Episode 23
Norman Jangus
He remained silent as they left the picturesque neighborhood in West Hollywood. His companion glanced one last time at his rear view mirror and then focused back on the road.
"Do you think he remembers?" The elderly driver asked. "Poor kid."
"If he did, he'd already be dead." He replied. "This is probably for the best."
When he heard word that a certain ex-major was ordering some special equipment, something that would raise eyebrows, he stepped in and organized the pick-up and delivery himself. He took care of the paperwork and adjusted some information in the logs. That way, he made sure that no third party could have done anything to the equipment.
They were all standard, stock and brand new. Built to last. No special trackers or surveillance add-ons. No agency surveillance techie or analyst would be able to whack off watching the two getting it on like rabbits in their backyard. They were sometimes noisy that his team didn't need parabolic microphones to know what the two were doing.
"I still remember what happened to the kid." He glanced at his companion and noticed him grip the steering wheel tight for a moment. "That was some fucked up shit. Glad that program was shut down."
He didn't comment and looked on ahead and headed back to their base. They were due to depart within the week, and he wanted no trace of their operation remaining. Maybe he could visit them again once they were back stateside after their next operation.
Jack Routh
He really didn't want to go, but Zoe asked him to accompany her.
So he had to wake up very early on a Saturday morning after finishing a grueling first and second shift plus overtime the day before. So many hours wasted dealing with hysterical, unreasonable people as they were arrested and the paperwork involved. He's been called many names by the various suspects, and even one drugged out woman tried to kick him in the leg as he escorted her to the shop. He could have pressed additional charges, but figured the woman was just high and would probably not remember what she did.
Then he had to pull over a vehicle as his shift was about to end, and encountered the strangest woman suspected of driving under the influence. She was pretty, probably his age but kept laughing and giggling when he asked her to step out of the car to conduct a field sobriety test.
"I said follow my finger with your eyes only." He repeated the instruction probably for the fifth time.
"I'm trying!" The girl insisted. Then she giggled.
Angela rolled her eyes and gave him the hint to hurry up. The girl was chatty, and only responded to his questions and ignored when Angela tried to speak to her.
He saw her sway as she walked and determined that she couldn't legally operate the vehicle despite the breath analyzer telling him she was below the legal limit of blood toxicity. At the shop, the girl encountered through the whole spectrum of emotions a human could have possibly gone through, and maybe more. She went from laughing, to giggling and then to sobbing. She cried, got angry, started to kick the cage and then went back to crying.
Thankfully she sobered up when they reached the station and was cooperative during processing. Then he had to write up the paperwork. By the time he logged off, it was late at night and arrived to see his wife was now sleeping. He knew she had a long day as well, full of meetings with their charity event. He didn't expect to be part of that, but Zoe asked, and so he agreed.
He didn't care for the sport, Pickle ball. It looked to him like the game was invented for geriatric former Tennis pros. Zoe used to play tennis, and was selected by the chief along a few of the more athletic Captains and Lieutenants to participate. Then his wife stepped out into the living room.
Pickle ball is a great sport. That was on his mind when Zoe paraded her outfit for him.
"What do you think?" His wife asked, turning around in front of him to show off what she was wearing. His eyes snapped to the very short skirt that only ended up halfway up her thighs as it suddenly billowed, and he spotted the white cycling shorts she wore underneath.
Pickle ball was an amazing sport.
His eyes trailed up to the sporty white outfit that displayed her amazing physique and showed off her curves. The white tennis shoes and socks along with the sun visor cap she wore on her head completed the outfit. He was turned on.
"What are these?" He looked at the pile of clothes Zoe placed in front of him.
"It's your outfit." His wife explained. "You can't attend a pickle ball charity event without wearing the appropriate clothes and we need to match."
Pickle ball is a stupid, useless sport for people who don't have the power and endurance to play tennis and are not fast enough for badminton or the reflexes for ping pong.
"But I'm not playing." He protested.
"No, but you'll standout at the club wearing your usual outfit." Zoe explained. "Besides, it's all for appearances anyway. The other brass and politicians will be there along with tennis pros and celebrities. It's for charity…"
Zoe gave him that look and he sighed and slowly nodded. He could never deny his woman.
"Fine."
Two minutes later he was wearing his own tennis, not pickle ball outfit, with white shorts, a white collared shirt made of some breathable fabric and of course, matching white tennis shoes like his wife. It was like they were playing for Wimbledon mixed doubles.
"Perfect." Zoe grinned at him. "You forgot these."
He stared at the white armbands and put them on in his wrists. He knew better than to argue with her, especially when she was on one of her determined moods. It seemed like his wife wanted to put a good showing in front of her bosses and represent Mid-Wilshire well due to some competition between divisions.
"So where did you sign up for?" He asked once they were on their way to the club.
"Doubles." Zoe replied. "It's less tiring that way, and I'm supposed to be partnered up with a celebrity."
They soon arrived at the club, though they had a hard time finding parking with the sheer amount of people present. Security was more thorough than usual, due to the expected presence of Hollywood celebrities who also enjoyed the sport.
He carried his wife's sports bag along with his own backpack. Hers were filled spare clothes and towels and of course, a pair of oversized goofy looking paddles that would not look out of place in a frat initiation. His bag was filled with his tumbler, some pens, a spare shirt and a stack of paper, essays from his students. He needed to grade them accurately and fairly, and figured he could pass the time doing something productive while his wife was playing with celebrities.
He spotted his own boss, Captain Cortez, standing near the entrance with the other captains and commanders and sighed in relief when she did not glance in their direction. No one wanted to meet their direct boss on their supposed day off.
"I'll look for a good table overlooking the courts in the restaurant." He told Zoe. He didn't want to sit on the cramped hastily built bleachers under the sun. "Do you want me to carry these?"
"I'll carry them. I'll look for you later." Zoe gave him a quick kiss and he watched his determined wife make her way to register for the charity tournament.
He slung his own bag over his shoulder and made his way to one of the restaurants that he knew had a veranda that overlooked the tennis courts that were repurposed for pickle ball. It seemed his timing was perfect as he was able to locate an empty table at the corner that provided a good amount of privacy. The ones that gave a view of the courts were filled, so he took the one tucked in the corner, he wasn't planning to watch anyway. There was a gentle breeze and a large tree provided adequate shade. It was perfect.
His practiced eyes gave a quick look at the other occupants in the restaurant and spotted similarly dressed diners, they were obviously here for the charity tournament. One table where two men were seated were being surrounded with what appeared to be fans, as the two men efficiently signed their signatures to whatever was presented to them.
