A/N: You can read ahead at my patreon, and check up my other stories there if you're interested. Thank you for reading!
Episode 33
Penny Teller
Ding!
Ding!
She was still paranoid and quickly observed the new customers as they opened the door to the restaurant. Ever since those gunmen stormed the Cheesecake Factory the other day and took all their cash and the guests' valuables, she and the other waitresses and staff who didn't resign now scrutinized every customer that came in. It was also the first time she was glad she was too poor to replace the cracked screen of her phone. One of the masked robbers took one look at her pink casing with the cracked screen and tossed it back to her without any hesitation.
She calmed down as soon as she spotted the four familiar faces.
She never had a gun pointed at her before, and now it scared her. Perhaps that stupid armor costume Jack had wasn't so stupid after all. Howard did say it could even stop bullets shot at point-blank range, but the management would probably not budge on their uniform policy.
Her workplace had always been safe, but with the pronouncement from the handsome criminal of 100 million dollars, it felt like everything had changed. She could always hear the sounds of sirens every hour for the past few days, and it was only after Montel was reported to be now secured in a federal facility out in the desert that the city had calmed down.
She made a note to ask Professor Routh for some self-defense lessons. She could handle bullies no problem, but she didn't know what to do with a gun pointed at her.
"Hello, Penny." Leonard tried to give him a charming grin. He needed to work on that more. Raj kept quiet while Sheldon selected his usual, cooked, and prepared to his exact specifications, and deviations were not allowed.
She turned to Howard, and she took a moment to properly take in the changes he noticed on the fourth member of the group. He wore new, stylish clothes that actually suited him well. She kept an eye on the group as her shift continued, and they usually stayed for dessert and waited for her to finish her own shift.
Their presence eased her fears somewhat and that allowed her to continue working. They might be nerds and socially inept, but she appreciated their own way of helping her, and it was very useful now, just days after her experience with armed robbery.
"So, how are you, Howard?" She asked on their way back to her apartment. The smallest member in their group had been pretty busy lately, and for the past month, she only seen him a handful of times. "Any interesting projects you're working on?"
"Please." Sheldon cut in. "Engineers don't have interesting projects. They do the grunt work. Theoretical physics, that's the really exciting area of science."
"I'm working on the suits Jack's friends ordered." Howard replied. "I think I can finish with Christina's suit tonight. Women's measurements are different."
Who was Christina? Intrigued she turned to Leonard for an explanation.
"He made new friends with the guys Jack Routh works with." Leonard explained. "They're all police officers."
"Right." She couldn't believe Howard would be capable of befriending law enforcement officers. But then, he was also friends with Professor Routh.
"What about that hot FBI agent? Are you going out with her?" Leonard teased Howard. The engineer looked uncomfortable and shifted in his chair. She raised an eyebrow, intrigued at this new piece of gossip. Howard was actually seeing someone?
"What happened?" She asked.
"The pretty FBI agent came to our apartment first to conduct a background check on Howard since he's working on some cutting-edge technology for the government." Leonard explained. "Sheldon nearly revealed about that time with the North Korean spy."
"I owe you." Howard nodded gratefully to Leonard. "Thanks for having my back, man."
"But it was relevant to her questions." Sheldon argued. "Lying to a an FBI agent is a federal offense!"
"Anyway, I saw her picking up Howard late one night at Caltech." Leonard gave Howard a friendly punch to the shoulder, totally ignoring Sheldon's explanation about federal laws.
"Agent Page just wants to know more about my work. She picked me up because she was concerned for my safety, thanks to what's happening." Howard finally broke his silence. "She just came to my house while Jack and I were busy in the garage working on some upgrades to his armor."
"Apparently, Jack knew Agent Page's boss." Howard added. "And Angela said they're trying to recruit Jack to the bureau. She became real friendly after she realized I was friends with Jack."
"So it's Angela now?" Leonard smirked. "You have to meet her, Penny, she's really nice."
"Maybe I will." It would be pretty cool to have an FBI agent to call a friend. She already knew a police captain and Professor Routh, anyway.
She spent dinner in apartment 4A and watched as the guys discussed the physics of a small jet landing the Sixth Street bridge with illustrations drawn on a whiteboard. It looked like they were calculating air speed and lift, but she was more focused on the news as footage of Alex Montel's attempted escape was featured.
"And we have just received word that KWLA has obtained exclusive footage of the events leading to the arrest of Alex Montel." The pretty anchor with Asian features on the TV stated. "These are a combination of police bodycam footage of officers who foiled Montel's escape attempt on a Jet plane and other CCTV footage from the LAPD Airship."
"That's right, Lisa. And before broadcasting this video, we have to warn viewers that these are graphic images of violence." The male anchor stated. "We'reshowing the footage now. Viewer discretion is advised."
She leaned forward, the Chinese takeout box in her hand forgotten as she watched the scenes on the TV. Even the guys had stopped their discussion as they also moved to watch the footage.
It was a grainy footage of what looked like a Learjet preparing to land. It had its landing gear down and she watched in amazement as it was able to land without hitting the steel beams that lined the sides of the bridge. She had heard that Montel attempted to escape through a plane and thought it was just one of those ultralight planes with a big prop at the back. This was a real private jet, one used by CEOs and rich retired people.
The scene shifted to a shaky bodycam footage of what looked like cops inside a vehicle. They were chasing the plane as it prepared to take off.
"Up on the roof Jack!" One of the cops shouted.
"On it!" The man wearing the bodycam footage replied.
"That's Jack and Hondo!" Howard exclaimed. Was that her professor?
She saw the moment that Jack climbed through the sunroof, and she flinched when the hatch to the jet opened and two men started firing in their direction. She flinched when she heard rounds whizz by. That was fucking close! Holy Shit! Jack remained unfazed and started shooting back in controlled bursts with his rifle.
"Contact! Friendly shop at twelve!" Jack called out.
She didn't know what he was talking about until she saw another police vehicle heading to the plane from the opposite side of the bridge. Jack was reloading when the gunmen on the plane suddenly stopped shooting, and they fell down the hatch. Were they shot?
Another man pulled the hatch close, and she watched with her mouth open in amazement as the vehicle Jack was on accelerated and slammed against the side of the jet, forcing it to the side and spin. It stopped when the Jet slammed into the side of the bridge.
She winced when the hatch opened and Montel came out, firing bullets as he ran. Jack took cover before he lifted himself through the sunroof and started running after Montel. She could hear his labored breathing as he slowly gained on the fleeing criminal in the orange jumpsuit. It went on for half a minute, and Montel jumped the last few steps heading to the ramp for bikes and pedestrians at the side of the bridge. Jack must have jumped too, as he quickly crashed with Montel in mid-air and they both landed painfully on the ground.
