Episode 24 Mental Crisis
Jack Routh
They got a hit and a name. The suspect who robbed a grocery store and killed a woman in cold blood.
Colt Henry.
Someone had attempted to finally cash in the scratch tickets. It was near the train station, and that meant the suspect was trying to leave the city.
"Nolan and Harper are already on route." Sergeant Grey spoke to him over the radio while he was eating burgers with Angela during their second shift. "Get there quick and provide backup."
"Let's go."
"7-adam-7, on route to the station." Angela reported on the radio as he drove the shop at high speeds with their sirens on and lights flaring.
"Two more units are on route." Angela added.
He just nodded, not taking his eyes on the road for even a moment as he rushed past several red lights. They were there within minutes, and civilians looked alarmed as they saw the two of them rushing in.
The security guards looked concerned but let them without issue and followed behind them.
There were hundreds of people at the platform. Beside him Angela was listening in on the radio chatter.
"This way." Angela tapped him on the shoulder and they headed to the platform.
"He's got a gun! He's got a gun!"
They heard a man shout, and the crowd panicked and ran in different directions. He kept his eyes alert, and he spotted a glimpse of a denim jacket sleeve holding a gun. He quickly moved towards that direction as frightened faces ran past him.
"There's a shooter! There's a shooter!"
It appeared that their suspect was trying to lose Nolan and Harper by causing a panic, but unfortunately for the suspect, that just allowed him to be located quicker. He saw the suspect crouch behind a row of empty seats, trying to lay low.
He tapped Angela and gave her a hand signal and moved. There was a young mother near the suspect who looked confused as she tried to cover a baby stroller with her body from the panicking crowd.
Colt looked scared and he decided to attract his attention.
"Colt! Drop the gun!" He shouted.
Their suspect turned to him eyes wide with surprise. "Don't try anything. I've got you in my sights. One move and you're dead."
Angela quickly pushed the mother who now had her baby in her arms out of harm's way and took position just behind and to the right of their suspect.
"You have nowhere to run." Angela added. They had the suspect fully covered from two angles without worry about hitting each other.
Nolan and Harper finally arrived, out of breath as they also took positions around the suspect.
"Put down the gun, Colt." He repeated his instructions.
"It's not fair!" Colt cried out. "She wasn't supposed to fight back! I didn't mean to kill her!"
"Life's not fair." Nolan replied as he stepped forward. "That scratch lottery ticket you have? It's worthless. They flagged it in their system as stolen. You don't need to die today."
"Okay… okay…" Colt sobbed as he dropped the gun in his hand. "Don't shoot me."
He quickly approached the sobbing suspect and pushed the gun away with his foot and holstered his own weapon. Colt did not resist as he secured him in handcuffs as his fellow officers quickly secured the scene with John retrieving the dropped weapon.
"7-adam-7, code 4." Angela reported to dispatch.
"Smart decision." He told Colt. He knew for a fact they were all prepared to shoot him at any sign of resistance from their suspect. One false move and he would have been killed since they couldn't risk him firing at the crowd at the station.
Zoe Andersen Routh
Her husband was leaving later. She didn't like him being away for so long and into the east coast, a place she did not have fond memories of. When he went off to guard Taylor Swift during her concert in the city, it felt like weeks and he was just over ten miles away. Now he would be on the other side of the country.
"You're cute when you're brooding."
She turned to Jack who continued to fold his clothes before packing them into his luggage.
"I'm not brooding." She replied.
"Then what did my luggage do to you?" Jack asked. "You've been staring at it for nearly a minute."
"Idiot." She stood up from her position sitting on the bed and hugged her husband from behind. "I'm going to miss you."
"I'm going to miss you too." Jack stopped taking out his clothes from the cabinet and turned to face her. She sighed as she felt his arms wrap around her.
This was the best feeling she ever had, she felt safe and secure with her man. The only part missing was him inside her and it would be perfect.
She started to pepper her husband's jaw with kisses and her arms started to roam around his body. She felt him respond as his grip tightened and she felt his erection through his shorts. Their kisses soon became heated and she dragged Jack back into their bed. She decided she would need to have as much sex as possible before he left for a week.
A few hours later, they were both panting hard, trying to catch their breath. She felt her pussy and asshole drip with his semen as she gave all of her body for his pleasure. She felt his finger play with her erect nipple as they rested, her breasts covered with faint red marks as Jack groped and lightly bit them.
