Yep. This was awkward. He knew it was going to be weird, but he didn't really understand just how weird it was gonna be until the initial shock was over and done with...and now they sat in the car having to pretend like everything was fine. Well, mostly anyway.
Seriously, that light better fucking turn green soon.
'Being partnered with me is punishment enough.'
"More like the other way around, but sure," he murmured mostly to himself as she continued to speak. And she certainly continued to say things that finally drew his attention back over to her in half irritation and half tiredness. The type of boyfriend he was, she said. "Okay, I thought we weren't going to dwell on the past?" he countered, as lightly as he possibly could. He barely succeeded.
Nate knew it shouldn't have bothered him, which was why he was trying to control himself, but it hurt. At the same time, he had been a poor boyfriend- not because he had wanted to be or that he didn't care about her, but because he had been so overcome with grief and this dangerous need for revenge that he no longer saw straight. Shoving others away was how he could protect them. He was only just beginning to think clearer, and yet apparently Burelson saw it differently. Or maybe his mind was clearer, but his aggression had increased. How did that even work?
Whatever the case, he clenched his jaw and looked away, fidgeting in his seat. This day was already too long.
Penny gritted her teeth at his murmured comment that it was a punishment for her to be partnered with him, and it struck a nerve in her. “I thought being with someone you want nothing to do with is grounds for punishment.” She said coolly back.
Her eyes flickered over to him when he pointed out what she was trying to tell herself. It was staying in the past. It needed to stay in the past in order to work together. Nate was bringing up old feelings she’d thought she’d buried away. Wounds she thought had finally healed, but in the confined space with no where to run, it was proving difficult.
His light tone at least was helping matters somewhat. If she was being honest she expected a bigger fit from him, but maybe this was a good sign? “We’re not. I’m good.” She forced herself to say lightly back. “You good?” She asked him. Saying it and actually meaning it was the thing however. Penny had the feeling by the end of the day she would not be good.
Part of the reason they were doing warrants was to help her more then him. She needed a task she could fully focus on, and let her own feelings disappear. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t pick the three most flight risks out of the warrant stack…
It didn't take long before she finally turned the escalade down a residential street in one of the poorer sections of L.A. Reaching for her radio, she informed dispatch they were at their first location as she pulled the vehicle over and put it in park. She opened up the center console then and pulled out yellow hair scrunchy, quickly pulling her mane of dark brown curls up into a messy bun. Tying it up with the scrunchy before she looked over at Nate. She took a deep breath as she turned in her seat.
“They’re all flight risks. There’s a chance this one is hiding out somewhere else, or he’s here and he’s gonna make a run for it. Be prepared, we don’t know if anyone’s helping him.” She told him. Her work switch was being flipped as she pulled off her leather jacket, tucking it between the seats. “We gotta be a team here, Cross.” The use of his last name felt so foreign on her tongue she almost made a sour face. But if she was going to be professional, Nate was too close to a familiarity they no longer had. “This isn’t task force. It’s just us two unless back up is called. Try to keep the dumb shit to a minimum, okay?” She asked before she was reaching behind her to open the door.
'I thought being with someone you want nothing to do with is grounds for punishment.'
Nate was staring at her- no, it was more of a glare because it wasn't him breaking the rules right now. She was, and he knew it wasn't going to just stop here, no matter what she said. He was on the verge of being annoyed now. He, at least, was trying, and who knows how long that would last.
"Yeah, I'm good," he said, his tone stern. "I thought we both were." Nathan had to point out that this little plunder was her fault. He wasn't going to take the blame this time. At least, for the moment, he could let it go. They had a job to do, right?
Nate was quiet for the rest of the ride and didn't care if it was awkward.
Then, as they parked and she was explaining the situation, he flat out rolled his eyes. "I know protocol, McCarthy ." Was that a bit of snark? Oops. Without skipping a beat, he was climbing out of the car and adjusting his vest. A couple of flight risks weren't much of an issue. However, if it became dangerous, she was going to change her mind on wanting "Task Force Nate" there instead.
For now, he hung back, waited for her to take the lead...since she was the boss and all.
You might know protocol, but are you actually going to follow it? She wanted to snap at him. Easy, girl. Breathe. She reminded herself. You can do this, focus. She gave herself a small pep-talk and told herself to look forward to a massive long island after this shift. If she didn’t manage to kill Nate, or bring up the past again, she’d say it was well freaking deserved.
