18:53 Hours
"Central to Six-Three David, what's your status?"
"Central, call the groundskeeper and ask if anyone's supposed to be in the church."
"Six-three Corporal groundskeeper started the call."
I started walking towards the east window. I saw the flicker again. I rationalized that it was just the streetlight reflecting off the glass. Yet, as I approached, I heard an indistinct murmur coming from inside the church.
I reached for my collar mic and pressed the PTT, and whispered. "Six–three Corporal to central. I have trespassers in the building. I need a backing unit. Come in from the east side.”
After my broadcast, I reached down to my left hip. My hand bent at my wrist as my fingers found the dial on the top of the radio. I turned it to its lowest setting to quiet the subsequent chatter. I needed the advantage and didn't want whoever was inside to hear me coming.
I took my phone from my back pocket and texted Max.
Need you. At the front door. People inside.
On my way. Wait for me. Be a minute
When I reached the doors, I knelt. They were ajar, and there was light inside. For whatever reason, I didn't want to wait for Max. So, I drew my Forty Cal and pushed through and into the foyer.
There were about ten people inside, four men and six women. They were squatting, holding hands around six candles. They sat in the middle of the sanctuary, surrounding a killed piglet. It was tiny and bled into the center of the candles and a cup.
The squatters dipped their fingers into the cup and drew symbols on their cheeks and foreheads.
I stood there unnoticed by all except for one.
A beautiful girl. She had waist-length natural red hair and was soft on the eyes. She was very shapely; her tight jeans and tank top showed at least that.
I made direct eye contact with her, and all she did was smile. Then, she turned to face me and widened her stance, so her bare feet were shoulder-width apart. She shook her head as her hair fell behind her shoulder. She opened her mouth and panted, then moaned. And with no warning, she shrieked as if being burned alive.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. Or the right of the people peaceably to assemble."
She repeated it as if it was the dogma of some fanatic spiritual terror cell.
I felt a chill. I thought it was the woman's musings. It was from Maxine. She pushed the doors wide open and moved past me with her pistol drawn.
"I've got the girl. You watch the others." Max was very aggressive in her approach. The girl kept her hands at her side and refused any command Maxine had given.
Max told her a second and third time to turn around, but she refused.
"I'm not in the mood for you, sweetheart. Turn around!"
The girl didn't move, nor did the crew. So, I reached for my radio and turned the volume up. I heard units responding that they were on scene.
Max went for the girl's left arm. Instead of complying, she swung her right fist. I watched Maxine move in on her and grab her by the neck and shoulder. The girl tried to fight back. Maxine evaded another punch, slid underneath the armpit, and flipped the girl face-first onto the floor. Max pounced on her back and pushed her head into the floorboards.
One of the squatters jumped to his feet. I ran over to him and shoved him back to where he was sitting. As he fell, he scattered the symbols and elements in the center of the circle and spilled the cup that contained the pig's blood.
Another male squatter picked up the cup and threw it at me. Even though he missed, I felt the blood splash on my cheek and forehead.
I went for the thrower. He crawled and tried to stand and run. Before he could gain his balance, I grabbed him from behind. With two fistfuls of his shirt, I stood him up and then threw him back onto the floor.
He was facedown. I took his left arm, stretched it upwards, and twisted it into the small of his back. I reached down and unsnapped the cuff sling. With the hinged restraints in my hand, I locked it on his wrist. He tried to push up from the floor. I drove one knee into his ribcage and wedged the other near the crook of his neck. I pushed him back down and reached for his other arm.
"Stop resisting me." It surprised me when he complied. I secured the second cuff and looked at Maxine.
Max had the girl restrained and sat on her back. However, Maxine was still threatened. The man I had knocked down had gotten to his feet. He looked ready to attack her.
His upper body bent forward at the waist with clenched fists. She pointed at him and yelled.
"Don't even think about it."
Before I could react, our backup ran into the sanctuary. Marcello was quick to replace me on this guy's back. As soon as I felt his touch, I sprinted towards Maxine. The man was still crouched and now bared his teeth at her. He was going to attack. I wasn't willing to put Max in jeopardy. So, I smashed into him with my head and eyes across his chest. I wrapped him tight and drove through his midsection. When we hit the floor, he let go of a high-pitched squeal.