Her neck and thighs were covered with the same marks, areas she was sensitive that Jack took advantage of. Her husband was also a mess. His sweaty skin had numerous bite marks and scratches from her nails that she accidentally made while she was in the throes of passion. The last few orgasms knocked her out for a moment due to their intensity.
She worried how she would survive without a week of her man beside her.
She spotted Jack's phone and had an idea, and reached it from their nightstand and opened the camera.
She took a selfie with Jack, her breasts captured in detail while Jack was nibbling on her ear. The sound attracted Jack's attention and she saw him giving her an amused look.
"We won't be able to have sex for a week." She explained. She knew there were plenty if beautiful, women that her husband would meet during his time in the east coast. "So if you're going to masturbate, I'm making sure it's about me you're thinking about and no one else."
"Love… Are you sure?" Jack asked.
She could see the pure desire in her husband's eyes as she returned his gaze. She was sure, they had taken many pictures and short video clips of their activities, but those were playful moments, fun and exciting. This was different. She wanted to have her pictures taken when she's the most vulnerable and exposed.
"Take a picture of my body." She handed the phone to Jack. He took it and stood up by the foot of the bed. She looked at the camera and willingly spread her legs further, showing her leaking holes.
She remembered the time she was pressured to this, in a different time with a different husband. She recalled the humiliation and degradation she experienced as she was even paraded to her ex's friends. No, this time she was in control.
But this time she was willing. Her trust in Jack was absolute.
She allowed Jack to take more pictures as she posed in different styles, and found the experience enjoyable. She looked back at Jack from her position on her hands and knees, looking over her shoulder. She smiled when she saw his erection, he was already playing with himself as he took photos of her body from different angles.
"Put that in me." She spread hear ass as she used her hands to spread her cheeks, so similar to the time she gave her anal virginity to Jack. Jack continued to take more pictures, and finally she winced as she felt her husband's cock start to push against her other hole.
They spent the day until noon taking more and more pictures and short videos using each other's phones. She particularly enjoyed images of her husband fully nude, or wearing just an apron as he prepared their lunch. They would do nicely.
"I like this one." Jack sat beside her on the island, both of them demolishing their BLT sandwiches. She leaned over and blushed, but she did agree. It was a picture of the two of them out in the yard and under the sun.
Jack was sitting on a lawn chair, with her sitting on his lap, both facing the camera. She could see her flushed face in the picture, mouth partially open and eyes half lidded. The reason she had that expression was because her husband's cock was impaled insider her ass, and she had her legs spread open, showing everything. Her was cunt still leaking white semen down to where she was joined with Jack while his hands groped her breasts, her erect nipples visible between his fingers.
"Send me that picture too." That would help her out too in the coming days until her husband came back from his assignment.
Hours later she watched as her man got into Angela's car, driven by Wesley who offered to take the two to the airport. She waved and closed the gate and turned back to look at her, no, their home.
The two of them had amazing teamwork, and they completed most of the tasks on the list they set themselves to complete before the year ended. Their property was upgraded, with an emergency generator installed, along with the solar panels, inverter and batteries. Nolan, curious about their new solar panels, passed by and inspected the wiring where the inverter and batteries were located.
She asked a few questions and Nolan unknowingly helped them plan the wiring connections for the bunker. He had stated that the hard work was mostly done with the solar panels and generator wiring installed to their utilities. He claimed it was easy to run new connections and pointed out where to attach them properly if they wanted to expand.
She was rather proud of what they accomplished as she stepped inside, looking at every area with a critical eye. Their house looked normal, but hidden carefully to match their surroundings was the repurposed antique cabinet that now hides a gun locker. It sat in the space inside their office, holding the handguns and ammunition that can be opened by a six digit combination.
The only thing missing was the furniture in their bunker. She headed to the kitchen, and with a small push and sliding a pin, the part of the island released from its magnet lock, revealing the entrance to the steel hatch.
This was her idea and she was quite proud of how it worked. They could just open the cabinet doors without moving the newly installed island and still get inside the bunker, or if they were transporting something large to install, they could swing the whole new part of the island out of the way so there was no obstruction.
She opened the thick steel hatch easily this time. The gas springs they installed to allow it to open easier really made a world of difference.
After she flicked on the light switch near the ceiling, the interior bunker immediately came to view. The intake fan immediately came on, bringing in filtered air inside. It was still bare, aside from the toilet and faucet that Jack installed in the corner. They were lucky that they found there was already an existing drain that they just had to remove the seal.
