Episode 33 Fallout (part 2/3) (Patreon)

Susan Coleman

Things in the city had calmed down, but for the LAPD, things were chaotic. She had to attend funerals for the officers who died and the many more who were in the hospital with horrific injuries. Metro units that were comprised of their most elite and well-trained officers, were down a platoon, and it was all her fault.

She wasn’t blind, she could see the way her command staff acted around her since the Montel incident. No one looked at her in the eye when they spoke to her. Captains who circled around her just days ago were suddenly too busy to even join her for lunch meetings.

And then Stevens… he was already speaking to the other police commissioners and commanders, inviting them to dinner parties. She didn’t receive a single invite, and that was a slap to her face, but she knew she could not do anything about it.

Any political power she had carefully amassed through the years was gone in a single week. Everyone knew she wouldn’t remain as Chief until the next quarter. They all expected her to hand in her resignation soon.

She closed her eyes and leaned back in her comfy leather chair and reflecting on her actions since she got promoted. What mistakes she made, the officers she targeted, everything. Her reputation was at an all-time low.

There was another event on the horizon, probably her last stint as Chief of Police. She decided she would do her best for this, her last hurrah.  Even if she was known as the Chief who served the shortest time in the post since the LAPD’s founding, she was determined to be remembered for at least one successful event.

“Call in the relevant department heads and captains. Schedule a meeting in a few hours.” She told her aide.

L.A. would soon host the 2020 Olympics, and she had just had a few years to prepare. That consisted of numerous visits from International delegates and Olympic committee members, and this time, Royal dignitaries from Europe, acting as cultural ambassadors, were scheduled to arrive next week. She needed to make sure their visit went smoothly, and she knew the Diplomatic Security Service was as demanding as Secret Service Agents.

Jessica Cortez

She watched a Daniel devoured the steak with enthusiasm. She took a moment to enjoy their day, it was rare for her and Hondo to have dates like these. Mayor Stevens personally called her and pleaded that she stay at her position for the time being, and she had to agree with his reasoning.

It was a delicate time, with Metro at its weakest, with a shortage of personnel. Resigning her post would only weaken the division, and so she agreed. The mayor even assured her that she didn’t have to worry about the chief or suffer any political backlash. She felt pity for Coleman, she was taking all of the blame for the incident with Montel, and the press and other politicians were ruthless in their criticism. She knew that the older woman would have to leave the force after that debacle.

“That good?” She asked after Dan cleaned his plate. She was always Dan or Daniel to her and Hondo to the guys when he was at work. It served as a convenient way to separate their relationship from their duties as police officers.

“Could be better, but I’m hungry.” Her boyfriend replied.

She smiled. Daniel always worked up an appetite after sex. They were discussing a future road trip for vacation, and they started by listing popular destinations. She wanted to drive up north to Oregon, while Daniel wanted to visit Arizona.

Speaking of visits, she suddenly remembered the upcoming visit of a European delegation. DSS representatives had just sent a list of the VIPs, and she raised an eyebrow when she saw the names listed. There were a few princesses, a prince, a countess, and a queen who counted among the list of dignitaries. She could understand Coleman’s insistence of a smooth operation with so many high-profile VIPs visiting the city for a week.

DSS wanted the city to send its best cops, and that usually meant Metro. There were even requirements for close-in guards that would be with the delegates, serving as a bridge for the LAPD and the DSS, and then the VIP’s own security teams.

“That European delegation still bothering you?” Daniel asked.

“I’m having trouble selecting the final slot.” She shared. The DSS agent wanted a cop who could speak fluent German and French since they would be near the delegates. It was a last-minute request that she was unable to find a solution for yesterday.

“How can I help?” Dan asked. “I know many officers in the city. What are they looking for specifically?”

“Unless you can find me a cop that’s fluent in both French and German, there’s probably nothing you can do.” She replied. “Should I contact the FBI? What?”

She noticed the puzzled look on her boyfriend’s face.

“Well, Routh speaks French and Russian.” Dan revealed. “I heard him speaking back to Montel before we got ambushed.”

“That… that wasn’t in his file.”