Five minutes later after enjoying a cup of coffee, he started to read his student's essays. Their grammar and sentence structure could use some work, but he wasn't focused on that. He was following the student's train of thought to see if they understood the material he presented before in class. Professor Sydney Fox had done an amazing job when he was recovering, and she faithfully followed his lesson plan while adding her own flair.
Penny told her more boys sat in when she was teaching, despite not being enrolled officially in the class. Twenty minutes in, and he had six essays. Someone cleared their throat, but he ignored them as he was nearly finished reading his latest student's work. He didn't want to lose his train of thought.
He was finally finished and wrote an A on the essay. Penny did well.
He heard a cough and looked up to see a red haired, statuesque woman standing by his table.
"Is this seat taken?" The redhead asked.
He looked around and noticed that the restaurant had filled up, and there were no more tables free. He pulled his bag from the empty chair and put it on the ground beside him.
"Go ahead." He replied.
He looked back at his pile and started working on the next essay. He occasionally wrote comments with his red pen, then finally shook his head and wrote a C, and that was him being generous.
He ordered another cup of coffee from a waiter and noticed that the woman was tilting her head, trying to read what he was grading. The woman suddenly looked up and noticed he had caught her and she seemed embarrassed and looked away. Trying to ease up the awkward atmosphere, he decided to explain what he was doing.
"They're my student's exams." He explained. "I'm grading them right now."
The woman smiled at that and seemed to relax her shoulders a bit. "Sorry for trying to snoop, I know it's none of my business."
"It's fine. Why were you trying to read the papers anyway?" He asked.
"I just found it curious. I never realized that a tennis professional could also be a teacher." The woman extended her hand for him to shake. "Nice to meet you, I'm Jessica. Jessica Chastain."
"Jack Routh. Nice to meet you too." He returned the handshake and tried to hide his laugh. "And I'm not a tennis pro."
"You're not?" Jessica looked confused.
"I'm a police officer." He explained. "I'm just here to support my wife who is participating in this charity event."
"You're joking." He observed Jessica give a quick glance at his left hand and he knew she saw his wedding ring.
"I even have the badge and everything." He decided to humor the redhead and pulled out his badge and showed it to her.
"You're telling the truth. You're really a cop." Jessica seemed to be confused. Then she started to snort and then shake her head.
"I'm sorry!" Jessica said quickly. She must have thought she's offended him. "I'm… I'm just being stupid, that's all. I wasn't laughing at you. I was laughing at myself for judging a book by its cover."
Intrigued, he stopped marking the sheets for a moment and leaned back as the waiter arrived with coffee. Jessica used the moment to order her own drink.
"So what did you think I was?" He asked with a raised eyebrow once the waiter left.
Jessica seemed to flush at his gaze and replied after a moment. "I thought you were some popular tennis pro signing autographs. When I asked if I could sit here, you ignored me for a moment as you continued staring at this paper before signing your signature."
"You thought I was being a jerk." That was a reasonable deduction from her, in his opinion.
"Then I noticed when I sat down that those sheets of paper were full of texts, and you were marking them with a red pen." Jessica continued. "I then thought you were reviewing contracts for your endorsements and you were also a part time model."
"I was thinking, wow he has a lot of contract offers, but I figured yeah he's a hottie so that's expected. And then I found it funny you were labeling them as A, B or C." Jessica continued to explain. He noticed that she seemed to get more talkative whenever she was nervous.
"Then you said you were a teacher and a cop." Jessica scoffed. "I thought you were having me on, but I slowly realized you were actually telling the truth. That's why I laughed at myself for being an idiot."
"You're too hard on yourself." He replied, smiling a bit. The woman's humor was infectious and decided to play along. "I mean, you could have just read the big label of LAPD on my bag and figured things out quicker…"
"You have to admit, the chances of meeting a real cop grading papers of his students in a part time job in a sports club has got to be really low." Jessica countered, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
"So what do you do for work?" He decided it was his turn to ask.
Jessica seemed surprised at his question and gave him a long look. "You don't know?"
"Are you like a model or someone famous?" He asked. She was pretty enough to be in that profession, more than enough. He didn't realize he might be sitting with someone famous. They usually arrived with a big entourage and security, like Taylor, but Jessica arrived all alone.
He took a moment to observe her features, and a faint memory in his past life made him realize her face was somewhat familiar. She flushed at his stare and once more looked to the side to avoid eye contact.
"I'm an actress." Jessica finally replied.
He finally realized who she was. He was confused with another woman who resembled her, though that one was in some dinosaur movie.
"Commander Lewis." He smiled and gave her a greeting once more. That seemed to be the right action as the woman sighed in relief and returned the smile.
"I thought you'd call me Bryce." Jessica laughed. "So many fans confuse us for each other. So you're a fan of The Martian?"
"It was a good movie, one of the more scientifically accurate space movies that came out in this decade." He replied."Before that was Apollo 13."
"I enjoyed that." Jessica nodded in agreement. "NASA was a big help, and they sent consultants while were filming, I think they were even more excited than we were at times."
They went into the discussion about the filming process for the Martian and the other sci fi movie she starred in, Interstellar when they were interrupted by what looked like one of the staff managing the charity event.
"Miss Chastain, it's time for your match."
"Can I leave my things here?" She asked, holding up her large bag that contained what he assumed where her towels and extra clothes. "I hate to lose this nice shaded spot and leave my things out there in the court."
"Be my guest. I'm probably going to be here for a few more hours." He replied after checking the time on his phone. There were no messages from his wife. He resumed grading his student's papers and almost an hour later he had finished marking their essays. Overall he was happy about his class' performance. He was about to start into the other class he taught in the afternoon when he finally caught sight of his wife, arriving with another woman following her, and surprisingly Jessica.
"I see you made a friend while I was gone." Zoe approached him with a smile. He stood up and gave his wife a quick hug and a peck on the lips while ignoring her sweaty appearance, making Zoe gasp in surprise at his bold actions.
"Jack! I'm all sweaty and stinky!" Zoe complained as she stepped back from his embrace.
"I told you this was a nice spot." Jessica told the other woman.
"Right, Jack, this is Mary Elizabeth Winstead, my doubles partner." Zoe introduced the other woman. "And you obviously met Jessica Chastain, she and Jessica Cortez were our opponents."
"Hi! Just call me Liz." The brunette greeted him with a friendly wave.
"So who won?" He asked after greeting Liz. He assumed she was an actress as well, since her face was pretty familiar.
He spotted a pair of stacked mono block chairs and quickly dragged them to his table and arranged them so that all of them could sit comfortably around the table.
"It was close, but Liz and I pulled of a win." Zoe replied.
"Perfect." Liz released a sigh of relief as she sat down. "The heat was slowly cooking me."