Whoever made this really thought ahead, but they were unable to complete their goal. She knew Jack wanted some furniture inside, and she decided to take on this project while her husband was away for the week.
She could start looking in for suitable furniture, and also weapons. The gun wall panels they had installed using peg boards were empty, mocking her.
It would be a nice surprise for him when he came back.
Angela Lopez
One thing she appreciated with having a tall partner for this assignment was that it was easy to spot him in a crowd if they ever got separated. His sheer physical presence also made people flow around him, making it easier for her to just follow behind him as they made their way across the terminal.
She was excited and apprehensive at the same time with her latest assignment. Yes, she was by now briefed with Taylor's schedule and security measures, but that was in L.A. where she was familiar with and had entire police department as back up. She would be going to unfamiliar territory this time in a city she hadn't even visited before.
She could only trust in her partner, and with Jack at her back she felt better with the situation. An added bonus was that they both didn't need to wear their uniforms, and instead attached their badges on their hips like detectives. She liked the feeling. They were also given special dispensation to carry their firearms and back-up pieces across the country and that gave her some measure of comfort.
They eventually found their way to the private terminal and after showing printed sheets of paper to the guard, were quickly led to a hangar.
There they found a white private jet, with three engines, two on the rear and one on top, under the vertical stabilizer and just above the fuselage.
It looked sleek and sexy, and her smile widened in admiration. She always wondered what it was like flying in one of those, and now the day had arrived. Pity she couldn't take a selfie with it and share it to Nyla. Captain Andersen and Sergeant Grey warned them about operational security. Besides, it would look bad to be acting like a fan when their responsibility was to keep an eye on the global popstar.
There were a group of six men in suits and shades watching their approach carefully. She decided to let Jack do the talking and hanged back.
"We're here as additional security for Ms. Swift." Jack handed their papers, printed instructions sent via email by the pop star's label.
One of the men scanned the document and gave a nod. "We've been expecting you Mr. Routh, Ms. Lopez. Welcome to the team."
"Thanks." She stepped forward beside Jack and put her kit bag down. "Do you know when we would leave?"
"It depends on Ms. Swift's schedule." The man looked at his watch. "In the meantime you can wait in the lounge."
The lounge was nothing fancy, but it had A.C. and what looked like a coffee maker. It appeared to be a break room for the aircraft mechanics and crew since they saw a shelf filled with what looked like maintenance logs.
"I'm excited. This is my first time flying in a private Jet." She glanced at Jack. "How about you?"
"I'm not sure." Jack replied.
"What do you mean? I'll know if I ever rode on a private Jet." She gave her partner a long look.
"It's my first time flying on a plane, I think." Jack replied with a shrug.
"You never flew before?" She leaned forward and patted his hand. "Poor you."
"Does rappelling from a helicopter count?" Jack returned her look with a raised eyebrow.
"Show off." She scoffed. She remembered the day Jack finished his training course for rappelling, and even showed a video of his final training day. She had to admit it looked cool, though probably impractical for day to day police work.
"They're here." She spotted movement in the tarmac through the glass window. A convoy of three black SUVs were on their way to the hangar.
The hangar was suddenly noisy, as the plane's engines started turning. It started as a slow spooling sound until it became louder and louder and turned into a high pitch whine.
The convoy finally arrived, and immediately she spotted the tall blonde stepping off the car and straight up the steps into the plane. She was wearing a strange backpack, and when she looked closer she saw it was a leather brown cat carrier, with vents and a round glass window for the cat to see outside.
They both got their luggage and headed out of the break room and headed to the plane.
"Oh wow." She couldn't help but comment as she stepped inside the cabin. White leather seats. Luxurious wood paneling. Was that a bar and kitchen in the end? No! There was another room beyond it!
"Please take your seats." One of Taylor Swift's staff gestured at the direction of their assigned seating. There looked to be twelve luxurious seats, along with a couch on the side. She could see familiar faces, Taylor's staff and friends of about eight people that she had seen at the hotel where they stayed before.
They quickly secured their luggage at the storage rack at the front of the plane, behind the cockpit and quickly took made themselves comfortable. Jack had elected to give her the window seat.
"I could get use to this." She gave in to temptation and took a selfie, showing her luxurious seat and the window beside her face.
A stewardess came out, and started handing out refreshments and asked what they would like for an early dinner. She didn't she would be handed a menu! Fancy!
