Mid-Wilshire Police Station – Weapons Cleaning and Maintenance Room – 6:30 p.m.
The station was quieter by the end of the afternoon. The sun was disappearing behind the skyscrapers in the distance, casting long shadows across the polished floor of the technical area.
Gustavo was sitting at one of the tables in the maintenance room, carefully disassembling his standard LAPD Glock 17. On the table were a microfiber cloth, lubricating oil, an old toothbrush, and the cleaning kit provided by the division. He moved each piece with the precision of a watchmaker, knowing every detail as if it were an extension of himself.
Angela appeared in the doorway, holding her own already cleaned Glock, the gun in its holster. She watched for a few seconds without saying anything, noting the meticulousness with which Gustavo treated his equipment.
— "You clean your gun like it's a jewel," she commented, leaning against the doorframe.
Gustavo glanced over his shoulder and smiled briefly.
— "After seeing what happens when a misfeed jams your gun in the middle of an operation… you start treating it like life or death."
She walked in, pulled up a chair, and sat beside him, watching as he oiled the barrel with precision.
— "Have you ever had a misfeed like that?"
— "In training, yes. Not with me, but with another officer. He almost got shot in the face because the gun jammed and he was vulnerable for three seconds. Three seconds is an eternity in combat."
Angela nodded, looking at his gun.
— "You seem to have something on your mind. Go on, tell me."
Gustavo took a deep breath and put the tool aside.
— "I was wondering if we have any room within the protocol to... customize our weaponry. More specifically, I wanted to install a holographic sight on my Glock, maybe a Streamlight flashlight as well. Something that would help me in nighttime or low-visibility interventions."
Angela raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.
— "Holographic sight? On a pistol?"
— "I know it sounds overkill, but I've seen it used by JSOC operators. They attach Trijicon RMRs or EOTech Mini Reflexes, greatly improving target acquisition and accuracy on the move. Combine that with a push-button tactical flashlight, and you have a tool that makes a difference in real combat."
She looked at him, assessing the seriousness of his proposal.
— "Have you ever used this type of equipment before?"
— "I used it once during a rescue simulation exercise with the D.C. SWAT when I was in the DOD. The difference in response speed is noticeable. And with the type of incidents we're responding to, I don't want to rely on the standard. If I can improve my chances of getting home… and protecting someone… I'm going to try."
Angela looked at the floor for a moment, then looked at him.
— "There's an internal protocol. We have to get written approval from the captain. The weapon has to pass inspection. And the equipment has to be listed as compatible with the LAPD's technical requirements. You would have to present a technical report and… justify why."
Gustavo nodded with conviction.
— "I'm already writing the memo. I have operational data, ballistic analyses, and even recommendations from manufacturers who supply the FBI and DEA. And… I've already contacted Detective Hawkins from the weapons department. He said that if the captain authorizes it, he'll do the compatibility check himself."
Angela smiled, impressed.
— "You don't waste time, do you?"
— "Time is the enemy of those who live in a risk zone."
She was silent for a few seconds, then spoke in a softer tone:
— "You're always thinking about improving. That… that's rare. Most people here just want to survive the shift. But you want to perfect everything. Strategy, technique, equipment, approach."
— "It's not a matter of ego. It's… survival. And pride. I carry the responsibility for every choice I've made so far. Harvard, DOD, SWAT… it wasn't for nothing. I want to be ready for anything."
Angela watched him more closely. For the first time, she saw beyond the talented recruit. There was an operator in the making. A police officer who didn't see patrol as a routine, but as a mission.
She smiled.
— "Will you need help convincing the captain?"
— "It would be great if you could sign as a TO in support of the request."
She stood up, grabbed the pen Gustavo had on the desk, and scribbled her name at the top of the document.
— "Consider it done."
Gustavo looked at the signature and then back at her.
— "Thanks, Angela. Seriously."
— "If these improvements make you safer and give me less reason to drag you back with injuries... it's worth every penny. But just one thing."
— "Say it."
— "If you turn into the gadget-filled 'robot' who stops in the middle of the street to calibrate his aim, I'll rip that holographic thing off your Glock myself."
Gustavo laughed.
— "I promise I'll still be 90% human."
Two days later – Captain Zoe's Office
Zoe was examining Gustavo's memo with attentive eyes. Beside her, Sergeant Grey was leafing through the technical specifications of the Trijicon sight and the Streamlight TLR-1 HL flashlight.
— "This one has 1000 lumens. Do you want to mount a car headlight on your Glock, Silva?" Grey joked.
Gustavo calmly replied:
— "Sergeant, this type of flashlight has been used successfully in hostage operations in closed environments. The brightness prevents the attacker from seeing, giving time to react. The sight, on the other hand, is more for ensuring precision in low visibility situations. It combines speed with accuracy."
Zoe folded her hands on the table.
— "Gustavo, you've saved lives in this precinct before. And from what Angela reported, you treat protocol with respect. I appreciate that. But understand that if you're the first to have this type of modification approved, you'll be setting a precedent."
— "I understand, ma'am. And I'm willing to be the one responsible for keeping this precedent within ethics, legality, and technical standards."
Zoe leaned forward in her chair.
— "So… approved. On the condition that all changes are recorded, inspected by Hawkins, and that you perform internal training with the modified weapon, under supervision."
Gustavo smiled.
— "Yes, ma'am."
Grey patted him on the shoulder.
— "You really like giving us a hard time, huh?"
— "Just trying to increase our chances of winning another day."
Weapons Workshop – Afternoon of the same day
Hawkins was carefully installing the reflex sight on the top of the Glock's slide. He also attached the rail mount for the flashlight. Gustavo watched every movement with almost reverent respect.
After the installation, Gustavo went to the division's indoor range.
Angela sat behind the protective glass. When the first shots came, she observed the groupings. All accurate. Clean hits on target, center of mass, even in rapid fire.
— "This kid is a machine," Hawkins said, observing the results.
Angela smiled, satisfied.
— "No… he's just getting started."
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