Episode 6
Angela Lopez
"That was a sweet thing you did." She said to her super rookie. Really, he needed to watch out with these sweet, endearing and thoughtful actions. It looked like Chen nearly fell in love with him right there.
"She needed something else to focus on, and I know she loves to sing." Routh answered.
"Are you going to prepare a duet with me too boot?" She asked.
"Can you sing though?" She nearly laughed when he expressed skepticism at her singing ability and hit him on the shoulder instead as retaliation. Ouch, she forgot her boot had muscles made of steel.
"I can carry a tune." She replied as they headed back to their shop.
Seeing Chen and her boot sing a duet made her curious about the man she was dating. During dinner with him at the end of her shift she decided to ask if he could sing.
"I mean I can carry a tune as well as the next guy…" Wesley replied. "But if you're comparing me to your rookie, then no. Why did you ask?"
"I saw him create a song while he accompanied Chen when she waited for her lab results. She got injured with a used hypodermic needle when they were trying to clear the homeless because of Redwood's visit."
"Is she okay?" He asked in concern.
"She got lucky. But during the wait, my boot created a song and made her sing with him, it was amazing." She answered. "I was thinking of asking him create a song that we can sing together."
"Or why don't we hire him to sing for us for one of our dates?" He suggested. "I really enjoyed our first date at the beach."
"I'm sure you did." She smirked as she remembered that night. She was insatiable, having been on the mood due to Jack's song. Their dinner turned out well, and it carried over to her apartment as her boyfriend stayed overnight for the first time. Unfortunately it was too late to realize today was valentine's day and she forgot to give him a gift.
She breathed a sigh of relief though, when Wesley admitted he had no plans for tonight. He would be busy dealing with a tough judge for his client. And he hastily added that he didn't have a gift prepared for today.
During the briefing that morning Grey was unusually annoyed with Nolan more than the usual. When Nolan apologized for ruining what was essentially an early Valentine's day date for Grey and his wife she finally understood the situation. She heard from the grapevine was pulling double shifts in the last couple of days.
As she waited for her boot to set up the shop, Nolan invited them to a get together at his house after their shift.
"Pass." She immediately replied. She stared at Talia when her friend replied that she also had plans for Valentine's day. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at her friend. Talia avoided looking at her and she suspected what was happening. She thought Talia had stopped seeing the man.
"Don't start." Talia walked away and she quickly followed her friend to the break room.
"It's my business, okay?" Talia said as she took a bottle of water with her. "Not today."
She sighed in frustration and headed back to her boot. Routh was waiting for looking concerned at what happened.
"Just don't." She explained. "It's a girl's thing."
"Got it." Routh replied. "Nolan said she might be on her period."
"He did?" Usually she would rush off to find Talia and tell her what Nolan suspected, but she decided to let this one go. "He might be right."
Their patrol continued as normal, and they decided to get coffee from a newly opened cafe truck and see if their drinks and prices were any good. She noticed Routh was unusually happy as he wore a little smile on his face. The effect caused a few women that they encountered to stop and even stare at her hunky rookie.
She suspected that he had plans for tonight as well with the captain, and that caused her mood to dip even lower when she remembered how easily Wesley said that he didn't have plans for the two of them. Although she remembered the look on her boyfriend's face when he mentioned he didn't have a gift prepared. She knew he was being evasive as he rambled on about the reasons why he was unable to get her something.
That meant he did have something to surprise her with. Crap. And she had no idea what to give to her boyfriend in turn.
She stared at Routh and decided to ask him for advice. "I think Wesley's planning to give me a gift. Does that mean I have to get him one too?"
"That's usually how it works." He replied. She cursed as she didn't like the added pressure of picking a gift that he would like.
"What do guys like as a gift?" She asked.
"It usually depends on the guy. Some like useful things, like tools and gadgets. Some prefer clothes." Routh replied. "I'm not sure about Wesley though."
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"He's not flashy, but I know his clothes and shoes are good quality and tailored to fit him. His fashion style is discreet and understated and that costs a lot of money. It's the type that rich people usually prefer." Routh shared his observations. "But his office is just one room on top of an Ethiopian restaurant in the bad part of town when I visited him about the copyrights to the songs I performed. He's a walking contradiction."
She mulled her words over and had to agree with her boot. "So he's a clothes type of guy?"
"Yes and no." They reached their parked shop and Routh placed his coffee cup on the hood of their shop. "He wears custom-tailored clothes but he doesn't dress in a more… loud style. If I were you, I'd give him a combination of both, perhaps a nice tie or a handkerchief. They're both useful and it doesn't need to be tailored to fit him."
"Good advice boot." But she said. She was about to say more when she saw a naked fat man wearing a gimp mask run past their shop. He was chased by another man with golf club.
"I'll kill you!" The man with the club yelled.
She placed her coffee on the hood- it tasted terrible anyway and set off in pursuit.
"You 're tackling the naked one." She said quickly.
