Episode 41 New Blood (Part 1/3) (Patreon)

Percy West

“What do you mean, no?” Mayor Stevens looked confused. “Jack, this is an excellent opportunity…”

He should have seen this coming. Routh didn’t look happy with the proposal when they first offered it, but it was necessary. He needed to learn that there would be consequences for handling a high-profile suspect like that on national television.

The media was relentless, and once the excitement over Prince Andrew’s arrest died down, the focus shifted to Routh and his… methods. They tried disguising it as a gift and even worded it carefully, but it seems the young man had seen through their plan.

“You and Sergeant Wade came up with this proposal.” He looked at the large man in the eye. “It would be a shame to let all that effort go to waste.”

“Sergeant Wade and I agreed that it had done its part, demonstrating that cooperation on that level is possible, Chief,” Routh replied, his eyes shifting to Stevens for a brief moment. “Besides, since your predecessor killed its funding and with no other support, we decided to let others step up and propose their ideas.”

Harsh. Mayor Stevens washed his hands off during Susan Coleman’s reign, allowing the woman to implement questionable policies. It seemed like Routh had not forgotten that betrayal, and it looked like the Mayor understood what Routh truly meant.

Jack Routh was done playing nice, and it looked like he didn't forget how Coleman treated his wife.

“Besides, the purpose of the community program was to reach out to those with lower economic backgrounds and give them the opportunity of quality education.” Routh continued.

The man had a point, and he leaned back on his chair and looked at Stevens. The mayor seemed dumbfounded.

“But your proposal gave me an idea.” Routh leaned forward slightly. “Chief, I think I’ll take up the higher learning program offered by the department. I believe it’s time to finish my Master’s.”

“It’s up to me to approve it.” He didn’t like where this was going.

“If it’s disapproved, then I’ll just resign.” Routh didn’t look like he was bothered at all. “I grew up in this city. There are other ways to serve her other than being a police officer.”

Jack Routh leaving the force would make the department look bad, especially now with all the attention on them. They would get crucified within days if that happened.

“Fine.” He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “You’ll be on leave. Use the time to get that Master’s and take care of Captain Andersen, especially in her condition.”

“Chief, Mayor.” Routh gave then a nod each and left his office.

The silence was deafening inside his office until Stevens decided to break it.

“This is a disaster, Percy.” The mayor complained.

“You were the one who cut ties with him first.” He reminded the chief.

“Susan was popular!” Stevens insisted. “I thought… I thought we would connect better with the citizens, given how things are quickly changing. Her policies were giving us positive attention from the media!”

He rolled his eyes, remembering an instance of how Coleman instituted a department-wide change in the cafeteria to promote a vegetarian lifestyle. The result was that the more business-minded cops with partners who could cook started selling packed lunches to their fellow police officers.

Catering partners of the department for decades suddenly went bankrupt trying to comply with Coleman’s new policies, with things like free-range eggs, GMO-free produce, and ethical sourcing. The ironic thing was that the woman never even ate at the cafeteria of Central.

“That's the thing with trends.” He mused. “You never know where it will lead you.”

“But will he still participate in the exercise?” Stevens looked nervous.

“He should be.” He answered. “It will take a week at least to file all that paperwork. We won’t get shown up, Mayor Stevens.”

“Good.” The mayor nodded. “Hondo’s in charge then?”

“Of course. There’s no one else who can handle such a task.”

Jack Routh

“So? How did it go?” Angela immediately stood once he arrived at Central’s lobby.

“You didn’t have to wait for me.”

“Jack.” His former training officer gave him an unimpressed look.” “I’m pregnant and irritable, so don’t play the I’m okay card. You just came back from the Caribbean and got involved in a huge international incident, so my skipping a follow-up on a cold case to take care of my former boot and make sure you’re handling the pressure is the least that I could do.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” He grinned.

“Good.” Angela tossed him her car keys and started to walk outside. “Now let’s pass by that Chipotle place. Maybe the girl will give me extra guac if I bring you with me.”

