Episode 42 The Last Patrol (part 1/3) (Patreon)

Jack Routh

“Again!”

“Trigger discipline! Again!”

He watched while Chris taught Liz to draw an unloaded pistol in one corner of Hondo’s backyard. His female teammate was more than willing to help the actress practice, and he had to admit the brunette was a quick study. She really took it seriously and focused on the Metro officer’s instructions despite the ruckus happening around her.

Hondo was manning the huge grill with a big smile on his face and a bottle of beer in his hand. Jim Street and Viktor Tan were trying to figure out the portable pizza oven, but it looked like things were not going well in that front.

“You could drink a beer, you know.”

He turned to his wife, who was sitting beside Jessica Cortez.

“How sweet.” Jessica gave him a teasing smile. “Because you can’t drink alcohol, he’s trying to bear it with you. How noble of you, Jack.”

He did want a beer. It was very tempting, but seeing the face of his wife as she glanced at an ice-cold pitcher of Sangria with some longing made him push down on that emotion and settle for the cold orange soda.

“Call it a show of solidarity, Captain.” He placed an arm around Zoe’s shoulder. “I got her pregnant, so now we have to work together to keep her healthy.”

“I’m not fragile.” Zoe elbowed him in the ribs. Her aim was perfect and hit the only bruise he had suffered at the exercise earlier. He suppressed a wince and turned it into a smile. Sometimes his wife forgot how strong she was. She exercised as religiously in her own way every morning, with as much diligence as he did with his early morning jogs.

The result was that Zoe had good muscle tone and a spectacular figure, something he appreciated every day whenever he watched her do her stretches while wearing those tight yoga pants.

“So how are the preparations?” Jessica asked. “Any plan for the baby shower?”

“We might wait until the third trimester for that,” Zoe replied after a moment of thought. “We might have gone overboard with the supplies, though.”

That was an understatement, and he suppressed a snort in amusement. Still, he wholeheartedly agreed with Zoe’s decisions to over-prepare. Being new parents, the two of them didn’t spare any expense when they went shopping for their little one. It was the first time he had used his money without care, and the first time that their Toyota truck was filled to the brim with purchases.

They got the crib, pregnancy pillows, breast pumps, and breast bottles. Toys for newborns were carefully selected, as well as diapers, blankets, and the most expensive stroller car seat combination there was available. He liked the tracking GPS feature on that one.

Zoe purchased an armload of blankets and baby clothes. He and his wife spent nearly half an hour doing oohs and ahhs at the tiny outfits, like the bonnets, onesies, and mittens. He was pretty sure they looked ridiculous, but the sales attendants were very patient and understanding with them and shared in their excitement.

“You should see our nursery.” He told the Metro Captain. “It’s like a warehouse right now. We can probably open a baby store in our street with the stuff we have.”

Jessica glanced at his wife’s still flat belly and gave a tender smile as she turned her gaze to Hondo at the grill.

“Maybe we can give your little one a playmate,” Jessica replied.

“Are you…” Zoe looked excited.

“We’re trying, now that I’m transferring to Pasadena.”

“Well, hurry up!” His wife reached over and playfully patted Jessica on the arm as her smile grew bigger. “Try as often as you can, maximize your chances!”

“Is that how you got pregnant?” Jessica asked, looking amused. “Maximizing every opportunity?”

“It helps if your husband easily gets a hard-on.” Zoe gave him a wink. “Flash some cleavage and leg, and he’s ready.”

He gave the girls space as they laughed. He didn’t want to hear the rest of their conversation and made his way to Chris, who was now teaching Liz some moves to disarm an opponent. A few other officers stood near them, offering tips and advice on exercise and training.

He watched for a minute and, seeing that Chris seemed to be on top of things, he headed to the pizza oven. Jim and Viktor had finally fired up the oven and had shoved a test pizza inside. With his stomach announcing that he was hungry, he volunteered to be the food taster.

It was bad, not terrible. The temperature was too hot, and the crust was burned in some parts. He picked the parts of unburned crust and tasted the hot cheese, tomato sauce, and pepperoni, and finished it off with a glass of juice.