It looked like his wife had made a couple of acquaintances while he was busy. He let them talk among themselves while they drank cold smoothies.
He continued marking the papers for his afternoon class, not really paying attention to the conversation on the table since he was eager to finish this task so that his students could see their standing before the finals.
"He's really what you said he is."
He looked up to see the three pairs of eyes staring at him.
"What?" He asked.
Jessica seemingly tried to shush Liz, but the other woman was undeterred.
"She told me that there was this absolute hunk sitting on a table under the shade of a tree." Liz gave Jessica a playful smirk.
"Then Zoe here asked for more descriptions and then patiently waited after Jessica finished describing how gorgeous you looked. Then she said, oh that was probably Jack, he's my husband." Liz continued narrating with a wide grin. "You should have seen Jessica's face! She was so red!"
"What are the odds the wife Jack told me he was here for is my opponent o the court?" Jessica sighed.
It was strange to see female dynamics in action as the three continued to laugh and banter. He finished his work after an hour of continuous grading exams, and now decided it was time for lunch. He only some toast with his coffee and h was getting hungry.
"The event's over right?" He asked.
"There are some interviews scheduled, but that's for the celebrities and pros." Zoe pointed at the two other women. "Most are here for the top tennis pros playing pickle ball. We could leave now if you want."
"Yeah, Pete Sampras and Meghan Markle against Steffi Graff and Prince Harry is the final match." Liz listed the participants of the main event. "They will probably play in the basketball court, so that more people can watch."
"Can you wait? I'll make my press interview quick. I promise." Jessica stated. "I'm really enjoying the company, and I'd love to join you all for lunch."
Liz nodded in agreement. He noticed the wistful look on her face. "I missed this. It's been such a long time since I felt so… normal."
"It has to be somewhere private though." Jessica mused.
"What about getting food in via drive thru?" He suggested. He was really hungry and wanted to eat as soon as possible. "We could head somewhere to hang out or eat at the car."
"I'm in!" Jessica looked excited. "Give me ten minutes, I just need to talk to my manager and do the press thing."
They spent the time debating for what fast food joint to head through until they finally came to an agreement. When in doubt, it was always In and Out.
Jessica came back after fifteen, apologizing as she took deep breaths. It looked like she ran all the way from the media center. "Sorry, the interviewer was kind of an ass, he didn't get the hints that I wanted to end it quickly."
"It's no big deal." Zoe replied.
In the end they decided to use Zoe's car, since it was conveniently parked away from the press vans and paparazzi.
"I'm afraid there's not much space in the back." Zoe pulled the seats forward.
"It's no problem at all." Liz without hesitation climbed in, followed by Jessica.
"I like your car." Jessica looked around the interior. "It's very practical."
"It's got some power to it." His wife replied as she checked the mirrors. "Buckle in, everyone."
Their white two door Toyota was barely noticed by the paparazzi at the entrance to the club, and soon they were heading to the nearest In and Out. Once there, everyone gave their order and before long they were eating while on the road.
He had demolished his first burger, and was now feeding his wife sticks of French fries while they looked for a good spot to hang out.
"How do you eat like that and still look like you do?" Liz asked as he unwrapped his second burger.
"Like this." He took a big bite out of the burger and chewed. Zoe and Jessica laughed while Liz shook her head.
"Jack works out, but he's naturally built like this." Zoe shared. "He has a big appetite, but somehow he burns off quickly whatever he eats."
"Okay, I'm officially jealous." Jessica replied.
"Seconded." Liz raised her grease stained fingers.
After a simple but enjoyable meal by the beach, his wife offered to take their two celebrity passengers home. Jessica told them hers was near, and he was surprised to see that the actress practically lived in the same street they were when she told them her address.
"I thought you lived in Bel-air?" Liz asked.
"That's just for magazine shoots and meeting media groups and VIPs. A friend just lets me use it for interviews." Jessica grinned. "I live in west Hollywood."
Jessica Chastain
She was surprised that Zoe took a route that didn't even follow the gps map. It seemed like she knew a way better to get to her area.
"What's funny?" She asked when she saw the couple were wearing small smiles in their faces.
"That's our house." Zoe pointed to their bungalow house, hidden by plant covered walls in the corner as they passed it by.
"Wait, we're neighbors?" She sat up. "Can… can I please see inside? I've always been curious about that property."
"Me too!" Liz added. "This area is way nice than where I'm living in."
Zoe and Jack shared a glance, the thing she knew how married couple communicated without needing to speak. Zoe turned the car around and she watched as the ornate metal gate swung open as the car entered the property.
Her jaw dropped with what she saw inside.
"This is amazing!" She got out of the car and looked around her.
She was always curious about this property whenever she passed by. It was just a few houses down from her own home, and for a long time she always wondered who the owners were. The Spanish bungalow was located in a corner in a slight raised hill. That meant it had no properties beside it for three sides, and no neighbor can peek in. To her that meant privacy, and privacy was a precious commodity in Hollywood.
Now it a stroke of luck, she had met the owners today after spending a wonderful time with them along with Liz. She looked at her fellow actress and saw how she too was amazed at the interior of the property. She felt bad for her fellow actress for what she was going through right now.
She was currently labeled a home wrecker in UK press, due to her complicated relationship with Ewan McGregor. After hearing her side of the events, she vowed never to watch any movie that had that man starring in it. The least the man could have done was man up and equally admit his fault, but somehow he came out like he was a victim as well.
"I always wondered what this property looked from the inside." Most of the wide courtyard was shaded by the tree in the middle. It was like a mini plaza with a few picnic tables around it. The Spanish style bungalow house was designed tastefully and it had that old world charm with its distinct red tiles and white walls that surround the whole property.
It felt like she was no longer in the city, but across the Atlantic in the Spanish countryside.
"I should have bought this when it went up for sale." She commented. Even the stone tiles that made up the mini plaza looked well made. "How did you get this property anyway? I didn't even know it was for sale."
"Jack's friend sold it to us. The owner was reluctant to sell it to someone she doesn't know and she's very sentimental about this place."
"I can see why." Liz added. "This place has a beautiful charm to it. It feels like my stress level is already decreasing the longer I'm here."
"I'll give you a tour." Zoe offered graciously.
They entered through the main doors, and she was pleasantly surprised to see it wasn't converted to an open style interior like the fad was these days. The Property Brothers preference for open architecture and line of sight had forever damaged many older houses that didn't really need those drastic renovations.
She looked up once she saw the exposed wooden beams on the ceiling. Everywhere she looked she saw the quality of the construction of the house, and it looked to have been recently modernized with modern sockets and light switches, but retained the old school feel with the tiles and the wooden trim.
