The Mid-Wilshire police station had a completely different atmosphere at night.
The fluorescent lights were cooler, the movement reduced to spaced steps and low voices.
The constant sounds of the day telephones, laughter, overlapping radios were now replaced by keyboards, creaking chairs, and the distant hum of the ventilation system.
Angela sat at one of the desks near the reporting area, her uniform now a little more relaxed, sleeves slightly rolled up.
In front of her, the computer displayed the day’s patrol electronic form.
Next to her, Harry typed silently.
Focused.
Methodical.
Each sentence revised before being confirmed.
He didn’t seem tired in the usual sense he didn’t yawn, he didn’t stretch but there was something in his posture that betrayed the weight of a long day.
Angela finished typing and leaned back in her chair, exhaling slowly.
“For a second day…” she said, “it was too quiet.”
Harry didn’t immediately look up.
“Normally that means the third won’t be either,” he replied.
Angela gave a half-smile.
“You speak like someone who’s seen worse cycles.”
“I speak like someone who’s learned not to trust calm,” he replied, finally looking at her.
Before Angela could retort, firm footsteps echoed down the corridor.
“Lopez,” Tim Bradford’s deep voice announced his arrival even before he was fully in view.
Tim came with a cup of coffee in his hand, his expression serious as always.
Right behind him, Talia Bishop, erect posture, attentive gaze, and a few seconds later, Sergeant Wade Grey, with that calm presence that hid years of difficult decisions.
Lastly, emerging from the administrative area, Captain Zoe Anderson.
Angela straightened instinctively.
“Captain.
Sergeant,” she said.
Harry did the same.
“Good evening, ma’am,” he said respectfully.
Zoe made a casual gesture with her hand.
“Relax.
Shift’s over,” she said.
“We just came to see how your day went.”
Wade crossed his arms, leaning on a nearby table.
“Second day of our most… interesting recruit,” he commented, looking directly at Harry.
Tim leaned on the table opposite them.
“So?” he asked.
“How was the patrol?”
Angela took the floor, as expected.
“Productive,” she said.
“Routine calls, a non-escalating robbery incident, a disturbance that could have gone wrong.”
“‘Could have’ is the key word,” Talia commented.
Angela nodded.
“A family trying to rent a house.
Hostile landlord.
Clear tendency toward discrimination.” She paused briefly, then added: “And that’s when I discovered something new about my rookie.”
Wade raised an eyebrow.
“What exactly?”
Angela turned her face toward Harry, with a half-smile of disbelief.
“He speaks Pashto.”
The effect was immediate.
Tim frowned.
“Pashto?” he repeated.
“Like in Afghanistan?”
“Exactly.” Angela confirmed.
“He communicated directly with the family.
De-escalated everything.”
Talia turned slowly to Harry.
“You speak Pashto.” she said, more as a statement of fact than a question.
“Yes, ma’am.” Harry replied neutrally.
Zoe crossed her arms, analyzing.
“That wasn’t anywhere in your file.” she commented.
“They didn’t ask.” Harry replied simply.
Wade let out a low sound, almost a laugh.
“Of course not.”
Tim set his coffee cup down on the table, now completely focused on Harry.
“So let me understand,” he said.
“An LAPD patrol recruit speaks Pashto fluently.”
“Functionally,” Harry corrected.
“Fluent implies deep cultural nuances.”
The silence that followed was heavy.
Angela broke it.
“And that’s not all,” she said.
“When we got back to the patrol car, I asked him how many languages he spoke.”
Wade tilted his head.
“And?”
Angela took a deep breath, as if still processing.
“You mean you, Potter, or me?” she asked, looking at him.
Harry was silent for a moment.
All eyes were on him now.
“Spanish,” he began.
“Russian.
Mandarin.
French.”
He paused briefly.
“Besides English, obviously.”
The effect was almost physical.
Talia blinked slowly.
“You’re kidding.”
“No,” Harry replied.
