The Capture
Two Hours Later
Matthews: “Captain, we got him! Henderson was hiding in an empty dumpster behind warehouse building C. He’s in custody.”
Captain Rodriguez: “Excellent work, Matthews. Take him to the precinct. And someone find Santos and Ramirez. They need to be here for this.”
Rodriguez looked around the warehouse parking lot. In police squad cars and everywhere else. Officers were looking around But no Santos or Ramirez in sight.
Captain Rodriguez: “Has anyone seen Officer Santos or Detective Ramirez?”
The officers looked at each other and they all said no.
Officer Chen: “They were here a minute ago, Captain. Santos got cleared by the EMTs and then… I don’t know, they just kind of disappeared.”
Rodriguez’s eye brow raised.
Captain Rodriguez: “Of course they did. Somebody find them. NOW.”
Meanwhile, Third Floor Storage Room
Santos was pressed against a wall, Ramirez’s body pinning her there, his mouth doing absolutely sinful things to her.
Santos: “We… we should get back… they’re going to… oh God, right there…”
Detective Ramirez: “In a minute. I just need… Santos, when I thought Henderson had hurt you, I thought I lost you before I even had you…”
His mouth moved down to that special location, and Santos’s knees buckled. He caught her, held her up, continued his assault on every rational thought she had left.
Santos: “Ramirez… your mouth… it’s like… it’s even better than last time… how is that possible?”
Detective Ramirez: “Dedication. With a little bit of motivation.”
He kissed her then went to his special move—and Santos forgot her own name. Forgot they were in a warehouse. Forgot there were coworkers outside the room.
His tongue was doing things that should come with a warning label. Santos pulled back just enough to gasp for air.
Santos: “We really… really need to… you know they caught Henderson and… oh sweet Jesus, what are you doing with your tongue?”
Detective Ramirez: “Want me to stop?”
Santos: “If you stop I will arrest you for teasing me.”
Ramirez laughed against her skin, and the vibration alone nearly sent Santos over the edge.
Detective Ramirez: “You know, Santos, there’s something I’ve been wanting to try…”
Santos: “Now? Here? Are you insane?”
Detective Ramirez: “You make me insane.”
Ten minutes later
Santos looked like she had been through hurricane Katrina. Her hair was completely destroyed—again. Her red skirt had black marks all over it her boots were destroyed with one heel hanging on and the other one gone completely. There were fresh marks on her neck that definitely hadn’t been there before. And she was pretty sure her legs had stopped working entirely.
But the smile on her face could have lit up the entire city.
Detective Ramirez: “We should probably get back before they send out a search and rescue.”
Santos: “We’ll it’s too late for that. They definitely sent out a search team.”
Ramirez helped her straighten her clothes and ran his fingers through her hair to make her look a little bit more presentable.
Detective Ramirez: “Damn you look beautiful.”
Santos: “I look like I got hit by a truck named Hurricane Tongue.”
Detective Ramirez: “Is that a complaint?”
Santos: “Do I look like I’m complaining?”
They made their way back down to the parking lot, trying to look casual and professional.
Captain Rodriguez spotted them immediately. He took one look at Santos—at her messed up hair, her dress was filthy and her boots were uneven looking like all of her energy was drained out of but still had a big smile on her face —Ramirez face looked oily and shiny possibly from sweating.
Captain Rodriguez: “Santos. Ramirez. Where the hell have you two been?”
Santos: “We were, um… securing the perimeter?”
Captain Rodriguez: “Securing the perimeter. Right. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
Ramirez at least had the decency to look slightly sheepish. Santos just kept smiling like someone who’d just finished watching a funny movie.
Rodriguez looked at them, then at Santos more closely. Her hair was even worse than the first time he found her in a stairwell. Her top bottom was swollen. There were several buttons missing from her leather jacket.
Captain Rodriguez: “Santos, you look worse now than when you got knocked out. And why you are smiling like. Don’t tell me you two—”
Santos was still floating on cloud nine, barely registering the Captain’s words.
Captain Rodriguez: “—damn, son, you can’t keep your tongue in your mouth and to yourself. Hell, do your mouth get dry?”
One word just shot out of Santos’s mouth before her brain could stop it:
Santos: “TSUNAMI.”
