Episode 44 Enemy Action (Patreon)

Robin Scherbatsky

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

She slowly woke up and stretched, relishing the feeling of smooth sheets on her skin. She stretched and yawned, wondering about the noise that woke her up from a nice dream she was having that involved one of the Canucks.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

There it was again. She opened her eyes, and as the room slowly came into focus, she realized she was not at her crappy apartment. She looked around, noting the modern walls, the minimal furniture, and the very cool air from the vent above the door.

Did she check into a hotel room?

As sleep left her, her eyes widened in shock as she suddenly recalled what had happened last night in her apartment. The blackout, the stifling heat, the loud noises from her landlord, and finally, the scary-looking men just outside her door.

She was ready to defend herself, but she was still scared in that moment. She remembered a desperate text to the only person she knew in LA, and she was amazed at the generosity of the woman.

Zoe Andersen Routh not only sent her husband, probably the best cop in the country, in her opinion, to ensure her safety, but she also generously allowed her to rest at one of their houses. She was surprised to see that their house was just a modest Spanish-style bungalow, and the married couple didn’t even have any servants or staff attending to them.

She recalled feeling strange as she and Zoe had ice cream desserts after dinner while Jack washed the dishes.

The muffled thud was still there, and she stood up and headed to the window, looking over the backyard. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Jack Routh swinging a sledgehammer at the wall, and it looked like he was trying to make an access point between the two backyards.

She wasn’t hungry, but her eyes feasted on the man’s physique through his sweat-soaked white shirt as he swung the sledgehammer again and again and unconsciously adjusted her top, as her nipples hardened. She always had a thing for rugged, blue-collar men who knew how to fight and weren’t afraid of getting dirty. With the events of last night still fresh, she knew Jack demonstrated that capability last night. She had to remind herself that the younger man was married, but there wasn’t anything wrong with just looking. Oh, was that a scar?

A knock on her door made her reluctantly shift her gaze from the amazing view below and see who was knocking. She came face-to-face with a pretty Latina woman wearing a stylish cream blouse and grey slacks.

“Hi! I’m Camille Vasquez.” The Latina introduced herself with a cheerful smile. “I’m Jack and Zoe’s lawyer and also the director of their Charity Foundation.”

“Robin Scherbatsky.” She introduced herself in turn.

“I know. I watched the interview, and I’m impressed.” Vasquez gave a small nod. “Zoe told me this morning that you were staying over. Anyway, I prepared some waffles for breakfast. I figured I’d ask my new roommate if she’s interested.”

“Roommate?”

“I slept in the other room.” Vasquez pointed at the other end of the hallway with her thumb as they headed down the stairs to the ground floor. “My apartment building’s backup generator failed, and I drove myself over here to get some proper sleep.”

“The Rouths acquired this property as an office for the foundation.” Vasquez continued speaking. “It’s still in the process of being properly outfitted, but as you can see, we made some progress.”

She nodded as she noticed that part of the expansive ground floor was being converted into an open floor office with long desks and chairs prominently in the middle of the space.

“So, these are for the scholars?” She asked.

“We wanted part of the office to have a private study area for the grantees if they pass through for a consultation or a checkup,” Vasquez revealed. “The rest of the rooms here will be for the small staff, mostly for accounting and legal.”

She helped the woman set up the table and immediately pounced on the stack of freshly made waffles as soon as they were placed in front of her. She didn’t realize she was that hungry until the smell of the batter hit her nose.

To her delight, she found an authentic, Canadian maple bottle on the side and wasted no time pouring the syrup on top of her waffle stack along with some butter. She answered some questions about the events of last night in detail that led to her sleeping at the Routh’s neighboring property.

“Are you sure it was just a bottle?” Vasquez looked worried while she shared her perspective about Jack’s fight against the group of men that tried to force their way into her apartment.

“It’s just an empty bottle of whiskey.” She answered. “It happened so fast. Jack and Zoe told me that they were most likely part of a gang. They advised me to look for an apartment in a safer location. In the meantime, she generously allowed me to use the spare room upstairs until I can find a suitable one. I can’t believe the rent is even cheaper than the last one.”

“Those two always have big hearts.” Vasquez smiled. “So how’s the transfer going?”

“I’ll start next week for KWLA for the morning news.” She revealed with a proud smile.

“Anchor?”

“Main anchor.” She replied with a nod. While viewership wasn’t as high as the ones for the evening news, she was happy with offer. At least she was in the main studio delivering information of real, important events and not some quirky segment in the early morning like what she did in New York.

“You okay with the early schedule?” Vasquez asked.

“I’m a morning person anyway.” She shrugged. “Last night just took a lot out of me.”

Their conversation was cut short when Jack came in from the back, looking sweaty, with dust covering part of his face and arms. His white shirt was soaked, but the younger man looked content.

Her eyes immediately zeroed in on his face, and she adjusted her hair, cursing herself for not looking at the mirror before she headed down.

“Waffles, Jack?” Vasquez asked.

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.” Their host fished a plastic tumbler from the refrigerator and started to drink. She unconsciously adjusted in her seat as she watched beads of sweat make trails down his neck. Damn those arms. He was really filling out the shirt he wore, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t a muscle shirt by design.

“Had a good sleep?”

She jumped in her seat when she felt a light tap on her shin. She looked ahead and noticed Vasquez was giving her a look, and realized Jack was directly talking to her.

“The best. Thank you.” She managed a weak smile that Jack Routh returned with a nod of his head.

