Deadly diversion

Not knowing how operation gangbang was progressing was eating away at Stone. After almost half an hour had passed, he'd at least expected vehicles to be returning full to the brim with prisoners. There had been no sounds of distant shootouts. They'd not even had a car to stop. The only excitement was curtains twitching when they'd first parked and wondering if any of the residents would take a pot shot in his direction. He was hoping for news, but all he heard was the crackling of static from the speakers. Stone climbed out of his car to stretch his legs. The two other officers were resting their butts on the hood of their patrol car.

"Dispatch to all cars on operation gangbang..." Stone stuck his head through his open door to listen to the message. "Operation terminated. All civilian vehicles and persons allowed freedom of movement. Remain in stand-down position and await instructions to return to normal duties."

Stone shook his head. The other officers pulled their vehicle over to the sidewalk and he followed suit. Reaching down, he pulled Candice's purse from under the seat, then stuffed it under his vest. He hoped returning her purse would gain her confidence in him to make a statement about Granger's remarks just as he'd planned.

He climbed out of his car and called over to the officers.

"Hey, I need to take a leak. Will you wait until I get back?"

"Sure. It sounds like it's all over. I think they'll want us to wait until all our assets have withdrawn."

The civil reply surprised him. Stone strutted down the street and turned left. Although he was over the red line, it looked like a decent place to live. The houses were all ranch style, most having neat front yards, and were framed with tree-lined sidewalks. It was gone two fifteen when he looked at his watch, but the light was on in Candice's living room. He strode up the driveway and knocked. The curtain moved to one side, then footsteps arrived at the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?" A voice called out. He recognized it as Candice right away.

"Officer Stone, ma'am. I have your purse."

The door opened slightly, but with the security chain in place.

"Pass it through the gap, then disappear. What the hell you thinking coming here in uniform at this time of night? You'll get me marked as a snitch."

Stone wondered just what he had been thinking. Candice was right. He'd not thought about her safety, only his own selfish motives to get to know her.

"Sorry, but you didn't return my calls. I need to talk to you somewhere neutral about the night you were robbed. I was thinking I could meet you out of uniform. Say at a coffee bar." It was as near to asking her out on a date as he could think of, without he'd get into trouble hitting on a witness. She snatched the purse from his hand and slammed the door closed.

"Is that a yes?"

"No, it's a get the hell away from here and don't come back answer," she called out from behind the door.

"Listen, I'll give you time to think about it. I'll phone you tomorrow to see if you've changed your mind."

There was no reply. The light went out in the living room. Stone shook his head and wondered where the hell his mind was at. He'd just reached the bottom of the driveway, when and ear-splitting boom split the night air, forcing him to dive for cover, landing flat to the ground. There was a glow in the direction of the street where his car was parked. Not stopping to think, he scrambled to his feet and ran for all he was worth, turned the corner, and then froze. His car was ablaze. Flames danced in the interior. Smoke billowed through a smashed window, thick clouds disappearing into the night sky. Neighbors were out in the streets milling around, but there was no sign of the other police car.

Stone pulled his radio microphone to his lips and pressed the button. A couple of youths danced about in the street, throwing stones through his car windows to cheers from the crowd as the flames roared.

He stepped back around the corner out of sight.

"A-eighteen, need backup and a fire tender to, West, One, Fifty-Fifth Street. Someone's torched my car. There's quite a crowd hanging around and getting frisky. It looks as though it could get outta hand."

"Dispatch to car A-eighteen, copy that. Stay back from the crowd and await instructions."

He drew his Glock from his holster and edged back into a driveway behind some bushes. Rolling his eyes, he looked up into the sky. There was no getting away from the fact that he'd be in serious trouble. His thoughts turned to the two bastards who had left the scene. He'd need an explanation the next time he set eyes on them.

A whiff of acrid smoke hit the back of his throat and he gagged. The wail of sirens cut through the air. He knew better than to step out until the area was secured. Two patrol cars sped past along the street at his intersection. He risked walking back to the corner and peeked out. He counted two patrol cars at his side of his car and five patrol cars further along the street behind his car, with two armored trucks. A line of riot police formed north of his vehicle.

Some of the youths chanted, and then lobbed stones at the cop cars, then he saw muzzle flashes and the sound of bullets discharged from within the crowd, thankfully aimed skyward. The two patrol cars reversed at speed, both of them backing around the corner. Stone waved at them. He felt the rage in his cheeks as the cop rolled down his window.

"Why the hell did you leave when I asked you to wait?"

"A gang of youths distracted us, throwing stones. We set off in pursuit. Saw the blast in our rearview. Then we got the message from dispatch to return. The airwaves are buzzing. Shit's going down everywhere around Southside."

Stone could hear the distinct sound of rubber bullets popping from barrels. He glanced around the corner and saw streaks of smoke from incoming tear gas canisters. More cop cars and vans screeched to a halt in the street with officers scrambling out and they scurried to take cover behind their vehicles. The whole area now resembled a war zone with lines of riot officers north and south of his vehicle facing the crowd. Rocks and bottles pelting them smashed against their shields.

Another two patrol cars arrived from behind Stone and parked. Two cops climbed out of the first car. It was Granger and his sidekick.

"I guess this is you suspended," Granger said, as he walked past Stone and then talked to the officers who had abandoned him.

There was no mistaking the figure of the sergeant as he hauled himself out of the seat of his car that was parked behind Granger's vehicle.

"Where's the dipshit who left his car unattended," Sergeant Baily called out.

Granger pointed at Stone.

"Sorry, I had to take a leak. The other officers said they'd wait for me to return. Apparently, some punks distracted them by throwing stones at them and they gave chase."

"Great. Just because you wanted a piss, you've started a riot. For fuck's sake, why don't you carry a bottle in your car like the rest of us? You got shit for brains?"

Stone shrugged his shoulders.

"Who were the officers that gave chase?"

"Granger's talking to them now."

Sergeant Baily marched over to Granger.

"What the hell are you doing hiding around here for? Get your heavy stuff outta your trunk, and let's start dispersing them and making arrests. Not you two," he said, as Granger rushed back to his car. "You can take Stone back to my office and all wait for me. I want a full report for when I get back."

Stone climbed into the back seat of the officers' vehicle. An armored water-cannon vehicle pulled up at the side of them, and with two buses following. Officers in full riot gear with shields clambered out of the buses and formed a line.

Sergeant Baily climbed on the footrest on the side of the water cannon vehicle.

"I want full force of the water jet on the crowd. Forget the car on fire. Leave that to the fire crew after we've quelled the disturbance."

Stone wasn't in the mood for talking as they headed back for the station past Candice's house with the fire tender parked at the end of her street. The airwaves were buzzing with reports of crowds forming, with looting and buildings set of fire at various locations throughout the Southside area. Stone doubted his car getting torched after he'd abandoned it had set off the riots, but that it was probably the intrusion of operation gangbang and the power of social media.

Even with all the windows rolled down, Stone detected a strong smell of gasoline.

"Listen, I need another leak," Stone said. "You got a piss bottle?"

"Sorry, no. We'll pull over at the all-night gas station. It's not far from here."

With his feet pressing on the foot bar, and his butt firmly planted on his seat, Stone pushed his back into the cushion, his mind drifting to a vision of his car on fire. Stone had a good idea that all that had transpired back there at the scene of his car getting torched was not as it seemed. He prayed inwardly that the incident wouldn't lead to him getting thrown off the force if the truth came out as to why he left his vehicle unattended. He shook his head to dispel the turmoil running around in his head. With his luck lately, he feared the worst.