The space could use more furniture, but the ones inside already fit in with the general aesthetics of the property and the house. Once they reached the backyard, she shook her head in amazement once more. She turned around taking it all in. The tall walls gave them privacy, there was a mini pool Jacuzzi that could comfortably sit four and a well manicured small lawn. Whoever designed this was a genius, since everything was easy to maintain. She made a note to have a Jacuzzi pool built in her house similar to this one.
"You have complete privacy here." She observed.
She saw Liz moved closer to the small Jacuzzi pool and squatted down, letting her hands dip in the clear, still water. "Think we can use that later? It's going to get a lot hotter later."
She had to agree with her fellow actress. It was tempting to just soak in the water since she was sure the weather would remain hot all throughout the afternoon and even into evening. She wanted a pool in her property, but she heard it was troublesome to maintain one, and she lived alone.
"Why don't we have diner here?" She suggested. "Your place is bigger than mine, and we'll be more comfortable. I can bring over some food and drinks that are just wasting away in my cabinet. Is that alright with you, Zoe?"
"Why not?" Zoe replied.
She found herself transporting the necessary ingredients from her house to Zoe's as they prepared to make pizzas at their now impromptu party. Their host put out a spread of grapes, crackers, assorted cheese and wine in the meantime rand they took their time relaxing in the air conditioned house.
The conversation turned to her latest project and the reason she participated in the charity pickle ball tournament.
"It's for publicity to promote my latest movie." She replied to Zoe's question. "That's why I have to watch what I eat, so I can still fit on those outfits the wardrobe department made for me."
"What is it about?" Liz asked.
"My role here is a retired former athlete that runs an illegal gambling operation for very exclusive clients." She explained. "Of course I have to attract them first, hence the revealing outfits. Take a look at the dress rehearsal for the costumes."
"Oh wow, they really draw the eye in to your cleavage." Liz commented.
"It's based on a real story." She continued to explain. "We have to change some things to make it more dramatic, but eventually she was caught and served a prison sentence."
"What is the film called?" Zoe asked.
"Molly's game." She replied, popping a grape in her mouth as they waited for the pizzas in the oven to cook. She continued having small talk, this time listening to their host's career as she shared what a day in the police force entailed.
"You're not what I imagined a police captain is in my head." Liz admitted.
She had to agree with Liz, Zoe had the looks and body to match to be a model, or even an actress. Unlike models, she saw the firm and toned muscles in their host's arms and legs.
"You said you came from the military?" Liz asked once more. It seems her fellow actress was also interested in their hosts' career.
"I served in the marines, military police." Zoe replied. "Got tired of the politics and harassment in the east coast so I moved across the country and joined the LAPD. They have a fast track program for those with my rank that served in military police, and I became a captain in a fairly short time."
She didn't realize her host was a total badass. She even learned that Zoe was the first ever woman in history to graduate from the marine sniper course! She really needed to have a movie made about her, or at least publish a book.
"So how did you meet your husband?" She leaned closer.
"That's what I want to know." Liz added with a teasing grin.
She noticed Zoe smiled and pursed her lips for a moment, and it looked like she was recalling the day she met her gorgeous and young husband. "It was barely a year into my assignment as Captain of the Mid-Wilshire division when the first batch of rookies from the academy arrived, and they were assigned to my command. Due to some complications, one of them failed in the program on their second day, and I had to call the other stations for a replacement."
"Luckily, there was a rookie cop that was already a week in his training in Rampart that was available, so I had requested him to be transferred to my division to fill the vacant slot." Zoe shared.
"That was Jack, right?" She asked.
"It was." Zoe looked amused. "First time we met, was when I was helping him stand up after another officer accidentally hit him in the head with a box full of paperwork. I didn't think he knew I was the captain at that time, and I saw him checking out my ass."
"He didn't!" Liz laughed.
"Oh he did." Zoe nodded. "Here he was, a young fresh graduate from the academy looking like that, of course I found him attractive, and the first thing he did when he stepped inside my station was to check me out. You wouldn't believe the attention he got from the other female staff and officers. They even had a name for him in his first day, Eye Candy or Easy for short."
"Easy in the eyes." She nodded her head in understanding and urged Zoe to continue.
"I guess the attraction was immediate. He unfortunately had to suffer life threatening situations that no rookie on his first day should experience, but he managed to pull through." Zoe continued sharing. "We got closer as his training went on. I already knew he found me attractive. I found him attractive too. The lingering glances, the smiles."
"Who made the first move?" Liz asked. Zoe's story could be turned into a movie.
"I did." Zoe replied, and she noticed the flush on the other woman's face. Was there something more to the story? "I also learned a few days after his transfer that he was my new neighbor."
"That makes it easier." Liz commented.
"It developed further from there. Of course we had to hide our relationship at first, since that was against department policy. It all became public when Jack had to rescue me when a notorious gang kidnapped me and another rookie cop. I simply could not hide our relationship anymore, and damn the consequences so I kissed him in front of the other cops."
"No wonder why he's so in love with you." Liz replied. She saw the bittersweet smile on the other woman's face. "You can really see when a man's in love with a woman. You can see it in their eyes."
They heard a timer ring and realized the pizzas were ready. Zoe put on mittens and took out the three pizza pies from the oven.
"Those smell good." Liz sniffed as three pizza pies came out of the oven. They made three, pepperoni, the other filled with just cheese and garlic and last a bit of everything, including olives and onions, ground beef and bell peppers.
"Let's dig in."
She was on her second slice of the pepperoni pizza when she realized Jack wasn't eating with them.
"Where's your husband?" She asked.
"He left to buy additional groceries for us." Zoe replied. "He took his bike while we were in the backyard."
She thought that she now had an idea of what her new neighbors were like when another surprise hit her. There was someone at the gate, pulling a chain that rang an old bell that she noticed when she first came in. Zoe left them to deal with whoever was there. She was not prepared to see Zoe coming back in with Taylor Swift in tow, holding bags of what looked like chips.
She noticed Liz choke on her wine as soon as her fellow actress spotted the global pop star. She didn't blame her for that, she was pretty sure she would have done the same.
"Jack called me to ask what famous Hollywood celebrities like to snack on, and mentioned this mini party you were having." Taylor smiled. "So I decided, hey I want that too! Mind if I crash in?"
"I brought drinks and snacks!" The pop star held up the bags of goodies for them to see. It looked like there were some top shelf stuff that the tall blonde had brought, perfect for cocktails and other drinks along with a nice selection of cold cuts, more cheese and biscuits.
Was that buffalo wings with blue cheese?
Farewell diet, she thought to herself. She was confident the wardrobe department can loosen some seams in her costumes for the movie.
She woke up with a terrible headache. She blinked her eyes rapidly and realized she was on her bed. She didn't even remember how she got here.
