Excitement and Danger
Episode 5
He couldn't help but smile underneath his helmet as he continued heading towards the station. Zoe Andersen also liked him, and the sex last night and this morning was amazing. He couldn't believe that such a strong, confident woman returned his feelings.
She warned him that their relationship needed to be kept in absolute secrecy, and he took a few breaths to calm down as he reached his parking spot. He greeted his fellow officers as he put on his uniform, accepting the welcome back pats in the back with a polite nod and a smile.
"You look excited this morning." Sergeant Grey noted when he made his way to his office to collect his weapon and badge.
"I'm excited to be back." He replied.
"You're smiling." Grey pointed out. He realized he was indeed wearing a smile and controlled his expression.
"I guess I'm just that excited, sergeant."
"Let's see if that enthusiasm is still there by the end of my briefing. You have a lot of work to do. We're swamped with calls." Grey replied. "It's not my business, but how did you arrive at Nolan's house with the captain?"
"I recently found out that she's my neighbor when I moved to a new apartment from Rampart." He replied truthfully. "It was awkward at first, but the captain's fine with it. She warned me about loud noises and late parties though."
"I bet she was thrilled to know she could intimidate the new neighbor." Grey smirked. "At least I'll worry less for her safety with a fellow officer nearby. We protect the captain, do you hear me?"
"Yes sir." He replied.
"As a police captain, knowledge of her address must be kept secret at all costs. Her records are even sealed, in case gangs, cartels and other criminal organizations attempt to attack her where she's most vulnerable. Criminals gain more notoriety, fame and bragging rights if they were able to take a hit on a police captain." Grey leaned closer. "You can consider keeping a watch on her an unofficial assignment from me."
"Yes sir."
"I don't want to hear you inviting other cops for a party." Grey continued. "Some distance and respect must be kept, no matter how approachable and friendly the captain is. Are we clear?"
"Yes sir." He once again repeated, only now realizing the consequences of having the gorgeous Zoe Andersen as her neighbor. It was a lot of responsibility.
He left his office as Bradford stormed in and closed the door behind him after he saw the look on the veteran T.O.'s face. It looked like the veteran patrol officer had something sensitive he wanted to discuss with Grey.
They waited for the briefing to start, and he spent a few minutes speaking with Nolan and Lucy in an isolated area of the bullpen. He found out that Bradford's wife, an ex-cop participated in an undercover operation and it quickly went south. She was shot in the head and was in the hospital for a brain surgery with her life in the balance.
"That explained why he looked so tense this morning." He observed.
"Anyone would." Chen replied, looking nervous. "Tim's looking for payback, he's determined to catch Vance."
"And what about the two of you?" He asked. "Something you want to share?"
He observed as his fellow rookies had an entire conversation with just a look. Nolan gave a subtle nod and Chen let out a sigh.
"I was there when John was attacked by the brother." Chen confessed. "After John subdued the suspect, I left."
"Why would you do that?" He asked. He already had his theory, but he wanted to hear it from her.
"I didn't want to jeopardize our careers. We worked so hard to reach this point, and…"
"Spending the night to comfort your friend and fellow rookie might look bad." He interrupted her. "Seriously, no one would care about that."
"I… I just panicked." Lucy admitted. "I didn't think."
"And now, judging by how John looks like he ate something past the expiration date, he lied to the head of I.A. You made a non-issue into a major problem." He replied. "You have to live with the consequences if he finds out."
"I think he already sees something wrong with my statement." Nolan admitted. "He keeps bringing up clues that I wasn't alone when I got attacked."
The briefing started as usual, and he was not surprised to see Grey assign Nolan to the front desk. His fellow rookie needed to be placed in a less stressful environment after what he recently experienced. He was asked to stay back with Chen and a few other patrol officers when the briefing ended.
Two detectives entered the briefing room, and Grey started to stick papers on the white board he pulled to the center of the room.
"This is an operation to catch the dealer named Vance." Grey started the meeting. "Detectives Wolfe and Vestri will stake out the warehouse that a dealer named Carson who works for Vance admitted to being a base of their operation. They'll have back-up from patrol units from the division over there. You guys will head over to the Bronson Estates."
He accepted a sheet of paper from Grey and reviewed the information.
"This is where Vance's girlfriend Cesiah Olivio lives, according to Carson." Grey continued.
"Carson doesn't know which apartment she lives in." Detective Wolfe added. "You'll have to do some knocking on doors."
"This has the potential to be a dangerous operation. Vance is a heavy hitter and he has a well-armed crew so he won't go down easy. Watch each other's backs out there." Grey looked serious as he stared at all of their faces to emphasize his point. "Be careful."
They arrived at the apartments and started to prepare. Lopez started preparing body armor with ballistic plates inside her uniform and he followed her actions. "Do you have your backup piece?"
"Strapped to my leg." He replied.
"This could get ugly, fast, so we're being more cautious than usual. How's your ammo?" Lopez asked.
"I brought more than regulation required." He tapped the magazines attached to my belt.
"Good. Keep a sharp eye out, and I'll buy you a beer tonight if the operation goes well." His T.O. replied.
"This operation will go faster if we split up." Bradford had overall command of the operation and started handing out assignments. He and Chen would check the third floor, with Bishop acting solo on the second while they were assigned to knock on the units on the ground floor.
"Stay in constant radio contact." Bradford reminded the team as he entered the building first.
They were halfway through the floor, most people that answered the door were uncooperative and Lopez was getting annoyed at their rudeness when they both heard gunfire from the upper floor.
"Tim, we're hearing gunshots, what's your status?" Lopez asked on the radio. She tried again. "Talia, you there?"
He could only hear static noise, and there was no response from the two officers. He checked his phone and looked at Lopez.
"There's no signal from my phone either." He informed her. They could hear more gunshots and he started looking around for threats as he pulled out his weapon.
Lopez suddenly dragged him around the corner as a hail of bullets flew past where they were a moment ago. They started to return fire, but they couldn't fire many rounds with the gunmen wielding semi-automatic weapons to suppress them. He pulled back Lopez by her collar as bullets passed through the walls they were taking cover from.
"We need to get out of this hallway." Lopez yelled out and they slowly backed away to find better cover. They quickly retreated down the hallway and took a few turns until Lopez found a suitable defensive position in a corner that gave the two of them a better vantage point. A man appeared around the corner carrying a plastic bag, and Lopez immediately pointed her weapon at him.
"Police! Show me your hands!" She yelled out.
"Wait! Don't shoot!" The man put down the grocery bag he was carrying and raised his hands in the air.
"They went this way! Two cops!"
He could hear the conversation down the hall and tapped Lopez. "They're coming."
"Where's your apartment?" Lopez demanded. They could hear footsteps running above them.
"Why?"
"We need to get out of this hallway."
Thankfully the man cooperated and led them to his apartment. He closed the door and kept his eye on the peephole. Four heavily armed men ran past the door and he moved back and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Vance said no witnesses!"
"Tell him we're going upstairs!"
He locked the door and started to inspect their new location.
"Hey, what are you doing?" The man who lived in the apartment demanded. "You don't have a warrant and you can't conduct a search!"
He ignored him and looked around for possible entry points from the gunmen.