More officers from Delta platoon arrived, and he was finally able to eat a pizza properly when one of them proved better at using the oven. Liz came back from the impromptu training session, sweaty, but with a smile on her face and a page full of notes with the small notebook she brought with her.

 Finally, after hours at Hondo’s backyard, he and Zoe left, but not before an announcement by Captain Cortez of their final schedule before he, Hondo, and some of the members of Delta moved on to other divisions.

They were about to do patrols for their last week, which suited him just fine. Hondo was partnered with Chris, and he was on his own since his patrol route was in Mid-Wilshire.

Zoe was drowsy by the time they arrived at their home after dropping off Liz at her house, and he had to guide his half-asleep wife and help her get ready for bed. It was a fun, productive day, and as he was about to fall asleep beside Zoe, his phone vibrated and lit up, indicating a call.

He almost cursed and opened one eye to see who was calling.

It was Howard.

For a moment, he considered just ignoring the call, but he knew his friend never called so early in the morning. Yawning, he slowly disengaged from Zoe and headed out of their room to avoid waking her.

“Howard, is something wrong?” He asked.

“Jack! Thank God you answered! You have to take me to the hospital!”

His senses snapped back to full focus when he heard his friend’s reply. He could hear the panic in his tone, which meant this was something serious.

“I can get an ambulance to you in…”

“No ambulance!” Howard begged. “You have a flatbed truck, right? You’re the only one who can help me!”

Okay, so the emergency wasn’t life-threatening. He took a deep breath and asked a few more questions, but Howard wasn’t very helpful and just claimed he needed him and his truck to get him to the hospital. He could hear Leonard and Raj’s voices in the background, and they seemed unbothered by what was happening with their friend.

He wrote a note explaining why he was gone in case Zoe woke up, secured it under a magnet on the fridge, quickly put on a jacket and pants, and headed towards his truck. Fifteen minutes later, he finally found out why Howard couldn’t explain what had happened.

He couldn’t either if he had to be honest. What seemed like a robotic arm on a metal rig was attached to Howard’s crotch. Fortunately, he couldn’t see anything else thanks to the blanket over his friend’s lap.

“So you tripped and fell.” He stated after listening to Howard’s explanation.

“That’s the story!” Howard snapped, while Raj and Leonard continued to laugh in the background.

“We tried to carry it, but that thing is too heavy,” Raj added after he was able to control his laughter.

“And then we thought of how we could transport this entire contraption and Howard safely to the hospital.” Leonard joined in. “There was only one answer, you.”

“I get it.” He was sure no one would believe him if he shared this tomorrow in the bullpen. He wasn’t even sure if he was still dreaming right now or awake; this was all too surreal, even for him.

“Alright, I’ll carry the rig.” He turned to Howard. “You can still walk, right?”

“I can, but I’m… stuck.” The engineer confirmed.

“Raj, you carry the laptop, and Leonard, you drive the truck.” He tossed his keys to the shorter man. “I’ll stay in the back with Howard to make sure it won’t move.”

They moved slowly down the stairs. His arms strained carrying the heavy rig, but fortunately, they could roll it once they got it on the ground floor. Moving Howard with the rig to the flatbed of the truck was more of a challenge, and it took all three of them to accomplish that feat, with him holding the rig while Raj and Leonard helped Leonard climb on board.

“Drive slower!” Howard screamed.

“I thought this was an emergency?” Leonard screamed back.

“Dude! Your Junk is showing!” Raj yelled through the rear window.

The wind was causing havoc with the blanket Howard was using to cover what was left of his dignity. He focused on making sure the heavy metal frame didn’t slide or move too much. They were already attracting significant attention from the cars on the road despite the early hour, and he could hear several beeps and honks from passing vehicles.

At this rate, he knew it was only a matter of time… red and blue lights caught his attention, and he turned to the back and saw a shop following them. Leonard slowed down his truck and moved to the side of the road, and he struggled to see the cops thanks to the vehicle’s high beam.

“Is that you, Jack?”

He groaned when he heard Lucy’s voice and moved his hand to partially block the light so that he could see her better. She was wearing a big smile on her face, something not natural on night shifts. John Nolan stepped out of the shop soon after, matching his patrol partner’s smile.

