Its been quite a while since I posted another chapter. Been a bit sick over the winter storm. Recovering and doing much better.

  This chapter features long conversations involving police jargon / radio chatter. I figured this fit in due to the fact that it sounded hysterical but on the point.

  “66 is south on the other corner of the house.”

  “Get 490 out of there.”

  “752, to get to where you’re at, I’m gonna make a long run without cover.”

  A blend of male and female voices chattered through his shoulder wrapped Motoro radio. Yuval was out of sight. They responded to a neighborhood shooting that had just begun a minute ago. They still cked information on the culprit behind the chaotic moment.

  Staring at the emerald foliage and opening from North Tropical Trail, the silver haired CBPD officer geared his patrol car forward, tires scraping the sandy (bumpy) trail. He briefly eyed a Private Property sign pierced through the grass. The rickety ride took less than a minute. The CBPD police cruiser squealed to a halt in front of a massive nd opening, a two story white paneled house secluded within the woods.

  “10-7, I need pants, pronto.” Helios briefly reminded. He waited by his patrol car, arms crossed with a flustered sigh. Thankfully, his fellow officers didn’t see him snooping around in bzing orange boxers. They were loose at the seams, wrinkled from the semi tight patrol pants he constantly wore.

  “752, they’re in your patrol car st we saw.” the dispatchers obviously pointed out.

  “That’s at least helpful for once.” Helios swung the passenger door open to find another set of his blue CBPD uniform folded next to his computer console. He snagged it like a 5 year old, and quickly slipped his legs though. Clicking his duty belt on, he grabbed his Smith and Wesson MP15 rifle, cocked the spring loaded Forward Assist handle, and slung the shoulder sling strap on.

  He trudged over to the only helpful blockade, gripping his rifle, “I've got cover right here behind this tree. I can hear movement but I do not see anything.”

  “Are you able to see as many corners of the house as you can?” a female dispatcher asked.

  Helios squinted, “I can see multiple units down by the road. I just wanna get you out of the area into cover. I've got cover where I’m at.”

  “CBPD, be advised they’re attempting contact for SWAT team.” a female dispatcher informed.

  “We’re requesting a BOLO. (Be on the lookout)” another male dispatcher added.

  “If he comes out the right side, I’d have a hard time seeing him because of my patrol car and then multiple vehicles that are in the driveway.” Helios scoped out the perimeter, secluded by the tree.

  “CBPD provided the phone number for the subject inside the house. In case you need me to text it to you.” a female dispatcher informed.

  Helios kept a straight gaze on the house before them, “Do it right now. Stand by. We're trying to get a crew to get 490 out. Clear on him. Nobody has service here?”

  The sun’s beam sliced through the trees, providing scatter plots of light dancing across the sandy ground. A distant whiz grew closer as a pearl white BRINC drone hovered past him.

  “Affirmative.” the female dispatcher confirmed. “14, the male’s father is attempting to get ahold of him by 19 [ phone call] I’ll advise if I find out further.”

  “Close down to this channel, vehicles on scene. We’re trying to do a rescue operation for an officer.” Another radio dispatcher advised on scene.

  “I see you.” Helios called out, spotting Skandera above the hill.

  “We need to go back that way.” Yuval shuffled down the slope, kicking leaves across his imaginary pathway.

  “Look alright, hey. I've got it covered.” Helios assured, leveling his sharp gaze at the white paneled house, “You guys move, when you’re set, I’ll move. I’ll make it all the way back to the creek.”

  Yuval popped his head above the bump, “We’re in the creek bed.”

  “Good.” Helios dazed at the trees before him, spanish moss dangling in delight.

  “7, we’ve got all units together. We’re in a creek bed.” Skandera radioed in the progress. Shadows phased back and forth on the sun scorched grass.

  “Great.” Nick flicked an ant off of his firearm. The little critter was that close to exploring the deep barrel of the rifle.

  “Not a good spot for us anyway. We can’t see anything.” Yuval shifted positions, only to notice Helios standing up, “Where are you going?”

  “I’m just spreading out. What if he throws a hand grenade? We’d all die.” Helios imagined a satirical dark ending with colourful explosives and cheesy woodnd creatures cheering over the officers’ lifeless bodies.

