| Introducing: Cassandra Cortez Reed Chapter 1 |
| GAME OVER!!! McNair took aim and with one shot hit the young police inspector directly in the heart. The gunman made a clean getaway as he left the young man lying in a pool of blood, his body slowly losing life. EVAN....EVAN....NO!!! Cassandra Reed screamed as she bolted upright in the bed. It had been almost three months since her brother, Evan Cortez, had been killed while investigating a money laundering ring that was operating out of Las Vegas. The details of Evan's murder haunted her dreams almost nightly. Getting up from the bed, she went into the bathroom to splash her face with cool water. Gazing at her image in the mirror, she wondered if life would ever be the same again. To try to sleep would be useless, so she went downstairs to the living room. After lighting a candle and finding some soothing music on the radio, she sat in the dark watching the candlelight flicker and thought about all of the changes that had taken place in her life. Cassandra or Casey as her brothers had called her, had been orphaned at the age of six when her parents were killed in an auto accident caused by a drunk driver. Her godparents, Vincent and Maria Cortez, adopted her and she moved from Georgia to Chicago to live. The Cortez family seemed complete with the addition of Casey. Their son Thomas was ten years old and Casey idolized him. He allowed her to follow him around and always included her in his play activities. Five years later, another son was added to the family. Young Casey loved her new little brother and she would sing to him when he cried. She called him her baby and promised that she would always take care of him. The Cortez name was familiar with the Chicago Police Department. Vincent Cortez was a Police Captain and his brothers and sister were also on the force. It came as no surprise when Tommy joined the police academy and then joined the CPD upon graduation. He became well respected in the community for his acts of heroism. He helped to establish various charities for the police department, had received several citations for bravery and was considered to be the best undercover detective in his unit. Casey followed suit when she graduated from high school and was only twenty-one when she joined the force. Her plans were to follow in Tommy's footsteps, working undercover on the drug enforcement unit. It would take a couple of years before she would be promoted to the unit of her choice so she continued to attend college and managed to graduate with a double major in criminology and computer technology. At the age of 24, she finally reached her goal of being appointed to the drug unit plus she had graduated from college with honors. Life just couldn't get any better. * One year after joining the drug unit, she was assigned to a case with Tommy and two other officers. A local gang was trafficking cocaine and Casey's job was to pose as the girlfriend of Spike, a gang members who was also a police informent. With Casey's help, a meeting was set up between Tommy and the gang leader. The plan was to purchase the drugs and then bust the entire gang. Hopefully, one of the members would reveal the source who was supplying the drugs in exchange for a plea bargain. A few hours before the buy was to take place, Tommy asked Casey to join him on the roof of the police station. He had a strange feeling about tonight and wanted to make sure that she knew what was expected of her. Tommy: This is your first major bust, Sis. I want you to be careful tonight. Whatever happens, remember that you have a job to do. When this thing goes down, all hell is going to break loose so watch your back...don't take an stupid chances. Remember your training...remember what I've taught you. If something should go wrong....well, you understand what I am saying? Casey: I know what you're saying, Tommy, but hey...the Cortez crew is on top of this thing. (checking her watch, she tugs on his arm and dances) Come on Big Brother, It's time to rock and roll! Tommy(sighing): Right behind you, Sis. Rock and Roll? Girl, you know I like jazz. Casey arrived at the abandoned garage where the buy was to take place and walked in with Spike. There were about 10 people waiting as Tommy and the others arrived. A deal was made and as the officers were about to identify themselves, Spike walked over to Tommy and tore open his shirt revealing a wire. When the shooting started, Casey managed to find cover behind a metal barrel while returning fire. She was reloading her pistol when she saw a young boy aiming a gun at Tommy. She yelled a warning and fired a shot at the boy but it was too late. She could only watch in horror as the bullet hit Tommy in the chest and he fell to the ground. Casey looked back to see that the boy was also on the ground. An officer was checking him for a pulse and shook his head to let her know that the boy was dead. Casey ran to Tommy and began applying pressure to the bullet wound. She managed to get to her cell phone to call for help. Casey: This is Officer Cassandra Cortez. We need an ambulance at the Harris Street garage. We have an officer down. I repeat, an officer is down. Tommy was gasping for air and she told him to stay still and quiet as she held him in her arms until help could come. Casey: You're going to be fine, big brother. