Johnny waltzed into the locker room whistling loudly. He opened his locker with a flourish and gave Roy, Marco and Chet a large grin. Marco gave Chet a sidelong glance and raised his eyebrows.
"Why so chipper, Gage?" Chet asked as he tied up his boots. Johnny gave Chet a wink and reached into his shirt pocket. He pulled out a lotto ticket and waved it under Chet's nose.
"Guess who won big last night?" he said smugly. Chet made a grab for the ticket, but Johnny was too quick for him.
"Ah! No you don't, Chester B. If you are a good boy today I might just pick up a few rounds at The Second Alarm tomorrow night."
Roy sighed. It was going to be a long day if they started this early in the shift. He stood up. "Okay, partner. How much is it this time? Twenty bucks? Thirty?"
Johnny looked at his friend with a smile on his face. "Oh I think it's a little more than that, Roy. How does two thousand grab ya?"
"What?" Marco asked disbelievingly. "No way!"
"That's what I said when I checked my numbers, Marco. So tomorrow night we are gonna celebrate. First round is on me."
"Only the first round?" Chet said slyly. "Should be every round, if ya ask me."
"Nobody's asking you, Chet," Johnny replied. Captain Stanley swung open the door and stuck his head in.
"Hey get a move on, you guys! Roll Call. Then work. You do remember work?"
"Okay, Cap, we'll be right there," Roy said. "Gage might be a little longer. See, he's a rich man now. Probably doesn't feel the need to hurry."
"Hmm..." was the Cap's only response as he walked off. He was sure to get the whole story eventually today. Just as Captain Stanley had finished Roll Call the tones went off.
"Squad 51, woman in labour, 2323 Albert Place, cross street, King, 2-3-2-3 Albert Place. Time out: 9.10."
"Squad 51 10-4, KMG 365" Captain Stanley responded and handed the information to Roy. As he stood back out of their way, the tones sounded again.
"Coming in thick and fast, hey Cap?" Mike shouted as he dashed past. Stanley nodded distractedly as he wrote the address down.
"Squad 18 for Squad 51, Engine 51, man down, 6098 Waterford Avenue, cross street Anderson Road, 6-0-9-8 Waterford. Time out: 9.12."
At Station 18 Captain Tacy acknowledged the call as Pidge and Cassie jumped into the squad. They pulled out with lights flashing and sirens wailing.
Ten minutes later they pulled up behind Engine 51. Captain Stanley jogged over to them and stuck his head in the window.
"Hi, Pidge, Cassie. Looks like a cut head but you had better check him out anyways."
"Hey, Cap. Where are your guys?" Pidge asked as she pulled out the trauma box and bio-phone.
"They're on a run. Woman in labour," Stanley replied as he followed the two paramedics in. Cassie gave Chet a brief wave and followed Pidge in the door. On the couch in the living room was a young man holding a towel to his forehead. A blond haired guy and a red haired guy were standing in the kitchen doorway watching.
"What happened here?" Cassie asked as she sat down next to the guy. He winced as he pulled the towel away.
"Ah nothing. I was going for another beer and I tripped up the back step. I'm just bleeding a little, that's all."
"It's a little early in the day to be drinking, isn't it?" Pidge asked him. He shrugged noncommittally.
Cassie put her hands on each side of his face and peered at the wound. He had only broken the skin and there didn't seem to be any other injuries. She cleaned the wound then took the gauze and tape that Pidge offered her and proceeded to bandage him up.
"Look, if you all don't need us anymore, we'll take off," Captain Stanley said.
"Sure thing, Cap. Thanks, we can handle it from here," Pidge replied with a smile. He nodded to them both and left the room. The two guys at the kitchen door moved into the room.
"Well, what do we have here?" one of them asked giving his buddy a sly grin. He eyed Cassie as she finished taping the wound.
"He just knocked his head. He'll be okay," she said, glancing at the two men standing close to them.
"I wasn't talking about Dave here, sweetheart," the blond replied. "I was talking about you two honeys. How about checking me out next, babe?" He grabbed Cassie's hand and pulled her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her and tried to give her a kiss.
