Episode 36 Pomp and Circumstance (part 1/3) (Patreon)

Episode 36

Jack Routh

His clothes were fine.

He didn’t know why he had to upgrade his current wardrobe, but apparently Zoe, with support from Reese, Pam, and Taylor, decided that he needed to buy new clothes. Apparently, Old Navy and Walmart weren’t going to cut it out anymore.

No matter, he learned over the year of meeting his wife that he would just allow her to do what she wanted at that moment, and then slowly move back to his old habits. Royal lineage or not, he was still the same person, and it didn’t change who he was or how he was going to behave. This was all thanks to that stupid People magazine.

“This is a super 150.” The tailor proclaimed as he was again forced into another three-piece suit. It felt comfortable, and he had to admit it felt better on his body compared to the suits he got in New York.

“Perfect.” Zoe walked around him, and he gave a tired smile. Zoe was treating him like a doll at this point, and he was about to stage a rebellion. Then all thoughts of leaving the exclusive clothing store vanished when he felt a kiss from Zoe, followed by her hand giving his ass a quick grope and a whisper in his ear.

“I promise you’ll enjoy the dresses I picked.” She breathed into his ear. “Some are… revealing.”

Zoe must have sensed his growing impatience and gave him a bone. He stared at his wife right in the eye and raised an eyebrow.

“How revealing?” He asked, keeping his voice low enough that only his wife could hear him.

“Sheer enough that under the proper lighting, you could see basically everything.” Zoe winked.

Intrigued, thoughts of Zoe in a classy, sheer dress flashed in his mind. His wife always had a high sex drive, but lately she was more amorous and daring than before. She even initiated passionate kisses inside her office, something he really enjoyed receiving. It made starting his second shift better.

“No making out in the exclusive boutique.” He heard Pam pipe up.

Zoe rolled her eyes and stepped back from him, just as the elderly man returned with another set of clothes for him to test fit.

 He endured the clothes fitting for half an hour more and collapsed on the couch once it was all over.

“Don’t be a baby.” Taylor gave him a teasing grin. “You’re the sexiest man alive, so act the part.”

That stupid magazine was the primary reason for all of this. The brass practically begged him to participate in the proposed article, and he finally agreed after setting some conditions. He could see the magazine was trying to use the opportunity to milk the attention currently focused on him since the revelation of his ancestry. Even the president of the country was chiming in, but he knew the man just wanted a distraction and to take the heat off himself.

The President was embroiled in a current scandal with allegations regarding a Girl Scout who was visiting the white house. The man was denying it, claiming it was an attack from his political rival. Elections were near, and the president was gunning for a second term, but news of what happened in the Oval Office had the potential to sink his political career, and already his ten-digit lead at the polls had practically vanished overnight. He had even heard rumors that they were positioning forces closer to Albania due to some threat to the country. To him, they were all distractions for the public.

“This isn’t just for the shoot.” Zoe reminded him. “Remember, you’re about to meet your uncle soon.”

“And you need something better than a suit meant for government agents,” Taylor added. “Don’t you like it?”

“It’s more comfortable.” He admitted. “I’m just not used to wearing clothes like that.”

“Well, you'd better get used to it.” Zoe reminded him. “We’ll have a full schedule this week.”

He was meeting the ambassador from the Dutch government first time in a fancy hotel restaurant. According to their embassy staff, the meeting was in preparation for his audience with his uncle, and he was also told to bring his lawyer.

He ate lunch with his wife at her favorite restaurant, ordering triple servings for himself. While the girls ate and chatted, he decided to walk off his lunch by the beach and gave nods of acknowledgement to Taylor’s hidden security team members that littered the area. He had to admire how discreet they were and how well they blended in. If he weren’t that observant, he would have thought the couple hanging out by a nearby bench were just out on a date and not highly trained, former law enforcement officers.

Taylor herself used a clever disguise, with large aviator shades, minimal make-up, and a Dodgers cap to hide her features. With Zoe, Pam, and Reese with her, she didn’t stand out as much inside the restaurant.

 “Jack!” A familiar blonde greeted him when he passed by a lifeguard tower, and he immediately recognized the blonde waving at him. He waved back and headed to the wooden structure built on the beach.

He rarely saw Ashley these days, ever since she was rotated to another section of the beach. It was a pleasant surprise to see the blonde again, and he waved, and as soon as he got near, he gave her a friendly hug.

“Look at you!” Ashley beamed up at him. “It felt like it was only yesterday when you were jogging in my station every morning, and now everyone talks about this hidden prince in L.A.!”

 “I’m not a prince.” He shook his head. “I may be related to them, but it doesn’t give me the titles they have.”

“Still, having that lineage from your parents is still impressive.” Ashley insisted. “How are you handling it all?”

“I’m still the same person.” He replied. “And yes, while it’s impressive to have such lineage, both families from my parents have controversial histories.”

He didn’t have to explain to Ashley the legacies of the house of Orange-Nassau and the Mountbattens. The blonde was a lover of history as well, and she even had a Bachelor of Arts in History, Law, and Culture.

