Epiosde 41 New Blood (part 2/3) (Patreon)

Larry “Badger” Macer

The talk with the beautiful captain left him in a daze as he headed down to the bull pen. He didn’t expect the Captain of Mid-Wilshire to be so gorgeous… and kind. He knew he fucked up with his firearm, a big no-no when he was in the academy. The captain might have just saved his law enforcement career back there before it could even begin.

Katie appeared by his side, looking alert and fresh, as if she were prepared for any eventuality.  They weren’t friends in the academy, maybe acquaintances at best, but he was surprised when she reached out to him a few weeks ago when they were on break.

He appreciated the gesture. He was excited when she accepted his offer to hang out one day and discuss their preparations for their first day as actual cops. It was even her idea to spend the time in a range to polish their marksmanship. It was amusing to him since Katie had a very high accuracy, and he knew without any doubt that she was the best in their batch of academy cadets.

“You okay, Badger?”

“I’m fine.” He answered his fellow rookie. “I just had a talk with the captain.”

“You already met her?” Katie looked intrigued.

“I wandered into her office by mistake.” He explained with a laugh, too ashamed to admit he was tricked into going there. “I didn’t realize that she’s so pretty… and kind.”

Katie looked like she wanted to talk more, but they were approached by two officers, a woman and a taller, older man. His smile returned when he recognized the officer standing in front of him.

“Officer Nolan!” He thrust his hand out in excitement, eager to shake the man's hand. “A pleasure to meet you!”

He knew he was blabbering, but he couldn’t control himself in front of the man who gave him the courage to change his life and take that first step.

“Right, we should probably head inside.” Nolan chuckled. “Trust me. You don’t want to be late on your first day. The Watch Commander is very strict.”

He nodded eagerly, trying to control his emotions as he followed the man inside the fancy briefing room. He could hear Katie talking with the other officer as they followed behind him.

“Rookies sit in the first row.” Nolan grinned and pointed to the only row at the very front that was empty. “We’ll be seated behind you as P2s.”

Before he could reply, a stern-looking, large man with a bald head walked in, his demeanor literally screaming don’t mess with me, and the chatter inside the room died down.

“Good morning. This is the first meeting of the new year.” He realized this was the sergeant as the man headed straight to the podium. “We have new rookies this new year. Officer Nolan, I’m sure you’re relieved by not sitting so close to me anymore.”

“Not at all, Sergeant Grey. I’m already missing that intense focus you have on my development as a police officer.” Nolan replied in a teasing tone, causing muffled laughter to erupt from the room.

“Very cute.” The sergeant raised an eyebrow. “We still have a vacant chair in the front row.”

“I’m happy where I am, sir.” Nolan quickly replied, and this time he could hear a tone of nervousness in his idol’s voice.

He was laughing with the rest of the officers, but froze up when the intimidating sergeant turned his attention to him.

“We got some new blood today.” The sergeant announced. “Stand up so everyone can see you.”

He quickly followed the orders and slowly turned around and faced the rest of the room.

“You earned the right to be in this room.” Sergeant Grey began. “But you have to prove yourselves to stay. The way we do things matters, and tradition and protocol are the metal from which every cop in this city is forged.”

He wondered why Nolan was wearing such a strange smile on his face while the sergeant spoke.

“That being said.” This time, the sergeant’s tone of voice softened. “It is my pleasure to welcome you to the FTO program. State your name and badge numbers.”

“Barnes, Katie.” His academy batchmate didn’t show any hint that she was nervous. He envied her, since he could already feel the sweat dripping down his neck. Why was it so hot in here? “Badge number 44313.”

Katie gave him a quick look, and he continued.

“Hi, I’m Larry Macer.” He began with a smile. “But everyone calls me the Badger. Badge number 47238.”

He wanted to talk more, but as he opened his mouth to share about his reasons for becoming a cop, Nolan gave him a look and a quick shake of the head.

“Why did they call you the Badger?” Someone from the back asked.

“In… in my previous job, I worked as a data auditor for the city.” He chuckled and rubbed a hand at the back of his neck. “I kept sending notices about discrepancies and kept asking them to resolve them as soon as possible. I guess I was annoying in a way, and the name badger came up.”

“What do you audit, badger?” This time, it was Grey who asked.