I took hold of his arm and bent it behind his back with no resistance. With my second set of handcuffs, I could secure him. I looked to see if Max was ok, but it was chaos.
The squatters were like animals caught in a trap. They bared their teeth and bit the arms and hands of the arresting officers. They growled, screamed, and flailed around in a state of hysteria.
It took several minutes before we had all ten of them cuffed and in control. However, they continued to moan, wail, and ramble.
"Sagacious Inquisitors. The Dominican order must repent for their trespasses."
We needed to transport and separate them as soon as possible. Though secured, we were outnumbered. I didn't know if anyone was in the shadows.
I took a deep breath. "Six-three Corporal to Central, notify booking. We have ten in custody. Multiple resisting."
"You will pay Prophet! You will suffer the blood spilled by your ancestors."
I didn't know who was speaking. It was difficult to hear anything that wasn't screaming.
Then I saw her again. The woman was bent at the waist. When I first entered the church, she was the one. The chaos was her responsibility.
Maxine's right arm was underneath the cuffs. Her elbow was on the girl's spine. With a fistful of her hair, Max tried to push the girl towards the door. The more she resisted Maxine, the tighter Max's hold became.
"You will pay for the inquisition and burn in your own fires!"
The girl continued to yell. In between obscenities, she repeated her dialogue over and again.Max's eyebrows lowered and pulled together. Her lips tightened, and her cheekbones raised.
Her temper flared.
I knew it was coming. Maxine was fiercely protective of me, especially in these circumstances.
Max gritted her teeth. "You need to shut the hell up. I'm not gonna tell you again." The girl swung her foot at me and spat. She looked into my eyes and screamed.
"Sagacious Inquisitors."
Maxine still had the girl's hair clenched in her fist. She pulled the ponytail back and exposed the girl's face. Max slapped the girl's cheek and ear with an open palm and a loud smack.
Oh shit.
I couldn't believe it and didn't know how to react.
"Marcello. Take over for Max."
When he took control, Max let go and walked to my side. She looked me in the eye. She understood I could not care less about what had just happened. I applauded her. I knew, though, that her lack of eye contact was because she was scared.
I took Maxine by the elbow and touched her cheek.
"Let's get out of here. I promised you some tea."
We left the church. Smoke rose from the car's exhaust and engine. The RMP's headlights lit up the entire front of the building.
The girl moved into the spotlight. I saw again how beautiful she was. This time, though, I noticed a purple streak in her hair.
I elbowed Maxine's arm. "Look, Kool-Aid."
21:45 Hours The headlights from the RMP reflected at us from Ray's front window. This would be the perfect place to unwind and help Max decompress. I put the car in park and called us out of service. Max had her head buried in her phone. I waited a few seconds before turning off the car. When she didn't acknowledge where we were, I spoke up. "Echo-six-kilo to battalion command. How copy?" "I'm sorry, sweetie. It's something that Kool-Aid said. I've heard it before, but I can't remember when." I smiled at her and chuckled. She used the nickname I gave to the girl with the purple streak. Brilliant! "Sagacious Inquisitors. I've heard it before, in college." I shook my head, unsure of what to say. I got out of the car and hoped she would follow. Whatever she was looking for had her engrossed in her phone. I tapped on the hood and went to the passenger door. As I opened it, she put her phone in her pocket a
Wednesday, November 21 Keegan was back from the sin bin. That meant we could get some good old-fashioned American street violence. It had been a quiet watch. Wired and tired, I counted down the minutes to its end. Keegs was still unsettled about Tommy Parker's suicide, having mentioned it several times. He couldn't sit still. He fiddled with his pen, went through an entire pouch of chewing tobacco, and made me stop so he could smoke. I understood the cause of his anxiety. The past few days saw a multiple homicide shooting, a necromancy ceremony, and an old homeless guy with a witch's bottle. We Drove to Potter Church, hoping to kill the shift in peace. I backed into an opening in the trees, killed the lights, and opened my window. We were across the street from the groundskeeper's house. The lights were on, and a lone street lamp stood in the front yard. The home predated the War of 1812 and was a historical landmark.