They requested backup and brought the naked man to the station, and another unit took the man with the golf club back into their own shop.
They gave the naked man a white jumpsuit and had him processed and locked in a holding cell. She just locked the door when her boyfriend walked in, wearing handcuffs with his arms behind his back and looking annoyed.
She instantly switched focus and told the escorting officer that she would process him as well.
"What happened?" She asked in amusement.
"I got into an argument with Judge Bollard." Wesley explained with a sigh. She had to admit seeing Wesley Evers in cuffs turned her on.
"I used to have a dream like this." She admitted as she removed his handcuffs.
"I'm going to get something to eat." She heard her rookie speed walk through the door to the break room. She smiled and leaned forward, staring at her boyfriend's face. "Alright counselor, I'm going to need you to empty your pockets, take off your tie and shoes and socks. Do it nice and slow for me."
She twirled the handcuffs on her finger as Wesley complied.
"You're enjoying this way too much." Wesley said as he started to loosen his tie.
"Uh huh." She grinned. "So what did you say to piss off the judge?"
"I was listing cases that used extreme use of force by law enforcement." He explained and removed his tie. "I was trying to set precedent."
"Let me guess, he ruled those were immaterial?" She replied.
"Over and over." Wesley looked frustrated, and she wanted to reach out and comfort him. "It was relevant. By the time my client got the booking his arm was broken."
"Was he resisting arrest?" She asked, wondering what the client could have done to have the process of subduing result in a broken arm. The worst she knew when subduing suspects by herself were just sprains or fractures they suffered when they became aggressive.
"Even if he was, that doesn't give you permission to hurt him like that." Wesley replied.
Wait. What? She stood up and turned around and knocked on the window to gain the attention of the officer who brought Wesley in. "I changed my mind, you book him."
She ignored his pleas and left to join her rookie in the break room. After their break, she appreciated how her boot seemed to sense her mood and refrained from engaging in small talk. They followed up on a case where an elderly man was attacked and he was now in the hospital for treatment.
She introduced herself and her rookie to the man as they asked him more questions. His file stated that he was suffering from dementia and had no family left to help him. She gained no further insight and the old man couldn't even give a good description of his attacker.
"Hey, do you have any records if anyone visited Mr. Scott?" She asked the nurse at the duty station. The male nurse stared at her rookie for a bit and pursed her lips and waited as the nurse finally looked at his records.
"I'm sorry, no one visited him. I don't even know who to call." The nurse reported. "His primary doctor said he lives alone, no immediate family."
"We can do an extended search for him." Her rookie suggested. The nurse gladly wrote Mr. Scott's full name and date of birth to assist in the search.
She stopped by the court house as her annoyance with Wesley faded, and spoke to the court clerk. Wesley must have really annoyed Judge Bollard since he wasn't willing to release him yet. She visited him at his holding cell and informed him of the situation.
"I seem to have that effect on people." Wesley responded when she commented how the Judge was still pissed at him. "Look, I'm sorry okay? I get a little carried away sometimes, but I know you're a good cop."
"Most of us are." She replied, accepting his apology.
"Agreed." Wesley answered. She smiled and offered to let him take her out to dinner when he could finally leave his cell.
"I don't need anything fancy." She added.
"I already made plans." Wesley looked uncomfortable, looking away from her. "I thought I couldn't see you, but I could cancel."
She looked down and shook her head. "No, it's not a big deal." Did he have a date for Valentine's day? Was she just a girl on the side? She grew paranoid with fear and decided to check his phone stored on the shelf. She could see missed calls from a woman called Melanie in his notifications and even a text message confirming a reservation at a fancy restaurant. She put it back and stormed out of the room.
She found her boot on the desk doing an extensive search for the next of kin for Mr. Scott. She sat on the desk and listened as Routh showed to her the results of his search. It seemed the elderly man lived quite a solitary life and tended to move around states.
"You okay?" Routh was looking at her with concern.
"Yeah. It's just…" She took a big breath and exhaled, trying to get control of her emotions. "I think I misread my relationship with Wesley. Good thing I didn't get him a gift."
"Is he cheating on you?" He asked.
"I think so." She admitted. "I think he's seeing someone called Melanie. They have plans tonight. On Valentine's day."
"How did you find out?" Her rookie asked.
"I might have checked his phone." She admitted. She knew what she did was wrong. "There were numerous missed calls and text messages from her on his notifications. Maybe it's his ex-wife? Or girlfriend? Was I just a fling for him?"
"Stop. Angela." He called out, causing her to snap out of her train of thought. Routh rarely called her by her first name.
"Did you just call me Angela, boot?" She asked.
"Yes mam." Routh replied with a smile. "I'm just telling you, you're jumping to conclusions right now. That's not how you trained me."
She grudgingly nodded, she knew what she did was an invasion of Wesley's privacy, but she couldn't bear the thought of him cheating on her.
