Episode 35 Royal Rumble (part 1/3) (Patreon)

Episode 35 Royal Rumble

Jack Routh

Light duty.

That was what the brass handed down upon the recommendation of several psychiatrists to their squad. Their shifts a week were drastically cut, and that meant allowing the other metro platoons to step up and take the slack.

That meant he was doing desk work and returned home early. Zoe was envious of his temporary schedule and demanded home-cooked dinners since he had a lot of time to prepare. He wasn’t a culinary genius, but he knew his way around the kitchen to prepare suitable meals.

Now he was given his latest assignment, to escort a group of four teenagers in a Juvenile facility while a camera crew covered the controversial program. It had been canceled some years back and was now being reactivated. It wasn’t popular in the department, and even he had misgivings about it, but this Scared Straight program had the backing of the Mayor.

“So, Officer Routh.” Lisa Mays of KWLA news smiled at him as they headed to the adult correctional facility just outside the city. “What do you think of this program?”

 The woman barely left her side when she realized who he was when they picked up the three teenagers from juvenile detention. Thankfully, Nolan was there with him, his current partner was bursting with excitement at the nature of their new assignment. The new P2 was a big proponent of rehabilitating the teens and believed in second chances.

“I think it’s a good program.” Nolan answered for him, even though he was the one driving the shop. Mays and her cameraman were seated at the back, while the teens followed their shop in another vehicle from the juvenile detention facility.

“Aren’t you concerned that instead of scaring them straight, as the proponent of this new program boasts, it will only hasten their exposure to cold-blooded criminals that can contribute to their moral decline?” Lisa Mays seemed to have done her research, since she recited almost word-for-word the statements from the critics of the controversial program.

“That’s why the program specifically selected the criminals that they will get into contact with.” Nolan answered. It looked like his partner had read the program's briefing that had been sent to them from the Mayor's office. “The program hopes that these at-risk youth heed the warnings of those who set foot on the wrong side of the law.”

Their two-vehicle convoy soon reached the federal prison. He hated this part, being forced to surrender his weapon and backup piece, but they had to follow the correctional facility’s policy for all visitors. They were stared at as they passed through the courtyards, the inmates yelling at the teens who were wearing uniform white sweaters, making them stand out from the sea of orange.

The correctional officer who introduced himself as Sergeant Smith started giving the teens a very warm welcome.

“You are now in my custody.” Sergeant Smith ordered the four teens to line up, and he started walking back and forth behind them. “You will obey every order I give, or I will put my hands on you and I will make you obey. You ball up your fists, and I will take that as a sign of aggression, and I will put you on the ground, and I will handcuff you. Is that clear?”

Silence greeted the man, causing him to shout louder.

“IS THAT CLEAR?”

“Yes, Sir!”

He didn’t know if the correctional officer was hamming it up for the camera, but it seemed to have made the slouched teens stand up straighter.

“What are their records?” Smith glanced at them.

“Marco Leland.” He answered, having memorized the personnel files on the teens when he received the assignment this morning. “Assault and battery.”

The mentioned teen raised a finger up and tried to hide a smirk.

“Tyson Renner.” He indicated the teen with the afro. “Vandalism.”

“Fletcher Perry.” He pointed to the skinny teen with the long blonde hair. This one wasn’t even trying to hide his smile. “Auto theft.”

“That turn you on, baby?” Perry winked at Lisa Mays, causing Sergeant Smith to round up on him.

“Did I give you permission to speak?” The older man thundered.

“No.” Perry looked bewildered.

“No, what?”

“No, sir!” Perry barked out like a new academy recruit.

“Hector Duran, spent three months in Juvie for theft and drug possession.” He indicated the Latino teen. “If you complete today’s program, the rest of your sentences will be commuted.”

“But this is your last chance.” Sergeant Smith added. “Get busted again, and this will become your new home. Let’s move.”

The gate buzzed open, and Sergeant Smith led the four teens inside the facility. As soon as they stepped inside, they were greeted by an older woman in a crisp blue jacket and slacks.

“Officer Routh, Officer Nolan.” The woman extended a hand. “I’m Warden Miller.”