She took a deep breath, taking a moment to compose herself before she shut the vehicle door, and started to walk around the front of the vehicle. Her hands were already gripping the front of the police utility belt out of habit and a typical “cop fashion.” She glanced at Nate as she moved towards the front door. Her dark eyes scanning the windows of the run down place, already noting safety hazards from the falling apart sliding to the death trap that was a front porch.
She was keeping an eye out for possible movement on the inside, and watched her step as she climbed those rickety steps. She tilted her head to the side and reached up for the radio, telling dispatch they were about to make contact, and then reached up to knock on the door. Turing her head left and right, to look at both ends of the porch, and then over her shoulder to glance at Nate.
There was no answer initially, so Penny knocked a bit louder. Making her stance casual for the most part. When the door finally opened, it was only just enough for Penny to glance down to see a frail looking older woman.
Penny plastered a bright smile at the older woman. “Mornin Ma’am, I’m officer McCarthy, I was hoping you’d be able to help us find someone today.” She told her. Her tone was light and cheerful, practically oozing that southern charm she’d been known for. Despite how “laid back” Penny looked, she was watching the woman carefully, shifting her weight back on her heels so she was able to not crowd the door and have a easier time trying to see inside.
The old woman was nervous from what Penny could see. Her grey eyes looking from Penny to where Nate was and she was licking her lips nervously as she kept that door as closed as she could. “I can’t help you find no’body, now leave.” She told them. Penny’s grin just widened. “You don’t even know who we’re looking for yet!” Penny pointed out.
“Yeah, well,”
“Have you seen Bobby at all, Ma’am? Are you Hattie? His momma? Is he home?” Penny knew the address belonged to an older woman who's son they were after, that also had the same address.
“No, Er-yes, But he ain't here!” The response came too quick for Penny’s liking, and she raised her brows slightly, glancing over at Nate.
“Any idea when he’ll be back? He’s missed a few court dates we want to talk to him about.” Penny asked. The older woman shifted uncomfortably, and she seemed to be swallowing a lump in her throat.
She shook her head vehemently. “He’s not here, now go!.” The woman’s first mistake was releasing part of the door to wave Penny away. It allowed just enough of a gap for Penny too look in above her head. From the angle of her television, she was able to see the reflection off the screen, that revealed the older woman currently had a gun pointed at her head, and their target was currently behind the door. The woman’s second mistake, or her saving grace, was letting the brief flicker of fear show in her eyes.
Penny tensed taking her hands off her hips to hold them up in surrender. “Alright alright, We’ll go, but there’s something else I wanna talk to you about Ma’am.” Penny told her. Surprise flickered across the weathered face. “Can you come out here for a second? I want to show you somethin.” Penny informed her, meanwhile one of Penny’s hands signaled to Nate to get ready.
“What do you want to show me?” The woman asked in defense. “Do you realize how bad this here porch is? A lady of your fine age is walking on a death trap,” Penny informed her. The woman paused for a second, and then gulped before she slowly, started to come out. Penny moved off to the side, continuing her friendly act as she moved to the side of the porch well away from the door, holding her hand out for the woman to take.
She took it almost hesitantly and Penny could feel how bad she was trembling. “Officer Cross, whatcha think? These boards need replacing don’t they?” Penny asked Nate, coming down the steps and taking the woman with her as if she was showing her the wear and tear.
His paranoia was lingering at the edges of his mind. Were they knowingly walking into something dangerous, Nathan wouldn't have been so complacent, whether she was in charge or not. He would have automatically been taking the lead, being sure to be the first one to find trouble so that she wouldn't. Because, despite what he made her believe, he was a martyr. Ever since losing Michael, it had intensified. Breaking it off with her had been to protect her.
Still, as they approached the worn down house, those hazel eyes were constantly looking around, taking in every detail, every possible movement. That was his protocol, his routine, and he wasn't about to break that anytime soon. Being former military and on the task force, you were just automatically hyper aware since you had to be. More often than not, you were being thrown into danger.