"You nearly crossed a line with Wesley. You have to tell him what you did soon and apologize. Checking his phone without his consent is a red flag for guys." Routh added.
"Let's also see it from another point of view. Who is this Melanie? Could it be a client? A family member?" Routh added.
"Okay boot." She hopped off his desk. "Thanks for the perspective. I'll give him some space, and if I have doubts, I'll ask him directly."
They resumed their investigation on Mr. Scott and learned new information that could be related to him. There was a report from a woman who claimed she was attacked as well by a Caucasian male who just then fled when the woman was able to fight her attacker off. Unfortunately, there were no further descriptions and she decided to see if Mr. Scott could offer other details.
They found Mr. Scott standing outside the bed, folding the sheets. He seemed happy as he replied that he had to go home since his mother made dinner for him. She shared a concerned glance with Routh and stepped inside his room.
They were able to ask a passing nurse for assistance to get the older man back in bed.
"We think the one that assaulted you attacked someone else beforehand." Routh stated.
"Do you remember anything else that can help with the investigation?" She asked.
Mr. Scott was able to add a few more details that matched up with the woman's statement until he got frustrated with his memory.
"Try and get some rest." She said, seeing how tired he looked.
"Yeah. Is she okay? The woman he assaulted?" Mr. Scott asked.
"From what I hear, yes." Routh answered, though her boot gave her a look. Good, he also caught that.
"Son of a bitch." She headed to the corner where they still had a view of Mr. Scott's door. "He's the one that attacked her."
"What do we do?" Her boot asked.
"I'm going back to the station to mobilize major crimes. They'll get a warrant for his DNA and check it against the woman he attacked" She replied. "You stay here and make sure he stays in that room."
"Got it." Routh nodded and took position a dozen feet from the door.
"Don't let him know he's a suspect." She whispered and left for the station.
She arrived at the station to see Nolan and Chen dressed in civilian clothes.
"Officer Lopez, any chance to see if you're joining us this evening?" Nolan asked.
"No chance, we're still working a case." She replied. She noticed flowers on a brass vase on the station desk.
"Who are the flowers for?" She asked.
"They came for Talia." Chen answered.
"Who sent them?" Nolan looked intrigued at the potential love life of his T.O.
"None of your business." She and Chen replied at the same time.
She first went to major crimes and shared her suspicions and the information she has with their suspect. She then reported to the Captain about their status on the case.
She headed to the bull pen carrying the flowers to find her friend when she confirmed her case was being worked on. She already made a mistake with Wesley, she did not want to see Talia do the same.
She saw him at the break room and put the flowers on the table in front of Talia. "These came for you."
"Okay thanks." Talia replied, looking uncomfortable.
"I thought you broke things off with him." She told her friend.
"It's complicated." Talia admitted.
"He went back to his wife right?" She asked. Talia took a deep breath and nodded.
"Then it's simple, he's married, not separated. That means you're done" She stated. Talia was about to reply when the Captain entered the break room.
"Officer Lopez." The captain looked concerned as she addressed her. "The detectives looked into your hospital vic."
"Am I right about him trying to abduct the woman?" She asked.
"It's much bigger than that." The captain's face looked serious. "When they looked into his background, they got hits on several attacks on similar women spanning three decades. Over a dozen unsolved cases, some of them homicides. I think you may have found a serial killer."
She immediately started informing Routh about this new information. "My boot, he's there all alone guarding him."
She saw how the captain's eyes widened in surprise.
"We better go." She had never seen the captain walk that fast before, despite wearing heels and a skirt. "Bishop, radio this in with the hospital, Lopez, we're taking your shop."
Other officers scrambled to mobilize, and a convoy of three vehicles drove quickly towards the station. She tried calling Routh as she drove, but he wasn't answering his phone.
"He's not answering. It just keeps on ringing." She informed the captain.
"He'll be fine." The captain whispered. She didn't know if the captain was reassuring her or herself.
They headed to Scott's room, and found the place a mess. There were signs of a struggle, and he saw the male nurse they spoke before just clad in his underwear on the floor. Someone had taken off his clothes and she couldn't any signs of her rookie.
"7-adam-07, in pursuit of suspect, heading to the basement parking." They heard Routh's voice over the radio. She ran to the stairwell and headed to the basement with Bishop.
They headed to the basement as they heard reports of a cop chasing down a nurse. She finally breathed a sigh of relief as she saw her rookie walking back to the stairwell, with the suspect in custody as he started reporting on the radio.
"7-adam-07, suspect in custody, moving him back to his room."
"You okay?" She asked, seeing his messy appearance.
"Yeah, just a few bruises." Routh replied. "He's devious, and he fights dirty."
He looked around and looked surprised to see so many officers with her.
"Why'd you bring so many for backup?" He asked.
"You haven't checked your phone, didn't you?" She asked.
"There was no time." Her boot replied. "I felt it vibrate as I was chasing him through the hallways. He even told the hospital security I was a fake cop."