She looked around and found a few things on her table, a bottle of Advil, a glass of water, her set of keys, her personal phone and a note. She quickly took a pill and drank the water, and squinted at the handwritten note as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
[I had Jack carry you back to your house. Sorry I rummaged through your bag to find your keys – Zoe]
She smiled and moved back to the bed. She was grateful her new friends were responsible, and on top of that, they were both police officers. She immediately felt better living in her house, knowing that Jack and Zoe just lived nearby.
Then her memory kicked back in, and she remembered the drinking, the impromptu singing with the Taylor Swift, the food….
She immediately snatched her phone from the table, unlocked it and looked at her camera gallery. She was pretty sure she took a lot of photo, but her memory was still hazy. There, she swiped one by one slowly, showing pictures of the four of them drinking, singing, sometimes with Jack included in the photo. There was even a picture of the four of them submerged in the large Jacuzzi in their underwear with glasses in their hands. She was pretty sure Jack took that photo.
She transferred the photos to her secure folder to make sure no one else can see it. Her phone suddenly chimed, showing a few messages. It looked like she was now part of a chat group, where Taylor, Liz and Zoe were a part of.
In the chat group, Liz shared more photos of their impromptu night, including Jack carrying a shrieking Zoe as he prepared to jump into the Jacuzzi. It seemed like he was the cause of their impromptu pool party, as the second thing Liz shared was a short video clip. This time it was Jack chasing Taylor around the small backyard, apparently it was her turn to get dunked. She could hear Taylor yelling out loud and talking about her make-up. Then in the second video it was her turn.
She didn't even care that her hair and makeup got ruined. She felt refreshed, despite the lingering headache. She wanted more of this precious piece of normalcy, without any press, public scrutiny and gossipmongers.
Jack Routh
"Okay, try to turn it on!"
He heard Zoe's voice from the hatch.
He turned to the generator and pushed the start button. It started, and as Zoe claimed, it was merely the sound of a well tuned car engine in idle. It had taken a lot of work to get at this stage. He had to build a proper base for the generator before he was able to set it down.
A bag of cement, sand and gravel and rebar from home depot and half a day later he finally had a concrete base with the proper thickness with the appropriate distance from the walls. He had to wait until the next day before placed the generator on the concrete slab and bolted it down into place. Running the wires to their utility lines was the most challenging part, but after a lot of trial and error, he finally made it work.
"It's working!" Zoe yelled. "Come down here and take a look!"
"Yes love!" He carefully climbed down the hidden hatch by the bushes and once he stepped off the ladder, he looked around. The LED lights were turned on for the first time, illuminating the large underground space.
"Emergency power test successful." Zoe nodded in approval. Now they could choose to pick which power the bunker was drawing from, either from the main grid or their own generator.
"Solar panels are next, but that's easier." He added. There were tons of contractors that provide the panels, the battery and the inverter and they even provide the service to fully install the system. It would be easy to run a line once they left to connect to the bunker's utility box.
"I'll build a shed around the generator." Zoe replied. "I want it to blend in, and look like a garden shed."
"That's a good idea." He replied. He led his wife back up the stairs and closed the now camouflaged as a bush hatch behind her. Another one in the checklist down. Next was their decision on what fuel to stock up for the generator, since it could run using multiple types of fuel.
"Why not use both diesel and Natural gas?" His wife suggested. "We can bury the propane tank under the yard where the it's not on top of the bunker so it won't be an eyesore. It's safer too."
With that decided, they ordered a 500 gallon propane tank.
"We're still within budget." Zoe looked pleased as they checked their expenditures. It won't be long now until they would finish the necessities for their home and bunker. Once that was done, they could start to order the guns and ammunition.
Tim Bradford
Dead ends.
They found signs of a counterfeit operation, but it disappeared over night when they returned to investigate. He watched as Chen walk around the now empty and clean warehouse were hours before multi ton equipment were producing counterfeit money.
The homeless witness, the one that first reported that he was assaulted with an injury to his head to prove his claims, changed his statement. He now told them he slipped and must have imagined the whole thing in his head. That their only witness was suddenly wearing nicer clothes and he was even wearing a Canada Goose jacket, perfect for the cold nights with the changing weather, spoke volumes.
There was nothing left, except for the single counterfeit 100 dollar bill in their possession.
"This… this is impossible." Lucy Chen looked bewildered.
"Let's go back." He turned around and headed back to the shop. He finally had an idea on who was behind this. No one could be this powerful.
As he expected, he got called inside the captain's office once he arrived back at the station.
"Did you find anything?" The captain asked.
"The whole warehouse was cleaned up. We have nothing to go on now, ma'am." He reported.
The captain remained silent for a few moments, clearly thinking. She raised her head and matched his gaze. "I received a call from the Chief, I got warned about this, so I'm not surprised."
"Black ops?" He asked.
The captain nodded. "For the record, I don't agree with what they're doing here. We're both ex-military, surely you've seen bags of money being used in Afghanistan for the informants when you were still active."
"Yes Ma'am." He nodded.
"That's where it came from, operations like that." Zoe explained. "They print the money here, using the equipment and materials that are easily available in the country and set up near ports for faster transfer."
"Isn't that illegal?" He asked.
"Very illegal, but as someone said to me when I worked at the Pentagon, they're not using it here, but using that goat money to bribe and fund black ops abroad. You're not the only one who stumbled into an operation like this, I found one too, when I was still with the Criminal Investigations Directorate." The captain explained. "Guess what my superiors told me when I brought it up?"
"Let it go." He sighed.
"So let it go." The captain leaned back. "I don't like this as you do, but we can't pursue them. Let's just focus on protecting our city and the public. This is far beyond our power and reach."
"Yes Ma'am." He gave the captain a quick nod and left the office.
He arrived at the bullpen where he found his boot waiting for him.
"What did she say?" Chen asked.
"Nothing. We don't have anything to go on." He replied.
"But that can't be! What about those massive printing machines we found?"
"Do you have an idea where to find them, Officer Chen?" He asked.
"No sir…"
"Then drop it." He replied in a stronger tone. "Have you finished those reports I asked you to do?"
"No sir, but you told me I still have until Friday to…"
"I want them tomorrow."
Those reports were messy, mind numbing work about the traffic stops they conducted for the past month. The city wanted more data about the kinds of traffic accidents happening in the city with the advent of autonomous driving cars to see if they caused an increase in accidents, and pushed the responsibility to the police department.
Each unit had to sift through their own cases for anything traffic related for the past month and tabulate all the data into a report. It was tedious work, perfect for Chen.