Montel started moaning in pain as Jack quickly secured his arms behind his back with handcuffs and started reading his Miranda rights.
"Fuck you." Montel spat some blood and what looked like teeth in reply.
"That was dramatic footage." Lisa Mays, the news anchor, commented as the footage ended. "It seems like these are SWAT officers chasing after Montel, but wasn't he already in protective custody? This raised a lot of questions. What do you think, Bill?"
The male anchorman looked intrigued. "I'm not sure, Lisa. He must have escaped after their convoy to transport him to Maxville was attacked. The new police chief, Susan Coleman, still refused to release a statement on what happened."
"More of the footage will be shown after this commercial break." Lisa smiled for the camera, and a commercial for cereal started playing.
It was a good thing that bodycam footage was leaked. She had a lot of questions regarding the events of the last few days, but the LAPD spokesperson continued to be evasive when asked by reporters about the situation on the attacked convoys and the increased crime rate.
She looked at Howard and Leonard and decided to hang out with them the next time they had a project with Jack Routh. Maybe she could get the inside scoop of what really happened.
Grace Nolan nee Sawyer
They were swamped.
It was like a revolving door, every time they discharged a patient, two more would come in with even more serious injuries than the last one.
Stab wounds, gunshot wounds, and concussions. It looked like all the criminals were emboldened due to the LAPD's focus on Alex Montel and his promise of 100 million dollars. She wanted to go home herself, but her husband insisted he would pick her up.
She spotted his truck waiting in the driveway and headed over. Her smile vanished when she saw the bruise on his left cheek and immediately looked at it closely.
"What happened?" She asked. The bruise didn't look to be that bad, but she checked John's eyes for any signs of dilation.
"I'm fine." John gave him a quick peck. "It was just some robbers who were desperate even if they were already cuffed and secured. I shouldn't have let my guard down, rookie mistake."
"But you are a rookie." She replied.
"We're about to graduate from the program." John replied. "Harper gave me grief over it."
"She's not wrong." She gave her husband a look. "In surgery, even the smallest mistakes can lead to life or death."
"She already chewed my ass, not you too." John complained.
"Come here." She leaned over and gave him a quick hug and felt him respond in turn.
BEEP!
"Right!" John quickly moved his truck out of the driveway and headed towards their home. She noticed he was absently tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he listened to some music that was playing on the radio. He looked more relaxed and less tense compared to the past few days.
"So how's the situation in the station?" She asked.
"It's slowing down." John replied. "With Montel behind bars in a federal maximum security prison, everyone knows that 100 million dollar reward is now useless."
She felt happy with the news. The media blew up the situation, causing harm to the city and its citizens.
Blair London
"Jesus Christ." She muttered under her breath as she reviewed the personnel files from D-platoon. Susan Coleman had brought her in to investigate the culture of murder as the older woman described it during her first day. The woman believed her job as a psychiatrist would be able to help determine the mental state of these violent men.
She interviewed each one, reviewed hours and hours of bodycam footage. They were brutal, ruthless, but she realized they only acted in defense of the public and their safety. She could honestly say the accusations were unfounded, but Coleman did not like her report.
In her first week on the job, the Chief called or visited her office every day, but after submitting her findings, silence. Everything had been done by the book. D-platoon could use more training with how crudely they speak sometimes, but it wasn't that different from regular LAPD officers.
She could even say they were more behaved than the other Metro platoons, and that was saying something when LAPD was already recognized as one of the best-performing police departments in the country.
What concerned her, though, was their mental state after seeing so much action. Hondo's squad, most of all, she was worried they were being run ragged, being forced to handle stressful situations in such a short time period. Their minds needed to recover, and gave her recommendation to the higher-ups.
One file caught her attention, she couldn't believe the famous Sugar, Jack Routh, was part of the elite platoon. He was the youngest member, but he scored high marks in the tests and got his slot. But he was also the one who experienced the most harrowing encounters, and she honestly could not comprehend how the man stayed sane.
In his first deployment in Rampart, just weeks after graduating from the academy, he had to save his T.O. from a shootout with bank robbers.
He was assigned to Mid-Wilshire after that, and on his first day made an impossible shot that was still talked about by officers to this day that which had turned into legend. Even she didn't believe it at first, until she saw Routh's bodycam footage.
Then he saved the captain and a fellow classmate from the academy after they were kidnapped by a large gang, sacrificed himself, and saved the city from a deadly virus that would make Ebola look like a common cold. The footage gave her goose bumps, as she saw from the bodycam how the poor infected civilian quickly deteriorated by bleeding out from every orifice while weakly asking for help. It had given her nightmares.
She cried when she watched the CCTV footage of his heroic actions during the school shooting. He was so close to dying as he pulled himself up to sit up against a wall after getting shot. The man deserved the highest medal the department could give, in her opinion.
There were many more others. He saved Taylor Swift from a kidnapping attempt, captured a couple of serial killers, and even assisted the FBI in one of its investigations. His file had notes from Homeland Security and the Bureau that stated their intention for early recruitment.
She didn't know why he was placed by Coleman on administrative leave in the first place. The decision was incredibly unpopular, from what she noticed from the other commissioners. Then she realized it was Coleman, not punishing Routh, but to give a message to one of the younger female captains in the city, and also Jack Routh's wife.
She was honest with herself, and she already had a crush on the man before he even entered her office. That crush rattled her brain for a moment, and she noticed a moment later that she had unconsciously adjusted her hair as he entered her small office, signs of a woman finding a man attractive.
She couldn't even meet his gaze for long and constantly averted her gaze, and started her appointment with the famous super rookie.
"Please have a seat, Officer Routh." She cursed her voice for going deeper than she meant to. Damn, she knew this counseling session would be hard for her.
She looked back at him and noticed his hazel eyes were staring at her. They were calm, steady, and she realized she had overlooked one part of the file she had reviewed before he came in. Routh was not just a powerful brute, he was described as observant and an academic by Special Agent Garza of the FBI field team.
She realized he was analyzing her at this moment, and she forced a more neutral look on her face to hide her attraction.
"So how are you?" She asked.
"Fine." Routh replied. She was used to one-word answers at the start. All these big tough men were usually at the beginning.
"The purpose of this counseling session was initially about the concerns about animal cruelty." She tossed the file into the bin to demonstrate to Routh what she thought about it. Maybe she could build some rapport, and she spotted the raised eyebrow on his face.
"It's clear there's no case here at all." She continued speaking. "I just reviewed your file, and in barely a year as a police officer and you experienced things most officers would not experience in their entire career."
"You're concerned how I'm handling it." Routh nodded. He looked uncomfortable in her chair due to his large frame, and she made a note to get a better one for their next counseling session. She needed the man to relax and lower his walls, and a tiny chair wasn't helping at all.
