Doing it right...

[AmriloJim]

Pink platform shoes with rhinestones are certainly anaesthetic, but not anesthetic.

Kudos on capturing the prevailing mindset of the news media.

[jwhouk]

I sat down at the computer, inevitably to relax a bit after our little Coffee Detour. The first thing I noticed when I opened Firefox was that I had 24 new e-mails.

"What in the world?"

I clicked open Gmail - and saw that practically every one of them had "Officer shooting" and "Justin" in the subject line - but were from different contacts.

One from kgilchrist@miam.org; one from sunshine@mplsantiques.com, a couple from admin@amandfotostudio.com, jacqui@punkyoga.com, and a strange one: gunsmithy@howard.net.

But it was the one at the bottom of the list that drew my attention immediately.

Subject line: "Freaking OUT!"

And it was from shelly@punkyoga.com.

I clicked on it:

"Justin's just been put on administrative leave. He was involved in a suspect shooting down on 30th and Lake. We have all sorts of reporters and camera crews camped outside the building. HELP!"

Oh crap, I thought.

---
EDIT: none of the e-mail addys work, sorry...

[lake_wrangler]

I didn't realize this was part of the story, until I saw what the return email addresses were...

I fact, I saw the line with "officer shooting" and "Justin", and I thought it was another case like when AmariloJim's photo showed up on a search for Georgette Sundhial...

[Sgt. Howard]

Kathy and Buck were already at the ubiquitous retail outlet in question, searching for a replacement of her ancient TV- they were looking at the slimline widescreens when CNN replayed the story about Justin's adventure in Midtown- stunned, they wondered how they might help.
"Do you suppose Shelly knows about this? I mean, it only happened a couple of hours ago," Kathy asked.
"I'm pretty sure she's aware- and I'm pretty sure she's under siege right now- the way this story is being told, they want to have him publicly executed,"
"Yea well may he OUGHT to be publicly executed!" came a stern voice from behind them. Turning to look, a tall, gangly black teenage boy was looking defiantly at the two... he had several black friends around him who looked rather nervous and obviously were uncomfortable with his statement.
Buck stepped right up to him- several of the other kids were saying, "Cody, don't do this. This don't solve nuthin'. Dude, we don't know what went down..." and similar words.
In a voice that could be felt through the floor by one's feet, Buck calmly stated-
"We know the man. I don't know what happened, but this has nothing to do with race- that I can promise you,"
The kid was taken aback- then he rallied again, "Yea, an' WHO is YOU that yo promise means SHIT?"
"I am Buck Alexander (the name had effect) and you are at the very least a brave little runt to stand up to me like that... how good are your math skills?"
Totally off guard, the kid tried to recover- "Whut's THAT got to do with it?"
"We need journeymen in engineering- and we are having a hard time finding anybody with qualifications who have the guts to tell us when a design is bound to fail- YOU have guts- and we can TEACH you how to read a blueprint- $15 an hour until you get up to speed, $17 an hour once you have it down, and raises depending on your demonstrated skills- ASSUMING YOU PASS A MATH TEST. Interested?"
The boy was thunderstruck. He simply stared at Buck with his jaw hanging open. Buck went on-
"You will be given no special considerations for your race- I will expect the same level of competence I expect out of every employee in my shop. We are non-union- our benefit packages are excellent. After five years, you are eligible for a profit-sharing program. After one year, you are eligible for a week's paid vacation- after five years, that becomes two weeks... beats working at McGreasy's, flipping dead animal parts, wouldn't you agree?"
Crickets.
"WELL?"
There was a slight anxious scrabble as all of the other kids started asking about what other positions might be open. Finally, Cody put out his hand- Buck took it, they shook and Buck handed him a business card with all the pertinent information on it. Cody looked at the card as if it were solid gold... finally, he regained himself,
"Dude... I am sorry I accused your friend like that... I..." Buck held up his hand.
"CNN makes their money by stirring things up. They specialize in reporting in such a way as to insure that YOU don't trust ME because of SKIN COLOR- son, I have a cousin who is DARKER THAN YOU! We are not worried about being 'lily white', nor are we concerned about anybody else's color. A papered horse that can't run is nothing more than dogfood- I am concerned about what you can DO, and I will let THAT determine who you are- are we clear? The REST of you- here, go to human resources and see what they might have for you- be honest with our people, and if you don't make the cut, go back to school and learn what you need to know. I assure you, nobody will be turned away for skin color- NOR will they be accepted because of skin color. Listen to what they tell you if you DON'T get the job and see what you can do to change that- here, mention my name, here's a card for all of you..." and he passed them out..
Katherine was stunned- after the group went their excitable way, she commented, "THAT was INCREADABLE! How did you know what to say?"
"Speak the truth and fear nobody- Kath, your species is facing an uphill battle here. Bigotry is sold wholesale to the masses- the fight against it has to be face to face and hand to hand one mind at a time..."

