Chapter 40 – When the Script Breaks
March 30, 2018 – 6:47 AM
LAPD Academy – Urban Training Zone
The early morning still lingered in the atmosphere—the humid air, the ground stained with dew, and the muffled sound of the city waking up beyond the high walls of the academy. But inside the complex, the atmosphere was one of absolute concentration.
That morning, a special exercise had been scheduled.
A simulation in an urban setting with multiple unpredictable variables. A different kind of training, not just with fixed targets or choreographed movements. This one would have a life of its own. It was conceived by two veterans of the police tactical unit and refined by Derek Davis, who insisted: "the only way to teach how to respond to the unexpected is to create the unexpected."
The simulation area reproduced an entire city block: two-story buildings made with modular panels, wrecked cars in the streets, mannequins representing civilians, loudspeakers playing background city sounds, voices, barking dogs, children playing, car horns.
The briefing had been clear:
— "You have a report of a robbery with a possible hostage situation in a corner residence. There are conflicting reports of two or three suspects, and civilians may be in the house. You enter in pairs, at different times, but the scenario evolves according to your actions."
John Nolan, Lucy Chen, Jackson West, and the other recruits were ready. Uniformed, wearing ballistic training vests, radios, and simulation weapons with tactical paintball. Everything looked real. The adrenaline level was high.
Derek, alongside the other instructors, observed from the control tower. He spoke little, but he knew that what was coming would test more than technique.
It would test their emotions. Their ability to adapt. And, above all, their presence of mind.
7:03 AM – Simulation begins
The first pair to enter was Chen and West. Both were calm, but their eyes were wide open—the look of someone who knew this wouldn't just be a "game."
They entered through the south street of the complex. Voices on the radios echoed on internal channels, and the instructors watched through thermal cameras and microphones.
"—Movement on the second floor, open window," Lucy reported.
"—Blind spot to the right. I'll mark it," West replied.
The pair split up efficiently, using silent signals, moving along the side of the house with precision. Lucy positioned herself behind a vehicle, and West moved to the back door.
Everything was going as expected.
Until something unexpected happened.
One of the extras—an undercover instructor—was supposed to represent an unarmed civilian running out of the house screaming. But when he stumbled coming out the door, he fell hard to the ground, hitting his shoulder against the wall and letting out a real cry of pain.
Lucy heard it.
West heard it too.
"—That doesn't sound like acting..." Lucy murmured over the radio.
Derek, in the observation tower, noticed the impact. He checked his tablet. He saw the abnormal fall signal and leaned into the radio.
"—Team 1, maintain position. We are evaluating if it's a simulation failure."
But before he could finish the sentence, another error occurred: the sound of a dry explosion echoed—a sound effect charge, placed to detonate in the scenario with a delay—detonated prematurely. The shock was real.
Jackson West instinctively shouted:
"—Explosion! Explosion!"
Lucy turned her body and threw herself behind the car. Confusion on the radio.
Two more recruits—the next pair—were on their way to the zone and heard everything on the open channel.
The simulation had now gone beyond the limits of the script.
07:08 – Control Tower
"—Turn off the sound of explosion 2!" shouted one of the technicians. — "It's done! It was a failure in the automatic sequence! The sensor activated with the wrong movement!"
Derek grabbed the central radio. His voice, despite the confusion, was calm and firm.
— "Attention, simulation continues. Confirmed: no real risk. Instructor down, under medical evaluation. Recruits, maintain tactical behavior."
But he knew: this was the real test. The scenario now required the recruits to understand chaos as it is on the street.
And he decided not to interrupt.
— "Let it run." — he said to the instructors beside him.
— "Are you sure?" — asked the supervising sergeant.
Derek simply nodded.
— "Now we'll see who has truly internalized it."
07:10 – Inside the Hot Zone
Lucy regrouped with Jackson. Both were breathing heavily. The simulation no longer seemed like a simulation. It was real confusion, without a script.
— "Focus!" — she said. — "If it's real, we'll handle it. If it's a malfunction, we'll adapt."
Jackson nodded.
They circled the house. An actor representing a suspect appeared on a side balcony, fake gun in hand.