"They went upstairs. We're clear." Lopez observed from the peephole and turned back and moved into the center of the room.
"Place is secure." He told his T.O. "But we're stuck, there are bars on the windows. Do you think the others are alright?"
"I hope so." He could see the worry in Lopez's face. They knew Talia was by herself.
"They're gone already, you need to leave." The man demanded.
"I'm sorry sir, but we can't. Those men are out there with semi-automatic weapons trying to kill us." He replied, seeing as Lopez was content to remain silent.
"Vance?" The man asked.
"Yeah, you know about him?" He asked.
"Yeah, enough to steer clear. He has a dozen guys living here. You walked into a buzz saw."
He shared a worried glance with Lopez and turned back to their host.
"No kidding." Lopez replied. "We need to call for help but he's jamming our signals."
"Shut the power to the building, jammer should go off." The man suggested. "There's a main circuit breaker in the basement. I see it every time I do my laundry."
"Good idea, but how do we get there without getting spotted?" He asked as he looked at the peephole. "I can see men standing outside the stairwell."
Lopez moved to the kitchen and started knocking on the wooden wall.
"What are you doing? Why are you knocking on my walls?" The man asked.
Lopez's idea was creative. He repeatedly tried to assure the man that the station would pay for his bill, but the man was furious as he started removing the drywall with a borrowed crowbar.
"I'm going to record this for evidence!" He muttered and he held his phone towards where he was in the process of creating a hole in his wall.
"Please do, it might be helpful." Lopez replied in a dry tone.
It took them five minutes to crawl down behind the wall, using the pipes to hold their weight as they continued going down. Lopez slipped but he quickly grabbed her by her uniform and pushed his feet against the pipes and wall to stabilize his position. His T.O. quickly grabbed a secure hold once more and he let her go.
"Thanks." She whispered. "You definitely earned a bottle of beer from me tonight."
"What would it take for two bottles?" He asked, trying to lighten up the mood as they continued their descent.
"Getting out of here unharmed." Lopez replied.
They were both breathing hard as their feet touched solid ground once more. He found a maintenance access door, and Lopez quickly peeked through it. She closed the door once more and turned to him.
"I can see two armed men." She whispered. "And the circuit breaker. Let's move quietly. You lead, I'll cover you."
They slowly moved to the basement floor and he crossed the hallway while the guard was looking the other way. Once he reached the circuit breaker, he shut it down. The lights immediately turned off and the emergency lights turned on a few seconds later.
The gunmen looked confused as they looked around but they did not spot anything wrong.
"Is it a blackout?" One of the guards asked.
"Maybe the circuits tripped." Another gunman replied. "Check the breaker. We need that jammer running."
He moved deeper into the shadows and used it for cover after a guard with a semi-automatic strapped to his back walked towards the circuit breaker. He quickly pulled the gunman closer and covered his mouth in one move. His pistol struck the gunman in the back of the head and he collapsed to the wall.
He slowly pulled the man down so as not to make any noise and removed his semi-automatic rifle from him. he checked the man's waist and found two extra magazines and took those as well. During that time Lopez was observing his movements.
"Kyle, what's up? Is it the breaker?" A guard asked from the entrance to the basement. He positioned the man so that he looked like he was sleeping by the wall and hid back in the shadows once more.
The second guard moved towards the breaker looking mad. "I swear Kyle if you're doing a hit, Vance will knock your teeth…"
He lunged at the guard, but the man's reflexes were faster than his predecessor and they wrestled on the floor.
"They're here! Cops are here!" The man was able to yell before Lopez knocked him out. Bullets started flying and they both ducked and jumped to their respective covers. The unconscious man was pulled by Lopez by his feet out of the path of the bullets and was trying to get to the gunman's weapon.
He used the weapon he acquired and started shooting back, and this time he could see the enemy gunmen moving back, apparently surprised by his rate of fire. Lopez joined in with her own acquired weapon and joined the firefight.
The exchange of fire was intense, and it looked like the remaining guards received reinforcement as more gunfire came from the entrance.
"I'm out!" Lopez discarded the semi-automatic and pulled out her weapon. He aimed his last rounds carefully and was able to hit the leg of the nearest guard before he tossed the rifle away and pulled out his weapon.
They were being overwhelmed, and they simply could not keep up with the enemy's rate of fire.
"I need ammo!" Lopez yelled.
He slid one of his spare magazines to her and continued firing. The gunmen were able to move closer to them, and now they could barely peek through before getting sprayed by a hail of bullets. Lopez resulted in firing her weapon without even looking as dust and stone chipped off parts of the wall and rained down on their positions.
He tossed his last magazine to her, and there was a brief lull in the fighting as the gunmen reloaded their weapons. She stared at him with determined eyes and he nodded at the unspoken message. They would not go down without a fight.
They were about to move when a loud noise rang in their ears and a loud flash seared their eyes. They fell back, disoriented and dizzy.
Five minutes later and the dizziness abated and he found himself being looked over by Nolan and Commander West. Around him were more police officers in tactical gear.
"Can you hear me Routh?" Nolan asked.
"Lopez? Where's Lopez?" He asked and tried to sit up.
"Sit down son, she's fine." Commander West replied with a smile. "You were more exposed to the flash grenade than she was."
"Is everyone okay?" He asked. "I shut the power to the building, I didn't know if it worked."
"It did." Commander West replied. "You saved a lot of lives today."
"It was Lopez's idea." He replied as he was slowly helped to his feet by Nolan. He tried to take a step but stumbled, and he took his time as he steadied his legs.
"Think you can walk?" Nolan asked.
"Yeah…. Thanks." He replied. He made his way up the basement. The previously empty parking lot where they parked their shop was now filled with emergency vehicles and more cops. He spotted the Captain and Grey who immediately rushed toward him as he was slowly led to the waiting ambulance.
"He's fine, just effects from a flashbang." Commander West answered before they could ask questions.
"And a few nicks from the broken debris." The attending EMT added. "This will sting."
He endured the EMT's treatment of his wounds and looked around. He could see Lopez talking to Bishop who was in a separate ambulance. Bradford and Chen were now speaking with Nolan and he smiled seeing all of them survived relatively unharmed
"That was a brave thing you did." Sergeant Grey said to him. "Investigators said there must have been hundreds of rounds fired in that basement. I'm amazed both you and Lopez left that room basically uninjured."
"We had each other's backs." He replied. "And I brought extra ammunition. I'm glad I did."
"Do you want to go to the hospital?" Grey asked.
"I'm fine." He replied. "There's only a mild ringing in my ear."
"Yeah, that's not going to happen, Officer Routh. You need to get to the hospital for a proper check-up." Captain Andersen finally joined the conversation. He noticed she remained silent since they approached him.
"Yes mam." He replied. The EMT pushed him back on the trolley and loaded him to the back of the ambulance. Before it closed he was joined by Lopez.
"What? Do you think I'll skip out on my promise?" Lopez joked. "I owe you two beers boot."
"How is everyone?" He asked.
"Talia's on her way to the hospital too. She got dinged on the arm, but she's tough. You have two detectives who wanted to see you though. Expect them to visit you later." Lopez answered, looking amused. "They were too embarrassed when they were rescued by the LAFD."