The plane started to taxi to the runway a few minutes later. She looked at Jack, wondering if he needed some comforting since this was his first time flying in an airplane. He didn't look bothered though, and just looked to be deep in thought.
The stewardess gave a safety briefing, and then the captain's voice came through the speaker and announced they were taking off.
She noticed that it was remarkably quiet inside the cabin, and she only heard the faint sound of the engines as they started to move down the runway faster as they picked up speed. Her ears popped slightly as the plane took off, and she noticed that their climb rate was much steeper and faster than what she was used to in commercial.
"Whoa." She opened and closed her jaw, trying to equalize the pressure in her ears. She looked out the window and saw that they were circling a part of LA, climbing higher and higher. The beautiful view of the sunset and the city below was irresistible and she took a photo once more.
"There you are!"
They both looked to see the popstar herself standing behind them in the aisle. "I thought there was a mistake and you were given the wrong tickets!"
"Hi Taylor. We were waiting in the hangar when your convoy turned up." Jack replied.
Taylor sighed and turned to her. "Good to see you again, Officer Lopez."
"Just Angela, please." She stood up and greeted the tall blonde. She could never get over the fact that she was once again shaking the famous pop star's hand.
"Have you ordered your food? It's going to be a five hour flight, according to the captain." It was a strange feeling for her as Taylor fussed over them and pointed out snacks available as well as the drinks served.
"Anyway, I want you to talk with my sound engineer about that song we're going to sing." Taylor explained, her gaze focused on Jack. She looked at her partner, confused. She didn't know about that.
"We're going to sing that at the concert?" Jack looked confused as well.
"Duh! Why else would I have requested extra security? I told you I'll arrange your schedule." Taylor snorted. "Come on, we need to practice the arrangement."
It was impressive as Taylor showed some strength, pulling along her bewildered partner down to the back of the plane where it looked like she had a private room. She squinted, and spotted what looked like Selena Gomez, waiting inside along with the sound engineer who had his laptop arranged on a desk and a few more equipment she couldn't identify from where she sat.
Well, it looked like this was really a vacation. She leaned back on her very comfortable seat. They were assigned as security because the global pop star simply wanted her partner to perform with her at the concert.
Wait. She sat up. Jack was going to perform at a concert.
Sugar was finally making his debut on the concert scene! She pulled out her phone and tried to message the Captain, but realized she didn't have any signal since her phone was in airplane mode.
Still, this was exciting news! She couldn't wait.
Taylor Swift
She kept an eye on Jack as he worked with her sound engineer, Jonathan. The two had been at it for an hour, wearing headpieces so as not to disturb the other occupants in her plane.
When she first arrived at the hangar, she was busy sending final instructions to her team that was waiting in New York. She quickly jumped into the jet, unable to tolerate the large high pitch sound of the engines for even a second.
Olivia as usual panicked, and she spent a good amount of time calming her down while at the same time talking to her team. She was performing eight songs on the third day, and she was debating with her team on what she should perform. Part of her wanted something new, and she already had that with her upcoming duet with Jack and a few in her newest album, but she felt there was still something lacking, something that could relate to the reason she was participating in the benefit concert. It was driving her crazy.
She was torn between her newer songs and the crowd favorites as well, and she needed a certain balance. She felt the plane start to move and she strapped herself on her seat, cuddling Olivia as the jet started to taxi into the runway. Soon they were speeding up and she felt the moment they were airborne.
Then she remembered, in her rush to get into the plane, she forgot to check if Jack had made it on board. The moment the captain indicated they could walk, she headed out of her room and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the back of his head seated near the front row.
"Looking for someone?" She turned to Selena who was looking amused at her.
"Shush you." She made a motion for Selena to close her lips, but her friend's smile only grew wider.
She headed to Jack and after a quick greeting to his partner Angela she dragged him to the back of the plane so that they could prepare for the surprise number. She was sure he who must not be named would get hit by their performance. The lyrics were practically their entire relationship.
To polish their performance even more, she had Jack coordinate with her sound engineer. Selena was playing with Olivia and feeding her treats while she kept an eye on the two boys huddled in front of the built-in desk in front of the bed.
"We could add this instead." Jack tweaked a few notes in the music software program, and added effects.
"Interesting. Those notes, you used the xylophone?" Jonathan asked.
"It adds a contrast. We want the music to have that sequence of simple and light tones before it's overwhelmed by the darker, almost monotonous beat." Jack explained. "Listen to it again."