Twenty minutes later, he was eating a burrito inside his former T.O.’s unmarked police sedan. Angela decided that his order of tacos looked better and demanded a swap. He was explaining what his schedule would be for the upcoming year between bites while they ate in the shade just across a small park, watching what looked like a very intense game of flag football.

“So, any celebrations for D-squad?” Angela asked.

“Hondo wasn’t clear, but knowing him, it will probably involve barbecue and a grill.” He answered. “He’s more focused on this upcoming exercise for Metro.”

“Are you going to participate?” Angela asked.

“We’ll most likely stay in the back.” He replied. “This is more for Beta, Charlie, and the newly formed Echo platoon.”

“Ah, the graduates of the new program.” The Latina nodded. “I heard from Tim that he finished the program ahead of schedule. Who will be leading Delta?”

“Jim Street will likely lead it.” He mused. “I’ve heard it’s the largest and most complex exercise yet. We’re being kept in the dark on the objectives, like the brass wants this to be as realistic as possible.”

“It could be a P.R. stunt for the Olympics,” Angela suggested. “It’s less than a year before the city hosts it. The Mayor probably wants to show how capable the LAPD is for the international media.”

“Huh, you may be right.” He gave his former partner an impressed look. He hadn’t even considered that. It was clear that, despite her talent in marksmanship, Angela Lopez was truly destined to become a detective thanks to her sharp mind.

“So where are you off to next?” Angela asked.

“I’ll head to UCLA and meet a former colleague.” He answered. “If I’m going to take my Master’s, I’m going to need her advice.”

“I’ll come with you.” He was impressed at the Latina’s accuracy when she crumpled the wrapping paper of the tacos and threw it through the window to the nearby bin on the sidewalk.

“Aren’t you working on a case?”

“It’s a cold case, and the person I’m monitoring didn’t turn up to that flag football game in the park,” Angela grumbled and started the car. “I need another approach.”

“If you’re sure. It’s going to be a ten-minute walk. The parking is limited for visitors.”

Angela waved away his concern. “I need the exercise anyway.”

The drive barely lasted fifteen minutes, and soon they were walking across the campus towards Bunche Hall. Angela was looking around, seemingly impressed with the organized and clean surroundings.

“It’s nice to look at, but there are homeless people and addicts around here squatting.” He explained. “Campus security can’t just remove them. They would need to call UCPD if they get disruptive.”

“There are squatters here?”

“If you know where to look. Because of California state laws, it’s a pain to remove them.” He replied. They passed by a group of young women in eye-catching blue and white outfits that showed off their curves and long, toned legs.

“Cheerleaders?” Angela asked.

“We call them the Spirit Squad. I’ll introduce you to Joe and Josie if we have the chance to watch one of the games here.”

“Who?”

 He spotted a familiar figure heading towards the building ahead of them, and he raised his hand to catch the man’s attention. It had worked, and the man waved back and quickly jogged towards them.

“Professor Routh!” Nigel Bailey gave a cheerful greeting.  “Sydney told me you were coming by.”

“I’m not a professor anymore.” He replied. Upon spotting Nigel’s glance at Angela, he began the introductions.

“Nigel, this is Detective Angela Lopez, my former training officer.” He waved a hand towards the Latina. “Angela, this Nigel Bailey, Professor Fox’s teaching assistant.”

“We became acquainted with Professor Routh after he helped us solve a mystery.” Nigel grinned. “Saved us from being scammed too.”

The wiry man started explaining the various buildings they passed, and soon they arrived at Sydney’s office.

“She’s doing a lecture,” Nigel explained. “She’ll be here soon. Please make yourselves comfortable.”

The man left, and Angela stood up and headed to the window to see the campus better from her vantage point.

“Wish I could have studied here. It's much closer to home, and my Mom would be happy.”

“Where did you go?” He asked.

“UC Sacramento,” Angela explained. “We had relatives there so that I wouldn’t have to pay for a dorm. So are you going to teach here?”

“If they allow me to,” He replied. “I can use that to offset the cost of my tuition.”