“It looks like you made progress out there,” Vasquez noted. “Why didn’t you use a jackhammer?”

“We’re in the middle of a blackout,” Routh explained. “The last thing I want is to piss the neighbors off with the sound of a jackhammer in the morning after enduring a hot night without AC. Besides, I needed a good workout.”

“You should have Nolan come help out.” The Latina advised. She wondered who Nolan was.

“I’ll ask him once I make a rough opening,” Jack replied. “I have no idea how to attach a proper gate between the two properties or how to even start.”

“Ask Wesley to help out with the wall,” Vasquez added as a smirk appeared on her face. “My cousin’s complaining that he’s starting to get a bit round in the middle.”

“Wesley’s not fat,” Jack noted.

She wondered who all these people were. She observed their interactions and noted how light the mood was as the two bantered. Vasquez merely laughed and waved goodbye as her host and savior moved past them.

She stared at Jack’s back as he left through the front door, and as soon as she heard the door close, she slumped over the table in relief.

She couldn’t believe she was caught staring at her host like some love-sick high school girl with a crush. She didn’t have that problem when she interviewed Routh in Baltimore. Was it because of last night?

“You’ll get used to it,” Vasquez replied. She could hear the sympathy in the other woman’s voice.

“What?”

“You’ll get used to it,” Vasquez repeated. “I know he’s handsome and gorgeous, but you’ll get used to his presence as I did.”

“It’s just…” She wondered how she could explain it properly. How do you get used to staring at someone like that?

“I know.” Vasquez didn’t let her finish. “I get it. You don’t have to explain.”

She took a long shower after breakfast and managed to talk to her host. She used the attempt on her apartment to cancel the contract and get back her deposit for six months of rent, and later picked up her belongings, which consisted of three large suitcases, and brought them back to her temporary accommodations.

While she was in the process of unpacking, her phone rang, with the caller ID showing it came from KWLA, her new station.

Five minutes later, she was staring out the window, caught off guard once more after learning her counterpart for the evening news, Lisa Mays, was found murdered. It wasn’t out yet on the news, since the station manager and the company accepted the LAPD’s request to withhold information, for now. If what she heard was right, her colleague, whom she had only met once, was murdered by a suspected serial killer, and the FBI was now getting involved.

She leaned back on her new bed and stared at the ceiling. She did ask for a change of pace to something more exciting and relevant, and now it looked like she was right in the thick of it.

Zoe Andersen Routh

Her first idea to hike near the Hollywood sign failed. She called it off even before reaching the trail once she saw the streets were full of parked vehicles. It seemed like everyone else had the idea to hike here while large parts of the city were suffering from the blackout.

Jack suggested the beach, and she quickly agreed.

Her Obygyn told her exercise was important for her and her baby, and she was determined to follow the doctor’s advice to the letter. Supplements, proper nutritious diets, and the avoidance of anything alcoholic, she followed the rules laid out for her meticulously.

She even made a chart and a spreadsheet, recording her weight every day along with her diet. She was sure her doctor would appreciate the meticulous data she had on hand when she met her for her next appointment. However, she severely missed some things.

She knew she would have eventually rebelled under such strict conditions she imposed on herself if not for the one cup of coffee she was allowed. That was why she treasured every morning cup of coffee and took only small sips until the coffee got cold.

They had been walking for about half an hour, and she smirked as she caught Jack several times looking at her ass. She purposely wore the thin shorts that showed off her thighs since she knew her husband liked them, as a reward for his willingness to provide every food craving she had, even at unreasonable hours.

She felt his hand brush her ass and even cup her cheeks a few times as he walked alongside her, and she knew it wasn’t a careless accident. It looked like Jack was unable to resist testing the goods. The tank top she wore didn’t help either, since it had no lining at all, allowing the full shape of her breasts and nipples to be seen. They were growing bigger, she could feel it, and they jiggled every time she took a step in the sand since the top barely supported her chest.

“We should do this more regularly.” Her husband announced once they reached the end of their route.

“Enjoy the view?” She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and grinned at Jack. Her husband was as sweaty as her, his light gray shirt stained like her athletic top. She didn’t have to look back at her man to know he was staring at her sweaty cleavage.

She laughed when Jack suddenly hugged her, and she wasn’t able to speak since her mouth was covered with his. She returned the kiss, grinning all the while, and she even bit her husband’s lower lip before they separated. It was a great feeling to have to know that her younger husband still found her attractive. She still had some doubts in the back of her head when she started showing, but she was somewhat confident that Jack would still stick around with her.

Her man wasn’t that shallow.

“What do you say we head home right away?” She could hear the lust in Jack’s voice.

 “I thought we’d have a nice early lunch after our exercise?” She asked. She wasn’t opposed to the idea, and it was fun to tease Jack at times.

“I changed my mind,” Jack replied. His hand remained on her ass, and she allowed it to remain there in the meantime. She felt her right cheek getting squeezed and was about to reply when Jack’s phone rang.

“You'd better answer that.” She reminded her husband when she noticed he wasn’t interested in checking who was calling. He seemed to be more interested in groping her butt in public.

Jack finally stepped back, and she raised an eyebrow when she noticed her husband’s playful demeanor vanish in an instant once he realized who was calling.

“What is it?” Jack stared out at the beach, and she watched with sharp eyes, trying to guess who he was talking to. It had to be important, since he rarely acted like that even when Lucy or Nolan called asking for advice on the cases they were working on.

