Gay Tales; Long Bars to speak openly

Okay; disclaimer coming up. This is a Gay tale, so for those of you who are not liberal minded, don't proceed. This was written for a contest on 'coming out of the  closet'.

Other than that, its cheers.

"Hey, by the way, I like men." I heard the lady across the long bar telling her friend. It has been for the last hour as she kept on recounting her moments with them, as if the friend cared if she did. I could tell all he ever wanted was a fuck. They are the same; fuck and let you be fucked asking for more. I am no man killer, but I liked them too. The only question was how do I tell him.

"Waited long?" I was shaken off my martini slumber by that voice. I nodded to him, while he pulled up to seat on the tall chair. He took of his spectacles and rubbed his eyes.

"Too many hours, and no sleep, huh?" I thought it would be a good starter to the conversation. Its not like we speak much when we met. We are men, we don't speak; we go mucho and pound each other on the back. Isn't that how men talked? I guess we did the same; most times.

"No, long night watching the games. We lost but what the heck? It was the beer that matters." He shrugged his shoulders. I wished I could just leaned over and rubbed it for him, but that would be crossing into his personal space. We are men and we do not rubbed each other's body parts. We only rammed into them in the football games. Or was it the basketball. Heck, we turned our back in the shower room most times; intentionally for modest reasons. Its not like I was going to gape at him or vice versa, but ...never mind.

"Hey, Jimmy. I..." He was not looking at me. Darned lady taken his view; the one gaping on how a fellatio should be done. Heck, I could had told her I blown more than she ever did in her snatch. He was smiling at her oratorial tutorial. Guess, that dug the hole I was to prepared for myself. I got up but Jimmy caught hold of my arm.

"Hey, you are leaving? You called me over just now. It sounded like Hercules was pounding you up your arse." I always loved his smile. And I wished it was then, but it was not the time to do the 'dare to tell'.

"Sorry, Jimmy,. I need to take a rain check." I placed my dollar for the martini but Jimmy was adamant on talking.

"Hey, stay on for a while. I have to speak to you." He sounded serious; the tone you get when another man wants to speak to you on a peer basis. I nodded and re-took my seat next to him.

"Break me a vodka!" I told the bartender and then looked at Jimmy. He was hunched over and had his right hand pulling at his ear. I loved to nibbled that one.

"Jimmy, I got a skeleton in my closet, and I need to speak out." He looked at me. "I am gay."

Wham! He took it out of my mouth. Literally, I meant.

"But you were with Susan and before that, Marilyn, and that what's her name.....Sandy..." I spluttered off the list of names I could remembered then. Okay, I was drunk sober then aka shaken from my stupor.

"Yeah....yeah....I loved their company but we never went to bed. I always played the gentleman. Once I dropped them off, I was on my prowl. Do you know this was one place you can picked up the scent?" He smiled at me and then shook his head. "You wouldn't know. I mean you are not the one like me."

If he was referring to me as if I have a pecker, I would had gladly shown him, but if he meant I was not gay, which.... I was going to tell him, but now I am playing it cool.

"Me, I am open....I meant I am okay. You are gay and I am okay with that. No offenses taken." I had to double back if he thought I was insulting him. "Its not like you are and I ...may not be one. Darned!"

I was drooling and apologized. I took my served vodka straight down the throat.

"Hey, I knew you are straight lane man. I thought us being pals, we ought to be tell each other openly." Jimmy laughed at me. "Let me get the bartender to break one more for you."

That second vodka worked wonder; I needed to get myself to the drowning pool. I excused myself, but Jimmy wanted to come along.

"I needed to peed too." We walked like men to the place and heck; the standing podiums are all leaking off the sides or occupied.

There was one cubicle available. Jimmy told me to go in; he could still hold it in. I looked at him square in the eyes before I pulled him in. I slammed the door closed and kissed him on the lips. He struggled for a while and then sent me back his passion on the lips. He gently pulled away and looked at me.

"I am sorry. I ...." Jimmy gently pulled me aside. He unzipped his pants. "Pardon me. I need to peed."

Well, I always like the role of the fireman with the hose.

2030hrs Day One Killrock Part 1.2

1.          The Attack on the Vampires.

Basilus look at the Vampires; they parked it in set of three's with some distance from each set, and the last single one was a distance away like a standing sentry. The ten men crews set their camp around the tanks and a full complement crew took turns to protect it. They are good as they cleared a kill zone of ten metres around the tanks.

It was almost impossible to reach the tanks.

"Marc, can you do the shots?" Basilus asked the sniper. He pointed to the single tank that was parked a distance of twenty metres to the right. There were only three crew men doing the sentries.

Marc pulled out the saucer disc; the saucer shot out like a projectile for ten metres at where the Draconian were approaching. The disc sides opened up to be a horizontal yo-yo on the air before its swung out in a circular movement slashing at anything in the radius with its random flying movement.

Basilus knew the deadly weapon for close proximity kill, and nodded. Sniper are trained to stay alert and in stealth for hours at times. Marc crawled away in the dark to get to the tank at five hundred metres away. Basilus picked up the PH750 left by Marc and trained it on the sentries. He asked Luke to get an eye on the other sentries.

There was a buildup of the winds that dark night, and the crews are huddling using the tanks as cover. It helped the Rangers that night. Marc made the distance to the tank in an hour. His pace was hampered by the strong wind although it may provide the cover. He saw the crews huddling next to the tank left hull as they set some crude storm cover. He pressed top lever and watched the saucer disc goes in action. The saucer flew towards the crew and began slashing. Body cavities dropped off their body before the blood spurts out as it exert its ferocious moves. Just as it started, the saucer fell down on the ground after a lapse of ten seconds and three dead crew men lie dead on the ground.