[Sgt. Howard]

The property around Justin and Shelly's apartment looked somewhat like a medieval siege in progress, missing only the battering rams and trebuchets. Four major networks were well represented as were a small camp following of lesser papers and freelancers who saw this as an open invitation to camp out and ambush what was perceived as legitimate prey. Getting Justin into his own home required an escort of six patrolmen- all stony faced and professional, they silently made a path for their brother-in-arms and delivered him safely to his own front door. They then turned to the crowd and established a 'safety zone', beyond which the newsies could not trespass.
Shelly grabbed Justin the moment he closed the door- the two embraced each other for a small eternity, oblivious to the circus that prowled but a stone's throw away. Finally, Shelly asked, "Justin- what happened?" with tears rolling down her face.
He knew he could not avoid it- he hated having to recount it as each time he was second-guessing himself as to what he could have done differently, yet each time, each action, each decision fell into the right thing... and to NOT tell her would be a breach of trust. He already knew how vital that trust was...
"We got a call about a 'possible' man with a gun... " he started, and ONCE MORE, recounted the events that led up to the death of LaMar Jefferson, the wounding of Rob Keeshan, and the fall-out from the media. Shelly listened, horrified, at the account. More and more the noise from outside seemed to get louder, until the shattering of glass caught their attention.
Somehow, a brick had found it's way through their kitchen window on the third floor- outside, the noise grew to remarkable levels. Justin walked over to the window to see what was going on- and a bullet zinged right by his face!!!
"NOOOOO!" screamed Shelly as she yanked him from line of sight- the bullet struck the far wall, indicating a sniper from an adjacent building at similar elevation.
Somebody wanted him dead! Somebody who had no qualms about doing it! Shelly and Justine huddled on the floor, shaking with fear and rage, until thundering steps up the stairs and a pounding at the door announced an officer of their escort, demanding to know if there were casualties.
Justin crawled over to the door, not knowing what others shooters might be in place- "Get to the windows- crawl- do not show your face- pull the curtains," By the time he got to the door, Shelly had the one window covered and was heading for another. Officer Dickerson came through the door and immediately dropped to a low crawl.
"You two alright?" he asked.
"NO! WE ARE NOT ALLRIGHT!!! WE'VE JUST BEEN SHOT AT!!!" bellowed Shelly at the hapless officer, "AND I'M ABOUT READY TO DECLARE WAR!!! WHO THE HELL IS SHOOTING AT US?!?"
"Right now, we don't know- there is the matter of retribution for Justin capturing that gang member who turned state's witness- it's possible that these newsies camped outside gave them enough information to figure out which apartment is yours... we've gotta get you someplace safe,"
"YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT WE GOTTA GET SOMEPLACE SAFE!!! THIS IS TOTALLY WRONG!!! I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING..."
"SHELLY! We're going to deal with this, OK?" Justin bellowed- Shelly's feral marks were becoming prominent. The LAST thing anyone needed was a fully grown sphinx hunting down miscreants in broad daylight.
Turning to Dickerson, he stated- "We have a way out of here that nobody will see- I have friends who can do this covertly. The department CANNOT BE INVOLVED... we must remain clear on that, alright? Provide us with cover for the rest of the evening- we will be totally gone by then,"
"Justin? Where are we going?" Shelly asked as she started to calm down.
"Not exactly sure- Dickerson, go outside and inform the rest of the squad," Out he went.
"Call Monica, Bud and Brandy- get Tepoz if you can. You know what, I'm going to call Buck- they just might have room enough for us,"
"But my JOB! I'm teaching workouts!"
"Call Jacquie- under the circumstances, I'm sure she'll understand- Shelly, I love you... never forget that,"
"I love you too, you big lump- here's hoping we get out of this in one piece,"

Buck's phone fired off with the 'William Tell Overture"- seeing the number, he picked it up- "Yea, we just caught it... WHAT?!?... no, THAT is not acceptable... sure we got room... of course! In fact, I am ashamed I didn't call you and offered right away... she's right here with me... yes, I'm sure it will be no trouble... excellent plan- they will have no clue.... I love it! When will...? Oh?... she's already there?... and Brandy? Perfect! I'll just drive myself home, THAT'S no difficulty... no I do NOT want to leave my Bentley in this town, thank you very much!!! ... right... good... see you there- 'bye,"
"I take it we will have company for a spell?" Katherine asked.
"Yes... sorry, I should have asked you before- but you see...
"Of course I would say yes'- they deserve their privacy, right?"
"Darlin' somebody took a potshot at Justin!" Kathy covered her mouth, "We gotta get them someplace SAFE!"