Jonathan pressed play, and nodded his head. She wished she could hear what they were creating. She went back to thinking about her line-up of songs when the food arrived. Jack quickly ate his meal, and even asked for a second round. She envied her friend's metabolism and still be able to maintain that cut body despite his diet. If she ate like that she'd blow up within a few weeks.
Most of her fellow passengers settled down, though Jack and Jonathan were still working. Jack had even borrowed one of her guitars, and was now demonstrating the beat with his plucking and strumming.
Her eyes watched his movements like a hawk, and realized he was now using the guitar instead of the piano.
"It sounds better." Jonathan nodded. "You're amazing man, it's like you already have a final version of what you want in your head."
"Heh." She wondered why Jack found the compliment amusing.
Finished with the rough planning of their performance, Jack asked if he could use her guitar and she absently nodded her head to give him permission.
She didn't realize it yet, but minutes later as she was writing her final list of songs she was unconsciously bobbing her head to an unfamiliar tune. She raised her head and found where the music was coming from. With the door to her private room open she could see Jack was back in his original seat beside Angela. He was apparently showing his partner some sick plucking, but it was the tune that caught her attention.
She let Olivia off her lap and got up from the bed and headed to the front of the plane. She could hear it better now, as Jack repeated the same sequence once more.
Jack Routh
He carefully made sure he didn't create too much noise to disturb the others in the small plane as he lightly played with the guitar, practicing the song Taylor wanted to perform on stage as a surprise to her fans.
"I'm curious about the song she said she's going to perform with you." Angela tapped her arm rest.
"It's a song I found was appropriate for what she wanted, you'll hear soon enough in practice." Jack replied. "I'm just worried if it's fine with you with me going on stage. Technically, you're a P3, and my superior officer that's about to become a detective in this assignment."
"And you're already a P2, and working with Metro in D-squad under Hondo." Angela rolled her eyes. "I don't pull rank, and I'm perfectly fine with it. The way I see it, you can protect her better when you're on stage with her."
"Thanks, I think." He returned back to playing the guitar, playing random tunes.
"So is the song about something related to the Mental Health Awareness charity concert?" Angela asked.
He stopped playing and narrowed his eyes in thought.
"Not really, this just to raise funds for the charities, and as you said, raise mental health awareness. It's often a misunderstood condition."
"You don't have to tell me, my brother has a bipolar disorder. It took a while before we managed to handle it, but our childhood was pretty rough." His partner replied. "If you're playing in a concert yourself, what kind of song do you think should be best to help someone like my brother?"
That was a good question. A very good, thoughtful question. He remembered a particular song from Charlie Puth's memory.
"My guess is, the tune has to be melancholic, and the words should reflect the thoughts and hopes of someone like your brother." He replied. "Something like this…"
He played lightly the song intro, his fingers dancing on the fretboard with ease. Without singing the words, he showed Angela the general tune.
"Huh… that feels… deep." Angela commented.
"What was that?"
They both turned to see Taylor was again standing near them, her face showing surprise.
"It's just a sample." He explained. "Of what I thought was a good song about mental health. Angela thought it would be nice to have a song specifically addressing the issue at the concert, since they're donating the proceeds to charities working on those that suffer from a mental health condition and raising awareness."
Taylor unexpectedly crouched in front of him, her eyes staring into his. He could see how intense and serious she was. "Can you please let me hear it? I feel the same way, you know. I'm struggling to think of a last song in my lineup. Something with more… relevance."
"Here, on the plane?" He asked.
"Where else?" Taylor gave him that familiar look. He looked around and saw eager faces, including the stewardess.
"Please Jack? I really want to hear it." The pop star pleaded.
"Alright." He stood up and moved to the couch where he could play the guitar in a more comfortable position.
He noticed the stewardess had also moved, and she even pulled the curtain aside, revealing the cockpit and the pilots flying the aircraft.
"This is called Unwell." He took a deep breath and started playing the guitar.
Taylor Swift
Jack was not human. She was instantly drawn to the music, as he repeated the plucking sequence a handful of times.
[Unwell - Matchbox Twenty]
All… day, staring at ceiling making,
friends with the shadows on my wall…
All night, hearing voices telling me
That I should get some sleep
Because tomorrow might be good for something…
She exchanged amazed glances with Selena. This… this was different from Jack's usual songs about love and loss, joy and sorrow. This was deep.