"What happened?"
"Wolfe and Vestri got stuck on the elevator." Lopez shared. "Your timing couldn't be more perfect, they were headed to an ambush, according to Bishop. Two men were waiting outside the elevator ready for them when you cut off the power. The surprise allowed Bishop to ambush them in turn."
"You know it was your idea to go through the walls." He reminded her. "Don't push this all on me."
"I don't mind." Lopez shrugged. "You saved me from a nasty fall, and disabled two gunmen in the process. The additional magazines you brought and the rifles we used saved our lives."
"Let's just say it was a Lopez-Routh collaboration." He suggested.
"I like the sound of that."
The doctors determined that he needed to stay overnight for observation despite his protests. He insisted on leaving by tonight whenever a doctor or nurse came by to check on him. He was already feeling okay, aside from a slight headache and he got off the bed and started to head to the door to look for a doctor when it opened.
"What do you think you're doing?" Captain Andersen asked, folding her arms and looking unimpressed with him.
"I was about to look for a doctor."
"I've heard." His captain replied, pushing him back to bed. "They told me you're a very stubborn patient."
"But that's also what I like about you." Andersen said as she sat on the chair beside his bed. She grabbed his arm and squeezed it tightly. "What happened earlier scared me. I thought I lost you."
Zoe closed her eyes briefly and leaned back on her chair, maintaining her hold on his right hand. "I thought I was prepared, but it's harder than I realized."
"I'm willing to fight for it with you." He replied, squeezing her hand in turn. She stood up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. He saw her smile briefly as she stepped back and then her mask slid into place. "I'm glad you're okay, Officer Routh. Expect a big surprise when you get back home."
"I'm looking forward to it, Captain." He replied.
He was visited an hour later by the two detectives who sat on either side of him. They thankfully brought dinner from the taco truck and gave their thanks for saving them from ambush.
"It was Lopez's idea, detectives." He replied.
"We'll thank her too. But you cut off the power. Those seconds literally saved our lives, and we've seen Bishop's body cam footage." Wolfe replied. "They had AK-47s ready to spray on the elevator door the moment it reached the floor. I don't even want to think what would happen if you cut off the power ten seconds later."
"The LAFD did make fun of us through." Vestri added with a grin, trying to make light of their near-death encounter.
"We'll get them next time at the bowling game." Wolfe replied. "We're heading back to the station. See you around Routh."
"Call on us if you need anything." Vestri added with a wave of his hand a smile.
He was discharged the next morning, and he was eager to make the roll call on time. He was about to look for a taxi when Lopez arrived in her shop at the entrance of the hospital.
"What? Do you think I'll let you off because of a measly flash grenade? We got work to do boot!" Lopez replied to his surprised look.
He was welcomed by his fellow police officers and he quickly suited up and soon joined the briefing room. Unfortunately his test lecture had to be moved by a couple of weeks because of the incident, and he was fine with it since it gave him more time to prepare.
The next few weeks on patrol without anything happening worthwhile were exactly what he needed. Even if Lopez started looking more bored by the day with simple arrests and responding to neighbor disputes. It allowed him to develop his relationship with his girlfriend when his shift ended.
The sex was fantastic, but he also enjoyed their cuddling time as they shared their experiences of their days at their respective jobs. He didn't realize how much paperwork his girlfriend handled on a day to day basis.
It was on one night, after a passionate round of lovemaking and he was hugging her from behind. He still had his dick partially buried inside her sex as it went limp, but they both enjoyed the intimacy and sensation it provided.
"They called you and wanted to arrest their neighbor because a ball landed on their lawn?" Zoe giggled causing her chest to shake in a pleasing manner. He reached out and started playing with her nipple.
"I just finished signing off that incident with Vance." She closed her eyes and bit her lip as he rolled her now hard nipple between his fingers.
"That was nearly two weeks ago." He observed.
"Paperwork is tedious." Zoe complained. "There are too many reports to review before I sign it off. Sometime I miss doing police work on the ground."
"Well, why don't you do it?" He whispered in her ear. "I bet you'd look fantastic in that patrol uniform I saw in your closet."
"You're bad." She replied, turning around and looking at him. "You just want to see how good I looked in my uniform, and then have your wicked way with me while wearing it."
"You know me Zoe. I get aroused seeing you wield that power and authority." He replied.
"And I bet you'll get off even better if you see me in one. I didn't peg you as a badge bunny." Zoe looked to be considering it as she started to move her waist against his now hardening dick. "Fine, I do miss doing real police work."
"Will you give me a preview?" He asked.
"No." Zoe giggled.
"Please?" He asked again.
"No, and don't make me put you in handcuffs for begging."
"Please? He asked once more, thrusting into her harder than normal.
She gasped and turned around, wearing a determined expression on her face. "So it's one of those nights."
She pulled out of him and retrieved her handcuffs inside her drawer. They playfully wrestled on the bed, and he really didn't have to act that hard. His lover skillfully cuffed his hand above his head and into the bars of the headboard.
"You've been a bad boy, Officer Routh." Zoe began as she stared at him. She jumped on him, and turned around, presenting her ass to him as she reached over and played with his erect dick.
"Lick my ass, Officer Routh, as punishment for your dirty behavior." Zoe demanded. He knew she liked these types of role play and he started licking the crack of her ass all the way to her dripping cunt.
"I said my ass, Officer Routh." Zoe repeated.
His tongue played with her puckered anus, causing his lover to moan in pleasure. He inserted his tongue and started rimming her, enjoying every part of her body. Zoe shook in pleasure a few minutes later as she reached her climax. After a minute of convulsing, she reached for his dick once again and started to give him a blowjob.
The next morning, he arrived at the station, looking eager to see his girlfriend in uniform. He met Lucy who had just left the female locker room.
"Hey Jack."
"Good morning Lucy." He greeted back. "You look excited this morning."
"Henry's coming over to visit." She replied.
"Henry?"
"John's son." She explained. "I promised Henry I'd give him a tour of the city tonight."
"Right. I didn't know you were close with Nolan's kid. Did you meet at the academy graduation?"
"No, he followed Jackson and my own instargram accounts during the academy when he saw how close we were with his dad, and we followed him in turn." Lucy shared. "Oh look, there he is!"
"Henry!" Lucy as expected gave a quick hug to Nolan's son.
"It's good to finally meet you! I saw you react to my post in the airport." Henry replied.
John looked confused. "Do you know each other?"
"We follow each other in instargram since we were in the academy." Lucy explained.
"Right, you may not know him, but he was part of my graduating class in the academy." John started to introduce him and he stepped forward to offer a hand.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Jack Routh…" He didn't get to finish as Henry's eyes widened in shock when he saw him.
"Holy crap! You're Sugar!" Henry exclaimed.
"Sugar?" He asked. He looked at Lucy and John but they all looked confused as well.
"You went viral in Cliptok and Instargram! I can't believe you're my dad's friend!" Henry continued as he showed clips of his performance in the musical bar weeks ago. "Do you have an album?"
"Uhhh no."
"I can't believe I finally know of your real identity." Henry replied, still looking star struck. "The internet even have memes about you! I can't wait to tell mom…"
"I think you should hold off on that." John stepped in. "Jack really values his privacy."
