thank you."

Provenza coughed, muffling a comment that sounded a lot like, "Suck up."

Sharon gave him a look that would have felled a lesser man. "Lieutenant Provenza, stay here and guard the crime scene. And you're in charge of making sure your dogs don't destroy any evidence. Lieutenant Flynn, come with me."

"Wait, they're not my dogs, Captain!" Provenza sputtered after her. "Flynn! Tell her."


	3. Chapter 3

It was wet, dark, and the temperature was dropping. Sharon was worried that time was not on their side. She pushed aside some brush, trying to keep her feet underneath her as she and Flynn made their way down a sloped area towards a residential road. The search was taking too long and they hadn't found any trace of the child.

Flynn slipped his cell phone back into his pocket after taking a quick call. "Willis says the abandoned house is clear. Emily isn't inside. Maybe someone else took her from the apartment, Captain. Maybe she's not out here."

"Andy, you know those times where you just have a feeling?" She paused to catch her breath and push the wet hair from her eyes. Luckily, she only really needed her glasses for reading, she'd given up wearing them in this downpour.

"Your gut is telling you she's here?" Andy took her elbow as his last step slid him closer to her position.

"Yes." She nervously glanced up at him. "I know when working homicides cops shouldn't—"

"Hey." He gave her a small smile and moved his hand from her arm to the small of her back. "Homicide cops know all about gut feelings. If there is nothing else to go on, always lead with the gut."

She smiled. "I appreciate you—"

"Louise, Louise come back here. Damn dog. Louise!"

Provenza's shout had them both turning their flashlights towards their left side and downward to a curve in the road below them.

A dirty white bundle of fur raced through the brush. An old police lieutenant in a white cloth hat followed at a much slower pace. They saw him tumble as he lost his footing.

"Louise?" Flynn shook his head. "He named the dog, Louise?"

"An ex-wife?" Sharon guessed, talking as she climbed down the slope. Not for the first time, she made a mental note to thank Officer Hernandez for her running shoes. She'd have to buy her another pair, she'd never get the mud out of these.

Flynn followed, breathing heavily. "Nope. No Louise. Not unless Provenza's got a new ex-wife he hasn't mentioned." Flynn mumbled off a list of names, hesitated, then changed the order of several. "Nope. No Louise."

"We better see about him. If he's hurt, I'll never hear the end of it from Taylor."

They picked their way carefully towards Provenza who was covered with mud and mad as a wet cat, but standing.

"Are you alright, Lieutenant?" Sharon moved her flashlight, checking him from his bare head to his muddy feet. "You seem to have lost your hat...and one shoe."

"Captain, I am not a mountain goat. I'm telling you right now, we need to get the right people with the right gear out here. The rain is getting worse. This whole area is going to be one big mudslide soon." He pointed towards the road. "That low area is going to be underwater. We need the fire department out here."

"I called them a half hour ago, Lieutenant. Trust me, I'm not enjoying this hike any more than you are. But for now, we're all Emily has."

They were still looking towards the road when the small dog suddenly reappeared on top of it. She stared towards them and began barking.

The skinny lab, the small dog's companion, zoomed past, clumsily knocking into Provenza and catapulting him down the muddy slope on his ass. The lab didn't slow down despite, Provenza's shouts of "Stop. Thelma. Stop."

"Oh." Sharon grinned, carefully making her way towards her downed fellow officer. "That explains the name."

"I don't get it," Flynn grumbled, before hurrying after her. "Just stay down this time, old man. We're wasting time chasing after you instead of looking for the kid."

"Just shut up," Provenza said. Despite Flynn's advice, he got to his feet again. "And somebody shut that damn dog up."

Sharon noted that Provenza appeared to have only injured his well-padded dignity. She bypassed him to reach the dogs. The lab, although not barking, was franticly pacing back and forth near the culvert pipes running under the road. She had a very dirty stuffed rabbit in her mouth.

