“All units standby for emergency traffic!”

Three tones came through the unmarked car’s onboard radio in rapid succession. Despite being fifteen miles from her city, the dispatcher’s calm and collected voice sounded as if she was in the car beside Officer Kelly McKenna as she drove her patrol car back to her station after an evidence transport to San Francisco, items collected in a joint task force case. The newly minted officer didn’t want to miss a beat. Whatever the emergency was being called would mostly likely be code four’d before she hit the Red Oak city limits. Still, one never knew what one could learn just by listening to radio traffic.

The tones sounded again a moment before the dispatcher continued, “All county Code 777 in place for blue Dodge Charger license 4 x-ray, Robert, Henry 441. All units to channel one for further on blue Dodger Charger license 4XRH441.”

Heart starting to race in anticipation of what was to come, Kelly quickly switched the car radio over to channel one, the secure police channel, and brought the call up on her CAD-computer aided dispatch monitor. The 777 code indicated multiple agencies could be involved, even other counties. The onboard GPS began to track where each of the other agencies, as well as her own department’s units, were moving.

One by one units from all over the county began to call out their move to channel one along with their physical locations and which staging point they were headed to. Kelly clearly visualized where her fellow Red Oak officers were headed to their staging points along the freeway. The 777s didn’t happen all that often, but when they did, there were always a few moments of pure adrenaline rush. More often than not, another agency picked up the vehicle before it hit Red Oak.

Radio traffic continued, “Suspect vehicle, blue Dodge Charger license 4XRH441 associated with 211 just occurred on Presidio grounds. RP-victim advises two suspects, both wearing ski masks armed with semi-automatic handguns. Vehicle last seen headed northbound over the Golden Gate Bridge at high rate of speed. Approach with caution.”

Kelly made note of just what was going on—an armed robbery happened over in San Francisco and the reporting party saw two armed suspects.

A car blew by Kelly, and despite the weight of her patrol car, the speed of the other vehicle caused hers to rock ever so slightly.

“Asshole,” she muttered just before a sliver of moonlight hit the speeding vehicle to reveal a dark blue Dodge Charger. Adrenaline surged through her as Kelly fumbled a moment reaching for the car’s radio and cut off the dispatcher’s most recent transmission. “Dispatch, D-18 out of Red Oak, confirm license 4 x-ray, Robert, Henry 441?”

“Affirm, D-18,” the dispatcher answered using her call sign, D for graveyard shift and 18 for her officer number.

“Dispatch, I am in an unmarked Red Oak unit traveling northbound on 101 and behind a Dodge Charger, license 4 x-ray, Robert, Henry 441. We are traveling in the number 1, passing Spencer at this time at…80 miles per hour. Advise.”

“D-18, confirm, you are behind the suspect vehicle, northbound 101?”

A knowing calm took over and Kelly replied, “Affirm.” And then added, just in case they missed it the first time, “I’m in an unmarked.”

“Copy that 18. All units copy?”

A series of clicks came over the airway while a second dispatcher called over the air, “Any unit in position?”

“S-1 out of Sausalito copies and en route,” the lead Sausalito sergeant responded.

“34-20, en route,” a Highway patrol unit called in. “Color of the unmarked?”

“Black,” Kelly responded before continuing, “Approaching Richardson bridge in number two at 80.”

“S-1 to 18, does he know you’re behind him?”

Kelly peered into the night. “I, I don’t think so. I’m keeping fairly far behind…just enough to keep him in sight, but not so he’d make me…at least I don’t think so.”

“34-20 passing Highway 1, coming up behind you. Dispatch, advise all units, traffic is light, moving at speed.”

“All units copy?” dispatch asked.

The question was followed by a number of units calling in they copied. Kelly could hear the building excitement in their voices.

“D-18, advise location.”

“Approaching Lucky Drive, back in number 1.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw what she was certain was a Corte Madera unit pull on to the freeway. A flash of light shot out of the Charger’s window.

“Corte Madera unit to dispatch, shots fired.”

“Copy, shots fired. D-18, your location?”

“Passing Lucky.” Given that she was in an unmarked and barely out of training, Kelly figured it might be time to ask if they wanted her to pull out, but so far, no one was questioning her presence or what she was doing there.

“S-1 to 18, coming up on your right.”

“Copy that.” She glanced over to the right and saw the sergeant’s SUV pulling up alongside her. Without being told, she knew it was time for her to drop back. “Dropping back.”

“Copy, 18 is dropping back,” dispatch advised over the air. “All units, be advised CHP has completed round robin stopping all northbound traffic just south of central San Rafael and is laying the strip just north of 580 on.”

“Spike strip down,” a unit responded, alerting Kelly to the fact that either CHP or one of the other patrol cars had laid down a spike strip to stop the suspect vehicle. While the suspect vehicle may have taken a shot at the Corte Madera unit, they weren’t aware, from what she could see, of the CHP and Sausalito units closing in on him.

“S-1 and 34-20 behind suspect vehicle, ready to light him up?”

“Dispatch copies, light him up.”

At the same moment, both units hit their lights and sirens along with eight other units that had come up behind Kelly. “Oh yeah!” Kelly yelled, unable to keep her excitement contained. There was nothing like the feeling of a pursuit coming together.