Cassie made a face at the smell of his beer breath and broke his grip. Pidge got to her feet.
"Lay off," Pidge barked at the blond. His buddy walked up behind her and grabbed her wrists.
"Take it easy, he's only getting to know your friend there. How about we get to know each other too?" he snickered. Pidge twisted her wrists to get free. She had been an Army nurse in a combat zone. She had undergone basic self defense courses. She had never had to use them in Viet Nam but she assumed she still remembered enough to take care of the likes of these two.
"Knock it off, Mark. You too, Jim. Let 'em go for God's sakes," the guy on the couch said as he rubbed his temples.
"Oh c'mon, Dave. Let's us have some fun with 'em."
Pidge looked at Cassie. Cassie's face was turning red. She was close to losing her cool. She was not sure her hot-headed partner was going to maintain a professional attitude about this.
"If you don't back off you are gonna regret it," Cassie snapped but then reigned in her anger. If there really was going to be trouble she had to maintain complete control of all her emotions.
Then the guy named Jim made his fatal mistake. He reached around and grabbed Cassie on the breast. With a growl, she spun around in his grip and kneed him in the groin.
Pidge pushed Mark back and grabbed the bio-phone.
Jim yelled in pain and went down like he had been shot, nursing his groin. Mark backed away as Pidge brandished the radio menacingly.
"You were warned. Now, keep away! Or else you will both be going to hospital...in the back of a cruiser," Pidge said firmly. She grabbed Cassie by the arm and they left the house.
"Bitch! She hurt me!" Jim spat through his pain. "I think she needs to be taught a lesson. Oh hell..."
Cassie slammed the compartment door shut. She climbed in next to Pidge who was gripping the steering wheel hard.
"Jerks!" Pidge said with disgust. "They think because we're women they can treat us like pieces of meat!"
"I should have belted him harder," Cassie replied darkly. She absently rubbed her chest as she looked at the house. Jim had hobbled out onto the porch and was staring at them.
"Looks like he won't be forcing himself on anyone anytime soon," Pidge said. She grinned.
Jim watched them pull away. Stupid bitches were laughing at him! Well he had a surprise for the little redhead.
******
They caught up with Roy and Johnny at the hospital. Cassie was still a little peeved at what had happened but Pidge had let it pass. It wasn't new to her. She had copped her fair share of discrimination for being both black and a woman, both from the public and from a small minority in the Fire Department.
"Hey! How are ya?" Johnny greeted them cheerfully. He looked closer at Cassie who was scowling. She stalked past him and Roy without saying a word.
"What's wrong with Cass?" Roy asked Pidge.
"We ran into a couple of bozos on our last run. Nothing to worry about. I think we handled it okay."
Roy shook his head. Johnny wanted all the details. They walked towards the nurse's station where Cassie was getting the supplies. Pidge gave them a quick run down on what had happened.
"He did what?" Johnny exclaimed as Pidge told him about Jim's free and easy hands.
"Oh, Pidge, you didn't tell them everything?" Cassie asked dismayed. She would not live it down if it got out.
"Don't worry, kiddo. I tell ya if the engine had still been there, those guys would have been toast," Roy said. "You guys don't have to put up with that sort of crap."
"Look, as far as I'm concerned it's over with. Can we drop it please?" Cassie said tersely.
"Sure, Cass, anything you say," Johnny replied. He brightened up and gave each girl a smile. "Say, how about you and your crew meet us and our crew over at The Second Alarm tomorrow night? My treat."
Pidge and Cassie looked at each other in surprise. Gage being generous? Pidge grinned and nodded.
"You're on, John."
******
"You keep inviting everyone you meet to the bar tomorrow night, Johnny, and you will be broke by the next morning," Roy joked as they drove back to the station.
"No fear there, pally, I intend to put aside a chunk for a rainy day."
Roy snorted and laughed out loud. "You? Save for a rainy day? Mr Can't Take It With You? That'll be the day."
Johnny decided a change of subject was needed. "I wonder if we should let Chet know about Cassie. Damned nuisances. I don't know how the girls handle it sometimes."
