Chapter 52

The chase went into the street and down the road perpendicular to the campground. Adam had to stop for a minute to catch his breath. As he stood up again, he could hear a loud thud. It sounded like the man had fallen or been pushed. When he found him, Kim was standing there, one foot on his back and the other on the ground. She seemed satisfied with her catch.

"How on earth did you get this far out?"

"I heard him running. Do you think I was gonna let him get away? After the condition I saw Nadia in?"

"Get your foot off me!" He screamed.

"What was that? I didn't hear you. Say it louder." She kicked him and he rolled over onto his side.

He wasn't pleased with her reaction. "Maybe she shouldn't have been wearing short shorts and a tank top."

"That doesn't mean she was asking to be raped."

"She was asking for it."

"Yeah, she totally was." Kim said sarcastically. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Isn't she a call girl? I remember her pretty little face."

"She realized that wasn't the life she wanted. She went to college to be an officer and graduated from the academy."

"Cool story. Tell someone who cares. I'm not saying a word."

"Say cheese." Kim pulled out her phone and took a picture of him.

"Did I say you could take a picture of me?!"

"I don't have to ask."

He looked over at Adam. "Could you tell her to cut the attitude?"

"Nah, I'm good."

They walked him to the town police station, having to drag him inside. He tried resisting, but they were too strong for him. The officer at the desk looked over his glasses at them when they walked in.

"May I help you?"

"We're from down in Chicago." She said.

"What are you doing all the way up here in Minnesota?"

"Family vacation. Anyway, we have reason to believe this man committed a rape."

"On what grounds?"

"Minnesota cops are idiots." She said under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. We have clear evidence."

"Show me."

She lifted the guy's hands up, showing the bloody and bruised knuckles.

"Bloody knuckles doesn't mean he raped anyone. It means he got roughed up."

"He matched the description the victim gave us! Her face is bruised and bloodied. See? There's the tattoo she said he had. Brown hair, blue eyes, same height and weight as she told us. What more could you need?!"

"How about a victim to give a statement?"

Kim leaned on the counter. "Look, today has already gone from great to awful. How about you do your job before I turn you in for obstructing justice?"

"Making threats isn't going to get you anywhere."

"Do you know who I work for?"

"I'm not sure I want to know."

The man rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap."

"Adam, was he part of the conversation?"

"I don't recall."

"All I said was cut the crap. No one wants to hear that. You should get fired for your attitude."

"That's not going to happen."

Matt drove Nadia down to the station so they could get a positive i.d. She stood on the other side of the two way mirror, shaking as she looked at the line up.

"You see him?" The arresting officer asked.

"Th-that's him. Number five."

"That was the man we brought in." Adam said.

"Who are you? Why are you in here?" The police chief asked him.

"I'm from Chicago."

"I'm afraid this is out of your jurisdiction, so you can't decide what happens here."

"I'm very aware of that, but the victim and perp are both Chicago natives. Can't he be extradited back to Illinois?"

"They both may be from Illinois, but the crime was committed here in Minnesota. Therefore, he will have to stay here and be tried here. Once a decision has been made, he can be extradited back to Illinois and serve his sentence in Cook County."

"What am I supposed to do in the meantime? Pretend like it never happened?!"

"No, Ms...um."

"Decotis."

"You will need to have a rape kit done."

"No! No no no no no!"

Kim put a hand on her shoulder. "You have to. It's the only way that we'll get him for sure."

"Won't they find out about me being a...you know."

"That was years ago. Unless there was any permanent damage to your body, there will be no evidence. Would it make you feel better if I was in the room with you?"

"Yeah it would."

"I'll be there."

"She needs to have it done as soon as possible. If she doesn't, we'll have no DNA evidence."

Kim gave him a dirty look. "Stop treating me like I don't know how to do my job. I've been on the job for seven years, pretty sure I know what I'm doing."

"I didn't mean-"

"The one thing you never EVER tell me how to do is my job."

He looked over at Adam. "Can you control your partner here?"

"I don't tell her how to do her job and neither should you."

"As you wish."

"I get what I want." Adam said, slamming the door as they left the room.

At the hospital, the examining doctor wouldn't let anyone into the room.

"I want her in there with me! Or I refuse the exam!"

The doctor moved aside and let Kim in.

"This exam will take approximately a half hour. I will need to do an internal and external one, which includes taking swabs and pictures."

Nadia was nervous, but nodded her head in agreement to what would happen. Kim held her hand and talked to her through the whole thing. After Nadia was dressed, the doctor looked at Kim.

"Where am I to send the evidence?" She asked, signing a paper.

"You are to send it to Hank Voight. He's the sergeant at the 21st district in Chicago, Illinois."

"I will send out right now."She packed it carefully in bags and then into a box. She scribbled down the address and had it sent out.

"Nadia, do you have a campsite at the grounds?"

"I have a vacation house near it."

"Would you be more comfortable staying at the site with me?"

"Could I?"

"You are more than welcome."

"I-I need to put on new clothes and shower."

"I'll stand guard in your driveway if you want me to."

"That would make me feel so much safer."

With every passing car, Kim looked over her sunglasses. It seemed to her that whenever something bad happened, it was to her or someone she knew. No one pulled in the driveway, except a girl who looked all too familiar to Kim. It was none other than Detective Alvarez.

"What are you doing here?" She asked when Amber was walking up the stairs.

"This is my vacation home. I guess I should be asking you what you're doing here."

"I'm here for Nadia."

"You know my cousin?"

"Nadia is your cousin?"

"Our moms were sisters."

"I've known her since she was sixteen."

"How?"

"She used to babysit my kids when they were babies."

"That was nice of her. Why are you waiting here though?"

"She just got back from the hospital after having a rape kit done."

"When did that happen?!"

"This morning. I took her to get the exam, to make the identification and she'll be staying with Adam and I tonight."

"What's wrong with the house?"

"She just doesn't feel comfortable sleeping here. I told her she could stay with us at the campsite. I'm there, Adam's there, Gabby and Matt are there, Erin and Jay are there, the kids. She'll be safe with us, nothing to worry about."

"How can I trust you?"

"I should be the one asking you that question. Ever since you came into the unit, you've been nothing but trouble. I think it's time I'm honest with you."

"I'm listening." Amber folded her arms and leaned against the railing.

"I don't like you. At all. In fact, I hate you. You were the worst thing to happen to this unit. Julie died and it's like the commander doesn't care. He just throws you into the unit as if nothing happened. You go and get drunk, risking your job. I've told you this before and this is the LAST time I'm telling you. Intelligence is not the unit to screw around in."

"I'm just happy you're honest. I like that quality in a person."

"I want you to stay away from Leslie. She's a good person who doesn't need to get mixed in with someone like you."

Nadia came out in the middle of that sentence and just sat there. "I'm ready."

"Let's go."

They got into Kim's car and headed back to the campground. The kids looked up when they heard them coming.

"Nadia?" Hannah asked, shoving an Oreo into her mouth.

She smiled and waved at them. They offered her some food while Adam took Kim aside.

"What did the evidence show?"

"I don't even want to talk about that. She was raped and it was gruesome."

"Where did you have them send the evidence?"

"I'm having them send it to Voight."

"That's illegal."

"I don't think he really cares what's legal and what's not."