Basilus saw the slashing and began his run to the tank. Marc joined him and picked up the saucer disc. They stopped before the tank hull; avoiding the dead parts which are currently rolled off by the wind. The Leader took out the explosives and placed it on the tank tracks before motioning to Marc to move. They still got a few more tanks to handle.

The next group of three tanks were parked with their rear to each other with their guns facing out. The main force of the crews were holding shelter in the center along side with the sentries. Basilus was about to move for the next group when he saw the tanks there all starting up.

"What in tarnation?" Basilus stopped in his track with Marc. He can see the crews jumping into their tanks, and then the guns starts to move like a waking giant. He pulled Marc back and told him to detonate the other explosive. They kept on running when the Vampire tracks exploded.

2.          The Attack on the Ammo Depot

Squad Leader Nur stopped at a distance of over fifty metres to look at the ammo depot. The winds were lashing at the cover structure build over the ammo depot. There are ten Draconian Scouts on hover disc hovering at the perimeter. She stopped the squad and took up the Thor; the personal missile launcher. The launcher would fire a mini explosive at a distance of over fifty metres. She was to fire when she saw the Draconian Scouts started shouting, and then they were zooming over despite the strong wind.

"Damned!" Leader Nur placed the explosive launcher down as the other two Rangers trained their rifles on the advancing Scouts. The Scouts are good at their movements and evaded the shots. She grabbed the PH375 off her back and started shooting.

"Retreat!" Leader Nur shouted out the order, as she provided the cover fire. It was a long run and the wind was hampering their movements. She saw the Scouts are getting near and they just took down one of her Rangers; shot in the right thigh causing the Ranger to fall down.

"I can't move, Leader." The Ranger shouted out as he laid cover fire back on the Scouts.

Leader Nur looked at the Scouts before she ran for the rear. There was little she could do for the Ranger as the Draconian are getting closer.

"Leader, do not leave me...." The Ranger screamed out but he was set on by the Draconian with the mallet hit onto his Helm. The Ranger died on the spot.

Leader Nur looked back as she retreated. She saw her squad member getting killed. She regretted running but this was her first time. It won't be her last. She ran on with her strength but she got shot on the back of the left shoulder. The shot caused her to fall on her side and losing her PH375. She pulled out her PH450 and rolled on her back. She raised the PH450 and awaited them coming.

When the Draconian came in range of ten metres, she fired at the approaching Scout. She got the first one in the head; blowing the brain off, but she missed the second one coming at her from the left. The scout came at her with the cleaver and slashed at the raised left arm; cleaving it off at the elbow. She rolled over in pain but the Scout was not giving up. He came with a second round with a slash that ended the Squad Leader life.

Mystery & Cops #17; Pros and Politics

Prostitution ranked the highest number of bookings which we do daily in the Precinct but we ranked the highest that evening for number of alleged prostitutes killed in one incident but no one was cheering. It was a ten apartment building of which all the victims were found in them.

"Seventeen victims burnt to crisp in their vice den. Do you know if your man was among them?" It was leaked out that the building was a vice den by some reliable informants and that stroked the headlines with those creative liners. Vice squad got it bad that night from the Captain who was awakened by the Commissioner, who was also alerted by the Mayor who was having a sleepover at the adjacent block after doing a fund raising event. Why was he there when his house was four blocks away remained unanswered but the s*** have hit the fan. We were not spared as Homicide counted in as there were dead bodies. Vice denied the building was a vice den or they would had crashed it, so they pushed it to Gangs for a possible gang meet house. The accusations and wild guesses still went around until the Captain intervened.

"I don't care if its Fort Knox. We have seventeen dead and I want answers to the people of this city." That ended the discussion and we were the main section running the investigation.

"Did you read about the fire?" Di Angelo never misses an event that happened in the city. He can tell you more than any cops on the scene. "I heard they were not your typical walkers; these are well paid ones. The kind the big boys with big a****s can afford."

"I thought they liked them a****s big." That was Dan who just sat down next to me. "Me? I liked them round and soft to hold."

"Morning Dan. You are early?" I wished my Coroner and good friend as he counted the coins to pay for his breakfast. Di Angelo have left us alone to served the customers.

"Morning. I am here early as I got seventeen crisped to check for causes of death." Dan chuckled to himself. "Maybe I might get one John Doe with death by cardiac arrest due to over exertion to complete before the flames spread."

"F****d you, Dante." I was kidding on Dan' statement with sarcasm of mine. "If there was an inferno like that, I doubt even Dante would be still stoking his fire with his mistress."

"Who said they are mistresses? There was no mentioned of in in the papers." Di Angelo leaned over while serving Dan' green and raw meat breakfast. If Di Angelo heard that, then the whole district would be soon. I could had just tipped off the biggest news tip in ages. True enough, it was on the Noon Edition.

"Vice den: naught for you, Its a mistresses hideaway. Inside sources leaked info,"

Damned! I am f****d and was called into the briefing room; all of us who wore badges and given a 'cap-o-nine' verbal whipping by the Captain on principles and conducts at work. We were also told to avoid Di Angelo. I can just visualize then Di Angelo putting up a banner that says; "It wasn't me." It was Dusty who kicked the dust up when he spoke up for us; 'we ain't even started on the case since morning. We are still clearing out current ones.'. I could had sworn, Dante Inferno would not had rivaled that of the Captain wrath then.

"Then WTF are you going to start on the case? When I come serving you coffee because Di Angelo was barred perhaps."