"We suspect Mr. Scott's a serial killer." She informed him as they entered the elevator. Her boot's reaction made her proud, as he merely tightened his grip on Scott as he pushed him out of the elevator and marched him toward his room.
She was surprised to see the FBI agents were already there, speaking with the captain.
"Good work, Officer Routh, Officer Lopez." The captain said as the other cops secured Scott to the bed with handcuffs. Captain Andersen turned to Routh, and she could spot the gentle smile on her lips that she rarely showed to any other subordinate.
"I heard you had quite the chase, Routh." The captain said, and she saw how her boss carefully checked her rookie for any signs of injuries. She knew that look. That was a woman showing concern about her man's wellbeing.
"It was a challenge to catch him." Her boot admitted. "The Hospital security didn't help either."
"I heard about that." One of the FBI agents stepped forward and offered a handshake to her rookie. "I'm Special Agent Matthew Garza, head of the FBI LA Field Division. Good work, Officer Routh."
"You're the super rookie I heard rumors about." The other FBI agent, a pretty blonde in her twenties smiled as she introduced herself as well. "Special Agent Laura Stensen. It seems the rumors didn't do you justice. It's good to meet you."
She raised an eyebrow at the blatant flirting the female agent did. She looked at the captain and saw a slight frown on her face.
"Have you thought, about applying at the Quantico?" Garza asked. "We could use more agents with your determination."
"No poaching of my police officers please." Captain Andersen stated.
The FBI took over and she left with her rookie towards the station. She looked at the time and decided to check on the one thing that was bugging her ever since she checked on Wesley's phone.
"Where are we going?" Routh immediately noticed they were heading away from the station.
"I just want to see for myself." She drove to the address and saw the long line of customers waiting to get inside the posh restaurant. She felt her heart as she saw Wesley dressed in a fancy dark gray suit sitting by the window. He was smiling, talking to someone whose face was blocked by a server taking their order, but it was clearly a woman.
She was about to step on the gas and drive off when Routh asked her to wait. She really didn't want to, but she listened to her boot and finally saw Wesley's date. It was an older woman, with graying hair and fancy expensive looking jewelry. The woman looked sad as she tried to dry her tears with a napkin and Wesley stood up and moved his seat closer to hers, trying to comfort her.
She felt the bubbling anger within her melt away and she suddenly felt stupid. This was clearly not a date in the traditional sense. It looked more like he was with a relative or a family friend who did not want to be alone on Valentine's day.
"Got what you were looking for?" Routh asked.
"Yeah." She pressed the accelerator and headed to the station. Routh was looking at his phone, and she noticed him frowning as well.
"What is it?"
"It looks like I'm free tonight." Routh answered as he pocketed his phone. "I'm thinking of going to Nolan's party instead."
She had an idea why Routh's plans for tonight changed. She knew capturing a previously unknown serial killer would stir some interest from the brass and the mayor. Routh's date was probably neck deep in meetings with various government agencies and politicians tonight. She felt bad for the captain and the long night ahead of her.
"I guess I'm coming too." She decided.
They arrived at Nolan's party, and met his best friend and land lord. She was surprised that Talia was there as well. Nolan looked delighted at their appearance and she decided she would use tonight to repair her friendship with Talia.
Jack Routh
He did not enjoy nightshift. He barely got any sleep during the day, and he missed sleeping beside Zoe. The only bonus was that he had more day offs when working the night shift.
"Hey, you did it." He felt Zoe's arms hug his waist and felt her head rest on his back.
"Thank heavens that's done." He leaned back, enjoying the feeling of her breasts against his back.
"You'll have to get used to it eventually." Zoe murmured. "That's part of becoming a cop. We don't get to choose the hours."
"How about you?" He asked. "You spent some late nights in your office. You usually leave on schedule."
"Paperwork." Zoe replied. "There's also the preparation for the community relations programs. Grey's proposal got approval. I forgot to tell you."
His test lecture that had been delayed several times was finally done. It was supposed to last thirty minutes, including the questions from the audience, but it stretched to an hour. By the end of his lecture his throat was nearly dry and he made a note to bring several bottles of water with him next time.
His audience was very attentive, and he was surprised at how eager they were with their questions afterward. He got to know the other cops from the other departments as well. According to Lucy, he gave his audience a more personal connection with ancient history and showed how it still continues to influence them today. Bradford who unexpectedly turned up said he enjoyed the comedic aspects of his lecture.
"But….?" He could sense some hesitation in her words.
"They're asking more of your time." Zoe replied. "I had to remind the mayor's office and the chief of police that you're still under probation and barely halfway through your training."
"I can withdraw from it if you want and just focus on police work." He suggested. He didn't know his idea with Sergeant Grey would lead to this. It was only supposed to enhance community relations and an occasional lecture once a month.
"That would make it even worse." Zoe pulled him back to bed and rested her head on her chest. "A video of your test lecture circulated among the brass and the politicians. Some are looking to attach their name behind Grey's proposal. You know how it is with them."
