𝙱𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 - 𝚂. 𝙼𝚌𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝

The acrid scent of smoke still clung to the air, stinging Olivia Williams' nostrils as she pressed a trembling hand against the charred wall of what was once a drug house. Her leg throbbed, a dull, persistent ache that echoed the ringing in her ears. "Lucas, come back!" she'd called out, but her partner had vanished into the chaos. The bust had gone sideways, a small bomb turning a routine operation into a scene of devastation. Five officers down, three injured – including her.

She leaned heavily, pushing herself upright, her eyes scanning for any sign of her partner. The drug house was a skeletal ruin, its purpose now swallowed by the flames. "Williams to command," she rasped into her radio, her voice strained. "We have five officers dead and three more injured." The words felt hollow, inadequate for the carnage around her.

Limping across the debris-strewn road, Olivia sought support against another building, her leg threatening to give out. The world still spun slightly. A voice crackled over her radio, cutting through the ringing. "Lieutenant, we have officers and medical on route to you." It was a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless. She was still in command, still in the fight, even if every fiber of her being screamed in protest.