“I know.” Dan ran a hand over his forehead. “Kid’s been confusing me since day one.”

“How good is he?” She leaned forward.

“If he knows French and Russian, I’m willing to bet he knows how to speak German too.” He replied. “Man’s a walking box full of question marks. I’m almost positive he received some training, but why does he keep pretending he didn’t?”

 She took a moment to consider Dan’s assessment. Jack aced all the exams, written and physical. He rarely had to repeat the same mistake twice, and was undefeated in unarmed combat so far to her boyfriend’s frustration. That was why he ended up in Dan’s personal squad in D-platoon, he earned the spot cleanly, and no one in Metro could deny his skills despite being a rookie cop.

“I’ll call Zoe.” She pulled out her phone. She knew her fellow captain’s schedule, and she knew the woman was probably dealing with paperwork before lunch.

“Hey.” She replied when her call was picked up and put the call on speaker mode for Dan’s benefit.

“Jessica, what’s up? Need another bottle?” Zoe asked. She shared an amused look with her boyfriend. That bottle Zoe sent was a big factor in why she used a personal day off from work today, and her ruined sheets.

“We’re good.” She replied. “I just want to ask about Jack. Daniel tells me he can speak Russian and French?”

There was a slight pause on the other end before her fellow captain finally answered.

“He revealed to me before that he can speak in Latin, French, German, Spanish, and Farsi.” Zoe shared. “You know about his background in history. He says he enjoys learning languages. What is this about?”

She was still stunned at what she learned and shared wide-eyed looks with Dan. She took a moment to compose herself and cleared her throat.

“You just gave me the solution. DSS needs a cop with the European Delegates who can speak their language.” She replied. It was like Jack Routh was tailor-made for this particular assignment.

“I’m sure he’ll enjoy the experience,” Zoe replied. “Is there anything else?”

“Nothing else, thanks, Zoe.” She answered. “Tell Jack that he’ll have a special briefing with DSS agents tomorrow.”

“Will do.”

Dan exploded the moment the call ended, attracting the attention of the other customers in the restaurant.

“Farsi? Latin? Who the fuck still speaks Latin?” Dan shook his head. “That’s a dead language, and how can he speak so many languages?”

“He is a professor of History.” She replied, enjoying the confused look on her usually confident and self-assured boyfriend

“And Farsi?” Dan continued. “The only guys I know that speak that are intelligence spooks. I don’t buy that historian crap. Jack had to have come from black ops.”

“Maybe he was given strict orders even after leaving the organization he previously worked for.” She replied in a lower tone of voice. “But I checked his records. He really did study at UCLA, so if he received that training that you claimed he did, then that has to be before he was 18.”

“Then that means…” Daniel leaned back. “Fuck. He was in a program that deep?”

“So there’s a reason he doesn’t talk about it.” She suggested. “He’s using his skills now to help the city and the public.”

“Yeah, I get it.” Dan sighed. “I won’t push him anymore.”

“Good.” She nodded. With her current dilemma solved, she felt playful and ran her shoe up and down Dan’s leg. “So tell me about this spot that you said was totally private and had a nice view of the sunset?”

“We’re going there, huh?” Dan grinned.

“I don’t know, what do you want?” She shrugged and leaned forward, allowing Dan to look down her cleavage

“Check please!” Dan quickly called out for the waiter. Her man couldn’t wait and left several bills on the table and pulled her along out of the restaurant and towards his truck.  

Jack Routh

The city had nearly recovered from what he could see as he waited for the European delegation to arrive in the hotel lobby. The only positive thing from that event was probably the sudden drop in crime, with so many criminals arrested after their actions.

Many were lying low, or had probably left the city, afraid of the LAPD’s retaliation now that they weren’t distracted by Montel. The DSS agents with him were a bit standoffish and paranoid. He had to present his credentials and had his identity checked multiple times until he was cleared to join them.

He wore his standard short-sleeved blues, and kept in contact with Hondo and the other units with an earpiece connected to the radio on his belt. He almost felt like a secret service agent, and the only thing missing was his suit.

“ETA, 5 minutes, 28-David.” Hondo’s voice spoke in his ear.