"I honestly feel fine." Routh added. "I don't have nightmares about the experiences I encountered while on duty, and I have a hobby and a relaxing home environment to go to after every shift. It's the ideal work-life balance for me."
There go her next ten questions. It was like Routh knew her line of questioning. No matter, she looked for the next topic and proceeded from there.
"Your hobby, this music career you have on the side, are you sure you don't want to go full-time? It's a lucrative business, and you're already friends with one of the world's most famous pop stars." She didn't get it.
"I like helping people, those who can't fight back." Routh explained. "The earnings from my work with Taylor also help those who need it with the charity foundation I set up."
The day that their mysterious benefactor revealed his identity was a day she would never forget. Coleman looked so frazzled as she scrambled to get more partnerships and donations after Routh suddenly cut off his funding.
They spoke for fifteen more minutes, and then she let him leave early. There was really nothing she noticed from Routh that would alarm her. The man was not plagued with PTSD, but she immediately noticed he was a very private person. Questions about how his marriage was going were shut down immediately, and she quickly backed off from that.
She made a few more notes and looked up another name that was on her schedule today. Daniel Harrelson. She knew this would be another difficult session. While waiting for the famous sergeant, she let her mind drift a bit on Jack Routh.
Was his marriage going well? Or was he trying to protect his wife? Statistically, three out of four marriages always end in divorce. Maybe she had a chance. He was young, rich, and handsome with famous connections. She'd have her future secure if she snagged him, she just needed to wait.
Susan Coleman
Things in the city had calmed down, but for the LAPD, things were chaotic. She had to attend funerals for the officers who died and the many more who were in the hospital with horrific injuries. Metro units that were comprised of their most elite and well-trained officers, were down a platoon, and it was all her fault.
She wasn't blind, she could see the way her command staff acted around her since the Montel incident. No one looked at her in the eye when they spoke to her. Captains who circled around her just days ago were suddenly too busy to even join her for lunch meetings.
And then Stevens… he was already speaking to the other police commissioners and commanders, inviting them to dinner parties. She didn't receive a single invite, and that was a slap to her face, but she knew she could not do anything about it.
Any political power she had carefully amassed through the years was gone in a single week. Everyone knew she wouldn't remain as Chief until the next quarter. They all expected her to hand in her resignation soon.
She closed her eyes and leaned back in her comfy leather chair and reflecting on her actions since she got promoted. What mistakes she made, the officers she targeted, everything. Her reputation was at an all-time low.
There was another event on the horizon, probably her last stint as Chief of Police. She decided she would do her best for this, her last hurrah. Even if she was known as the Chief who served the shortest time in the post since the LAPD's founding, she was determined to be remembered for at least one successful event.
"Call in the relevant department heads and captains. Schedule a meeting in a few hours." She told her aide.
L.A. would soon host the 2020 Olympics, and she had just had a few years to prepare. That consisted of numerous visits from International delegates and Olympic committee members, and this time, Royal dignitaries from Europe, acting as cultural ambassadors, were scheduled to arrive next week. She needed to make sure their visit went smoothly, and she knew the Diplomatic Security Service was as demanding as Secret Service Agents.
Jessica Cortez
She watched a Daniel devoured the steak with enthusiasm. She took a moment to enjoy their day, it was rare for her and Hondo to have dates like these. Mayor Stevens personally called her and pleaded that she stay at her position for the time being, and she had to agree with his reasoning.
It was a delicate time, with Metro at its weakest, with a shortage of personnel. Resigning her post would only weaken the division, and so she agreed. The mayor even assured her that she didn't have to worry about the chief or suffer any political backlash. She felt pity for Coleman, she was taking all of the blame for the incident with Montel, and the press and other politicians were ruthless in their criticism. She knew that the older woman would have to leave the force after that debacle.
"That good?" She asked after Dan cleaned his plate. He was always Dan or Daniel to her and Hondo to the guys when he was at work. It served as a convenient way to separate their relationship from their duties as police officers.
"Could be better, but I'm hungry." Her boyfriend replied.
She smiled. Daniel always worked up an appetite after sex. They were discussing a future road trip for vacation, and they started by listing popular destinations. She wanted to drive up north to Oregon, while Daniel wanted to visit Arizona.
Speaking of visits, she suddenly remembered the upcoming visit of a European delegation. DSS representatives had just sent a list of the VIPs, and she raised an eyebrow when she saw the names listed. There were a few princesses, a prince, a countess, and a queen who counted among the list of dignitaries. She could understand Coleman's insistence of a smooth operation with so many high-profile VIPs visiting the city for a week.
DSS wanted the city to send its best cops, and that usually meant Metro. There were even requirements for close-in guards that would be with the delegates, serving as a bridge for the LAPD and the DSS, and then the VIP's own security teams.
"That European delegation still bothering you?" Daniel asked.
"I'm having trouble selecting the final slot." She shared. The DSS agent wanted a cop who could speak fluent German and French since they would be near the delegates. It was a last-minute request that she was unable to find a solution for since yesterday.
"How can I help?" Dan asked. "I know many officers in the city. What are they looking for specifically?"
"Unless you can find me a cop that's fluent in both French and German, there's probably nothing you can do." She replied. "Should I contact the FBI? What?"
She noticed the puzzled look on her boyfriend's face.
"Well, Routh speaks French and Russian." Dan revealed. "I heard him speaking back to Montel before we got ambushed."
"That… that wasn't in his file."
"I know." Dan ran a hand over his forehead. "Kid's been confusing me since day one."
"How good is he?" She leaned forward.
"If he knows French and Russian, I'm willing to bet he knows how to speak German too." He replied. "Man's a walking box full of question marks. I'm almost positive he received some training, but why does he keep pretending he didn't?"
She took a moment to consider Dan's assessment. Jack aced all the exams, written and physical. He rarely had to repeat the same mistake twice, and was undefeated in unarmed combat so far to her boyfriend's frustration. That was why he ended up in Dan's personal squad in D-platoon, he earned the spot cleanly, and no one in Metro could deny his skills despite being a rookie cop.
"I'll call Zoe." She pulled out her phone. She knew her fellow captain's schedule, and she knew the woman was probably dealing with paperwork before lunch.
"Hey." She replied when her call was picked up and put the call on speaker mode for Dan's benefit.
"Jessica, what's up? Need another bottle?" Zoe asked. She shared an amused look with her boyfriend. That bottle Zoe sent was a big factor in why she used a personal day off from work today, and her ruined sheets.
"We're good." She replied. "I just want to ask about Jack. Daniel tells me he can speak Russian and French?"
There was a slight pause on the other end before her fellow captain finally answered.
"He revealed to me before that he can speak in Latin, French, German, Spanish, and Farsi." Zoe shared. "You know about his background in history. He says he enjoys learning languages. What is this about?"