"Oh right." Henry stopped typing. "Could we at least have a selfie? I promise I won't post it online."
He shrugged and allowed Henry to pose with him. Lucy looked amused as she started searching for him using his apparent new nickname.
"Let's go to briefing before Grey chews us out, sugar." Lucy giggled and dragged him to the briefing room.
The briefing from Grey went on as usual, including a little harmless teasing towards Nolan. He really was the sergeant's favorite. Finally the moment he anticipated since last night arrived.
The captain came in, with her hair styled in a bun wearing a crisp patrol uniform. He continued to stare at his girlfriend, amazed at her new look. She really filled out her uniform well, and her body was perfectly proportioned in his eyes.
The captain received a surprised reaction from his fellow police officers.
"Alright captain!"
"Hell yeah!"
The captain endured the teasing with a smile.
"Most of what a captain does is paperwork. Because of that, I feel like I've lost touch with being a cop is all about. People. It's not only the citizens that we served and protect." The captain looked around, instantly commanding attention and respect. "It's about every single one of you in this room. So to remedy that, I decided that sergeant Grey and I will ride patrol today."
"Together?" Bradford asked.
"No, we'll each ride with our respective rookie, and their T.O.s will pair up. Today, I will ride with Officer Chen." The captain replied.
Lucy looked thrilled and he noted with amusement how Nolan started to get nervous. He knew what was coming.
"Sergeant Grey, I'd be honored if you rode with Officer Routh." Nolan tried to avoid the inevitable.
"That's cute Officer Nolan." Grey approached Nolan with an amused look and crossed his arms. "But you know my heart belongs to you."
Even the captain smiled as almost everyone in the room laughed.
He hanged back to allow the rest of the officers to leave first. He finally stood up and watched the captain walk ahead of him, and he enjoyed the view for a few moments. He turned to the armory and saw the captain looking at him before she continued to the bullpen to wait for Chen.
He knew he was caught staring. He picked up their gear beside Lucy who was looking flustered and excited as she prepared her own equipment, until Bradford arrived and ordered her to prepare his shop as well.
"Do you want a hand with that?" He asked, seeing how she juggled all the bags.
"Bradford, Bishop." The captain called out.
The two training officers immediately headed to her. "Officer Chen is my boot today, and that means you get your own gear."
"Badass." He heard Lucy whisper.
He finished preparing his own shop and waited for Lopez. She stormed into the bay looking pissed.
"My mother." She sighed as she looked at her phone when he asked her what was wrong. "She wants to know if I'm bringing a date to my brother's wedding."
"That sounds nice." He replied. "What got you so annoyed?"
"Not when there's extras on it. If I don't bring a date she's going to spend the whole day trying set me up with the best man. Hugo."
"What's wrong with Hugo?" He asked.
"He smells like kitty litter, and I don't think he owns a cat." Lopez looked serious, and he realized she was not joking.
"He spent the day during my niece's baptism bragging about how much he squats."
He muffled a laugh as he got into the shop. He knew when Lopez was annoyed she preferred to drive to let off some steam. She calmed down a couple of hours into their patrol and headed to their lunch spot between the two food trucks.
This time she was ranting at the patrol officers that rushed to Chen's location when she reported a shots fired call.
"The captain didn't ask for backup." Lopez continued her rant. "She's not a damsel in distress, and those idiots that responded only made bigger problems. If that were Grey they wouldn't have rushed in like the cavalry."
"Stop that guy! He's getting away!"
They turned to see a man in a suit running in their direction. Lopez immediately stopped the man running and they soon got into a heated debate.
The man appeared to be a lawyer, judging by his knowledge and answers as he continued to argue with Lopez, whose hands he noticed were inching towards her pepper spray.
"Maybe we could help him out." He suggested. He asked for some privacy from the now annoyed lawyer and spoke with his T.O.
"Fine, but if he mouths off on me one more time, he's getting the pepper spray." Lopez warned him as she glared at the waiting lawyer. he managed to convince her that dealing with a complaint from a lawyer was not worth the trouble and his T.O. grudgingly agreed to help track the thief.
They followed his tracker and he decided to talk to the lawyer to calm him down to prevent him from getting pepper sprayed by his T.O. The mouthy lawyer caught Lopez in one of her bad days and he feared for his safety.
"What's so important in that briefcase?" He asked.
"Handwritten depositions. My client may go to jail if I lose them." The lawyer explained.
"Maybe your client belongs in jail." Lopez retorted. Not helping! He gave her a glance but Lopez ignored him, she was still focused on the lawyer.
"Why handwritten?" He asked, trying to distract the lawyer from replying to Lopez's comment.
"To protect my client's privacy. I don't trust the cloud with anything important." The lawyer stopped walking and looked at his tracker. "Wait wait. It should be right around the corner!"
He quickly ran and they both followed him to see a man in a purple sweater trying to open a leather briefcase.
"Hey!" The lawyer called out.
"Police! Stop!" Angela yelled and the thief ran, throwing the briefcase at her to try and distract her.
She dodged the briefcase and executed a flying tackle and started to cuff the thief once she pinned him to the ground.
"Hey! Take it easy!" The lawyer complained.
"What?" Angela snapped in irritation.
"You don't have to be so rough!"
"You're criticizing my arrest?" Lopez asked. He took over and pulled the thief to his feet.
"Because I was expecting a thank you for getting your briefcase back." Lopez added.
They soon got into a debate about due process and proper use of force. He and the thief watched as they continued to get closer to one another until their faces were nearly kissing.
"They really dig each other, huh?" The thief observed with a smile.
"Like an old married couple." He agreed.
"Yeah." The thief replied. "My ex and I used to scream each other like that. It was hot. The make-up sex was unbelievable."
He processed the thief back at the station, as his T.O. continued to complain about the lawyer who was now threatening to go ahead with his complaint. This day was just weird.
He looked on with surprise when Lucy and the Captain arrived with a suspect. The Captain had a shiner on the side of her face and Lucy looked extremely embarrassed as most of the officers in the area stared at her.
"What happened?" He asked as his girlfriend headed to the front desk.
"The suspect swung towards me and I ducked." Lucy admitted. "He hit the Captain instead. I'm going to get a lot of flak for that."
"What with your T.O.?" She asked. Lopez looked incredulous as the lawyer gave the thief advice on how to speak with the investigators. They were still arguing at the station.
"It's been a weird day." He replied.
They heard a commotion at the front desk and found the captain confronting a man with facial tattoos, who had a gun pointing to a civilian. He immediately pulled out his weapon and aimed it at the suspect.
"You don't want to do this. You don't have to do this." Captain Andersen stated with her hands out. He noticed her weapon was missing from her holster and realized she placed it in the weapons locker.
"I'll do anything to go back inside." The man whispered.
"Trust me, you'll go back in." The captain replied.
"I can't do a short fall." The man continued as he looked around. He slowly inched towards the gunman, preparing to take action at a moment's notice. "I can't take it out here."
"Okay. I get that. I get that you're not used to a little freedom." His girlfriend continued to talk the man down. "I felt the exact same way after I let the corps. Got used to be told what to do, where to go, what to eat, where to sleep.
