Deadly Shot (ON HOLD)

Chapter 5: Morning Run

London, UK

7:05 am

The first day on the job is never easy, but the first day as a detective was even more difficult. It could be scumbag bosses or obnoxious coworkers, but whatever the case may be, it will take time for a person to acclimatize to their new environment. As she went down the sidewalk in a jacket and black sports leggings, the foggy and cold weather did nothing to brighten or improve Skylar Knight's mood. She was startled awake from her sleep by a loud explosion, which was the source of her irritability. She crossed the street and entered the public park, which she discovered two days later on the day she arrived in this section of London.

Five days ago, she was a police officer in southwest London. She had requested a transfer to the north of London to work as a detective. She aced the detective exam, but she couldn't figure out why she had to wait six months to be transferred and promoted. Her bosses there weren't bad, but they were opposed to female detectives, which was why she requested a transfer. 

Skylar had no idea how things would go in this new department, but she did know one thing. She was going to show that a young, hot-headed detective could accomplish amazing things.

Skylar took a look around the park's surroundings. Birds chirped from the leafless trees that shaded the cycling and walking paths. As she walked over to a small wooden bench and sat, orange, green, and yellow leaves crunched beneath her feet. She took her phone from her pocket, connected her earphones via Bluetooth, and began jogging after pressing play on a podcast she had started two nights before.

Her earphones muffled all surrounding noise as she ran down the asphalt walking path, inhaling the cold, dark, and smoky scent of the London air she was so used to. She shifted her gaze from left to right, attempting to adjust to her new surroundings. She came to a halt after nearly a kilometer, grabbing her knees and exhaling heavily.

Her blonde hair fell in front of her eyes, obscuring her vision as she looked up. She tucked it away and took a look around. Her pupils dilated at the sight. The entire house was destroyed by fire. She exclaimed as she noticed the people encircling the house, which was barred by police tape. Three squad cars were parked on the road, and men in fire-resistant suits were pulling hoses from firetrucks. 

Skylar then looked ahead and noticed something near the river that ran through the side of the house. She took out her earphones and slid them into her pocket, pausing the podcast. She walked slowly over, her gaze fixed on the thing lying on the rocky terrain. She couldn't tell what it was from this distance, and as she got closer, the object grew larger, and she realized it wasn't a thing. It was a human being. 

Holy Shit!

She dashed over, scanning her surroundings for people. Only a few people were in front of her. Had they all ignored him, or did they not notice him? Skylar was infuriated more than ever by the thought of people ignoring someone in need.

She ambled closer, almost slipping on the small rocks beneath her feet. She knelt and felt one of the rocks rip the fabric of her sports pants and grazing her. She brushed it aside and flipped the man onto his back. His face was covered in blood, limestone, and scratches, and as she took in the sight, her eyes widened. On his brow was a large slanting scratch. Skylar placed two fingers under the man's nose bridge. As a warm but slow whiff of air caught her index finger, she breathed a sigh of relief. 

Skylar took her phone from her pocket and dialed the emergency number. The call tone faded away after two seconds, and a responder answered. She briefly explained the situation and ended the call after giving the responder her location so that an ambulance could be dispatched. She looked around for more people to help her, but she couldn't find any. She reached into his pockets and pulled out a phone. Skylar looked through the other pocket but found nothing. She tried to turn the phone on to find out who the unconscious person was, but it was dead. She reasoned that it had been logged by water.