“Yes, I understand. We’ll see you there.” Jack seemed to have finished the call and looked straight at her.

“It looks like we’ll have that lunch after all,” Jack said to her.

“Who called?”

“Fancy having lunch with the FBI?” Her husband asked.

Matthew Garza

As soon as he stepped into the restaurant, he immediately started looking for Routh. He found him at the far corner, drinking coffee with his wife, with his back to the wall and with a perfect view of the entrance. As soon as their eyes met, he gave a nod of greeting and made his way to their table.

He knew he was breaking several rules with his approach. Jack Routh was on leave to further his education and was not an active law enforcement officer of the LAPD. And that meant he was also on leave from his position as a consultant with the bureau.

Still, he had to do it, knowing he would likely get a reprimand from the director who gave clear instructions not to disturb the famous cop. He relied on what he saw that day, when Routh helped his field team catch the copycat killer. He relied on Jack Routh’s sense of justice and willingness to protect the innocent to help him out.

He was glad Routh was able to pick a restaurant whose building had backup power as the cool breeze from the AC caressed his skin. The blackout had caused havoc in the city, and it was growing crazier by the day.

“Special Agent Gaarza.” It was Routh’s wife, Captain Zoe Andersen, also on leave, who greeted him first.

“Just Matthew, please.” He replied as he returned the greeting. He had never spoken to Routh’s wife outside of official functions, but he suspected she was the same as her husband with regard to titles and positions outside work. He was proven correct a moment later.

“Then call me Zoe.” The pretty brunette smiled and gestured to the empty seat at the table. “Please join us.”

Lunch was pleasant, and the topics were lighthearted. He asked about the preparations regarding their transition to a home with a newborn baby and shared his own experiences.

“The biggest challenge I had was my in-laws.” He revealed with a fond smile. “They were both competing with each other on who could spend more time with their grandchild.”

“I don’t think we’ll experience the same thing,” Zoe remarked and gave a quick glance at Jack. “Unless we consider your uncle and aunt.”

“Maxima’s determined to be in the city when you finally give birth.” Jack casually revealed. “Uncle called the other day and told me he caught her making plans on her calendar.”

He was dumbstruck as he was reminded that Jack Routh had a very influential and powerful extended family, and that was just on his father’s side.

He wondered if the man had any plans concerning his mother’s side of the family, but since he himself arrested the British Queen’s son and humiliated him in front of live TV by dragging him through the deck of a luxury yacht after catching him in the act with underage girls, he was sure relations were strained at best.

Once he noticed that everyone had finished eating, he brought out two files from his bag and placed them on the table. He allowed Jack to read the files without saying anything so that the man could come to his own conclusions without any bias.

He watched patiently as Zoe abandoned staring at his cup of cappuccino that he always ordered after a meal and read over her husband’s shoulder. He sipped slowly, intently watching the body language of the man across from him.

Routh read quickly and, after a few minutes, looked up to stare back at him.

“What’s your conclusion?” He asked.

“The two cases are five years apart.” Routh finally spoke up. “You believe the cold case in New York is connected to the body recently discovered at the UCLA campus.”

“That’s our suspicion.” He nodded.

“I can see the similarities.” Routh looked thoughtful. “They’re the same age range, and both died of hypothermia. Only this case in New York was made to look like an accident, but the killer failed since he didn’t account for the faint bruises on the woman’s wrist and legs that would show up in the autopsy.”

“So she was dressed up, and then dumped in a park in the middle of winter?” Zoe Routh looked disturbed. “You believe that Lisa Mays was his latest victim, and that there’s a serial killer in the city.”

“That’s correct.” He nodded. “It’s a stretch, but there have been cases of missing women in New York that have never been found. It’s baffling since they don’t leave a trace. Families, roommates, colleagues, they all stated that their loved one didn’t return after a date.”

“Why didn’t this get more publicity?” Routh asked.

“There are dozens of missing cases that pop up every day in New York. Don’t get me started with New Jersey.” He revealed. “They’re all adult women, and so the focus was more on the elderly and the minors.”

“The killer’s a male, and that I’m sure of.” Routh tapped the folder with his finger. "He was most likely going out on a date with these women, so he’s within their age range.”

“Anything else?”

“There are no visible injuries on the bodies. They’re just frozen.” Routh leaned back and took a sip of his own coffee. “He treated them well, judging from the date of the missing woman in New York and when her body was found. That’s two weeks, with the victims showing no signs of malnutrition.”

“That’s what the behavioral analysis thinks, too. He’s a collector.” He revealed.

“That’s not entirely accurate,” Routh replied, his eyes still on the pictures of the two victims. “He’s not a collector, but he’s seeking something specific in a person. Then he discards the victims that did not fit his criteria as he did with Lisa Mays.”

This was the reason he broke protocol. He needed Routh’s insight and analytical mind to help catch this latest serial killer, who had decided to live in the city and announce it by murdering a well-known figure.

He looked at his watch and realized that the press briefing to announce Lisa May’s death would start in a few hours at Central.

“You can also send the list of missing women in New York and New Jersey and check who could be possible victims of this serial killer.” Zoe Routh suggested.

“Good idea.” Jack gave his wife an approving nod. “Not all of them are victims, but we can establish a rough estimate of how many victims he has killed so far.”

“We’re already doing that.” He said proudly.

“Make sure to focus on the women who have steady jobs,” Jack added. “The ones who would tend to go to a bar or a restaurant after a hard day’s work, and meet the serial killer there.”