“Copy, 30-David.” He replied to the tiny microphone wired all the way to his sleeve. This was real high-tech stuff, loaned to him by the DSS agents.

“They’re five minutes out.” He called DSS agent Perry. The older man nodded once, his eyes scanning the entrance. He looked around the venue once more, taking note of the hotel staff eagerly waiting for the VIP’s arrival.

Several delegations were arriving at the same time. Countess Sophia of Wessex was arriving first, followed by Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and her entourage. Her delegation was his primary concern, according to the briefing, and he adjusted his uniform in anticipation.

The stately blonde of the British delegation arrived first. He winced slightly at the breach of protocol from the hotel staff, but the Countess didn’t seem to mind. When it was his turn, he gave a short bow from the neck and greeted the royal.

“Lady Wessex.” He smiled.

The countess raised an eyebrow and looked at him straight in the eye. He could see the slight surprised expression on her face. “Familiar with Royal protocol, are we?”

“I do have a degree in modern and ancient history, Ma’am.” He grinned and quickly shook the woman’s offered handshake.

“An academic police officer, fascinating.” The Countess smiled. “We have to talk soon.”

Agent Perry leaned over to him and whispered in his ear once the Royal moved on. “What was that about?”

“They addressed her as her Royal Highness.” He explained. “That’s only reserved for the prince or princesses. Men don’t have to curtsy. Only women do that, and a short bow would be fine.”

 “You need to give some agents unfamiliar with all this protocol if you’re familiar with it.” Agent Perry mused. “We rarely receive royalty, and never this close.”

The delegation from the Netherlands arrived next. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands arrived with her large delegation. She wore a modest off white suit and slacks and gave off an elegant vibe.

She greeted the waiting staff, but when it was his turn, she seemed confused as he greeted her. She didn’t even respond, though she gave him one last look before she and her delegation headed to their rooms.

 “What was that about?” Agent Perry asked.

“Beats me.” He replied. He used the correct protocols as well, so why did the queen look confused when he met her? No matter, he still had a job to do for the next few days.

Maxima Zorreguieta Cerutti

This was supposed to be a relaxing, informal trip with minimal protocol as she joined the European delegation for cultural exchange and discussed the preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2020.

The weather was nice, and her daughters were eager to visit the famous city and to meet some celebrities. Taylor Swift had already agreed to meet them, according to her staff, and she was looking forward to meeting the pop star in person.

The other officials from the International Olympic Committee would arrive tomorrow, and the real work would begin for the week. She did not expect her arrival at the hotel to start with confusion.

“Who was that police officer?” She asked one of her staff. The girls were already running around the suite, pointing at the different views of the city from the large windows of the penthouse.

“The one who spoke in German?” Her aide asked.

“Yes, him.” She nodded.  His accent was impeccable, and he seemed familiar. Where had she seen that face before?

“That’s Officer Jack Routh, of their elite Metro division.” Her aide looked up a sheet of paper provided by the DSS. Strange, he seemed so familiar to her, but she was sure she hadn’t met him before.

No matter. She prepared for the rest of the afternoon, a shopping trip demanded by her eldest. She noted that they were being escorted by a heavy police presence, and she relaxed slightly, knowing they were taking her family’s safety seriously.

Their itinerary was followed strictly, and there she noted Officer Routh again amidst their presence, talking with some of her other staff, this time in French. Interesting. She had trained her daughters to speak those two languages, and to see an American police officer doing the same was intriguing.

The mystery of Jack Routh did not end as their shopping trip ended. Taylor Swift arrived for the special dinner that cost a significant amount of money to arrange, but it was worth it for her daughters. The tall, blonde pop star arrived with her own entourage, and after greeting her and her daughters, she saw the way Taylor’s eyes widened in surprise as she spotted the mysterious officer.

“Jack!” The pop star broke protocol and moved past security and staff and hugged the tall officer who was standing at the very end of the room. She shared a confused look with her staff, apparently, Taylor Swift knew this man quite well.

It looked like her eldest did too, as she started screaming that he was Sugar. She decided to make some changes and whispered to her staff to adjust the chairs at the table.