"Why does she have to suffer just because you're undergoing a crisis?" The captain indicated his female hostage. "She didn't sign up for that. Put the gun down!"
"Bitch!" The man yelled at his girlfriend. He moved closer as the gunman turned to the captain. "I don't care what she signed up for."
"You pull that trigger, and half a dozen cops are going to light you up, and I know you don't want that." The captain added.
"Shut up!" The man screamed.
"Okay." The captain stepped back. He noticed her glance at his direction and slowly holstered his weapon and moved one more step closer behind the man. "I have… I have one more question."
"In your previous crimes, have you used a gun?" She asked looking at the gun in his hands.
"What? Why?" The man leaned forward in confusion.
"You got your safety on." The captain pointed out, staring at the man's gun.
The man looked at his gun for a moment and he suddenly moved. He quickly took hold of the gun by the barrel and wrenched it out of his hand in a flash, making sure it was pointed away from bodies around them while at the same time, the captain tackled the man to the ground. The rest of the officers responded quickly as they secured the deranged ex-convict while the others assisted the female hostage.
"Holy crap." Lucy observed. "That was amazing teamwork."
"I told you the captain could take care of herself." Lopez said with a smile to the other officers as she cuffed the ex-convict. "Good work boot. I didn't even see you move."
"What the hell happened here?"
He looked up and wrinkled his nose as Tim Bradford appeared, sweating like he walked for miles and smelling like he swam in sewage.
"Did you just get skunked?" Lucy asked as everyone covered their noses.
Bradford didn't bother to reply as he practically ran to the locker room.
"Ready to head out?" Nolan asked him in the locker room as they finally reached the end of their shift.
"Yeah." He replied. "I have to pass by the pharmacy first."
"Lucy is taking out Henry tonight. He wants to see the beachside scene. Do you want to pass by?" Nolan offered.
"Why not." He replied once Nolan shared the details. Luckily the pharmacy he intended to go was near the beach and it was the only establishment that stocked up on the product. The line was quite long in the pharmacy and he waited his turn as he read the effects of the cream in the packaging.
"Who is that for?" He heard a familiar voice and turned around to see his girlfriend. She had the exact same product he was looking for in her hands.
"For you, actually." He replied. "I was planning to surprise you."
"We really need to coordinate." Zoe said as she gave him a brief hug and a kiss which he quickly returned.
"Have you had dinner yet?" He asked.
"I was planning on take-out while I'm here." Zoe replied. "Do you have anything in mind?"
"Lucy is taking out Nolan's son Henry for a tour of the beachside scene. I think they're planning a picnic. Do you want to come?"
"Sure." He could see her face light up at the idea of a picnic. They made their purchases and bought drinks and supplies from a convenience store and soon found the location Nolan indicated. What they saw surprised them.
"Hey it's the Captain!"
"Captain!"
Instead of three people, he saw a large gathering of fellow officers and some even brought their families. Sergeant Grey was with what looked like his wife and daughter, Nolan with his son Henry, and then the rest of the patrol officers. The lawyer Angela fought with earlier was even present.
"Look who I met at the pharmacy." He said to the group. "I decided to invite the Captain."
"I heard there was a picnic." His girlfriend greeted the group and quickly made her way to Grey and his family and followed her.
"Routh, I'd like you to meet my wife Luna, and my daughter Dominique." Grey introduced him.
"So you're the star rookie I keep hearing about." Luna greeted him with a smile. "My daughter won't stop talking about you after Henry told her who you were."
"I didn't realize Officer Routh had fans. I didn't even know he could sing." Grey looked amused.
"Oh my god Oh my god Oh my god Oh my god Oh my god." Dominique started to hyperventilate as he reached her.
"Sugar!" She squealed and suddenly hugged him.
"Hi! Nice to meet you." He said awkwardly and tried to pat her back.
"Sugar?" Zoe asked in confusion.
"It's the name given to him after he went viral after his performance in the music bar." Henry eagerly explained to the amusement of the other officers.
"Sugar does sound better than boot." Lopez remarked.
"It does." Zoe agreed, and he could see the mirth in her eyes.
"Please don't. Boot sounds fine." He replied immediately. He was beginning to dislike the name.
"Let's eat before the food turns cold." Nolan suggested and they quickly started picking on the food prepared on the picnic table. A few had brought blankets and were preparing their own spots around the table. There was a variety of pizza, tacos, nachos and sandwiches, food perfect for the beach that didn't require utensils.
He wandered around each group and finally spoke with the lawyer who was seated beside Angela.
"Good to see you again." He offered a hand to the lawyer. "I see you patched things up with my T.O."
"We finally came to see eye to eye." Angela replied. "Wesley caught me on a bad day, and he realized I was only trying to help him. He's my date for my brother's wedding."
"I'm sure Hugo would be disappointed." He joked.
"Who is Hugo?" Wesley Evers, the lawyer asked.
"He's the best man Angela's mom is trying to set him up with, and the reason you saw her in a bad mood today." He explained. "Look at her now, so nice and mellow. You're amazing, buddy."
"You'll pay for that on Monday, Sugar." Lopez promised as Wesley laughed.
The picnic continued, and then Dominique produced a guitar and sang a few songs at the urging of her mother and Henry. He was seated beside Zoe finishing the last of his pizza when Dominique asked for a performance.
"Please?" Dominique begged.
"It would really mean a lot to her." Luna added. The other officers realized what was happening and encouraged him to perform.
"You can just sing a song without any accompaniment since your vocals are good enough." Zoe added, lending her support to the group.
"Sure, but please don't upload the video with my real name." He asked.
"Of course Jack!" Dominique and Henry promised immediately.
"And can I borrow your guitar?" He asked the girl who immediately agreed.
"You know how to play the guitar?" Lucy asked in surprise.
"I know how to play a few instruments." He replied with a smile. He closed his eyes for a moment, searching for a perfect song.
Angela Lopez
As part of his fan club, she was excited to hear another performance from her boot. Welsey looked confused at the reaction of the other officers and she just told him to listen.
Jack sat on a cooler, and the rest of the group sat on blankets around a lamp in a semi-circle around him.
Talia, Lucy, Henry and the captain had their phones ready to record Jack's performance.
He tested the guitar and adjusted the tension of the strings by ear.
"He's got perfect pitch." She heard Wesley comment.
"What?" She asked,
"Usually you need a tuner to adjust a guitar. He doesn't need one since he can adjust it by ear. He can identify musical notes correctly without any reference." Wesley explained.
Jack was finally ready and started playing a simple tune on the guitar.
"This is called, I'm Yours." Jack explained and she noticed him give a quick glance at someone beside her. She turned to the right and noticed their captain watching him intently with a soft smile on her usually stern face.
Her eyes widened at the implication. Could it be? Her inner fangirl squealed. The badass captain she admired and the handsome super rookie had all the signs of an epic love story in the making.
[I'm Yours- Jason Mraz Demo Remaster 2023]
The tune was simple, and she hadn't seen that style of playing with the guitar before, using the strumming as part of the beat and plucking to deliver the notes.
The simplicity and their surroundings was a stark contrast to his previously electric and jam packed performance, and she found the tune suited their environment perfectly.