Hold on, I'm feeling like I'm headed for a…
Break down, and I don't why…
Jack played what was apparently the chorus as the intensity of his playing and strumming increased.
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell,
I know right now, you can't tell.
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me…
And how I used to be… me…
"My god." She breathed out. She heard Selena sniffing beside her. She looked around and saw pensive faces. A few like her sound engineer and the stewardess, Gretchen, were rubbing their eyes. The pilots at the front had tilted their heads, clearly listening in to this performance.
Talking to myself in public
Dodging glances on the train…
I know,
I know they've all been talking about me,
I can hear them whisper,
And it makes me think there must be something wrong… with me…
Out of all the hours thinking,
Somehow, I've lost my mind.
They were like in a trance, thinking about their deepest darkest demons. Every eye was on Jack as he gave what in her opinion was his best performance yet. A few started nodding to the music as Jack sang the chorus once more, and she found herself tapping her lap with her fingers.
But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell,
I know right now, you can't tell.
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see…
A different side of me
I'm not crazy I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me…
And how I used to be…
Jack started plucking again, as he tapped the baseboard, proving how good he was at the guitar as he was on the piano. She took a deep breath. The lyrics were amazing, singing from the point of view of those suffering with mental health disorders.
I've been talking in my sleep
Pretty soon they'll come to get me
Yeah, they're taking me away…
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell,
I know right now, you can't tell.
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me…
And how I used to be…
Hey, how I used to be
How I used to be… (I'm just a little lost)
How I used to be…
Applause filled the cabin as soon as Jack stopped playing. She looked around and she noticed more than a few misty eyes.
"Right, we're going to sing that, as our finale." She declared. She could already see it, Jack playing the guitar, with her singing his amazing lyrics. There was no way she could learn that song with that style of playing in just three days. She finally found an answer to her dilemma about the finale. She was confident her act will overshadow the other artists.
She gave a look at her assistant who immediately nodded and started drafting a contract for the song. There were only three days, but she believed it was possible to copyright it before their performance. Both hers and Jack's lawyers worked well together and were efficient.
Jack didn't know it yet, but despite his decision to donate his shares of the royalties to charities in L.A., he would soon receive a large enough payment for his work including a bonus from her. Hopefully that can convince him to participate in more projects with her in the future. She knew instinctively that after this concert in New York, her friend would be a sought out song writer by the other artists. Too bad for them, she got to him first.
And there was the surprise. It was a bittersweet moment, but she considers herself a good friend of Jack, first and foremost. It was such a simple request from Angela, that she refused the original idea and proposed an even bigger plan. She would take care of any additional costs. Jack was worth so much more than that.
Nyla Harper
Lucy Chen was easy to get along with… but there were times when she did not wake up in the right of the bed and needed some peace and quiet before roll call, but the rookie continued to speak with her undeterred despite her short one word answers.
She gets it. She was one of the most experienced officers in the division when it came to undercover work. It seemed like Lucy wanted to follow her path and she always took the time to answer the younger woman.
But this morning… she was pretty sure she already answered that question. Why was Chen asking her the same thing over and over again?
"You need to infiltrate the dealers, find the supplier." She replied as she massaged her temples.
Chen nodded. "Of course, but what about our cover identity? What are your thoughts…"
"Infiltrate the dealers, find the supplier." She slapped her hand on the desk to emphasize her point.
Chen was surprised a bit but continued speaking. "Of course Ma'am. But what about your process in establishing a believable…"
Chen couldn't take the hint. Damn it. "Infiltrate the dealers, find the supplier." She slammed her hand on the desk harder to emphasize her point, with enough strength to make the pens on the desk to fall down the floor. Chen jumped in surprise.
"Stop harassing the grumpy officer, Chen." Bradford had arrived. Thank god. "Back to your seat."
"I'm sorry." Chen squeaked and hurried off to join Nolan on the front row.
"Tell you rookie to know when the right time is to start a conversation. Early mornings are off limits." She glared at fellow T.O.
"She's showing initiative at least." Bradford replied. "It's clear what career path she's interested in."
She raised her head when a different voice started roll call.
Armstrong.
"Listen up everyone." Armstrong stood behind the podium. "Got some doughnuts again at the back."
That got a smattering of applause from some of the cops. She knew he had just come back for vacation.
She didn't like how her fellow detective was trying to score points. He was trying hard to be liked by everyone.