“Good to meet you, Ma’am.” He replied and shook the woman’s hand.

“Are you familiar with this program before?” The Warden asked.

“Just in reading.” He answered.

“Have any kids?” The Warden turned to his partner.

“I have a nineteen year old.” Nolan answered.

“Then this is going to be hard to watch.” The older woman warned.

The Warden led them down a long corridor, followed by several twists and turns, like a maze. The doors changed as they moved past the gates, from ornate wood to heavy steel, and the paint on the walls changed along with it.

They finally reached their designated room prepared by the warden after ten minutes of walking and going past checkpoints. There were eight wooden chairs, and he watched as Lisa Mays and her cameraman took a spot in the corner to prepare their shot.

“Take a seat.” Sergeant Smith turned to the teens and pointed to one row of wooden chairs. Hector Duran was the last of the teens to enter the room, and he seemed to be hesitant in taking a seat.

“Are you deaf?” Smith placed a hand on the teen’s shoulder. “I gave you an order!”

“Man, get your hands off me!” Duran complained.

That was the wrong thing to say, as the Sergeant grabbed the back of the teen's sweater and dragged him to a chair.

“I told you! If you don’t listen, I will make you listen!” Smith pushed on the teen's shoulders with both hands. “Now sit your ass down!”

Once the teens were settled, Warden Miller gave a nod. Another steel door, opposite to the one they entered through, buzzed open.

Two convicts came in, and he immediately recognized one of them. The older man appeared deceptively non-threatening, but Lopez told him all about Oscar Hutchinson.

“Hey, I know you!” Oscar smiled when the older man turned to Nolan.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He heard John mutter under his breath.

“You know Oscar?” Warden Miller asked.

“I apprehended him twice during multiple escape attempts,” Nolan explained. “On one of those attempts, he stabbed my friend in the chest with a pair of scissors. I can’t imagine he has anything useful to say to these kids.”

“He’s not here to say anything useful.” Warden Miller explained in an even tone. “He’s here because he’s the monster that they will be locked up with.”

The older woman pointed to another convict, a bald man with a beard and facial tattoos. He was walking around the teens, even leaning between their chairs to get a closer look at them. “And Mr. Caine here joined us eleven years ago, after he was convicted of a double homicide.”

“Come on, Warden, give him some credit!” Oscar answered and turned to the teens. “Caine tore the arm of a guy that he caught his wife cheating on him with. He beat them both to death with it.”

“Not sure it’s a good idea to remind him of that.” He remarked.

“No, but it sure is fun.” Oscar replied and glanced at him. “You look familiar.”

Caine even walked closer to Lisa Mays and inhaled, as if savoring her scent, before he sat down in the middle chair and looked at each teen in the eye. Even he remained alert at seeing the demented look on the man’s eyes, and the wicked smile on his face.

“I know what you’re thinking, that you’re better than me, right?” Caine smiled. “Yeah, cause you're on the outside. ‘Cause you got options.”

Marco Leland rolled his eyes, and Caine immediately picked up on it, showing how observant he was.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?” Caine asked and stood up in front of the teen. “What, you think you got a death wish? Think these guards are going to save you?”

Marco looked terrified, and he tried to lean back as far as he could.

“I’ve got forty years. Do you think I’m scared of a few weeks in the hole?” Caine leaned forward and violently slammed his hands on the armchairs until he was nose to nose with the terrified teen. “Five more years in my sentence?”

“Step back, Caine.” Sergeant Smith said carefully. “I think the kid understands.”

“Caine’s passionate.” Oscar spoke up as his fellow inmate returned to his seat. “I think he’s got what psychological professionals would describe as anger issues. Say something wrong to him, and he’ll turn your bones to dust.”

“But deep down?” Oscar seemed to enjoy the attention he was receiving as he continued speaking. “The real reason he’s here with you is because he wishes that someone had diverted him from this place. Not me, though! I’m here because it got me out of my cell. Plus it gives a glimpse of future prey.”

“I want you guys to end up here.” Oscar pointed a finger at each teen in rapid succession, like he was shooting a gun. “I’m going to be behind bars until I’m ninety, as long as I don’t get caught blinding another inmate.”