“I check if the software programs that the city purchased work as they advertised.” He explained. “It was boring work, and I just made sure the city wasn’t being scammed by the software vendors. Then I check the integrity of the city’s data, checking for anomalies or errors in datasets. Then there’s…”

“Alright, sit down,” Grey ordered. “Assignments. Badger, Detective Harper will be your training officer.”

He looked behind her, trying to follow where Grey was looking, and realized that the woman he was staring at was the one that pranked him this morning. Oh no. “Barnes, your Training Officer, Officer Bradford is involved in an exercise today. You will patrol with me.”

“I’ll handle it, Sergeant.” A new voice interrupted the meeting, and he widened his eyes when he realized it was the captain, and she had changed into her blues, and she had even tied her shoulder-length hair into a tight bun. The shiny badge on her collar, indicating her rank, glinted in the light. She looked gorgeous.

“Captain?” Grey looked worried.

“I’m pregnant, not disabled.” The tall woman entered the room, causing every eye to focus on her.

“It’s not about that.” Grey looked hesitant. “I’m more worried about your husband and what he will do when he finds out that you’ve gone out to patrol.”

“You’re overreacting.” The captain rolled her eyes. “Let’s go, Barnes.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Katie leapt to her feet and followed the older woman out of the briefing room.

“That’s easy for her to say.” He heard Nolan snort in amusement. “She’s not the one who has to handle the wrath of Jack Routh.”

“The captain’s married?” He was surprised by this piece of news. “And pregnant?”

“To a very scary, scary man.” Grey was suddenly by his side, looming over him. “So take care of the captain, you wouldn’t want him mad.”

He was pretty sure they were joking with him again, but after a quick look around the room, the faces he saw were full of worry and apprehension.

“Right, new orders.” Grey straightened up. “I want a unit near the captain’s patrol route available at all times. Ramirez, get to it and call me if anything comes up. I’ll handle the second shift. Get to it, people.”

“Let’s go boot.” Officer Harper called out to him and walked without even making sure he heard her. He just knew that this would be a difficult first day.

He arrived at the parking lot, carrying the kit. Officer Harper was merciless as she corrected every mistake he made. It did not help that Katie Barnes was doing a spectacular job just a few feet away, preparing her own vehicle while under the supervision of the unfortunately married Captain Andersen.

He didn’t mean to, but his gaze constantly drifted to her beautiful figure, and her voice was like music to his ears as she gave instructions to Katie.

“Focus.”Officer Harper snapped.

“Yes, Ma’am.” He jumped, and finally, finally, Harper judged his preparation for their shop was complete.

“You'd better stop eyeing the Captain like that.” His T.O. spoke as they exited the parking building and into the main road. “I get it, she’s very pretty and beautiful, but she’ll chew you out if you screw up.”

“I just didn’t expect our division captain to be that young and a female.” He tried to explain.

“Are you one of those assholes who think women are lesser because we don’t have a cock dangling between our legs, boot?” He was starting to get a feel of his T.O.’s personality. She was very direct and blunt, and didn’t care about his feelings at all.

“No, Ma’am.” He replied.

“Uh-huh.” He winced at the quick glare she gave him. “If you get easily distracted with every piece of hot ass that wanders into your vision, then tell me now, and I’ll drive us back to the station. I can’t trust a person like that watching my six.”

“No, I…”

“I’ll even help you with your paperwork for transfer.” Harper continued speaking. “I’ll make sure you join a station that suits you, with no hard feelings for everyone involved.”

He suddenly remembered the talk with the captain and tightened his grip on the seatbelt strap. “No, I like it here. I promise you, Ma’am, I won’t get distracted again.”

“Let’s see about that.” Harper turned onto a side road. “We’re going to check up on some hotspots known to deal drugs, and they’re conveniently beside a few strip clubs. Let me see how good your word is.”

“Strip clubs?” His eyes widened in surprise.

“I have a contact there.” Harper seemed to be enjoying his nervousness. “Let’s see that iron-clad will of yours, so I can judge for myself if you’re a warrior or a guardian.”

 “Warrior, what?”

Sadly, Harper didn’t elaborate about that strange phrasing and continued driving ahead, her gaze focused on the traffic. Was she talking about computer games?

