Hello Dolly!

“We’ve got a live one! Train station. South exit.” I holler across the bullpen slamming down the receiver. “Walker, Singh! Get the armor and pack up Dolly. Credible threat and package sighted. Get your asses over there yesterday!”

“Yes Sarge!” in unison.

“Carter! Smith! You’re on crowd control and evacuation. Plan to hold and clear suspects. Get a team from downstairs and go!”

“On it!”

“No one’s goin’ home. You’re all on OT effective immediately! I don’t wanna remind anyone after this; ABSOLUTELY NO CELL AND NO RADIO in the hot zone!” turning with a glare to our newest team member, “Rossi, you’re on point here. Be ready to call in resources. See what you can do about shutting down cell service in a 3 block radius of Union NOW!”

“Seriously?” asks Rossi incredulously.

“Did I fucking stutter?!”

“Yessir! Er. No sir!” Rossi stammers.

Fuckin’ rookie.

“And see if you can get the Captain or the Chief here pronto. I don’t care about vacations or anniversaries right now. I’ll call in the rest from the car.”

“Yessir.” Rossi answers turning to his computer.

“Let’s go everyone! Lives at stake here!”

The bullpen erupts into a frenzy of activity and chatter.

Dammit to hell. Why now? We're short staffed. No one in position of command. I’m about to leave for vacation and I get the call. Terrorist threat from Homeland in my backyard!

I take the three flights of stairs two at a time in record time. Opening the car door, my breathing coming in gasps, I promptly drop my keys.

Dammit!

Picking them up, I start the engine and launch the car into traffic at full throttle with lights and sirens blaring.

“Sarge. Rossi here,” the radio crackles.

“I only want good news Rossi. Are the cell towers disabled?”

“Working on it sir”

“ETA Officer?”

“An hour, maybe more.” Rossi replies.

Fuck!

“We don’t have an hour, call ‘em back! Get the command center ready to go. We’re gonna need it as soon as Walker has a visual. Wired communications only. Call it in!”

“Yessir”

Any news on ‘Cap or the Chief?”

“No Sir”

Shit! This is so above my pay grade.

“And Rossi?”

“Yessir”

“Patch me through to the Mayor.”

“No goddam way are you shutting down Union Station and three blocks of my downtown!” screeches the winy pissant of a man.

Just stay calm. I tell myself taking a deep breath. With any luck this will all turn out to be nothing and you’ll be sipping Mai Tais on the beach tonight.

”Your Worship, with all due respect, this is a credible terrorist threat called over by Homeland. The FBI should be connecting with you shortly and are deploying a team of agents now. There is no time to wait.”

A brief pause from the Mayor then, “What do you need?”

“Officer Rossi will be in touch Sir. I’m thinking fire on standby including for assistance with a perimeter. And buses, we’re gonna need a lot of buses.”

Clicking off, then calling back to the precinct “Rossi? You there?”

“Yessir. Command center has been dispatched Sir. On its way now.”

“Good job Rossi. Mayor’s office is at your disposal. Assume we need every available bus for evacuees and detainees. Get on it. I’m approaching the area now so going dark.”

Switching the radio off, I turn my attention to the road. Traffic is already a nightmare forcing me to weave around cars and onto the sidewalk. Spotting several of my team arriving, I veer sidelong across the street blocking any further traffic. Stepping out of the car I leave the lights on and turn the siren off. I pause to take in the mayhem in front of me. People screaming and running in all directions without any discernable order or control.

What the absolute Fuck!

“CARTER! WHAT THE HELL?!?”

“Word got out Sir,” a sheepish Carter admits.

By now, a large assortment of police vehicles have arrived with lights and sirens blaring.

“Have officers fan out and set up a perimeter. See those city buses? Load ‘em up and get ‘em outta here. I want eyewitness statements taken en route. No one in and only out via those buses. When command center arrives, I want it set up right here. Am I clear?”

“Yessir. And Sir, Walker is getting ready with Dolly over there.” Carter directs my attention left.

Heading that way, I can’t help but admire our recent addition to the bomb squad, Dolly. She’s a roughly 3-foot high, semi-reliable robot, sporting tank-like treads and a spindly arm.

“Where we at Walker?” I ask surreptitiously.

“Gotta visual on a suspicious brown paper package, 100 meters in front of us.” He says handing me a pair of binoculars. “Singh is getting suited up in body armor now. Cell jammer is on and I’m about to send Dolly in for a look-see.”

I can’t help but admire the man’s cool demeanor and efficiency as he deftly works while whistling. I can already feel dampness collecting across my brow and under arms.

Is he actually whistling that tune about brown paper packages tied up with string from that musical?

“We far enough out Walker?” I ask staring at the non-descript paper-wrapped box through the lenses.