“It’s still a fascinating subject. I even traced your connection to the British Royal family.” Ashley turned to look at the beach and made a sound of disapproval. “Those guys, I swear, they do this every time.”

It was a slow day, and the surfers weren’t present since the waves were only good enough to surf during the mornings at this time of year.

A few college kids were just throwing Frisbees at each other while another group of guys were trying to dig a hole in the sand. It looked like they were trying to make a circular area where they could sit.

 “Isn’t that dangerous?” He asked. He had heard stories of pits collapsing, burying, and killing their unfortunate victims.

“They don’t dig it deep enough.” Ashley explained. “They always make this circular sitting area where they drink beer. Technically, it’s illegal, but as long as they don’t make a racket and disturb the others, I generally look the other way.”

“And what about the hole they dug?”

“They cover it up when they’re done, and even if they do a sloppy job, the tide fixes that at night.” Ashley explained.

“How about you?” He asked her. “How are you doing?”

“Dad still doesn’t want to retire.” Ashley complained. Her father, Officer Jerry McGrady was one of the oldest officers in Mid-Wilshire and was well-liked by the other officers. He also knew his weapon systems, and he trusted the older man with the maintenance of his firearms. “And I just broke up with my boyfriend. I won’t date another lifeguard again.”

“Then you should join us tonight.” He suggested. “It’s just a few cops, and you know Angela.”

Ashley looked like she needed a proper night out, and he was going with Tim, Angela, and Wesley to a popular bar for dinner and drinks. He and Wesley were trying to console Tim after he had broken up with his girlfriend, Rachel, and it looked like the man needed it.

The blonde perked up and grinned. “Angela’s a detective now, right?”

“She is.” He nodded his head. “And she’ll be glad to see you again.”

“Deal.” Ashley nodded. “Just text me the location, and I’ll be there.”

Ashley McGrady

She watched with a wistful smile on her face as Jack headed down the lifeguard station's steps and made his way back to the row of restaurants that lined the beach. There was a time when she thought she had a shot with him, but that changed when she saw how serious he was with his relationship with the police captain of Mid-Wilshire.

She tried dating a fellow lifeguard from a different shift, but that changed when she visited him in his shift and caught him making out with his assigned partner at the lifeguard tower. The invitation from Jack seemed promising.

Jack said they were going out to help distract Tim because of his recent breakup. She knew of the handsome and strict training officer from her dad, but never talked to him in person before. Perhaps she could distract herself too, and she made a plan to buy a new outfit suitable for a night out right after her shift. She deserved it anyway.

Heading to the bar that Jack told her about didn’t start on the right foot. Her old jeep refused to start until her dad came home and helped jumpstart it. The AC was barely working, and she had a hard time finding a good parking spot. She finally found one after thirty minutes of driving around, and she was not surprised to be the last person to arrive.

It looked like they were already buzzed, aside from Jack and Tim. She received a warm greeting from the group and dove in with the remaining food and ordered her drink, eager to catch up.

“Ashley, right?” She was fortunate enough to sit between Tim and Jack, total hunks the two of them.  Tim didn’t look like he was suffering from heartbreak though, and his smile was real when he greeted her when he arrived.

“Your dad talks about you all the time.” The senior training officer continued.

“What did he tell you?” She asked.

“Well, he always complains that you wanted him to resign.” Tim’s smile was cute, and she responded in kind. “He also calls you his little fairy.”

She rolled her eyes at his teasing. Her dad continued to use the nickname he had for her since she started pre-school and refused to use anything else.

“He’s old.” She replied. “I don’t want him to get hurt.”

“He’s usually assigned to the armory or the front desk.” Tim shared. “Besides, you should let Jerry continue doing what he loves. We all watch out for him, even the Captain.”

She never met Jack’s wife, and only heard about her through other cops and her father. The beautiful and stern Captain, who didn’t have time for bullshit and nonsense. She still couldn’t believe such a woman had married a guy her age.

“Really?” She replied.

“Captain makes sure Jerry’s never assigned the physically demanding roles.” Tim revealed. “Besides, he has a wealth of knowledge, and we all respect him for his experience. He’s the one who hooked me up with my first C.I. in Mid-Wilshire when I got assigned here.”

“He really did that?”

“He’s generous like that.” Tim answered. “Anyone else can see how much being a cop means to him, and we respect him more for it.”

Well, if that were the case, she’d tone down her comments regarding her dad’s choices. She gave a nod to Tim and emptied her beer.

As the night wore on, she spent most of her time speaking with Tim. Her knowledge of police work made conversation with the man easier, and she was pleased when he invited her to a gun range for the weekend. She claimed she was a good shot, and Tim wanted to see it in person.

The journey home was the exact opposite of the one she had on the way to the bar. Her car started at the first turn of the ignition, and the traffic was light. She was home in under half an hour and found her dad sleeping in his usual chair while his favorite program was still being played out on the TV.

She didn’t turn it off, her dad had gotten used to the background noise years ago. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek and wrapped a blanket around him.  She stared at his sleeping face for a moment and promised herself to prepare his favorite breakfast the next morning.

