Episode 37 Obsession (part 2/3) (Patreon)

Angela Lopez

“You’ve been very helpful.” She gave a nod of acknowledgement to the KWLA employee, the former News Producer, when Nina Romina was still alive. She had learned a lot from Frank Kruse and the poor ethics displayed by both Romina and Bloom. Still, what she had learned was merely speculation, and she needed more to pin the bastard down.

 She got back into her car and headed back to the station. She was doing 40 when she received a call from Nyla and quickly picked up the call and put it on speaker.

“Did you get anything useful?” Harper’s voice came out from her phone.

“Plenty.” She replied in a grim tone. “The more I learn about this guy, the more I’m convinced he’s the suspect. The man has no morals, just as Jack suspected.”

“Hang on.” She frowned. The car felt weird and hard to steer. “I need to have my vehicle checked. I think the brake pads are worn out.”

“Doesn’t motor pool service them every year?” Harper asked. “Where are you by the way?”

“I’m at Olympic and tenth.” She widened her eyes in fear when she suddenly felt how loose the brake pedal was beneath her foot, and she was approaching a red light. “Shit!”

“Angela?”

“My brakes are gone!” She yelled. She wrenched the steering wheel to the left, narrowly avoiding the stationary van waiting at the red light and right into the active intersection. She ignored the horns from vehicles and narrowly collided with a fast-moving truck.

She breathed a sigh of relief as her car was able to pass through the traffic. She was still moving at around 30 despite taking her foot off the accelerator and activating the handbrake to no avail. She was still moving too fast.

She looked around, hoping to find a suitable structure to crash at, when a blue sedan overtook her and suddenly slowed down. She had no control and bumped the car in front of her, jerking her head forward. She could hear the car in front of her braking and realized it was trying to help her slow down.

She pulled on the handbrake once more, hoping it could at least help in slowing down, and shifted to Neutral. She looked at the speedometer and sighed in relief when she saw she was slowing down. Their two cars stopped just before another intersection, and she immediately turned off the engine and slumped back on her seat. That was fucking close.

It took her a moment to realize that the car that helped her slow down was none other than Nyla’s personal vehicle. She gave a smile of relief when she saw the other woman step out of her car and approach her.

“You okay?” Nyla asked and, after checking to see if she had any injuries, engulfed her in a quick hug.

“Thanks.” She replied, returning the hug with one of her own. That was so close. “You saved my ass.”

“I told you I got your back,” Nyla replied. Her fellow officer immediately used her radio and asked for emergency assistance. She endured angry beeps from passing vehicles since they were now blocking one lane of the street, but she simply flashed her badge to the annoyed motorists. That shut them up quickly.

Harper’s timing couldn’t be better. The next intersection was a busy one, and she was sure she would crash there and suffer injuries or even worse.

“Brake failure shouldn’t be like that.” Harper pointed to the trail of fluids from her car. “Someone’s tampered with your vehicle.”

Son of a bitch! She narrowed her eyes as she finally stepped out of her car and followed the direction Nyla was pointing at. She got to her knees and looked under the car and saw fluids dripping down from the chassis.

“I think I have an idea of who was responsible for this.” She seethed in anger. Lou Bloom would pay.

Angela Page

It felt like she was back in high school, with all the fake smiles and compliments from some of the other contestants. She knew what was up, it was every girl for herself in this pageant, and she had a harder time conducting her investigation due to how suspicious everyone was.

Even she received malicious comments, from backhanded compliments like how brave she was attending the pageant despite her age, since she was one of the oldest at twenty-eight. She saw some of the girls purposely sabotage some of the other girls by hiding their make-up kits and luggage. It was a nasty environment.

It was purely a stroke of luck that she was roomed with Rachel Romina. The curvy blonde was one of the nicer contestants, and she felt bad for the younger girl for the teasing she endured after her disastrous showing at the talent competition.

“Don’t mind them.” she told the girl who was sulking on her own bed. They had a light schedule today. The organizers scheduled several SPA services for them, and she even heard that special sauna rooms were constructed near the pool area just for the competition. They had even brought out sporting equipment, thanks to a sporting goods sponsor, for those who just wanted to play and have fun. She glanced down from her hotel room window and saw a group of contestants playing catch with a Frisbee on the lawn.

“You know she’s just insecure, right?” She told her roommate. “That girl from Fresno bungled her juggling routine, and now she’s teasing you to make herself feel better.”