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." When they arrived at the hospital, the attendants wheeled Tommy into surgery and left Casey in the waiting room feeling helpless. Evan and their parents came running into the emergency room and found Casey sitting with the other officers waiting for news from the doctors. Evan was a rookie cop just out of the academy and assigned to The Heights. He had been making rounds that night with a veteran cop when he got the news about Tommy. The doctor came from surgery and broke the news that too much internal damaged had been sustained and that there was nothing that could be done. While their parents went in to see Tommy, Evan and Casey sat together in the waiting room. Evan was trying to hide his emotions but Casey knew that he was hurting. Evan: I can't believe this. What happened anyway? She told him the story of the set up and of the fourteen year old boy who was responsible for shooting their brother. Casey: I fired a shot and hit the kid but he was faster than I was. He got off a shot before I could take him down. They noticed their parents walking back to the waiting room. Maria was sobbing and leaning on Vincent for support. Vincent Cortez: Casey...Evan...He wants to see the two of you. Evan took Casey's hand and led her down the hallway to the room where Tommy lay fighting for his life. He was hooked up to all kinds of equipment that would help his body to function. Casey caught her breath when she saw all of the monitors and walked over to stand beside his bed. Evan walked around to the other side and called his brother's name. Tommy opened his eyes and weakly said hello. Tommy: I need a promise from the two of you. (reaching out to take the hands of his siblings and placing them over his heart) I want the two of you to promise to take care of each other. I need to know that you will always be there for each other. Will you make this promise for me? Casey(crying): I promise, Tommy. I love you, Big Brother. Evan: I promise too, Bro. We'll watch out for each other...promise. Tommy swallowed hard and as tears ran down his cheeks, he told them "I love you both very much and I am very proud of you." He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath and then he was gone. Casey(screaming): Tommy? No... Tommy, don't leave us. Evan ran to Casey as she began to cry hysterically. They embraced and cried together. No matter what, they would keep the promise that they had made to Tommy. A few months after Tommy's death, Casey and Evan decided to leave the Chicago Police Department. It would be hard to separate but they knew that it was time to get on with their lives. Evan transferred to the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit where he was offered a position as an Inspector. Casey opted for a Special Investigators position with the Amarillo Police Department in Texas. During the next few years, Casey advanced quickly in the unit and became an Inspector in the Homicide Division. It was during this time that she met and married Lt. Cody Reed. He had reminded her of Tommy in many ways. He was kind, caring and protective. Their relationship had never been very passionate or physical and at times Casey felt that something was missing. But he was a good man and she was comfortable with him. She did love him and after a short courtship, they were married. The morning of their third anniversary, Casey and Cody went their separate ways with Cody telling her that he would call later in the morning to discuss dinner plans. His call never came and at 2:15 pm, Casey was called into Captain Tom Nelson's office. Nelson: Casey, I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this but Cody was shot during a hold up at First Savings Bank this morning. He died instantly. I'm so very sorry. Casey was devastated. Another loved one had lost his life in the line of duty. This couldn't be happening again, she thought. Her partner, Stephanie, had wanted to accompany her home but Casey declined the offer insisting that she wanted to be alone. She left work and returned to the little apartment that she had shared with Cody. She felt numb and wanted to scream but couldn't seem to find her voice. The ringing of the doorbell shook her from her thoughts and when she opened the door, Evan was there. No words were needed. He simply put his arms around her and held while she cried. * It was on the 4th of May just one year ago that Casey was pulled from her undercover assignment and told to report to Captain Nelson as soon as possible. She knew that something was wrong but she wasn't prepared to hear the words that Nelson spoke. Nelson: I received a call a while ago from Captain Nash Bridges of the SFPD. Evan was on assignment in Las Vegas investigating a money laundering scam. Casey, I'm sorry.... Casey: Evan's dead, isn't he? Nelson: I'm afraid so. Captain Nelson filled her in on the details of the shooting and what Captain Bridges had told him about the gunman who had managed to get away. His name was Roy McNair and if it took the rest of her life, Casey swore that she would find him and make him pay for taking Evan's life. * * * |
 |
 |