She was still stunned at what she learned and shared wide-eyed looks with Dan. She took a moment to compose herself and cleared her throat.
"You just gave me the solution. DSS needs a cop with the European Delegates who can speak their language." She replied. It was like Jack Routh was tailor-made for this particular assignment.
"I'm sure he'll enjoy the experience," Zoe replied. "Is there anything else?"
"Nothing else, thanks, Zoe." She answered. "Tell Jack that he'll have a special briefing with DSS agents tomorrow."
"Will do."
Dan exploded the moment the call ended, attracting the attention of the other customers in the restaurant.
"Farsi? Latin? Who the fuck still speaks Latin?" Dan shook his head. "That's a dead language, and how can he speak so many languages?"
"He is a professor of History." She replied, enjoying the confused look on her usually confident and self-assured boyfriend
"And Farsi?" Dan continued. "The only guys I know that speak that are intelligence spooks. I don't buy that historian crap. Jack had to have come from black ops."
"Maybe he was given strict orders even after leaving the organization he previously worked for." She replied in a lower tone of voice. "But I checked his records. He really did study at UCLA, so if he received that training that you claimed he did, then that has to be before he was 18."
"Then that means…" Daniel leaned back. "Fuck. He was in a program that deep?"
"So there's a reason he doesn't talk about it." She suggested. "He's using his skills now to help the city and the public."
"Yeah, I get it." Dan sighed. "I won't push him anymore."
"Good." She nodded. With her current dilemma solved, she felt playful and ran her shoe up and down Dan's leg. "So tell me about this spot that you said was totally private and had a nice view of the sunset?"
"We're going there, huh?" Dan grinned.
"I don't know, what do you want?" She shrugged and leaned forward, allowing Dan to look down her cleavage
"Check please!" Dan quickly called out for the waiter. Her man couldn't wait and left several bills on the table and pulled her along out of the restaurant and towards his truck.
Jack Routh
The city had nearly recovered from what he could see as he waited for the European delegation to arrive in the hotel lobby. The only positive thing from that event was probably the sudden drop in crime, with so many criminals arrested after their actions.
Many were lying low, or had probably left the city, afraid of the LAPD's retaliation now that they weren't distracted by Montel. The DSS agents with him were a bit standoffish and paranoid. He had to present his credentials and had his identity checked multiple times until he was cleared to join them.
He wore his standard short-sleeved blues, and kept in contact with Hondo and the other units with an earpiece connected to the radio on his belt. He almost felt like a secret service agent, and the only thing missing was his suit.
"ETA, 5 minutes, 28-David." Hondo's voice spoke in his ear.
"Copy, 30-David." He replied to the tiny microphone wired all the way to his sleeve. This was real high-tech stuff, loaned to him by the DSS agents.
"They're five minutes out." He called DSS agent Perry. The older man nodded once, his eyes scanning the entrance. He looked around the venue once more, taking note of the hotel staff eagerly waiting for the VIP's arrival.
Several delegations were arriving at the same time. Countess Sophia of Wessex was arriving first, followed by Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and her entourage. Her delegation was his primary concern, according to the briefing, and he adjusted his uniform in anticipation.
The stately blonde of the British delegation arrived first. He winced slightly at the breach of protocol from the hotel staff, but the Countess didn't seem to mind. When it was his turn, he gave a short bow from the neck and greeted the royal.
"Lady Wessex." He smiled.
The countess raised an eyebrow and looked at him straight in the eye. He could see the slight surprised expression on her face. "Familiar with Royal protocol, are we?"
"I do have a degree in modern and ancient history, Ma'am." He grinned and quickly shook the woman's offered handshake.
"An academic police officer, fascinating." The Countess smiled. "We have to talk soon."
Agent Perry leaned over to him and whispered in his ear once the Royal moved on. "What was that about?"
"They addressed her as her Royal Highness." He explained. "That's only reserved for the prince or princesses. Men don't have to curtsy. Only women do that, and a short bow would be fine."
"You need to give some agents unfamiliar with all this protocol if you're familiar with it." Agent Perry mused. "We rarely receive royalty, and never this close."
The delegation from the Netherlands arrived next. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands arrived with her large delegation. She wore a modest off white suit and slacks and gave off an elegant vibe.
She greeted the waiting staff, but when it was his turn, she seemed confused as he greeted her. She didn't even respond, though she gave him one last look before she and her delegation headed to their rooms.
"What was that about?" Agent Perry asked.
"Beats me." He replied. He used the correct protocols as well, so why did the queen look confused when he met her? No matter, he still had a job to do for the next few days.
Maxima Zorreguieta Cerutti
This was supposed to be a relaxing, informal trip with minimal protocol as she joined the European delegation for cultural exchange and discussed the preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2020.
The weather was nice, and her daughters were eager to visit the famous city and to meet some celebrities. Taylor Swift had already agreed to meet them, according to her staff, and she was looking forward to meeting the pop star in person.
The other officials from the International Olympic Committee would arrive tomorrow, and the real work would begin for the week. She did not expect her arrival at the hotel to start with confusion.
"Who was that police officer?" She asked one of her staff. The girls were already running around the suite, pointing at the different views of the city from the large windows of the penthouse.
"The one who spoke in German?" Her aide asked.
"Yes, him." She nodded. His accent was impeccable, and he seemed familiar. Where had she seen that face before?
"That's Officer Jack Routh, of their elite Metro division." Her aide looked up a sheet of paper provided by the DSS. Strange, he seemed so familiar to her, but she was sure she hadn't met him before.
No matter. She prepared for the rest of the afternoon, a shopping trip demanded by her eldest. She noted that they were being escorted by a heavy police presence, and she relaxed slightly, knowing they were taking her family's safety seriously.
Their itinerary was followed strictly, and there she noted Officer Routh again amidst their presence, talking with some of her other staff, this time in French. Interesting. She had trained her daughters to speak those two languages, and to see an American police officer doing the same was intriguing.
The mystery of Jack Routh did not end as their shopping trip ended. Taylor Swift arrived for the special dinner that cost a significant amount of money to arrange, but it was worth it for her daughters. The tall, blonde pop star arrived with her own entourage, and after greeting her and her daughters, she saw the way Taylor's eyes widened in surprise as she spotted the mysterious officer.
"Jack!" The pop star broke protocol and moved past security and staff and hugged the tall officer who was standing at the very end of the room. She shared a confused look with her staff, apparently, Taylor Swift knew this man quite well.
It looked like her eldest did too, as she started screaming that he was Sugar. She decided to make some changes and whispered to her staff to adjust the chairs at the table.
"Please join us, Officer Routh." She told the tall man with the familiar face. "It seems like my Catharina knows you too."
"He's Sugar mama! The Sugar!" Her fifteen-year-old daughter looked thrilled.