“What’s happening here?” Nolan asked.

“It’s a medical emergency.” He explained and pointed at Howard, who was red in the face. “He got stuck on something.”

“I slipped and fell,” Howard repeated his excuse, trying to avoid Lucy and Nolan’s gaze.

“I see.” Lucy was clearly struggling not to laugh. “You can continue, and we’ll follow you to the hospital to make sure you’re all safe.”

“Grey will see this, won’t he?”

“Of course he will,” Nolan replied with a cheeky grin.

It was an embarrassing moment as they resumed their journey to the emergency room, this time attracting more attention thanks to the police vehicle following closely behind them with its light on. He couldn’t imagine what Howard was feeling, being at the center of attention.

“I… I really owe you for this, man.” Howard looked miserable.

“Don’t mention it.” He would have patted the engineer on the shoulder if he wasn’t busy holding the steel frame. “That’s what friends do.”

He focused back on Lucy and Nolan’s shop and narrowed his eyes when he spotted brief flashes of light from the windshield. He was pretty sure Lucy was taking photos to record this event. He made a note to get back at her in the future.

By the time he made his way back home, it was only a few hours until sunrise, since he had to drive the contraption Howard built back to their house. They stopped for an early breakfast to rest and relax a bit after that harrowing ordeal.

Zoe was already awake, and judging by the amused expression on her face, she must have heard of his nocturnal adventure.

“Lucy already sent the video.” His wife simply explained and pushed a cup of freshly brewed coffee at him. Cops were really one of the worst gossips around. His phone buzzed, and it was a message from Angela with a picture of him in the back of his truck looking miserable.

There were no texts in the message, only laughing emojis.

Another message arrived from Nolan, this one in the E.R. as the nurse tapped into the keyboard, releasing Howard from his… mechanical prison. He could hear giggling in the background and knew that it was Grace, who was on duty that morning, who took the video.

 “That was a good thing you did for Howard.” Zoe smiled warmly. “Good job, Officer Routh.”

“Thank you, Captain.” He pulled his wife closer by the waist and gave her a kiss.

“Now let’s go to the shower for your reward.” Zoe beckoned to him with a finger and headed back to their room without looking back.

Fuck yes. He hadn’t had regular sex with Zoe lately since her pregnancy. Sometimes she was cold and didn’t want to be disturbed, and at other times she was horny and was in the mood for anything. It seemed like his good deed for the day paid off.

While Zoe headed off to the station, he noticed several large trucks arriving at their street. A few even parked in front of their house, and he headed to the laptop to check the camera footage.

It looked like his neighbors were moving out, judging by the amount of furniture and boxes being transported into the trucks. Their neighbor’s house was of a more modern aesthetic, recently built after Taylor acquired this property. He remembered the pop star’s story of the dust and construction noise being a big factor for her decision to purchase a bigger property and move out of the Spanish bungalow that was now his home.

With its minimalist design made mostly of glass and concrete, the house looked more like an office building in his opinion. His eyes lit up when he spotted a man place a sign on the gate, indicating it was for sale, as well as information about the real estate broker. He looked familiar, and suddenly remembered his first Halloween when he and Zoe took a walk around their neighborhood.

He walked outside and moved through the men moving boxes of furniture and approached the man who introduced himself as Phil Dunphy, a real estate broker. He pulled out the recently hung sign from the gate, attracting the man’s attention.

“You’re…” The broker’s eyes widened with surprise when he saw him.

“I am.” He replied with a smile and a handshake. “We met last Halloween, and you gave me a tour of your house. Phil Dunphy, right?”

“I am.” The man’s handshake was eager as he stared at the for sale sign he just ripped out. He must have recognized what that meant. “Are you…”

“Offering to buy this property?” He finished for Phil, “Yes. What’s the asking price?”

“Why… why don’t I give you a tour first?” Phil asked. “That is, if you don’t mind the mess they’re making here with the move.”

“Not at all.” He replied. “Lead the way.”

As he suspected, the house was built in the modernist style. Made mostly of concrete and glass, it was full of open spaces. They maximized the yard, and like their Spanish bungalow, it had high walls that encompassed the property.

