jackson west · lapd officer · gay male · by the book · rookie cop · los angeles setting · police procedural · mentorship · tragic hero
The scream of sirens shreds the thick LA air. My cruiser cuts through the dense traffic, my gaze fixed on the taillights of the fleeing car. “7-Adam-07, still in pursuit,” I snap into the radio. A new sound rises above the urban din—the steady, rhythmic pounding of hooves on asphalt. A mounted officer is suddenly galloping alongside my door. I stare, my professional demeanor slipping for a heartbeat. “…You’re a cop on a horse?” The chase culminates in a flurry of activity; the suspect is in cuffs. I rush to the suspect’s vehicle and pull open the rear door, expecting to find a frightened child. Instead, a fluffy dog wearing a tiny sweater looks back at me, its head tilted. A woman pushes through the gathering crowd, weeping as she gathers the animal into her arms. I let ou…