Zoe Andersen Routh

She was not surprised that Jack suddenly appeared in her office during her lunch break. Word must have reached him all the way to Rampart about what she did that morning. He was sweaty, just wearing his undershirt and tactical pants, but he did have a bag of her favorite food in his hand, which was good. Still, this was one of the few times she had seen Jack frazzled like this.

“Are you going to tell me I can’t patrol?” She gave her husband the look, complete with the raised eyebrow.

“No,” Jack replied after a moment. She could feel him assessing her condition, checking her skin for any bruises or signs of injury. “But you should have told me.”

“I won’t show until the third or fourth month.” She answered. “I’m not disabled just because I’m pregnant.”

“I’m not saying that.” Jack’s slight frown on his face was amusing. “The risk…”

“Honey, I’ve been cooped up here for every day since we arrived back from our vacation, handling new policies and paperwork from the Chief. I needed to get out and patrol once in a while.” She knew how to handle her husband. Present her side of things and the logic behind it, and tack on the guilt about him not trusting her enough. Simple, really.

“If you wanted to patrol, you could have done it with one of the veteran cops to watch your back, not some day-old rookie. She’s got the experience from being in the military, yes, but she doesn’t have a clue about how to deal with the public.” Her husband answered, showing how annoying it was to deal with someone who could argue back with deductive reasoning and sound logic.

“You’re overreacting.” She folded her arms and leaned back so she could get a better look at him. “I made sure our patrol route was easy. We just responded to some domestic calls about neighbor disputes.”

It was clear to her that Jack wasn’t happy with her decision. She sighed, moved to the couch in her office, and patted the space beside her, calling for her husband to sit beside her. Jack did, and she relaxed beside him. She could tell he was still tense, but she did feel his arm wrap around her waist and felt his chin on top of her head.

“You really want to go out and unwind?” She heard Jack ask.

“Yes!” She felt cooped up in the office and at their house. She wanted to do something new, something refreshing. Now unable to drink alcohol, and with a sensitive nose, she wasn’t keen on joining Pam and Reese in their usual places to hang out.

“I’m taking you out tonight on a date,” Jack stated. She pulled back and stared at his face.

“Really? Where are we going?”

“We’re going to watch a concert.” Her husband answered. “Wear something casual and comfortable.”

She wondered what kind of concert she would attend, but Jack didn’t elaborate, hinting that it was a surprise. Casual clothes meant they weren’t going to some orchestra performance, so that ruled out classical music.

She pestered him as they ate the food he got for them with double portions for her, but Jack just remained mysterious.

“It’s just us, right?” She asked just as their lunch break was about to end.

“Just us.” Her husband confirmed with a small smile. “No friends, no gimmicks. It’s just a proper date with my wife without any distractions, like we used to do when we were dating in secret.”

She felt giddy with that and then started to tear up. Gods, she was so emotional these days.

“I love you.” She leaned in and gave Jack a long, tender kiss on the lips.

She worked faster than usual after lunch, eager for the day to finish, and even opted to leave early for once.

“You have plans tonight captain?” Grey asked when she passed by his office.

“I’ve got a date.” She explained with a smile. “How did she do?”

“Better than expected,” Grey answered. “She’s still tense, but at least she didn’t act like she just stepped out of a FOB for combat patrol. She reminds me of you, actually.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, Captain.” Grey nodded. “She has that stern demeanor that screams business and nothing else. It certainly affected the drunk who was causing a disturbance in a mall.”

“I thought the same.” She nodded in agreement. “Tim should be able to shape her up to someone worthwhile. What about Macer?”

“Badger?” Grey looked thoughtful. “He still needs a lot of work. I’m giving him a chance thanks to Nolan.”

“That’s all he needs.” She replied, remembering the words her other rookie spoke with conviction that morning.

Jack arrived later than she expected. Her husband explained that they were all helping out with the new members of Metro, training them for the upcoming exercise. Jack dressed quickly in a simple shirt and his usual jacket, and her smile widened when he picked up his now rarely used motorcycle backpack, complete with the two helmets.

She found it funny how her husband got worked up for what she did that morning, and now here he was making her ride his bike, a vehicle far more dangerous than cars in case of accidents. She wasn’t complaining, though, and grabbed her helmet and started cleaning the insides with a wet wipe. She had complete confidence in Jack’s ability to keep them safe.