“I got nervous.” Rachel mumbled since her face was still buried on the pillow on her lap. They had just watched the recap of the preliminary competition on their room’s TV and Rachel’s tone deaf singing was featured prominently.

“Hey, even my self-defense demonstration got ridiculed.” She tried to comfort the girl. “The girl from San Diego even told me I should have joined the bodybuilding competition since I have too many muscles. Of course, she told it in a nice way, but I knew what she meant.”

“No way!” Rachel shook her head. “You’ve got a fit body! You’re toned, and she’s just jealous!”

“Thanks.” She smiled. “I didn’t let it affect me. Why did you get nervous anyway? I heard you in rehearsal, and you were much better.”

“Fans,” Rachel revealed. “I have a weird stalker who didn’t want me to join the pageant and messaged me just before the talent competition. I shouldn’t have posted my selfies on Instargram.”

“That’s serious.” Her eyes sharpened. “Have you reported that to the cops?”

“They’re harmless.” Rachel waved off her concern. “I blocked them after that, so it’s not a big deal. It’s my fault that I let the worry get to me.”

Seeing how the girl needed to loosen up, she suddenly had an idea. “Hey, why don’t we try out the Saunas? I heard they brought in special ones from Europe.”

“That’s a great idea.” Rachel immediately sat up. “I haven’t been in a sauna in months!”

They gathered their towels and wore loose clothing, and headed to the area. The portable saunas made out of wood were placed in a relatively isolated area, well away from their fellow contestants who were lounging by the pool or playing in the yard and on the courts.

“You’re right, this is fancy.” Rachel remarked once they got in after they changed their clothes and wrapped the towels around their chests.

The wooden cabin was nice, and she could still smell the scent of the wood. It felt like she was not in the city anymore. She set the electric sauna control outside the door to a timer and headed inside. Ten minutes should do for now, then she planned to take a cold shower after and then jump into the pool.

Romina immediately took a whole bench for herself, lying on it and using it as a makeshift bed with an extra towel rolled up to act as a pillow for her head.

“So what’s up with that stalker?” She asked once they had settled in, while the steam began to build up.

“I get weird messages every month or so this year.” Rachel replied without opening her eyes. “Ever since my mom died…”

“Your mom?” This was it. This was what she needed.

“Mom and Dad are separated, and I lived with my dad growing up.” Rachel shared. “Mom was some news executive, and she was a workaholic, always coming home late, I barely saw her except for weekends. I really don’t get along with her, since my dad was the one who raised me.”

“Daddy’s girl, huh?”

“And proud of it.” Rachel gave a small smile. “I think my mom was seeing someone before she died, though.”

“What made you think that?” She asked as she poured more water into the hot stones in the middle of the wooden room. Although it had an electric function, she appreciated that there were still the traditional stones in the middle of the wooden structure. The steam felt incredible on her skin.

“I called her on Mother’s Day, standard stuff.” Rachel answered. “I saw a man in her bedroom, on her bed.”

“Is he hot?” She teased.

“I didn’t get a good look.” Rachel replied. “Mom was embarrassed when I pointed out that someone was in her room and immediately closed the door.”

She shared her own past, some parts true, tailor-made for the background she and the bureau made up when her fellow contestant asked questions. They talked about who the favorites were in the pageant and the cliques that started to form.

“Did you get a good look at Sugar?” Rachel suddenly asked.

“No.” She was a bit embarrassed, knowing that the handsome man’s eyes were focused on her while she was wearing that skimpy little thing. She was sure the organizers made the padding thinner too, since everywhere she looked, she saw headlights were on in her fellow contestants that didn’t bother to tape their nipples.

“He’s so hot.” Rachel sighed. “I can’t believe he’s married already.”

“Why didn’t you talk to him during that breakfast event with the judges?” She asked.

“He looked busy eating.” Rachel giggled. “And I don’t know what to say to him once he’s right there in front of me. All I could do was to keep staring, and I swear we locked eyes for a moment!”

Half the girls did, and she noticed that even a few were trying to work up the courage, and daring each other to approach the famous judge.

“He’s like royalty right?” Rachel continued speaking. “I don’t even know the protocols for that. I’d love to have his signature.

“I think he said in an interview that he’s not royalty, he’s just related to them.” She replied. She didn’t see any changes in Jack’s behavior ever since his past was revealed. From her observation, it was the people around him who changed the way they spoke to him.

“Tell you what.” She leaned forward and adjusted the towel wrapped around her body. Wow, she was really sweating. “After the pageant is over, I’ll introduce you to him.”

