Chapter 24: The First Halloween Heist - Part 2
Saturday, October 27, 2018 - Pershing Square, Downtown LA, 11:34 AM
Three teams arrived at Pershing Square within two minutes of each other.
The volunteer stood beside a large whiteboard with a logic puzzle written in marker:
Three officers respond to three calls. Each drives a different car color. Each drinks a different beverage. Using these clues, determine who drives the blue car: 1. The officer who drinks water doesn't drive red. 2. Bradford drives green or blue. 3. The coffee drinker drives the car Bradford doesn't drive.
I pulled out my phone, started mapping solutions.
Tim was faster. "Bradford drives blue. Has to be. If I drive green, coffee drinker drives red or blue. But water drinker doesn't drive red, so coffee drinker must drive blue. Contradiction. Therefore, I drive blue."
"Show-off," Lucy muttered.
But Lopez matched him. "Blue car. Same logic chain."
The volunteer held up both hands. "Both teams solved correctly! But—" dramatic pause, "—to receive your badge, one team member must perform a street magic trick for this crowd. Successfully. Volunteers?"
Lucy's hand shot up. "I got this."
"Chen—" Tim's warning.
"I've watched videos. Easy."
Oh no.
Lucy Chen's POV
How hard could a card trick be?
The volunteer handed me a deck. "Pick any trick. Amaze us."
I'd watched street magicians at Venice Beach. Pick a card, control it, reveal it. Simple.
I shuffled. Asked a kid from the crowd to pick a card. "Don't show me."
He picked. Showed it to the crowd. Eight of hearts.
"Put it back." I shuffled again. Tried to control the card to the top.
Lost it immediately.
Crap.
"Is this your card?" I pulled the top card.
Three of clubs.
"No," the kid said.
The crowd laughed. Not mean—more like watching someone try really hard.
I tried again. Jack of diamonds.
"No."
"Okay, so maybe I'm not a magician." I showed the whole deck. "But I bet none of you can write a police report in under five minutes."
More laughter. Sympathetic now.
The volunteer smiled. "Points for effort. But you didn't complete the challenge."
Jackson West's POV
My turn.
"I got this," I told Lopez.
I'd learned card tricks from my dad. Sleight of hand, misdirection. He said it taught observation skills.
"Pick a card," I told the same kid.
He picked. Ten of spades.
I controlled it to the top while shuffling. Palmed it. Made a show of spreading the deck.
"Your card isn't in this deck anymore." I pulled it from behind his ear. "Because it's right here."
The crowd applauded. The kid's eyes went wide.
"Ten of spades!"
"That's the one!" I handed it to him. "Keep it."
The volunteer gave us the badge. "Well done! Team Lopez takes the lead—three badges to two."
Tim's expression was murder. Lucy looked devastated.
"It's fine," Mercer said quietly. "We still have two badges left."
But I could see it on their faces. We were winning.
Ethan's POV - Reading Fourth Badge Clue
Lopez's team huddled around their card, reading the final clue.
I caught a glimpse over Jackson's shoulder: "The beginning is the end. Where you started is where you'll finish. The last badge waits where your day began."
My recall activated instantly. Back at Mid-Wilshire Station. Hidden in plain sight all along.
"It's at the station," Lopez said.
"Let's go!"
We sprinted for our cars.
Captain Zoe Andersen's POV - Mid-Wilshire Station, 12:03 PM
Grey and I watched the tracking software.
"All three teams just left Pershing Square," he reported. "Heading here."
"ETA?"
"Ten to fifteen minutes, depending on traffic."
I stood, stretched. We'd been at the station all morning. Waiting.
"Badge five is in the breakroom. Behind the coffee maker. Where we hid it at 6 AM."
Grey smiled. "They ran all over LA while the final badge sat here the whole time."
"Exactly. Lopez's team has the lead. Three badges. They'll be fastest. But—"
"But we've been here since the beginning."
I walked to the breakroom. Pulled the badge from its hiding spot. Held it up.
"Thirty years of police work teaches you one thing, Wade."
"What's that?"
"The fastest runner doesn't always win. Sometimes the smartest strategist does."
Angela Lopez's POV - Approaching Station, 12:11 PM
We pulled into the parking lot at full speed. Bradford's team right behind us.
"Go go go!" I shouted.
Jackson hit the ground running. Nolan followed.
We burst into the station. Where would the badge be? Front desk? Briefing room? Lockers?
"Spread out!" I ordered.
I checked the briefing room. Nothing.
Jackson checked the lockers. "Not here!"
Nolan checked the front desk. "Nothing!"
Bradford's team arrived, started their own search.