Wade let out a low whistle.
“That’s…” he searched for the word, “excessive.”
Zoe kept her face impassive, but her eyes were too attentive.
Tim, however, didn’t smile.
He watched Harry like a man recognizing something familiar—and dangerous.
“Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, French… Pashto,” Tim repeated.
“You don’t learn that on an app.”
Harry held his gaze.
“No.”
Tim crossed his arms.
“I served in an infantry unit in the Army,” he said.
“Iraq.
Afghanistan.
I know exactly who learns Pashto… and why.”
The air grew thicker.
Angela glanced quickly at Tim, then at Harry.
“Tim…” she began.
“No,” Tim said.
“I just want to know one thing,” he interrupted, politely but firmly.
He took a step forward.
“Where have you operated?”
The silence stretched for a few seconds that were far too long.
Harry looked at Zoe first.
Then at Wade.
Then at Angela.
Finally, he turned to Tim.
“Officially?” he asked.
Tim didn’t blink.
“No.”
Harry took a deep breath.
“Middle East,” he said.
“Several countries.”
Angela felt a pang in her stomach.
“Africa,” Harry continued.
“North and sub-Saharan.”
Wade narrowed his eyes.
“Europe,” Harry added.
“Eastern and Western.”
Talia tilted her head slightly, absorbing it.
“And Asia,” Harry finished.
“Central and Eastern.”
The silence was now absolute.
Zoe was the first to speak.
“That’s… a lot for someone starting out as a recruit,” he said.
“I’m not starting to learn about people,” Harry replied.
“Just about this system.”
Tim exhaled slowly.
“You’ve been in hot zones,” he stated.
“Very hot.”
“Yes,” Harry agreed.
“And yet you decided to become a patrol officer,” Tim added.
“Yes,” Angela finally spoke, her voice lower.
“Why?”
Harry hesitated before answering.
When he spoke, there was no drama.
No pride.
“Because out there,” he said, “I solved problems too big to see the faces of those affected.
Here…” he made a slight gesture with his hand, “I can stop a child from going to bed scared because of an argument at their front door.”
Wade nodded slowly.
“That…” he said, “I understand.”
Zoe watched Harry for a few more seconds.
“Mr.
Potter.” she said then.
“You understand that this kind of history draws attention.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“And you understand that some people might feel… intimidated.”
Harry tilted his head.
“That’s not my intention.”
“But it could happen.” Tim added.
Harry looked directly at him.
“I’m not here to compete with anyone.” he said.
“I’m here to learn how to be useful without destroying everything around me.”
Angela felt a pang in her chest.
“He did exactly that today.” she said.
“It was useful.
And it prevented everything from escalating.”
Talia nodded.
“Language is power.” she commented.
“And he used it well.”
Zoe took a deep breath.
“Very good.” she said.
“Reports finished?”
Angela nodded.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Zoe turned to Harry.
“Tomorrow you remain under observation.” she said.
“Not out of distrust.”
“But out of interest.” Wade finished.
Harry nodded.
“Understood.”
Tim picked up his coffee cup again, now cold.
“Just a warning, Potter.” he said.
“I’ll be watching you closely.”
Harry held his gaze.
“I hope so, Officer Bradford.”
Tim nodded once, satisfied.
The group began to disperse.
Angela closed her computer and stood up.
“Let’s go.” she said to Harry.
“Time to go home.”
As they walked outside, Angela spoke in a low voice:
“Did you realize you just made everyone uncomfortable?”
Harry thought for a moment.
“Yes.”
“Does that bother you?” she asked.
He put his hands in his pockets.
“Not anymore.” he replied.
“It means I’m being honest.”
Angela smiled slightly.
“Mid-Wilshire will take a while to understand you.”
Harry opened the door.
“Me too.”
And together, they went out into the Los Angeles night a city that was slowly beginning to realize that there was something much bigger hidden behind that new badge.
pat/SHADOWGHOST07
Full story over there