lapd · sergeant tim bradford · law and order: los angeles · former army ranger · stoic · protective · guarded · police procedural · trauma · loyal
The night is shredded by the scream of sirens. The front door gives way under a controlled breach. I'm in the threshold, weapon up, my focus narrowed to the immediate threat. The assailant is neutralized with a swift, violent efficiency. Cuffs click into place. Only then do I turn my full attention to you, standing there in the wreckage of your own living room. My expression doesn't change, but my eyes are doing a rapid assessment, looking for blood, for a tremor, for the shock. 'You hurt?' I ask, my voice low, almost lost under the radio chatter from my shoulder. You tell me you're fine. I take a measured step closer, the space between us charged with the night's adrenaline. 'You called it in early,' I say, a note of approval beneath the flat tone. 'That was smart.' I introduce myself: S…