MVUTO

chapter 79 - my god! what is that smell?

'The school holidays are over and not a peep from our POI or his vomit-inducing accomplice, nor were there any major incidents in the precinct area. As if the dregs of society had scampered off to a safer playground. Pfft! Ironically. The stats were crawling closer to 0 and the deadline for the arrival of the auditor drawing even closer.' Chief ruminated.

'What am I supposed to do, start a bleeding riot! Why weren't the BOS pleased with these stats! The mayor is! No doubt homeowners and landlords are, equally! Even forensics sent a quick email asking if samples had been lost by the courier! The files are tidy, the backlog of unsolved mysteries have been tackled to a sufficient level... Fuck, I wish I could just ask the sarge what's going on. It's too fucking quiet!!! Should we start formally arresting five-finger discounter juveniles instead of giving them the usual 'drive of shame' home?'

"Chief"

"ah!"

"Sorry, this is urgent – we have received a call-out to assist another precinct in a hostage situation."

"shit! How many do they need?"

"Enough to block roads and direct traffic. Their boys are looking after the rubber-neckers and reporters as well as the incident. It's already breaking news."

"Why didn't ya just give me the dough? Ya dumb fucking bitch!" the hooded tweaker screamed and spat at the unfortunate counter-staffer of the run-down, poorly protected servo. Entirely focussed on jumping the counter to surprise the woman at the register, he failed to notice a patrol car had rolled in until they lifted the nozzle and set off the alarm within the shop just as the bandit pointed his loaded weapon at her head and demanded money. Instead of doing what he demanded, she crumpled to the floor as she wet herself. Embarrassed, her legs were crippled by terror.

"Sorry... sorry... please don't shoot!" she tearfully begged, with arms up, protecting her face from being pistol-whipped. Full of adrenaline, the crim grabbed her by the hair. She screamed in pain as he lifted her high enough for the cops outside to see he had a hostage, demanding they back off or he would shoot her. But before he could ditch the woman and run, coincidently, another police vehicle arrived with the same intention as the first, but as soon as they spotted their colleagues holding guns, they immediately rushed to the rear of the building blocking all possible exits. Panicked, the gunman decided if he was to go down, he would go down fighting. The cops were understandably concerned that as soon as they fired their weapons, any backlash from their target could ignite a bowser. Setting off an explosion that would likely kill everyone within the premises. They called it in and blockaded the entrance driveways from the public. A mobile news vehicle arrived soon after, having tapped the police channel and received the go-ahead to inform the public via radio and video uplink.

Extraordinarily, a toilet flushed. No other cars were waiting for petrol. The gunman had no idea there was another person in the building.

"who the fuck is that?" he demanded while pointing his gun between the staffer's bloodshot eyes.

"a woman... she just needed to use the loo."

two women! But he only needed the one hostage. So he levelled his gun at the women's toilet door and waited. Finally, it opened to a woman taller than expected, disarming the man with her long flowing hair and buxom skimpily attired appearance.

"oh!" she feigned alarm. Blushing suggestively, unperturbed, she eyed the gun pointing at her, which should have set off alarm-bells in his heightened state of awareness. Failing miserably due primarily to the woman's exposed plentiful cleavage. 'This one is much more attractive than the snivelling heap behind the counter!' mesmerised to the extent where he lowered his gun a little for a better view, the man otherwise stood transfixed.

"oo, that's a big manly weapon!" the Jezebel ripped off her blouse buttons as she tore it open to reveal naked breasts and rosy nipples "go ahead and shoot", she demanded sexily. The man almost dropped his gun as he lowered it to run at the temptation awaiting him.

As soon as the pair locked themselves in the toilets, the staffer still sheltered behind the counter gathered her wits and bolted for the front door. Outside shielded by police, she explained there was still another hostage locked in the women's toilets, probably being raped by the gunman. Two of the officers bravely peeked inside the front office before entering when they saw it was empty. However, as soon as they entered, they heard violent retching amongst other gross noises. The pair approached the loo door cautiously. Inside, the woman could hear their footsteps on the sticky old lino and called out to them.

"I'm in here... I think he's dying!"

"Ma'am, where is his weapon?" they all had to shout over the gut-lurching sounds of the disarmed gunman.

"I threw it out the window!" the woman growled at the disgusting mess splashed on her new shoes and legs, she had forcefully turned the gunman's head away from her, but alas, that didn't divert the splash-back as soon as the projectile vomit hit the floor at blinding speed.

Upon hearing the gunman was disarmed, the officers sighed with relief, albeit a little early.

"Captain, could you explain to me why your men arrived with a mask necklace and rubber gloves in their pockets?! It's almost as if they anticipated what was going to happen at the servo!" the neighbouring area's precinct captain demanded to know the truth. Presently a few of his staff were recovering in hospital quarantine from what doctors believe is a bout of gastro. In contrast, the gunman was quarantined in a separate ICU in a critical condition, having vomited blood for an excessive amount of time. However, the buxom hostage in the toilets was last seen tying a knot in her blouse and disappearing as the stench drifted downwind towards the onlookers forcing them to protect their noses and block their view of her escape. The only ones prepared for such an event were Chief's staff, who immediately raised their masks and donned their gloves as soon as they got a whiff.

Chief was grateful the call he received wasn't video linked otherwise, the man on the other end could see how guilty he felt at that moment. "ah ... the flu is doing a circuit here so...."

"really?! Not gastro?! Just the flu?!"

"yeah ... just the flu" the last thing he wanted was for his staff to be implicated, but was the other captain convinced?

"bullshit!"

apparently not. Chief sighed. Expecting to be verballed, he grimaced.

"if I find out your staff are off with gastro, you'll be hearing from me again!" The line suddenly died.

'well, now I can't just request a copy of the security footage'. Chief had hoped for a much sharper image of the woman who had disarmed the gunman. Clearly, the contagion wasn't pinned on her just yet. Luckily, there was a way around his predicament. Chief turned on the tv in the conference room to watch the news report of the incident as it played in a loop on just about every major channel.