Using her flashlight, Sharon looked at the pipes and the ditch on either side of the road. Drainage from the area was collecting and splitting, moving through the drainage pipes in two fast moving streams. The pipe nearest her was filled with rushing water; the second was only partially filled, some scrap boards on one side of the wide road, blocking the entrance, decreasing the flow coming in. She bent down and looked inside the one pipe. The beam from her flashlight caught the movement of one small, white, bare foot.

* * *

><p>"For the record, I don't like this," Provenza said as she handed him her slicker, suit jacket, badge, and gun. "What if you get stuck in there?"<p>

"Then you'll be in charge, Lieutenant, just like you've always wanted." She considered a moment and handed him her jewelry too. "You better not lose my stuff."

Provenza blanched and handed the jewelry off to his partner. "Take care of this for her. You seem to be able to remain on your feet."

Flynn pocketed the items. "Sharon, let me try. I—"

"You what? What can you do, Andy?" She glanced around at the four men gathered around her, "None of you will fit in that pipe. And the water is getting deeper. Face it, we don't have any good options. Right now I need everyone to stop trying to talk me out of it and instead give me some support."

"What do you need us to do, Captain?" Officer Andrews was speaking for both himself and his young partner.

"Find a way to block the water coming in. Buy me some more time."

"You got it." Both uniform officers moved away, searching for material to add to the boards already partially slowing the water.

Sharon looked down at her remaining clothing. Her t-shirt was soaked, clinging to her like a second skin. She wished she'd worn jeans, something that wouldn't tear or catch on the metal, but her dress slacks would have to do. She glanced again at the pipe opening. No use thinking about the fact that she was slightly claustrophobic.

"I don't guess anyone has a rubber band?" At their blank looks, she resigned herself to fighting her hair too.

The dogs were both barking now, the noise setting her teeth on edge. She turned, stretched out her arm, and pointed a one finger at them. In her loudest voice, she said, "Both of you shut up, right now! I mean it. You've done your part, now BE QUIET!"

The silence was immediate.

"Uh, Captain?" Provenza pointed towards down to the water she was standing in. "Is that a—"

Flynn pulled his gun and fired. A long dark snake, missing its head, floated away. "Flooding must have disrupted a nest. There may be more."

"Oh, God." She got down on her knees before she lost her nerve. Lying down inside the pipe, she began to inch her way forward on her stomach, using her forearms and toes. Snakes, culverts, stray dogs, cranky old men, and major headaches...she should have stayed in Internal Affairs.


	4. Chapter 4

"Captain, you're running out of time."

"Just hold the light a little more to the left, please. She's stuck." The sounds of the child screams echoed through the metal pipe, setting the dogs to howling again. Sharon wondered if her hearing was going to be permanently affected.

"Sounds like she's in good shape." Provenza's voice filtered in to her. "Just grab her and pull. The patrol guys aren't going to be able to hold back the flood much longer. You don't get her out now, you'll both drown."

"Always the optimist, " Sharon mumbled. Despite Emily's kicks and protests, she'd determined that it was this child's disposable diaper that had her pinned in place in the middle of the pipe. Whatever brand diaper the child had on, the tabs weren't coming loose.

Breaking two fingernails to the quick, she pulled at the plastic, ripping the layers of the diaper away. The diaper could stay in the pipe, Emily was coming with her.

Water was covering her mouth by the time she had the baby out of the diaper. She started backing out of the pipe, knowing she was probably didn't have enough time before the pipe filled.

The last thing she remembered was the grip of someone's hands on her ankles and a pain in the top of her head as Emily grabbed a handful of hair.

* * *

><p>The emergency waiting room was full but the Major Crimes squad had managed to find a corner to congregate.<p>

Provenza was in hospital scrubs, dry and regaling the team with the tale of Emily Carson's rescue.

"And when Flynn grabbed her legs and pulled, she came out of that pipe like a cork in a bottle. The kid was attached to her head, screaming like a banshee once she spit out a mouthful of water."