Well, you done done me in, you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill, but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks
Now, I'm trying to get back
Before the cool done run out, I'll be giving it my bestest
And nothing's gonna stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn
To win some or learn some
She heard the captain gasp in surprise. His singing style was totally different, and she loved it. His voice was soft and refreshing, something she could listen to every day.
I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours
The tune from the intro returned, and she found herself slightly swaying with Wesley with their arm around each other's waist. She had to thank Jack, he provided the perfect mood for a first date. She looked around and saw the rest were totally enraptured by his performance.
Sergeant Grey was wide-eyed, amazed at the sight of Jack singing so beautifully.
Well, open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and, damn, you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find
Love, love, love
Listen to the music of the moment, maybe sing with me?
I like peaceful melody
It's our godforsaken right to be
Loved, loved, loved, loved, loved
She was hugging Wesley tighter as a gentle breeze lifted strands of her hair out of place. Grey and his wife were hugging each other too, their group focused on the amazing performance.
She was positive Jack was staring straight at Zoe whenever he sang the chorus though he closed his eyes at times.
So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm sure
There's no need to complicate, our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours
She heard Zoe sniff and knew the captain was crying from the heartfelt song. She saw watery eyes from the other girls, especially Lucy and Dominique.
Jack started humming to the tune he was playing, showing how accurate his pitch was as Wesley suspected. She couldn't believe he could produce such sounds from a single guitar.
"He's amazing." Wesley whispered in her ear.
"He is." She replied. "You should listen to his other songs."
I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and I laughed
I guess what I be saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do
Our name is our virtue
I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm sure
Well, open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and, damn, you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find
Love, love, love
Listen to the music and the moment, come and dance with me?
I like one big family
It's your godforsaken right to be
Loved, loved, loved, loved, loved
Well, open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and, damn, you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find
Love love love love love
He held the last note as the guitar tune slowed and the song finally ended. There was no applause at first, every member of their picnic mesmerized by the song. She looked around and noticed that even a dozen bystanders had moved closer to listen to Jack's performance.
Then they all started clapping, even the bystanders. She saw how the captain was struggling not to jump up and kiss her man, she would have done the same if someone had written a song just for her and performed like that.
"I didn't realize we had such a talented Rookie." Grey commented. "Good job Routh."
"You were so amazing!" Dominique gushed.
Henry and Dominique insisted on a few more selfies and promised not to reveal any information about him, although they would use the hashtag sugar and post videos of his performance in their social media accounts.
"Good job Sugar." Tim joked. "Do you want to record a few of your songs in a studio?"
"And if you want to copyright them, I can help you with that." Wesley unexpectedly offered, and she couldn't resist but kiss him on the cheek at his display of generosity.
"If I finish a dozen songs, maybe I can make an album." Jack replied. "Thanks for the offer Wesley, but I don't plan on making a profit with any of the songs I sang."
"But they're catchy. You can make a lot of money with these." Wesley replied.
"Maybe we can copyright them, so that others won't use them to earn money themselves." Jack replied. "Could you help me with that?"
"Sure. Angela will give me your number so we can work out the details." Wesley promised.
The group soon packed up, and Jack left first since he was parked nearest to the picnic grounds. They all watched as he drove off with bike.
"He's so cool." Dominique repeated to her mother.
"I can't believe I know such a famous person." Henry added. "Thanks for tonight Dad."
"You should thank Lucy, it was her idea." Nolan replied.
The captain left quickly after that, and she watched with intrigue as her car left with speed nearing the speed limit. She wasn't sure yet about her suspicions, and she resolved to observe the two more and how they acted in the station.
But for tonight, she would focus on her date. Jack's song put her into a playful mood.
Zoe Andersen
She immediately parked her car and practically ran into the elevator with her bag. She waited impatiently until the door opened, and withheld a groan when it opened at the ground floor too allow other residents inside.
After waiting for what felt like an hour, she finally reached her floor and quickly used her key and opened her door. She quickly stripped off her jacket, blouse and pantsuit and donned the patrol uniform she wore today.
She was smelly and filthy by now, but Jack said he didn't want her to shower. She looked at her watch and waited impatiently.
She heard a knock on the door and quickly opened it, revealing Jack who was still wearing a simple shirt with his jacket and pants. She quickly rushed towards him and gave him a deep kiss. She felt his hands roam around her ass and squeeze them and she smiled against his lips.
"I bet you wanted to do that since this morning." She whispered in his ear.
"You have no idea." Jack replied. "I couldn't keep my eyes off you."
"My ass you mean." She giggled. "I'm wearing the uniform just as you wanted. Happy?"
"Yes." Jack replied as he pulled her for a kiss. He turned around and in within moments she realized she was cuffed behind her back like a criminal.
"I now have you, Captain Andersen at my mercy." Jack whispered in her ear as she felt him grope her breast through her uniform.
"It looks like I am." She replied, playing along. "What do you plan to do with me?"
"Tasting you." He led her to the couch and allowed her to fall forward while he maintained a grip on her waist. Her pants flew down to her knees, followed by her panties. Her eyes widened in realization. She thought Jack didn't want her to shower because he wanted to join her later for some steamy shower sex, not this.
"Wait! Jack! I'm not clean there!" She called out.
"Oh I know!" Jack replied. "You smell amazing."
She gasped as she felt his nose prod her pussy and her cheeks and she flushed with embarrassment and arousal. It was one thing to taste each other bodies when clean, but it was another when she had just finished two shift patrols and was sweaty from all the action and walking she had to do.
"Ohhh Jack you naughty man!" She groaned as she felt his tongue feast on her sex. "You'll pay for this!"
Jack didn't appear to hear her as he continued ravishing her and she endured his tongue and mouth on her cunt. Then she felt his tongue slide upwards towards her ass.
"Wait! Jack! No!" She cried in alarm as his tongue played around her anus. She couldn't believe he was serious about rimming her right now. She clenched her cheeks in a desperate effort to keep her out, but his tongue was determined and her arousal only grew at the situation.
They had a safe word for games like these, but she decided to surrender her body to him. She couldn't believe he would be willing to explore her body in ways she couldn't imagine before. She knew it was only a matter of time before she gave him her anal virginity, the only thing she could give him.
"Ohhh!" She nearly blacked out from the pleasure. She could only imagine what she looked like right now, bent over the back of the couch in her uniform, her ass and cunt for display for Jack to see and unable to do anything. She was at her most vulnerable and yet she was also incredibly aroused because of it.
She shook as her climax reached her as Jack rimmed her while his fingers played with her clit. He continued licking the cleft of her ass and then her thighs and legs. She started laughing, feeling tickled as his tongue licked the soles of her feet.
"Jack! They're smelly! Oh god!" She burned in shame once more.
"They're a part of you, and I adore every part of your body." Jack replied between licks. "I love everything about you."
Their bondage play ended with her being fucked over the balcony, her patrol uniform unbuttoned showing her breasts. They had closed the lights to hide their activities, but the feeling of their naughty sex play and having her bare body displayed to the world as her pussy was invaded by Jack's cock caused her to have a series of orgasms that melded with each other until she nearly passed out from the pleasure.