[jwhouk]

By the time I got to the last e-mail, I was shaking my head.

I replied to them all:

"Won't get a peep out of me. Stay safe."

I clicked "Send" and went out to the living room.

"Sarah, there's been a complication about that wedding..."

[Sgt. Howard]

Tepoz sat at the window, observing the activities below in a rather bemused way.
"You numbskull! Get down! Do you WANT to get shot?" hissed Monica at him as she poited another piece of furniture to the Alexander estate.
"If they see me, they think I'm a 'bobble head'- and even so, the worst they can do is give me a nasty headache... I'm checking out the action below and seeing what sort of chain-of-command I can identify. I've got a few zingers of my own I can play with, after all-"
"Tepoz- what exactly...? OOOOOH! Lemme see," Brandy said as she looked out the window.
In truth, the shooter had already split. Brandy was only the target of several telephoto cameras that immediately went into hyperdrive. By the time she pulled her head back in, she had been captured on the equivalent of twenty feet of 35mm film.
"The lady in the burgundy business suit? She's on CNN all the time- lock and load... SIX dry Martinis- FIRE!!!"
To the cameraman's amazement, Stephanie Elam started to sway and slur her words while the LIVE CAM WAS RUNNING! An NBC crew suddenly focused on their CNN counterpart- cannibalism in this trade being the norm- and intently watched as Stephanie began to loose her battle with gravity.
"She' having a STROKE!" somebody yelled- she was caught just before she hit the sidewalk. A small crowd formed around her- and quickly withdrew. Her breath gave away her condition to anyone within olfactory reach of her face. Discredited, dishonored, her crew pulled her to their van where she was laid in the back and allowed to sleep it off.
"Nice shootin' there, Tex-" crooned Monica, who was watching over the sill, "Now- who's our NEXT contestant?"
"Aren't you the one worried about gunfire?" Brandy said in mock severity.
"Nobody's shot at you, I ought to be safe... besides, this is fun... OOOOH! MATHEW CHANCE!!! Tepoz... let's see here... five shots of rum and two glasses of white wine,"
"THAT will make him SICK!"
"I know..."

Bud showed up at the estate with a full dresser- the domestic staff were trundling it all into one of the spacious guest rooms with handtrucks and dollies.
"Just thought you ought to know- there will be a slow down on delivery- Monica and Brandy are using Tepoz to slam individuals under the table one drunk at a time,"
Shelly looked up- "Wha... what did you say?"
"Well at last count, five field reporters have bit the dust and one is puking his toenails on the sidewalk... it is impressive, let me tell you. They have NO CLUE what is causing it,"
Justin looked at Shelly- Shelly looked at Justin.
Justin spoke- "Can we go back and watch?"

[jwhouk]

I pulled into the parking lot at work that night, not really focused on much of anything except what the situation was for tomorrow's schedule.

It wasn't until I got out that I saw the LTD parked by the entrance.

I closed my eyes painfully as I trudged to the main entrance. When I looked in through the doors, I could already see the pair standing there in the foyer. I was buzzed through and put my hand up right away.

"This is about Justin, isn't it?" I asked.

"Yep." Lily pointed at Suzie. "You now have a bodyguard, at least until the wedding."

"WHAT?"

"Cavin informed us that there's likely some huge gang retaliation that might be going on over him – and anyone connected to him." Suzie sighed. "They have reason to believe Tempelhoffer might be involved in the whole mess."

"So MIB thinks I'm a target?" I asked incredulously.

"There's already been some incidents back in Minneapolis," Lily shifted uncomfortably. "My daughter's involved, as you already know."

"Yeah, I got that e-mail," I said. "Can we talk about this on my way up to the cottage?"

"Lemme bring the LTD on grounds," Lily said. "You're going to be escorted everywhere until the 19th."

"Oh, joy," I said – then I realized something: "What about Sarah?"

"Billens drew the short stick there," Lily replied as she headed out into the front vestibule.

Something told me the weeks leading up to this wedding were going to be the longest of my life.