Thursday, November 22 19:06 HOURS Winter had finally arrived. Keegs, Marcello, and a few others had volunteered to work security at an annual private gala. So, I got to ride with Maxine. The aftermath of the Rottweiler shooting found me in a quick round with IAB. Whenever you discharged your weapon, an investigation was forthcoming. They asked about the circumstance, what conflict resolution tactic we used, and questions about the girls. The ER report said Keegan shot the husband in the bicep. Not that anybody cared. Even IAB shrugged it off. I found it odd when they asked what started it. They flirted with my answer, careful not to show why they asked. I only knew what I heard when we entered the house. I told them about witchcraft, Sagacious Inquisitors, and threats against the Coven. Satisfied, at least in the now, they let me go. Max and I slowly cruised the strip, the coms silent as the radio played o
Tuesday, November27th 14:55 Hours Lieutenant Chaney's voice resounded over the loudspeaker as he announced roll call in the Bullpen. I closed my locker and headed to the squad room. They changed the uniform of the day for the winter. Many had broken out the jackets and watch caps that were standard issue. I, however, preferred the sweater with a turtleneck. The coat was too cumbersome, and I was not fond of it. I only used it when it actually turned cold or snowed hard. This was Max and me's first official briefing as husband and wife. When I left the locker room, I saw her chatting with Marcello. I walked behind her, put my arms around her collar, and kissed her cheek. She turned and smiled. Our faces must have looked priceless. I still felt the effects of this morning's lovemaking. I knew Max did as well. If I could, I'd take her back into the locker room. Keegs, of course, noticed, flung his head backward, and sighed
Tuesday, November27th "Roll call in the Bullpen... roll call in the Bullpen," said Lieutenant Chaney over the loudspeaker with his ominousBig Voice. We all filed in for the cold winter's night. Many had broken out the jackets and watch caps which were standard issue for the season. I, however, preferred the sweater with a turtle neck. The jacket was too bulky and I hated it. I only used it when it really got cold or snowed hard. The Bullpen was set up more like a classroom. There were three rows of tables, six tables deep. Each table could sit three. At the front was a podium for the Watch Commander flanked by two tables full of papers, reports, and files. Behind him was a whiteboard that ran the entire length of the wall. It was massive, containing not only a ma
Wednesday, November 28 Wednesday, November 28 The sun had vanished, and it was cold, rainy, and slushy. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving, and this wasn’t the weather for the holiday. The last time Maxine called in sick was four years ago. The cough had progressed to body aches, chills, sore throat, and a fever of 101.6. This morning during a spasm, she brought up blood with dark yellow phlegm and wheezed. Of course, she didn’t want to see a doctor, which caused an argument. I was concerned that she might have pneumonia. She needed to be seen by a physician for antibiotics and breathing treatments. At one point, I thought I was overreacting from the witchery and threats of spells and curses. I couldn’t shake what the vagrant said on the bridge about pins, urine, and cork. My inner voice replayed his words over and again. The more I heard it, the more I remembered. Take your wife’s urine an
Thursday, November 29 - ThanksgivingShe spent the night in isolation, awaiting results of blood cultures taken by Center for Disease Control. Her parents had gone, forced from the floor, but trying to move me would have been a mistake and they knew it. I just sat there, in uniform, outside a Plexiglas room waiting for some sort of diagnosis or explanation.I'd fallen asleep when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Keegs. His ICU nurse had let him onto the floor. He simply sat next to me, tapped my leg and didn't say a word.For the next five hours, Keegs and I made very little small talk. He brought me up a few cups of Joe and a bagel, but then we would sit quietly, waiting.Finally, at six a.m., the doctor
Friday, November 30Black Friday and second watch were working a double. It's one of the nuttiest days of the year, at least for the day shift, and not in a good way.I pulled into the driveway of the caretaker's house, Potters Church when I got a text from Maxine's mother."She's still in a coma. She's seizing again. They tried to bring her out. Please come quick.""Shit!" I said and rubbed my face in frustration."I need answers. Major Case is not helping. I'll be right there,"I texted back and then got out.The smell of old was very present as I knocked on the thick wooden door. It was ancient, as was the house. Five years ago the city decided to restore it, but that smell