"I'll focus on my training first." He replied. "I'm not planning to accept any invitations or meetings."
"Like it or not you've become a high profile rookie in the police department." Zoe admitted. "A lot of eyes are on you and Nolan. The FBI seemed interested in you as well."
"The FBI?"
"It is a good career path for you after you spend a few years as a cop." Zoe replied.
"I'll think about it. I was looking to pass the detective exam first." He looked for clothes to wear and realized that he hadn't used Bradford's gift yet. If there was one other cop who hated the night shift experience more than he has, it was Lucy. After a relaxing shower with Zoe where they had a quick but passionate round of sex, he started getting ready.
"If I were any other girlfriend, I would get offended seeing another woman's face on my boyfriend's shirt." Zoe said upon seeing the shirt he wore under his jacket. "Let me guess, Bradford?"
"He gave it to me last week before my shift ended." He replied, showing the poor face of Lucy Chen who was squinting at the light pointed at her as she sat in the passenger seat of Bradford's shop. "I didn't know how he had the time to do this."
"Don't underestimate the resourcefulness of Bradford." Zoe inspected the shirt with her fingers. "At least he picked a good fabric, but I kind of want you to wear a T-shirt with a picture of me instead."
He smiled as Zoe started to unbutton his pants, knowing how competitive and possessive she was, seeing another woman's face on his shirt must have triggered her. She fished out his dick and started to make him hard with her hand and mouth. She didn't break eye contact with him, and once he was sufficiently hard she moved back to the bed and spread her legs. They were soon fucking hard, and she even boldly sucked on his neck, knowing the other officers would see the mark later.
"Get… the… get your phone out." Zoe gasped. "Take a picture of my face."
He pressed the camera button and captured his lover's face in the midst of her orgasm. Her eyes were half lidded, and it was incredibly erotic as she gave the camera a heated look while she bit her lower lip. He came quickly after that and he groaned as he spilled inside her.
"Now make a t-shirt with that." Zoe whispered as she lovingly caressed his face as they kissed.
He went into the station that morning in a good mood after finally finishing his two weeks at the night shift. He missed the morning briefings with Grey.
"Ah! Excellent, you wore it!" Nolan looked delighted when he saw him and opened his checkered polo, revealing a white undershirt with Lucy's mug on it. "Let's go! There's enough time!"
"Go where?" He asked.
"Greet Lucy at the entrance of course!" Nolan giggled. He played along and followed Nolan. Along the way they encountered Bradford who was usually strict with the time and constantly pressured them about how long until roll call started.
"I saw her car at the parking lot. Make it quick." Bradford told them as he walked away and headed to the locker.
Lucy appeared at the entrance a minute later, looking tired. She stopped as she spotted the two of them, they were attracting a lot of attention and even a few cops started to laugh and point at their matching shirts.
"Funny, guys." Lucy replied, accepting the prank on her easily. "Who else did Tim hand out shirts too?"
"I think it's just the patrol group." Nolan responded.
"It looks like someone was busy this morning." Lucy suddenly leaned forward and inspected the mark on his neck. She gave him a teasing look, eager to get revenge for wearing the shirt. "This looks fresh."
"Wow." Nolan also looked closer. "I didn't realize you were seeing someone. Is it serious?"
"It is." He replied with a smile, not really embarrassed at Zoe's mark on his neck.
"When do we get this mystery woman of yours?" Lucy asked. "I know you've been seeing someone."
"When it's the right time." He answered.
"Do we know her?" Lucy asked.
"Nope." He replied. He knew better than to give Lucy details. "Not going there."
"So it is someone we know." Lucy's eyes shone with determination.
The morning briefing was interesting, as Grey discussed with them about the authority they wielded and how they can easily abuse it like their weapon. He had to admit that Grey was right, and it was a complicated issue. The spirit of the law and the letter of the law was a topic he debated with Lopez all morning.
Lopez seemed amused by the exercise and continued asking him to provide examples and then debate the course of action. It became a practical exam as Lopez allowed him to take the lead on a car that ran a stop sign.
"Please, my dog is dying. He ate a bag of macadamia nuts, it's toxic for them." The woman looked desperate and saw how the dog was indeed lethargic as it looked at them from the passenger seat.
"Alright, I'm giving you a warning. But please observe the traffic signs next time. This was a school zone, you're lucky the kids are in classes right now." He handed the woman back her license and registration.
The woman flashed him a smile and sped off. He watched the vehicle go, satisfied at how she drove more carefully this time.
"Was that the right thing to do, boot?" Lopez asked as they returned back to the shop.
"I gave her a break. Her dog was dying." He replied. "I'd just likely piss her off even more if I gave her a ticket, escalating the situation by increasing the anxiety she was already feeling. That could be even more dangerous."
"Uhuh." Lopez looked amused as she buckled up.
"Look, she was even driving under the speed limit this time." He argued back at seeing her amused face. "What?"