He headed to break room where he found Routh and Angela wearing worried expressions as they drank their coffee.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"I saw Wesley's mother in the cells." Jack reported. "She was pulled over for a DUI and they found an unregistered gun in the car."
"That's bad." That was a felony and he remembered the lawyer mention his socialite mom before. She didn't seem like the type to have an unlicensed gun.
"It gets worse. It actually isn't hers." Angela added. "It's her tennis' coach, Christian Roberts who owns the weapon. He's also her… lover."
"Did she say that it belonged to Roberts?" He asked.
"No." Angela replied. "She's protecting him, think she's in love."
"Wesley said she's been acting out since her divorce." Jack added.
"If that's the case, it's Wesley who maybe the only one who can truly reach her." He shared his advice. "A mother's love is stronger than an affair."
With his good deed done for the day, he headed home to rest.
Angela Lopez
"So this is the place?" She looked up at the worn sign above the door.
"That's what Pam told me." Her former boot replied.
To celebrate the release of Wesley's mother since she finally admitted that she did not own the gun, she asked Wesley out for a fun night out along with a few others. She brought her visiting cousin Camille Vasquez who was also a lawyer and was now busy talking shop with her boyfriend. Lucy also said yes, and surprisingly John Nolan and his girlfriend Grace said they will be there.
They arrived between sets, and it was still relatively early for a comedy bar. Usually the more famous stand ups performed when the crowds were bigger.
"There they are." Jack pointed to the group seated in a large booth behind the smaller round tables that encircled a small stage.
She followed to where Jack was headed, and found John, Grace and Lucy waiting for them. Drinks and food were quickly ordered and they all spent the time talking with each other.
Camille and Wesley continued their conversation, now comparing their practices and the difference in state laws of Nevada and California. Grace and John were in their own world, holding hands and sharing sweet smiles. She was left with the two rookies and decided to ask John more questions about the particular stand up they were supposed to see.
"So she's pretty young for a stand up then?" Lucy asked.
"Around my age." Jack replied.
Jack had explained that Zoe's best friend Pam had a cousin that was a stand-up comic. She had encouraged Jack to see her cousin, and claimed she was pretty funny. She had even given him a schedule of where she was supposed to perform, one of which was tonight.
They had mostly finished their dinners and were now nursing their drinks when the light dimmed. More and more people arrived, immediately filling the smaller tables near the stage.
"I'm told if you want to get roasted by a comic, you have to sit in those tables." Lucy shared. "I'm glad we're not in there, I can't stand being in the center of attention."
"Look, it's starting." She pointed out as a young blonde woman appeared from the side of the stage.
"She does resemble her cousin Pam a bit." Jack added.
The comic was young as Jack said, with wavy blonde hair and around face. She looked like she a perky attitude with the smile she had and the way she moved around the small stage as she waited for the applause to die down.
"Thank you! Having a great night?" The woman asked.
After receiving a resounding yes from the crowd, the woman introduced herself as Taylor Tomlinson.
Pam's cousin wasted no time and started her bit.
"So I attended a cousin's wedding, that's why I'm here." Taylor started. "I usually work on cruise ships, so this is my first land gig. But before that, I worked at Christian churches… yeah, those people have a sense of humor too!"
"Got paid in one or five dollar bills, wet with holy water as they put them in my thong." The comic added. "Fresh from the collection."
"She's great!" She told Jack. Around the table everyone was laughing, the blonde's jokes were landing.
"I mean comedy clubs for Christians. Their version, but you can't swear or say the lord's name in vain." Taylor continued amidst the laughter from the crowd. "I got fired from that… because I made tweet. Yes a tweet. I joked that I'm a wild animal in bed, I'm more scared of you than you are of me."
Wesley laughed hard at this one and gave her am amused look. She knew why her boyfriend laughed. She resisted the urge to pinch him. She was not a wild animal during sex!
"So I went here because I attended my cousin's wedding right? I was a bridesmaid." Taylor shared. "I thought I looked hot in that dress."
She had a presence that immediately captured people's attention, and she noticed how well-spoken and articulate she is.
"It was a nice wedding, one of the nicer ones that I attended. No bridezillas, it was so chill." Taylor added. "The great thing was, all the groomsmen and bridesmaids helped with the decorations of the venue that early morning, so we got to know each other and it was nice. But I was still hung over. I thought one or two of them were cute..."
"But then the headache vanished. It was like magic. Have you been so horny it overcame your sickness? It happened to me that morning." Taylor added. She looked up at the stage lights like she was praying. "He walked in like a sex god. Dude was so handsome it was ridiculous. I thought it will be my lucky day. Is he a groomsman? Will he be my partner?"
"The other bridesmaids were also eyeing him. Yes, I noticed them panting like bitches in heat… to the dudes out here, this will be a lesson. If a girl likes a guy, she'll be shy and steal glances, fix her hair, and bite her lip. If she's friendly with you, I'm sorry my friend, you're in the friendzone."
"You weren't shy with me." Wesley leaned over and gave her a grin.
"I'll punch you." She raised a fist as those around the table laughed, Jack most of all.
"So yeah, girls do that if they like a guy. But this Olympic god was so handsome, it was like staring at the sun, you know?" Taylor stated. She raised her arm, pretending to be blinded by the spotlight that followed her as she walked around the stage. "The dude was like that. Not one of the bridesmaids approached him. And of course we started looking at our invitations, and realized the entourage was complete. So we thought he was part of catering. That's okay, I can hit on him later… pretend to spill a drink on my dress… things like that. Maybe he'll help me clean it up, get to know each better, then sex in the bathroom while the best man gives his speech."
"So my headache vanished, cured by the sheer presence of this guy as he walked around helping set up the decorations in the ceiling, hanging up lights…. And let me tell you, those white T-shirts are my favorite thing now."
"We were like in a tennis match me and my fellow bridesmaids, and he was the tennis ball. Climb up here and hang this? Done. Climb over there and hang that? Done. I was enjoying the show!"
She looked to her other side and noticed Jack was staring to looking uncomfortable. She had a fairly good idea who Taylor was now talking about. It reminded her of the conversations in the locker room, when Jack first arrived. She accidentally met Lucy's gaze and both gave subtle nods, instantly understanding one another.
"Your friend Jack was in the wedding right?" Camille leaned over Wesley to whisper to her ear. She nodded.
"He's the one she's talking about, isn't she?"
She nodded once more. Camille leaned back, her eyes filled with amusement as she glanced at Jack for a moment.
"But then he was gone and we all had to prepare for our dresses." Taylor looked down at the stage looking sad. "But then he came back! If he was like the sun that morning wearing those jeans and that white shirt, he was like the moon with his light blue shirt and grey suit and no tie. And he came in like the savior."