Lucy gave the command.
— "Weapon in sight! LAPD! Drop it now!"
The actor hesitated. He was trained to improvise.
He made an ambiguous movement. Jackson backed away, without firing. Lucy did too.
— "Drop the weapon or you will be neutralized!"
The actor dropped the weapon. Lucy didn't hesitate. She advanced, grabbed his arm, used a simulation handcuff.
Firm. Cold. Determined.
From above, Derek watched. And for the first time, he smiled discreetly.
7:22 AM – End of the simulation
The radios announced the end. The tower sounded the final alarm. All the recruits were called back. The instructors left the area to assist the injured actor — fortunately, only a minor shoulder dislocation.
But the atmosphere... was different.
The recruits were breathless, sweaty, impacted.
Nolan approached Lucy and Jackson, both with wide eyes, but with a kind of light on their faces.
— "That... that was the closest thing to real life I've ever experienced here."
Lucy nodded.
— "I thought I was going to lose control. But I heard his voice. Davis's voice. Inside my head."
— "'The first breath'," Jackson murmured. — "We took it. And we decided."
8:30 AM – Debriefing room
Derek entered the room with a tablet. The recruits were sitting in silence.
He stopped in front of them.
— "Today, you experienced what we call a 'contaminated scenario'. An environment where everything that could go wrong... did."
— "And you responded."
He looked directly at Lucy and Jackson.
— "The calm you demonstrated in the face of the fall, the sound failure, and the presence of the hostile actor... is what is expected of a police officer on the street."
No one smiled. Everyone was processing.
Derek then said:
— "Today's lesson is simple: the street doesn't wait for you to understand what's happening. It demands that you act based on what you know."
He paused.
— "And today, you showed that you know."
And without saying more, he left the room.
Because some victories... don't need applause.
Chapter 41 – The New Generation Hits the Streets
July 2, 2018 – 7:56 AM
Mid-Wilshire Police Station – Briefing Room
The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the Mid-Wilshire police station's briefing room, casting golden lines across the light wood furniture and the mural of updated charts. The fluorescent lights still hummed softly, as if waking up along with the officers.
Sitting in his usual chair, Derek Davis watched in silence. Beside him, Angela Lopez held a coffee mug firmly in her hands. Talia Bishop reviewed digital reports on a tablet, and Tim Bradford, leaning against the wall, methodically chewed gum, glancing at the rookies at the back of the room.
The atmosphere was charged—not with tension, but with expectation.
In the first row, lined up side by side, were three young faces, already marked by six intense months of academy training:
John Nolan, upright posture, his experienced eyes seeking to absorb every detail.
Lucy Chen, focused, with the expression of someone ready to be tested.
Jackson West, attentive, with his chin slightly raised, carrying both the weight of his own name and the desire to prove he is more than just a surname.
Captain Zoe Anderson entered the room, impeccable uniform, tablet in hand, accompanied by Sergeant Wade Grey, who already seemed to have sized up the rookies with a single glance.
Zoe stopped at the front of the room. Grey, as always, crossed his arms.
—"Good morning," Zoe began, in a firm but controlled tone. —"Today marks the official beginning of the FTO—Field Training Officer—period for the new officers graduating from the LAPD Academy. And for many of you here, this is just another Monday."
—"But for these three..." —she indicated the recruits with her chin— "...it's the first day of a new life. The life on the streets." Angela crossed her legs, observing West attentively.
Derek remained impassive, but his brief glance at Jackson was almost paternal.
Zoe continued:
— "They have gone through the physical, emotional, and cognitive stages of training. They have been evaluated by demanding instructors, including..." — she cast a subtle glance at Derek — "...by active officers who dedicated their time and experience to shaping them."
Grey intervened, his voice grave as usual:
— "But none of that matters if they don't survive today's shift."
Some officers chuckled softly. Others simply nodded.
Zoe maintained a neutral tone.
— "Each rookie will be assigned to a field training officer — FTO — based on profile, performance, and, of course, learning compatibility. And let's not forget: your success as officers is also the FTO's responsibility. So, FTOs... don't fall asleep at the wheel."