Roy and Johnny debated whether or not to let Chet know what had happened to his sister. Kelly could be a pain and a prankster, but when it came to his little sister he could get rabid real quick.
"I think maybe we should just let it go, Johnny. It won't help if Chet starts acting like a bear tomorrow night. You know how quick tempered they both are when they get together."
******
"About time you guys got back," the Cap said lightly as they walked into the day room. "Goofing off at Rampart again?"
"Cap! I'm insulted! When have we ever goofed off anywhere?" Johnny said grinning. He walked over and grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at the table.
"We work hard, Cap. No slacking off for us," Roy added as he watched Chet and Marco prepare lunch. Chet looked around and raised an eyebrow.
"Gage, you wouldn't know what hard work was unless it bit ya on the butt."
Before Johnny could respond, the phone rang. Captain Stanley got to his feet and answered it.
"LA County Fire Department, Captain Stanley speaking......Margaret? Sure, I remember....they did what?" Cap glanced over his shoulder at the rest of his crew. "Uh huh...you got that wrong, Margaret. I asked Pidge and Cassie if they were fine with us leaving....no, wait a minute...if I had any idea that the situation was going to end up that way I would have hung around....okay...thanks for calling....bye."
"Is Cassie all right, Cap?" Chet asked. Captain Stanley nodded and scowled as he sat back down again.
"What's up, Cap?" Mike asked.
"According to Captain Tacy there was a little altercation after we left the call with 18s this morning. Seems they had their hands full fending off those three guys. Tacy just bawled me out for leaving them on their own." He wasn't impressed with the way Margaret had put her point across. It annoyed him no end.
"What sort of altercation?" Chet asked. He was wishing they had stayed too. Captain Stanley sighed.
"Two of the guys that were there tried to put the moves on Pidge and Cassie. They got the upper hand and got out of there."
"Bastards!" Chet growled. "Maybe we should go on back there and teach 'em how to be gentlemen."
"Don't talk that way, Chet. Nothing would be solved by hauling those guys over. The girls handled themselves okay and nobody got hurt," the Captain said sternly.
Johnny cleared his throat and held back a smile."Well I wouldn't say that, Cap. Apparently Cassie sorta worked one of 'em over."
Roy gave Johnny an exasperated look.
"You knew about this? Why didn't ya say something?" Chet asked, looking between Roy and Johnny.
"We didn't think it was that important and Cassie didn't work him over. She kneed him in the groin," Roy explained.
"Well it looks like a hot temper runs in the family," Marco remarked, grimacing at the thought.
******
The rest of the shift went by fairly quietly and Captain Stanley decided it would be a good time to give the place a good spit and polish. They were packing away all the cleaning equipment when B shift arrived.
"Yes!" Johnny said delightedly. He had enough of cleaning for one day. He was looking forward to kicking back and having a few drinks that night with his newly found wealth.
******
"You ready, Pidge?" Cassie asked her partner.
"Yep. Let's get out of here," Pidge replied. The others had already left and they were the last to get organised. She looked at Cassie.
"You aren't still burned up at what happened yesterday are ya?"
Cassie sighed and shrugged her shoulders. She had a gnawing feeling that it wasn't as over as Pidge seemed to think it was. She tried to convince herself she was just being paranoid.
"Not really. A few drinks with some good friends tonight and a chance to give Johnny and Chet some grief should put things right." She grinned. "Meet you at The Second Alarm around sevenish."
They chatted a little longer as they walked out to their cars. Little did they know they were being watched. Jim and Mark sat in Jim's car watching them and eavesdropping on their conversation.
"The Second Alarm -- that's that little hole in the wall fireman's bar. It has a nice secluded parking lot. That'll be perfect for what I have in mind. I can wait till tonight but the plan's the same. Remember, we get the little redhead alone if we can. Then we have some fun," Jim told Mark.
"You ain't gonna do anything stupid, Jimmy. Just tell her what you think, right?" Mark asked nervously. He was wishing he hadn't agreed to accompany Jim. He had an awful temper though and Mark didn't want to fire him up. He grabbed another beer from the cooler to give himself courage.