That took us all off on our pedals to looked at the case files. There was a lot to read; possible victims' details from recovered personal effects, Fire Brigade initial findings ( all exits were locked or barricaded from outside ), and the newly partial Coroner' reports. There were ten guys and seven ladies. In rough maths equation, we may have some threesomes or some playful men playing 'poker' that evening. The last was Frank's fact of life.

My partner then was Harry Mecham, good guy with always a beaming smile. He should had been a dentist, but I guessed he won't qualify for mine; I liked mine with the overflowing bust line. I took split the victims files with the others and got two to handle on my own. The victims I got were Joseph Conrad, and Micheal Fritz; both sounded corny to me but that was recovered at the scene. Their ID names rang up my spine like fakes but there was work to be done. I checked it at the State Police Database with cross reference to the National Database of names and came up with nothing. I called up Dan for some prints and ran it through DNA Databases and came up with nothing.

"Jim, the two names are not the only ones which we have no records. There was another." So we got three John Doe. Probably left their ID at home when they went play 'pokey'. Like high schools student carrying fake IDs to get into the bar. The others were confirmed and identified by their next of kins or friends as having stayed there or were pairs.

Harry and myself went to visit the unit which the three John Doe were found. According to the Coroner reports, they were all huddled in the bathroom and probably died by smoke inhalation. We checked the place and found no poker cards or chips, or even packets of nuts; I told Harry it may be a miracle if we do find anything but sometimes miracles do happened. We found the passports wrapped in plastic inside the cistern. We got names to matched the John Doe but they are not nice names. They smelled of Feds and soon after I reported in, the Feds came in and took our files. We were also told to backed off from the case. I protested hard but the Captain had to agreed with them.

But unknown to them, Harry had taken out the name for his own records.

Both Harry and myself hit out for the migrant blocks and did some digging of our own. A name came up; Vlad Gorda. He was a man you meet if you need the works on how to migrate here. We found the man but he was a tough one to break until Harry asked for some personal time with Vlad. I told him no rough stuffs or we would be given the legal section yelling harassment. It took Harry fifteen minutes to 'torched' it out of Vlad. I asked Harry what did he do the man. Vlad was very obliging after that.

"Did you used the rubber hose or was it the phone book?" I used them before during my hey days. "Don't tell me you tried that tooth up his scrotum threat?"

"No, I told him who my dad knows in his grocery business. The old man supplies some clients and they are influential. Nobody wants to cross the grocer; you never know what he do to your delivery before it reached you." Harry was beaming his smile again. Damned, I am not going near a grocer again.

We got a name of the purported arsonist and now was the 'catch me time'.

Adrian Frisk was a repeated offender; works for whoever pays him. He does everything; knife, gun, rope, or even piano wire for a new neck line. I never seen him do the fire stuff but people may changed. Adam for his profession stayed in a posh place in Brighton. I went in with the usual backups,and surprised him in his heated pool with the girlfriend.

"I don't do fire. I am maybe a fierce dragon at times, but I am not into blazing glories." I can read that Adrian was lying there as he sits on the chair in the Discipline Room, but I have hardly the evidence. "Even if I did, I would had learned from the best."

I would had sent for Harry but his grocer tales turned out to be partly true; his father does supply to some big names but they hardly knew his father. Only Vlad believed it.

But we got our new break then. Adrian pool mate was a high class hooker with some violations. She works the top of the pack with her girls. Her name was Marcia. Okay, I forgot to advised; Adrian was in his late forties and his taste ran along with his age, so you can understand why he was in the pool with Marcia. She may be past her prime but she still had the handle bars needed; perhaps they were perked up with silicone.

"Yeah, I remember that place. They took some of my girls and paid me peanuts. I guessed some of my friends paid them back with hot numbers." Marcia was not mincing her words but she won't leaked out her friends. I won't have gone far with her anyway if I tried, but soon the Feds took over. It was their case when they took my files. They also took Marcia and Adrian. I heard they were charged with tax evasion and racketing charges. Hey, those out of my league but soon the news dwindled and the Captain mellowed.

So that was it, we closed the file with the remarks; no supporting evidence to convict.

I thought it was all over until I saw the papers three days later while the TV was playing Superman cartoons re-runs. I still like the way he said; up, up and away; "Mayor Leak; tip off that Mayor having an affair. Reliable sources confirmed."

My portable rang at the same time when I was reading the headlines.

"No, Captain. I have no confirmation on the leak. If I do find out, I would assured you that person would not be leaking again." At that moment I was imagining how Di Angelo liked his sausages.

Up, up and up there, I guess; from the hot pan.

Mystery & Cops #18: Power and Old Pals

We relied on electricity power for almost everything from the lights to the internet withs some cases the hybrid car needs the power up too. All was fine as we expected it well into our life until the day someone shut down the source to downtown. It all started at the start of dusk when everyone was o the way home, or for a drink, or maybe even a dash to the automated machines for cash. The power went off on the grid ad the city was fried an hour later. Traffic was piled up from corners to corners and shops were forced to close. It was not bad as the train was still running, but the opportunist came into the darkened area soon enough. Then the calls came in when we were already stretched to the limits with all the uniformed out there directing the traffic.

It was Frank who was manning the front desk when a man walked in with blood over his clothes. He told Frank'; "I killed someone, but I can't recalled where or why. I am totally blanked out in my mind."

Frank hollered out to me as I was walking from my desk.

"Hey, sunshine. You got a case now." I was hoping to skipped for home when I heard they got certain streets going. I was thinking of blaring my siren and clearing the traffic there, but now Frank have dumped me an assumed killer who does not remember.