"Nothing. Let's go." Lopez replied.
They received a call about a man being held against his will in a fancy restaurant. He noted that it was the same restaurant where he and Lopez watched Wesley during Valentines. He knew enough about his T.O. not to ask her about her love life, though he noticed she wasn't checking her phone that often during patrol compared to when she started seeing the lawyer.
"We heard reports that you're holding a customer against his will." Lopez confronted the manager of the restaurant.
"He's not a customer, he's a scam artist." The manager replied confidently. "This guy sets up first dates with women, runs up the bill and sneaks out the back door. He's been doing at restaurants all over the neighborhood. There are records in their cctvs."
"He tried to do that to that poor woman over there." He looked back saw a sad looking woman on a table for two. "But one of our kitchen staff caught him and locked his ass in the walk-in fridge."
"Give us a minute." Lopez headed to the woman sitting alone.
The woman complained at the expensive items her date started ordering at the menu. "The bill is $680 dollars. I don't know how to cover my rent this month."
"Did you already order dessert?" Lopez suddenly asked.
"No."
"Go ahead and get something." Lopez was sporting a wicked grin. "Maybe two things."
"Why?" The woman looked confused.
"Just trust me on this. I heard their crème brulee is amazing." He saw Lopez gave the woman a wink. The woman seemed to understand called a server who was watching them.
"You're racking up the bill so it becomes a felony." He whispered to her ear.
"That's right boot." Lopez replied. "Go get our suspect before he freezes to death."
As he was pushing the suspect in cuffs to their shop, the woman stood up and confronted him.
"It looks like you're going to jail, Francois. Enjoy your time there" The suspect looked confused as he guided him out the door and pushed him inside the shop and closed the door. He watched as Lopez and the manager spoke to the victim who suddenly looked happy. He was surprised when Lopez walked out of the restaurant carrying a brown paper bag. He decided to drive, seeing as his T.O. seemed to be eager to snack on what looked like dessert from what he could smell.
"What happened back there?" He asked as he started the shop and started driving to the station.
"I told the manager that Francois here will be convicted with a felony." Lopez replied.
"What!" Francois looked confused.
"The bill, it becomes a felony when it reaches $700 dollars." Lopez happily explained.
"I didn't order that much." Francois complained.
"Oh but you did." Lopez replied and opened the paper bag, showing a plastic takeaway container with a crème brulee inside. "Including this dessert."
"I did not order that!" Francois argued.
"No, but your victim did." Lopez happily started the dessert. "Oh wow. This is really good."
He glanced at the dessert and the sweet smell filled the shop.
"You want a taste?" Lopez asked.
"I'm driving." He replied.
"Don't be a baby. Here." He noticed a spoon filled with the dessert in front of his face. He opened his mouth and Lopez fed him the dessert.
"That is good." He admitted.
"Isn't it?" It was the strangest drive back to the station as he shared a delicious crème brulee with his Lopez.
They were about to reach the end of their shift when they were called in for an operation. An undercover cop gave them a briefing about a Mexican gang, and they were in the midst of shipping the money earned from drugs back to Mexico.
"Rookies, this is your first high-level tactical operation. Let's be prepared." Their captain ordered.
It was the first time for him to wear tactical gear after he graduated from the academy. He noticed the gear they have in Mid-Wilshire was more up to date, and it smelled nicer.
Lopez quizzed him on the gear preparation and went through the plan once more. He was the breacher, and Bradford warned him that every failed attempt meant he had to buy a round every time he failed to knock the door down.
Bradford took the lead, and they waited in the shadows while carried the Blackhawk tactical breacher, basically a heavy piece of solid metal with handles on either end. He received a pack on the back, and patted Bradford. It was the signal, and it meant they had to move in.
Bradford covered him and he swung the breacher hard against the specific point taught to them at the academy. The door blasted open, but he immediately heard gun shots a second later and he immediately felt like someone had kicked him repeatedly in the ribs.
He fell backwards, out of breath as the rest of the team surged into the door. He could hear shouts and heard frantic radio traffic.
"Officer down!"
"Put your gun down!"
"Hands up!"
"Do not move!"
His fellow officers headed to the assigned areas and he winced as he tried to sit up.
"Stay down. You're okay Routh. You're okay." He saw Grey watch over him as his sergeant called over the radio for an ambulance.
He felt himself being dragged to the lawn as the officers started to march out the gang members to a waiting vehicle. An EMT checked upped on him as his vest was removed. He hissed as the EMT pressed his fingers on his chest.
"I don't think his ribs are broken." The EMT, a woman reported. "But we better get him to the hospital to be sure."
He was wheeled to the ambulance, and suddenly realized he would have died without that tactical vest. He wondered why he wasn't hyperventilating in panic at the moment. Was this due to one of his traits again, he wondered.