Damn. Why didn’t he think of that? Why didn’t the Behavioral Analysis Unit? This was starting to look like the copycat killer case again, where Routh basically bypassed days, possibly weeks of behavioral analysis in a matter of a few hours by simply using his sharp mind and encyclopedic knowledge of history to get a solid lead on the copycat killer.

“Thanks for your help.” He told the married couple sincerely. “I’ll make sure you’re on the loop with the case.”

“Happy to help, Agent Garza,” Routh replied.

Jack Routh

It was the second night of the blackout, and he was enjoying the company of his wife. She had been in the mood since morning, and he was eager to indulge his wife’s request with a few rounds of sex.

Zoe’s breasts were slowly and surely getting firmer, and her nipples more sensitive. Just a flick of his tongue would make his wife gasp, and he was enjoying every minute of it.

“That was the best one yet,” Zoe murmured.

He was hugging her from behind, cuddling after sex while they both allowed the AC to cool both their bodies after a vigorous round of sex.

“I could tell.” He replied. Zoe’s screams were louder than usual, and he could feel her body convulse as he emptied inside her, and all it took was pinching her nipples, hard.

“Enjoy it while it lasts, Mister,” Zoe added. “When I start showing, we couldn’t be as… intense as we are now.”

“Then I'd better make the most out of it.” He started to pump his slowly hardening cock that was still buried inside her ass. His wife usually allowed him to take her ass as the finale of the night before washing up and then calling it a night. Waking up horny was another matter since he could just fuck her while she was sleeping. “Then we’ll have to practice safer positions for you and our baby.”

He was wondering if he could fuck her ass more as she grew. Zoe seemed to have read what he was thinking at that moment and glanced over her shoulder to stare at him in the eye for a brief moment.

“You still get to fuck me in my pussy.”

“But…”

“I read about it.” Zoe continued. “It says regular sex is good for pregnant women, and that semen can help soften my cervix, especially during the third trimester when I’m near.”

He froze from fucking his wife’s asshole, as a mental image, ridiculous as it was, appeared in his head.

“Wouldn’t that hurt the baby?” He had to ask.

“It would wake him up from his nap.” He couldn’t tell if Zoe was joking.

He ran his hand over Zoe’s tummy, using his fingers to lightly caress her skin.

“Have you thought of a name yet?” Zoe suddenly asked as she pushed her hips back to meet his thrusts.

He hadn’t, and the question made him stop moving inside her. “Do you?”

“No,” Zoe answered.

“Now that you asked, well, it depends on their gender.” He added and resumed caressing his wife’s tummy. “It should be a short name with one syllable, like ours.”

“I like it.” He could hear the smile in his wife’s voice.

They started speaking in turn of possible names, as they slowly fucked, from Mae to Grace to James and Max. At one point, they both said the same name at the same time, making both of them laugh in amusement.

“I like it.” Zoe gave her stamp of approval. “Joe, if our baby’s a boy and Jo for a girl.”

“I also like the symbolism. It’s like a combination of both our names.” His inner scholar spoke up.

“We’ll place that on the approve list.” His wife declared. “What about…”

Zoe trailed off, and he felt her sphincter clench around his cock, tight enough that he felt like it would get chopped off.

“Honey? What is it?”

His wife didn’t look at him, but merely stared at the glass door of their room that gave them a view of their backyard. They never had a reason to close the curtains since they had total privacy, and Zoe enjoyed waking up to the morning sun casting its light in their room.

He followed her gaze, and he immediately spotted a shadow lurking just outside. It was in the shape of a man, dressed in black. He couldn’t see anything further since they had turned off most of the outside lights, both at the front and the back of the house.

“Get your piece.” He spoke up and immediately reached up beside the headboard where one of his swords was hung for display. His cock plopped out of Zoe, but he wasn’t focused on sex anymore. This was about the safety of his wife.

He had anticipated something like this might happen, with the blackout affecting large parts of the city. He didn’t expect it to happen so soon in their quiet neighborhood, but he did feel a bit better after installing the metal rods that covered their sliding glass door that led to the backyard months before, with the help of Nolan.

Uncaring of his nudity, he glanced back at his wife, who now had her Glock in hand. She was crouched behind the bed, her weapon trained on the intruder. She gave him a quick nod as a signal, and he moved.

Knowing Zoe had his back covered, he moved the sliding glass door open. The sound attracted the intruder’s attention and made the person turn towards his direction. With the dim light, he couldn’t see much, but he could tell the person was definitely a male. He had a bonnet on and a mask as well, clearly intent on hiding his face.

“Get on the ground!” He ordered, holding his replica sword in front of him.

The man didn’t listen and immediately bolted. He was fast too, and his boots gave him the advantage on the moist grass as he ran towards the wooden shed that housed their backup generator.

The intruder climbed up the shed and used it to vault over the wall and to the street outside. He was tempted to follow, but stopped once he heard the sound of a motorcycle engine starting. He heaved himself over the low roof of the shed and watched over the wall as the intruder disappeared around the corner. It definitely was a Yamaha, probably a 250, judging from the sound of the engine.

He wanted to give chase, but he knew the man had a substantial lead at this point. More lights turned on in their backyard, but he still focused on the direction that the intruder had headed.

“Don’t even think about it.” He turned and found his wife walking across the yard, naked, with a gun in her hand. She looked amazing with her messy hair and slightly sweaty skin, standing without care about her nudity.