"I'm sorry, your majesty." Taylor addressed her after sitting down. "Jack's a close friend of mine, and I was surprised to see him here."
"Are you two dating?" She asked. She noted the blush on the blonde's face after she asked her question.
"Jack's married." Taylor explained. "We're just close friends. He even saved my life from a kidnapping."
The dinner went smoothly after that. She watched as the two musicians entertained her daughters. With Jack Routh serving as a quasi interpreter and guide for her two youngest, Taylor Swift was more relaxed with their dinner.
He had even revealed he was familiar with her husband's family and lineage and explained it in a way that was easy to understand for Taylor.
"The House of Orange?" Taylor looked confused.
"It's one of the oldest and influential families in Europe." Routh explained. "You can say that they invented modern financing."
"I thought the Rothschilds did that." Her eldest joined in the conversation.
"A common misconception." Jack replied to her eldest. "The Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, more commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, is the pioneer of modern financing with the concept of shares and speculation. Your family helped transform the company into one of the largest and most powerful private organizations that rivaled entire continents in power and influence."
"You should be a professor of history." She observed. "I have never seen my daughter listen so well to a history lecture before."
"Mother!"
It probably helped that Routh was an admittedly handsome young man. She could already see that her daughter had a massive crush.
"Jack taught history for a time in one of the city colleges." Taylor Swift revealed. "Sadly, I wasn't able to attend his lectures, but according to one of his students, he was a fantastic lecturer."
Taylor, and now Jack gamely posed for numerous selfies with her daughters. Taylor signed several albums and brought out what Catharina called Merch. Dinner ended on a high note, and when everyone retired for the night, she called her husband, who still back home, busy with family affairs.
She still couldn't rid of the sense of familiarity with Routh and shared her thoughts with her husband Alex.
"What does he look like?" Alex asked.
"Look at your daughter's Instargram post." She replied.
"He does look familiar." Her husband noted. "He shares some resemblance with my uncle, but they passed away."
Her eyes lit up. That was exactly it! Jack Routh looked like one of the paintings of her late brother-in-law, whose painting with his wife and son hung at their home in remembrance of their tragic passing.
With the mystery plaguing her since she met the man, finally solved, she relaxed on the bed and started to browse Routh's video channel that her daughter recommended she look up. She slept late that night, intrigued as she enjoyed Sugar's public performances.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
She did not expect Jack to join their spa day, but Zoe informed her that he had some errands of his own. Jack needed a haircut and an updated wardrobe for their upcoming trip to the East Coast in a week.
She thought Jack looked great already, but who was she to decide if he needed a haircut or not? She was shocked when she spotted Jack walking back to the spa with a fresh haircut and a few bags of new clothes.
She glanced at the fancy clock on the wall. It had only been an hour! She finally got a good look at her friend and paused. Wait, she was wrong. He looked more handsome and dashing now. She noticed that even the snobby receptionist was staring at her new neighbor, along with the other women waiting for their turn.
"Hey, Liz." Jack smiled at her, and she had to control her breathing and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Zoe not finished?"
"She picked the extended massage and scrub." She replied, aware that all of the women were observing the two of them. "You have to wait for half an hour."
"That's fine." She noticed that Jack had nowhere else to sit and decided to move over to the fancy white grand piano that was on display as a prop to show how fancy the spa was. She watched as Jack traced his fingers on the smooth surface and lifted the case protecting the keys.
She looked at the receptionist, but the woman didn't seem to mind Jack playing with their piano. He pressed a few keys and sat on the bench, and placed his shopping bags on the floor.
"So what's your favorite musical piece to play on the piano?" She asked.
"There are a lot of great pieces, but if I had to choose one, I'd say it's Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy." Jack explained. "It means moonlight in French, and it's one of the most popular pieces to play in films. Directors love it."
It was really good timing that the chair she chose to sit on was closest to the piano, but with one glance she could tell the other women were eavesdropping. One woman even pretended to be using her phone but she could see the screen was locked.
"It sounds like a complex piece, but it's surprisingly easy compared to other famous compositions." Jack replied. He tested some keys, and then started playing a familiar tune. The beautiful notes filled the lobby and she was getting into it when the music abruptly stopped.
"Can you play it longer?" She asked. She pretended to ignore the nods from the women sitting in the lobby. To his credit, Jack complied without another word.
His fingers danced once more around the keyboard, producing that beautiful music.
"It seems fitting that this subtle piece which feels better to be played at night to show off the silver moonlight, is popular at the silver screen. The contrast from the bright sun gives it its beauty." Jack shared and resumed playing. She leaned back, mesmerized at the sight of Jack in his simple shirt, jacket, and jeans playing the pearl white piano. The music was captivating, and within the fairly small lobby, the sound seemed to penetrate through her, every note taking her down a trip through her past memories.
"It's always been used as a turning point in movies." Jack's voice slowly brought her back to the lobby. The lobby was quiet, and she realized Jack was no longer playing. "Don't you agree?"
She didn't realize it, but she was clapping. The others followed her quickly, even the receptionist. Jack gave a small bow in return, though he did look happy to see that they appreciated his magical performance.
"I leave you to shop, and I come back to find you performing a recital." Zoe appeared by the entrance, looking refreshed and relaxed.
"I was just sharing my favorite piano piece with Liz." Jack replied. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah." Zoe nodded. "So what did you get?"
She followed after the married couple, and over coffee, she watched with amusement as Zoe inspected Jack's purchases. She had to hide her laugh, no wonder Jack was so quick in his shopping. He picked the most plain, simple clothes imaginable from the cheapest brand.
"It was the closest to the spa." Jack explained. "It was the most efficient, and I was even able to buy some tools from the hardware store."
She felt Zoe's frustration as her husband started to show off the tools he bought and placed them one by one on the small coffee table beside their drinks.
"This one is a screwdriver that's magnetized at the tip, and it even lights up at the end to check for voltage." Jack continued speaking. "This one is an Allen wrench set, look it even has a casing so they won't get lost…"
"We're going back." Zoe rubbed the sides of her head with her hands. "Jack, honey, you can't just wear shirts all the time."
"We still have time, right?" She decided to step in. It was clear Jack had a different set of priorities when it came to shopping and she knew she would need reinforcements.
"Why don't we call Jessica and Taylor over?" She suggested. "I'm sure they'll be happy to help get new clothes to update Jack's wardrobe."
"No!"
"Yes!" Zoe nodded eagerly. "I'm calling them now!"
She ignored Jack's look of betrayal and pushed on. Jack would need this for their trip, since he was about to meet Zoe's estranged family. He needed to make a good impression.