Caine laughed at that. These two were real monsters, but to him, Oscar was more dangerous than Caine. The older man seemed to have no remorse at all. He reminded him a bit of Rosalind.

“Which I will never do again, ma’am.” Oscar stared at the warden, trying to look sincere but failing. “I have learned my lesson, honest to god.”

“Don’t talk to me, Oscar, talk to them.” Warden Miller replied.

“Yes, Ma’am.” The older inmate stood up and walked closer to the teens. “So you’re the future inmates of America.”

“Trust me, stay on that path.” Oscar practically begged. “Do that. So you can end up here with me. How many criminals get away with their crimes, Officer Nolan?”

“Not many.” Nolan replied.

“Why is that?”

“Because they’re stupid.”

“I’m not stupid.” Oscar turned to John.

“No, but you lack impulse control.” He answered, attracting the man’s attention.

“Yes!” Oscar seemed delighted. “I do!”

The older inmate dragged his chair closer to the teens and sat back, staring at Duran. “What’s your name?”

“Hector.” The teen replied.

“Do you think you’re a tough guy, Hector?” Oscar asked.

“I know I am.”

“You’re not.” Oscar answered quickly. “Maybe you are, doesn’t really matter. There’s always somebody who’s going to be tougher than you. Somebody willing to do what you won’t do. Do you know that tough guys get shanked to death here every day?”

“Not me, though, because I’m not a tough guy. I’m a cockroach. I’ll do whatever it takes to come out on top.”

“This is not the right way to reach Hector.” Nolan told the Warden. “I read in his file that his brother Thomas is incarcerated here.”

“You think a family reunion will be more beneficial?” The warden seemed intrigued with the idea.

“I read both their files.” Nolan explained. “Hector was a model citizen before his brother got arrested. He idolized him, but he hasn’t visited in almost a year because Thomas refuses to see him. Maybe it’s time for Hector to see how far his brother has fallen.”

They took a break after that. The inmates were returned to their cells. Lisa Mays started interviewing the Warden about the program and its implementation. He leaned back against the wall and looked at his watch.

This was going to be a long day.

Zoe Andersen Routh

She had known Jack Routh for a year now, and in that time she had learned a few things about her husband.

He didn’t like being confined in small areas for a long time. He once attended a seminar mandated by the department for all officers, and a few hours in, with a guest speaker speaking about diversity and tolerance, and she could see that her husband was bored and restless. She was not surprised that he took a long lunch break and returned only for the closing remarks.

Jack also liked to wander around and explore the city. He would park his bike somewhere and just walk. The man was eager to explore new areas and establishments and would only return home when the sun was setting.

He was also annoyingly observant, and with that, she knew it would be hard to throw him a surprise birthday party. Luckily, his birthday was on the 18th of December, and she had the perfect plan.

One message was all it took to get the operation going, and the rest of her group was excited and eager to participate. She wanted it to be extra special, to show her appreciation to her husband after his show of steadfast support and loyalty to her in front of her stepmother, Melissa.

Even just the memory of it now still affected her as her father’s wife tried to destroy her self-esteem, but Jack changed that to a more positive note with his actions.

“I can’t believe you’re a Royal!” Melissa focused on Jack, her demeanor doing a 180 after the news broke out. Her father was unfortunately not present to control the older woman since he was busy answering calls from those involved after news of Jack’s heritage broke to the public.

It was a surprise for her to learn some highly placed people in the government knew of Jack’s past, and judging by the constant ringing of her father’s land line phone as well as his mobile phone and beeper, those in the know wanted assurances that their names and reputations wouldn’t get dragged through the mud after the fallout. Cowards.

“You’re a fancy catch now.” Melissa continued speaking, not caring that Jack wasn’t even looking in her direction and that he was already married to her. Her poor husband was still processing the news about his past, and her stepmother was already discussing what he could do to take advantage of his newly discovered lineage.

“I have some connections to some exclusive social circles. I’m sure they’ll be eager to invite you to one of their parties.” Melissa sighed. “Have you met my niece? Her name's Amy, Amy Eliott. She’s a widow, you know, but a very accomplished woman, an award-winning author and TV personality.”