“I wasn’t.” He replied. He fought a grin when he spotted the skeptical look on Zoe’s face. “I promise. He’s long gone by now.”

“Then get down here.” His wife ordered.

Five minutes later, they were reviewing the CCTV footage from the backyard inside their office. He had on a pair of boxers, and Zoe had put on a robe.

“That’s how he knew to use the shed. That’s how he got in quietly.” Zoe remarked.

“He looks to be checking something on his phone.” He added. The intruder, after climbing down to their backyard, was checking something, his masked face briefly illuminated by his smartphone. “Can you rewind it back another five minutes?”

His wife did so, and he watched the footage intently. “Stop, over there.”

“What?” His wife asked.

“There was a brief change in lighting on the top of the wall.” He answered. “He drove up and down the street a few times, and then parked his bike behind our wall.”

“And look, as soon as he jumped down from the shed, he headed to the wall that divided our property and the one we just purchased.” Zoe shared. “He spent a few seconds looking at the partially demolished wall.”

“So we’re not his real target.” He summarized. “He wanted to use the elevation since our house is on a hill, to get to the other building.”

“Their walls are higher.” Zoe agreed. “But what was his motive? No one goes there aside from Robin and Camille.”

“I don’t know.” He replied, his eyes remained glued as he watched himself in the monitor, butt ass naked, holding a sword as he confronted the intruder. Moments later, his wife came into view on the screen, still naked as he was, while holding a gun. “But I intend to find out.”

Robin Scherbatsky

It felt like the city had breathed a sigh of relief as the power turned back on sometime after breakfast. She could hear muted cheers from down the street from the neighbors when she stepped out of the balcony. She had heard that multiple crews worked around the clock to restore the power grid.

Because she was on the balcony on the second floor, she was able to spot a convoy of three vehicles driving down the quiet street. It was composed of a truck and two SUVs, and when they were close enough, she realized that they were from a construction company based on the signs of a company logo glued to the side of each vehicle.

Camille told her that the house, well, more like a modern two-story office, was still under renovation. She didn’t realize they were scheduled to do some work today, and she headed back inside so that she could tell Camille that they were here.

“There’s no scheduled work today.” Camille looked confused when she told the lawyer.

“But their trucks are all parked outside.”

“There must be a misunderstanding.” She heard the lawyer mutter as the Latina made her way to the front door. She used the opportunity to make some coffee as she started to read messages on her phone.

There were several texts from both her friends and her new colleagues at work, and she first focused on responding to her friends by liking a photo shared by Lily of her kid. Barney shared a selfie with his latest girl Friday that looked like she just graduated from high school. She ignored that and shared a photo of her own in the friend group chat, showing where she would be working soon.

Heart emojis soon followed from Marshall and Barney as they reacted to the photo she shared, though she frowned when Ted did not reply, his small avatar icon indicating he had seen it but chose not to comment on it. Her friend was still ghosting them, and she was starting to worry about her friend’s mental health. They did not part on good terms.

“They’re not here for the office but for the access way between the two properties that Jack started yesterday,” Camille announced. “I’m sorry to say you’ll be hearing some noise, but it shouldn’t take too long.”

“That’s fine.” She had a good, long nap anyway, thanks to the AC, and she wasn’t planning on spending her time in her temporary accommodations. She needed a new place, one that was close to this area since it was peaceful and she liked the idea of living near the Rouths.

She felt like she had made a really good friend with Zoe, and Pam was fun to hang around with. Their shared love for guns might have helped, and they already had plans to use higher-caliber rifles for some long-distance shooting.

“Jack’s usually a very DIY guy.” Camille looked thoughtful. “I wondered what changed his mind about hiring a contractor.”

“Maybe he got bored?” She guessed.

“No, when that man takes on a task, he finishes it.” The lawyer replied. “Something must have happened.”

Something did happen. Zoe had visited shortly after their breakfast to explain the presence of the construction crew over the muted sound of jackhammers digging into the wall.

“An intruder?” She was glad the place she was in right now had security cameras as well as sturdy-looking doors and high walls. Jack and Zoe being alert enough in the middle of the night was an added bonus and made her even more determined to find a more permanent place nearby.

She joined Zoe and Camille for an early morning coffee while she read the rest of her messages from her new work. The killing of a well-known news anchor disturbed her, and the journalist in her wanted to learn more.

“The FBI is taking over the case,” Zoe answered when she asked what the police were doing. “There should be an official statement later with the chief and the mayor.”

She wasn’t satisfied with that, and she wanted to know more. Where on the UCLA campus did they find Lisa May’s body? Do they have a lead on the suspect?

“Am I allowed to visit the campus? I wanted to learn more details about the death of my colleague.” She asked. She noted the look shared by the two women and patiently waited for an answer.

“You can, of course.” Zoe finally replied. “It’s a public university after all. I’m just telling you that this is a sensitive period for the investigation.”

Her eyes lit up at the word sensitive. That word was usually used when the police had a partial lead or suspect. This would do great for her career if she were able to dig up the story and present it on live TV, announcing her presence as a serious journalist in Los Angeles.

“I won’t compromise the investigation, I promise.” She told Zoe, who must have noticed the look in her face. “But I want to be the first one on TV to give a more in-depth reporting when law enforcement finally catches the suspect.”

“If you really want to go, I suppose you can hitch a ride with Jack tomorrow. He goes there to use the facilities to work out.” Zoe looked hesitant. “But Robin, I don’t need to remind you to be careful, okay?”