"We were getting hungry, the venue was set up, and the food was ready. But the band and the DJ are late, and we had planned this really fun and sweet entrance. The two maids of honor, yes, there were two, my cousin's two best friends were doing all they can to save the sinking ship as we steered closer to the iceberg." Taylor raised her hand as if reaching out to the sky.
"Then he came, like Jesus, parting the waters in front of our ship. Oh, was that Moses? I don't read the old testaments. I was a raised a Christian, not a Jew. We select what suits us and ignore the rest of holy scripture." Taylor teased.
She noticed that almost everyone was hanging on her every word.
"So he came, and told one of the maids of honor, I'll handle the music, and told us to wait for a bit and we'll know when it's time to head in." Taylor continued speaking. "I thought he had a Bluetooth speaker or something, because that venue doesn't have a sound system. But then the most amazing music I have ever heard, I kid you not, started playing. I looked over as the doors opened and my dude was playing the piano!"
"You bet my panties were wet. Hot, good looking, unassuming and he plays the piano? I would have gotten pregnant if he kissed me, I was sure of it. 100%. Twins, boy and a girl. So I was building my courage, I want to talk to him, get his number. The band was still MIA so he started playing Coldplay songs in an old piano as we all ate! It became a game in our table, who was the first to identify the song based on the music from the piano."
"I kept saying to myself, do it Taylor, do it! This is your chance of a lifetime! If you don't you'll regret this for the rest of your entire life!" Taylor clenched her fist in a dramatic fashion. "I didn't want to leave L.A. thinking of what could have been."
"So I finally gathered my courage, and just as I was about to stand up, one of the maids of honor arrived their first! And she started feeding him! I was crushed. I was too late."
Awwwwww
The crowd made sympathetic noises at that.
"I also learned he's married to that maid of honor. I was pissed. He's clearly in my age group, he should date his age! Not some hot older woman that can surely kick my ass. It's unfair. There should be a law or something about it."
"But the law was with the hot older woman, because she was a cop. Not just a cop, but a damn police captain. And she has a gun. So yeah, you can have your boy toy. Nope, not interested anymore! Hope he destroys your pussy when he fucks you. Wait I want my pussy to be destroyed by him too."
"Oh. My. God." She pounded the table, laughing hard. She couldn't stop visualizing what the comic had said. She saw Lucy had buried her face in her hands. She grabbed Jack and started shaking his shoulder as she laughed. Jack looked like he was a deer on the road about to be hit by a car.
"Then I heard he was asked by the groom to play a spicy song, something that can drop panties. I'm sorry to say but too late! Mine had already dropped when I first saw him. Then he got up to the piano, put on a mike and started to sing the sexiest, most erotic song that I have ever heard. I also realized way… later, that he's Sugar. Yes. That Sugar. The urban myth."
"I was pretty sure all our panties were already soaked and fell down the floor from the sheer amount of moisture, including the bride. So take this as a lesson, if you're going to have a wedding, don't invite those ridiculously good looking people."
"Just invite the pretty and handsome ones with arrogant attitudes. Cross out those perfect guys from the list, they're too much of a distraction." Taylor looked to be finishing her set. "And to Sugar! I'll always remember what we could have been, and I'll always think about you every night, with my vibrator. Thank you and have a fun night!"
"Here he is!" She stood up and yelled as loud as she could. It seemed to attract Taylor's attention as she looked at their direction. The blonde used her hand to block out the stage lights so she could see better in the darkened room.
She saw the moment the stand-up comic recognized Jack, as her face became pale. "Uhhh hi. Holy shit. That's him… that's Sugar…"
The spotlight moved and suddenly focused on their table. The crows erupted in cheers and whistles as Jack gave a hesitant wave.
"Uhmm Jack, right? Can you come up?" Taylor asked. "I swear guys I didn't plan this! Oh my god I'm so embarrassed right now!"
With the crowd's encouragement, Jack stood up and left the booth, but not before giving her a glare and a finger to the throat sign.
"Uhhh, you know I can't protect you from him." Wesley stated.
"He can take a joke." She laughed at Wesley's concern.
It was funny to see how flustered Taylor was at her unexpected companion on stage.
"Holy Jesus you're so much taller up close." Taylor looked up to see Jack's face. She turned to the crowd and gave a hesitant, awkward smile. "You now see I'm not exaggerating right?"
The crowd roared with laughter, and more than a few women let out screams. They were apparently fans of Jack and his music.
"I have to say Taylor." Jack leaned in to the microphone and crowd immediately listened in. "I remembered that you came up to me and said hi, and then quickly left. I didn't even get the chance to say hello back to you."
The stand-up comic just gave an awkward laugh and breathed deeply into her mike as the audience laughed.
"So, Hi Taylor, I'm Jack. I enjoyed your set." Jack raised a hand for Taylor to shake.
Taylor shyly took it and they shook once.
"Give it up, Taylor Tomlinson everyone!" Jack leaned to the mike and extended his hand to Taylor's direction and then stepped back.
The crowd erupted in applause as the lights dimmed once more. The bar was now noisy, buzzing with energy from the amazing set. Jack headed to their booth, with Taylor behind him. It took a long while as Jack had to pause several times to take pictures with Taylor and their fans.
Now their party for the night grew by one person.
It was not a surprise that she and Lucy got along well with Taylor Tomlinson. The woman was very witty and naturally funny.
"You should have told me you were coming." Taylor took a good swig of the beer, seemingly using it to gain courage. "I'm so embarrassed."
"Pam gave me your schedule, and it was a spur of the moment thing to head to a comedy club." Jack replied.
"Thanks for making that wonderful exit for me by the way. It's always good for us comics when we finish the set on a positive tone. It makes all our hard work worth it." Taylor added.
They listened to a few more sets from other stand up artists. It was clear Taylor was on a class of her own, as the crowd's response to the other comedians were more muted.
"Oh great, they'll hate me now." Taylor palmed her face.
"Why?" She asked.
"I raised the bar too high. I should only warm up the crowd, not fire them up to raise their expectations." The comedian explained.
The group moved to another location for coffee, and they all called it a night before it got too late. She checked her phone when she got home, and sure enough #SugarSighting was trending once again.
Zoe Andersen Routh
Two Months.
She worked for two months, ensuring that every metric, every test, every inspection her division would pass with flying colors. Her rookies had the highest exam score, and her station had the best assessment rating conducted by Internal Affairs.
She should have won by a mile, and yet, they were still considering her division. She reigned in her temper with well practiced ease and remained silent in front of the chief and his staff.
"It's all very impressive Captain Routh, very impressive." Chief Williams leafed through the reports from Internal Affairs and other external auditors. As expected of the traditional older man, he ignored her preference to be addressed by her maiden name. She let that one slide.