"Don't worry. She'll get the message. Teach her not to mess with me like that again. Just 'cause she wears a uniform doesn't make her God right? Gotta be something wrong with a woman who wants to be a fireman anyhow. Needs to be put back in her place."
******
Pidge walked into The Second Alarm, greeting Smokey who was busy serving at the bar. The place was full but not crowded with other off duty firefighters and their friends and spouses. She waved at Captain Tacy who was gesturing at her to join them at the table.
"Hey all! Good to see everyone could make it," she said smiling. She sat down next to Barb.
"Where's Bill?" Pidge asked her, looking around. Barb took a sip of her drink and put it down.
"He's pulling overtime tonight. So I get to have fun all on my lonesome."
Leila leaned over and patted Barb on the shoulder. "Oh poor thing! I'm sure we can get y'all into some trouble without Bill's help."
They laughed. Smokey came over to greet the girls and organise another table for the guys when they turned up.
"How's my favourite crew tonight? Hey, aren't ya missing someone?" he asked amiably, looking at the assembled group.
"Cass said she'd be here around seven. She shouldn't be too far away," Pidge said.
"I thought we were your favourite crew, Smokey?" Captain Stanley asked. They all turned to see 51's crew standing around. Everyone greeted each other and took a seat. Smokey took the drinks orders and hurried back to the bar.
"Hank, I want to apologize for jumping down your throat yesterday," Margaret said, giving him a small smile. Hank waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't let it bother you, Margaret. Natural reaction," he replied. They fell into an easy conversation as the other firefighters horsed around and baited each other as they drank. Pidge glanced at her watch and shook her head. It was way after seven.Where the hell was Cassie?
"Hey, Johnny, wanna come outside and see if I can find my partner?" she asked Johnny who was riding Chet yet again.
"Sure. Let's go," he replied.
Chet got to his feet. "I'll come with ya too. I gotta get some air."
******
By the time Cassie reached The Second Alarm it was dark. She was late because one of her classes had run long. She taught advanced martial arts although that was a part of her life she preferred to keep private. She had been studying martial arts since she was three years old and she was fairly advanced. The more you learned the more you realized how little you actually knew. It was something she had an absolute passion about and she approached it with a seriousness none of her co-workers would believe. She'd rather none of them ever found out either. She preferred that they think it was just another sport and not the way of life that it truly was for her.
She found a parking spot at the back of the lot and got out. Another car had pulled into the lot and was sitting there with its lights off. Her mind was occupied transforming herself from a serious no nonsense sensai back into the wacky, flippant Girl Wonder persona she shared with the rest of the world. She took no notice of the car or its occupants as she walked past. Before she could reach the sidewalk, someone grabbed her from behind, twisting her arms around and making her yelp with pain. A hand covered her mouth roughly.
Idiot! she cursed herself What's the first thing you teach a student -- to pay attention to your surroundings. "Good observation saves much confrontation," Master Wong always said.
"Yell again bitch and I'll punch you in the mouth," a voice growled in her ear. His voice was familiar and it didn't take her long to put the face to it. Shit, she thought to herself, Now there's going to be trouble.
She wriggled around trying to get her arms free, hoping this could be simple. A shadow crossed in front of her, blocking the streetlight. In the gloom she could make out Jim's face. He wore a mean expression on his face as he leaned forward towards her.
"I think it's time for a little payback. Now that your buddies aren't here to help ya. Why don't we pick up where we left off?" he leered as he grabbed her shirtfront.
She could smell the beer on their breath. She was losing hope that this could be settled in a reasonable manner.
Cassie renewed her attempts to get free.Giving Jim a stony glare, she kicked at him with her left leg.
"Oh no you don't," the guy who held her said harshly pulling her backwards out of kicking range of his friend. This, however, was exactly what Cassie had wanted him to do when she feigned the kick. The movement had made him relax his stance. Before he could collect himself she stomped his foot with her heel. The shock and pain caused him to release his grip enough for her to spin around she delivered a savage kick to his groin and as he was doubling over she slammed the palm of her hand into his chin. The force of the blow caused him to bite through his tongue but he was unconscious before he hit the pavement. She knew he was down for the count. She spun around to face Jim.