When the woman opened the door, he knew immediately that she was lying just by how her attention constantly shifted and she refused to open the door more. Either that, or she really did not like having the cops at her door. Nate moved up one of the steps, but made himself casually lean against the rickety railing. From there, he was able to see past Penny's shoulder and inside- what little they could, anyway.
He met Pen's curious gaze before his own flickered towards the window to the right of the door. There was a subtle flicker of the lace curtain, like someone had brushed against it, but it was too dark inside for him to see much of anything else. That was when Hattie's mood got worse and he caught Penny's signal. Averting his attention once more, Nate caught the reflection in the television once the old woman had been coaxed out of the house.
Well, hello there.
As Hattie was being led further away from the door, Nathan was approaching it slowly. It was clear the armed man- who he was assuming was the one they were here for- didn't want to hurt his own mother. That didn't mean he wasn't going to get desperate and wield it against a couple of cops. He clenched his jaw briefly for a second as he answered Pen without looking at her. "Yeah...total death trap," he said absently.
Clue number one that he was about to pounce: he wasn't really paying attention to her. The cat found another mouse.
Watching the reflection, Bobby wasn't moving, probably hoping they were just going to leave like Pen said they would. So, after a heartbeat, Nate paced quickly across the rest of the porch where a booted foot kicked hard against the door. He knew he nailed the guy behind it when he heard the surprised cry of pain.
Unholstering the pistol from his hip, Nathan was rushing inside just as Bobby was sort of recovering. "Drop it, Bobby-Boy! Do it now!" he warned. There were a few seconds of wondering whether the other man would actually use the weapon or not, as his own was aimed straight at Bobby's chest. "I said drop it!"
Bobby's nose was dripping blood, but he was coming out of his daze. He didn't list his gun to shoot- instead, he swiftly spun on his heels and rushed down the hallway towards the kitchen.
Nate heaved a sigh and called out to Penny, "In pursuit!" before he was running after the kid.
Penny had hoped Nate would pick up on what she was doing, and for the most part, he had. In fact she was happy with him until he took that booted foot and kicked in the poor old woman’s front door. Unlike his task force, this was regular old police work. They had to announce themselves before entering or else they were looking at possible lawsuits, but now wasn’t the time to yell at Nate about his protocol. Penny wrapped an arm around the older woman, pulling her away for her own safety, while Penny spoke furiously into the radio. Telling dispatch what was happening, and she could hear distant sirens from their back up making their way towards them.
Penny needed to get to Nate, mostly to make sure he didn’t do something completely stupid. For a brief thought she wondered if she’d made the right call in choosing warrants as their first task together. She didn’t have time to dwell on it however before she watched Nate taking off through the house after the kid.
A kid with a gun no less.
“Officer in pursuit, suspect is possibly armed, heading north east off of Grant.” She spoke into the radio, and then turned towards the older woman. “You doing okay ma’am?” She could only imagine what the older woman was feeling. Her own son had held a gun up to her head, and Penny was trying to keep her own furry under control. The woman gripped her arm suddenly and Penny’s brows furrowed, as the woman began to speak frantically at her.
Her eyes went wide as she explained that Bobby was scared, and she had over heard him talking on the phone with his friends that lived in the area. They had a plan set up if the police ever showed up looking for him. And in today’s world, everyone had access to police scanners. “What’s the address ma’am?” Penny all but demanded.
Heart racing, Penny glanced up to see the police cruiser of another officer arriving on scene just as Hattie gave her the address, and Penny was quickly moving. “Stay with her,” She pointed to the woman, before she was sprinting to sedan, not bothering with her seatbelt before she was peeling out and down the street.
“Nate?! Nate do you copy?” Penny asked frantically over their com. “Of course if you’re running like a mad man right now…” Penny muttered to herself as she flipped her sirens on and went screeching around a corner. “There’s a chance he’s leading you into a ambush, his mother confirmed he had a back up plan if he got pursued by the police, where are you?” Her tone all but demanded. They were dealing with a bunch of idiot kids, and idiot kids were dangerous. Especially if one happened to be trigger happy, or worse. Didn't know how to handle a firearm. Nate was possibly running in blind with no backup right now.
Penny tried to tell herself she'd would react this way with any other officer in the same situation, but a pressure had formed in her chest that didn't even want to think about. Her foot hit the gas peddle a little harder.