The entire parking lot went silent. Every officer turned to stare.
Santos’s face went bright red as she realized what she just said. Out loud. In front of everyone.
But Captain Rodriguez—was a tough, no-nonsense, seen-everything —threw his head back and laughed. He actually laughed. The kind of laugh that no one had heard from him in years.
Captain Rodriguez: “TSUNAMI! Oh my God, Santos. Hurricane Tongue wasn’t enough?
Now he’s graduated to TSUNAMI?”
Santos wanted to die. Right there. Just sink into the pavement and disappear forever.
Officer Matthews: “Did she just say
tsunami?”
Officer Chen: “I think she said tsunami.”
Officer Martinez: “Definitely tsunami.”
Ramirez was trying very hard not to look arrogant.
Captain Rodriguez: “Alright, alright, everyone back to work! Show’s over!
Matthews, get Henderson processed. Chen, secure the crime scene. And the rest of you—if I hear the word ‘tsunami’ repeated back at the precinct, all of your asses are on parking meter duty for a month!”
The officers scattered, returning to secure the crime scene.
Captain Rodriguez: “Santos, go home.
Clean yourself up. Try to remember you’re a police officer. And for the love of God, come up with a better excuse next time than ‘securing the perimeter.’”
Santos: “Yes, Captain. Sorry, Captain.”
Captain Rodriguez: “And Ramirez?”
Detective Ramirez: “Yes, Captain?”
Captain Rodriguez: “I don’t know whether to give you a medal or a restraining order. But whatever you’re doing, you better make an honest woman out of Santos because if I have to keep finding her handcuffed in stairwells looking like she survived a natural disaster, I’m going to lose my damn mind.”
Detective Ramirez: “Understood, Captain.”
As Rodriguez walked away, still chuckling and shaking his head, Ramirez turned to Santos.
Detective Ramirez: “Tsunami, huh?”
Santos buried her face in her hands.
Santos: “I can never show my face in this precinct again. They’re going to call me Tsunami Santos for the rest of my career.”
Detective Ramirez: “I mean, it’s not inaccurate.”
Santos: “This is all your fault!”
Detective Ramirez: “You’re the one who yelled it in front of everyone.”
Santos: “Because your tongue DESTROYED my brain! I can’t think straight! I forgot how words work!”
Ramirez pulled her close, his voice dropping to that low, sexy male tone that made her insides turn to liquid.
Detective Ramirez: “Santos, if it makes you feel better, you’re not the first to lose control of their actions.”
Santos: “That does NOT make me feel better!”
Detective Ramirez: “But you are the first one I’ve wanted to keep around after.”
Santos looked up at him, and despite the embarrassment, despite knowing she’d never live this down, despite the fact that every cop in a fifty-mile radius now knew about Tsunami—
Santos: “Really?”
Detective Ramirez: “Really. You’re special, Santos. You are smart and brave and you make me want to be better. Plus, you can actually keep up with me, which is… rare.”
Santos: “Is that before or after your tongue makes me forget my own name?”
Detective Ramirez: “Both. Definitely both.”
From across the parking lot, Captain Rodriguez yelled:
Captain Rodriguez: “SANTOS! RAMIREZ!
Save that crap for off-duty hours!”
Santos sighed.
Santos: “Rain check on that actual date?”
Detective Ramirez: “How about tomorrow? Somewhere public. With witnesses. Where Henderson or any other criminals can’t interrupt us.”
Santos: “And where you’ll keep your tongue to yourself?”
Ramirez grinned that devastating grin.
Detective Ramirez: “I mean, I can try. But Santos? I’m a natural disaster. Restraint isn’t really in my nature.”
Santos: “I’m going to need so much therapy.”
Detective Ramirez: “But you’ll need me to be your consultant and after the session you will leave with a smile on your face.”
Santos: “God help me.”
As they finally headed to their respective vehicles, Officer Matthews called out:
Matthews: “Hey Santos! Should we call the weather service? Issue a tsunami warning?”
The entire parking lot erupted in laughter.
Santos flipped him off without looking back.
Because yes, Hurricane Tongue—now apparently Tsunami—was going to be the death of her dignity.
But damn if it wasn’t going to be the most fun way to go.
To be continued………