He received an incredulous look from Angela.

“Jack, you know you’re rich, right?”

 “We’re comfortable.” He replied. “Besides, I enjoy teaching, and if it helps to save some money, why wouldn’t I use the opportunity?”

“Never change, Jack.” The Latina laughed. Her laughter cut off when she turned back to the window and slapped her hand on the ledge in amusement. “I’ll be damned.”

“What is it?”

“The suspect I’m investigating.” Angela had a look of hunger on her face, and it wasn’t for food. “I finally found where you’re lurking.”

It took a few minutes to convince Angela not to storm after her suspect, now that she knew where he was staying.

Lucy Chen

She expected Tamara to have some trauma, but it looked like the girl had come out stronger from her near-death experience. She looked more determined and declared she wanted to be a police officer.

“Or a private investigator, or the FBI.” The teen added.

“Tamara, being a cop is hard.” She explained.

“That’s why it’s worth it.” The teen turned to her. “You and Jack saved my life. Look at him, he’s suffering backlash for rescuing my friends, but he said it’s worth it when I asked him. What’s a more noble profession than that?”

The footage on the screen, clearly taken by a powerful long-range camera through a chain-linked fence, showed Jack climbing down from a private plane, followed by the captain, Taylor Swift, and the other members of the Rosewood circle. The tagline playboy Routh was printed in large bold stylized text with a question mark at the end. Other media outlets were speculating what Jack was doing in the Caribbean with so many beautiful and famous women.

They had conveniently removed pictures of Nickolaj and his family behind the group, insinuating that somehow Jack had a harem of high-profile women. The theories were getting ridiculous on why Jack personally treated a prince from the UK like that. Was it revenge? Competition? The tabloids totally ignored the official statements from the State Department and the LAPD, explaining his presence.

“So you wanted to become a cop because you wanted to repay Jack?” She asked the teen.

“And you.” Tamara didn’t deny it, her face scrunched up in annoyance as they watched the segment of E! news about Taylor Swift and Jack Routh and a possible affair.

“You know, if you want to help him, being a lawyer will have a bigger impact.” She teased her roommate. “You can sue those journalists who continue to make stuff up about Jack.”

“Like Angela’s cousin, Camille?”

“I think Camille mostly works on Civil and Commercial Law.” She answered. “You could focus on Criminal law, and even become a Prosecutor like Wesley’s friend. You could even help more people like that.”

“I never thought about that.” Tamara looked thoughtful for a moment and then shook her head. “That’s a fancy dream anyway. Besides, I know law school is expensive.”

“Let me worry about that.” She placed a hand on the teen’s shoulder. “I just want to show you that there are other careers that also help and protect people too.”

She could ask Jack if his foundation could support Tamara’s tuition beyond college. There was no harm in asking anyway.

“Do you want to see my Cliptok video with Taylor?” Tamara asked.

Wait. What? Thoughts about Tamara’s future vanished from her mind once she registered the question.

“Jack and Zoe’s friends,” Tamara explained and pulled out her phone. “They’re really funny and down to earth. I didn’t expect that from such famous people.”

The teen then showed the mentioned video of her and the global popstar doing some goofy dance, while laughter could clearly be heard from the one filming it.

Her eyes grew larger and larger as she continued to swipe on the screen, showing photo after photo of Tamara with the famous celebrities. They all looked gorgeous, stunning with their outfits. And the surroundings… was that property really owned by Jack? How big was it?

“And they took me shopping!” Tamara continued sharing about her adventures in the Caribbean while staying at Jack’s amazing villa. “Jessica’s a great shopping buddy!”

This was too much. Then the photos turned to the beach, and she found numerous pictures of her batchmate shirtless, hair wet, playing on the sand with his famous friends. She was so tempted to copy the photos to her phone, but that would betray Tamara’s trust.

“I know, right?” Tamara leaned over her shoulder. “He’s real eye candy. It’s even more effective since he doesn’t even know about it.”