“You will?” She laughed at how wide Rachel’s eyes had grown. “You know him?”

“I met him before.” She replied. That was the cover story they both came up if they were seen together within the hotel. “You know I jog every morning, and I met him a few times.”

“What’s he like?” Rachel asked.

“He’s not that talkative.” She shared. At least until the situation called for it, like helping with an investigation, and then Routh would transform into a man who could instantly command a room’s attention with the way he spoke, combined with his knowledge and observation skills.

She had read the files about the copycat killer and wished she were there when he helped out the task force. The way her fellow agents described him was inspiring. Garza said it in one briefing with the head office where she was present, and it stuck with her even today. Routh was born to hunt down those psychopathic serial killers and criminals, and they were his natural prey.

Louis Bloom

“Lou Bloom, of Video Production News.” He spoke to his reflection in the mirror and smiled.

No, that wouldn’t do. He tried again.

“I’m Louis Bloom, CEO of Video Production News.” The smile was smaller, but his tone was more pleasant. Lou was yesterday, now he is Louis. Lou made funny jokes to make people at ease and like him. Louis didn't, he didn't need to now that he had influence, power, and control.

Control.

He made upgrades with his life in these past few years, from stealing copper wires and scrap and then selling it to junkyards to one of the most dominant suppliers of breaking news to KWLA. Other networks were already offering better pay for his footage, desperate to get their ratings back.

He had four news teams all working for him at reasonable wages. All were young, all eager to please their boss, and he liked that. He didn’t like how they were hesitant at crime scenes, but with the right amount of incentive and punishment, they fell in line with his directives.

Wide angle, slow pan, and then zoom to the body. Simple. The more blood there was, the better. According to his analysis, the gore and violence in a crime scene increased his rates by double, sometimes triple, like the home invasion case in the Granada Hills.

He was moving up. A systematic upgrade was currently in progress.

His car was a beat-up, rusted car from the 90s, and he upgraded that too, to a Dodge Hellcat. Its speed and acceleration allowed him to follow high-speed police chases easily. It was a good investment, and he easily beat out the competition.

Before, he only had one news van with him and his former employee chasing crime scenes the entire night and well into the next morning. Now he had a fleet of four vans, with top-of-the-line equipment acquired with a huge discount and crews to man them. With how spread out they were, they could easily cover any scene in the city within minutes and have the footage on the news within the hour.

He moved to a new apartment with proper security and more privacy for his activities. Everything was moving up in his life, and he had decided months ago that it was time to upgrade his girlfriend too.

Nina was obedient, and after some hesitation, she finally agreed to do what he wanted with her. He was satisfied until he saw her daughter. A younger, more fit, and attractive female. He was surprised at how Nina dared to say no to his demands to introduce him to her daughter.

He terminated their relationship after that and made sure she would not be able to threaten the business that he worked so hard for.

Rachel Romina would be perfect for his current stage in life. Unfortunately, she refused to respond to his messages, and he resorted to observing her from afar. He listened to her talk with her friends, had fun at clubs, and learned one thing that she confessed to one of her best friends, Becky. She liked proper men, gentlemen, like those actors in the TV show she watched for hours.

So he transformed himself, wore suits, cut his hair to match, and wore a nice, elegant watch and shoes. Still, it was futile, and she rejected him, barely giving him a glance when she won the County title. She was the last piece in moving up in his stage of his growth.

He rarely got angry, but right now he was furious. Rachel needed to be under his control, she needed to be obedient. He couldn’t stand her decision to participate in the Miss California 2018 pageant. She wanted a gentleman for a partner, yet she was willing to participate in an event so unbecoming of a lady, not understanding how he would feel. Now, he was under suspicion for his past actions. He took care of that detective earlier, and now he had to punish Rachel.

 She needed to be taught a lesson.

Jack Routh

“Something wrong?” Miranda Priestly asked him once he returned to the expansive lawn.

They were under one of the VIP tents, watching as the contestants had fun with the array of activities prepared for them. There were no official media present, only event photographers to take pictures, allowing the participants to let their hair down and relax.

“One of the officers I worked with nearly got hurt.” He replied as he scanned the field.

A group of girls were playing catch with a football, a few were playing tennis at the courts, and laughing while another batch just lounged at the pool while eating at the poolside bar.

“Is she alright?” Miranda asked.

“She’s fine.” He replied. Angela was saved by Harper, and he made a mental note to do something nice for her in the future. Zoe was very angry at what happened to one of her detectives, and a full team was now investigating the incident. Preliminary reports indicated that someone had tampered with her vehicle, and they already had a suspect.