[Sgt. Howard]

"Phix, have you heard ANYTHING from those two?" Neil asked as they surveyed the scenario around the apartment building- getting close to the complex was not even a choice, as the three-ring circus that surrounded it prohibited the very thought. Other tenants to the building were being harassed- and astonishingly, those who sought to badger them rolled their eyes and dropped, one by one. Those getting pulled from the frontline would occasionally vomit while being moved.
"Plague?" Neil thought out loud, "Or something the military cooked up?"
A shift of the wind gave them the answer- the smell of drunken vomit is unmistakable.
"They are POLLUTED!" Phix blurted while holding her nose, "that doesn't EVEN make... Neil... NEIL- is that TEPOZ in that window?!?"
Looking up, he saw the diminutive Aztec God of Alcohol waving at them. With a sudden 'POIT', Brandy was in the back seat.
"We're moving them to the Alexander estate- this is by 'poit' so that they cannot be followed. Somebody took a shot at Justin... I doubt any of these morons have reported it, it might create sympathy... and Tepoz is having a ball getting them drunk! They don't even have a clue that something is happening... idiots..."
"Who else is there?" Phix asked.
"Well, Justin and Shelly came back to see them getting plastered, and right now those who are drunk outnumber the those who are sober. Justin has placed an advisory to this area in case they run out of 'designated drivers'. I'm there, as is Bud, Monica and Tepoz of course- and some fellows from MIB,"
Phix turned to Neil- "I need to see her," she said.
"Go, and give her my love," he replied.

Inside the apartment, everything had been stripped to the bone. Phix came in with Brandy, found her Granddaughter and the two hugged. MIB men were gathering the evidence of the shooting- they had found the bullet in a stud three walls over. All the furniture and personal belongings were gone- those remaining were busy telling Tepoz who to plow under next. Phix studied the rooftop of the adjacent building- she had seen movement.
"Everybody down! Shelly, there's somebody on the rooftop next door- I'm not sure who or what he is. I'm going out your front door as quickly as I can...here," she started disrobing, "take my dress and stuff- Tepoz, you're coming with me,"
Once naked, Phix went feral. Grabbing Tepoz, she went, crouched over, to the front door.
"You really didn't think this one through, did you?" Tepoz stated as he sized up the door. She looked at the sliding glass that went onto the balcony.
"PHIX! Put me on your shoulders! I'm gonna 'poit' you out at altitude... ready? One, Two... THREEE!" and with that, Phix recovered from free fall and took stock of the ground below. She spotted the man on the roof- another rifleman, looking to make a kill.
"Make him drunk... not TOO drunk, I want him to tell me a few things,"
"You got it,"
Phix watched the man start to sway a little- she then dropped out of the sky and snatched him up to about three thousand feet. At that altitude, she maneuvered the man's face to her own.
"Who sent you?"
"MUTHAFUKKAPUTMEDOWNBITCH!!!" it was sort of a single vowel movement.
"If you insist," and she let go.
Screaming like a banshee, the fool started his descent- Phix followed him for long enough to get the point across, then caught him and again sailed up to three thousand feet...
"Let's try this again, shall we?... who sent you?"
It took four tries before he got it right- afterwards, she flew him directly to a portal and turned him over to MIB. Then Tepoz 'poited' them both back to the apartment.
"Justin," she stated as she got her clothes back on, "That gang you brought down with the kid you arrested at Abbot Medical? They have about $3 grand on your head. These newsies showed them where you live by congregating here... and apparently, the attempt on your life went un-noticed... or ignored,"

[jwhouk]

(Psst: you referred to him as "Kevin", not "Justin"...)

[Sgt. Howard]

(Psst: you referred to him as "Kevin", not "Justin"...)

Corrected- thanks

[Sgt. Howard]

Alan and Jin zero'd in on the 'techie' section- Alan was correct, they were on sale and the price was just fine- while they were there, Alan checked out the flat screens- and caught the late edition NBC coverage of the 'stand-off' at Shelly and Justin's place... they HAD noticed the attempt on Justin's life and were discussing it rather avidly... when they were NOT showing rehash of Stephanie Elam's drunken stupor, which seemed to be a major punctuation point of the show.
"Wow... " Alan commented, "Justin has somebody take a shot at him and they can't get past that CNN field newsie getting drunk on the job,"
"They've conjectured everybody but Mossad as possible antagonists- you notice they also didn't mention BLM?"
"Bureau of Land Management? What would THEY have to do with it?"
Jin gave him a stern look- " No, doof- 'Black lives Matter', the ones who chant 'kill the cops',"
"Crap- look at the scene there- they have the place surrounded- why?"
"I caught there's been a shooting, two black guys dead and they talk about Justin as the shooter- the details are a bit fuzzy... well, THAT might put a damper on the wedding,"
"No doubt- I'm going to give them a call and see what the haps is,"

Justin's phone went off- he checked his screen to see that Alan was calling-
"Hi Alan- didja? yea, well, we're bugging out. Right now, everything is moved to the... um... tell ya what, let's not discuss this over the phone, OK?... yea, well, a little paranoia goes a long way... oh, we're still here, but nothing else is... where are you?... you're kidding... are you wearing your underwear over your pants so as to blend in?... hah!... no, I'll send- wait- did you drive? OK, just go back home and I'll send one of the girls to get you... Very good... we'll see you then... OH- did somebody cue Greg and Al? Or Tina? and that guy she's seeing, Stan I think? ... Yea, well I've got a gang who has put money on my head, they might try for anybody... right.. see ya,"

[jwhouk]

"So Justin really thinks I could be at risk, so they send you out to babysit me." Suzie just nodded as she sat back in the desk chair with me in the booth.