Look, if the kid didn't have a gun pointed at his own mother, this whole thing wouldn't have happened. But when Nate saw a gun, when he saw someone in possible danger, he was going to go straight into G.I. Joe mode. It was simply inevitable. But the fact that Bobby didn't try shooting at him in the middle of this chase kept Nate from doing so.
The guy was frightened, clearly, and he might've just panicked when they went knocking on his mother's door. Still, the suspect was armed and had to be considered dangerous. And running from the cops was a big no-no.
Bobby had a bit of a lead, but he was running away from a former Army Ranger- Nate wasn't all too concerned about losing sight of him, even at "his age". Rushing through the neighborhood, yelling at people to get out of the way, he heard Penny's voice come over the comm in his ear. For fuck's sake, now what?
"Yeah, what?" he managed to get out, clearly sounding winded being mid-run. It was a little hard to hear her at times, but Nate didn't slow down his pursuit which caused him to have to straight up leap over a short chain link fence of somebody's yard. He grumbled as he almost stumbled upon the landing before picking up speed again. "An ambush?" he asked to confirm. What the hell did this kid do? And not just himself, apparently.
Well, fuck.
He had a choice to make as he saw Bobby making a beeline for a particular house where someone was looking out the window at their approach. "Shit," he cursed under his breath before he acknowledged Pen again. "I'm just...a couple blocks away. He's headin' to a house on-" Taking his eyes off of Bobby for a split second to check a street sign, he continued, "South Martel Ave." There was silence on his end, watching the kid rush into the house. The one to open the door for Bobby clearly had a weapon as well, before the door was slammed shut...and Nathan slowed to a stop. Even he wouldn't be that stupid. Idiot kids were no joke- he knew from prior experience.
"He went into the house," he told her, trying to catch his breath. He's not...the only one armed. I stopped...pursuit, so...I need you to get here now. And bring backup." Nate was bitter, but not at her. For giving up the chase, even though he clearly knew where Bobby had gone to. Carefully, though, he began to move around the perimeter, keeping as much distance as possible, just to ensure none of them were trying to sneak out.
Last Edit: Jul 15, 2021 2:57:25 GMT by Nathan Cross
Tires squealed around a corner and the engine revved as Penny barreled the suburban down the street. Her eyes darting all over the place, keeping an eye out for civilians and trying to find Nate in his pursuit. “Yes an ambush,” She confirmed over the com. It wasn’t every day something like this happened, but it was certainly at least once a week. The crime rate in L.A. was one of the highest in the country, and if Nate had thought he’d be behind a desk the entire time, he was dead wrong.
She needed him in a time like this. Er- They, the force needed him. Penny had just been given babysitting duty. And the angry toddler was set loose right now. Penny reached for the radio, telling backup where to head thanks to Hattie telling her the address. She’d just finished telling them she was in pursuit, when she flipped the sound to the siren’s off, and pulled up on a side street about two houses down. “Just parked, I’m two houses over.” She told Nate quickly just as he was done telling her to get there. Unable to keep the smile out of her tone, at the request he’d given.
Quickly getting out of the suburban, and drawing her own weapon. She came up on a neighboring house, waving the couple that was in their backyard back inside. As she slipped quietly up the side of their house. Coming up on the side of it, she peered around a corner to see Nate’s back as he made his around to the perimeter. “On your six, Sugar.” She told him, letting him know she was there and where she was.
She kept low as she quietly made her way forward. Dark eyes glancing up at the windows of the house and surrounding area. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins, afraid one wrong move would end up with one of them shot. Seriously Bobby… All of this because you were afraid for going away for a few months for some parking violations, skipped court dates, and selling some weed?
“What’s our play?” She asked him, keeping her voice low. Not “hey were doing this my way, or no stop, get your ass back to the car.” Nate had given chase, so he got point at the moment, considering Penny had taken the lead with the old woman. More then that, Penny trusted Nate’s instincts with these sorts of things. Burelson be damned, she knew Nate was a good cop even if he was having a rough time. But even more than that, despite freaking everything she still trusted him, and they were partners now. She’d have to trust him. She just hoped he wasn’t crazy enough to do something so stupid it would get her killed.
Penny would make her way towards Nate until she caught up with him, or he gave her different instructions.
