My case in court was dragged for 2 months. In the end, they decided I'd get off with a 6 months suspension. Man, I was pissed the hell off! I couldn't bring myself to understand why I was being suspended. I mean, yeah, maybe I didn't handle the situation perfectly, but I got the job done! I was being punished for doing my job, and that I couldn't understand. I was forced to abandon the police. They took away my badge, my job and consequentially my paycheck. Now, I wasn't poor. I was doing pretty well, but shit, 6 months without a job? I didn't have that kind of savings.
-Look, Mike...-Thomas sat besides me on the couch.-You ain't gotta worry about a thing. I'll work extra hours, I'll cover your part of the expenses. It's all good, man.
-You know I can't accept that, Thomas. You've done enough for me. I got myself in this bullshit. I gotta find my way out. I'll work a shit job for 6 months, then I'll bounce back and give 'em hell!-I smiled, lying. Truth is once you're a badge, you can't really be anything else. Specially in a small town. I had caught my fair share of punks. They all knew me and if they saw me outside without the protection of the police... Small business owners want no trouble, let alone employing an ex cop.
-Yeah, sure... Anyway...-He got up.-Gotta go catch the bad guys!
-Yeah, rub it in my face, moron!-I complained. He laughed and left.
All of a sudden, I was sitting all alone in an empty room. It felt like torture. See, all my life I had something always going on. Whether it was my drunk dad, or the kids at school, or later on my own job... I was an active person. I was used to being up to my neck, out of my depth. And now I had all this free time, all this peace and quiet and I didn't know what to do with it.
I tried working out, I tried a hobby, but nothing matched the adrenaline I was used to. And, God, I needed it like an addict needs heroin. I was constantly in this state of anxiety, I needed something to do!
Then, one day, out of the blue, I went to the store to buy some cereals, and as I was casually reading the ingredients, checking for the ones trying to kill me, Quintin rushes inside the store. He hides behind the shelve on the cereals' isle. I looked at him, confused. He seemed terrified.
-Are you stalking me?-I asked him, playfully.
-Shut up! Get out of here! Shit's about to go down. -He told me, in panic. I sighted.
-Not on my watch, old man.-That was exactly what I was looking for. I didn't care to understand who was in the right, I just wanted some goddamn action! I grabbed my 9mm which I kept carrying even after being suspended. -How many?
-Five.
-You got a gun?
-You got a dick?-He rolled his eyes.-Stupid question.-He grabbed his revolver as well.
-Alright. Let's do this.-I peaked and took down one of the guys holding a gun.-Hey, this don't mean we're friends.
-SHUT UP!-Quintin fired his gun as well.
It got a little out of hand. All of a sudden there was a semi automatic and we were running from the bullets. It took us about 15minutes to finish those guys. I was expecting a little gunfire, 5min and we done, but instead, we pretty much destroyed the corner shop, dropped 5 bodies and left, running away from the sirens.
-Wait...-Quintin asked, breathless after a few minutes running.
-Seriously, man!-I was pissed.-Every time you show up, my life gets all screwed up!
-Hey, I didn't ask for you help, hommie! I told ya to leave! You chose to stay and fight like a man.
-No, no! I fought like a fucking idiot! Now I got 5 bodies on me and a fucking convenience store! I'm a motherfucking policeman!