  Yuval ughed sarcastically.

  “Well, I didn't wanna get this uniform filthy today, but it looks like it's gonna happen.” Helios id on his belly across piles of dry pointy leaves, his rifle resting to the side. He clicked his magazine back in, ensuring its working condition.

  “Lay down comfy.” Yuval casually repeated, slinging a hysterical grin on his face.

  “Yeah.” the silver haired officer sighed, spotting a fluffy grey squirrel bound for another tree.

  A minute in and there was no sign of the suspect.

  “Where do you want us to go?” Nick asked out of the blue. He shoulder gnced at his partners behind him.

  “I dunno, I mean if we wanna maintain visual on this side, I mean this creek bed is a great cover.” Helios shrugged, pants scraping across the leafy bed, “It’s just you can’t see anything. But I mean if they’ve got the drone, that can be our eyes.”

  Nick spotted another helpful blockade, “What if I pop to this tree right here?”

  “You’re gonna lose all your cover.” Helios stood up and walked across to Garcia’s vantage point. He double checked the faulty mags on his rifle.

  “Is it locked?” The silver haired officer tapped the mag, firmly locked and loaded. “Yeah, I made sure I hit the lock like four times before we moved.

  “Brevard County, stage a medic unit.” a female dispatcher advised, “753 to 752, information, had movement. Lower window outside. [bodycam beep] At the front of the house.”

  They carefully swung their gaze at the first level of the floor, where miscelneous junk scattered across the porch. The screened in door cked any shadows.

  “The male’s father [inaudible] He’s talking to [inaudible]. He’s told him several times to turn himself in per information. I have the father’s number as well.” (radio dispatch)

  “He does have high ground.” Helios moved closer to Yuval. “Yeah, but everybody out on the road is gonna need to move ‘cause they’re gonna be in out-”

  Yuval cut him off too short, “They’re moving up.”

  “They’re gonna be in our back.” Helios countered, tightening his grip on the rifle’s mag, “Yeah, but they’re still gonna be in our backstop.”

  “What if we just push up so we can see the right side of your car? We just need a little bit of elevation.” Yuval asked out of the blue, a bit persistent over their tactic, “We can see the front door where the main egress is kinda covered.”

  “Left side of the house. We would like to push up a little bit. Just don’t wanna be in cross fire.” Helios shuddered at the thought of himself or the others getting swiss cheesed by a parade of bullets.

  “So he’s saying we can go closer to the house?” Yuval seemed a bit miffed over his partner’s sudden decision.

  “Yeah, Yeah.” Helios jabbed in a careless tone.

  “But we can’t go any further to our right.” Skandera frowned.

  “I don’t know about going closer to the house from where we’re because those trees don’t do a whole lot of cover. Unless you can get your whole body behind one.” Helios id down and casually began pying with a strand of dried Buckhorn pntain. “[muted by PD] - Then I definitely don't wanna go closer to the house - because those trees aren’t gonna do anything against a 50.”

  Nick radioed in, “[bodycam beep] Is there a high top window on the right side where your car is?”

  Helios continued to py with the pnt as if it was his only lifesource, “I think there was one and then there’s like another section of the house that juts out. I think it was maybe like a back porch type of thing. But it didn't look like it had any type of upstairs to it.”

  Yuval recapituted in awe, “It doesn’t have an upstairs?”

  “It cked a screened in frame to the porch. You have to remember I was looking at it as I was grabbing my rifle and retreating downhill.” Helios then blushed as a small 5 second poot bubbled from behind.

  Yuval ughed, “That’s stinky cute. Now back to work, Mr. Goofball.”

  Helios blushed redder than a cherry cake, “[bodycam beep] Excuse me. Heh. Silent but deadly. - Yeah, if this dude’s got 50’s, we’re going to have to stay behind this creek bed, because those trees aren’t gonna do shit for us. We’re gonna watch the freaking rounds explode through the trees and into our bodies. Man, you know how pissed off my girlfriend’s gonna be?”

  Skandera chuckled.

  Helios id spread eagled across the ground, his rifle fell ft beside his outstretched palm. He sighed absentmindedly, “I was supposed to pick Krista up for a date night at Firebirds Grill then go to a banquet at 6:00.”