Jack finally stopped and she felt his seed trickle down her thighs as he came inside her. She felt the cuffs removed from her arms and she shook them to allow the blood to flow properly and placed her hands on the rail to rest.
"That was amazing Jack." She whispered.
"You're body is amazing." Jack replied. "I wouldn't do this with anyone else. I can't imagine myself doing it with anyone but you."
She smiled and reached behind her so that Jack would cup her exposed breasts. She was feeling a little cold, but she relished the experience of having sex in the balcony.
"We have to do this more often." She replied, squeezing his semi-erect dick inside her pussy for emphasis.
"And even a vacation somewhere where no one knows us." He suggested.
She liked his idea and started to plan for it.
They finished the shower, and after brushing their teeth together like a married couple, prepared for bed. She rarely used her sleepwear anymore, as she got used to sleeping naked with Jack. It now became a routine for them, and she slept better and felt more refreshed in the morning whenever she fell asleep in his arms.
She decided to sleep with on their sides, and briefly raised her leg and waited as Jack's penis entered her cunt. She moaned in pleasure and adjusted herself and pulled Jack's hands around her body, until his hands cupped one of her breasts. What happened as an accident when they first had sex was now a routine for her. She felt secure and complete with him hugging her and his penis inside her. It was long and thick enough that it rarely slipped out of her in the middle of the night and they were both the opposite of restless sleepers and did not move around the bed a lot.
Whenever his penis slipped out she would fish for his penis blindly with her hands and depending if he was still hard, stroke him to hardness and mount him. It was second nature for them by now that sometimes when they slept by their sides at night, they would wake up the next morning in a totally different position, with his dick still inside her and they didn't even have any recollection of what happened. It was by now second nature. She was hopeful though that she would get pregnant soon, though she had read that it would take about a year for the effects of a birth control pill to be totally gone. At her age, she needed to be pregnant soon as the risks only increased as she reached forty.
"Good night." She whispered.
"Good night." Jack replied.
She was glad for her incredibly relaxing sleep with Jack, the quality of her sleep allowed her to bear the stress and frustration with her work. She couldn't imagine not having him by her side at night anymore. She refused to consider the mere thought of it.
She was falling hard for Jack. This wasn't simple physical attraction anymore.
She was called to a meeting with the other captains with the chief and the mayor the next morning. She, like the other police captains immediately felt wary when they spotted a well-dressed woman looking like she was better than all of them waiting with the chief. She introduced herself as a Secret Service Agent Danvers.
It was just her luck that the vice-president decided to make a few stops over at areas that her division was responsible for, and that meant agent Danvers would use her station as her base camp. The ride with the agent was cordial and pleasant, though she didn't appreciate it when Danvers spotted her boyfriend while he dismounted from his bike and removed his helmet.
"What a hunk." Danvers ogled her boyfriend and she resisted the urge to bash Danver's head into the car window. "Is he one of your officers?"
"He's part of patrol." She replied as she parked her car. She headed to her office, closely followed by Danvers who gave a last look at her boyfriend as he headed to the locker room.
"You certainly have a nice view here." Danvers commented. She was pretty sure the agent meant her boyfriend and not her station.
"Thank you for coming in on your day off." She told the assembled officers. It was Saturday, and she saw a lot of disgruntled faces. "The vice-president is making an unscheduled visit to our city, so it's all hands on deck."
"Agent Danvers." She introduced the special agent and stepped back, giving the other woman the floor.
"Thank you captain." Agent Danvers looked around, and she narrowed her eyes when the other woman took a moment and checked out Jack Routh who was standing near the front with Nolan and Chen.
"As always, the secret service appreciates the LAPD's assistance in clearing and securing Redwood's route. Another agent started to distribute a stack of papers to the assembled officers. She didn't miss the fact that Danvers handed her own copy to Routh who looked confused for a moment.
"These are your operation plan manuals. Each officer has been assigned a specific quadrant and zone along with your specific responsibilities. Your watch commander will liaison with me throughout the day as issues arise."
"These assignments are your priority today." Grey stepped forward. "You will not field calls over dispatch. Let the day shift deal with that."
"Most of you know the drill." She stepped forward and addressed the officers and then turned to the three at the front. "For our rookies, today will get ugly. Everything we do to ensure the route is clear will cause gridlocks. It's important to be vigilant and patient. That's all, dismissed."
She watched them head to their duties as Danvers assigned a special task to Bishop and Nolan.
She headed to her office and started on the stack of paperwork she had to deal with for the day.
Jack Routh
It was a novel experience setting up the shop with the additional gear. Rolls of police tape, traffic cones, extra ticket books, road flares, megaphones, tear gas and what Lopez declared was her favorite, a 40 mm tear gas launcher. They were also handed out riot gear, helmets, heavy duty vests and shields and batons.
"It feels like we're going to war." He said, staring at all the gear he had to bring to the shop.
"It essentially is." Bradford answered. "We're going to piss a lot of people off."
They first had to deal with protesters that chained themselves together in front of a hotel entrance. Lopez allowed him to take the lead, and he stated aloud what he learned from memory when dispersing a crowd of protesters.
"I am Officer Jack Routh. I hereby declare that this to be an unlawful assembly, and in the name of the People of the State of California, command all those assembled to disperse."
The protesters paused for a moment to listen and then continued their chants.
"No justice!"
"No peace!"
"You heard him." Angela yelled over the protesters. "Where are the keys."
One of the men swallowed the key as the protest leaders screamed their chants mere inches from their faces. They soon spotted an emergency as the man who swallowed the key started to choke.
Lopez immediately started the Heimlich maneuver on the choking protester while he ordered the rest to give Lopez space. The protest leaders didn't listen as they panicked at seeing one of their own unable to breathe.
Lopez performed the maneuver one more time, causing the choking man to spit out the key, along with his breakfast to the faces of the protest leaders. He shared an amused look with Lopez who he knew had to be laughing inside.
The protesters voluntarily dispersed once they unlocked their chains and they soon resumed their next task, removing signs placed by a building. The tenants were resistant, since they claimed they were paid by a fellow neighbor to hand the banners from their windows.
They encountered a room filled to the brim with beds full of illegal immigrants, and found the owner and ticketed him for several violations.
"You'll get a visit from us tomorrow." Lopez assured the owner and continued their way to the next unit.
The next unit had a more serious problem, and he was tempted to hit the man who abused his elderly mother with dementia. Lopez had noticed him glaring at the man and made him help the poor woman tied to her wheelchair instead as she cuffed the son. The elderly woman cried and begged as she saw her son being arrested.
"Would you have hit him?" Lopez asked once the EMTs took the poor woman to get checked at the hospital while their back-up came and picked up the son.
"I wanted to." He admitted. "But Zoe… I mean Captain Andersen told me weeks ago that it was not our job to punish criminals. She told me overcoming that impulse is one of the hardest parts of our job."
"She's right." Lopez replied. "I'm glad you remembered to control your emotions. No what's next?"
"Providing security to the secret service mobile command post." He replied. An hour into their boring watch, they heard from the radio that Bishop and Nolan were in trouble, and their position was only a block from their location. they could assist them and get there in less than a minute.