When she jumped on the bike behind her husband, she smiled, clearly remembering the times she rode with him, exploring new places in the city and riding around the city without a plan. As the bike started, she hugged Jack tight and soon they were moving down the road. She missed this feeling.

She was looking around and realized they were going to the Pacific Palisades. The houses here were larger, easily into the tens of millions of dollars. They even passed through a security gate leading into a gated community. Jack merely showed some tickets and his ID, and they were allowed to pass through.

She was confused when they stopped in front of a large house. She could see numerous cars that were already parked down the street. Outside the gate, people were streaming inside the property after passing through a table manned by what looked like college students.

“What is this place?” She asked once they parked.

“It’s a Backyard Concert, with proceeds going to the UCLA Health and Teen Cancer America.” Her husband explained. “I got the tickets from Professor Fox.”

“And this house?”

“One of the board members sponsored the event.” Jack took her hand and started walking to the booth.

The staff member tore part of the perforated tickets Jack had, and they headed inside. She could hear a band playing at the back of the house, and they followed the pathway, leading to the concert grounds.

It was the first time she had seen a concert like this. The total number of guests must have numbered a couple of hundred, all dressed properly, while food stands lined the sides of the very large yard.

The stage at the very back, facing the ocean, was elaborate, with fancy lights and large speakers. She smiled when she saw who was speaking to the crowd, auctioning what looked like a fancy electric guitar.

“Foo Fighters?” She asked.

“They’re a good band,” Jack explained. “You like it?”

“I love it.” She grinned and gave her husband a peck. “Thank you. This is just what I needed.”

Thanks to the dim lighting, she was confident her husband wouldn’t easily be recognized. The focus, after all, was on the famous band singing on the stage.  Their timing was just right, as the band started playing to the delight of the small crowd. She immediately started swaying to the song Learn to Fly as Dave Grohl started singing.

“Let’s get closer!” She urged Jack. She couldn’t hide the wide smile on her face.

The atmosphere was perfect. The wind was refreshing, and Jack brought her drinks and food whenever she was hungry or thirsty, and they were all top quality, too, not the usual slop at concerts. She didn’t want to know how much a ticket cost in these private events.

They danced and swayed to the beat, and she spent most of her time wrapped in her husband’s arms, her head resting on his shoulder as she enjoyed the moment. Things grew more interesting as Dave decided to engage the audience more.

“Who here knows how to play the drums?” The lead singer asked as he continued to strum on his guitar.

“Do you want to?” She looked up to her husband.

“No. We’re on a date, and I’d rather stay here with you.” Jack hugged her tighter, and her eyes started to moisten when she heard his reply.

“You’re getting lucky tonight, Mister Routh.” She whispered and pushed her ass deeper into his crotch.

“I’m always lucky with you, Mrs. Routh.” She gasped when his right hand cupped her breast for a moment before moving to her hip.

A young man volunteered, and after a quick interview from Dave, the young man took over behind the drums. Without hesitation, he started playing, causing the crowd to cheer.

“This motherfucker can play the drums.!” Dave pointed to the fan, now easily playing a beat. “Alright, I’m not going to give you a solo. No no no no…. not yet.”

 “He’s pretty good,” Jack whispered in her ear.

“We’re going to sing this nice song… with our new drummer, Richard,” Dave spoke into the microphone. “This song is called Wheels.”

The crowd cheered at that, and Dave started singing.

I know what you’re thinking,

We were goin’ down…

I can feel the sinkin’…

But then I came around.

And everyone I’ve loved before

Flashed before my eyes

And nothin’ mattered anymore

I looked into the sky.

The night passed too quickly for her tastes. It was a magical evening, capped off by a cool, windy ride back to their home. She was exhilarated once she took off her helmet, and right there at the garage, she started stripping off her clothes, and once she was naked, she boldly headed to the side yard, confident Jack would follow her.

She sank to the Jacuzzi up to her waist, relishing the cold water on her skin. Jack appeared a moment later, and she faced him, baring her body to his.

“Time for your reward, husband.” She beckoned him closer with a finger.

The sex that night at the yard was tender, but didn’t lack for passion. It felt like they were both in a trance, influenced by the atmosphere of the date they had. The blades of grass tickled her skin, adding to her arousal as Jack took her in their backyard.

