Raindogblue

Dark Camaraderie

At a bar, off the highway, a woman's car is prowled.

I type a message, on the box, sending all cars the suspect's description.

Z types back, "Is there a coffee in it for me, if I find him?" 

I humor him.

Yes.

If he finds the thief, it's worth a cup. 

Z replies, "I don't like coffee."

I breath, grin.

I'd be annoyed, if I didn't appreciate the dark camaraderie. 

In the Dark

In the dark, lying out a flare pattern around a stall,
I spot a dark gray Cherokee driving the opposite direction.
I stop the car. The driver rolls down her window.

It would be helpful to others, if you turn on your lights.

Her eyes widen. Her cheeks flush. Her left hand darts to the the dash.

"Oh, yeah...." She smiles. "Thank you."

I nod, Goodnight,
and go back to the task at hand.

False Alarm

There's a hold-up alarm
in the South Village at the Sock Boutique. 

I roll in, put eyes on the place.
The lights are on. The store is closed.

The sergeant arrives as cover. 

The store clerks walks out the back door.
The sergeants says, "We're here about the alarm." 

One clerk says, "I couldn't get the alarm system to work,
so I started hitting random buttons."

The sergeant nods,"You hit the hold-up alarm."

Her eyes go big. "I won't do that again." 

"Please don't."

Marooned

Tonight, I arrested Captain Jack Sparrow.

He was drunk and had smashed out

the rear window of his friends' car 

after he'd been asked to leave

their Halloween Party.

I found him stumbling down the Breakers,

swinging a stick at the air. 

His friends didn't want to press charges,

so I took him to detox, and left him there,

marooned for the night.

Dedication

Twenty-five people walked into an office building

today to protest an insurance company.

They did not want to leave.

They wanted to make a statement.

They wanted to be arrested.

The sergeant asked the protesters

if they had childcare secured for the night.

No citations would be issued.

Any one arrested would go to jail.

In the end, only eleven decided to remain.

Chiva

A young boy runs into his home

to see his dad lying on the kitchen floor.

He thinks his father is asleep,

but he's purple and not breathing.

He's OD'D.

The paramedics work for fifteen minutes

before the man starts to slide back

into the world of the conscious and breathing.

The medic asks, "What did you take tonight?"

The man whispers, "Chiva." 

 

A Lesson in Race

I'm covering Grumpy. 
He's asking the questions
The Mope keeps talking to me.
I'm silent. I don't speak.

Grumpy growls,

"This is my call.
This is my district.
You speak to me,
not to the white officer."

He jabs a finger at me.

"You speak to the black officer.
You speak to me.
Do you understand?"

The Mope pales,
looks up at Grumpy.

"Yes, sir!"

Grumpy stares into him.

"Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good."

 

Dispatched

A young man sets down his backpack
outside a bar in the entertainment district.

When he exited the bar an hour later,
he was "shocked" to find the pack gone.

Contact

There's a theft call holding at the corner convenience.

The dispatcher states the victim is waiting
for contact in front of the store.

On scene, a big MB, in his late forties,
is waiting next to the main door.

Did you call?

"Pardon me?"

Did you call for the police?

"No, not me."

He begins to walk off,
turns, and then says,

"I want to thank you."

What for?

"Most people would assume
I'm the problem.
You didn't. You checked
to see if I needed help.

I want to thank you for that."

It's no problem.

It never will be.

Every Book Has A Cover

Bad guy is in the backseat 

after beating his gal

Sitting in the sally,

filling out the blue sheet,

I ask him, 

How many tatts do you have?

"I have thirteen."

Thirteen?

"If I could get more, I would."

What's your favorite?

"They all are."

Let's start with your right arm.

"Twiztid"

Twisted?

"With a 'Z,' it's a band."

Next one.

"FTFO."

What does that mean?

"Fuck The Fuck Off."

You must have had a crappy childhood.

He laughs.

"Yeah,

 you don't know the start of it."

What's next.

"Retard."

Retard?

"Yeah."

You don't like yourself much, do you?

"No, no I don't,

but I'd do it again.

That tattoo was free."

Yes, 

I believe you would.