"Per Captain Weatherby, the following protocol changes will take place immediately. No more putting any boots on top of lockers. Any boots left on top of lockers will be thrown away at midnight and noon daily. Second, every officer must provide a business card to every citizen they contact. If a citizen doesn't want a business card, the officer must write a police report and document the fact the citizen refused a business card." Grey tells everyone
"Sir, with all due respect, this sucks." I tell him
"Ours is not to judge, Officer Lopez. Command believes that the captain's focus on efficiency is what Mid-Wilshire needs right now." Grey says
The door opens and Capt. Weatherby wanders in, coffee in hand.
"Captain. Can I help you?" Grey asks him
"I need an updated vehicle list." Weatherby tells him
"Yes, sir. I'm in the middle of roll call. I'll get it to you right after. But since you're here, would you like to say anything inspirational to day shift?" Grey asks
"Did you tell them about the boots?" Weatherby asks Grey
"Yes, sir." Grey answers
"Oh. Okay." Weatherby says and turns to everyone "Well, uh - Keep up the, uh, good work."
He wanders back out.
"All right. Last bit of business. District Attorney's office has a witness on ice. They need our help watching them." Grey says and John raises his hand "I usually don't assign rookies these type of details, Officer Nolan. And Officer Bishop would have to agree."
"Forget it. Protection details are like watching paint dry." Talia tells John
"Looks like you're out of luck." Grey tells John
"I'll do it. And Nolan and I haven't had a chance to "bond" yet." Tim says and everyone else laughs including me
"Great." John said with uncertainly
"All right. Bishop, you'll be riding with Chen. That's it. Oh, and remember when you take your shops in at night, you now have to drive by the garage to get a mechanical inspection and mileage report. You're welcome." Grey says and everyone leaves but I walk up to Grey
"Sergeant Grey can I talk to you?" I ask him
"Sure Lopez. What is it?" He asks
"So before Andersen passed I asked her if I could become a detective again and she said I could but I have to take the test again but she also said I could do it when I am ready to." I tell him
"So you want me to ask the new captain if you can take it and become a detective again? That is what you are saying correct Lopez?" Grey asks and I nod my head "Alright. Well I will see what I can do Lopez. Now get out there with your rookie." He tells me
"Yes sir." I tell him and go to officer West
****
"You're right, this sucks." West says while we are in the station hallway
"For you. 'Cause I'll be home eating dinner while you're doing all that." I tell him
"Officer West to the front desk. Visitor." The woman on P.A. says
"I'll be right back." West says
"Make it fast. Captain's put a clock on our roll out." I tell him
****
West is holding onto a backpack when I come around the corner.
"Hey, Boot. What's the holdup?" I ask him
"Uh, nothing. Sorry. I just - Actually, can I, uh Can I just get a minute? I need to hit the locker room." West tells me
"30 seconds or I fail you for the day." I tell him and he dashes past John and Tim to the locker room
****
West and I pull up to a scene where a man is punching another man in a Highway Patrol uniform. I apprehend the attacker as West helps the uniformed man to his feet.
"Police!" I yell
"You all right?" West asks the uniformed man
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thanks. He got me when I wasn't looking." The person in uniform said to West
"You're under arrest for assaulting an officer." I tell the civilian
"He's the one who should be arrested. He said he'd rip up the ticket if I gave him $100." The civilian said
"That's not true." Russell said
"Like hell it isn't!" Mike tells him
"Hey!" I say to Mike
"Sir, there's no use in lying. All right? Whatever really happened is gonna be on the officer's body camera." West says but then notices Russell isn't wearing one "Where's your body camera?"
"Um, it's, uh, it's in the car. It was on the fritz. I'll- I'll go get it." Russell said
He starts toward his car, which is a black-and-white with a California Highway Patrol seal on it - but I see that it's not officially painted on - it's a poorly attached sticker.
"Officer, wait!" I yell
West runs to catch Russell, who has gotten in the car and is trying to get it to start.
"Get out of the car! Get out of the car now!" West yells at him
"Okay, take it easy. Take -" Russell said but West interrupted him
"Get out of the car." West tells him
"Take it easy, man. Come on." Russell said and gets out and West cuffs him and searches him
"Interlace your fingers and face the car." West tells Russell
"Okay, okay, okay. It's just a big misunderstanding. Can't we just - Can't we just talk this out, you know? Cop to cop?" Russell asks
"You're not a cop. And impersonating a law enforcement officer is a felony." I tell him
"I want a lawyer." Russell says
"Maybe you can impersonate one." West tells him
****
"Hello? Gino? He hung up." West tells me
"Why? What did you do?" I ask him
"Nothing. Um, do you mind if we stop by the hospital after lunch?" West asks
"Not unless you get food poisoning." I tell him when the ground starts to shake
"It's an earthquake!" I yell at West
West and I pull people out of the path of a falling light standard.