"Now that we got rid of him we can really have some fun - eh, Slimebag?" she grinned evilly. It was always best to avoid a fight but a fight that could not be avoided had to be won. She held both her hands in front of her with her fingers safely curled up. She naturally assumed a fighting stance.
He sobered up immediately. He could sense no fear from this girl. That was what girls were for. He needed to scare and control them. It was the only thing that made him feel like a man. And they liked it too -- being mastered. It was the way things were supposed to work. But now he was alone. He usually had his buddies around if any bitch put up a fight. But that damn Dave had refused to come along and that asshole Mark must have been so drunk he passes out. Yeah that was it. What the hell was she doing? If she ran he might even let her go figuring she had been taught enough of a lesson. Why the hell didn't she run?
"Come on, Jerk, you came after me. What did you have in mind? You wanna play games? Okay - how about this one?" She spun around and kicked him in the side of the head. Not hard -- not even hard enough to knock him down -- just to show him she could do it.
"You'd better watch it, Bitch!"
"Watch what? You aren't doing a damn thing. A person would almost think you were a chicken," she taunted him. He was so easy it was pathetic. She'd toss this fool to her eight year old yellow belts and they'd chew him up and spit him out. He wasn't even going to be a good workout.
He lunged at her and she sidestepped at the last minute. His momentum carried him past her and she couldn't resist giving him a kick in the pants as he stumbled by. This was going to be fun. She wouldn't even have to touch him. His own anger would defeat him.
She did not count on Pidge, Chet and Johnny walking out into the parking lot at that exact minute.
"That's him! The jerk from yesterday!" Pidge screamed.
"Go get the guys and then Stay inside and have Smokey call the police!" Johnny ordered shoving her back toward the door. He then took off at a run to the darkened area at the far end of the parking lot. Chet was barely two steps behind him.
Pidge's scream momentarily distracted her and the fool got up and ran at her again. He was now operating under blind rage. He tried to grab her again but she stepped aside and ducked down so he grabbed an armful of air and stumbled right into Johnny and Chet. They were both operating on rage too but there was two of them and they were sober so they were able to subdue him. By this time Captain Stanley and Marco had also erupted in fury from the bar. Roy and Mike had attempted to keep the girls from 18s inside but Pidge and Captain Tacy had proven to be too much for them.
"You son of a bitch!!" Chet exploded and it took both the Cap and Marco to hold him back.
Roy and Mike gave the battle up as lost and they and the other women joined the group in the parking lot. Johnny had the guy face down and was kneeling on his back and holding his arms behind his back. "Just settle down or you're going to get hurt!" Johnny yelled at the guy angrily.
"He's going to get hurt alright, Johnny -- will you guys let GO of me!!" Chet yelled.
"Chet, let the police handle it!" Captain Stanley commanded firmly.
"Police! Where the hell were the Police when we needed them!! That's what I want to know!!" Chet screamed in fury.
Tinker could see that Johnny was struggling so keep the furious man restrained. She reached into the deep pockets of her coat and pulled out a roll of duct tape. "Here, Johnny, lets's bind his wrists with this."
"Captain Kangaroo strikes again!" Cassie laughed. She loved teasing the Engineer about being in the constant state of fixing things and being able to come up with any tool at a moment's notice."You and your magic pockets!"
They had just gotten him bound when they heard a siren.
"Are you alright, Kelly?" Captain Tacy barked. She'd never admit to anyone that she had just now found her voice.
A police car pulled into the lot. Johnny's friend Charlie and his new partner jumped out of the car. "Well, what you got there, Johnny? You go and capture yourself a real live desperado?"
"This isn't funny, Charlie. This creep just jumped a girl here in the parking lot." Johnny was in no mood to put up with Charlie.
"And that's not all," Captain Stanley jumped in. "Yesterday they did the same thing while these girls were working a rescue. On behalf of the Fire Department I want to press every charge in the book!" He was furious with the whole situation including with himself for leaving the scene. Technically no squad was ever supposed to go on any call without and engine company but manpower was just spread too thin for that to be the case. Half the time squads rolled on their own and two girls alone -- or even two guys-- might just find themselves in need of backup that wasn't there. It wasn't like the Fire Department was issued weapons.