  “You’re gonna be in trouble.” Yuval winked, pstering a shit grin.

  Helios ughed.

  “Yeah, you’re gonna be in a lotta trouble, dude.” Skandera spotted a cluster of crows madly cawing across the tree line.

  “She’ll be alright.” the silver haired officer winked.

  A few seconds drifted by as the two officers kept their guard.

  Yuval suggested a new weapon in their inventory, “You need a 45?”

  Helios briefly thought about the beanbag (non lethal rubber) “No, I don’t think so. I can walk up there and get in my car. Hey timeout from the standoff bro, I gotta leave.”

  Yuval pyfully mocked in a sing-song voice, “I got a banquet, my girlfriend’s gonna be pissed!”

  Helios chuckled, “You couldn't pry me out here with a spatu right now. My adrenaline’s way too high.”

  Yuval stood up and began to beeline, “You guys hear this dude’s dad? He did not take that advice. I wish he would though.”

  “Yeah, that’d be pretty cool. And then when we came out though, I scraped bottom on some big jagged rocks, wear and tear at 3,500 miles.” Helios scanned the trail that led to the house, helpfully guided by rocking Spanish moss, “I had that split second, like I’m gonna chase him in there. Then, I’m like, I don’t know what’s in that house or who’s in the house. So I’m not gonna chase him in there.”

  “There aren't any people in there.” Yuval barely scoped any human activity.

  “Don’t let him get into the house. Maybe there’s a militia in there.” Helios joked, clutching his partner’s arm.

  Yuval’s eyes jolted in surprise, “And he’s armed. And he’s got three spiky demo derby trucks by the door, too.”

  A trio of mid 90 Chevy Silverados were parked on the driveway, armoured from head to tail with pointy pointy spikes. Their truck bed tailgate was stickered and lingoed with Resistance groups. A cssy Neo party element that opposed government rule and the federal / state police.

  Nick gulped at the thought of the suspect’s appearance, “You don't wanna go hands on him and then comes at you with a knife or whatever.”

  “Yeah. Alright, I’m gonna move back down where I’m at.” Helios stood up and shuffled across the ground, “I was good where I was at. I was actually like super comfortable too. Where was I at? I was a really big fan of my spot where it was. [grumpy noises] Oh yeah, No, I don’t like this at all.”

  For a brief moment, Helios wished he wasn’t pitted in a boring standoff. He wanted to think tactically and act quick over subduing suspects the correct way without mag dumping them. The silver haired officer broke his st straw as he sighed in impatience. “This sucks. What’s this guy’s background, do we know? Does he have any military tactical experience, anything like that at all? Or is he like a rando dude with a lot of money and guns?”

  Thankfully an angel from heaven channeled through his radio with useful information, “See if we can get a hold of some night shift units. Have them come out for coverage. Or if you can float some units from other posts to this area. We cannot see the side of the residence that faces the hillside.”

  “490 to 7, all units down here are good.” Nick radioed his reply. He then shifted closer to his pal. “How much can you see?”

  “I had rail sight on him when I was shooting, but I clustered a lot of freaking foliage between me and there.” Helios harrowed a flustered sigh, “I had so much shit kicking in front of my muzzle, I couldn’t see after that.”

  “You good, dude?” Yuval asked in concern.

  “Yeah, I’m solid dude. It's gonna suck when the sun goes down.” Helios gazed at the afternoon glow over Sunset Lakes, “If he’s got thermal, we’re gonna be freaking blind.”

  “I know it.” Skandera agreed.

  Helios shrugged, “I mean, we dumped a lot of rounds.”

  “752, you still have eyes on the suspect, right?” the dispatcher chattered from his radio, “Let’s see if he moves. Come up with a pn to get cleared for medical.”

  “10-4. Hey, be smart about this.” Helios led the group forward, rifles pointed ahead. “Don’t move in one big mass. Move in teams so that we can cover each other.”

  A red Sora crossed the road, swerving into the private property opening. Lenz felt herself bumpy as the sedan rattled across the trail. Screeching to a halt, Krista stepped out in a hurry, carefully watching her boyfriend in the middle of a standoff.

  “Helios! I’m here!” Lenz called out in joy.