They finished the night with a hot shower when the weather grew cooler, and she slept satisfied and happy, safe and secure in the arms of her husband.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

“I didn’t know they were playing.” That was a shame. She loved that band. She got inside Zoe’s car, and they drove off in search of a late breakfast.

“He surprised me.” Zoe was glowing. Clearly, she had a wonderful time on her date. The only thing with her friend was how she walked, a stark contrast to her usual graceful stride. She smirked, since she had a pretty good idea why her friend was in that state. She knew her friends were very adventurous, and Zoe probably took it up her other...

“Stop smiling. You’d walk the same if you took something that big in your ass.” Zoe rolled her eyes, but she noticed the pursed lips. Her friend was clearly trying to hide that satisfied smile. “So what brought you here anyway?”

 “You really couldn’t help it, huh?” She laughed.

“If you were in my shoes, would you have done things differently?” Zoe asked.

“No.” She admitted without shame. She’d do the same if her date went that well. An amazing concert, with complete privacy, with no paparazzi, and amazing food? Fuck yeah, she would put out if she liked the guy enough, as long as he was single. She’d never date a married man again, even if they said they were separated from their spouse.

She had just finished the first half of principal photography of Rogue One and was thinking of the next project that was lined up for her.

The offer was good, and she was happy she didn’t need to audition. The best part was that she was one of three female leads for a movie adaptation based on a comic book called Birds of Prey. As they headed back towards Zoe’s car, she wondered how she could prepare for the role and give her character the proper justice it deserved.

“Are you busy?” She asked once they were moving again after their quick meal. “I need help for a possible role I might have for my next project.”

“I have time,” Zoe replied. “I work a few days out a week now in preparation for my leave to help with the transition in Mid-Wilshire. What do you need?”

“Research… and training.” She revealed. “I need to learn how to fight, and not fight like Jack, but as a woman. I need to see real action and observe, since my character is supposed to be good with weapons. She’s even called the Huntress.”

“Cool name.” Zoe kept her eyes on the road. “Let me see… You need to see how people move in combat scenarios, right?”

“Exactly.” She nodded. “I need to observe how they move, how they carry themselves and their weapons, the works.”

“I have an idea.” Zoe smiled. “Tomorrow morning, you and I will go to a training facility. It’s a large-scale interoperability exercise, organized by the city in cooperation with several federal agencies. Jack and his unit in Metro will participate, but mostly as backup.”

“Are you sure I can come?” Her eyes gleamed in excitement. This was perfect!

“I’ll bring you in as my guest.” Her friend assured her. “Besides, you’re not the only civilian present. Several dignitaries and International Olympic Committee members will be present to observe it.”

“Is this related to the Summer Olympics next year?” She asked.

“It’s directly related.” Zoe nodded. “It’s more of a PR stunt to assure the delegation that their athletes’ safety is being taken seriously. SWAT members are being tapped for the entire duration of the games. The overtime expenses will be crazy.”

The next day, she was ready when she heard the quick horn from Zoe’s car. She quickly got in, and they were soon driving down the main road.

“We'd better get something to eat,” Zoe suggested. “It’s a dessert at that facility, with nothing around it for miles.”

She quickly agreed, having just had some toast for breakfast, and there was room for more. They ate quickly, and Zoe even ordered sandwiches for take-out. For nearly an hour, Zoe expertly navigated through the traffic until she suddenly turned onto a small, poorly paved road. There were no signs in the GPS at all or any markings she could see, and she gave her friend a curious look.

“Relax.” Zoe must have read her mind and answered her unasked question. “This is a government facility used for training. They wouldn’t want anyone snooping here. It’s just beyond that ridge.”

As soon as they crested the hill, she spotted what looked like a town. A good few hundred yards away, on an elevated area, she could see dozens and dozens of vehicles, ranging from private cars to large buses and trucks.

There was a long, rectangular two-story building overlooking the town from the ridge made up of shipping containers, clearly designed as an observation area. Her eyes lit up when she saw the air conditioning compressor units running. She wasn’t looking forward to standing for hours outside in the desert heat.

As soon as they reached the facility, Zoe presented her credentials at a nearby security checkpoint.

“Captain Zoe Andersen Routh, Mid-Wilshire Division, with a guest.” Her friend spoke to the guard at the gate.

