Adira Clawhauser Chapter 14
#14 of Adira Clawhauser
Adira left home for work extra early the next day. She left a note for Benjamin,
'Ben, tuna sandwich today for breakfast. Don't stop on your way for donuts or you'll be late.
Love, ADR'
She stepped into records and checked the surveillance camera. She chuckled when she saw the camera completely blocked by mounds of unsorted reports,
'Aw, poor thing.' She pulled out her pack of non-washable markers, 'But it makes things so much easier.'
The chief was not going to be pleased to see what she did to the boiler.
Mansa nearly laughed when he saw the boiler on his way to records.
'LIONFART', the words on the boiler read. To top it off there were comically drawn lions doing exactly what the word said all over the sides, top and even bottom, Benjamin reported as he lied down and checked.
'The chief is going to be so mad!' Benjamin continued to giggle gleefully after sitting down.
Mansa was in a pretty good mood after seeing the heavily graphitized boiler. He had a dozen gallons of water on standby around him, and Ben was by his side. Nothing could possibly go wrong for this week. When it's finally over, he was going to take Benjamin out in the fields and fight crime together, he thought as he cleaned up the pile of paperwork on the table.
'Mansa, the chief wants to see you.' Adira opened the door and called.
'Nice job on the boiler, sis!' Benjamin gave her thumbs up and a huge grin, 'I finally know what mammal you're drawing!'
'Thanks, Ben. I've been practicing.' Adira said as she saw Mansa rise up and walk to the door, 'See you at lunch!'
Adira and Mansa walked upstairs together.
'Thanks for everything.'
'It's nothing... I have my own grudges against the chief as well.'
'Well, be careful out there without me.'
They bade goodbye and Mansa continued climbing the stairs.
'Good, Bogo, you're finally here.' The chief was reading a report intently.
'What is it this time, Lionfart?'
The lion stood up and roared, 'Nobody else but Adira can use that nickname!'
Mansa snorted in disdain, 'How old are you, ten?'
'It's an absolute honor to be branded with a nickname by your lover.' The chief said solemnly, 'Only Adira and her alone can call me with that exquisite name.'
Mansa felt like the chief was a little love immobilized.
'Can we go back to why I'm here?' Mansa reminded the lion.
'Right, I need you for an operation on Thursday night.' The chief sat down and turned the computer screen to Mansa, 'I have reliable sources that confirm a drug deal is going to happen at one of the warehouses near the docks.'
'Back in action so soon? I thought you'd rather me stay in records forever.'
'I don't deny it. But I need you for this drug bust. After all you're our best at assaulting criminal bases.'
'Anything else?'
'Nothing in particular, you're dismissed.'
Mansa stood up.
'Hang on. Take care of Adira. She's on your team.' The chief requested.
'Of course I will.'
Benjamin was still fast asleep when Adira got up and changed for the operation. She left him another note before heading out,
'Ben. Don't worry, gone out due to ZPD work.' She hesitated before adding, 'See you at bullpen next morning.
Love, ADR'
Adira assembled with the others and listened to Mansa's briefing, 'Our primary objective is to recover or destroy the drugs involved in this deal. Take fire necessarily but do not use excessive violence...'
She felt uneasy. It was the first time she was recruited for one of these drug busts for the three years she'd been at the ZPD.
She was still nervous when they sneaked inside the warehouse to prepare traps and supplies around the area.
Mansa nervously watched his men work. He never received any info on how much gunfire the gangs would be packing. He gave the officers the best they could have: armor, guns, med kits...
It was going to be fine, he told himself over and over again, not showing his anxiety to the others.
They hid in the shadows after the preparation was complete. Mansa perked his ears and heard one, two... and more cars pulling up outside the warehouse, too many in fact.
Mansa watched from the laptop as the gang members walked in and showed each other the money and the packs of powder. Suddenly they pulled out their guns and one of them aimed at the camera the ZPD officers set up.
The first shot was fired and the laptop's screen went black.
More gunshots followed suit. It became an all-out gunfight.
Mansa pulled out his radio, 'This is Officer Bogo. Hostiles heavily armed, we're under fire. Requesting backup, over.'
But there was no response.
'Sir, they have jammed our signals!' A wolf told Mansa in panic as he ducked under cover and tried to shoot back at the dozens of guns pointing at their direction.
The gunfire got sparse after a while, as the officers reported to Mansa some of the gangsters walked into Adira's traps and they were attempting to free their friends and scan the area for more booby traps.
If this was in the past, Mansa would just go out alone and try to brute force his way through the gangs. It was easy to disobey his senior's orders and fight alone, as he was only responsible for himself. But now he was leading a team. The team's lives depended on his orders.
Adira went to Mansa after dashing across an exposed area, 'We need to call for backup. We're outnumbered and we don't have much time left before they rush us!'
'The radio's jammed. We can't get a single word out.'
'I have my phone with me. Cover me and I'll try calling outside the jammer's radius.'
'Which way? You can't get past the wall of guns!'
Adira pointed back at the sea, 'My phone is waterproof.'
'Ready?' Adira prepped her gun and Mansa punched through the back wall.
Mansa didn't like aiming for the head, but two shots later the gangsters guarding outside were dead.
Adira jumped into the water and swam a good distance away from the shore. She tapped the first mammal on her contact list as Mansa stood guard,
'Come on...' She muttered, 'Ben, take the phone...'