The doctors rushed him for an x-ray, to check for other complications like internal bleeding and thankfully he only suffered severe bruising and some surface wounds. Unfortunately he was only cleared for light duty by the doctor when he asked and he eagerly accepted the offer to be discharged from the hospital, since the results of his exam appeared that he suffered no further life threatening injuries.
The EMT that treated him earlier offered to give him a ride, since they were on their way to pick up a few of the suspects who got injured in the operation for tests.
"What are you doing here?" Lopez demanded with wide eyes as he hobbled into the station that night. "How did you get here?"
"Routh!" He turned to see the Captain walking towards him from the bullpen. "How did you get here? Shouldn't you be in the station?"
"The doctors cleared me for any internal injuries, captain." He reported as he handed the results of his x-ray. "The doctor offered to discharge me early if I wanted to and I accepted."
"And how did you get here?" The captain asked as she read over the reports from the hospital.
"I hitched a ride with EMS." He replied. His captain/girlfriend looked annoyed as her lips thinned and exchanged looks with his T.O.
"Don't report for work tomorrow. You'll work the desk for the rest of the week." His Captain ordered. "And don't think about riding that bike in the meantime."
"Yes captain." He replied. He knew he would feel sore tomorrow and was grateful for the day off. "If you don't mind, I'll wait here and hitch a ride with Nolan or Chen."
"Don't bother. I'll take you home. Just wait at the lobby" The captain replied and left.
He gathered his gear and tried to change shirts, but as soon as he raised his arms pain lanced through his chest and shoulder. He ignored the pain and pulled off his shirt and threw it in his bag. He was about to put a fresh shirt back on when he heard Bradford whistle.
"That looks like it hurts." The senior T.O. said as he saw his bruises.
"It does." He replied. "But I got lucky. No broken ribs, just heavy bruising."
"I'm glad I picked you as breacher." Bradford said as he started to collect his own gear. "I was initially thinking of using my own boot as a test, but I realized this was an important op to give her an exam. I can't imagine she would take taking multiple shots that well compared to you."
"You made the right call sir." He agreed. Lucy's smaller frame would mean she would suffer worse from the impact of bullets hitting her vest, or worse.
"Drink lot pineapple juice. You'll heal faster." Bradford suggested as he left the locker room.
He was resting at his own apartment since Zoe was busy with paperwork from the results of the raid. The initial ice bath helped with bruising, but now he used a hot compress to soothe the aches.
He looked up as his door opened. He had given Zoe a copy his key to his apartment during his night shift so she could visit him anytime even if he sleeping.
"How's work?" He asked.
"Not good." Zoe sat down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Getting injured got you off the hook. Nolan, Chen and Lopez are under investigation, since they were the ones left to guard the money. The bean counters reported that there's $250,000 missing.
"But that's not possible." He replied.
"I know. No one suspects your friends or Bishop, but the chief insists on proceeding with the investigation." Zoe sounded frustrated. "You can imagine the morale at the station when I left."
He knew she cared deeply for her officers and tried to protect them from bureaucracy as much as she can.
"We need dig dipper then. Something's not right." He observed. "It looks like someone set them up to take the fall."
"I'm conducting my own private investigation with Grey." Zoe replied. "I'm only telling you this because I trust you. We're checking phone records right now. "
They fell asleep on the couch when they got woken up when Zoe's phone rang. She groaned and reached for her phone and answered the call while he continued to hug her from behind.
"What is it?" He watched as the sleep from Zoe's eyes vanished. Her face became more determined and finally she smiled.
"I'll be the one to arrest him. Send a unit with me." She quickly ended the call and sat up. "Your friend Lucy got attacked by the remaining gang members, but she's fine."
"What happened?"
"They thought she stole the money. But Lucy recognized one of them outside the house on the night you raided that house. Someone warned him." Zoe replied as she began to check herself in the mirror.
"I'm going out to make an arrest. What do you want for dinner?" She asked.
"How about Thai food?" He suggested.
"Great, see you in a few." She leaned down and kissed him on the lips before she left. He got his phone and started calling Nolan who quickly picked up the call after one ring.
"I just heard what happened." He told his fellow rookie. "How are you holding up?"
"Relieved. They even made us do a polygraph." Nolan replied.
"That's not reliable." He replied, surprised that the investigation came to that. Jack Reacher believed polygraphs were voodoo shamanism. "Wouldn't bodycam footage be enough?"
"Not according to I.A. It didn't help that our bodycams recorded us talking about what we would do if we had a pile of money in front of us." Nolan admitted. "Lucy said she would buy a helicopter to avoid traffic."
He snorted in amusement over the phone. Lucy always complained about the traffic, and her worry about finding a place to move to since she was getting evicted. Her apartment building was getting demolished by a developer to make way for a mixed use commercial space.
"How are you healing?" Nolan asked.
"Healing pretty well. I must do something nice for Bradford for the pineapple juice suggestion. I should recover completely and do patrol work in a couple of days." He answered.