Taylor Swift
The after party of the American music awards was alright but it was unusual that it started so early, and her manager explained that it was due to safety concerns. Security was tighter than usual, thanks to that insane criminal who promised a ridiculous reward if he was freed. It was the favorite topic at the moment, though she didn't like how some of her colleagues were treating it like it was some form of spectacle. Police officers had died, and ever since she met Jack, she had held a high regard for the men and women of the LAPD.
The food was good, they had privacy, and the venue was actually filled with her fellow artists, musicians, sound engineers, and tech guys. She even recognized a few faces, people she had worked with in the past.
Label executives and CEOs were thankfully missing, and she decided to stay a bit longer. She did enjoy the Halloween theme and was inspired by Jack, she dressed as a police officer, complete with a cap, shades, and handcuffs. Her fake orange gun was a bubble gun and fan in one, and it was proving useful in the humid climate of the venue.
Her numerous awards, freshly engraved with her name, lay on top of her table, all 23 of them. It was a new record, having surpassed Whitney Houston. It was a pity that Jack couldn't come. She didn't invite him, since she knew him enough not to ask, and accepted their song of the year award for both of them.
Somebody I used to know was unstoppable.
Numerous artists and managers asked for a chance to speak with Jack, but she merely smiled and kept saying he was not interested in collaborations with other artists. She could sense their frustration and disappointment, but she had to respect her friend's wishes. They both loved music, but she took it to a professional path while Jack treated it as a hobby.
She couldn't wait for the launch of the DVD that would show Jack's first-ever concert, on board the yacht that she chartered. It took some editing, fixing up audio quality, but the final result was brilliant in her opinion. She was now waiting for Jack's feedback before her label started selling it with Jack's solo album, which was months in the making.
"Taylor."
Arianna walked up to her, moving past her circle of close friends, and sat beside her. She raised an eyebrow at her fellow pop star. She beat Arianna thoroughly in the Grammys, her album Fearless outselling Arianna's Sweetener by a good margin.
"Hey." She put on a polite smile, one deserved for people she knew but were not close too.
"Any word from Sugar?" Arianna got right to the reason she came to her table.
"Yeah, he said he's not interested." Poor girl. She could tell Arianna was desperate for a collab. Her album, despite including other famous artists, tanked hard in sales. She had sensed a shift in the market, in how people preferred authenticity and image rather than a factory-made song.
And unfortunately for her, she didn't understand Jack's thinking. She did, and she was determined to keep it that way.
"Pity." The younger pop star sighed.
"Like I said, he's not a commercial musician." She shared. "He doesn't do guest shows, publicity tours, or media interviews. He does what he wants."
"Okay fine." Arianna replied. "I'm here to ask you about some rumors circulating around."
"What rumors?" She asked. There were plenty about her on the internet, but her team was tracking those topics carefully, from absurd rumors that she was secretly pregnant with Jack's child to an affair with another pop star she used to have a crush on when she was younger. That one was gross.
"You're in some sort of secret Illuminati group called the Rosewood Club." Arianna revealed. "They say Jessica Chastain's part of it too."
She laughed at the notion that she was part of some ancient, secretive group. She may have reached generational wealth, but she was far from those people. Breaching the billion-dollar net worth allowed her to gain some information, and what she learned shocked her. There were powerful families that existed that practically controlled and dictated the majority of markets in the globe.
They were discreet, powerful, and influential in the shadows. They carried history and prestige behind their names, from Du Pont, to Rockefeller, and even the Rothschilds. There were a few more, but those were the only ones she was familiar with. And with Jack's recent history lecture, the house of Orange-Nassau.
"That's crazy, Arianna." She decided to nip it in the bud. "It's just a small circle of friends, and we hang out from time to time. There are no Illuminati or weird rituals, and we just have salads, cheese, barbecue, and champagne."
"So it does exist." Arianna smiled. "Who are the members?"
"It's not a membership." She rolled her eyes. "It's a good group of friends, and some of them aren't even celebrities but normal people with normal jobs."
"You serious?"
"100 percent." She nodded. Her phone buzzed, and she leaned away for a moment. It was from the group chat, and it showed a picture of Jack sitting in front of a piano. Sadly, it wasn't a video, but Liz mentioned that Jack performed the Claire de Lune.
[Need help with our boy, ASAP. He's very stubborn in shopping since we need to update his wardrobe for his upcoming trip with Zoe to visit her parents on the East Coast. - Liz]
[Give me ten minutes. – Jess]
[ Hard Pass. You're on your own, Jack. Be strong. – Nikolaj]
Wait, Jack needed help? Shopping?
"You're smiling." She heard Arianna comment.
"It's just my friends. One of them needs my help." She explained and stood up and made eye contact with her manager and tilted her head slightly, and looked out the window. That was the signal that she wanted to leave.
She decided to give one piece of juicy news to her fellow pop star. "Sugar's part of that group. Bye, Arianna!"
"Wait, what? For real?" Arianna gasped. "Can I come?"
"Sorry. It's just for close friends." She replied. "See you."
"Yeah, you too." The girl mumbled back in reply.
She needed to change clothes quickly, a comfortable disguise too, and a briefing of her security team. Maybe she could show up as a brunette with glasses this time. She could totally rock out the librarian vibe.
Lucy Chen
"This is stupid." She muttered under her breath. She expected a normal shift today, but instead, she had been run ragged the whole morning by Tim. She organized case files in the dusty records room, helped sort the armory, and even cleaned the shop from top to bottom.
Her T.O. even handed her a portable vacuum and stated that he wanted the shop to smell like a brand new car. She wasn't alone in her suffering, John was treated the same by Nyla Harper, but her fellow rookie fared better than her. He even knew the technique for cleaning the shop's interior and generously shared his own cleaning spray.
"What next, car tune-up?" She joked. Why was John making that zip motion with his mouth and finger? Did that mean…
"Good idea, Officer Chen." Tim Bradford crossed his arms. Fuck. She didn't realize he was standing right behind her. "Take the shop to the motor pool and give it a good oil change. Why don't you have the coolant, brake fluid, and the transmission fluid replaced?"
"You too, Officer Nolan." Nyla Harper added. "It better be done before lunch! I want my Shop smelling like roses!"
John was faster, and was already moving his T.O.'s shop down the ramp. She, however, still had the floor mats just outside of the vehicle since she had just vacuumed them and used the nice smelling disinfectant spray John gave her. Tim was no help as he continued to pressure her to move faster.
"Do you remember what I said, boot?" Tim asked once she was able to start the car.
"Oil, transmission, brake fluid…" She absently recited her T.O.'s instructions.
"Radiator and Blinker fluid." The hard ass finished for her.
"Thanks." She glared at him, but as usual, it had no effect. The tall, hunky man was practically impervious to her powers. An hour later, and she was blushing with embarrassment. She was laughed at by the chief mechanic and the other officers in the garage. Tim had managed to trick her again! Blinker Fluid! How could she have fallen for such a lame joke?
