Jack's colleague, Tyler Kelly, quickly signaled to the cameraman behind her to focus the lens on the scene.
Although Jack's memories from his previous life were quite hazy regarding this part of the storyline, he still had a vivid impression of Rosalind Dale, who bore a striking resemblance to J.K. Rowling, the author of "Harry Potter."
He glanced instinctively at Lucy, standing next to Tim. In this plot, Lucy was kidnapped by a fanatical admirer of the female serial killer and nearly buried alive. Jack needed to find a way to prevent such a calamity from happening.
Given that Jack had already proven he could alter events through personal effort—like when he saved Zoe earlier—or that events could unfold on their own, such as Lucy and John advancing past their rookie phase ahead of schedule, it was best to nip potential dangers in the bud. Because who knows how much worse things could get?
Jack's brain was racing. From what he remembered, Rosalind Dale's admirer only targeted women. In the storyline, he met Lucy, who was then single, at a bar. But now, with Lucy and Tim on the verge of starting a serious relationship, she was unlikely to go drinking with other men at a bar.
So, if he were Rosalind Dale, who would he target next? He surveyed the room. Angela was pregnant and had been keeping to herself. Nira was tied up in a custody battle for her daughter, and Zoe was a police sergeant. Moreover, these three were all physically capable and sharp-minded. That weak admirer wouldn't stand a chance against them.
Feeling a headache coming on, Jack decided not to guess anymore. This wasn't a game where he had to follow rules to the letter.
"Hello, David. Still as charming as ever," said Rosalind Dale as she was wheeled down from the prisoner transport vehicle, restrained by various instruments.
"Hello, Rosalind. Long time no see."
David Rossi, probably accustomed to seeing many such psychopaths, greeted her as casually as he would a regular person, smiling and nodding.
Rosalind scanned her surroundings and saw Lucy, Nira, Angela, Tim, and John standing in a row to her left, expressionless. She smiled slightly.
"Not going to introduce your friends?"
Sergeant Gray, with a stern look, snapped, "Their name tags are visible. Can't you read?"
"Sergeant Gray seems a bit unfriendly. He won't make things difficult for me, will he?"
If one ignored her murderous past, Rosalind's smile exuded a certain charm, making her quite the allure for some older men and women in their 40s or 50s.
"Why does she not look like a serial killer at all?" Tyler Kelly nudged Jack lightly with her elbow and asked in a curious whisper.
"Want me to arrange some alone time with her?"
Seeing her horrified headshake, Jack's mouth curled into a wicked grin.
At this moment, Sergeant Gray waved to a few officers. Three female officers stepped forward and began unlocking the restraints on Rosalind's wheelchair.
As Rosalind struggled to stand, she suddenly let out a cry and stumbled. John, quick on his feet, caught her.
"Thank you." Rosalind smiled at John, her eyes lingering on his, causing him to hesitate before quickly looking away.
"Here we go," Jack muttered to himself, slapping his forehead. The troublesome entanglement between the serial killer and "good guy" John had officially begun.
Sergeant Gray announced that they would be departing in 20 minutes, and everyone at the station busied themselves.
Jack inspected the vehicles and gear, and knowing they were heading into the mountains, he grabbed an Adidas sports bag from his locker, packed several bottles of water, and threw it into the trunk.
Walking into the holding room, he found Nira conducting a body search on Rosalind, who maintained her smug demeanor and even provoked them with her words.
"They already searched me in prison. Doing it again here at the station shows your professionalism."
"Once, I pulled out each tooth of a greedy anesthesiologist and cut off his hands that groped me. Using a hammer would have been easier, but there's a certain pride in doing things with professionalism. Don't you agree, Officer Nolan?"
John remained impassive. "Ma'am, if you're trying to scare me with that story, you'll be disappointed."
Jack scoffed, "She's not trying to scare you; she's flirting with you."
Rosalind's pupils narrowed as she turned to look at Jack, who had just entered the room, her gaze stopping at his name tag.
"Officer Tavor? You're quite the handsome man. That lady reporter standing with you earlier suits you well."
Jack flashed a big smile, showing his pearly whites. "Thanks. You must have been quite the looker when you were younger."
He deliberately emphasized the word "younger."
A flash of anger crossed Rosalind's eyes as she turned away from him and looked back at Shawn Del Monte, who was helping her into a bulletproof vest.
"Hey, Shawn, should we go look for that anesthesiologist's body first?"
Shawn Del Monte appeared indifferent. "Order doesn't matter as long as we recover all the victims' remains."
"Listen to that 'public servant' tone."
Turning her attention back to John, Rosalind continued, "Shawn is just a timid mid-level bureaucrat, eager to push this through to take charge of the district attorney's office next year."
"Raise your hands," Nira interjected, breaking Rosalind's stream of words as she fitted the LAPD-marked bulletproof vest over her.
"Are we ready?" At the door stood SWAT team leader Hondo, fully armed.
Seeing Jack, the burly Black man offered a fist bump and greeted him, bringing up again the invitation for Jack to visit the SWAT team.
After their last encounter dealing with the Southern Front, Jack had forgotten about this. He quickly agreed, promising to bring some homemade food as a gift.
As one of California's most notorious serial killers, Rosalind's transport was nothing short of grand. LAPD had deployed a SWAT armored vehicle for her transport and assigned mounted police to lead the way.
Angela, as one of the precinct's top operatives, rode with Rosalind in the SWAT vehicle. Jack arranged for Tyler Kelly and her cameraman to follow in their vehicle, but just as he was about to start the engine, David Rossi opened the passenger door and got in.
"Mind if I ride with you?" David Rossi asked in his distinctively elegant Italian accent.
"Of course not. It's an honor," Jack replied, waiting for Rossi to buckle up before setting off.
Knowing that his future boss had something to discuss, Jack took the initiative to start the conversation. He also had some ideas that he needed this FBI bigwig to help execute.
"Did you handle Rosalind Dale's capture back then?"
David Rossi nodded. "This woman has classic antisocial personality disorder and exceptionally high intelligence and cunning. She's extremely dangerous. The DA reaching a deal with her was a mistake."
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