“I promise.” She replied.

Angela Lopez

She was stumped.

She had discovered an assassination attempt after following a trail of dead cartel members riddled with armor-piercing bullets, and it all led to Sandra de La Cruz, also known as La Fierra. She had earned that nickname after singlehandedly killing two rival gangs while trying to defend her newborn son, Diego, and the gangs were so impressed with her that they gave her that notorious alias, the Beast.

The men intent on killing her, former Guatemalan police who turned rogue, were out for blood. Her organization had killed dozens of innocent men and women, and a cop’s family, as the criminal organization she headed grew. She could understand the thirst for revenge, but she couldn’t allow that to happen in her city.

Now Diego is 18, and her contacts told her he was planning to enroll at UCLA for the term. As a dutiful and loving mom, La Fierra would no doubt be present, and she knew it would be the perfect opportunity for rogue cops eager for revenge to take her out. 

She couldn’t possibly ask the whole campus to be closed because of a suspicion, but she was also worried about the collateral damage an assassination attempt would cause.

She didn’t want to disturb him, but she had no other choice. She took out her phone and called. Her call was picked up at the third ring, and she heard her old boot’s voice.

“Hi Angela. What’s up?”

“I need help.” She replied.

“You have it. What do you need?” Jack asked.

“A cartel leader’s son is about to do a campus tour at UCLA.” She revealed.

“You wouldn’t have called if it’s just that.” Jack sounded pensive. “Let me guess, a rival faction is targeting her while she’s on campus with her kid?”

“It’s the perfect area for an assassination. And they’re not rival cartel members, but rogue Guatemalan cops whose families were killed by her men.”

“Her?”

“Sandra de La Cruz, also known as La Fierra.” She shared. “I’ve been picking up the trail of dead bodies, and it’s messy.”

“The beast, that sounds ominous.” She sometimes forgot that Jack was multilingual and knew several languages. “She’s probably conducting business here at the same time while her kid does campus tours.”

“And I’m worried about the collateral.” She revealed. “UCLA is the last on the list, and it’s the most exposed. The scheduled tour should be two days from now.”

“Then there’s time to plan. And Angela, there’s a complication as well.” Jack replied.

“What complication?” She knew Jack didn’t use that word lightly.

“You heard about that anchor, Lisa Mays?”

“Of course, it’s a high-profile murder. Rumor is the FBI is stepping in.” She revealed.

“Garza told me there’s a possible killer in the area, and I agree with him.” Damn. Another one?

“Why don’t you pass by tonight after your shift?” Jack suggested. “If they’re planning a hit on La Fierra, the easiest would be by taking her out by a sniper. Between my knowledge of the campus and Zoe’s experience as a Marine scout sniper, we can put officers in critical positions to prevent any shooting.”

“I’ll bring Wesley and dinner.” That was the least she could do. She smiled, leaned back in her uncomfortable office chair, and clenched her fist. Finally, there was a proper, viable plan, and all it took was to call Jack.

She started texting Wesley to pick up some Rotisserie chicken and lots of sides before he picked her up. Between the four of them, she and Zoe had big appetites since they were both pregnant, and Jack usually consumes enough food for two or three people in one sitting.

She organized her files while she waited for Wes and waved goodbye to her fellow officers as they ended their shift.

“You’re working hard.” Grey approached her table. The newly promoted lieutenant was already wearing his civilian clothes, ready to head home. “Need any help with La Fierra?”

“I called the big guns.” She admitted. “We’re going to plan for La Fierra’s son’s campus tour and prepare for contingencies over dinner.”

“We?” Grey asked. “Who did you call?”

“Jack Routh.” She replied. “He’s familiar with the layout on the campus, and he’s teaching there while also taking his master’s. He invited Wesley and me over and suggested we make a plan over dinner.”

“Do you think there’s room for me and Luna?”

“I’m sure both of you are welcome to join. Already missing the captain?” She asked with a smile.

“I don’t know how she was able to navigate all of the politics,” Grey admitted. “What food do I bring?”

“I already told Wesley to get some roasted chicken.” Tonight was turning out to be the best part of her frustrating day. “How about some steaks? Jack told me he has that large outdoor grill that he got for free from buying the neighboring property.”

She laughed as she saw her lieutenant’s eyes gleam with excitement at the prospect of grilling.

“That’s right, they have more backyard space now.” Grey started to text his wife. “I’ll see you there. I need to get some nice steaks and proper dry rub before the store closes.”

“You’re planning a party, and you didn’t invite me?” She turned to the familiar voice and realized Nolan was sitting on a chair a few desks over. He must have heard everything.

What the hell. They were all close friends anyway. She quickly asked Jack if she could invite more people, promising the guests would take care of the food. His reply came a few moments later, with an emoji thumbs up and asking if she could get additional beers.

Robin Scherbatsky

Muffled laughter caught her attention in the midst of reading an article about the upcoming Olympics, and she headed out to the balcony connected to her room to investigate. She could immediately smell the scent of smoky barbecue, reminding her that she hadn’t ordered dinner yet.

Looking down below at the modest yard, she spotted her host, Jack, along with a few other men as they surrounded the large grill, each holding bottles of beer. She noticed that the newly installed heavy-duty steel door was open and spotted a woman appearing from the other yard to collect the steaks that were ready to serve.

“Robin! Please join us!” she looked back at the grill and realized all four men were looking up at her. 