Nate couldn't help but wonder why Bobby fled, why he and his friends had a backup plan. It meant they were up to something, and not what Penny probably originally thought. He had a gun to his mother's head and everything, so even the former Army Ranger wasn't dumb enough to try and follow him inside. He didn't know how many were in there. Were it just Bobby, well then, Bobby would already be in custody.
That wasn't being conceited necessarily, Nate just knew what he was good at...and this was basically all he was good for.
Quickly scanning the perimeter, when she alerted him to where she was, he glanced over his shoulder and offered a quick nod of acknowledgement as she came into his view. He certainly wasn't going to suggest just the two of them bust in there. If he could keep her out of that as much as possible, he would.
'What's our play?'
The question made him look back over to her with the faintest of grins. So, she was going to trust his judgement in this, huh? Then he probably shouldn't disappoint. Attention drifted back to the house in examination just as two squad cars were pulling up the street. Nate gestured for them to flat out pull up front because the people inside were going to have to be alerted- y'know, rights and all. He was going to give them a chance.
"C'mon," he told Pen when she neared, and jogged towards their backup to hash out orders. "He's inside, and there's at least one more also armed. We have no idea how many are in there. I need you to get this place surrounded and cover exits. Be on guard." He gave no further instructions as to what he had planned, holstering his gun. Once the officers were surrounding the small house, Nathan made his way to one of the cars, reaching in through the driver's side window for the radio, flicking it over to the intercom.
"Bobby!" his voice came over the vehicle's outside speakers. Anyone in that house was going to hear him. Hell, most of the neighborhood would. "Bobby, hey, so...we're gonna need you and your friends to come out slowly with your hands up." Was that too nonchalant? Probably. He was even leaning against the car now like this was no big deal. His goal was for no bloodshed, though, and getting angry and yelling wasn't going to help. Young guys like this didn't do well with authority. Ask him how he knew. "The police have the place surrounded, and I'm going to give you 30 seconds to comply, alright? We see a weapon, we shoot. It's way too early for this, man, so...c'mon." Ten seconds passed and he tossed the receiver into the car again, reaching in to press a button. The car's trunk popped open.
His lips were moving as he rounded to the back of the police vehicle, probably counting down twenty more seconds; leaning down into the trunk as he examined the provided gear. He palmed a cannister of something.
Had he not believed her when she said that they were partners and would have to work together? Nate was going to realize real quick Penny was a team player, and a lady of her word. She gave him a pointed look of expectation when she caught that flicker of a smile. She huffed a sigh, and followed after him. Jogging towards their back up, and she kept her eyes on the house. Seeing movement behind a curtain, Nate started giving out orders. The officers present all looked confused for a moment, several looking over at her, as they thought she was the one in charge and not Nate. As far as anyone knew, he was supposed to be doing what she said.
She arched a brow at them, her demeanor calm and serious in typical Penny fashion. “You heard the man, move.” She said simply, using her chin to point towards the house. She holstered her weapon and moved towards Nate, blinking in surprise at seeing how...well how un-gunho he was being suddenly. He looked casual, and for a moment she was wondering what had Burelson so mad at him that he’d demote him.
She had to give Nate credit for how he was handling things so far, that is until he popped the trunk and started moving towards it. Penny was on the move coming over as she crossed her arms over her chest and came up beside him. Peering in to see what he was doing. “What are you doing?” She asked, tone light, but obviously, she was suspicious. She had the sinking feeling she’d spoken to soon on questioning Burelson.
She caught him palm something and her hand was instantly reaching out, grabbing his wrist and pulling it up so she could see what he had. Her eyes went wide in surprise, as she glanced up at him. “Tear gas?”Oh no… here came the loose cannon…“What are you going to do with that?” She asked immediately but had an inkling Nate was going to show her what he was going to do with it rather then tell her.
She said she was the boss and her word goes, not that they were partners. Ms. McCarthy had to get her thoughts straight- she couldn't want Loose Cannon Cross when it was just convenient, because sometimes there was just no stopping it. He probably could have stopped now, but this was going to be such a small thing compared to some of his other...techniques. She could ask Scotty. The man came from Jersey only a couple of months ago and got the pleasure of being partnered with Nathan, and he already knew.
He bitched about everything every single time.