Working undercover for years and infiltrating the most violent and brutal cartels in Mexico, she developed an instinct that served her well enough to survive close encounters with death. From avoiding scrutiny, to identifying those that had suspicions about her loyalties, she was able to survive thanks to her gut instinct. In her experience, people that want to be liked that they would constantly bring doughnuts were people she couldn't trust fully.
Overall her time in Mid-Wilshire was getting better. The captain ran a tight ship, and there was rarely an issue that Andersen didn't take care of before it caused a bigger problem down the road. She was fair, compassionate when needed but tough. Between her and Grey, she knew why they won that Hawaii Vacation.
"I just want everyone to know the latest print outs from the detectives table is posted in the board. Before everyone gets their get their assigned cases to follow up, I want everyone to avoid the Filipino Town. A federal operation is going down in that area, so all marked units should stay clear from Alvarado, between Montrose and the 101." Armstrong continued.
"Anything we should we be aware of?" Bradford asked.
"Not according to the FBI." Armstrong shrugged."They ain't big in sharing intel."
"That's not acceptable."
They turned to see the Captain standing by the door.
"I'll talk to Gaarza at the field office. I don't want my cops running in blind." The captain quickly left and headed back to her office.
Because she was sitting beside Bradford, she saw the twitch of a smile appear on his face. Grey also looked pleased.
"If you need to contact anybody in that area, run them through LA CLEAR and notify your supervisor immediately." Armstrong continued, looking uncomfortable for a moment at being interrupted in his briefing.
"Officer Nolan." Sergeant Grey approached his favorite rookie. "Can you enlighten us what L.A. CLEAR is?"
This should prove entertaining, and those two should already start a comedy show, their interactions never failed to amuse her.
"Yes sir." Her boot replied confidently. Before he could continue speaking, she noticed an electronic bracelet on his left wrist started to beep faintly, attracting Grey's attention.
"I'm sorry, do you need to get that?" Grey asked.
"Sorry sir, it's not my phone, it's a fitness tracker." Nolan immediately turned off the alarm. "I have set it to… alert me when my heart rate increases rapidly."
She snorted and shared an amused look with Bradford.
"Just tracking my stress." Nolan rambled. "Just learning how to manage it better."
Grey stepped even closer to the desk. "Do I stress you out Officer Nolan?"
[Beep Beep]
"No, sir." Her rookie blatantly lied as the rest of the officers muffled their laughter. Nolan was practically wearing a lie detector test. She wondered the pros and cons of having that on her rookie during patrol. On one hand, it could be amusing, on the other, it could get annoying if it keeps beeping all the damn time.
"L.A. CLEAR is the largest deconfliction database for law enforcement in the west coast." Nolan answered the earlier question, earning him an approving nod from Grey.
"What does that mean, Officer Chen?" Grey turned to the other remaining rookie.
"Uhmm, that means every federal, state, and local covert operation is monitored there to prevent duplication of efforts, or blue on blue situations." Chen replied.
"And can you access L.A. CLEAR?" Grey asked a follow-up question.
"No sir, for security reasons, all access is reserved for higher-level officers."
"Good." Grey looked pleased and moved back to the front of the room. "Bottom line, this is a serious tool, and we don't call unless the stakes are high. Anything less, figure it out. Okay, that's it."
She stood once the morning briefing was completed.
"Oh, by the way." They stopped at the door and turned back to Grey.
"If anyone has any suggestions for Officer Nolan on how to build stress. Please give him your suggestions." Grey stated.
Amused chuckles came from the other officers and they patted her rookie on the back on their way out of the briefing room.
She approached Nolan as he was talking to Chen in the bullpen, both preparing their gear. It seemed like Chen was taking Grey's joke as an order as she was sharing meditation techniques to Nolan. Officer Smitty was telling him over Chen's shoulder, how he should include goat yoga on top of the meditation. She didn't want to know.
Jack Routh
"That's her schedule?"
"Yeah." He handed the sheet given to him by Taylor's assistant to his partner. "There are multiple security teams in place."
"They're more significant than usual." Angela's eyebrows shot up when saw the details regarding the number of men in place.
"It's expected." He replied. "She nearly get kidnapped after all."
"Yeah, but three teams of six?" Angela shook her head. "That's a platoon."
"That's not what attracted my attention." He replied. "Read the schedules from day 1 to day 3."
"Fuck. That's a lot of parties." Angela commented.
"I know." He replied. "Highest threat assessment is in those parties. Notice the notes about guests she doesn't want to interact with?"
