Chapter 13-14 - Former CIA, Now LAPD

Chapter 13 – Hidden Truths

January 31, 2016 – 9:05 p.m.

Grant Residence — Kitchen

The house was quiet. Michael was in the bedroom with Harry, helping the boy with a puzzle with over a thousand pieces that, according to him, represented "the map of a secret spy castle." May was on the couch, with headphones on, watching videos on her cell phone.

Athena was pouring two glasses of wine in the kitchen. Mike was leaning against the counter, still in his uniform, but with his vest removed. He was at ease, but alert. The energy in the air was different denser, quieter, charged with something that still had no name.

"You seem more tired than usual," Mike commented, taking the glass.

Athena swirled the wine in the glass delicately, her eyes fixed on the movement.

"It's old fatigue. The kind you accumulate inside."

Mike didn't answer right away. He just took a sip.

— "You know what's funny?" — she continued. — "People always talk about how hard it is to be a woman, black, and a police officer. But no one talks about what it's like to pretend to have a perfect life... inside your own home."

Mike watched her carefully. No rush. Just presence.

— "You don't have to pretend with me."

Athena took a deep breath. Then she looked at him, determined.

— "Michael is gay."

Mike didn't show surprise, but he remained silent. Not out of judgment, but out of respect. He knew that misplaced words at that moment could hurt.

— "You're still married."

— "Yes. On paper, and for love. But not as man and woman."

She rested both hands on the counter, looking down.

— "Michael told me a year after we had May. He struggled with it for so long. He thought he could 'get over it'. But it wasn't something to get over. It was part of him. He cried. I cried. And then… we chose to be a family anyway."

Mike drank slowly.

— "You have a strong bond."

— "Yes. And a lot of respect. But the kids don't know. Not even Michael wants to tell them yet. He thinks Harry is too young, and May… is a teenager. She's at war with everything. And honestly? I don't know how to tell them either. How to explain that our family Sundays, our dinners, our harmony… are real, but not conventional."

Mike came closer, but without invading their space.

— "And you? How do you feel about that?"

Athena gave a bitter laugh.

— "I've become good at living in compartments. At work, I'm firm. At home, I'm a mother. With Michael, I'm a friend. And when no one's looking... I'm a bunch of empty spaces filled with obligations."

Mike leaned his elbow on the counter next to her. — "Have you ever thought about living something of your own? A personal new beginning?"

She looked at him with tired but sincere eyes. — "Yes. But with two children and a city that never sleeps, new beginnings seem like luxuries that only those who have time can afford."

Mike lowered his tone. — "You deserve more than time. You deserve truth. And you deserve real love too."

She remained silent for a few seconds. The wine was forgotten. — "I don't know how to do this. Sometimes I catch myself wondering if I'll ever know."

Mike lightly touched the rim of her glass, an almost symbolic gesture. — "The first step is to talk. And you've already taken that step. Now... the rest can come little by little."

10:40 p.m. – Grant's porch

Later, in the darkness of the back porch, Athena and Mike sat on two iron chairs, each with a glass in hand. The Los Angeles sky was clear. No helicopters, no car alarms, no screams in the distance.

Just the sound of leaves rustling and the rustling of someone in the neighborhood taking out the trash.

— "Does Michael know you're confused?"

Athena nodded.

— "Of course. He knows me. And I know him. We created this home with love, even without passion. We created boundaries. But it's hard to keep a line when everything around you changes."

— "Are you afraid of falling in love again?"

She looked at him. For a second, her eyes weren't those of a cop, or a mother. They were those of a woman vulnerable, strong, real.

— "I do. Not for me. But for the children. For the mess this could bring. For the possibility that something as simple as loving someone… could break what we spent so long building."

Mike tilted his head.

— "What if what you built is strong enough to withstand the truth?"

She smiled sadly.

— "Then maybe I'll allow myself to dream again."

12:12 a.m. – Entrance to the house

Before leaving, Mike stopped at the door. Athena followed him, her hand on the frame.

— "Thank you for trusting me."

— "Thank you for not running away after you found out."

Mike looked at her softly.

— "I've run away from a lot of things. But... you're not one of them."

She didn't answer. She just nodded.

And then, Mike left, walking slowly down the sidewalk to his car.

No sirens.

No call.

Only the echo of what was said.

And the silence of everything that was yet to come.

Chapter 14 – Silent Blood Brothers

February 1, 2016 – 11:03 AM

Car 12-A-49 | Pico-Union, Los Angeles

The sky was overcast, leaden tones covering the tops of the buildings. Mike was driving. Athena was silent, her eyes fixed on her tablet. She wasn't reading. She was distant.

— "You're quiet." — he said, without taking his eyes off the street.

It took her a few seconds to respond.