Nate barely acknowledged her when she walked over and questioned him; only looking sidelong to her when she seized his wrist to see the canister of tear gas in his palm. That was when he grinned, and it was partially the grin she warned him not to use. Because it wasn't flirtatious, per say- it was saying, "I got this", "don't worry about it, everything is fine", and "trust me".
The question was whether she really could trust him and that look or not.
Penny was right, though, he didn't answer her with words. Drawing his wrist from her grasp gently, he shut the trunk of the car before making his way back to the house. There was a bit of a swagger to his walk as he approached, on the side that only had a small window, likely to the kitchen. Fortunately for him, it was a rancher. It was just unfortunate for Bobby and his buds.
His pace quickened for a second as he leapt on top of a couple garbage cans before leaping off of them to the edge of the roof, where he pulled himself up. He knew the cops were watching him in confusion, wondering why he appeared to be so casual, which was precisely why he was humming to himself. It might've been the Scorpions' "Rock You Like A Hurricane", but no one would be able to tell.
Making his way over to the skylight he had spotted minutes earlier, he crouched and set the can down before drawing out a small blade. Yes, he always carried one- former Ranger and all. Carefully slipping the blade in between the seal, he managed to undo the hatch and flip it up. Somewhere below, he could hear whispers while he pulled the pin on the canister...and just as casually dropped it in without warning.
There was silence for a few seconds as he shut the hatch and stood up. Nate glanced down at the gathered cops he could see who were waiting quietly with their weapons drawn, throwing them his trademark grin with a little wave of his hand. After another moment, the front door burst open, and there was Bobby and a couple of his friends staggering out blindly, trying to cough the gas from their lungs. Needless to say, they were a bit more complacent now.
Penny froze the moment she saw that grin. It wasn’t the real Nate grin. The one she wanted to return to his face, but it certainly had the looks of it. She knew the man too well to know he was about to do something incredibly stupid despite how reassuring he hoped that smile would be.
Burelson was going to have her ass for this, and then Juarez, and then her brother, and then Penny herself for allowing him to use tear gas of all things. Her mouth parted, brow furrowed, ready to tell him to put it back and do this the right way, and yet something stopped her. She wanted to trust Nate again. After the pieces he’d left her in, she didn’t think she could trust him. But she also had to remind herself, she left him, and people changed. Nate needed help if he was to get back on the task force, and Penny would have to see how loose of a cannon he was to determine the right course of action to get him on the right track.
This was Nate Research. Nothing more. She was...supervising. Yeah that was it.
She was going to go out on a limb and trust him with this one. Penny crossed her arms, putting her weight on one hip while it stuck out a bit and she watched Nate’s retreating back. Watching him curiously. Her face was expressionless and her dark eyes never left him, watching his movements as he climbed the garbage cans and leapt onto the roof. She caught what he was intending to do immediately then, and she reached up to cover her hand with her mouth. Suddenly wanting to laugh aloud.
It was genius. Pure genius, to use the tear gas to lure the kids outside. Was this what Burelson considered him to be a loose a canon? For a brief moment, Penny wondered if it was something else that made him remove Nate from the task force, but quickly nixed that idea. It was… out of the box certainly, but what Nate was doing actually helped protect officers rather then put them in harms way. She had to give him props where it was earned.
She pressed her tongue on the inner part of her cheek as she lightly shook her head at Nate’s little wave and grin down to the officers at the ready. She even wiggled her fingers back, and fixed him with a hard look. Her attention was drawn to the house then, as the kids started coming out. She drew her weapon, and instantly started moving towards Bobby. Recalling what he’d done earlier and Pens usual southern charm was suddenly gone.
“Bobby Nelson, you’re under arrest, for menacing with a deadly weapon, fleeing the scene of a crime, and the list goes on buddy,” She started rambling off his miranda rights while he was coughing on the ground, trying to recover from the tear gas as Penny cuffed him. She grabbed his arm and then hauled him to his feet where she then reached up and grabbed his ear, staring to pull him towards a squad car. “Owe owe! C’mon lady that hurts!” He whined. She just pulled harder. “No what hurts, is seeing a grown as man hold a gun to his own Momma’s head. You’re lucky I'm pulling on your ear and not shooting you in your knee cap.” She all but growled, not pleased with the boy.“I panicked aight?!” He whined some more. “OWE! JESUS CHRIST LADY!, your gonna rip it off!”