Ever since he woke up in this world, he found out about a modest inheritance he received from the estate of his deceased parents. Deciding that real estate was a good investment, he immediately used it to purchase a good apartment from an older couple who wanted to sell it quickly. Aside from the bike and the accessories he also bought as his transport, he still had enough for emergencies since he rarely indulged in luxury items.
"On the other hand, Lucy finally found a place to move to." Nolan shared that Lucy immediately spoke to the landlord who owned the unit where Nolan found a dead gang member. By law, the landlord was obligated to tell potential renters about its history.
That the place was a scene of a homicide would only turn off potential clients, and Lucy immediately stepped in to lock in the place with cheaper rent and even told the landlord that she would take care of cleaning the blood stains on the floor
"So, are you up for spending a day off helping Lucy clean up her new place?" Nolan asked. "She offered us pizza and beer."
"Make it pineapple juice and I'll be there." He replied. It was a good way to test his endurance before he returned to active duty.
He had a wonderful Thai dinner with Zoe and they spent the rests of the night watching crime documentaries.
"You know, while watching this I'm starting to wonder what would happen if I gave a lecture on Jack the Ripper." He commented. "What's with cops and crime documentaries?"
"It's a good exercise to help get into the head of serial killers." Zoe replied. "You're serious about a lecture on Jack the Ripper?"
"During the time period there were several murders in London." He replied. "It was only because of the role of the newspapers that he got famous. There's debate today if he really is just one man, or other murders were accidentally attached to his."
"Really?"
"Yup. The newspapers sensationalized his name to increase their circulation. You could say he became a trending sensation in the Victorian era because the victims were mostly poor women. It only highlighted the disparity between the upper class and the lower class. Then the media sensationalized the murders, and added made up stories and angles that didn't help with the investigation."
"So fake news?" Zoe suggested.
"Completely fabricated, just to sell more papers." He replied. "It only added to the mass hysteria that was gripping the city. The police were notoriously incompetent because of their lack of manpower, and the unwillingness to cooperate with other law enforcement organizations of the time since more often than not they overlapped jurisdictions. That caused conflict and unwillingness to cooperate in the investigation."
"Even back then huh?" Zoe looked amused.
"Oh yeah. They often stumbled into victims on their patrols, their bodies were still warm."
"I'm thinking of having you dressed as Jack the Ripper for Halloween and give that presentation. What do you think?" Zoe asked.
"I'll do it if you dress up in a Victorian era dress to match me." He joked.
"No." She shook her head though she was smiling.
"Please? If I will make this presentation, I would need props, and get replica items that were suspected that Jack the ripper used to commit the murders. We would then use it as a thought exercise for the audience to determine what his occupation is, his background, job and family."
"Still no." Zoe answered. "I know what you're trying to do."
He sighed at the missed opportunity. It would be fun to see his girlfriend in Victorian fashion. Especially the corsets.
The next day he went to the grocery to purchase additional cleaning materials to help Lucy. He arrived at the address that afternoon to see Lucy and Nolan already getting ready while wearing worn clothes, fit for the work they were about to do.
"Just in time." Nolan said when he saw him.
"I brought additional cleaning supplies." He held up the plastic bag filled with soap, bleach, gloves and brushes."
"Thank you for helping." Lucy greeted him with a hug. "I really appreciate this.
With the three of them working, the apartment turned out nicer that he initially thought. "This has good potential." He commented, looking around the now clean apartment as he took a bite of his pizza.
"I know!" Lucy was happy as she dug into her own food. "It's so much closer to the station, and I don't have to wake up early every day."
"What will you do about the spare bedroom?" He asked.
"Yoga room." Lucy replied. "Or a library."
"Why not both?" Nolan suggested.
Next week he was called along with Lucy and Nolan to the Captain's office. The days were running by him so fast he didn't realize he had completed a surprising number of shifts.
"One hundred shifts." Captain Zoe Andersen smiled at them.
"Not a lot of rookies make it to this point in their probationary year." Sergeant Grey stated from beside the captain.
"It's a reason to celebrate." The captain continued.
"But not much." Grey quickly added.
"For the first 100 shifts your training officers have been there to guide the way. Not today." The captain looked at each of them in the eye to emphasize her point.
"Welcome to plain clothes day." Grey said with a smile.
"What is plain clothes day?" Lucy asked.
"Your T.O.s will be out of uniform, riding with you in strictly observational capacity only." Grey replied.
"They will not advise assist or help you in any way." The captain continued. "Every decision will be yours to make."
"Does this mean we get to choose where to eat lunch?" Nolan asked.
"Yes officer Nolan." Grey replied. "For all intents and purposes, today, you are alone. And that should scare the hell out of you."
"This is a true measure of where you are in the training process. Your performance today could have a profound impact on your career path in this department." The captain said.
"What happens if we get into real trouble?" Lucy asked.
"Deal with it." Grey replied. "If you can't your T.Os. will step in."
"But if that happens, you will be judged." The captain warned them. It meant a fail for plain clothes day. "That's it."