"Frank, I got two kids who needs me to feed them milk?" I threw in my excuse but Frank was crude on his reply.

"No, Jim. You got two teats that does not feed you any more milk. So take up the case and worked on it." Frank smiled at me as he referred me to my sex life with Jenny for the last few weeks. That was the price of men's gossip at times; they haunt you later.

Frank was made Acting Head since the Captain went on medical for check up for two days. I should had taken up the offer but I passed it on to Frank yesterday. Now he was crowing his ego off at me as he was pissed to be given that post. It meant longer hours and more forms to sign.

"Sargeant, I got this gun with me...." The bloodied man had drawn a gun in his hand in the Precinct. That's a no no for all; as we are touchy on guns drawn by others besides ourselves. The few of us all reached for our guns including Frank as a drawn instinct while I spoke to the man.

"Sir, please lower the gun. I am sure you do not want to be shot by it." I approached the man for his gun. It was then the f******g lights went off leaving all his in the semi darkness. I crouched down immediately on reflex and had my gun out. I was sure Frank was doing the same. And so was everyone who ever wore a badge. The lights came on when the generators kicked back on power. It happened often and just needed a crank up its pipes and it would worked again.

I looked up to see the man still holding onto the gun. He was waving it all around and then Officer Brian walked in at the front door.

"What the...." Brian was a good officer, but rash action counts for his mouth and reflexes. He had his gun drawn like a gunslinger and shot the bloodied man in the chest. It was all over in seconds, and our would be self confessed killer had died there. Brian aka the Gunfighter was all cool about it.

"You guys okay?" Brian sounded out as he held his gun on the dead man. No one replied to him but we were all relieved we ain't the one who shot the man. Now Brian have a longer weekend than us with the reports to filled out.

The power came back at an hour later and we had the Coroner to cleared the body.

"F*****d! Can't you guys don't add anymore numbers to my list on this evening?" Dan the Coroner was upset as he had three more this evening from misc shooting to nobody cares why shooting that caused them to be piled up at Dan'. I briefed Dan on the victim and then went off to checked on the radio for any fatal shooting reported.

"Jim, we got enough shootings and stabbing to last us a week, and you expect me to find a stiff for you. Screwed you, Detective." Those were my drinking pals and now calling on my rank as I added on to their tasks. It was close to midnight when I went back. Jenny was awake there and had my supper on the table; defrosted from the fridge.

"I thought you liked them that way, thawed for your desire." She was mad at me for not being back earlier. Jenny feared the dark alone and more so when they was a blackout but our home was not affected. Who ever listens to reasoning when they are scorned up like her. I took my supper in silence and crawled into bed next to her.

The next morning I was at the Morgue and trusted Dan was there too. He came in earlier to start and had opened up my suspect.

"Died of a gun shot to the heart; pierced it and gave a new ventilation hole at the back." Dan told me as he removed the innards parts taken out to the deep frost compartment. "There were some knife wounds, and bruises which accounted for the blood on him, but he could had fought harder. Blood on his clothes may not all be his; probably his victim too."

"I am still trying to established the DNA but his name was in his wallet. Untouched by the fighting." Dan pulled out the ID from the wallet he had recovered. "Barry Mans, aged ...fifty nine and ....."

"Enforcer for the bookies. I knew him." I should had recognised him as I booked him before, but that was like five years ago. I heard Barry retired after someone broke his left knee. "Dan, checked his left knee please?"

Dan did and confirmed my identification. But why was Barry back in the city; but he was no squeak with the gun. He used it before but the one I saw yesterday was uncomfortable with it. He was not like the old Barry, who used to cracked other jaw on late payments. I left back for the Precinct and pulled out the file on Barry.

Soon I was at Di Angelo suffocating on his coffee and hot dogs, but someone got to keep him floating with the business. He had piled on extra sauces on my doggie so I let it out onto him.

"Jim, the thing was going to go bad with the fridge not working last night, so I decided to capped it on for the morning serve. Considered it on the house." I looked at the runneth of sauces that was drooling off my my doggie. Its not a turn on but a bad vision of Mona Lisa displaying her ....never mind, we would stick to the original painting.

"I can see you are reading Barry' folder." It was Frank who sat himself next to me. He placed his order and asked for extra sauce. I would had cautioned him but after what he did to me, I am applying the Miranda Rights to myself.

"Barry was a good man; loner but devoted." Frank continued on as if I had asked him for the update. "He worked hard, played hard and we worked him over more than twice. I was his nemesis then; the one who would pushed his face to the flush when he was at the Precinct. Those were the days."

I ignored the Sargeant as I was still upset with him but I can't helped hearing his views.

"The bosses liked him until he reached the age where his hands trembled. Then they kicked him off on a retirement package, but Barry was not your porch sitter. He was the enforcer, but times caught up with him. Soon he was diagnosed with Alzheimer. Damned! That almost caused him to take his own life."

That was new. It was not on the file.

"But Barry fought on to get back, until the day the bosses told him to forget it all. He did as far as I knew; he suffered memory loss. They sent him to the Medical High for a long stay."

"Frank, how did you know so much of Barry?" I had to asked.

"You keep this to yourself. I broke Barry' knee; not intentionally but by mistake. We met on the street and he started thrashing me, so I retaliated back. I got mad and stepped on the knee. But we held a truce since then." Frank looked at his doggies and pushed it away. Told you that if there was another version of Mona Lisa, you would not come back to see her anymore.

"You could have told me, that it was Barry last night." I told Frank.