Angela was investigating Lou Bloom and his relationship with KWLA, and it was clear someone did not want to dig deeper.

His phone rang, and he quickly picked it up when he saw Angela’s name.

“Jack.”

“Are you alright?” He asked her.

“I’m fine.” He could almost see his old TO rolling her eyes, judging by the tone of her voice. “Docs at the hospital gave me a clean bill of health. Anyway, I have something important to tell you.”

“Shoot.”

“I spoke with the news producer, Frank Kruse, when Romina was still alive.” Angela shared. “He definitely suspects there’s some sort of relationship between her and Bloom.”

“What makes him say that?” He asked.

“She easily pays twice or sometimes triple the normal rate when it’s Bloom who delivers the footage.” Angela answered. “Kruse complained that she had blown through their allotted budget, but the higher-ups in KWLA didn’t complain because of the ratings.”

“And get this. Nina wasn’t as generous with the other stringers, that’s the term they call freelance photojournalists when they bring fresh footage of a crime scene or incident that Bloom hadn’t been able to cover.”

“That’s clear favoritism.”

“Oh yeah.” Angela replied. “And Frank Kruse once saw them on a date in some fancy restaurant.”

“The daughter might know something.” He mused.

“I doubt it.” The newly promoted detective snorted. “According to Frank, Nina and his daughter didn’t get along. The last time she saw Rachel was when she was just in her early teens at a company Christmas party, just before Nina and her husband separated. The judge awarded full custody to the father during the divorce. That just shows what type of person Romina was when the judge awarded full custody to the father.”

“Still, she might have something. Agent Page is still working on her.” He replied. “Do you have Bloom’s location?”

“Harper checked his apartment, he’s not there.”

“Thanks for calling, Angela.” He needed to check on Page. She hadn’t reported to the planned briefing this morning, although she’s usually punctual and always arrives on schedule. He checked on the other surveillance teams using their group chat, and one agent reported that she was headed to the pool with Rachel Romina.

There was one problem, the two women weren’t there. He looked around, past the contestants around them, hoping to see Page and Romina. There were no signs of the two in the pool area, but the last agent that reported seeing them was walking from the lobby to this reserved area with towels in their arms.

“I can’t find Page or Romina.” Luckily, he and Miranda were the only ones currently present at the VIP tent. The older woman looked confused and stared up at him from beneath her glasses.

“I’m sure they’re around here somewhere.” Miranda tried to assure him. “Maybe they had something to eat at the hotel restaurant?”

“With towels in their hands?” He shook his head. “They should be here, but they’re nowhere in sight.”

His group chat with the task force was now buzzing with activity, as the others slowly realized their undercover agent was missing. He looked at the extensive grounds behind the hotel once more and spotted a few structures that were not there before.

He remembered a briefing about a sponsor assembling a couple of their special saunas for the exclusive use of the contestants. They must have finished assembling the structures last night, and he made his way to the wooden structures.

They were located at the other end, hidden by decorative bushes and trees. The path leading to the sauna wasn’t marked at all, and there were no signs leading to their location. He arrived at the isolated clearing and immediately heard banging noises from one of the two wooden sauna cabins.

A small glass window embedded within the door showed him the face of one of the women he was searching for, and he moved into action. He noticed Angela Page’s panicked face immediately transform as soon as she caught sight of him as he reached the door.

“We’re trapped! The door is jammed!” Page’s shouts were muffled, but he could still hear what she was saying.

He looked at the door and realized someone had jammed it shut from the outside using what looked like screws. This was no accident, this was deliberate. With no time to waste, he motioned for Angela to step back. The sweaty agent nodded immediately and dragged the panicking Rachel Morina further back.

With the immediate area clear, he used his right foot and kicked it open. The door splintered as it swung and crashed into the other wall, creating a loud racket. Steam immediately poured out of the door, and the two women stumbled out and collapsed on the lawn. A wave of heat greeted him, and he was shocked at how the two women were still conscious despite being trapped inside for god knows how long.

“Thank god!” Romina cried out in relief and collapsed on the ground. He looked the two women over and saw how weak they were, and immediately checked their pulses and breathing. They looked to be stable, but their skin was flushed and sweaty.

“Code red!” He called on his emergency radio. “Bring a medical team to the new sauna area. I found Page and Romina. They appear to be dehydrated and suffering from prolonged exposure inside the sauna."

"On the way." Garza's voice responded through the speaker.