“On my way!” She replied and quickly left the balcony, feeling embarrassed by the attention. She wasn’t even dressed properly, and her hair was a bungled mess held up by a scrunchie.

“New tenant?” She heard one of the men ask her host.

Her hunger won, as the prospect of grilled steak and beer proved too irresistible.

She was immediately introduced by Zoe to the rest of the women at the other yard, and realized most of her host’s guests were cops or were married to them. There was a pretty doctor too, and a feisty-looking Latina introduced herself as Angela, Camille’s cousin.

Angela was very interested when she learned she was going to be the morning anchor of KWLA.

She was immediately given a bottle of cold beer, and slowly as the night wore on, she relaxed. The company was pretty good, in her opinion. Jack and Zoe had good, down-to-earth, normal friends, not at all like the rumors say, with all that Rose Circle conspiracy.

They were all just a group of men and women, relaxing and enjoying each other’s company and sharing stories about their experiences at work. She didn’t feel left out, and she laughed with their jokes and shared her own story, where she began as a weather girl in Canada.

As the night wore on, with her stomach full and slightly tipsy with her third beer, she realized that the trope about cops being a bunch of gossips was true as she watched them speculate about Lisa May’s murder.

Normally, she would have been put off by the topic, but she realized these men and women were used to it, dealing with all manner of criminals in their work.

“What do you have there?” Angela asked, looking over Jack’s shoulder while the man browsed through his smartphone.

“Garza sent me the file I asked for,” Jack replied.

“Oh, the serial killer?” Angela looked eager.

“Possible serial killer. It’s not confirmed yet.” Jack corrected the Latina.

“Wait, the one who murdered Lisa Mays is a serial killer?” This was huge!

“It’s all speculation, with no concrete evidence,” Jack answered her. “But the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit thinks there’s merit to the theory.”

“I heard from the press briefing that her body was found frozen before it was dumped at UCLA.” This could be big. Even the FBI was involved!

“Of course you can’t report this yet.” Zoe reminded her. “We’re telling you this because we trust you to be discreet. Any leak can compromise the investigation and warn the suspect that we’re hunting him.”

“Of course.” She nodded immediately. She wouldn’t betray their trust, but this insight would be big when she’s finally allowed to do a story. She wanted her colleague’s killer caught as soon as possible.

Sitting close to Jack, she was able to see the pictures of women as he scrolled down, some blonde, some brunette, even a redhead, but all were pretty.

“Who are these women?” She asked.

“Possible victims,” Jack replied. “This is a list of missing women in New York and New Jersey for the past five years, all between the ages of 20 and 35.”

Immediately, the pleasant bust vanished as she realized the smiling, pretty faces she was looking at on Jack’s phone could be all dead. Then she dropped her bottle of beer as a familiar face stared back at her.

“Robin, are you okay?” Zoe asked.

“You know this person?” Jack handed her his phone. Staring right at her was a pretty blonde, the woman Ted was dating and broke up with due to… complicated reasons.

“This is Victoria. Victoria Williams. My friend Ted dated her a few years ago. They… they broke up because she got jealous of me.” She admitted. The spilled beer on the ground reached her shoe, but she didn’t care. Ted had told her he was able to recover the necklace from Victoria. She didn’t realize she was missing!

She was about to hand Jack’s phone back, but it slipped in her hand, allowing the document on the screen to scroll down further. She was able to catch it, but froze, as another familiar face stared at her. What was happening?

“I… also know this person, too.” She whispered. “She… she dated Ted too.”

“Perhaps you should look through all of them,” Angela suggested. “And you can tell me more about this Ted.”

“Of course.” She agreed immediately. She was confident Ted was not part of this mess.

It turns out that sharing a part of your life to a bunch of cops was very difficult. It actually felt like an interrogation, but without the intimidation factor. They all asked very different questions, and she struggled hard to recall specific memories just to answer a question correctly.

Her beer bottle was replaced by a glass of cold water.

Zoe asked about their group dynamics, how it started, and how she met Ted. Their on-and-off-again relationship, the women he dated, and there were seven of them in the missing persons list. Seven!  

She didn’t like her answers about the women, since all she could say was Ted told me she left for Germany, or moved back with her parents.  She wanted to throw up, but she held it in. She did not like where this was going, and the frustrating part was that none of the questions by Jack, Zoe, and their friends were accusatory at all.

They just asked for clarification, for facts about Ted’s dating history and what Ted told her about how each relationship ended.

Yes, she had fully explored Ted’s apartment when they were dating and, no, she was not aware that he was still using his deceased parent’s house, in Westchester though he did mention it once, and his dream of living there with his future wife and children.  

She hated the feeling as the puzzle started to fit, one by one, after answering every question to form a disturbing picture. No. Ted was not a serial killer. He was a hopeless romantic, a fool who believed in destiny and true love, and finding the perfect one, marrying her, and having kids with her. Ted desperately wanted a family, an attractive quality that she thought women found attractive since it represented stability and honesty. That was how she fell for him in the first place and how they started dating.

She shared the events of the group breaking up. How she became involved in a messy love triangle between Barney and Ted. How she refused to date Ted or Barney, as she finally grew tired and weary of their antics.

The result was not pretty, and she was not able to share this with anyone, but now she was revealing the story to a group of people, most of whom are strangers. She did it anyway, but she didn’t know why. She kept thinking of those smiling faces, some of whom she met and talked to personally, who are now officially missing and suspected to be dead.

