Case 36: Courter in Yellow

Nose to the Grinder(24)

Dipper POV

"What?"

"There have been threats made to all the stations in Gravity Falls, just minutes ago two out of the four stations had to follow through. Currently, men from the last two stations and our building have gone to assist however the chief is freaking out about spreading the force too thin. Every off-duty cop and detective has to come in right now. So get over what happened this morning and get your ass back here." I could hear the commotion and shouts from behind her, Robbie's voice could be heard shouting for people to "Shut up and do something helpful. Get me the-" "Pines are you even listening to me?!?" Wendy asked distress and anger filling her tone.

"Loud and clear, I'm on my way." I ended the call before she could say anything else. Springing from the bed I ran down the squeaky stairs ignoring my Grunckle shouting, "Hello? Dipper?". I made a B-Line for the shop, down on the floor Mabel was letting Pacifica in and locking the door behind her.

"Dipper? Where are you going in such a hurry?" She asked.

"Sorry Mabel, but I'm needed at work right now. I don't know what time I'll be back." I explained as I squeezed past her and reached for the door.

"But Lunch." She whined, I could see her excitement deflate a bit.

"Again, I'm sorry but I have to go," I said already haft way out the door.

Mabel stared for a moment taking in the little information I had given her. I could see in her eyes the understanding of exactly what I had to go and join. She rushed the few steps to me throwing her arms around me, squeezed the air from my lungs in a rib-crushing bear hug.

"Come home safe and in one piece please," she muttered into my shoulder.

I hugged her back, "I will, ok."

"Ok." she took a deep breath then let me go.

With nothing more to say to one another, she stepped back inside and I turned away to get to my car. We never say goodbye to each other.

Driving there was unnecessarily difficult, I ended up having to turn on my I-am-a-cop-get-the-fuck-out-of-my-way lights.

The station itself was a mess, floodlight blinding me and other cars come up to the building, behind the wall of lights and barricades men in full-body Kevlar standing guard every three feet. Behind them, the lights in the whole build were on. Everyone who hadn't responded to the call for more backup from the other stations where here scrambling to find the source of the threats. Inside people were flying from place to place, on the first few floors it was mostly from the elevator to the door as they tried to get to where ever they needed to be as quickly as possible. On higher floors, people were more scattered running from desk to desk or in and out of office doors.

I made my way just as quickly to the floor where my office was, only to find that this is where the black of the people was. The moment the elevator doors opened to let me and a few other frazzle cops out I heard the Chief barking orders, Wendy and Robbie's shouts could also be heard over the bustling of other people and the ringing of phones.

Wendy spotted me as I made my way through the crowd of people. "Pines!" She shouted and those around me stepped back giving me the room to make it to the desk She and the chief were standing over, "There you are. We need a new pair of eyes to come to look at this." She said urgently pointing at the files she had sprawled out.

"We believe this is the work of the fourth circle which puts you and your team in charge of this." The Chief said looking between me and Wendy. "Get to work," he growled before walking away.

I looked to Wendy who is running on less than three hours of sleep, and, I could already hear the question resting on the edge of her tongue.

"Don't let me regret this but- Complete your line of thinking from last night." I sighed, meeting my pinky to the edge of my brow rubbing out the already forming headache of dread, "and work on it alone, I need all hands on deck meaning everyone's going to be spread thin." I looked out over the sea of constantly moving people below us. Raising my voice to catch the attention of everyone around us. "Hear that, I need everyone all hands on deck, which means we might be spread thin but bear with us." with everyone stopped and looking at me I got a better understanding of how many people I will have under my toes, about 24 faces were turned on me, their hands where already filled with papers, screens either in hand or scattered on the desk already open to files or pages about the 4th circle. But everyone seemed off doing their things.

"I need everyone to either show me what they are working on or come to me for a new task. I need people on the security of the other stations, How the hell did they get breached and find me a way to give them more back up, arm em to the teeth if we have to. The fourth Circle is no joke, I know you all know the carnage that they can cause. I need another team on the security of our building, can't help anyone else out if we get attacked. Alright, and I need a large group of you on getting more information about the attacks, why, and how. For example why the hell is they attacking in broad fucking daylight and getting away with it. Detective Valentino, I want you with that group to give them all we have on the Fourths normal MO. Lastly, I need a team with detective Corduroy, she has a hunch to follow so I need those who are going to work with her on the same kind of deal. I want names of the men and women apart of the attack. Their attacking police stations now there has got to be a good beauty shot of some of them."

By the time I'm done talking, people are scrambling with their heads down to follow instructions. I turned to Wendy again, "Get moving, I'm going to join Valentino and his team. Call me when you have something."

She stood up straighter, flicked a finger across the bridge of her nose, "Nose to the grinder. Got it, Boss."

In a split second, I decided for myself that I'd let go of this morning, I would have done the same thing or worse in her shoes, this team will be different. I don't want them to hate me. I flick my finger across the bridge of my nose, a solute.

A little flame sparks in her eye and she smiles, flipping on her heel taking off barking orders of her own as she takes off.

I nodded to myself, puffing up my chest. Never the confident type but this is my wheelhouse, and I know my shit here and that is the biggest confidence booster out there.

Robbie isn't hard to find, he and a hand full other others are huddled around computers and hunched over papers.

"Valentino," I called out to him.

He didn't even pick up his head but he answered, "Yes sir."

"Where's Soleil?" I asked scanning the tops of each head but none of them were Hestia.

"No idea, we've called many times but nada." he looks up, "She was at the station on fourth at the time of the first attack, I tracked her phone and it says she's still there."

I nodded looking over the group one more time, "I'm going to finish around with everyone else then I'll be back to assist here." I explained, and with a sly smirk, he dropped his head back into the work pile.

"What Wendy always says right, nose to the grind," he muttered. I almost laughed, this team's got a trademark and I was just let in on it. I flicked my nose.

"Right, let's get this done and get everyone home safe," I said leaving the room with a little more pride in my step. 

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Ok so like, I'ma just stop pretending like I know when I'm going to write, oops. 

I'm sorry, ya'll pick to read from a mentally ill and unstable person, all I can promise is that I will continue to write, and I will continue to get chapters out when I can.