After lunch, she thought they would go out on patrol. She was proud of her work, the shop smelled brand new, and she was sure it was the cleanest it had ever been. But her T.O. brought her to a park, and she realized she was in another one of his Tim Tests.
"Stop pouting."
"I'm not pouting." She replied as they made their way to the small park. "I thought we would go out on patrol. What are we doing here?"
"You thought it was going to get easy after you passed the exam, but you're wrong." Tim followed her up to the shaded spot under the tree.
"Awesome." She rolled her eyes.
"What was that?"
"If recent events had taught us anything, it would be to remain ever vigilant. You probably think you know everything about policing, but you don't." Tim stepped closer and crossed his arms. "For example, what's the most important thing you need on the street?"
"Is this a trick question?" She asked. The answer was too obvious, but Tim only shrugged at her question.
"Okay, the easy answer is my gun, but I know that's not right." She answered. "So… my mind? No, that's too esoteric for you."
"Are you through not answering my question?" Tim asked. He looked serious, and she frowned, wondering where this was going. It was clear her T.O. was not in the mood for banter at the moment.
"My judgment?" That was her best guess. "Yep, my judgment."
"Your eyes." Tim pointed at her face. "Cop eyes stop crime and save lives. Did you start on explosive devices at the academy?"
"Yeah. Everyone did… a little." She answered in confusion. Where was Tim going with this?
"Good." Her T.O. nodded in approval. "I hope you paid attention, because I had a buddy from bomb squad mock up an I.E.D. and hide it somewhere in this park."
Wait, what? She wasn't ready for that!
"You've got ten minutes to find it, or I'll add the duty hat to your standard uniform." Tim warned. "Go!"
Not the duty hat! She'd be laughed at by everyone! No one wears that anymore aside from formal events! It was uncomfortable too, and her hair always ended up in a mess whenever she wore one!
She quickly looked around. Cop eyes. She spotted an unattended bag on a picnic table and started to move towards it, but a man arrived, sweaty and pulled out a bottle of water from the bag. Not that one then.
She looked around the immediate area and noticed that there were only a few civilians in the park today. The ice cream vendor looked normal, and with the afternoon sun, a few customers were lining up to get some refreshing dessert.
People were lying on blankets on the grass, enjoying the sun as they chatted with each other. She couldn't see anything. She looked back at Tim, but her T.O. only glanced at his watch to tell her time was running out.
Cop eyes. She took a deep breath and spotted the garbage bin, and ran towards it. She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted the mock-up I.E.D. It looked elaborate with blinking lights and wires.
"I found it!" She turned to Tim. Take that! No duty hat for her!
Tim didn't move from the shade under the tree and pointed at his ear. She rolled her eyes at his childish actions. This was to be expected from her T.O., and pulled out her radio so that he could hear her clearly.
"I found…."
POOOF!
She coughed as the mock-up bomb exploded in front of her, and all she could see was white. She looked down and realized she was covered from head to chest in what appeared to be flour. Just great. Fuck Tim.
She could see people in the park were pointing at her laughing. If she wasn't covered in white powder like a mine, she was sure they could see the blush on her face.
"And you're dead." Tim started walking closer to her. "Because radio frequency energy can trigger a bomb. Are you going to forget that lesson, boot?"
"No." She coughed. She could hear more laughter.
"Good." Tim replied. "Go get cleaned up."
She could see that the men with ice cream cones in their hands were taking photos as she made her slow walk of shame back to the shop. She thought this couldn't get any worse, but it did when she heard another voice.
"Nice look, Lucy." She wanted the earth to swallow him. What was Jack doing here?
"Don't." She warned him with a glare, but Jack's grin only grew. "Why are you here?"
"Who do you think brought the mock-up I.E.D. from Metro?" Jack also used the opportunity to take a photo of her. Fan-fucking-tastic.
"Thank Calvin Ellis for me, Routh," Tim called out.
"He said you owe him some Dodgers tickets. Here." Jack handed her a small pack of wet wipes from his duty belt. "You look like you need this more than I do."
She was in a foul mood when she arrived back at the station, but her temper eased up after a nice, relaxing shower. She met up with John, who also looked miserable.
"What did Harper do to you?" She asked.
"Horrible things." John shivered. "And it involved some crack addicts and a sewer. You?"
"Tim tricked me into detonating a mock-up I.E.D. full of flour." She revealed. "Let's go to the break room. I need some snacks."
She thought her remaining last hour would be more relaxing by just hanging out at the station, when she heard over the intercom that she and John needed to report to the bullpen, asap.
They quickly headed to the central area of the station, and when they turned a corner, they were greeted by a round of applause from all the police officers waiting there. There was even a large banner hanging high up by the stairs with the words Congratulations. Grace was there, clapping along with Tamara. Both wore beaming at the two of them.
"What's this?" John was the first to snap out of the shock.
"Congratulations on completing the Field Training Program." The Captain stepped forward. She had a pretty smile on her face, enhancing her features.
"This is the end of your time as rookies." Sergeant Grey stated. She saw the proud look on the man's face and smiled in return.
"You did good, Officer Chen." Tim added.
"You too, Officer Nolan." Nyla Harper smiled.
"You have consistently performed to the standards set by this Division." The Captain continued speaking. "I am proud to say you are both officially P2."
Cheers and applause erupted once more. The crowd of officers parted, revealing a table overflowing with pizza, various sandwiches, and various fruit beverages. She thought this was the worst day ever, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. Today was awesome! She didn't even mind all the hazing, she was a P2!
"You knew about this." She glared at Tim.
"It was the last day that I could officially bully you." Her former T.O. replied. She could still not get used to that fact. "I know you'll do great, Officer Chen. Don't hesitate to ask for my help if you run into trouble. I'll always have your back."
That was the sweetest thing she had ever heard from Tim. She averted her gaze to hide the blush on her cheeks. Stupid crush!
Tamara reached her side and she quickly hugged the younger woman. She noticed that the girl was still stealing looks at Jack, who was standing by the snacks table, busy filling his plate with pizza.
"How did you get here?" She asked.
"Sugar, I mean, Jack picked me up." Tamara replied. She could tell her roommate enjoyed the experience, judging by the bright smile on her face. "He told me about the surprise party for your promotion."
She mingled with her fellow officers and took lots of photos. The last one, with the three of them with her in the middle, was the most memorable. She could remember the nights Jack and John reviewed with her for the exams. She couldn't be prouder to call these two her friends.
Zoe Andersen Routh
She watched as her husband took photos with his fellow rookies while John's wife took photos of the trio. Her other officers chatted freely, enjoying the snacks on the table. This was her second year to witness graduates of the field training program.
