Turn The Heat

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The next few calls they took were pretty standard: family disputes, shoplifting, and breaking and entering. Bishop used the downtime to get Nolan some field experience, teaching him bits and pieces along the way.

But by noon, things took a turn for the more interesting just as John and I were debating what to grab for lunch.

Main Street was clogged with traffic, typical of midday in LA. Amid the congestion, two cars had collided, and thick smoke rose from the wreckage. Standing on one of the vehicles was a man, howling at the top of his lungs as he repeatedly smashed the windshield with a baseball bat.

"You think I don't know what I'm doing?" He roared, swinging the bat with manic energy. "I went to Harvard, Yale, the Vatican!"

I smirked as I stepped out of the patrol car, muttering under my breath. "This should be fun."

Bishop shot me a disapproving side-eye while John cautiously approached the man.

"Sir, you need to put down the bat." Bishop commanded, her voice calm but firm.

Ignoring her, the man leapt to the other car and swung the bat again, shattering the remaining glass. "You can't hide from me! I'll find him through the wardrobe, past the looking glass!"

I didn't even need my abilities to figure out what was happening here. The man's dilated pupils and heavy sweating said it all.

"So, what's the plan?" John asked, turning to Bishop.

"De-escalate the situation." She replied, motioning for Nolan to step in just as Bradford and Chen pulled up from the opposite side of the street.

"Sir, why don't you tell me what's going on?" Nolan asked, trying to keep his tone gentle and non-threatening.

"The unicorn is laughing at me!" The man wailed, his energy draining as his expression shifted to one of deep sadness.

"Alright, we can help with that." John said, keeping his voice steady. "We just need you to step off the car."

The man paused for a moment, scanning his surroundings. When he spotted Bradford and Chen moving in from the other side, he grew even more frantic.

"No! No! You're trying to trick me!" He shouted, pointing the bat at John. "You don't want me to find him!"

"Sir, I've been trained to deal with unicorns." Nolan reassured him with a straight face. "This is literally what we're here for."

I couldn't help myself.

"Of course." I called out sarcastically from where I was leaning against the patrol car, catching everyone's attention for a brief moment.

John let out a quiet sigh, clearly embarrassed, while Bishop muttered something under her breath, likely cursing the fact I was even there.

"Sir, just get off the car and give me a description, and we'll help you find him." Nolan continued, his voice calm but persistent.

The man hesitated before finally hopping down from the car, still eyeing Nolan warily.

"Put the bat down, too." Nolan added.

With a clatter, the bat hit the pavement. John cautiously stepped forward.

"What's your name?" John asked, trying to keep the man talking.

But just as Nolan moved closer, the man bolted without warning, catching the rookie off guard. He sprinted towards a nearby alley. Nolan chased after him, but Chen was faster.

"Too slow!" She called out, throwing herself onto the man and slamming him to the ground. She quickly cuffed his hands as he struggled beneath her.

By the time we caught up, Chen had the man back on his feet. He was still yelling, his words incoherent.

"You don't understand! I have to find him! He needs me!" The man screamed, his voice filled with desperation.

"Who needs you?" Bishop asked as I casually walked closer to him, my curiosity piqued.

Bradford shot me a suspicious glance, but I ignored him as I stood in front of the man, studying his disheveled appearance. His hair was a mess, his shirt soaked with sweat, and his eyes darted wildly.

"Lucas." He muttered just as his phone rang. "I can't find him."

Bishop took the phone from his pocket and answered. "Hello, this is Officer Bishop... Yes, ma'am, I'm with your husband. Who is Lucas?"

She blinked in surprise before looking back at the man.

"Sir, where is your son?" She asked, her voice now laced with urgency.

"I only left him in the car for a moment." The man stammered, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "The unicorn has him."

John glanced up at the blazing midday sun and muttered under his breath. "That car's an oven by now."

"It's a Gray Corolla." I interjected, pulling the car keys from the man's pocket. "We've got 21 minutes before the kid suffers from heatstroke and 30 minutes before he dies."

Bradford raised an eyebrow, clearly doubtful. "And how exactly do you know that?"

I rolled my eyes. "I could explain the math, but we really don't have the time. Do you want to find the unicorn or not?"

Bradford scowled but dragged the man into his patrol car while John and Bishop followed suit. Chen kept her eyes on me as I slid into our car, then quickly hopped into hers.

We sped through the streets, working in a grid pattern as best we could. But midday traffic in LA wasn't doing us any favors, and I could feel the frustration building.

Naturally, the officers took a few minutes to verify the man's story before launching into the search, which only delayed things further. I didn't blame them, but I wasn't thrilled about it either.

"There's gotta be a better way to do this than just driving around." Nolan muttered, scanning the streets for any sign of a gray Corolla.

"We've got an airship and six patrol cars working the grid." Bishop replied. "There's no fancy trick to patrol work."

"We need to find this kid." Nolan said, shaking his head in frustration.

"Pray we don't." Bishop said grimly. "Seeing a dead kid changes you."

"Well then, let's make sure that doesn't happen." I added. They both glanced at me as I pointed straight ahead. "There."

A gray Corolla was parked on the side of the highway, baking under the hot sun.

Nolan jumped out of the car and sprinted over, but I didn't rush. I could already tell—no heartbeat, no sweat—it wasn't the right car.

I sighed and scanned the area. That's when I spotted a toy store across the street. Pink and white balloons with unicorn faces floated outside, and two cars matching the description were parked in front.

I could hear the labored breathing coming from inside one of them.

"John!" I yelled, dashing across the road as cars screeched to a halt. I reached the car in seconds and peered through the window. Inside, I saw Lucas—his eyes were closed, and his head was slumped back.

He was suffocating.

Just as John reached the car, I pressed my fingers against the window, shattering it with precise force, making sure not to harm Lucas with the glass.

"Hey, buddy." I whispered, pulling him out and cradling him in my arms as Bishop pulled up with the medical kit.

"Come on, bud. Don't you fucking die on me." I murmured into his ear as I gently shook him. "I've got a reputation to maintain."

Lucas gasped, his eyes flying open as he took in a deep breath.

"Mommy? Daddy?" He cried, disoriented and scared.

"Thank God." I muttered out loud, passing him over to John, who took the boy with visible relief.

"Where's Daddy?" Lucas asked, his voice trembling.

John hesitated. "Your dad is—"

"-A drug addict and an irresponsible parent." I cut in, already walking back to the patrol car.

Yeah, that would make a solid pilot episode.