“Please join us, Officer Routh.” She told the tall man with the familiar face. “It seems like my Catharina knows you too.”

“He’s Sugar mama! The Sugar!” Her fifteen-year-old daughter looked thrilled.

“I’m sorry, your majesty.” Taylor addressed her after sitting down. “Jack’s a close friend of mine, and I was surprised to see him here.”

“Are you two dating?” She asked. She noted the blush on the blonde’s face after she asked her question.

“Jack’s married.” Taylor explained. “We’re just close friends. He even saved my life from a kidnapping.”

The dinner went smoothly after that. She watched as the two musicians entertained her daughters. With Jack Routh serving as a quasi interpreter and guide for her two youngest, Taylor Swift was more relaxed with their dinner.

He had even revealed he was familiar with her husband’s family and lineage and explained it in a way that was easy to understand for Taylor.

“The House of Orange?” Taylor looked confused.

“It’s one of the oldest and influential families in Europe.” Routh explained. “You can say that they invented modern financing.”

“I thought the Rothschilds did that.” Her eldest joined in the conversation.

“A common misconception.” Jack replied to her eldest. “The Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, more commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, is the pioneer of modern financing with the concept of shares and speculation. Your family helped transform the company into one of the largest and most powerful private organizations that rivaled entire continents in power and influence.”

“You should be a professor of history.” She observed. “I have never seen my daughter listen so well to a history lecture before.”

“Mother!”

It probably helped that Routh was an admittedly handsome young man. She could already see that her daughter had a massive crush.

“Jack taught history for a time in one of the city colleges.” Taylor Swift revealed. “Sadly, I wasn’t able to attend his lectures, but according to one of his students, he was a fantastic lecturer.”

Taylor, and now Jack gamely posed for numerous selfies with her daughters. Taylor signed several albums and brought out what Catharina called Merch. Dinner ended on a high note, and when everyone retired for the night, she called her husband, who still back home, busy with family affairs.

She still couldn’t rid of the sense of familiarity with Routh and shared her thoughts with her husband Alex. 

“What does he look like?” Alex asked.

“Look at your daughter’s Instargram post.” She replied.

“He does look familiar.” Her husband noted. “He shares some resemblance with my uncle, but they passed away.”

Her eyes lit up. That was exactly it! Jack Routh looked like one of the paintings of her late brother-in-law, whose painting with his wife and son hung at their home in remembrance of their tragic passing.

With the mystery plaguing her since she met the man, finally solved, she relaxed on the bed and started to browse Routh’s video channel that her daughter recommended she look up. She slept late that night, intrigued as she enjoyed Sugar’s public performances.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

She did not expect Jack to join their spa day, but Zoe informed her that he had some errands of his own. Jack needed a haircut and an updated wardrobe for their upcoming trip to the East Coast in a week.

She thought Jack looked great already, but who was she to decide if he needed a haircut or not? She was shocked when she spotted Jack walking back to the spa with a fresh haircut and a few bags of new clothes.

She glanced at the fancy clock on the wall. It had only been an hour! She finally got a good look at her friend and paused. Wait, she was wrong. He looked more handsome and dashing now. She noticed that even the snobby receptionist was staring at her new neighbor, along with the other women waiting for their turn.

“Hey, Liz.” Jack smiled at her, and she had to control her breathing and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Zoe not finished?”

“She picked the extended massage and scrub.” She replied, aware that all of the women were observing the two of them. “You have to wait for half an hour.”

“That’s fine.” She noticed that Jack had nowhere else to sit and decided to move over to the fancy white grand piano that was on display as a prop to show how fancy the spa was. She watched as Jack traced his fingers on the smooth surface and lifted the case protecting the keys.

She looked at the receptionist, but the woman didn’t seem to mind Jack playing with their piano. He pressed a few keys and sat on the bench, and placed his shopping bags on the floor.

“So what’s your favorite musical piece to play on the piano?” She asked.

“There are a lot of great pieces, but if I had to choose one, I’d say it’s Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy.” Jack explained. “It means moonlight in French, and it’s one of the most popular pieces to play in films. Directors love it.”