"Emily was screaming or the Captain?" Sanchez asked.

Provenza took a sip of his coffee and explained. "Emily was screaming. Although there was nothing wrong with her a bottle and her Momma couldn't cure. The Captain was unconscious for a few minutes after Flynn got her out of the pipe. I took the kid and Flynn resuscitated the Captain. Or tried to anyway, she started puking up her guts right away. Flynn will probably have nightmares about that. Anyway, by that time the rain had stopped. Fire Department Rescue was on the scene and we all got to ride a chopper back to the hospital. I'm expecting a medal for my involvement."

Sanchez smiled. "Absolutely, sir."

Tao nodded. "They might even overlook that wrecked department vehicle."

Provenza's expression darkened. "I dare them to mention a thing after I climbed all over that mountain rescuing that poor baby."

"So what happened to the dogs? Thelma and Louise?" Buzz was leaning against one wall, holding a plastic bag with the Lieutenant's clothes. "They're the ones that actually found the child. What happens to them?"

Provenza shrugged his shoulders. "Andrews and Willis dropped them off at the vet's for me. After they've gotten their shots, I'll take them home with me. I've got the room and they seem happy enough with each other's company. Unlike some people, they won't have to be constantly entertained. And besides..." He took another sip of coffee and sighed. He figured Flynn was going to make his move now. His partner was probably going to be preoccupied for the foreseeable future.

"Besides, what, sir?" Sanchez got up to bring him another cup of coffee.

"Besides, nothing. Did someone get the booking filled out on Petersen? We don't want to have to make any deals with that scumbag!"

* * *

><p>"How are you?" Sharon asked as Andy Flynn stuck his head around the exam curtain. He was wearing hospital scrubs and thick white athletic socks.<p>

She was sitting on the gurney, still wearing only a hospital gown. Her hair was drying in a tangle of curls. A nurse was placing bandages on her arms, covering the places where they had been scraped raw on the metal pipe. Similar bandages decorated her bare legs.

He grinned. "Tetanus shot hurt. But I'll live."

She wiggled her bare toes. "I'm envious of your socks. They look warm. Where did those come from?"

"I charmed them off of an old lady who was picking up her husband. She'd packed extra clothes for him, hoping he'd be admitted and she'd get a little vacation. Her misfortune was my good luck."

The nurse left the area with an admonition not to go anywhere until her x-rays came back.

"Where does she think I'm going to go in this outfit?" Sharon quipped. "Any news about Emily? That baby really didn't like me." She touched the top of her head for emphasis. "Am I missing some hair up here?"

He moved close and pretended to check. "No. You've still got enough for two women. Emily is fine. She's with her mother up in pediatrics. They'll probably send her home tomorrow."

Sharon smiled and patted his arm. "Would now be a good time to thank you for saving my life?"

"Tomorrow night during dinner would be better." He tucked a errant strand of hair behind her ear. "I've been hoping you might—"

"Andy, we really can't. You'll get me fired if —"

He leaned in and quickly kissed her.

She allowed herself a few seconds, then broke the kiss, pushing him back. "Andy—"

He grinned, moving to stand in front of her. "Haven't you heard? You're a hero? Taylor isn't going to fire you. You might even get that Commander title, he and Pope promised you."

"Right." She sighed, placing a hand on his chest. "There's a freeze on promotions."

"So tell him you just want me instead." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.

"I'm not sure I need the headache." She wasn't ready to tell him, but she was beginning to believe Andy Flynn was exactly what she needed in her life. She wasn't sure how they would manage a relationship and both keep their jobs, but she think of something. For every rule there was an exception, she just had to find it.

"Oh, I'm worth a few headaches." He stroked his hands up her bare back and then down. "You've only experienced my head massage. I give great full body massages. Competitive rates."

She glanced up into his eyes and grinned. "Let's start with dinner and go from there. Without that raise, I'm on a budget."

The End


End file.

Major Crimes, Drama, Humor