"I did not recognised then. He had aged since we last met four years ago. Or was it five?" Frank shook his head. "I could be having Alzheimer too."

I left Frank there and walked back to the Precinct. I bumped into Micheal "Gorilla" Dudley; the successor to Barry the profession, outside the Precinct. Micheal was a small framed man but with his square shoulders and longer arms, he was an ape in any fight. His favorite was the head slammed onto your jaw followed by his foot stamping your face.

"Jimmy, I heard you offed my mentor, Barry." Micheal was trying to impressed me with his threat but I was passed taking threats from any one standing below my chin. I grabbed Micheal by the lapel of his cheap suit, and slammed him to the wall. 

"Squeak wrong on me. Pal. I did not shoot your mentor. Someone else did. So get the facts right or be f*****g right to accuse me." I glared into the enforcer's face. "I did not shoot him."

"Not what I heard." Micheal mumbled back. "I am just ..."

"Don't threaten me, Gorilla." I disliked to be targeted. "I carry an Elephant rifle big to give you more than one back hole. So minced it back."

I left Micheal standing there smoothing his suit while I stepped back in to the Precinct. I bumped into Dusty, the other detective in the Precinct. He used to work on the bookies setup before. Dusty told me. Barry was a loner, but he was seen patronizing a flower shop before. Dusty passed me the address.

It was one of those half shops shared with a news agent. It was named Patricia Place. I could not believed my eyes; there was Mathew 'Mad Digger' Landon with his two goons there. Geez, it was a day of meeting so many of the bookies and their bosses, I was wondering was it my lucky day. I walked in and saw Mathew consoling the lady behind the counter. His goons saw me and tapped the boss. Mathew turned to looked at me.

"Detective, backed off. We don't need your condolences. Save it for your own." Mathew told me off. "Barry was my good man. Ever be in my heart."

The lady behind the counter cried out and rushed to the rear of the shop. I approached the man but the goons held me out of reach.

"Mathew, I did not shoot Barry. It was...." I could not say the name. It would mean squealing and that could led to death for Brian. "Barry drew on me, and some one shot him."

"Who, Jimmy? You can cleared your name." Mathew replied to me as he reached to picked up a stalk of rose. "No names means you are lying."

"Don't worry, we won't get you yet. But one day, when you least expected it, we would." Mathew left the shop with his goons. I stood there and waited for the lady to come back but she did not. So I left the place and got a call from Frank.

"Meet me at the Sub Relay Station on Bannon Hill." I disliked that as that was an hour drive out out of the city to the hill, where there was this station which managed the power grid to some part of the city. It was out my jurisdiction but if Frank called, it had to be a good reason.

Soon I was there, with some patrol cars and cleaning crew. There was another Coroner there pulling out a body in the bag. I met Frank who took me to the Controller Office. I met the Grid Controller who asked me to be seated. I was treated to a cam recording.

It showed Barry walking in and approaching the Technician who was checking the panels. The Technician was Terrence Stamp; an elderly person and freelance enforcer for Mathew. Barry accused the other of harassing his girl, Pat.

"Barry, are you cracked? I have not approached Pat in years..... Since you told me to backed off." Terrence was seen in the clip backing against the consoles behind him. "For old time sakes, please put away the gun."

Barry did have a gun pointed at Terrence; who then shook his head.

"Terry, I told you backed off. She's my girl and you still coming on to her. I won't tolerate that." Barry picked up the wrench from the nearby tool box. "You are like those pesky borrowers. You needed to be taught a lesson."

Barry threw the wrench at Terence. It hit the other man in the chest, who keeled over in pain. Barry then picked up the screwdriver and slammed it onto the back of Terrence. He pulled and thrusted it a few times. All those times, he kept on shouting; 'You do not f*****d with me."

Barry then shot the man who was on the flooring before he shot the consoles too. The time on the clip was 1800hrs; half an hour after the start of the blackout.

"Detective, at that time, Terrence; our Technician was alone here while the rest of the team was checking on the grid lines in the field. We are under staffed and we make to do with what we could. He was discovered only later when we traced the last of the few connections that was not working. We only fully restored power at 0800hrs this morning to all of the affected areas. Your shooter hampered our works."

"How come the body was only attended to now?" I asked of the Controller on seeing the body bag that was taken just now.

"That's not Terrence. During our works, we had another incident; one other Technician got electrocuted. He died at 0600hrs. Terrence was discovered at 2100hrs by the returning team. Its unfortunate we have two incidents in one stretch of 12 hours."

Two days later, I sat down to write the full report on the death of Barry Mans. Apparently, due to his inflicted disease, he thought he was younger and went over to visit his girl, Patricia but she did not want to see him. She told him off that she was seeing Terence instead. I got that from Patricia yesterday when she had sorted out her emotions. Somehow during then, Barry' mind triggered off the time when he warned Terence to back off from his love interest. He decided to show Terence he meant what he said. His ego them was then younger Barry with the knack of knocking out people. He killed Terence whom he found out was at the Relay Station. After the murder, Barry' mind triggered back and he was looking at himself with blood. He then out of concerned came to report the crime. The rest was already known.

"Do you think they would buy the story?" I looked up at Frank who stood there.

"I don't care. We all have lapses in our memory, Maybe one day they would forget too." I smiled at Frank before I filed the report. The last two days. I have checked my car for any tampering as Mathew may still hold a grudge against me. I noticed Brian avoiding me and that was good as I was spared of his silly jokes.

I marked my calendar for the day that we had the black out. It could be also a day to remember Barry Man's. It was not a day I want to forget.

Black Monday it was.