"I'm sorry Officer, but I just don't care." Danvers replied when they informed her that their fellow officers were in immediate danger, outnumbered and outgunned as she refused to let them leave.
"Screw this." Lopez turned around and he immediately followed after her, ignoring Danver's orders as she called for them to return back to their posts.
They quickly drove to the reported location, and immediately opened fire to give cover to Bishop and Nolan who were pinned down by gunfire. Beside them was a man with a bullet wound to his neck, with a pool of blood around his head. Lopez took down one of the suspects with a well-placed shot and he ran as she gave him cover to head over to the wounded man. He dragged him to their shop, and decided to bring the man to a hospital nearby.
He put his gloved hand over the wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding, and Lopez resorted to driving over the sidewalk to avoid the traffic and get to the hospital in time. They finally made it, with emergency personnel waiting for their arrival.
He helped transport the wounded man as he answered the questions of the doctor as they rushed to the emergency room. As he removed the gloves and took a break looking for drinks in the vending machines, he saw Lucy sitting in the waiting area.
"What are you doing here?" He asked. She was pale and looked to be troubled.
"I got stuck by a hypodermic needle this morning." Lucy admitted. "I'm waiting for results if I… If I got something from it."
"I'll wait with you." He replied and started texting Lopez where he was and explained Lucy's situation.
"Thank you." Lucy replied. "I should get the results soon."
"So what song did you like best?" He asked her, trying to give her something else to think.
"What?"
"The songs I sang, what's your favorite?"
"That's a hard one." Lucy smiled briefly. "Let's see, between Payphone, Sugar and I'm yours…"
"It's a simple question." He teased her, nudging her with an elbow.
"But I like all three of them!" Lucy argued. "It's like there's a song for when you still love someone even though you know the relationship isn't healthy, a song for when you're happily in love, and another song trying to profess your love."
"I'm glad you like them so much." He replied. He knew he had to let this world hear some of the songs that existed from his previous life, if it could help them in their emotional moments.
"You know you should collaborate with a famous artist. I'm sure they will like any songs you have." Lucy suggested. "Do you have a song designed for duets?"
"I have a few." He admitted.
"Can I hear a sample?" Lucy asked, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Why don't we do one better and you sing it with me?" He offered.
"You'd do that?" She asked.
"Of course. You're a good singer, I just need a pen to write the lyrics quickly and show the part you're going to sing."
"But…"
"It's an easy tune, very casual." He waved away her concerns as he began writing. "You'll instantly understand how to sing it after listening to my part first."
"We'll sing it right here? At the hospital?"
"Of course. Where else would we be?"
Lucy Chen
She couldn't help but smile as Jack led her to an unused waiting room after she informed the nurse where she would wait for the results. She looked at Jack fondly. He was still that shy academy cadet she first met in the academy, though he was less aloof now and more friendly and open.
"It's a pretty fun song and I think you'll like it." He added as he showed her the completed lyrics. She saw the part where he wrote "Lucy's part" and almost the entire half of the song where hers! She even saw a portion where they were supposed to sing together. The lyrics were amazing.
"Since we don't have instruments I'll just tap my fingers. I'll also hum some parts, so don't mind me when I hum while you're singing, okay?"
"Okay!" She said in excitement. She never dreamed she would be part of a duet with a talented artist like Jack. And she would be the first to hear it too!
"It's called closer." Jack informed her. He started snapping his fingers and tapping his foot on the floor as he looked at her.
[Closer – Chainsmokers]
Hey, I was doing just fine before I met you
I drink too much and that's an issue but I'm okay
Hey, you tell your friends it was nice to meet them
But I hope I never see them again
She raised her eyebrows at the melody, intrigued at Jack's performance. It was far different from his previous style.
I know it breaks your heart
Moved to the city in a broke down car
And four years, no calls
Now you're looking pretty in a hotel bar
And I can't stop
No, I can't stop
She nearly laughed as she nearly resembled the character Jack was describing in his song.
So baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover
That I know you can't afford
Bite that tattoo on your shoulder
Pull the sheets right off the corner
Of the mattress that you stole
From your roommate back in Boulder
We ain't ever getting older
She found herself nodding her head to Jack's song and her eyebrows raised when he started humming an accompanying tune as he increased the beat by tapping the plastic seat in front of him as a makeshift drum.
We ain't ever getting older
We ain't ever getting older
She opened her mouth as she waited for her cue from Jack, he gave her the signal in time with the beat he provided.
You... look as good as the day I met you
I forget just why I left you, I was insane
Stay... and play that Blink-182 song
That we beat to death in Tucson, okay
She smiled when she saw Jack give her a nod of approval and continued singing as she looked back at the lyrics.
I know it breaks your heart
Moved to the city in a broke down car
And four years, no call
Now I'm looking pretty in a hotel bar
And I can't stop
No, I can't stop
So baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover
That I know you can't afford
Bite that tattoo on your shoulder
Pull the sheets right off the corner
Of the mattress that you stole
From your roommate back in Boulder
We ain't ever getting older
She joined the humming part, nodding her head to the beat and smiling as she jammed with the music.
We ain't ever getting older
We ain't ever getting older
They sang as a duet in the last part of the song, and she matched harmony with Jack. She even raised a hand as if conducting a choir as she sang with her fellow rookie.
So baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover
That I know you can't afford
Bite that tattoo on your shoulder
Pull the sheets right off the corner
Of the mattress that you stole
From your roommate back in Boulder
We ain't ever getting older
We ain't ever getting older (we ain't ever getting older)
We ain't ever getting older (we ain't ever getting older)
We ain't ever getting older (we ain't ever getting older)
We ain't ever getting older
We ain't ever getting older
No we ain't ever getting older
They both burst in laughter after the song ended and she quickly hugged him in gratitude.
"That was fun!" She exclaimed after the hug ended. "We should totally do that again!"
"It was." Jack replied. "Maybe a talent show competition in the station. Do we have something like that?"
"We don't, but that a fun song." They turned to see Lopez standing by the door. "The doctor's looking for you with the results."
She almost forgot she was waiting for a life changing result and headed to the door. The doctor was waiting for her and she quickly approached the woman in the white coat.
"I have the results, if you come with me we can set up your room." The doctor stated.
"Can you just tell me now?" She asked as she felt Jack stand behind her. She felt his hand on her shoulder and she reached out and grabbed his hand like a lifeline.
"Okay, so your initial test results came back negative for any viral infections like HIV or hepatitis. But your blood work indicated a presence of staph infection." The doctor answered.
"What does that mean?"
"It means we need to get you into antibiotics soon. Some strains are drug resistant so we'll monitor the wound for abscess or cellulitis, okay?"
"Okay. Does that mean I will be fine?" She asked.
"You will be back to normal, after you finished the round of antibiotics."
She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Jack and hugged him again. She felt tears fall down her cheeks in relief.
"Thank you, for staying with me." She whispered. She couldn't thank him enough. He didn't realize how important their impromptu jamming session was to her.
"Of course. We need to finalize that duet anyway." Jack grinned.
She smiled and followed the doctor, after Jack assured her he would inform Tim about her status. There was a new spring in her step as she hummed a part of the song while she followed the doctor for her treatment. "We aint ever getting older."