It was really good timing that the chair she chose to sit on was closest to the piano, but with one glance she could tell the other women were eavesdropping. One woman even pretended to be using her phone but she could see the screen was locked.

“It sounds like a complex piece, but it’s surprisingly easy compared to other famous compositions.” Jack replied. He tested some keys, and then started playing a familiar tune. The beautiful notes filled the lobby and she was getting into it when the music abruptly stopped.

“Can you play it longer?” She asked. She pretended to ignore the nods from the women sitting in the lobby. To his credit, Jack complied without another word.

His fingers danced once more around the keyboard, producing that beautiful music.

“It seems fitting that this subtle piece which feels better to be played at night to show off the silver moonlight, is popular at the silver screen. The contrast from the bright sun gives it its beauty.” Jack shared and resumed playing. She leaned back, mesmerized at the sight of Jack in his simple shirt, jacket, and jeans playing the pearl white piano. The music was captivating, and within the fairly small lobby, the sound seemed to penetrate through her, every note taking her down a trip through her past memories.  

“It’s always been used as a turning point in movies.” Jack’s voice slowly brought her back to the lobby. The lobby was quiet, and she realized Jack was no longer playing. “Don’t you agree?”

She didn’t realize it, but she was clapping. The others followed her quickly, even the receptionist. Jack gave a small bow in return, though he did look happy to see that they appreciated his magical performance.

“I leave you to shop, and I come back to find you performing a recital.” Zoe appeared by the entrance, looking refreshed and relaxed.

“I was just sharing my favorite piano piece with Liz.” Jack replied. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah.” Zoe nodded. “So what did you get?”

She followed after the married couple, and over coffee, she watched with amusement as Zoe inspected Jack’s purchases. She had to hide her laugh, no wonder Jack was so quick in his shopping. He picked the most plain, simple clothes imaginable from the cheapest brand.

“It was the closest to the spa.” Jack explained. “It was the most efficient, and I was even able to buy some tools from the hardware store.”

She felt Zoe’s frustration as her husband started to show off the tools he bought and placed them one by one on the small coffee table beside their drinks.

“This one is a screwdriver that’s magnetized at the tip, and it even lights up at the end to check for voltage.” Jack continued speaking. “This one is an Allen wrench set, look it even has a casing so they won’t get lost…”

“We’re going back.” Zoe rubbed the sides of her head with her hands. “Jack, honey, you can’t just wear shirts all the time.”

“We still have time, right?” She decided to step in. It was clear Jack had a different set of priorities when it came to shopping and she knew she would need reinforcements.

“Why don’t we call Jessica and Taylor over?” She suggested. “I’m sure they’ll be happy to help get new clothes to update Jack’s wardrobe.”

“No!”

“Yes!” Zoe nodded eagerly. “I’m calling them now!”

She ignored Jack’s look of betrayal and pushed on. Jack would need this for their trip, since he was about to meet Zoe’s estranged family. He needed to make a good impression.

Taylor Swift

The after party of the American music awards was alright but it was unusual that it started so early, and her manager explained that it was due to safety concerns. Security was tighter than usual, thanks to that insane criminal who promised a ridiculous reward if he was freed. It was the favorite topic at the moment, though she didn’t like how some of her colleagues were treating it like it was some form of spectacle. Police officers had died, and ever since she met Jack, she had held a high regard for the men and women of the LAPD.

The food was good, they had privacy, and the venue was actually filled with her fellow artists, musicians, sound engineers, and tech guys. She even recognized a few faces, people she had worked with in the past.

Label executives and CEOs were thankfully missing, and she decided to stay a bit longer. She did enjoy the Halloween theme and was inspired by Jack, she dressed as a police officer, complete with a cap, shades, and handcuffs. Her fake orange gun was a bubble gun and fan in one, and it was proving useful in the humid climate of the venue.

Her numerous awards, freshly engraved with her name, lay on top of her table, all 23 of them. It was a new record, having surpassed Whitney Houston. It was a pity that Jack couldn’t come. She didn’t invite him, since she knew him enough not to ask, and accepted their song of the year award for both of them.

Somebody I used to know was unstoppable.