Flash Fiction; Recycling Life

"Do you really believe it's an accident that we're here tonight?" I asked the person next to me.

I knew it was awkward to speak to a dog but if you repeat this day with different persons in different places, you wouldn't consider me as crazy.

You see I was cursed to wake up each morning to the day I was to die sometime that day. Initially, it was fun; I could go and do the crazy things in life. After all, I would be dead by nightfall. I had acted all my fantasies from mime to pole dancer and even as a bank robber. ( Pardon me running starkers would never be on my list of to do list. ) There are over a hundred countries with thousands of cities, and double of those in townships and isolated settlements, I can assure you I travelled them all in my 'reincarnations' but never have I been 'reincarnated' with the inability to die by that day.

I been trampled ( courtesy of standing over some maddening crowd ), murdered ( reckon I might get recognized but I never get to see the next day's news ) , skewered ( ouch, that one hurt ), bitten by the black widow ( I did wanted to be radioactive spider hero ). I even tried flying with a red cape, but the wind was not strong to carry me. I tried high wire walking and got my head snapped off by the wire. The scary thoughts of waking up the next day missing an anatomy never materialized. I meant it all materialized in whole when I woke up.

Well, this time, I am going with Paddy here. I met the old dog here and we are welcoming death. We are going to knocked by the train that would come streaming down the tracks. Both of us would be dead together and I can add in a new clause to my contract with the devil. I can have the companion I want; a loyal one that would followed me without any complaints. Then again, I guess not. Paddy just laid over and died.

And the train is late. Darned! I am really cursed to do this alone.

Well, so much for me and my big mouth. I had to tell ya the devil never play straight. I asked for recycling, but this was not what I had in mind. Here I am now; recycled in a loop of life and death. Got to go, train is here. See ya, I guess. Don't wait for me, I won't be coming tomorrow. I am always yesterday's news.

2030hrs Day One Killrock Part 1.2

1.          The Attack on the Vampires.

Basilus look at the Vampires; they parked it in set of three's with some distance from each set, and the last single one was a distance away like a standing sentry. The ten men crews set their camp around the tanks and a full complement crew took turns to protect it. They are good as they cleared a kill zone of ten metres around the tanks.

It was almost impossible to reach the tanks.

"Marc, can you do the shots?" Basilus asked the sniper. He pointed to the single tank that was parked a distance of twenty metres to the right. There were only three crew men doing the sentries.

Marc pulled out the saucer disc; the saucer shot out like a projectile for ten metres at where the Draconian were approaching. The disc sides opened up to be a horizontal yo-yo on the air before its swung out in a circular movement slashing at anything in the radius with its random flying movement.

Basilus knew the deadly weapon for close proximity kill, and nodded. Sniper are trained to stay alert and in stealth for hours at times. Marc crawled away in the dark to get to the tank at five hundred metres away. Basilus picked up the PH750 left by Marc and trained it on the sentries. He asked Luke to get an eye on the other sentries.

There was a buildup of the winds that dark night, and the crews are huddling using the tanks as cover. It helped the Rangers that night. Marc made the distance to the tank in an hour. His pace was hampered by the strong wind although it may provide the cover. He saw the crews huddling next to the tank left hull as they set some crude storm cover. He pressed top lever and watched the saucer disc goes in action. The saucer flew towards the crew and began slashing. Body cavities dropped off their body before the blood spurts out as it exert its ferocious moves. Just as it started, the saucer fell down on the ground after a lapse of ten seconds and three dead crew men lie dead on the ground.

Basilus saw the slashing and began his run to the tank. Marc joined him and picked up the saucer disc. They stopped before the tank hull; avoiding the dead parts which are currently rolled off by the wind. The Leader took out the explosives and placed it on the tank tracks before motioning to Marc to move. They still got a few more tanks to handle.

The next group of three tanks were parked with their rear to each other with their guns facing out. The main force of the crews were holding shelter in the center along side with the sentries. Basilus was about to move for the next group when he saw the tanks there all starting up.

"What in tarnation?" Basilus stopped in his track with Marc. He can see the crews jumping into their tanks, and then the guns starts to move like a waking giant. He pulled Marc back and told him to detonate the other explosive. They kept on running when the Vampire tracks exploded.

2.          The Attack on the Ammo Depot

Squad Leader Nur stopped at a distance of over fifty metres to look at the ammo depot. The winds were lashing at the cover structure build over the ammo depot. There are ten Draconian Scouts on hover disc hovering at the perimeter. She stopped the squad and took up the Thor; the personal missile launcher. The launcher would fire a mini explosive at a distance of over fifty metres. She was to fire when she saw the Draconian Scouts started shouting, and then they were zooming over despite the strong wind.

"Damned!" Leader Nur placed the explosive launcher down as the other two Rangers trained their rifles on the advancing Scouts. The Scouts are good at their movements and evaded the shots. She grabbed the PH375 off her back and started shooting.

"Retreat!" Leader Nur shouted out the order, as she provided the cover fire. It was a long run and the wind was hampering their movements. She saw the Scouts are getting near and they just took down one of her Rangers; shot in the right thigh causing the Ranger to fall down.

"I can't move, Leader." The Ranger shouted out as he laid cover fire back on the Scouts.

Leader Nur looked at the Scouts before she ran for the rear. There was little she could do for the Ranger as the Draconian are getting closer.

"Leader, do not leave me...." The Ranger screamed out but he was set on by the Draconian with the mallet hit onto his Helm. The Ranger died on the spot.

