The Righters

Chapter 1

The law enforcement station was busier than ever, more than likely due to the time of year. They seemed to receive quite a bit more calls as summer approached. After the Takeover, the traditional government was ousted and replaced by military rule. This included local law enforcement throughout the stretch of the country. Additionally, law enforcement officers were no longer labeled as police officers. Instead, they were given the title of Righters. Ironically, many of the Righters didn't seem aware of the difference between right and wrong. Therefore, the title was more of an oxymoron than anything else.

Corruption plagued the force as a result of the events that transpired during the Takeover. Most Righters within the force could make any dirty cop look like a saint.

This, however, was not the case for every single Righter.

Lisa Higgins was one of the Righters that actually lived up to the title of the demanding job. She knew the difference between right and wrong and enforced the laws of the land upon those that had the displeasure of crossing her path, friend or foe.

Lisa stood up for justice even when it seemed that justice was unwilling to stand up for itself. She knew the laws and made sure that everyone around her did as well.

Being in her mid-thirties, Lisa considered herself to be in her physical prime. She exercised daily, resting only one day out of the week. She also trained with one of the best martial arts instructors in the city, Son Li. Firing a weapon was second nature to her. Not only was she superior with all variations of laser-firing weaponry, she was an expert markswoman with the more traditional bullet-firing weapons as well.

Though these occurrences were true, she received much scrutiny from her fellow colleagues, many of which were intimidated by her by-the-book mentality. Most of the Righters within Region 59, the colossal district that was once known as New York City before the Takeover, kept their distance from Lisa for fear of being turned in for illegal activities or unlawful acts. Lisa, however, didn't mind that this was the case. Her mentality was derived from the fact that she knew what needed to be done and how to do it. She also knew what was right and wrong and was an expert at making sure that everyone else was aware of and abided by those stipulations.

Lisa's boss, a stocky black man named Russo Harmon, was in the middle of a phone call in his office. All Righters were required to install an earpiece that served as a phone and a radio. The implants were installed after graduating the Initiation Training Course, or ITC. These complex earpieces, later given the name Auricles, were initially invented to support Righter communications. However, a few years after their invention, Auricles were made available for civilian use for the hefty price of seven thousand dollars.

Russo gently squeezed the lobe of his ear, terminating the call. After doing so, he looked up and noticed Lisa walking by.

"Hey, Higs," Russo called from his office.

Lisa stopped midstride and turned around. She hated when he called her that.

She stepped into his office and stood at parade rest.

"Relax," Russo said. "Close the door, please."

Russo continued after Lisa closed the door.

"Have a seat. I called you in here because I have an assignment for you."

Lisa sat in silence, anticipating the details of the assignment.

"It should be pretty simple for you. I want you on it because I don't trust these other assholes in the department to handle this. There was an apparent drug deal gone bad in Area 5916. Head over there and apprehend the perps. You're authorized to utilize lethal force if necessary."

"Understood," Lisa replied.

"Send me a status once you get there. Do you need backup?"

Lisa considered allowing another Righter to tag along. However, doing so would more than likely place her in moral or physical danger. Adding another Righter to the equation would either result in the drugs being stolen by her partner or an unsuccessful mission due to sheer laziness on her companion's part.

She decided to pass on the offer. "I can handle it," she said.

"All right. Be careful over there. I'm sure you're aware of the danger in Area 5916."

"Of course, sir. Anything else?"

"That'll be all."

With that, Lisa was dismissed. She quickly went to the armory and retrieved a 670i Laser Pistol, an energy cell, two pulse grenades, a slow-blow grenade, and a Sear Knife, an extremely sharp knife composed of graphene and tungsten that retained a high internal temperature which allowed it to cut through most body armor.

She went upstairs, exited the station, and hopped onto her bike, a Kawasaki iz900. The bike was equipped with the same technology as any standard floater, only the iz900 could fly at nearly 300 miles per hour. In addition to the state-of-the-art free-floating perk was an attached front laser that could be fired simply by pressing a button on the inside of the right handlebar.

Before starting the bike, Lisa initiated a radio check. "Main, this is Righter 459 commencing radio check. Over."

A few seconds later, Lisa heard a response in her left ear. "Righter 459, this is Main. Good copy. Over."

"Roger that. In route to Area 5916. Over."

"Good to go. We have you on radar now. Over and out."

Lisa started her bike, sped out of the parking lot, and rode toward Area 5916, unaware of the danger that awaited her.

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A note from the author: Hello, bookworms! I hope you have enjoyed reading my book thus far. Please share your thoughts and share with your friends. Thank you!