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Hero by Randall W. Pretzer |
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"Yes sir." Ziflas looked down. "Hey, look at me…" Ziflas looked back up slowly. "Someone has to shape you up…." "Yes sir." "I want you to guard restuarants for now…" "Yes Sir." "All right, first assignment…go to Eat Or Leave." "Yes, Sir." "You know where that is?" "Yes, Sir." "Get to it!" "Yes Sir." Ziflas walked out of the station, got into his car and was about to start the engine when Sargent Green came rushing out. "Hey….." He yelled at Ziflas. Ziflas rolled down the window. "You get out of the car…I don't want you driving any of the sqaud cars right now. You take the bus, use your own car or walk. You hear me?" "Yes sir. Ziflas got out of the car, handed the keys to Sargent Green and headed towards Eat Or Leave. Ziflas had been to that restaurant several times and he knew that nothing ever happened there. It just encouraged people to become more obese worsening the healthcare crisis. He walked in. A waitress came up to him. "Yes, officer of the peace, may I help you?" "No, I am just here to watch over the restuarant." "Excuse me?" "I am here to provide security." "We don't need any of that." "Well, my boss has decided to be the judge of that…I am sure you got a call?" "No sir, we didn't and I will have to ask you to leave…..you can't just walk in here and provide this…" "Well….I am sorry…" The phone rang and the waitress hurried over to the front desk. "Yes, thank you for calling Eat or Leave…may I help you?….hold on.." She looked up at Ziflas. "Are you officer Ziflas?" "Yes." "Telephone…" Ziflas walked over to the counter and the waitress handed him the phone. "Yes..officer Ziflas….No….I….I…yes sir." Ziflas handed the phone back to the waitress. "My boss no longer feels my services are needed here….Good day…ma'am." "Please come again, sir." Ziflas smiled at her and left. Sargent Green was waiting for Ziflas outside the police station. He walked right up to Ziflas and stopped him dead as he was climbing the steps. "I knew you would mess up a simple job like this….how long have you been on the force… a month?" "Uh….3 and half weeks." "Don't you know that an undercover cop doesn't announce himself?" "I didn't know I was suppose to…" "You go in, eat and watch for anything suspicious….then you leave and come back to me…I thought this was clear?" "No. sir…I am sorry…" "All right…we will try this one more time….go back to that restaurant how but change out of your inform and just wear whatever the hell it is you wear outside of work….am I clear?" "Yes, sir." "Good. Get the hell out of my office." Ziflas walked into the restaurant but this time was dressed in blue jeans, a black tee shirt, two different but dark colored socks and black boots. The same waitress from before came up to greet him. "Back so soon?" she said with a bit of sarcasm. "Yes…I'm hungry." "You came to the perfect place." "I know." "You like to be smart, huh?" "Only when someone is smart back." The waitress, outwitted and feeling a little ashamed, showed him to a nearby booth. "What can I get you to drink?" "Just a coke." "Don't you cops drink coffee?" "Only on duty." She left in frustration. She just couldn't outwit him. Ziflas didn't intend to play a game of wits with her but he wasn't in the mood for her bad attitude…who the hell ever was in the mood for a bad attitude from anyone? He folded his arms on the table and put his head down on them. "Excuse me sir, what are you doing here?" Ziflas said. "What's it to you?" The young man said. "You don't talk to an officer of the law like that, mister." "Why are you hassling me I am just standing here?" An old man came up to both Ziflas and the young man. The old man faced Ziflas. "What’s the problem Officer? I have been here all day and this young man has not done anything…." The old man said. "I don't believe this is any of your business, sir," Ziflas said. The young man stood there silently. "I believe it is….I see injustice…I have a right to…." "I think you should go back and sit down where you were, sir." "What, are you a fascist……" The old man was about to say more but what looked like a middle aged woman come up to where they were. "What is going on here…son what did you do this time?" the woman said. The young man looked over at the old man. "Actually….mom….this old man started the whole thing…" The old man stood silently. "All right….you two…" Ziflas signaled to the young man and the woman. "You get out of here….you sir…" he signaled the old man. "You come with me." The Ziflas put handcuffs on the old man. "Your coke sir…..sir?" The waitress was tapping Ziflas on the shoulder. He slowly raised up his head and looked up at her. "Yes?" "Here is your coke…." She placed it on the table, took out a straw and placed in the drink. "Thank you." "You're welcome." "Now may I take your order?" "I'll have a corn beef sandwich." "You want that at a hamburger joint?" "A hamburger is nothing more than a sandwich…" "I am not up to this….all right you want a corn beef sandwich…anything else?" "Not right now, thanks." "Okay, it should be right out." "Thank you." "You're welcome." The waitress went up to the manager who was sitting at his desk. "It's time for my break….is that okay?" "Yeah….15 minutes…Jenny….you got it?" "Yes….." "All right….get out of here." Jenny left his office, went outside and sat down on a nearby bench in front of the entrance to the restaurant. She stared down at the sidewalk. "Where did you learn to drive?" Richard said. "I am sorry I'm just a bit stressed now…" Jenny said. "That's no excuse for driving like a maniac….stop the car…I'm taking over…" Jenny pulled over and turned off the car. They both got out and switched sides. Richard started the car and got back on the express way. A cop car zoomed by and was switching lanes without using a turn signal. "Look at that…they are enforcers of the law and yet they are breaking every