"You should be proud." Chief Williams put down and stared back at her. "However, there are some issues we need to address."
"Issues, Chief?" She asked. She triple checked all the documents before she submitted her final report.
"Mayor Stevens needs something done." Chief Williams leaned forward. "You see, he received a request from a common friend of ours. Ms. Swift's father requires a bodyguard as his daughter participates in the charity concert in New York. He believes her daughter would be safer under the protection of one of the LAPD's finest. Someone that has proven themselves to be reliable and capable no matter the threat, multiple times."
Oh no. She struggled to control her composure. She knew what the Mayor would want.
"It's a compliment to the city of course." Chief Williams preened like a peacock. "We're the best law enforcement unit in the world after all."
"For how long?" She asked. She didn't need to ask who the chief and the mayor would request.
"Around a week at most." Chief Williams replied. One his staff passed him a sheet of paper. "It's a big event in the big apple. Press events, Rehearsal and the concert itself. It's a big responsibility, but I believe your husband is up to the task."
"Sir, wouldn't he need more support if we lend one of our own to protect Ms. Swift for the concert?" She asked.
"Jack now reports primarily to Rampart, right?" The chief asked. "He's metro, assigned to Sergeant Hondo's squad who has very high standards and passed every test given to him. I don't think Jack needs any support."
Damn. While all of what the chief said was true, a police officer needed someone to watch their back. "Sir, Officer Routh successfully protected Ms. Swift and prevented her kidnapping because he had back-up and support. Officer Lopez was Jack's former training officer and is also familiar with Ms. Swift and her security team. She was the one that apprehended the final kidnapper."
Please please please. She almost whispered the prayer in her mind as the chief considered her suggestion.
"Very well, have Jack and Officer Lopez assist in this special assignment." Chief Williams made a few notes on the paper. "I've already cleared the plan with the necessary federal agencies. Whoever we send will have clearance to bring their firearms."
She breathed a sigh of relief. Jack now had reliable back-up to watch his back.
"And with regards to the assessment, I believe your division earned the right to join the international law enforcement conference in Hawaii with their remarkable performance. Congratulations Captain Routh." Chief Williams finished with a grin. The pet officers around them clapped their hands politely.
Bastard. She forced a quick smile on her face as she nodded her head in gratitude. The chief knowingly inserted the issue because he knew there was a good chance she would reject the bodyguard gig because of its location and duration.
Still, she got what she worked for in the end, and she enjoyed the warm morning rays of the sun hitting her face as she stepped out of Central HQ. Her division won a week-long vacation to Hawaii.
Officially, her whole division, even the night shift, would join the international law enforcement conference. Unofficially, it was basically a paid free vacation. She resisted the urge to text Grey and headed back to Mid-Wilshire in her car. This was one secret she had been keeping from everyone except her husband. She knew she was pushing them hard, but she couldn't wait to see the look on their faces when she delivered the news.
She arrived just as the morning briefing was about to end, and she gave Grey a look and her sergeant instantly knew what she wanted.
"Hold off for a moment, the captain wants to announce something." Grey stated and stepped back from the podium.
"Sergeant Grey, please have the all the other officers outside, join us." She ordered. "I have an important announcement to make."
She glanced around at the sight of confused faces. It was a pity Jack was currently in Rampart for training. It seemed like being part of D-platoon meant never ending qualification tests and exercises.
It took a few minutes, but soon the briefing room was filled to the brim by all the officers available.
"I just came from an early morning meeting with the Chief." She began. "I just received word, that due to the exemplary performance by the Mid-Wilshire division in the last two quarters, we have been selected to participate in the International law enforcement conference in Honolulu, Hawaii."
She heard gasps all around and she smiled at the astonished faces staring back at her.
"Who will be participating, Captain?" Bradford asked.
"Every cop that is on active duty in Mid-Wilshire." She replied. "Patrol, detectives and even the night shift is included. Central has arranged for other stations to cover our slack while we're off to Hawaii for the conference."
The room erupted in a deafening cheer and she even spotted Grey sporting a big bright smile. She waited as the clapping, cheering and back-slapping ended and continued speaking.
"Everything is paid for, food, transport and accommodations." She added, and that caused a new round of celebrations.
"I know I've been working all of you hard, especially for the past few months." She continued speaking. "This is the reason. I was determined to give my division a vacation. We all could use a break."
"You're the best Captain!"
"Hell yeah Captain!"
"I'm taking back everything bad I said about you!"
The officers laughed and she joined in the merriment. "We'll be leaving a month from now, so if you have any pending cases, you better solve them quickly, or hand them off to those that will follow up on your cases. Don't lose focus because of a pending Hawaii vacation. Officer Lopez, meet me in my office in ten minutes. Dismissed."
She knew that despite her words, most of her officers would be fixated on the upcoming Hawaii trip. She could already hear a couple of female officers talking about dieting to show off their bikini bodies.
As she arrived at her office, she wasn't surprised to see Grey arrive as soon as she sat down on her chair.
"You could have told me." Grey shook his head.
"I wanted it to be a surprise." She replied. "Did it work?"
"I knew you were pushing for something. I never realized the reward would be so big. I assume married officers can bring their spouses?"
"Of course, but they have to pay for the airplane tickets for their partners." She replied. "Food and lodging and will be covered."
"Luna will be thrilled. It's been so long since we had a vacation." Grey replied.
"There is a price though." She replied. She looked up when she heard the knock from her door. "Come in Lopez."
"You're everyone's favorite person right now Captain." Lopez grinned.
"I might not be yours when you hear what I have to say." She replied.
Lopez's carefree smile vanished when she heard her reply. "What's this about Captain?"
"We already won the right to participate in that Hawaii Conference, but the chief wanted to leverage something else before he could officially give the award to us." She explained.
"Taylor Swift's label and her father are asking for my husband's presence as they participate in that benefit concert in New York." She continued speaking. "They initially wanted to send Jack alone, but I pushed for you to be included in this special assignment."
"Of course I'm happy watch Jack's back." Lopez replied. "Is that it Cap? I thought you actually meant bad news. This? This is just part of the job. I'll have extra time for the detective exam too."
"It's for a week max, and you'll be leaving in two days." She added. "Itinerary will be different for this. There will be parties, press interviews, and then the concert itself"
"Sounds fun." Lopez remarked. "After that, we fly back, a few more weeks then we fly to Hawaii?"
"That's correct." She replied. "Arrangements will be the same, and you'll be flying in Ms. Swift's private jet. Stick close to her, ensure her safety. Then you all fly again back to L.A."
"We can do that."
"Good. You're dismissed."
"Yes Ma'am!"