“What’s this?” She pointed to a photo of an annoyed-looking Zoe with Jack in the background carrying their luggage… and was that a stick? It looked like a stolen shot since Jack’s image was a bit blurry.

“Oh, that.” Tamara giggled. “Apparently Jack found a nice piece of driftwood on the beach and brought it back to the villa. He decided to bring it on board Taylor’s plane and Zoe was not happy.”

Boys. She rolled her eyes and, after seeing the last photo on the reel, where Tamara had a last selfie with Zoe, Jessica Chastain, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead on the plane with a sleeping Jack featured prominently in the foreground.

“This one’s adorable.” She commented. She wondered when she would get the opportunity to visit Jack’s villa.

Zoe Andersen Routh

She always made it a point to be present during the first morning briefing of the year, especially with the new batch of rookies coming in. She remembered the last time Nolan knocked on her office door so that he could present himself before roll call. She wondered who would fall for the trick again.

She would be handing the responsibility to Caradine and Grey in a few months, but for now, she wanted to make sure the new rookies were adjusting well to their new surroundings.

A polite knock attracted her attention to the middle-aged man standing at the door. He was a bit heavy on the belly, but as long as he passed the academy’s physical fitness tests, she didn’t care about appearances.

“Good morning Captain. I’m Larry Macer.” The man looked too eager and ignored rank. This was not a good first impression, unlike Nolan, who was charming and tried to cover for those who tricked him.

She spotted the creased uniform and her eyes sharpened when she saw how his holster hung loosely from his duty belt. It looked like one of the straps was not properly secured, and this was dangerous.

“Officer Macer.” She beckoned to him to step closer. “Please secure your weapon and equipment properly. If Sergeant Gray saw that, you would find yourself back in the academy faster than I can say field training program.”

She snapped her fingers to emphasize the point, and the jolly smile on Macer’s face vanished. The rookie pulled out his weapon, and she shook her head when she realized even the firearm’s safety switch was turned off.

“Is that loaded, Officer Macer?” She asked.

“I fired a few rounds at the range last night because I was so excited for my first day.” Macer’s eyes widened when he spotted the state of his weapon. She watched as the man cleared the round from the chamber. “Whoops, I forgot the safety switch.”

“Do you think this is a joke?” She'd better make things clear with the man right now.

“No, captain.”

“Firearms safety is a very serious matter, Officer Macer. If you can’t control your emotions because you’re too excited to properly secure your weapon, then you’re in the wrong career, and I won’t hesitate to hold you back from patrol if you’re a liability to yourself and your training officer .”

Silence descended in the room, and the rookie started fidgeting on the spot, unable to meet her gaze as beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. She felt bad for the new police officer and realized something, as an image of Nolan standing in this office a year ago replaced Macer.

 The difference was immediate. Nolan was calm and collected despite standing in her office and realizing he had just been pranked by older officers. Macer looked like he was about to pass out.

Last year’s batch of rookies set an unusually high standard for her division, even Jackson, before he mentally shut down because of his fear of getting shot. Routh, now her husband, stepped in, and those three blazed a new trail for rookies, shattering records left and right.

“Why are you here, Officer Macer?” She decided to give the officer in front of her a lifeline and broke the tension with a simple question. “Why did you decide to become a cop?”

Macer took a deep breath and started speaking, raising his head to finally meet her eyes. “Six months ago, I was wasting my life data auditing at the AP matrix of the I.T. department. I felt like I could do more, and I wanted to help people.”

“Then I saw news of Officer Nolan, Captain,” Macer added. “I realized that it wasn’t too late for me, that I could still make a difference. I want to serve and protect this city and do something worthwhile for once in my life.”

“Good answer, but you need actions to back up those words.” She replied after a moment, a small smile forming on her lips. Macer’s cheeks blushed red, and he looked back at his feet again.

“Roll call is in about five minutes. You'd better hurry.”

“Yes Captain!”

She wondered how this new batch of rookies would fare for the upcoming year. She'd be happy if they could perform half as well as last year's rookies. She could only hope.