Rachel Romina was still unconscious, but Page looked like she was holding up well. Her skin was red, and her hair stuck to her face and dripping with sweat.

Agents converged on their location, and he looked up as Garza arrived, leading a group of FBI agents with her.

“Miranda pointed me to where you went.” Garza replied. “What happened?”

“I found them stuck in the Sauna.” He replied.

“We must have been there for thirty minutes or more, I couldn’t tell.” Page reported after she emptied the water bottle handed to her.

“Your door was jammed from the outside, and the temperature moved to the highest setting.” He told Page.

“Fuck. I was too busy trying to calm Romina.” Their undercover agent looked frightened. “If we were stuck there any longer…”

“Then both of you would have died of heat stroke or dehydration.” He recognized the pattern, this was the same person who caused the tower collapse and the near-fatal accident of his old TO. “Bloom’s here.”

“Impossible.” One of the agents shook his head in disbelief. “We’re checking all press credentials, and today, only official photographers are present.”

“But did you check those who are staying in the hotel?” He asked. “They may have reserved a large section of the hotel for the pageant, but that doesn’t mean they have stopped accepting guests who wanted to check in.”

“And IDs can be easily forged.” Garza looked disturbed. “Coordinate with the hotel’s staff, and check the CCTV footage of anyone who checked in recently. Flag anyone who is male who roughly matches the description of our primary suspect.”

“On it.” One of the agents dashed off and headed to the building.

“How is she?” He asked the medic checking over Romina.

“She’s dehydrated.” The medic reported and handed Page another bottle of water. “Both of them are. It’s a close thing. Ten more minutes and they would have collapsed from heat stroke.”

“And get slowly cooked alive.” Page grimaced. She was looking better already and was able to slowly stand up with the assistance of the medic. “Romina told me her mom might have a boyfriend. She saw him once in a video call, but he wasn’t able to see his features. She also admitted she has a stalker, but she didn’t seem too concerned about it and just blocked them.”

“So he’s moved on from the mother to the daughter.” Garza looked grim.

“She’s waking up.” The medic announced. "They're both stable, they just need to hydrate and rest in a cool room."

With a nod of his head, Garza signaled the majority of the agents to disperse, leaving him alone with the two women, Garza and the medic.

“What happened?” Rachel Morina groaned as she tried to sit up.

He exchanged a look with Garza as the medic gave the woman an electrolyte solution to drink. This was going to be a long story.

Angela Page

“You mean he might have killed my mother?” She was surprised at how angry her current roommate sounded after they explained the situation to Rachel.

“We have no direct evidence yet.” Garza explained.

“But it fits his pattern.” Routh added.

The cool air felt like heaven, but Rachel still had a flushed face, and she knew it was not from being trapped for almost an hour inside the sauna. She was amazed at how the other woman was able to multitask, stealing glances at Routh when she thought he wasn’t looking and listening to the briefing Garza was currently giving her.

“The collapse of that utility tower, the cut break lines of the car Detective Lopez was using when he talked to Frank Kruse, and then this.” Routh continued. “Even that crude IED that he made. Sergeant Ellis from the Metro Bomb squad told me that whoever tried to make that device must have watched a tutorial on the internet because of how poorly it was made. Even that letter. They’re all attempts to mimic by a man who has no real identity and sense of proper morals.”

“A true psychopath.” Garza nodded in agreement.

Routh had suggested that Rachel be brought in, and she had to agree. It was too dangerous, and it was better for the woman to be aware of the danger and that her harmless stalker was anything but.

“Okay, I’ll still participate.” Rachel nodded in determination. She had to hand it to the younger woman, she was brave. “You’ll watch out for me, right?”

“Every second.” Garza assured her, but she noticed how the woman was looking at Jack Routh for confirmation.

“We’ll keep an eye on you.” Routh must have sensed how the girl was looking at him and faced her. She hid a smile as Romina visibly relaxed upon hearing their consultant’s reply.

“And Agent Page is an FBI agent.” Routh continued speaking as he now looked at her.

“Page?” Rachel tilted her head and looked at her in confusion. “You’re an FBI agent?”

“I am.” She nodded in reply.

“But you’re so pretty!” Rachel gushed.

She rolled her eyes at the amused glances directed at her by her fellow agents.

They headed down after eating an early lunch inside the room. She could tell Rachel had calmed down by now, and she seemed like her previous self as they both made their way back to the grounds where the other contestants were still making the most of their schedule-free day.