  Helios turned at the source of the voice. A crow cawed in the distance. Rifle pointed at the officers, the white male suspect grinned maliciously and pulled the trigger.

  FVEW - FVEW - FVEW!

  It felt like something dug through his head. Helios yelped in pain as he colpsed to the floor. A sharp wave stung his lower left thigh. Grasping the wound with his crossed palms, he winced as he gritted his teeth in mental anguish.

  Nick frantically grabbed his radio, beeping as he pressed the button, “10-33! Shots fired! Officer down! Officer Pherae is down!”

  Wounded on the leg, Helios asks Kristi Hopkins to apply a Celox RAPID gauze patch and a tourniquet on his blood stained thigh.

  Her brazen stance puckered a pyful tone, “Tell me you don’t know how to use your tourniquet without telling me you don’t know how to use your tourniquet.”

  “Damn, this hurts! Shut up and Hurry up.” Helios kept his I’m f**ked expression and pounded the ground with his fist like a toddler on a tantrum.

  Kristi pyfully joked with a wink, “If you want to die, keep the tab across the windss clip while the tourniquet is in storage. If you want to win the race to get the tourniquet applied, the windss clip should be open.”

  Hopkins reached into her tactical bailout bag perched on the front seat of her cruiser and pulled out a first aid pouch. She crouched down and dropped the bag, rifling through to find the tourniquet.

  “Not funny Hopkins.” Helios gradually calmed down, easing himself through the pain. He sucked in air, a method of mentally calming the pain down. He then noticed Krista, “Damn it. I didn’t know my girlfriend appeared on the scene.”

  Kristi caressed Helios as if he was a baby, “Shhh, don’t talk too much. It’ll ease the pain.”

  Meanwhile, Lenz made a split second decision. The suspect appeared at the doorway, taunting the officers by waving his rifle. He was bald, inked from head to toe in offensive symbols and slogans. This guy looked like an east European mafia mobster (secretly turned gamer), living in his parents attic.

  Finding Helios’ Taser 10, she swipes it off the ground. Krista hops into action, using the Axon Taser 10 to stop the perpetrator. It strikes Helios instead, causing the 10,000 volts of electricity sparking through the taser probes to fsh before their eyes.

  The officers continue to yell at the suspect, ordering him to drop the rifle. The sickening sound of mag dumped bullets target the perpetrator, rendering him dead.

  “Route EMS on scene. We have one officer shot with a GSW (Gun Shot Wound) to the thigh along with an injured child.” Nick clicked another button on his radio, emitting a high pitched two tone signal.

  “Sorry I didn’t mean for this to happen. I only wanted to help out.” Krista kneeled on the sandy ground, taser still in hand.

  “You never impede our investigation.” The officer gruffly warned, casting a gre at her, “Especially in a shootout. I understand you were only concerned for Helios since he’s your boyfriend.”

  “But I was only doing this for his own good.” Krista lightly protested.

  “You called out his name and look where it got him.” the officer pointed out as Krista followed his gaze.

  A Brevard County ambunce steadily beeped backwards through the trail. Krista teared up.

  "Hoist him up on the cot. We have no time to lose!" Two EMS workers jogged towards the injured officer, an AED / pulse oximeter in hand.

  She could only gaze at her boyfriend loaded on a Stryker hydraulic stretcher. Voices pulsed in and out of Helios’ mind. His head spun, vision blurred, his hearing hazy.

  A few feet away from where Helios was loaded on the stretcher, a toddler appeared scorched across the ground. A white square crop shirt, white pants, and brown calligae (Greek sandals) completed his appearance.

  Krista and the others don't know what to make of this.

  He moaned lightly, trying to kick in consciousness.

  Mangled on the ground before them was a supposed younger version of Helios himself.

  Damn, what questions me more than Helios' GSW is the mysterious boy that appeared out of nowhere! Is he really the supposed younger version of Helios?

  The police incident and shootout is based off of this video from Midwest Safety where a billionaire's son shelters inside his secluded home away from the officers, ensuing an hour long standoff. I took the conversation word by word and tweaked the lines around to make it my own.

  Link to video: https:///watch?v=a4kNKL80RCA

  Falco276 out. :)