"Yup. Exes, other artists…" Angela scanned the list. "I mean yeah, this one stole her dancers mid tour. And this one, yeah not him, too. He's unpredictable."
"The security teams have been notified about this too." He replied. "Our job is to blend in, and provide discreet protection."
"You mean my job." Angela countered, giving him a look. "Face it Jack, you can't do discreet, with the way she's around you. Cameras will be pointed in your direction as well, and you're going to sing a duet with her."
"That's fair. Anyway, I realized I didn't bring that amount of clothes for all of these parties." He replied.
"Oh shit, me too." Angela replied. "It's a good thing we're going to New York then. It's time to buy some nice suits."
John Nolan
"Long day?" His girlfriend asked as soon as he got home. He was starting to like the fact that Grace treated his newly purchased house more and more like her own home. He was glad he gave her that key, and with its location being closer to the hospital helped convince her girlfriend to stay more at his place. It was perfect too, since his son Oliver had moved out for college.
He watched as her beautiful face immediately shifted to concern when she saw the bruise on his chin.
"Is that a bruise?" Grace asked.
"It's a long day, and if I start explaining I'm afraid it will take up the whole night." He reached for her by the waist and pulled her closer to him. "And I want to spend our date focused on you."
Grace had an adorable flush at his statement and tucked a strand of blonde hair under her ear. "What's our plan tonight, officer?"
He felt a shiver at Grace's teasing and led her back out the door.
"Well, I called in a few favors, and we have a dinner reservation at the rooftop restaurant, at Waldorf –Astoria." He said proudly. He admired the dress Grace wore and the way it clung to her figure and he heard a clearing of a throat. He looked up and realized that he was caught staring.
"You like it?" Grace twirled around for him and exposed a smooth leg through the slit of her dress.
"I love it." He replied.
"So who did you call to get such a reservation?" Grace asked once they were on their way to the famous and exclusive hotel.
"Jack may or may not have asked a favor to one of his friends." He admitted.
"That's nice. Tell Jack that I appreciate his help to make our night more romantic." Grace replied.
"Oh I will." He replied. "Incidentally, that friend is the reason Jack is out of the city for a week with Angela. They're to escort Taylor Swift as she performs in a charity concert in the eastern seaboard."
"That's a long assignment." Grace commented. "Do you think you'll be able to deal with that while away from me?"
"I won't even accept that type of assignment at all." He replied. That earned him another beautiful smile.
The view was spectacular once they reached the rooftop. Grace was a little tipsy after drinking two glasses of wine, and he could see why the area was highly popular. The rooftop provided a very intimate setting, and the cool breeze and the view made the atmosphere ideal for talking.
"How many vacations days do you have?" He asked as an idea formed in his head. Jack's quick engagement and then marriage to the Captain gave him an idea.
"What? Why?" Grace asked.
"I'm curious."
She scrunched up her nose and looked to the left, a habit he had since they were teens when she was trying to recall something important.
"I think I have three weeks thanks to the overtime I did for the past few months." Grace finally answered. "Why did you ask?"
"Well, remember our plans when we were dating back in high school?" He asked. They were full of hopes and dreams back then, before they got forcefully separated. He was determined to take back what was precious to him and regain his life.
"How could I forget?" Grace laughed. "A small beach wedding in Hawaii."
"So do you want to? Our entire division is going to Hawaii for a week-long international conference." He explained. "Technically it's a conference, but no one takes that seriously anyway. It's a convenient excuse for a vacation."
"John, you're rambling." Grace put a hand on top of his. "You're asking me to go with you to Hawaii for a week?"
"Not just go with me, but get married there as well." He stated, staring at the love of his life right in the eyes. He held out a ring, the original one he bought when they were dating back in high school. He had recently had it adjusted to fit Grace's finger.
"John…" He could see the tears starting to form on her beautiful eyes. The overhead string of light bulbs made her eyes glisten, making her even more beautiful.
"This was the ring I was supposed to show you, back before we split up." He opened the box and heard a gasp. "I know it's not fancy, but I had it cleaned and resized. I know we still have a lot of…"
A finger was placed on his lips, stopping him from speaking. The hand then moved back as if waiting for something. It took him a moment and took the ring from the box and quickly slipped it on Grace's waiting finger.
"Yes, I will marry you." Grace replied, admiring the new ring on her finger. She leaned closer and he met her across the table for a kiss.