“Melissa.” She couldn’t believe the audacity of this woman. She had enough of the disrespect and stepped forward. “I don’t think that’s appropriate to discuss here. And remember, I’m Jack’s wife.”

“Please, Zoe.” Her stepmother gave her a look of indifference. “We both know the real reason why Jack married you is for his career, and it’s a real shame. You’re still young, Jack, and I doubt Zoe here can provide you with a child. You’re much better off finding a younger wife with the proper background.”

She froze up when she heard that, but she snapped out of her growing anger when she heard Jack’s voice.

“Let’s get out of here.” Jack stood up from his chair. “You don’t deserve to be treated like this.”

“Excuse me?”

“The harpy’s voice is annoying.” Jack shrugged, acting like they were alone in the room. “You know what they say about Harpies, they’re the least intelligent mythological creature, and they have the worst memory. I thought they were just a myth until I visited your childhood home.”

“How dare you…”

To her amazement, Jack ignored Melissa and grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer to him. She felt him tilt her head up and kissed her, hard. She heard a gasp somewhere, but ignored it and focused on the kiss and molded her body to his. She just enjoyed the moment, feeling a wicked sense of vindictiveness rising within her to make out at her stepmother’s fancy dining table without a care in the world.

By the time their impromptu make-out session ended, they were alone in the room.

“That was perfect.” She grinned. What they did was what she knew was the ultimate fuck you to Melissa. Her stepmother hated being ignored and treated like a nobody. What Jack did was the best action he could possibly do in response to her provocation.

They had put on their coats when her father left his study and approached her.

“What did you do to Sally?” Her father asked, using his pet name for his wife. “She’s in my study, crying.”

“I just gave her a lesson in mythology.” Her husband shrugged. “She must not have liked it.”

Her ire was completely forgotten, and she was laughing as they left Fairfax County. To this day, she couldn’t help but smile when she thought about that memory.

She returned to her work and started reviewing performance reports when an alert sounded in her office. She placed the report back down and checked her computer. There appeared to be a riot going on in the California Correctional Facility. Wait, that was where Jack was at the moment, as part of his light duties.

Her phone buzzed, and she read the text message from Jessica Cortez.

[TURN ON THE TV. KWLA, ASAP]

She fished out the remote control from the drawer and turned her TV on. Immediately, the familiar face of the KWLA anchor appeared, her hair in disarray, her eyes wide with fear.

“It’s a full-blown riot in here!” The reporter was breathing hard. The camera panned back to the carnage that the woman was seeing. “Oh my god!”

She gasped at the sight of her husband, in the middle of a full brawl in a corridor. Jack was backed up by Nolan and one Corrections officer, but her man was taking the brunt of the attack from dozens of inmates.

The camera captured everything, and she tightened her grip on her desk as she watched Jack get punched, while two other men held his arms. He kicked the man attacking him and shook off the two men holding his arms with a display of strength. Thankfully, Nolan was there to subdue one of them, while the other was tackled by the other officer.

His hair was in disarray, and she could see blood trickling down the side of his head. A man with a broken piece of wooden furniture attempted to attack him, but he leaned back, avoiding the club, and grabbed the wrist of the attacker and pulled the club from his hands. He smashed it in two against his knee and wielded the two parts of the wooden club like batons in each hand.

She watched in amazement as her husband was able to take down inmate after inmate, with his new weapons, leaving injured bodies in his wake. He was merciless and lethal and created a path to the exit. Behind him, Nolan and the other officer followed in his wake, forming a vanguard while they made their way outside. The reporters and the teens stuck close to them, and she could see the scared faces on everyone’s faces, especially the reporter's. She breathed a sigh of relief as the corrections officer opened a locked chain link gate and closed it behind them once their party got through.

“We made it.” The reporter breathed a sigh of relief. She could see the woman’s makeup was ruined as her mascara started to drip down her cheek from crying. “We’re alive.”

Light duty. Jack was supposed to be on light duty! She collapsed back on her chair and breathed a sigh of relief.