“With the mess left behind by Ted, and Barney clearly hurt, the group drifted apart.” She revealed. “Marshall and Lily still talk to me, but they’re now busy with their kids.”

“And the fight with Ted started after our interview in Baltimore?” Zoe asked.

“As soon as I realized my career had gone stagnant despite the interview, I told Ted that I wanted to move here.” She replied. “He got mad, like really, really mad. I didn’t understand why he blew up like that. I’m pretty sure he could also see how our friend was drifting further and further apart. “

“This is when he started to ignore me.” She pulled out her phone and showed the group chat to Zoe. “As you can see, I still talk to Marshall, Lily, and Barney. Ted never replies or reacts at all, but you can see he has seen every message.”

“And he’s still on the East Coast, working as a professor?” Angela asked.

“No, he resigned and started consulting work as an architect.” She answered. “I even remember him telling us about some renovations or restoration of the Rose Bowl in preparations for the Olympics. Wait.”

“It lines up perfectly.” The tall, bald man, Wade Grey, frowned. “This isn’t just a coincidence anymore.”

“And last night, during the blackout, an intruder climbed over our wall,” Zoe revealed, causing the group to look alarmed. “He wasn’t aiming to get in, but to get to the other property since it’s easier to climb from here.”

“He was avoiding the cameras at the front,” Jack added.

“We didn’t know the motive until now.” Zoe looked straight at her, causing her to stiffen her back. She didn’t want to hear it. Ted was a good guy. Impulsive, maybe, but he wouldn’t resort to something like that!

“Do you have CCTV footage?” Angela asked.

“We do…” Zoe looked uncomfortable for some reason as she shifted on her chair. “I don’t want to show it, since it’s a bit sensitive.”

“How sensitive?” The Latina asked.

“We were… preoccupied.” Zoe was definitely blushing now. Jack merely stared up at the clear sky.

“And my husband…” Zoe gave a quick look at Jack who was now trying to avoid eye contact. “… he ran to the backyard, a replica sword in hand and butt naked.”

“Yeah, we don’t need to see that.” Wade Grey coughed into his hand, clearly trying to disguise his laugh. Angela didn’t bother to hide her amusement and laughed hard.

“I have to see it now!”

She briefly enjoyed the light-hearted moment, since she knew it would get worse. The evidence and the chain of events only led to one and only one possible explanation.

Ted Mosby was the serial killer.

She thought she would just have a simple dinner tonight and sleep early, but that soon spiraled out of control when an hour later, the FBI had arrived. She, of course, willingly cooperated, be it to exonerate or condemn Ted. She didn’t want to know.

All she wanted now was to take a long, hot shower and soak in a tub. Did she really know Ted, the man she fell in and out of love with through the years? Did Lily and Marshall know? She needed to ask Ted’s best friend. He had known him since they were in college.

The FBI agreed, and she was amazed at their efficiency and the speed at which they worked. There was already a search warrant being processed to take a look at Ted’s property, and the FBI agents there were already setting up a surveillance team.

Hearing all these preparations made her so weary. She just wanted this night to end. She didn’t know who she could trust anymore, aside from the people in this house, who were clearly all good people.

Nolan’s wife, Grace, a doctor, constantly checked up on her and helped Zoe and Angela by answering questions about their pregnancies.

Wesley was already writing notes as he listened to his phone, which was recording during the time she answered the questions from the FBI, as he acted as her lawyer. She was so overwhelmed.

By the time she was able to sleep, it was very late in the evening, and she blacked out, emotionally drained from what she had learned. She finally fell asleep, with a gun under her pillow, wishing all of this was just a vivid dream that she would be able to joke about later.

Theodore Evelyn Mosby

“Kids, stop fighting.” He told his children. “And I don’t want to see you pulling your sister’s hair.”

Satisfied at seeing how the two terrors finally listened to him, he turned back to his work analyzing the plans for the restoration of the Rose Bowl. He was lucky that the UCLA library kept extensive records about the process and work on that, happy that he could now work well into the night as the city recovered from the blackout.

Getting busy with work allowed him not to think about what happened the other night, when he nearly died. After arriving in the city, he had formed a conclusion. LA people were bat shit crazy.

He wanted to check on Robin. He was worried for her after realizing she was not in her apartment after checking the location of her phone. She wasn’t at the address she gave to the Group Chat, and instead moved further to and ended somewhere in West Hollywood. Did she get a new apartment?

He just wanted to see her, to stare at her face as she slept. He loved watching her sleep at times. He could just stand there for hours, imagining a life they would build together.

But that proved difficult, and after checking the property, he was able to form a plan. The old Spanish colonial had probably fewer cameras compared to its ultra-modern two-story structure, and decided to move from there. Unfortunately, his plan was thwarted by a large, naked man rushing towards him with a sword in hand.

It took everything he had in him not to scream as he panicked and quickly jumped back from the way he came from. That moment was so scary. He needed to find a proper weapon to protect himself from the craziness infecting this city.

  No matter. He would focus on his consultation job in the meantime. He didn’t want to see that naked giant again. He would see Robin, the likeliest candidate to be the mother of his children. He was pretty sure of it.

The picture of his kids fell down, and he scowled. They were so chaotic at times. Well behaved whenever he told a story, but so chaotic when his back was turned. He was worried they’d have a party at home while he was gone.

You can never be sure with kids after all. They really need to find a mother to watch over them.