Numerous artists and managers asked for a chance to speak with Jack, but she merely smiled and kept saying he was not interested in collaborations with other artists. She could sense their frustration and disappointment, but she had to respect her friend’s wishes. They both loved music, but she took it to a professional path while Jack treated it as a hobby.

She couldn’t wait for the launch of the DVD that would show Jack’s first-ever concert, on board the yacht that she chartered. It took some editing, fixing up audio quality, but the final result was brilliant in her opinion. She was now waiting for Jack’s feedback before her label started selling it with Jack’s solo album, which was months in the making.

“Taylor.”

Arianna walked up to her, moving past her circle of close friends, and sat beside her. She raised an eyebrow at her fellow pop star. She beat Arianna thoroughly in the Grammys, her album Fearless outselling Arianna’s Sweetener by a good margin.

“Hey.” She put on a polite smile, one deserved for people she knew but were not close too.

“Any word from Sugar?” Arianna got right to the reason she came to her table.

“Yeah, he said he’s not interested.” Poor girl. She could tell Arianna was desperate for a collab. Her album, despite including other famous artists, tanked hard in sales. She had sensed a shift in the market, in how people preferred authenticity and image rather than a factory-made song.

And unfortunately for her, she didn’t understand Jack’s thinking. She did, and she was determined to keep it that way.

“Pity.” The younger pop star sighed.

“Like I said, he’s not a commercial musician.” She shared. “He doesn’t do guest shows, publicity tours, or media interviews. He does what he wants.”

“Okay fine.” Arianna replied. “I’m here to ask you about some rumors circulating around.”

“What rumors?” She asked. There were plenty about her on the internet, but her team was tracking those topics carefully, from absurd rumors that she was secretly pregnant with Jack’s child to an affair with another pop star she used to have a crush on when she was younger. That one was gross.

“You’re in some sort of secret Illuminati group called the Rosewood Club.” Arianna revealed. “They say Jessica Chastain’s part of it too.”

She laughed at the notion that she was part of some ancient, secretive group. She may have reached generational wealth, but she was far from those people. Breaching the billion-dollar net worth allowed her to gain some information, and what she learned shocked her. There were powerful families that existed that practically controlled and dictated the majority of markets in the globe.

They were discreet, powerful, and influential in the shadows. They carried history and prestige behind their names, from Du Pont, to Rockefeller, and even the Rothschilds. There were a few more, but those were the only ones she was familiar with. And with Jack's recent history lecture, the house of Orange-Nassau.

“That’s crazy, Arianna.” She decided to nip it in the bud. “It’s just a small circle of friends, and we hang out from time to time. There are no Illuminati or weird rituals, and we just have salads, cheese, barbecue, and champagne.”

“So it does exist.” Arianna smiled. “Who are the members?”

“It’s not a membership.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s a good group of friends, and some of them aren’t even celebrities but normal people with normal jobs.”

“You serious?”

“100 percent.” She nodded. Her phone buzzed, and she leaned away for a moment. It was from the group chat, and it showed a picture of Jack sitting in front of a piano. Sadly, it wasn’t a video, but Liz mentioned that Jack performed the Claire de Lune.

[Need help with our boy, ASAP. He’s very stubborn in shopping since we need to update his wardrobe for his upcoming trip with Zoe to visit her parents on the East Coast. - Liz]

[Give me ten minutes. – Jess]

[ Hard Pass. You’re on your own, Jack. Be strong. – Nikolaj]

Wait, Jack needed help? Shopping?

“You’re smiling.” She heard Arianna comment.

“It’s just my friends. One of them needs my help.” She explained and stood up and made eye contact with her manager and tilted her head slightly, and looked out the window. That was the signal that she wanted to leave.

She decided to give one piece of juicy news to her fellow pop star. “Sugar’s part of that group. Bye, Arianna!”

 “Wait, what? For real?” Arianna gasped. “Can I come?”

“Sorry. It’s just for close friends.” She replied. “See you.”

“Yeah, you too.” The girl mumbled back in reply.

She needed to change clothes quickly, a comfortable disguise too, and a briefing of her security team. Maybe she could show up as a brunette with glasses this time. She could totally rock out the librarian vibe.