"Go! Come on! I got you." I yell at the people who I helped escape a falling light
****
West and I are cruising, looking for looters.
"Control, 7-Adam-7, show us on patrol in Bel-Air." I say into the radio then turn to West "Still no word from Gino?"
"Nothing. What if he's hurt? Or worse. And the last thing I said to him was in anger." West says
"Odds are he's fine. Quake wasn't that big, and the hospital's retrofitted." I tell him and then we hear thunder rumbling and say "This is a waste of time and resources. The last thing people are gonna do when the city's at a standstill is drive up to Bel-Air and loot."
A security alarm starts to blare from a house nearby.
"Or maybe not." West says
On foot, we approach a house where the alarm is coming from.
"Front door's open." I tell West
We draw our weapons, and then see a large man in a bathrobe step into the doorway holding a gun in each hand.
"Stay back!" The man says
"Gun!" I yell
We dive for cover as the man fires randomly towards them.
"Come on! Come on! I'll kill you!" The man says and he then disappears back into the house
"He retreated inside! Let's go!" West says
"Stay focused. Remember your training. Keep it cool. Keep it tight." I tell him
We enter the house, where the alarm continues to sound and a sound system plays rock music at a high volume. West finds the sound system and turns off the music; the alarm continues to blare. We both hear a thud from inside a nearby cabinet and form up to point our weapons at it. West steps forward to cautiously pull the cabinet door open and a terrified-looking man peers out.
"Hands up!" I tell him with my gun pointed at him
"Don't shoot!" Jonah says
"Come out of there!" I tell him
Jonah steps out; he's shirtless and has dozens of small bruises all over his torso.
"Weapon! Drop the gun!" West tells him
"It's only a BB gun." Jonah says dropping the gun
"What the hell happened to you?" I ask him
"My boss, he's lost his mind." Jonah answers
"Who? The fat guy in a kimono?" West asks
"Yeah. Tommy Lamont. I'm his assistant. He was on day three of a coke binge when the earthquake hit, and now he thinks it's the end of the world." Jonah says
"I'm still lost on the welts." I tell him
"He had us hunting each other throughout the house with BB guns to stay sharp for the oncoming apocalypse." Jonah says
"You're kidding." I say
"I wish. But then when it hit, he got into the gun cabinet, and I was terrified he would forget which was which." Jonah says
"Can you turn off that alarm?" I ask him
"Yes." Jonah answers
"Go do that, then wait outside. ... " I tell him then turn to West "On me."
We move down a hall and find Lamont standing in a room with guns in hand, shouting. We take positions just outside the open door.
"Jonah! Jonah!" Lamont yells
"Mr. Lamont, LAPD! Mr. Lamont, I need you to stand where I can see you and put your weapons on the ground." I yell out to him
"I'm not falling for that. I saw that episode of Midnight Apocalypse where they steal the police uniforms." Lamont says
"This guy is out of his mind." West tells me
"Sir, you're not thinking straight. We're here to help you." I yell out to him
"I don't believe you!" Lamont says and fires a shot and broke something in the room that sounded like glass
"It was just a BB." I tell West
"That alarm is eating into my brain!" Lamont yells
"Jonah's taking care of that." I yell to him
"What have you done with Jonah?" Lamont asks
"He's fine! Jonah is fine. He's helping us. Gonna take care of that alarm." i tell him
"Ah, you tricked him. He's helping you steal my rations! - Jonah! - Don't listen to them! Don't trust them!" Lamont yells so Jonah would hear him and the alarm finally stops sounding
"We're gonna be here all day." West tells me
"Mr. Lamont, I'm gonna confide in you, but you can't tell anyone. We have a place all set up. A bunch of us survivors are heading that way. Rations that can last for years, solar power, but we need you to trust us and set down your weapons." I yell out to him
Lamont seems to consider for a moment, then puts down the weapons. West and I advance into the room.
"Turn around, and put your hands on the back of your head. Get on your knees." I tell him
Suddenly the alarm starts sounding again. Lamont takes a swing at West, knocking him into a glass table, which breaks. I dropped Lamont with her taser.
"Are you okay?" I ask West
"Yeah." West says
"On the bright side, we finally have a legit reason to go to the hospital now." I said cuffing Lamont
"Jonah! Call my lawyer." Lamont yells
****
"Sergeant Grey!" I yell out to Grey running up to him and he turns around
"Yes Lopez?" Grey asks
"Did you ask Weatherby if I could take that test?" I ask him
"Well, to be honest I forgot but you will be glad because he is no longer Captain here but we are getting a new Captain and I will remember to ask the next Captain." He tells me
"Oh alright. Have a good night Sergeant Grey." I tell him and go to the girls locker room and change into my street clothes