End of Watch
Rounding the corner of the HAVEN veteran's hospital, I found the AMBULANCE stopped in the parking lot, its doors all open wide. The RAPID flashing of its light-bar painted the scene in monochrome pulses of yellow light.
The bald little DOCTOR in the DINGY lab coat GRINNED at me from where he stood, his eyes full of MALICE and the ancient AMULET hanging from the loose folds of skin around his neck. In his right hand he held an open STRAIGHT razor, blood dripping from its surface. At his feet lay the still-twitching carcass of a young AUTUMN LAMB, as of yet unaware it was dead.
I made a mental note to chuck the uneaten HAMBURGER on my dashboard in the trash. My appetite promised to be gone for a very long time.
He began to recite a CURIOUS litany. It sounded almost like a POEM in Greek, or maybe even Latin. His eyes never strayed from mine, which was good--I didn’t want to INVOLVE any of the hospital staff in his murderous spree.
Seven dead was more than enough.
I flicked off the safety on my .44. The solid weight of the weapon was both COMFORTABLE and familiar; I had never been forced to discharge it in the line of duty, but I had a PECULIAR sense of foreboding. I somehow knew that after tonight I would no longer be able to make that claim.
With his spindly arms, I knew his attack RADIUS with the blade was fairly small, but there was no way to MEASURE the evil of his intent. I approached cautiously; if I did have to fire, I wouldn’t do it ACCIDENTALLY.
LEGAL or not, there was no way he was leaving this parking lot alive.
------------------------
©2023 - dustygrein