traffic law…." Jenny said. "Give them a break….they are 'under stress too'…you know" Richard said. "Very funny." A cop comes slowly behind them and the lights turn on. "What the hell is this?" Jenny said. "Just calm down….why you so rough on cops?" "My father is one….enough said." "That makes all the sense in the world." Richard said sarcastically. A cop slowly creeps up behind Jenny and Richard. His lights start flashing seconds later. Richard pulls over to the side. "I wonder what I did? This is odd." Richard said watching the cop slowly get out of his car and pull out a notepad. "This is what I am talking about….we have done nothing….he must be bored…" Jenny said. The cop was standing at Richard's window now. "Hello sir, how are you tonight?" The cop said. "I am fine…sir…" "I noticed that one of your back tale lights is out….the one on the left." "Oh…I am sorry sir…I didn't even notice…" "And you have a lovely woman back there….." "Yes I do….well…she is my friend…" "Open season on her….how ya doing babe?" Jenny remains quiet and squats down in her seat feeling uncomfortable. The cop walks over to her side of the car. He motions to her to roll down the window but she refuses. Richard gets out of the car and walks over to the cop. The cop pulls out his club and breaks the window on Jenny's side, she screams and leans to the left covering her face. The cop unlocks the door and tries to pull her out but the seatbelt holds Jenny in. Richard grabs the cop from behind but the cop head butts him and Richard falls to the ground holding his head and then the cop kicks him in the stomach. Richard moans and grabs his stomach but tries to get up and the cop hits on the head with the club knocking Richard unconscious. Jenny Unbuckles her seatbelt, gets into the drivers side and starts up the engine and hit's the gas. She looks back to check on Richard but know she has no choice but to leave. The cop immediately runs back into his car and starts the engine. Jenny goes as fast as she can but the cop catches up with her right on her bumper hitting it. She switches into the left lane but the cop follows she swerves into the left and the cop is about to swerve behind her when someone rams into his car and both cars spiral off the road. Jenny looks back quickly but keeps going. She turns around to go get Richard. She makes it back to where he is in a few minutes. She pulls over to the side of the road, get out of the car and runs over to where Richard is. He is still unconscious. She shakes him slowly, he doesn't wake up and she shakes a little harder but still nothing. Jenny then checks his pulse but he has none. He is dead. Jenny slowly picks him up in her arms and cries. "Hey…Jenny….I said 15 minutes….what the hell are you doing?" Jenny lifts up her head and sees her boss standing in front of her. "I am sorry….I lost…" "I don't want to hear any excuses…get back in there" "Yes sir…" Jenny said, putting her head down in shame. Her boss waited for her to get up and she rushed back into the restaurant. Her boss followed. "Hold it a minute…Jenny…." Her boss yelled at her and shut the door behind him. Jenny stopped and turned to face him. "You know…first you keep getting people's orders wrong….you come in late and now this…..you fuck up once more and you're out of here….got it" The customers were all looking at Jenny, including Ziflas. Her face was red with embarrassment and was almost in tears. "Yes, sir." She put her head down in shame once more. "Now you clock in and I don't want anymore screw ups…" She walked away silently back to the time clock. Ziflas got up and walked over to her boss. Jenny saw him and stopped just shy of the door to the time clock and watched him in confusion "I think you were too hard on her…." Ziflas said. "This doesn't concern you boy…now you go and sit down and finish your sandwich or I will have to ask you to leave." "Hey don't talk to me like I am stupid or your god damn child….I am probably older than you are…" "All right…..I warned you….you get out of here now before I call the cops…" "He is the cops…." Jenny said. "I don't care what he is…he is obviously off duty and I want him to leave….you" Pointing his finger in Ziflas face. "Leave now…..or else.." "What gives you the right to talk to anyone the way you talked to her….or the way you are talking to me now?" "I said leave now." The boss yelled at Ziflas. "It is very inappropriate for you to yell at her and in front of everyone here……she must all ready feel bad enough and you have to embarrass her…" The boss grabbed Ziflas by the shoulders and attempted to get him in headlock. Ziflas pushed his arms away, backed up a bit and the boss came charging at him. Ziflas threw a right jab at the boss cheek, hitting square and the boss fell to the ground. Ziflas offered his hand to the boss but he whisked it away. "You get the hell of here….." The boss said clutching his cheek. Jenny looked over at Ziflas and smiled weakly. He smiled back and waved goodbye. He left the restaurant. Jenny threw her apron down and looked at her boss. "I quit….bye." She left the restaurant and followed Ziflas. "Hey….mister…." Ziflas stopped and turned to face her. "Wait…please." Ziflas waited. "Sure." "Thank you so much for that…." She hugged him and he hugged her back. "You're welcome……my boss is a real jerk too….so I could relate…." "I am sorry about the way I treated you before…I" "It is okay…..I don't blame you…..a lot of bums roaming around on the force….you're looking at one of them…" "No…..you're great….no one ever did anything about my boss's brutish behavior…" "I am sorry….most I guess feel it is not their business…you know….but it is…" "You're right…" "Well…..I guess you got fired…probably my fault I am sorry.." "No I quit….I hated the job anyway….one more day I probably would have killed myself…" They both laughed. "How about we got for a walk?" Jenny said. "Sure." Ziflas said. Randall Pretzer |
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