"There was this whole fiasco on the news networks this afternoon," she explained to me. "Every one of them were trying to get some sort of scoop on this 'killer cop'."

"I take it Justin's on administrative leave because of it?"

"Yeah, even though they've already reviewed the video from the body cam his partner was wearing. The dealer they were going after clearly shot first."

"And they can't go public with this information?"

"No, sadly." Suzie sighed. "The video's under lock and key by court order until his hearing next week."

"Wonderful. And they don't have any idea who put the bounty on him?"

"Only that it's someone who knew about the Malcroft case. Cavin confirmed it for us."

"I'm sure the superintendent is gonna be thrilled that I have to be babysat for five weeks."

"Hey, this is NOT 'babysitting'. I'm here to keep you from getting killed."

"Meanwhile, not a single kid in here has turned on his call light since I did count at 10:30," I observed. "I'm going to have a cottage full of scared children on my hands."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Point to you," I replied.

[Sgt. Howard]

"Last call you two reprobates!" Tina bellowed at the two elderly gents sitting near the window.
"Did she just call us reprobates?" Al asked Greg.
Greg looked at Al from an angle- "Well, you've got your hearing aid in, and yes, that's what it sounded like to me,"
"Well, I think we should protest,"
"But we ARE reprobates..."
"Entirely besides the point, " he said as he turned to Tina, "Now see here young lady, I do not appreciate just anyone calling me a 'reprobate'..."
"Yes, I know this- and I am honored to have the privilege- now get yourselves motivated so I can close this place and go home,"
Al sat there, goggle eyed and flustered- Greg patted him on the shoulder as he got up-
" 'Mon, Al- you and I together could never out-class her,"
"Well, that's wretchedly unfair,"
"Name any encounter with a woman that is fair- c'mon old man, I need to get home and so do you,"
"Bah! Very well, I suppose... stop by the pub for an elbow bend?"
"No- Miss Annie is sufficiently tolerant of my visits with you here, but me coming home smelling of drink won't work,"
"Indeed- and just who does she think she is, then?"
"Well... she thinks she's my wife, and I have no desire to disillusion her,"
"She has you under her thumb, you know..."
"It's comfy there..."
The discussion turned to the object codenamed 'Rabbit' that they had encountered earlier that year- and the old argument ensued...
"I am telling you what you and I have both observed- the behavior of that thing insinuates a central nervous system... now, I cannot say that's what is going on, but I say the next time we find such a thing, let's do some experiments to determine behavioral tendencies..."
"What Al- we're gonna run it though a maze and see if it finds the cheese?"
"Well I'm certain we can come up with a series of primitive sensory tests and see what..."
"HANDS UP, MUTHAFUKAHS!!!" Yelled a shadow that jumped out of nowhere.
"How did we let THAT happen?" Al disgustedly asked Greg.
"You distracted me talking about putting the 'Rabbit' through a Rorschach test,"
"I HAD NO INTENTION OF SUBJECTING THAT STUPID THING TO INKBLOTS!! YOU MISERABLE CRETEN!!"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A CRETIN, YOU TIN-PLATED COLONEL BLIMP!!!"
"HEY!! ASSHOLES!!! I'M ROBBING YOU..."
As one, both geezers turned on their assailant and yelled, "SHUT UP!!!" before they turned on each other again. He brought his pistol to bear, saying,
"Bye bye, shitheads,"
Both men produced hardware and fired directly into him- the double blast took him off his feet and laid him out, cooling, on the sidewalk.
"Tah," said Al.

The police had no trouble declaring the situation 'Self Defense'... there was quite a bit of admiration and commentary over the two men's choices for concealed carry- Greg's choice of a 1911 by Springfield Armory, the 'Re-issue' model in .45 ACP was deemed as a very practical, serious and authorative for the task at hand. Al's piece, however, got serious kudos for class- an original Webley top-break in .455 Webley. Not quite as powerful as .45 ACP, the round was no slouch either... and while it meant that Al had to handload his ammo, that seemed a minor inconvenience to the crusty old Brit.
"I'm surprised you can use smokeless in that ancient wheelgun," Greg commented.
"Don't ever sell it short- It has kept me alive in five campaigns... does a marvelous job on Muzzies, I daresay,"
"You were busy sending them to their 72 virgins?"
"More like 72 ugly sheep- here now- look what they've found,"
Two cops were reading a piece of computer print that had photos on them. One of them spoke up- "You guys are targeted- $200 apiece,"
"What? Two hundred?!? ... oh now I AM insulted!!!" blurted out Al.
"Two hundred? I wouldn't even kill a cricket for such a paltry sum," Greg answered, "who else is on that crib sheet?"
"Justin Epimethus is top of the list- they are offering three grand,"
Greg and Al looked at each other- it was Al who spoke first-
"Oh, this will not do... this will not do at all..."
Greg turned stony faced- "Good sir, I believe we have a responsibility here,"
"I believe you're right- shall we head to your place that your good woman might understand what will happen?"
"Yes, I think that prudent- riiiiight face (spoken softly) - fooooorward... march,"