Leader Nur looked back as she retreated. She saw her squad member getting killed. She regretted running but this was her first time. It won't be her last. She ran on with her strength but she got shot on the back of the left shoulder. The shot caused her to fall on her side and losing her PH375. She pulled out her PH450 and rolled on her back. She raised the PH450 and awaited them coming.

When the Draconian came in range of ten metres, she fired at the approaching Scout. She got the first one in the head; blowing the brain off, but she missed the second one coming at her from the left. The scout came at her with the cleaver and slashed at the raised left arm; cleaving it off at the elbow. She rolled over in pain but the Scout was not giving up. He came with a second round with a slash that ended the Squad Leader life.

Mystery & Cops #15: Miranda

The Miranda warning, also referred to as Miranda rights, (or a "caution" in most Commonwealth countries) is a warning given by police in the United States to criminal suspects in police custody (or in a custodial interrogation) before they are interrogated to preserve the admissibility of their statements against them in criminal proceedings.

The Miranda warning is part of a preventive criminal procedure rule that law enforcement is required to administer to protect an individual who is in custody and subject to direct questioning or its functional equivalent from a violation of his or her Fifth Amendment right against compelled self-incrimination.

Miranda v. Arizona, the Supreme Court held that the admission of an elicited incriminating statement by a suspect not informed of these rights violates the Fifth and the Sixth Amendment right to counsel.[Note 1] Thus, if law enforcement officials decline to offer a Miranda warning to an individual in their custody, they may interrogate that person and act upon the knowledge gained, but may not use that person's statements to incriminate him or her in a criminal trial.

In Berghuis v. Thompkins, the Court held that unless a suspect actually states that he is relying on this right, his subsequent voluntary statements can be used in court, and police can continue to interact with (or question) him.

( Extract from Wikipedia )

The Captain threw me the print out from his printer. He was upset with me as we just lost an important suspect as I had screwed up in the arrest. It all started that morning when I stepped into the Precinct. I had a tough night, arguing with Jenny on should I be there for her Mother's birthday that evening. Jenny had done up a large meatloaf for the party. It was not I did not want to attend, but there was work and more to it, I had a baseball game on that evening. We ended up with me sleeping on my armchair armed with my remote trying to learn how to program the machine to record on the time set. It was a futile effort as I can hardly read the small prints on the small booklet they gave. In the end, I watched some 'mechanical bull going at it' on the late night slots before I slept later.

"Coffee on your table and there is the report." Frank wished me my entrants greetings. This one means its going to be  a long day. I stopped at my desk and saw the layout but the folder caught my attention' Sonny 'Lisbon' Caine. He was hot property of everyone from Homicide to Narcotics, and also Organized Crime. He came to the city some ten years ago, removed some local turf gangs and took over then. That morning he controlled a major part of the city and still remained the Mayor' best friend. He even attended our last year Fund Raising Ball and shook hands with the Captain.

I grabbed the folder and walked out with it, pulling Frank along with me to the Police Yard where Di Angelo operates his Hot Dog Stand. The man had set up some tables and extended his menu to include his other meals from the previous outlets. I took my usual; no green and all meat meal with coffee while Frank settled for a morning doggie special.

"They found his mistress dead in the alley on 2^nd Street; the one after the circus clown joint." I knew that alley; pissed there a couple times once on a stake out at the circus clown joint. It was reported that they were going to bomb it but turned out to be a hoax. The only place after the accumulated coffee processed into your bladder was the alley, so we all settled for it. You could termed that we hosed off some filth off the walls that night.

"So what gives?" I was trying my impression of a punk talk.

"The alley had a camera. We captured the scene. Sonny was there. It showed him pull the gun." Frank drowned his doggie with the black coffee served by Di Angelo. 

"So give it to Dusty or the others. I had a bad morning, and needed to slowed down my nerves." I was actually thinking of going to the shooting range and improved on my score.

"Nope, Cap wants you. He reckon he owes Percy' dad the favor." I'll be damned. Percy was my new partner; rookie and son of the other Precinct's Sargeant. Cap wants me to teach the young man the trade. I remembered replying that we ain't in the Academy no more. Here we learn the trade like the hookers; you get better after a few tricks.

Soon I was in the car with Percy driving. The young rookie was a neat dresser; dark shades suit over a white shirt with gleaming shoes. Like his old man, he probably carries the badge on the inside of the jacket so he can flashed it when needed. I kept mine in the trousers pocket and took it when needed. Percy was a small one; speak when spoken and never questions at all times. He was as tall as myself, better build than my younger days and expensive haircut too. I was told he carries a .357 Magnum; his father's favorite. They stopped criminals rushing at you if shot at the chest. I prefer my M1911; it shoots off kneecaps and hip joints. I got evidence of them in the joints doing time.

For this Sonny case, we requested a patrol car to followed just in case. I been on such arrest and was shooed off with ten guys holding shotguns. I never made it past the front lawn that time. Since then, I never made an arrest without the boys in blue.

But this time I am driving in to the door steps. Or to be exact, the entrance to the cafe. I stopped there and got out while Percy went for the two bodyguards by the doorway. With Percy' size and holding the shotgun, he does looked intimidating. The bodyguards are not brave but loyal as they reached for their guns under the jacket but I stopped them.

"Percy' father is the Sargeant at 2^nd, so if I were you, I would not risk having two Precinct declaring war on your boss."

I cautioned them off and walked into the cafe. There was Sonny sitting there with two of his body guards at the next table. The man himself was eating his late breakfast when I stepped towards him. His guards stood up but Sonny motioned them to sit down.