Annoyed, Penny grabbed Bobby’s bicep and turned him before he was suddenly slammed into the side of the squad car. Not too rough but enough for him to know he was not in a good place as Penny was suddenly up in his face. Holding a finger up to his face. “That’s not an excuse, she’s your mother I don’t care what sort of beef or relationship you have with her, she was scared. Her own son was going to use her as his protective shield. She let you live with her and everything, and this is how you treat her?” Penny’s voice was calm (as she always was) but there was an underlying tone that showed just how livid she was with the man before her. Her eyes showed her furry, and Bobby opened his mouth to try and argue further, but Penny was done listening. “Save it.” She turned to look at one of the other officers that were coming over to deal with the tear gas. “Get him out of my sight.” She ordered before she turned away, seeing what if there was anything else she could help with.
Sure, this hadn't been a very conventional method, but it had gotten the job done. And, as he figured, the young men inside were immediately blinded and unable to attempt using any sort of weapon because they were idiots and not trained soldiers. There was no need to go in with weapons, yelling for them to put their guns down, so on and so forth. Naïve kids could be dangerous in that regard.
Nate managed to get this done without much danger and with zero bloodshed. That had to have earned him some points, no?
From the roof, he watched as the officers advanced on the guys as they came out; taking away any guns they still might've been carrying and cuffing them to haul them off to be booked. That smile of his was pretty smug now and full of pride at the same time. This job, at least, hadn't been terribly different from what he was used to on the task force, but something told him it wasn't always going to be like this...so, that meant he needed to get back there immediately.
On his climb back down, he could hear Penny taking care of Bobby himself, and she wasn't being very delicate about it. He was far from surprised, and even chuckled to himself as he slowly made his way back towards her; watching as three officers in gas masks carefully made their way into the house to double-check that everyone had been evacuated.
"Tiger gettin' outta the cage there, McCarthy?" he questioned lightly as Bobby was handed off to another cop.
It’s fine, everything is fine. Find your zen, Pen. Was the mantra Penny told herself. The woman had a reputation for nothin usually rialling her up, or getting such a strong emotion out of her. She was usually the calm in the chaos of things, the cool cucumber everyone looked too. Only, she’d nearly lost her cool at Bobby, and though she hadn’t raised her voice, she had made herself perfectly clear what she thought of his little stunt.
The only man she’d ever truly yelled at in a fit of anger and desperation was the one making his way to her. With a deep breath she turned towards Nate. Plastering a bright smile on her face though it never reached her eyes. Her eyes still held that underlying anger that she was trying to keep in check. “Merely pacing.” She shrugged it off. She let her hands settle on her hips while her dark eyes narrowed at him. Remembering what he’d just pulled to get Bobby and his three friends into custody. She wasn’t going to say anything on it, knowing it would merely boost his ego, but she had to give him something. Some form of praise, if only to show she had noticed he’d made some points on his good meter.
She tossed the suburban keys at him, indicating she deemed him able to drive back for being good.
“Is that a common thing in the task force? Or is that a new trick in your bag of goodies not even Burelson knows about?” She asked with a raised brow. Crossing her arms over her chest.
It was a wonder how he and Pen ever worked, considering he was usually easy to rile up. Then again, they hadn't worked out, had they? Maybe opposites didn't attract in this regard, even if the truth of it was far from that. Nate had just come up with several other excuses to help him get over it and move on, all because he thought he had no other choice.
Still, it was good that she was angry at someone else for a change. His own little stunt hadn't been too extravagant, but there was still a chance she might have thought it was a disastrous idea.
"Right," he said in simple reply, neither believing her nor mocking her. Then those dark eyes of hers were narrowing on him, and he figured this was it. Time for the "Louisiana grr" and berating. His lips parted to try and explain how it wound up being safer and worked out in their favor, but she was tossing him those keys.
Okay, so...that was a good thing, right?
'Is that a common thing in the task force?' she continued, and he chuckled lowly to himself as he began to walk that short distance back to the Escalade. "I can't share my secrets, Pen." Immediately after he said that, though he expression faltered, losing most of its humor. He kept his attention forward as they walked.
He hadn't meant it in regards to their past, but it crept up on him nonetheless, no matter how much he tried to ignore it afterward.