— "I got a text before we left. A friend of mine. Elijah Monroe."

Mike glanced at her briefly.

— "Military name."

— "Reserve Sergeant. Marine. Served with me in the Military Civil Support Unit. When I was still part of the Community Patrol Corps during my internships."

— "Is he okay?"

Athena pressed her lips together, hesitant.

— "I don't think so. The message was short. 'I need help. Don't call 911. I trust you.' He sent the address of his home in Baldwin Village."

Mike nodded. — "Let's go."

She looked at him, surprised. — "No report, no dispatch?"

— "You wouldn't ignore a request like that. Neither would I."

11:21 AM – Elijah Monroe's House | Baldwin Village

The house was simple, beige facade, rusty gate, yard with tall grass and piled up newspapers. A notice from the post office taped to the box indicated that deliveries were suspended.

Athena knocked loudly. — "Elijah! It's Athena! I'm with a colleague from the LAPD! Open the door, please!"

Silence. Mike walked to the side, looking out the windows. He noticed a metallic glint on the floor: an overturned medicine cap next to a glass.

— "Someone's down in the living room."

Athena was already pulling out the radio.

— "12-A-49 requesting ambulance and backup at 2748 Southwest Boulevard. Male unconscious inside the residence. Probable suicide attempt."

Mike turned around and examined the lock.

— "It's old. One kick and it gives way."

Athena nodded.

— "Go."

Mike stepped back, braced his body and broke the door down with a single blow. The wood creaked. The smell of sweat, cigarettes and old medication filled the air.

Elijah was on the floor, pale, cold sweat dripping. Beside him, bottles of sedatives and a torn note were on the table. Mike went straight to the vital signs. Athena knelt on the other side.

— "Elijah… it's me. Athena. Stay with me."

Mike opened his eyes carefully. Pupils sluggish. Low blood pressure. Weak but present pulse.

— "He took a high dose, but it's not lethal if the ambulance is fast. It helps keep him awake."

Athena held his hand firmly.

— "Can you hear me? I'm here. You texted me. I came."

Elijah's mouth moved slightly.

— "Tired…"

Mike grabbed a kitchen towel and wiped it across his forehead.

— "You don't have to face this alone, Sergeant. I've seen men die for less than what you carried."

Elijah slowly moved his eyes to Mike.

— "You… served?"

— "Ground Branch. CIA. 14 years."

Elijah murmured:

— "You… have ghosts too, right?"

Mike nodded.

— "But now… I've learned to talk to them. Not to run away."

Siren in the distance.

Athena looked up at the sky and whispered:

— "Hold on, Elijah. Don't make me bury you."

11:40 a.m. – Ambulance on scene

Hen and Chimney arrived with surgical precision. Hen checked his blood pressure. Chim put on his oxygen mask.

— "He's unstable, but conscious. We'll need to pump his stomach and check his liver function. You're lucky he was found."

Athena nodded, her eyes watery but controlled.

Mike stood by, watching.

Hen looked at him.

— "You have a way with broken people."

Mike replied quietly:

— "Because I was once one of them."

1:12 p.m. – VA Hospital | Stabilization Unit

Elijah was conscious. His eyes red. His hands were shaking. Mike and Athena were sitting in the room. Neither of them were in uniform. Just people there.

— "Sorry." — Elijah said, his voice hoarse.

Athena squeezed his hand.

— "There's no excuse for asking. You called for help. And that... that's courage, not weakness."

Elijah looked at Mike.

— "You seem like the type who... doesn't scare easily."

— "I'm scared by indifference. Not by pain."

Silence. Until Elijah murmured:

— "Every day I wake up hoping my war is over. And every day I realize it's still here, inside me."

Mike answered, his voice low:

— "The war doesn't end. But you can build peace around it. Small gardens of peace. People who understand. Who listen. Who stay."

Athena wiped her eyes discreetly.

— "You're going to a support center. I've already called a colleague. They'll accompany you. But I... I'm going to visit you. And I'm not saying this out of protocol. I'm saying this as a friend."

Elijah looked at the two of them. A ray of hope amidst the rubble.

— "Thank you."

6:40 p.m. – Porch of the Grant house

Back at the house. Mike was sitting with Athena, as was almost a ritual.

— "You saved his life today."

— "No. He saved himself by sending the message. We just got there in time."

Mike looked up at the sky.

— "How many men have we lost… because they thought they couldn't send a message."

Athena nodded. They were silent.

Until Mike spoke:

— "You know, I've never had anyone look into my eyes the way you looked at Elijah today."

Athena answered, sincerely:

— "Maybe it's time for you to let someone else look."

He turned his face away. She did too.

The words didn't need to go any further.

The silence there was comfortable.

And every breath… a victory.

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Chapter 7 - Chapter 13-14