Damien
The sun is shining and the sky is blue as I drive around town. There’s only twenty minutes left in my shift and then I get to go home to my favorite girls. My life feels just as perfect as this beautiful day. It amazes me how everything seems to come together and the life I always wanted basically falls into my lap. Tinsley and I are so excited about the new baby, but probably not as excited as Sami. She has already started going through her “baby” toys to give to the new baby. She asks us every day when will the baby be here. Tinsley bought a calendar and circled her due date. Every night as we tuck her in, we mark off that day.
I pull into the gas station. I need a cup of coffee if I plan on keeping up with my energetic daughter when I get home. As I walk to the front doors, a chill races up my spine. Brushing it off, I step through the door. The store is quiet. Glancing over at the counter, I notice Fred, the owner, isn’t standing behind it like he normally is. He’s always here. He lives in an apartment upstairs. As I walk back to the coffee station, I scan the store. It’s too quiet in here—eerily quiet. Usually there’s some sort of talk radio show playing in the background.
“Hey, Fred! You in here?” I call out, then wait for a reply, but there isn’t one. If he went upstairs to his apartment, he would have put a sign on the front door and locked it. Fred is a creature of habit. I’ve known him all my life, and he has never changed how he does things. Leaving the store unattended like this is not something he’d do. A loud crash sounds from the back room, causing me to jump. Coffee splashes over the rim of my cup and I place it on the counter. The small hairs on the back of my neck raise as my heart pounds wildly. Pulling the gun from my holster, I slowly make my way to the back of the store.
My footsteps on the tile floor and heavy breathing are the only sounds in the store.
When I get to the back wall, I stop and listen for any movement. At first, there’s nothing but silence, but then there’s a small whimper. Fear fills me. My gut is telling me that something is very wrong. As quietly as I possibly can, I walk along the back wall and make my way to the door of the storage room. When I get to the doorway, a pair of legs sprawled out on the floor comes into view. It’s Fred. My blood runs cold when I hear his pain-filled moan. Inhaling through my nose, I raise my gun and walk through the doorway. Fred is laying on his back on the floor in a large pool of blood. His face is battered and bruised. He’s lying on his back. He’s been shot in the stomach. His face turns toward me and his eyes flutter open when he hears my footsteps.
“He’s...up...stairs,” he mutters. “Be...careful.” I pull the cell phone from my pocket and send a text to another deputy.
Me: 911 burglary in progress Fred’s. Armed. I’m inside.
I place the phone back in my pocket, then lean down close to Fred. “Can you crawl out of here?” I ask, and he shakes his head. I need to get him out of here. “I’m going to pull you out of here, okay?” He nods and his lips curl up on the side. I holster my gun and pick him up under his arms. As carefully as I can, I pull him through the store out the front door and place him on the sidewalk right outside away from the doorway. “Help will be here soon. I’ll be right back.”
“Care...ful,” Fred moans.
“I will. Hang on for me.” I remove my gun from my holster and go back inside the store. My eyes are focused on the door to the backroom and I don’t see the man behind the counter. Before I can turn around I hear the bang of a gun. A burning pain sears into my back and I spin around. The man walks toward me, a gun aimed straight for my head, and without a second thought, I fire off a round at the same time a bullet pierces me. I stumble back before falling to the floor, the adrenaline crashing to the floor with me. My hand grasps at the entry point of the wound as my eyes dart around until I find him on the floor five feet from me, blood spewing from a hole in his forehead.
My head falls back as a pained breath escapes, followed by a sigh of relief. My head begins to spin as I take in another breath, my vision blurring in and out. I’ve been shot. Twice. Closing my eyes, I reel over the possibility of leaving my family, the new baby…but I shake those thoughts away just as fast. I refuse to die. I didn’t get to this point only to die now.
I move to reach into my pocket for my phone and pain shoots through my entire body. “Ahhh,” I shout out, clenching my jaw to breathe through the agony. My vision blinks in and out until black spots dance in front of me. My teeth begin to chatter as an uncontrollable chill flows through my veins. Grinding my teeth, I pull out every reserve of strength I have and pull my phone out of my pocket.
Me: 10 13
They’ll know that means officer down and they’ll send an ambulance. Tears begin to fall from my eyes. I’m going to die. I’ll never see Sami graduate. Never walk her down the aisle at her wedding. Never hold my grandchildren. I promised Tinsley we’d grow old together. I promised to make up for all the years we were apart. Promised that I’d never hurt her again. But I’m about to hurt her more than she’s ever hurt before. I’m trying to hang on for her, for them, but I can feel myself slowly slipping away. The sound of whaling sirens invades my ears. I try to open my eyes when I hear the deputies coming through the front doors, but they are too heavy. I fade in and out of consciousness. I can hear people talking but it’s all jumbled like they are talking under water, I can’t make out anything that’s being said.
“Damien,” a voice says, “hang in there. Keep fighting.” It’s Noah. How’d he get here? I will my eyes to open.
“Noah. Tell them I love them...so much. Please,” I choke out, and Noah sniffles.
“You will be able to tell them yourself,” he cries, and I shake my head, wincing at the movement.
“Make sure they are okay. I love you too.” My eyes close again and the darkness pulls me under.