They went in perfect lockstep, softly singing,
"Walking down Canal street, knocking on every door, ya goddamsunnovabitch you're looking for a ..."

One cop said to the other, "Should we report this?"
"Between the two of them there is enough combat ribbons to do a Christmas tree. The American was once rated 97% effective at one thousand yards- the Englishman can do a juggling routine with two combat knives and a hand grenade. Either one knows one punch kills that we will never know about, and can break any bone they encounter. I'm told Greg has snuck up on a couger and killed it with a .22, the Brit has dropped Ghurkas in hand-to-hand ... now , what were you talking about reporting?"

"Uh... I forgot..."

[lake_wrangler]

I am absolutely enthralled by this story!
Your ability to weave in and out, to relate to earlier fanfics, to include main cast characters in a believable way... You never cease to amaze me! Bravo!

(Psst: you referred to him as "Kevin", not "Justin"...)

Corrected- thanks

Several posts back, you also referred to Justin as "Justine"...

"No- Miss Annie is sufficiently tolerant of my visits with you here, but me coming home smelling of drink won't work,"
"Indeed- and just who does she think she is, then?"
"Well... she thinks she's my wife, and I have no desire to disillusion her,"
"She has you under her thumb, you know..."
"It's comfy there..."

[Sgt. Howard]

Jin and Alan were driving towards their own abode- the radio on for music, their purchases in the back seat... then Jin saw a Korean Restaurant.
"Alan!!! I've heard of this place! They have original style Kimchee!!! Can we get a couple of quarts?"
"Well, as luck would have it," he slid deftly into an available space, "It seems they were expecting us... are you craving again?"
"No... well, maybe... but I've ALWAYS loved Kimchee!!! And we never have any at home,"
"That's because you eat it as soon as it crosses the threshold... here we are,"
They got out and went to the door- Al and Greg just happened to be there, as Al's shop was right around the corner. Greg called Al's attention to the pair- AND to the fellow across the street who was intently comparing them to a sheet of paper. Al acknowledged the situation and after a quick consultation, the two started walking towards the restaurant. Arguing between themselves over the superiority of Macintosh over Windows, they parked themselves right in front of the door... effectively blocking it. Jin and Alan had gotten in, but now nobody was getting in or out. The fellow across the street folded his paper, shoved it in his shirt pocket, crossed the street and approached the doors in question. Upon encountering the two old men, he said "Excuse me," to get their attention.
"You can bloody well wait!" Al sternly told him, and again they resumed their argument.
"I SAID EXCUSE ME, OLD MAN! STAND ASIDE!"
"Oh? Well, why didn't you say so? Greg, I believe we are standing in this man's way... how silly of us,"
"Is THAT what the problem is? Young man, y' should speak up properly... thishere mealy mouthed mumbling will git y' nowere. Now Al, didn't I say t' very thing, juss las' Tuesday- young folk these days juss doan' know how t' speak their mind... why mah Gran'son, now HE knows how t'.."
"GET OUTTA MY WAY" the fellow said as he grabbed both men to push them apart- Greg hooked his thumb under the man's nose and lifted and pushed while Al executed a leg sweep. Legs akimbo, he landed with a SPLAT! on the sidewalk. Greg immediately snatched the printout and saw where Jin and Alan were worth $200 apiece. He also found a Glock 9mm with two extra magazines- loaded with hollowpoints. Alan immediately appeared at the door, trying to figure out what was going on. The fellow on the ground tried to get up- but found himself staring down the barrel of Greg's 1911.
"Now... we ain't going to do nuthin' STUPID, are we?" Greg asked.