“Stay behind that car draped in the blast blanket.” Walker indicates to his right without looking up, “we have another suit and blanket ready if needed.”

Dolly starts the painfully slow trek towards the suspicious package piloted by Walker’s steady hand on the joystick. After what feels like forever and a day, Dolly begins her careful inspection. The gangly arm moves slowly over and around the package sending back an image on a small screen in front of Walker’s now scrunched up nose.

Walker pushes his glasses up, “We have electronic components. Simplistic wiring.”

He squints at the screen, “I can’t make this out. I’ve never seen this before. No indicators of a cell trigger, but look at this,” pointing at a spot on the screen he continues, “Could be some form of a detonator. I just don’t see it attached to anything. I’m at a loss Sarge.”

“What do you suggest Walker? Manual inspection?” I ask.

“Water gun.” Walker replies matter-of-factly reversing the robot. “Bringing Dolly back for her fitting.”

“Singh! Get the disruptor ready!”

The two men worked silently and deftly to mount and connect a water disruptor to Dolly.

“This’d be a lot easier if we’d just got a better robot.” Grumbled Singh who still donning his bomb suit has beads of sweat visibly running down his face behind the visor obscuring his vision.

Walker directs Dolly back toward the package. The slow pace is nerve-wracking.

“You gonna be alright there Singh?” I ask.

“Yessir,” he answers ambling awkwardly into position preparing to fire a rocket-powered blast of water at the package with the intention of tearing it apart.

I should be at the airport boarding a flight right now.

A soft feminine voice interrupts my thoughts, “Excuse me Officer?”

I turn to see a middle-age woman with a young boy in tow.

“I’m sorry Ma’am, we are incredibly busy here as you can imagine.”

Turning I spot Smith, “Officer Smith! Please escort this lovely young woman and son to one of the buses pronto.”

Watching her crestfallen face, I add “and take a statement.”

“But Officer,” the woman pleads, “you don’t understand.”

Smith gently takes her by the elbow and directs her toward one of the now commandeered city buses.

“On my mark Singh.” I say, “Waiting on civilians to clear. Walker? You ready?”

“Dolly’s in range.” Walker states.

Out of the corner of my eye I watch Smith, the woman and boy walking away.

Is she actually trying to pull out of his grasp?

“No!” screams the woman.

“Now Singh! Now! Before we have more trouble.” I command.

I duck behind the car and the blast blanket with Walker as Singh deploys the water cannon. The package erupts into what seems to be a million pieces.

“Direct hit!”

Whoops and joyous hollers erupt from the line of officers at the perimeter. Singh advances to look at the pieces. Through the binoculars, I watch as Singh carefully peels the remaining brown paper from what’s left of a white cardboard box. Walker stares at a screen relaying video from Singh’s helmet cam. The lettering clearly says ‘drone’.

“Uh folks,” stammers Singh, “I think we have a kids’ toy.”

Deafening silence.

I just called out the full force and shut down Union for a fucking kids’ toy?

“Shit” mutters someone.

Next thing I know Smith and the woman are back at my side.

“Sorry Sir. She’s quick,” mutters Smith.

“I’ve been trying to tell you! When someone shouted bomb, we just dropped the package and ran. It’s my son’s birthday present, it was wrapped so he wouldn’t know what it is. Now you’ve ruined it!” wails the woman.

The little boy starts bawling.

Ever so softly I rasp, “Smith, get them outta here now.”

I can feel the heat rising up my neck, vein pulsing at my temple as I watch Smith escort the two away once more.

Unable to contain it anymore I roar, “Where the hell did the FBI get their fucking intel?! Bomb at Union south entrance my ass! Mayor’s gonna skewer, roast and serve me up for dinner! FUCK!”

Deep breathes. In. Out. Pause. Repeat.

“Uh, Sarge?” interrupts Walker softly, “this is the west entrance.”

WHAT?

KABOOM!

A massive explosion rocks the buildings shaking the ground knocking all of us down with a rumbling underfoot and a rush of air.

“Take cover!” shouts someone as glass and brick littered debris rains down then slows.

“Report!”

“Explosion south entrance Union.”

“Perimeter still in place.”

“South walls down.”

“Windows blown out across the road.”

“Fully evacuated, no loss of life.”

“Injuries from debris.”

Slowly I stand up and calmly brush off dust and debris.

“Smith, get a hold of Rossi and have them bring in fire and ambulances ASAP. There’s gonna be a lot of cuts and bruises.” I utter barely over a whisper. "Have him call the Mayor, we're gonna need structural engineers down here."

I turn to walk away.

“Where you goin’ Sarge?”asks Smith.

“To get fired and get drunk on a beach.”