Though Jack had been pre-selected, the BAU task force was still being reassembled. Until the internal FBI processes were complete, he had to stay with the LAPD for about six more months and then head to Quantico for five months of training, just like Hannah.
Only after passing the tests and officially becoming an FBI agent would he be assigned to the BAU. According to Maureen, this was already considered fast progress in the federal bureaucratic system.
This worked out well. For now, Jack would visit Hannah's house monthly to help with chores and maintain the lawn, preventing squatters from taking over. Four months later, it would be her turn to look after his house.
Shortly after the holidays, John and Lucy passed their rookie exams with high scores, successfully transitioning to full officers.
Jack's luxurious new kitchen finally opened, and a feast of Hunan cuisine and Sichuan hot pot sent Tim and John straight to the proctology department of the central hospital, satisfying Jack's long-standing grudge.
However, John, being the protagonist, turned misfortune into fortune and received attentive care from Dr. Carice. As their relationship flourished, Jack sincerely hoped they would avoid any more mishaps. Without the interference of foolish screenwriters, the old lovers had a good chance of making it.
As for tough-guy Tim, after revealing his soft side to Lucy when he thought he was going to die locked up with a virus carrier, his tough image was further shattered by this hospital incident, rapidly advancing their relationship.
The terrorism case and two LAPD medals earned Jack six gold coins. After much hesitation, he decided to use 15 of his 16 system gold coins according to his previous plan: five points for proficiency in psychology and ten points to master healing skills.
He then notified the accountant that everything was ready for his visit.
Recently, Angela had been even more elated than Jack. After the Hawaii vacation, Wesley, a promising lawyer and wealthy second-generation heir, officially became her fiancé. Her detective internship was also going well, and she had started handling cases.
"It seems our days patrolling together like this are numbered," Jack said, driving and chatting with Angela in the passenger seat. He couldn't share the news about his potential departure from the LAPD, unlike Angela, who was grinning like an idiot every day.
"Don't worry. When I officially become a detective, I'll request you as my assistant. You're LAPD's rising star now. Even some pretty girls at the dispatch center have been asking about you."
"If we're talking about rising stars, that would be John. Commissioner Grey recently assigned him to a night-shift detective to assist with investigations."
Jack's words sounded insincere, but his smile betrayed his true feelings.
Just then, the radio crackled with a message from dispatch: "7-A-26, residential silent alarm, manually triggered, multiple emergency calls."
Angela quickly picked up the radio: "7-A-26, responding."
Due to the silent alarm, Jack turned off the siren as they approached the location.
The alarm was coming from a sizable garden villa with a three-meter-high wall equipped with multiple sensors. A sturdy iron gate with a video doorbell stood at the front.
As they arrived at the gate, Jack noticed it was tightly locked. Angela pointed to the video doorbell, where a piece of electrical tape covered the camera.
"Let's try the back door."
Jack drew his Glock, and the two carefully made their way along the wall to the back of the house, finding the small back door ajar.
"Home invasion?" Jack whispered as they cautiously entered the villa, staying alert to their surroundings.
"Possibly. Stay safe and cover each other during the search."
Angela moved left while Jack moved right, sweeping from the living room to the front hall.
In the hallway leading to the front, Jack noticed a wooden door that looked like a storage room. It was locked from the outside, with muffled groans coming from within. He exchanged glances with Angela and shouted loudly.
"Police! Open the door now and put your hands out."
Jack aimed his gun at the wooden door while Angela stood to the side and unlocked it.
A middle-aged white woman, naked and bound with her mouth gagged, lay on the floor. A similarly bound middle-aged white man, presumably her husband, lay beside her, whimpering when he saw Jack.
Jack quickly turned around, waiting for Angela to drape her coat over the woman before holstering his gun and freeing them, removing the gags.
"What happened here?" he asked urgently.
The middle-aged man, his head bloody and eyes bruised, shouted in a trembling voice.
"They... they assaulted Marilyn and Jeff. They took Jeff, our son!"
"There were two robbers. They went upstairs. I heard gunshots."
Jack tried to calm him down, sensing his extreme distress.
"Take it easy. Slow down. You're safe now. How long ago was your son taken?"
"Twenty to thirty minutes."
Angela reported to dispatch: "Home invasion, possible hostage situation, conducting a thorough search of the premises."
Jack drew his Glock again, instructing the couple to stay put.
The villa's second floor had few rooms, only one of which, at the end of the hall, had its door closed.
Angela covered while Jack carefully nudged the door open with his foot.
A strong smell of blood hit them. A teenager, about sixteen or seventeen, lay on the carpet before the bed, a large portion of the carpet soaked in blood.
Jack didn't approach immediately. He moved along the wall, checking the bathroom before calling out to Angela, "Clear!"
Angela holstered her gun and checked the boy's pulse, though they both knew the heavy blood loss meant he was unlikely to survive.
"Jeff?" A trembling voice called from behind them.
"No, Jeff!"
Jack quickly grabbed the approaching father, preventing him from reaching the body in his agitated state.
"Calm down, calm down. I'm so sorry."
Jack held the desperate father tightly, offering soft words of comfort.
"It's already happened. You need to stay calm. Your wife needs you."
Jack knew his words were futile to a grieving father, but he had to try.
Half an hour later, Commissioner Grey arrived on the scene, questioning Angela and Jack about the incident.
"What's the situation?" he asked.
Angela referred to her notes. "The victim is seventeen-year-old Jeff Christine. He has bullet wounds to his back. We haven't examined him closely yet."
"Any other victims?"
"Yes, the victim's parents, Matt and Marilyn Christine. They were both assaulted, and the wife may have been sexually assaulted."
Commissioner Grey frowned, motioning for them to lower their voices as they moved towards the door.
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