“You’re going to love the built-in closets,” Phil said proudly. “My father-in-law had them custom-made for the previous owners.”

There were a total of four bedrooms, with three bathrooms and a powder room. The backyard was even smaller than his and Zoe’s home by half, but he could see the potential in the property.

When Phil shared the asking price of the owners, a cool $3.5 million, he decided to call Zoe before he sealed the deal.

“Smart man.” Phil nodded in approval.

Zoe sounded like she was surprised, but he heard the sigh of relief during their call when he told her he hadn’t signed anything yet and was then told by her to wait. Phil happily agreed when he was asked if he could stay for a bit.

“It’s no bother at all.” The real estate agent replied. “It’s only thirty minutes, right? I’ve got plenty of time.”

They swapped stories, but it was mostly Phil asking about his work and hobbies. The older man looked excited when he shared a story of going to the San Diego Comic-Con.

“I bet my youngest would have loved that.” Phil mused. “Maybe even Claire.”

He even obliged a photo with the man, who proclaimed he would surprise his daughter since she was a big fan of his music.

He was checking the view of the road from the windows when he spotted Zoe’s white GR86 driving down the road. He watched her park and was surprised to see Camille step out of the passenger seat.

“They’re here.” He told Phil.

Camille gave him an unimpressed look at first, but that changed when he mentioned the reason for his interest in the neighboring property. The foundation needed a proper address, and once he stated his intentions, the lawyer turned to Phil and started talking about zoning laws.

Zoe, meanwhile, walked around the modern house and inspected every corner with a sharp eye.

“It feels like the exact opposite of our home.” His wife commented once he joined her side. “Why did you want to buy this?”

“Aside from the foundation?” He waved his hand at the concrete walls. Privacy and security. I wanted to purchase this to protect our true home. Think of this like an office extension of our house.”

“And with our baby on the way…” He gently placed a hand over Zoe’s lower tummy, causing his wife to smile. “…I figured it’s a good physical reminder to separate our work from our home life.”

“Then we’ll have to make a pathway between the two backyards.” Zoe mused once they reached the back of the property.

“A reinforced steel gate would do.” Jack nodded in agreement. "One that's accessible by a key or a mechanical pin code like the hatches to our bunker.”

“I like it,” Zoe said after a moment and turned to him with a smile on her pretty face. “Let’s get it.”

“I knew you’d understand.” He grinned and gave her a brief hug.

Phil was delighted that they were willing to pay a few hundred grand above the asking price to expedite the process.

“We’re going to need to hire another lawyer for the foundation.” Camille looked eagerly at the empty space. The movers were very efficient and had cleared the last of the furniture by the time they had finished ironing out the details with Phil.

“You need a lawyer?” The real estate agent asked, not even bothering to pretend he was listening in to their conversation. “What for?”

“Jack and Zoe have established a foundation that supports a variety of charities and funds numerous grants,” Camille explained. “We also handle Jack’s representation, even if my client still refuses to accept invitations to award shows.”

“So that’s why you weren’t at the Grammys!” Phil’s eyes widened in realization. “So many people were wondering about that!”

 “I really don’t have an interest in those kinds of things.” He shrugged. What he cared about was the music and process behind it.

“Here, take this.” Phil handed Camille a calling card. “It’s my brother-in-law’s contact information. He currently works for a firm, but I know he told me before that he wanted to work for a non-profit. Maybe you can consider him.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Camille replied. He met his lawyer and gave her a subtle nod. They wouldn’t lose anything in agreeing to a meeting.

“I guess this will be ours by the end of the week.” Zoe leaned to his side. “What are your plans?”

“First, security.” He replied. “Then maybe hire a trusted contractor to build an access point leading to our backyard.”

“Why not Nolan?” Zoe suggested. “We have even more parking space now. You can buy those large power tools you were always eyeing whenever we go to Home Depot.”

“You saw that?”

“You’re not the only observant one.” His wife replied. “I'd better get back to the station, and you need to sleep. You have the night shift later.”

He nodded in agreement and quickly headed back home, leaving Zoe with Camille. After a heavy breakfast of eggs, sausages, and toast, he fell asleep, his mind full of possibilities for their newly acquired space.