Danger Zone (File One of The First Responders Files)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Just when I start to doubt I can write longer chapters . . . here, y'all. Have 12.9K words. XD

Buck gets a call from an old friend and gets inspired to form another new chat, TK and Paul find it hard to give Mateo bad news, Tommy learns more about Owen's past in New York, the house responds to a scene that's hard on everyone, the 118 gets a visitor, Grace hears what isn't being said, and Sylvie gets a proposal (not for marriage, she's nowhere near that stage).

Enjoy 9-1-1: Lone Star's "Difficult Conversations!"

***

Buck was woken the next morning by the trill of his phone. He groaned, fumbling for the side table and finding his ringing phone. "Hello?" he asked groggily.

"Why did I have to find out from Amanda Rollins where you are, Buckley?"

Buck sat upright, suddenly wide awake when he recognized the voice on the other end. "Nick?" he asked in disbelief, looking at his phone. "How did you – ?"

"Get your new number?" Nick Amaro finished for him. "I follow Amanda and Carisi on their social media pages. Imagine my surprise when I found a group photo of when they visited the Strands in Austin, Texas . . . and recognized not just Sylvie Brett, but also Evan Buckley in one of their pictures."

Buck blinked rapidly. "Hang on, you know Sylvie?"

"I was in Chicago a few times with SVU, I saw her in passing," Nick said nonchalantly. "Not important right now. You're in Austin?"

Buck sighed, rubbing his forehead. He should've thought about that after the last few weeks . . . of course he and Sylvie had social media, and of course Nick's friends did, too. His California friend was bound to learn from one of the SVU team where he was. "Yeah, I'm in Austin," he confirmed. "I'm sorry it took so long to share it, the rest of the 118 only just found out after the wildfires."

"Amanda said Captain Strand got whammied by the San Angelo fires," Nick hummed. "Is that why they were there?"

"Yeah," Buck confirmed. "He and Sylvie were in a chopper to help find a missing kid, and it was brought down by the winds. They were trapped out in the wildfires for hours. The SVU squad, along with their ADA Peter Stone, flew out to see him and TK."

"Right, Barba isn't with the Sex Crimes Bureau anymore," Nick said. "How are they doing? Captain Strand and Brett?"

"Far better than before," Buck smiled. "You know, now that they don't have concussions and Sylvie doesn't have the back of her head busted open."

" . . . ouch."

"Yeah, her best friends didn't take too kindly to that happening," Buck winced. "And let's not touch on opinions regarding the incident commander."

"Rumors are making their way around Los Angeles about a Deputy Chief De Leon?"

Buck sighed loudly. "Bobby's doing, probably. Yeah . . . I never want to piss Deputy Chief Radford off that much in my life. Let's just say if looks could kill, De Leon would be in the worst circle of hell at this moment."

Nick hummed. "I can think of a few bastards I went after while with SVU that should be down there."

Buck snorted. "Yeah, I can only imagine."

"So I did a little bit more digging after I saw in Amanda's post that you're in Austin. Rescue Squad, huh? I remember hearing all about what that entails from Captain Strand and Tyler. That's right in your wheelhouse, my friend."