[Sgt. Howard]

Once again, police were called to look into the antics of the two grizzled veterans. Once more, a printout showing several faces with corresponding amounts of money were found on a potential killer along with the weapon to do it. Once more, a private citizen handed to the police a criminal... this one was alive, however. And not talking.
"Shame we can't use the 'advanced interrogation techniques' we know... I'm pretty sure this fellow might become more sociable with the right inspiration," Al commented.
"Yea, well- we now have a shopping list of who they are gunning for... and it's pretty extensive,"
"And cheap... say, Greg- how is it you loose your drawl most of the time, but it gets thick and near indecipherable in the midst of fisticuffs?"
"Mental comfort food- when I get nervous, I can hide it with a drawl. It also causes my opponent to underestimate me,"
He considered that- "Hmpf! Apparently, it works,"
"Most of the time... here comes Alan,"
Alan approached with a look of disbelief on his face- "Greg, Al... the police are telling me that somebody wants Jin and I dead... what do you know about this?"
"Did they show you the printout?" Al asked him.
"Printout? What printout?"
"I'll take that as a 'no'- this rubbishpile (he said this in clear earshot of the suspect) here had a printout on him with your picture and Jin's picture and a price of $200 each... Greg and I are on the same paper at the same price,"
"But... why?"
"It seems that the drug gang that came crashing down as a result of Officer Epimethus' efforts wants revenge- and anyone even loosely associated with him is at risk. My guess is that these papers are getting wide circulation and any two-bit wanna be bad guy... like THIS waste of flesh... is looking to make some easy money. Hmpf! Easy money, indeed- this is the SECOND looser that we have encountered in this matter. The first one came after Greg and myself,"
"Did the police catch him?"
"No," Greg responded, "We handed them the corpse, however... I'm reasonably sure he won't be an issue anymore,"
"We both have 'concealed carry' permit, which he found out to his chagrin," Al followed.

Jin sat at the table in the back of the restaurant, shaking and crying. Alan approached her.
"It's true then? Somebody wants to kill us? Who?"
"Some drug gang that Justin disrupted- they also want to kill Justin, Shelly, Buck, Kathy, Atsali, Castela, Georgette, Monica, Bud, Kevin, Greg, Al, Tina, Stanley, Brandy and they are seeking information regarding Nicodemus-they have no ID there... it's like a shortlist of everybody at the wedding. They even listed Lily and Suzie- and Neil and Phix... Jin, we are in trouble. We may have to go underground on this... I'm not really sure who to talk to... "
Greg was already dialing as he walked up- "Neil... Howard here... somebody tried to waste Jin and Alan... just a few moments ago... Al and I... yes, he's still alive... well, you don't have to sound so surprised about it... oh, you heard about that... well, THAT imbecile didn't give us a choice! He pulled out his gun and he got both barrels... literally... well, I'll tell you- much more of this and violent crime will drop off the radar... well, because most of the perps will either be chillin' in jail or chillin' in the morgue the way things are going, but listen- where can we hide these two?... very good... I agree... plan 'A' it is then... naw, not here, I got this inbred with a fourth grade education who can hear what I say... YEA, I"M TALKING ABOUT YOU, NUMBNUTS!!! YOU JUST GOT CLOCKED AND LOCKED BY A COUPLE OF OLD FOGEYS, SO YOU GOT NUTHIN' TO SAY... where was I? Oh yea...We'll talk about it at their place... right... bye,"

[Sgt. Howard]

Atsali was having a very bad day- she had just broken up with Nadette over something she did not fully understand. Sure, she enjoyed kissing... but it didn't do to her what it did for Nadette... because of the herbal tea her Mother made for her.
She thought about the night in question- how her body exploded with release of will and tension... how it was the most frightening thing she had ever encountered. She thought about this as she walked back to the portal from school... unaware of the scraggly looking fellow behind her. The man pulled out a switchblade and right behind her, he pushed the button, releasing the blade.

It locked with a 'click'.

Atsali's foot swung round and clear to his jaw... the impact shattered the jaw and several remaining teeth. The next shot was pure old school-straight up the crotch with enough impact to lift the idiot a few feet off the ground. Before he came back down, she delivered a snap-kick that pretty much split his sternum and broke several ribs, sending him flat on his back, some five feet from where he was originally standing. She stood over her trophy, snorting like a bull... then as she came back under control, she looked at the jumbled pile that was once a man and started screaming.
Police found the same sheet of printout on him that they found on everyone else- they also found he was wanted for a number of violent crimes and was a 'person of interest' in a number of rape/murders. There were many questions they had for him- but that would all have to wait until he got out of intensive care post-op. Atsali had nearly killed him, a fact that upset her terribly. And now, she didn't have Nadette to sooth her. Katherine was greeted by a very weepy, frightened teenaged girl when she arrived at the Alexander estate. She explained to her Mother how the police know there's a bounty on the head of everyone she holds dear- and asked if Castela is safe-
"She ... she hasn't come home yet..." Kathy said with a gasp.