Last year, Chief Williams had gathered all the qualified rookies and had a fancy celebration with an elaborate ceremony at Central HQ. This year, with her strained relationship with the current chief, she decided to do something different.
She preferred this celebration more. It was more intimate and more meaningful for everyone involved.
"This was a good idea, Captain." Grey arrived beside her with two plates with a pizza slice each. Her sergeant offered one of the plates, and she quickly accepted it. "Maybe we could do this from now on."
"I hope so." She replied. She smiled as Tim produced three shirts, with the mugs of her three rookies printed at the front and the words Mid-Wilshire three written at the bottom.
"They're the best batch of rookies I've ever had the pleasure of teaching." Grey shared. "Let's hope the next batch will be the same. Do you already have their files?"
"I just reviewed them this morning." It was an interesting group.
The most notable was Katie Barnes, former military, 82nd airborne. Her combat record was impressive, and she saw heavy action in Fallujah. She was also a possible candidate for the new Metro program, but she had to be trained first to be a regular cop.
She knew Bradford would be perfect for her, but she had just received a request from the senior T.O. for a private meeting. She had an idea what Tim wanted, based on what her husband had shared with her.
With the simple party in full swing, she made eye contact with Bradford and, with a slight nod of her head in the direction of her office, she left the party.
It only took Bradford a minute to get to her office.
"You want to transfer to Metro." She started the meeting right away.
"Yes, Captain." Bradford replied.
"I won't ask why." She placed Barnes's open folder on her desk, right in front of Tim so he could read it easily. "Take a look at this."
"You want me to train her."
"That's right." She nodded.
"But about my transfer…"
"I want to enroll you in the new Metro program that Jack participated in." She shared. "Jack always believed you and Lopez were the best candidates for it."
"But what about my schedule?" Tim asked.
"Same with Jack when he first started." She answered. "If you join now, you'll have enough time to qualify for Metro, and by the time Barnes and the other rookie get here, you'll be ready to train her to be a civilian cop. You know how difficult it is to transition from active duty, where you always watch out for threats at every corner."
"You'll be her primary field training officer, and when you're busy with Metro, I'll have the others rotate." She added. "What do you think?"
"It's a good idea on paper, but may I request one thing?" Tim asked. Intrigued, she nodded. "Have Jack partner up with her when I'm busy."
That was actually a good idea. Jack was very observant and insightful, and with his unique background, she believed her husband would work well with Barnes. "I'll consider it. Send your paperwork tomorrow so we can get the process rolling. I'll call Captain Cortez later, but I'm confident you will pass the evaluations."
Her senior T.O. smiled at her show of faith in his abilities. "Dismissed, Bradford. Have Jack come up here."
She needed to talk to her husband about the schedule of their upcoming trip this Christmas season.
Maxima Zorreguieta Cerutti
It was a pity that she had to fly to New York after spending a few days in Los Angeles. The highlight in this leg of the trip was no doubt the young man who served as one of her security detail and coordinated their movements with the other LAPD officers.
He only spent a few days with her and her daughters, but he had made a strong impression on her family. Officer Jack Routh seemed to have also caught the attention of the Countess of Wessex, and even requested to join her in her penthouse suite as she entertained the young officer.
He was a delight to speak with, easily switching languages and familiar with the current geopolitics and history. He was excellent in his Spanish, her native tongue. She remembered one particular moment, as she invited Routh for a chat. Her schedule had unexpectedly cleared up after another delegate she was supposed to meet suffered food poisoning.
She was a lover of music and donated to numerous charities and supported struggling musicians. To her delight, Jack Routh shared her passion.
"What musical did you wish had reached Broadway?" She asked.
"Definitely the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ma'am." Routh answered politely.
"Hmmm, I agree with you on that." She replied. "I believe it could have reached the same popularity as Les Misérables. Are you familiar with the piano?"
She had only seen a few videos of him singing modern songs with a guitar, but her daughter claimed he was even better with the piano. She wanted to see that for herself.
"It's the musical instrument I'm most proficient with." Routh replied and headed to the grand piano without hesitation. "Do you want me to play you your favorite piece, Ma'am?"
"How about you surprise me?" She suggested. She had heard enough Bach, Mozart, van Beethoven, and even Dvorak to last a lifetime. "Something new, but in the classical form. Something that will take me somewhere, on a journey."
"As you wish," Routh replied and immediately started playing.
The notes were light at first, and then deeper notes countered that. The tempo picked up, and suddenly she felt like she was taken on a journey. The music was unfamiliar, but undeniably beautiful. She wondered who the composer was.
The music ebbed and flowed, reaching high notes, and she heard the lightest of notes, like twinkling stars in the background of the general flow. She was on a ship, traveling to the unknown, with only the stars as her guide. It was marvelous. She wished it were performed with the accompaniment of a full orchestra.
The music ended too quickly for her liking, but she stood up and applauded Jack Routh's performance.
"Magnificent!" She smiled. "Who composed that?"
Jack Routh smiled and sat back down after she settled back on the couch. "It was composed in 1995 by Jerry Goldsmith for a Science fiction TV show called Star Trek Voyager."
"Truly?" She hid a smile. Her husband was the one who enjoyed those, not hers. She glanced at her aide and nodded in approval when she noticed he had recorded her guest's impromptu performance.
She spent the rest of the allotted time discussing the logistics of the Olympics with Jack, and why nearly every city rejected the opportunity to host such a prestigious event.
Her phone rang and she woke up from her reminiscing. It was Alex, and she eagerly answered the call.
"Did you see the performance?" She smiled.
"I did." Her husband nodded. "I didn't realize he was also a Trekkie. When I watched him playing, I had a strange sense of déjà vu."
"With his resemblance to your uncle?" She asked.
"Yes." Alex's features became serious. "It's uncanny. I still have memories of him when he played the piano. They moved almost exactly the same, in sync with the music."
"Alex…"
"Love, how old is this Jack Routh?" Her husband asked.
"I'm not sure… mid twenties perhaps, even younger." She replied. Why was her husband asking these questions? She had never seen him so serious before.
"I see." Alex replied. "I'll call in an hour when the girls are awake. I need to make some calls."
"What is this about?" She asked.
"I just need to make sure, love." Alex replied. "I love you."
"I love you." She answered. The call ended soon after that.
Did her husband think Jack Routh was some sort of lost relative? But that was impossible. Claus had died in a tragic accident with his wife, Ella of the Mountbatten family, and their young son in a car accident a few decades back. It was a pity that Claus had a falling out with his family since they disapproved of his choice to marry so young.
According to Alex, his uncle was always a rebel and chafed at the rigid schedules and restrictions imposed on him. He had cut off contact and eloped with his wife, and started a new life in America, until the family met a tragic end.
That was impossible, and yet, she could not deny the striking similarities.
This trip had become much more intriguing.