"Morning, Jim. I remembered you. You came to my house but my boys were rude to see you off. What was it you wanted me then? A traffic violation? Or was it a murder of first degree? Sad, there were no witnesses." Sonny spoke out before he bit into the sausage. My witness left town on his own the night before and was never seen. It would seen that Sonny had friends among my friends who tipped him off on who was the witness.

"Sonny, I am here to arrest you for the murder of Marcy Gordon at the alley on 2^nd Street..." The man did not let me get started on my Miranda rights before he stood up and interrupted me.

"Show me your evidence. I have not seen her since yesterday afternoon when she left my house." Sonny shouted out. "So barked those same words to your Captain before I sued him for my rights."

I threw the envelope onto the table. It flapped open to show the black and whites of the crime and the blurred shots of the man who drew the gun on Marcy Gordon.

"Those are my rights to arrest you. So turned around." I shouted back, and was to recite my usual Miranda rights when his body guards came at me with their fists raining on me. I blocked and deflected it but they still came until Percy came in and shot the ceiling light. The Remington make a loud noise in the interior of the cafe, and my ears were ringing deaf by then but the battling twins have stopped their rumble on me. They had turned to look at Percy and then was the time I took out my gun and rammed it hilt first into the back of their waist, aiming for the kidney. I took out the left one and then punched the right one on his face with the gun.

That felt good. I turned to Sonny and asked him for his hands. I cuffed him up and dragged him out. Percy followed suit and it was then I saw the other two guards outside; cuffed to the lamp post. I wished I had webbings so they would be hanging upside down. I pushed Sonny into the rear of the car and told Percy to drive.

At the Precinct, I had Sonny taken to the Discipline Room, as we liked to called it instead of Interrogation Room. The later may referred us to those brown shirt in black boots.

"So if your picture showed me there, does not mean I killed Marcy Gordon. Show me your solid evidence. I want my lawyer." We are all humans inside us. I had a bad morning and being added to that, given this scum to process, plus his guards worked me over with some bruises; I had to let it all out. I slammed the set of keys I was holding onto the table missing his right hand fingers. Sonny moved his body back and glared at me.

"Jimmy, this is Sonny you are trying to scare." Sonny smiled. "Your wife teach my kid at the school. She knows better than to knock hard on the table. We all have rights as citizen of the city."

The scum mentioned my family and that irked me off; I rushed forth to grabbed him by collar. I dragged him up to his feet and stared into his eyes.

"You touched my wife, and I ....." That was when the room door was opened to admit in Percy and the darned lawyer of the scum. Just before I could complete my sentence, Sonny hollered his mouth off.

"Police brutality! Help me!" Sonny did a good number then when I felt Percy grabbing my arms to pulled me back. Sonny' lawyer was there shouting out his knowledge on the finer aspects of the law and inviting others to view my barbaric acts. I pushed Percy off and walked out of the room.

Like a pent-up bull who missed the matador in the ring. That was what transpired during the late morning and then at afternoon I was in the Captain's room listening to this outburst.

"You did not read him his rights and he goes free again?" The Captain was in rage. "Don't you know your protocol when handling custody? And who taught you to harassed suspects? The fake guys on TV, or was it your instructor."

It hit me then; I did not read his rights, the same words I uttered every time I catched those scums, but this was one time, I failed to do so. All because I was caught up with my emotions and Jenny's mother.

God, I disliked the trip there as I would be approached by the siblings who are better at earning money than me. They are all better educated and have bigger homes than mine. Jenny married me for the adventure of being a policeman' wife but now she thinks I am more like a politician now; all lies and b*** sh**. I could had defended myself that my role gives her brothers and their wives more peaceful sleep. But who cares about how and why I did that role; they felt it their right to sleep peacefully in bed.

"Jim, we all have rights. So does Sonny." I listened hard at the Captain. "Now we got to start all over again, and he may had already buried the cam clip we got by now."

Damned informers worked at every level, including in the Precinct. It their rights to do the needed for their bosses. Right now, I done nothing for my boss.

"The DA also called. The pictures we had was not clear to identify Sonny. And it did not show Sonny shooting at her; merely pointing a gun. Not shooting it." I knew that later when Frank told me after I left the Discipline Room, he was told by Forensics that later part of the cam clips seemed to be blacked out. Someone erased the evidence.

"Sonny walks out of here just now. A free man. All because you did not do your task like a true professional." The Captain words hurt me deep down but I would be fighting a losing war against him. I walked out and met Percy at my desk.

"I should had been there earlier. I was delayed by the need to cuff them." Percy was being nice about it. I thanked him and went back home. Jenny had left for the party and I was all alone. Soon after some glasses of vodka, I was awaken early at dawn. The TV was still on and it was the early morning edition news.

"Sonny Caine; a well known businessman was gunned this early morning in his own bed by his business partner Barry Newson, a retired army officer. Mr Newson as were told was staying here too. He was injured in a shootout at the home of Mr Caine when the personal body guards of Mr Caine confronted Mr. Newson." The news caster then showed a clip of Mr Newson who was lying on the ambulance stretcher.

"The b******d killed my baby, You can f*** her, I told him but never f***ed with her life. He took hers, and I settled for my right to take his." The older man was wheeled away to the waiting ambulance. I picked up the folder on my coffee table. I read the name of the deceased lady; Cindy Newson.

I guessed there are some rights you need not to speak to know. They are there by relationship or by action of your task. I turned off the TV and walked to the bedroom. Jenny was asleep there. I climbed in and spooned up to her.

"Mother asked about you. She was worried you were not there." I heard her in the silent bedroom of ours. "I took some of the meatloaf back for you. Mother said you deserved the right to taste it too."