Jack arrived by another way, and she felt more secure as she spotted more familiar faces in the area. Agent Stevenson was there, wearing a maintenance outfit as he pretended to be a gardener and trimmed the bushes. Agent Starr winked at her as she served her a smoothie, her fellow female agent looked convincing in her hotel uniform.

She looked around the grounds, and she made contact with Routh and nudged her head at her three. The man they were looking for was there, taking photos while he sat in a nearby chair just outside the reserved area. He was wearing a white collared shirt and khaki shorts, and shades. His hair was cut short, but the shape of his face and that smile were unmistakable. Lou Bloom.

The task force moved at once. Several agents converged on their primary suspect and escorted him to a more secluded area. She headed to follow the group and glanced to the side to see Routh heading there as well.

She arrived and immediately noticed that Bloom didn’t seem worried at all despite being surrounded by three FBI agents. He was speaking calmly to the agents, but paused when he noticed the arrival of Routh.

“Officer Jack Routh.” Bloom smiled. “An honor to see one of LA’s finest in person.”

“You’re under arrest.” Routh stated, not even bothering to respond to Bloom’s greeting.

“For what, officer?” Lou Bloom tilted his head slightly in confusion. It was unnerving to see the smile remain on his face. The man didn’t show any ounce of fear. “I’m just a law-abiding citizen, checking into this wonderful hotel to relax.”

“The use of a fake ID is illegal under California law under Penal Code 470b.” Routh answered.

“But that’s just a misdemeanor, isn’t it?” Bloom tried to be charming as he raised his hands to his chest. “As a CEO of my own successful company, I needed to take precautions.”

What a load of crap.

“It can be a felony, depending on the circumstances of the case.” Routh answered. “And what you did earlier is more severe than a simple fake ID. You’re under arrest for attempted homicide.”

“I don’t understand.” Bloom looked confused.

“The use of the screws was smart.” Their consultant narrowed his eyes at Bloom, whose face gradually lost his smile. “It nearly cooked Rachel Romina and Agent Page in there, but you didn’t get away clean.”

“I’m afraid you don’t have any evidence.” Bloom replied, his tone of voice utterly devoid of any emotion. The change in his demeanor was shocking. “This is all speculation on your part, Officer Routh.”

“Yes, you were careful to attack there since there’s no CCTV coverage in that area. But you got sloppy, and freshly applied varnish is hard to wash out of your hands.”

Every eye focused on what Routh was talking about, and she spotted that there was indeed a faint yellow stain on the palm of Bloom’s left hand.

“You weren’t aware of the required curing time of varnish.” Routh continued speaking. “When you jammed the door shut in the sauna with wood screws and a screwdriver, you failed to notice the fact that those wooden structures were hastily built last night. You were probably wearing gloves, but they didn’t cover the rest of your palm.”

“I want a lawyer.” Bloom replied, his face for the first time showing frustration and anger.

“You have that right.” Routh nodded. “Cuff him. I’m sure we can pin those charges on him once forensics is finished.”

She watched with satisfaction as Bloom was slowly led away by two agents. She thought it was the end of the operation when she saw Agent Stevenson running towards them.

“Routh!” Stevenson gasped as he reached them. He must have been running at full sprint. “I just received word. Captain Zoe Andersen was rushed to the hospital after she collapsed while in a meeting!”

“What!?” Jack, for the first time, showed panic in his face.

He heard another shout and spotted Bloom running away from the agents. She didn’t know how the suspect had managed to shake off his guard.

“Jack! Bloom’s running!” She yelled.

Jack looked conflicted, the other way was to the parking lot, and where Bloom was headed was to the loading and delivery area for the kitchen. She watched in amazement as Jack bent down, grabbed a discarded football that must have wandered here from earlier from an errant pass, and eyed their suspect, who was rapidly gaining distance from the two agents running after him.

She heard a grunt and the football shot out of Routh’s arm like a missile, and she and Stevenson watched with their mouths open in awe as the ball travelled a good distance and smacked Bloom at the back of his head just before he reached the path to the service area. He collapsed on the ground, and a few moments later, the two agents jumped on him.

Damn. That must have been more than seventy yards by her estimate. She watched as Jack gave a satisfied nod and ran towards the lobby, his long legs easily making up ground, showing how fast the man could move if he really wanted to.

She really didn’t know what to make of Jack Routh. That throw, his vision, and ability to calculate the area where Bloom would appear were just amazing. And he hit the back of Bloom’s head too, with pinpoint accuracy.

“He should sign up for the Rams.” Stevenson whispered.