"They?" Charlie asked. He only saw one perp.
"The other one is over there by the dumpster," Cassie said. She was delighted to escape the knot of mother hens her shift mates and Chet had suddenly become.
"Go check it out, Leon," Charlie told his 6 ' 4" partner.
"He ought to be able to handle him," Johnny said commenting on the size of Charlie's partner.
"He's not only big," Charlie bragged. "He studies Karate and all that stuff. Must admit I feel safe as a babe in a cradle with Leon for a partner," Charlie bragged.
No one noticed Leon nod respectfully to Cassie. Her return nod was almost imperceptible. Not that she was required to acknowledge his polite greeting. After all, she was his sensai.
Mark was just regaining consciousness when the huge black policemen bent over him.
"You can be smart and come easy or you can make me have to hurt you," Leon said in a quiet, commanding voice as he had been taught, not in the police academy but in the advanced martial arts class he took at the Double Dragon Dojo.
"I ain't given nobody any trouble," Mark vowed. Blood dribbled down his chin.
"You want these paramedics to take a look at that?"
"Hell no! I never want anything to do with any damn paramedics again!"
Leon pulled him to his feet. Mark could still not stand up straight and Leon was sure he knew why. It was a good thing most criminals were so stupid. Imagine any fools trying to jump a 12th degree black belt.
Leon put both offenders in the back of the black and white and ran their IDs for wants and warrants while Charlie got the statements of everyone involved. When Leon rejoined them he thought it odd that Charlie was giving the firemen the credit for capturing these guys. He looked at Cassie in confusion but she shot him a quick look that kept him from questioning anything. Oh well, she had nothing to prove to them or anyone else so he wasn't going to say anything either but he knew damn well who had brought these two down. It was just as well too as they both had outstanding warrants on sex offense charges. That they would be off the streets was the important thing.
When the cops and their prisoners finally departed Cassie said, "Hey, Johnny I thought you were buying tonight."
"I am," Johnny agreed.
"Well then let's get in there. I'm only too happy to help a guy spend his money. Let's go, Gage had two grand burning a hole in his pocket."
"Those creeps," Chet was still muttering. "How could they prey upon some poor young thing who doesn't know anything about men?" Chet's three beers and the excitement were starting to hit him.
"Who doesn't know anything about men, Chet? I know all about men. Men are like cars. Take you and Johnny here....."
"How the hell are we like cars?"
"In lots of ways but the basic truth is -- a gauge is always preferable to an an idiot light!!!"
"Who's an idiot light?!" Chet sputtered angrily.
"Well, I believe that would be you, Chet," Johnny laughed. "Come on, Cassie, let me buy you a drink."
She slipped her arm through Johnny's mainly to bug Chet. "I thought you'd never ask." They walked together back to the bar. Bugging Chet was something they each thoroughly enjoyed.
"Ha Ha Ha -- she's just after your money. I'm warning ya, Gage!!!" Chet trailed after them.
They all drifted back into the Second Alarm to enjoy the rest of the night and Gage's Lotto winnings. Cassie hoped the whole incident would just pass but finally when pressed she claimed that they were both so drunk that one passed out and the other was stumbling around harmlessly. Still, she was glad they hadn't jumped Pidge instead of her. She hadn't been surprised to hear of their records but they were both three time losers so they'd be out of society's hair for a good long time. She didn't give any more thought to losers not when she had a real live winner sitting here looking to spend money. She decided to hit him up for money for the juke box. She wanted to be surrounded by good friends and loud music.
"We're not gonna let this incident spoil our night are we?" Johnny asked cheerfully when there was a lull in the conversation. "The next couple of rounds are on me."
"Only a couple?" Cassie asked grinning.
Johnny shook his head. "You know you Kellys are like two peas in a pod. Always riding me...jeez I dunno..."
Chet slapped him on the back. "You got that right, Gage. You can't keep a Kelly down for long."