She headed to the bed after taking a shower, eager to prove to Tim how good she was with a gun.

Matthew Garza

The notes were disturbing.

Whoever was sending the threats to the Miss California 2018 pageant was real. There was even an attempt on a county representative, but that was foiled due to the bomb placed inside her car failing to explode. That sent an alert to all government agencies, and now he was here in California, coordinating a task force to catch this domestic terrorist.

Familiar faces arrived one by one, including Ms. Russo from Homeland Security, Captain Cortez from Metro, and even a representative from DEA. He hid his smile when Captain Andersen arrived, followed by her famous husband, who looked confused.

He allowed the group to mingle for at least five minutes, and was not surprised as almost everyone made a beeline towards Jack.

“I’m still not sure why you requested my presence here.” Jack told him after he shook the younger man’s hand.

“You’ll find out soon.” He replied. “You’re still listed as an FBI consultant, Officer Routh.”

The meeting began without any fanfare. Without any politicians in the room, there wasn’t any reason to butter up anyone.

“Thank you all for coming.” He stood up, and the lights turned off as the projector came to life. He felt dozens of eyes on him, but he didn’t let it affect him, being used to conducting high-level meetings like these for years.

“There’s a threat to the Miss California USA pageant.” He began. His tech assistant started changing the slide to a picture of a pretty brunette in her early twenties.

“Charlotte Vega, 22, from Santa Clara County. She found an I.E.D. inside her car last week. There was a letter left in her mailbox, written in some form of Medieval English.”

I am fell about this pageantry.  This scandalous f'rm of displaying distaff's bodies is an affront to the dignity of the corse and the soul.  How far we has't fallen to loseth our m'rals in the present day's society.  Woe to the w'rld.  This f'rm of prostitution wilt cease immediately 'r else m're punishment shalt cometh.

 The gentleman.

He saw the moment Jack Routh perked up from his seat as the image of the handwritten letter was displayed. It was written in parchment, and the writing in fancy cursive. Their experts even theorized that whoever wrote this used an actual quill.

“Is that Shakespeare?” Jessica Russo asked.

“That’s early modern English.” Jack answered. “It was spoken from the 15th century to the 17th century. That’s the time period William Shakespeare was also born in.”

“Thank you, Officer Routh.” He gave a nod to the younger man. The bureau’s academics took an hour to properly analyze the contents, while it just took mere seconds for Routh to determine the correct timeframe.

“As you can see, this Gentleman claims that the pageantry is an affront to morality.” He stated. “Our experts believe this person used a quill to write on parchment.”

“They used a fountain pen.” Jack’s voice echoed across the room. “A quill’ nib needs to be dipped in ink every three words. That’s why old letters from that period have inconsistent thickness in the lines, while this one doesn’t.”

He exchanged an amused smile with his fellow agents seated at the front. Once again, their prospect was making a mockery of the agency’s experts. He was glad that this meeting was being recorded, and he couldn’t wait to see the faces of those smug experts when they reviewed this meeting. He’d make sure they watch it, even their department head.

“I see, thank you, Officer Routh.” He gave the younger man a nod.

“Miss Vega has understandably withdrawn due to her fear for her safety, but the organizers are still determined to push through with the pageant.” He looked around the room and saw the worries on everyone’s face. “This gives us an opportunity to insert an agent with one of our own. Agent Page, please stand up.”

Agent Angela Page stood up and turned around, and gave a wave to the people in the room. She was the practical choice, young, pretty, and an FBI agent for about six months, and was recently assigned to his field office. He noted the bright smile she gave Jack and how the man gave her a wave of greeting in turn. Did they know each other? Perhaps this could be useful…

Jack Routh

“We’ll form a task force for the pageant.” He continued listening to Garza. He was already curious about this gentleman. It was still too early for a profile, but his gut told him whoever this was, they were faking it. The words used in the letter were too accurate.

Memories from Lucy Worsley, including countless hours analyzing ancient letters and artifacts, informed him that they weren’t that straightforward and perfect in their selection of words. That meant whoever this person was, they studied history and knew the correct time period to accurately construct the letter. He had to know more.

“And with that, let me make a proposal.” Gaarza continued speaking. “We’ll inform the pageant organizers that we will have one of our most insightful, capable, and tenacious law enforcement officers in the country join the investigation.”

“Agreed.” Jessica Russo nodded in approval. “They’ll calm down and be more cooperative if they see how serious we are.”

"And the speed of the investigation will increase dramatically." Angela Page added.

“That’s a good idea.” He added. “But who are you planning to send?”

He was confused when no one spoke. He looked from one amused FBI agent to a giggling DHS agent across from him and turned to his wife. Zoe and Captain Cortez wore suppressed grins, and he turned to the podium and noticed that Garza was also smiling in his direction.

He realized they were all looking at him.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Had my cast removed, and I'm now trying to learn how to walk again. It's a painful and humbling experience. I now have metal screws drilled in my leg. I hope to ride again soon.