“I’ll just need both your IDs, Ma’am.” The guard spoke politely.

With that checked, they were given further instructions. “Please leave your firearms inside your vehicles.”

“Understood.” Zoe nodded and headed to the parking lot.

“What was that for?” She asked

“This exercise involves real guns with simulation bullets.” Her friend explained. “They act like paintballs, but they’re more realistic. Imagine if a real bullet got mixed up in that.”

“Yeah, I can see the precaution.” She replied.

They passed by another security checkpoint with a metal detector before they entered the building and were given temporary visitor badges. The cool air caressed her skin as she took off her sunglasses. Even the walk from the parking lot to the building had her sweating like crazy.

There were more than three dozen people in the area as she looked around. They were all looking at the large monitors above the large windows, with cold drinks in their hands.

“Zoe.” A woman in an impeccable suit walked over, a frown on her face. “I finally found out what they were planning. It doesn’t look good, and Hondo’s trying to come up with a plan.”

“Jessica.” Zoe gave a quick greeting. “It’s that bad?”

“Worse. C’mon, I’ll show you what those feds came up with.”

She remained silent as she followed the two women into a smaller briefing room.

“Who is this?” The woman named Jessica turned to her. “Are you from DHS?”

She was glad that she followed Zoe’s advice to dress as if she worked for the government if no one here recognized her. The suit and pants with a white blouse underneath blended well with the people around her, and she wore minimal makeup and just placed her hair in a tight ponytail.

“She’s Mary Winstead, the actress,” Zoe explained, causing Jessica’s eyes to widen in surprise and recognition.

“I’m sorry I…”

“Don’t worry about it.” She replied with a smile. “I’m just here for research for an upcoming role, and Zoe kindly allowed me to join her.”

“Now, what’s the problem with exercise?” Zoe asked.

“The first part is regular exercises, the usual demonstration of tactical capabilities.” Jessica pulled out a document from a folder and placed it on the table. “This is the problem.”

She couldn’t see the outline properly, but judging from the way Zoe’s eyes narrowed, she realized that what her friend was reading wasn’t good news.

“This is too much,” Zoe murmured. “They’re testing the graduates of the pilot program, but this is impossible.”

“Their opponents were supposed to be Charlie platoon,” Jessica explained. “Now with these parameters, succeeding in the exercise is almost next to impossible, especially with the HRT and agents of DHS playing the role of the bad guys.”

“What’s the HRT?” She couldn’t help but ask.

“They’re the FBI’s elite Hostage and Rescue Team,” Zoe answered. “And we have graduates of the new Metro program facing these.”

“They won’t be facing them alone,” Jessica added. “Delta will be on standby, along with Bravo platoon. Hondo will most likely assign veteran members of his team to lead those groups.”

She listened carefully, tilting her head when maps were produced to see an overhead view of the fake village. There were various labels encircled by colored markers, mostly blue and red. It looked like the HRT team was holding a VIP dummy hostage, while the DHS teams were with a group of structures close together.

The LAPD Metro unit’s objectives were to secure the VIP hostage with minimal loss of life. She realized it was going to be tricky, since civilians were going to be embedded around the town. She finally understood why the two women were worried.

“They’re simulating what happened during the disaster with Alex Montel. That incident involved dozens of heavily armed combatants in different locations.” Zoe theorized. “But they’re dialing up the difficulty to eleven.”

“No radio communications, and they will have to rely on their small unit tactics.” Jessica nodded in agreement. “This will be the ultimate test of their skills and reflexes.”

They headed back to the main observation lounge. Someone handed her a cup full of iced coffee, and she just played along, walking along the entire length of the building that provided a good view of the town and acting like she belonged there. She could hear what looked like dignitaries speaking in foreign languages as they waited for the exercises to start.

She watched as the exercises began, from marksmanship and room-clearing operations on the screen. She analyzed their movements and realized some of the officers are women! She focused even, studying how they communicated with hand signals, how they moved, and rappelled down high walls while maintaining control and situational awareness.

She didn’t know how long she sat there until Zoe caught up to her, looking jealous of the cold caffeine drink she had in her hand. “They’re about to start the hostage rescue exercise. Here, you can put this earpiece on so you can hear them speaking over the chatter.”

