It’s another night; another night of cold, pain, and sadness. I grab the keys and a spare radio while hitching up my pants. The duty belt leaves permanent scars on my hips. I snag the keys to an old beat up patrol car and grab the shotgun then stride out to find it in a sea of red and blue. Finally finding my cruiser for the night, I slot the beat up twelve gauge into its place above my head and then sink myself into the soft leather seats of the patrol car and just sit for a minute trying to nurse the aches and groans away long enough for new ones to form in my weary body. I note the full moon above my head as I key up “1496 to dispatch show me 10-41”. An hour of boredom passes as I stare out at a road used only by myself and deer, what keeps me awake is purely the crackle and hiss that accompanies the whispers of my fellow officers over the radio.
I close my eyes briefly and then my calm is broken when a call goes out for me “1496, respond to a B&E alarm at 152 heathland ave”. Normally these calls are meaningless but I have a sense of dread as if my subconscious is screaming something that my conscious mind cannot quite figure out yet. I wrench the car into drive and gun the motor causing the old cruiser to whine in protest at the sudden effort it is being forced to put out. I hit curves aggressively and squeal the tires as I push myself and my car to get there, anticipating an eventful night. I arrive at a large house tucked back in the woods up a hill and a hundred foot long driveway lit only by the moon. I turn down my radio as I get out and scan the area. I see a shadow shift in the distance and draw my handgun out of reflex, the adrenaline slams through my system at the same moment that the wind picks up and leaves skitter across the asphalt in all directions. I crouch and skulk through the woods, thankful of the wind snatching away the sound of twigs snapping underfoot but cursing my inability to hear, I see a figure shift and move behind the house, I break into a sprint as I draw my flashlight. I press myself on the side corner of the looming building and lean out quickly, I see nothing but still have the feeling someone is there, I cut the corner and turn on my flashlight.
I see a figure take off and I scream for him to stop, then I feel a sudden sharp pain in the back of my head, my knees lose all feeling and buckle beneath me. I roll over, instinctively press my left hand to my head and feel blood. Keying my radio I whisper “officer needs assistance” into the radio and hear the urgent voice of the dispatcher and fellow officers coming to my help and at the same time trying to figure out what is happening. I struggle to one knee and look up right as a piece of pipe swings towards me again, I hit the ground. Hard. I hit the emergency button on my radio so that everyone can hear what is happening, I lose track of the shadowy figure with the pipe as time slows down and I force myself fully to my knees, staggering as I push myself to look around and find it again. I hear the shrill tones of the Sirens call me in the wind picking up again. I hear snapping branches behind me and pivot, I see a figure several yards away and I fire my handgun as fast as my hand allows. The Figure and I both crumple at the same time as my radio ignites with the call of the dispatcher “1496! 1496 please respond!” As my vision begins to gray out I see another figure come running towards me and I weakly raise my shaking gun at it “brother it’s me, you’re safe now”. I blink. Sirens in the background and the entire area are bathed in flashing lights for the first time; I holster my gun after a few seconds of effort and sit down heavily as I finally realize my brothers have come to my aid.
Just another day in the life of a police officer.
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