Bradford raised an eyebrow, feigning offense.
Angela rolled her eyes and gave a small smile.
Zoe turned to the rookies:
— "Officer Chen. Your FTO will be Officer Bradford."
Lucy looked at Bradford and nodded. He only responded with a brief, impassive nod.
— "Officer Nolan. Your FTO will be Officer Bishop."
Talia looked directly at Nolan and nodded.
— "Officer West." — Zoe paused briefly before completing. — "Your FTOs will be Officer Lopez and Officer Davis."
Jackson turned to look at the two.
Angela simply smiled.
Derek, in turn, kept his gaze fixed, but nodded subtly. The weight of that moment was visible in his eyes — he was no longer the rookie. Now, he was the one guiding.
Zoe concluded:
— "From now on, you will have ninety days of supervised patrol, constant evaluation, weekly reviews. The goal? To transform technical knowledge into instinct."
Grey crossed his arms even tighter. — "The street doesn't wait. The city doesn't have time for existential crises. You either become useful... or you become a problem."
Zoe looked back at the three rookies.
— "You have everything you need to succeed. But it depends on you."
— "Good luck."
08:23 – Police station parking lot
The training officers and the rookies began to gather by the patrol cars. The energy was electric, but contained — like in a play about to begin.
Jackson, backpack on his shoulders, approached Angela and Derek. He stopped a meter away from them, standing firm, and said:
— "Officers Lopez, Davis... it's an honor."
Angela chuckled softly.
— "Relax, West. You'll have plenty of time to lose all that reverence."
Derek calmly approached, his eyes fixed on the rookie.
— "Out here, we don't want adoration. We want focus. Clarity. And someone who listens before acting."
Jackson nodded.
— "Yes, sir."
Angela stepped forward and extended her hand.
— "You'll be riding with one of us per shift. Half with me. Half with him. And I'll warn you right now: we don't go easy."
— "And we don't lie about mistakes," Derek added.
Jackson planted his feet firmly on the ground.
— "I really want to learn. I want to be part of the team."
Angela looked at Derek, as if to say: "He's got something."
Derek responded with a brief:
— "We'll see."
08:47 – Patrol car
Angela was at the wheel. Derek in the passenger seat. Jackson in the back, with his notebook on his lap, but his eyes attentive to the surroundings.
— "You seem nervous," Angela commented.
— "It's a lot of responsibility, ma'am. And... I'm the son of a commander. The expectations are high."
Derek turned, looking over his shoulder.
— "Then forget your last name. Out here, the city doesn't care about your father. Only about what you do."
Jackson nodded, more serious now.
— "Understood."
Angela smiled.
— "The first thing you'll learn is that you don't know anything. But that's okay. Because knowing that... is already the beginning."
Derek added:
— "You're not here to look ready. You're here to get ready. With honesty. With humility."
Jackson swallowed hard.
— "I'm ready to hear everything."
— "You'll hear it. And you'll make mistakes. Just don't lie to yourself when you make mistakes."
The radio crackled. A disturbance call at a liquor store.
Angela turned the patrol car around.
— "Time to move from theory to practice, West."
— "Yes, ma'am."
Across the parking lot
Lucy Chen walked beside Bradford, both in silence.
He wasn't the type to fill the space with unnecessary conversation. And she already noticed that.
— "If you're expecting words of encouragement, you can forget it," he said.
— "Actually, I prefer honest instruction," she replied.
Bradford stopped, looked at her. A second of analysis.
— "Good start, then."
Further ahead, Nolan approached Talia Bishop.
— "I never thought I'd be here at 40."
Talia looked at him sideways, amused.
— "Yeah. But now you are. And you'll have to run to keep up."
— "I'm ready." — "We'll see. And please, don't call me ma'am. It makes me feel old."
They laughed together.
And so, in that concrete courtyard of blue uniforms, with patrol cars creaking and radios crackling, the new cycle began.
And Derek Davis, sitting next to Angela Lopez with a rookie in the back seat, knew it.
He was now the one passing the baton.
But not because he had reached the end of the line.
Because now, he was the line.
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