“I thought there were no radio communications available?” She asked as she inserted the small bud in her left ear. It was connected by a wire to what looked like a small radio.

“Yes, but they all have body cameras transmitting video and audio,” Zoe explained. “I already have our earpieces hooked up with Hondo’s. C’mon, Jessica’s over there at the other end waiting for us.”

The moment she turned on the volume on the radio, she felt like she was transported to the fake town below as she gazed at the circle of men gathered. A tall, black man with a bald head and wide shoulders poured over a map. He was giving instructions to three men.

On other screens, she could see the SWAT officers, all wearing tactical gear, moving with precision in a single file, clearing rooms and buildings in quick succession. She was impressed that they had never fired on the random civilians they encountered now and then. She took note of their stance, how they moved with their firearms, and how they communicated with hand gestures. They deployed cutting tools, even torches, to cut through doors and disable booby traps.

Looking around, she noticed that the majority of the officers were focused on the large main screen that was giving a bird’s-eye view of the operation, thanks to overhead drones. In her eyes and from that height, she thought they looked like small toy soldiers or some realistic shooting game.

“Bradford’s doing well on the left with Tan.” She heard Zoe comment.

“Street’s leading the right section,” Jessica added. “They’re on track.”

She had to admit she was expecting more, with the way Zoe hyped up the exercise and how difficult and expensive it was, when suddenly it felt like a thunderstorm had formed above them as the guns started shooting. She could even hear the gunshots from within the building, and they sounded like distant, relentless firecrackers. The number of rounds being fired was relentless. Red colored smoke erupted from multiple locations, and even here, she flinched whenever she heard the explosion. It was chaos.

This was not what she expected at all. Zoe said they used Simunition bullets, but she was worried whether they were still lethal. What if a stray round hit their location? They were so close to the action, just overlooking the town from a ledge.

“Center stopped moving.” Jessica didn’t sound happy. In her ear, she could hear Hondo pacing back and forth at the rear, muttering under his breath.

“Gamp’s team's assault got bogged down. Two of his men are caught in a booby trap, and he’s falling back.” A nearby officer cursed.

The murmur in the observation lounge grew as the intensity of the engagement all over the town grew.

“Those HRT boys don’t play around.” Another officer added. “Fuck, there goes by twenty dollars.”

“You only bet twenty?” His friend laughed.

“Hondo doesn’t look happy.” Jessica sighed.

“Why doesn’t he take charge?” She asked the other woman.

“He’s the force commander in this op,” Jessica explained. “He’s not supposed to participate in the exercise directly, but he sent his best men already to help the platoons.”

She focused on Hondo’s screen, and she saw that he only had four more swat officers with him at the back.

 “They need to keep moving!” Hondo complained, and she could clearly hear the frustration in his voice. As she watched the multiple screens, she noticed that while the left and right groups were making good progress, the center had completely stalled, and now they were way behind.

“Routh! Get over here!” Hondo’s voice made her look back at his screen as the man yelled for one of the men standing inside the tent.

One of the larger men stepped forward as Hondo turned to him, and she immediately recognized Jack’s face.

“Go out there and relieve Gamp and take that attack on end!” Hondo ordered.

It was the first time she was seeing Jack up close like this through Hondo's body camera. His expression was cold, and she could barely see his features thanks to his helmet casting a shadow over his eyes and part of his face. That wonderful man who could easily melt women’s hearts now looked dangerous and even scary. Jack didn’t even bother to verbally reply to Hondo's order and turned to the battlefield and ran in without hesitation.

“Here we go. He sent in his big gun.” She heard Jessica whisper.

She looked at Zoe, and she noticed the woman was staring at Jack’s screen without even blinking. She was getting dizzy following Jack’s shaky video feed, and she turned to the large window, and he spotted him running towards the town center and realized how quickly he was moving, leaping over burning debris and structures with ease like a machine.

“Shit’s about to get real.” She heard one of the men comment near their area. Around her, it seemed like the chatter faded as their focus turned to her friend.

“Is that him?”

“Fuck, Routh finally took the field.”

She thought she would simply watch elite law enforcement units in some elaborate exercise. This… this was something else entirely. She didn’t realize she would be watching a real-life action movie, and the only thing missing was popcorn. She couldn't wait, and judging by the slight smile on Zoe's face, her husband was about to kick some ass.