"Bad stinkey stupid boys, you- you don't belong here!" Castela yelled as she strangled the two who had followed her into a public lady's room. When one produced a knife, she simply smacked their heads together hard enough to actually fracture one skull. Their flesh torn by the briars, their faces gouged by her thorns, both only wanted to get away from this thing they thought was an ordinary child... well only one at this point- the other was unconscious. Pounding on the door made Castela stop what she was doing- the owner of the service station had seen the two follow her into the restroom and was trying to intervene. Castela reduced to human just as the door was forced open- what the owner saw had him quite perplexed... one ruffian, out cold with a fixed stare on the floor, another trying to get away from a five-year-old girl, both guys looking like they went body surfing through barbed wire... and a little girl... totally innocent and unruffled... saying " These bad- bad boys followed me in- in here! They need to- to be taken to their Mommies!!!"
The one still trying to escape got past the owner... but not past the assistant who tripped him into the tire bath. When the assailant tried to get out, he got clouted with a wrench. The owner saw a sheet of paper that dropped from the fellow- looking at it, he saw a number of pictures, each one with an amount of money next to it.
The little girl was on the list- $100 was the amount.

[Just Old Al]

OK- size 11.5 lady's pink platform shoes with rhinestones and glitter- show me the aesthetic symmetry thereof, I dare you...

Saturday night in Leeds...trust me on this one. You do NOT want to go there yourself.

Al

[jwhouk]

I arrived in the cottage, with Suzie in tow. This wasn't shaping up to be a very fun night.

I explained who Suzie was (without the "supernatural" part) to Jayson, saying that it looked like I was going to have a shadow for the next few weeks.

"All over that Foxglove kid?" He was a bit incredulous.

"Yes and no, kinda," Suzie began. "There's apparently been some sort of targeting of individuals where Cavin is from, over in the Twin Cities."

"Oh, joy," Jayson replied. "We get to clean up after Minnesota's mistakes."

"It's a... bit more complicated than that. You've heard of the term, SOS - 'Smash on Sight'?"

"Yeah - haven't seen it much as of late."

"Well, apparently there's something similar going around with the gang involved in that drug ring we busted - that included Cavin. It's called 'KFS'."

Jayson and myself looked at her, confused.

"It means 'Kill For Stacks.' Essentially..."

"A bounty," I said. "And do you have proof my name's on the list?"

"Not yet. Lily said they've seen several different printouts, and they can't quite figure out where they're getting the list from - though we're putting some of our hackers on it to see if there's something on the web that we're missing."

Jayson jokingly edged away from me. "Don't mind me if I don't stand too close, then," he laughed.

I let him out for the night, and returned to the booth.

"Lily's got her hands full with Kath and Buck," she said, snapping off her cell phone. "There's been a few more attacks over in Minneapolis. You remember Greg?"

"The singer at Jin's wedding?"

"Yeah, he apparently got attacked - twice - and the last time when they were talking to Alan and Jin."

"Well, I'm not that convinced that I'd be a target, though." I started going through the outgoing mail slot in the booth mailbox, then through the "To Be Filed" slot. "And I'm still gonna have to do my job between now and then."

Suzie was standing in the doorway of the booth, looking out into the dayroom. "The woods over there are pretty distant, thankfully," she observed as I sorted through the mail. "And the extra fencing you have around the back rec cage here would probably discourage snipers..."

"Wait a minute," I held up an envelope. "What the heck is this? He's not even here any..."

My face suddenly paled.

"Tempelhoffer. It's a letter for Tempelhoffer."

"What?" Suzie looked at it.

"It's confidential mail," I explained. "State of Minnesota return address, with their great seal. Looks like it's their Corrections Department."

Suzie snagged the envelope from my hand in a half-second.

"Technically we're not allowed to open that," I said.

"Well, I'm not one of your staff," she said, thrashing it open with a finger. She took a brief sniff of the envelope. "Doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary in terms of scent." She opened it and looked at the contents.

"I don't think this is a legal correspondence letter," she said - then stopped. "Damn."

She dropped the letter on the desk.

"DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN..."

I looked down at the letter. The cover letter was just that - something along the lines of "thought you might be interested in this" from Tempelhoffer's father.

The enclosure was a list of names. Justin was at the top. $3,000 was next to his name.

I did a scan down. Suzie and Lily were both on the list, at $2,500 each. For some inexplicable reason, Cavin was on the list as well at $2,000 - though it said "$5,000 dead" next to that total.

I scanned down - the names were like a "who's who" of Wapsi Square. But what really scared me was what I saw down at the bottom:

"Boo-boo - $1,500".

"Oh shit," I said, pointing at the name and handing it back to Suzie. "I'm on here. Though it doesn't look like they know who I really am."

"Wait - what?"

"Long story short, an annoying nickname I picked up years ago." I looked down the sanctions hallway. "This could be a problem."

I picked up the phone and dialed the supervisor.

"Yeah, Steve, I think we have a problem here, and you might want to call our superintendent..."