Where was Grey's team? They should've been—
The breakroom door opened.
Captain Andersen and Sergeant Grey stood there. Andersen held the final badge.
"Looking for this?" she asked.
The entire room froze.
Ethan's POV
No way.
"You've been here the whole time," Tim said slowly.
"Since six this morning," Grey confirmed. "Badge five was hidden at 6 AM. We retrieved it at noon. While you all ran around the city, we played the patient game."
Andersen smiled. "Thirty years of police work teaches you to think three steps ahead. We knew the final badge would be here. So we waited. Let you exhaust yourselves."
Lucy's jaw dropped. "That's... that's brilliant."
"That's experience," Andersen corrected. She held up the trophy—the SUPREME DETECTIVE/GENIUS badge. "Thanks for the ten thousand, Officers."
The camera crew captured everything. Our shocked faces. Andersen's victory pose. Grey's satisfied smirk.
Lopez started laughing. "She played us. All of us."
"Respect," Tim said. And meant it. "We'll win next year."
"You're welcome to try, Officer Bradford."
Evening - Ethan's Mansion, 7:30 PM
The party was spontaneous. Everyone showed up—all three teams, plus partners, plus Grey's wife and Andersen's husband.
The community video played on loop on my big screen. Lucy's failed magic trick got the biggest laughs. Jackson's successful trick got applause. Nolan's wrong bathroom direction got groans. And Andersen's final reveal got cheers.
"This is going to be incredible for recruitment," Andersen said, holding a beer. "Two million views minimum."
"The donation matters more," I said.
"One million to the LAPD fund. That'll cover training, equipment, family support for years." She studied me. "Your parents would be proud, Ethan. Using their money for something that matters."
If only she knew my real parents died in Chicago in a truck accident. And that these memories belong to someone else.
"Thanks, Captain."
"You brought something to this station. Energy. Generosity. Heart." She squeezed my shoulder. "I was skeptical when your aunt pushed for your placement. But you've proven yourself. Multiple times."
Across the room, Tim and Lopez were arguing about next year's strategy. Lucy was teaching Jackson proper card control. Nolan was raiding my fridge.
My danger sense stayed silent. Pure happiness. No threats.
This is what I transmigrated for. Not just to prevent deaths. But to build something real. Something worth the second chance.
"Attention!" Grey called out. The room quieted. "A toast. To Captain Andersen, who reminded us all that experience beats youth every single time."
"And to Officer Mercer," Andersen added, "who reminded us what this job is really about. Community. Family. Service."
Glasses raised. "To the heist!"
"To the heist!"
Later - Ethan's Back Patio, 10:47 PM
Jackson found me alone, watching the pool lights reflect on the water.
"Hell of a day," he said.
"Yeah."
"You thinking about tomorrow? The coffee date?"
"How did you—"
"Nolan can't keep secrets." Jackson sat beside me. "She's good for you, man. Emma. She sees past the deflection. Tim told me she called you out about hiding behind jokes."
"Tim talks too much."
"Tim cares too much. We all do." He nudged my shoulder. "You saved my life. Twice. That means I get to care about yours. So don't screw up the date."
"I'll try not to."
"Good enough."
Inside, laughter erupted. Someone had started the video over. We were watching our own chaos on repeat.
Ten weeks ago, I was terrified. Alone in a body that wasn't mine, trying to prevent TV show deaths while hiding impossible powers.
Now I have a family. A purpose. And tomorrow, a date with someone who sees me as a person, not a puzzle.
Armstrong's still out there. Andersen's life is still on my timeline. Jackson's eventual death still looms. But tonight?
Tonight, I let myself be happy.
The party continued until midnight. When everyone finally left, I sat in my too-big house that no longer felt empty.
My phone buzzed. Emma: Good luck with the heist hangover tomorrow. I'll have coffee ready.
Looking forward to it. Thanks for being patient with me.
Worth the wait.
I smiled, set my phone down, and let the day's perfect memories play through my recall one more time.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges. But tonight had been perfect.
And that was enough.
Author's Note / Promotion:
Your Reviews and Power Stones are the best way to show support. They help me know what you're enjoying and bring in new readers!
You don't have to. Get instant access to more content by supporting me on Patreon. I have three options so you can pick how far ahead you want to be:
🪙 Silver Tier ($6): Read 10 chapters ahead of the public site.
👑 Gold Tier ($9): Get 15-20 chapters ahead of the public site.
💎 Platinum Tier ($15): The ultimate experience. Get new chapters the second I finish them . No waiting for weekly drops, just pure, instant access.
Your support helps me write more .
👉 Find it all at patreon.com/fanficwriter1