Bloodshot

Chapter five

32 months later.......
. On the first Wednesday in March, I found myself and over hundred SWAT rookies being chaffeured in a convoy of armoured SWAT trucks, alluding cop cars and reporters' vehicle....

- Today makes it thirty two months since we finished the initial training session. The qualified trainees were afterwards filtered and we became MPD cops, we served for two years, then applied for the SWAT. Then we went on another eight months training, and now, our hardwork and pains made us become who were about to be today-

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The swearing-in was was going to commence in hours and the convoy moved at snail's speed.
Snail's speed, because it was official and important, so everyone had to pay respect by either saluting or paving way for us.
I couldn't see the whole thing.
The only opening in the truck was made of steel grills and air vents, hermetically sealed with black tinted windows.
So, there was no possible and legal way we could peep or see the outside world.
Anyways, I could hear everything.
But faintly.
- The idle revving if the truck's engine, the clicks of reporters' cameras, the paramilitary melodies from bag pipes, the cheers and grumps of civilians as the police restricted them.
Everything.
I sighed and looked at myself , feeling more nervous than proud, though I had been ruthless for years.... As an MPD police

  I had my full SWAT uniform on, a bulletproof vest, a protective helm, gloves, haix SWAT boots , belt and shoulder holsters and a Heckler and Koch UMP stood beside me. I looked at other recruits, they didn't seem to be interested in anything than maintaining long faces. So "keeping shut" was the best thing to do.

I reminisced about the previous two years of my life. It was kinda hectic, though I made new friends and Detective Caine came to visit on weekly basis.
- Those times, we would jog endlessly under unfavorable weather conditions. Those times we were trained for body buildup and close combating. Those times we would march in thick mud puddles, those times I earned monthly qualifications as an MPD police after busting drug dealers and robbery missions. Those times we went into a demo war against dummies.
Sounds hilarious
Lots of experiences I had forgotten about.

My ruminations were overrode when the truck braked to a halt and the radio in our shoulder holsters ordered a "brace yourselves" monotonously. We all stood up and formed to lines of three people each. I was at the front, staring at the doors and waiting for it to give way to the outside world.
Heck! I was nervous.
I closed my eyes, exhaled and inhaled thrice.
Deep and real slow.
I held the UMP firmly like my courage depended on it. Then , took out my father's necklace and kissed it.
" This is for you pappy" I whispered and tucked the necklace in.
Then the radio stopped and there was grave silence in the truck, a pin drop could be audible and I could even hear my own heart's racing. Then a latching sound broke the silence alluding an electrical shriek. Seconds later, the electrical doors went down and created a ramp.
" Now advance" The radio commanded and again, we jogged out of the truck, I glimpsed at the outside world, reporters shoving their cameras at every direction while the police restrained them and covered us with riot shields.
- They didn't want any reporter to use us as his monthly qualifications after taking a live video illegally -
We jogged for half a minute and arrived at a large foyer, illuminated with bright florescent lights and it was sealed with thick opaque glass at the both side, the radio ordered a "stop",we did as it commanded, half a minute later, it ordered a "march forward".
Then, we advanced.
I could hear some indistinct chatters not too far. We marched down the foyer till we reached the dead-end.
Yep! Dead-ended at a high steel electrical door.
Half a minute later, the door gave way and we walked into an extremely large hall. We stepped forward, forming columns as we entered the podium. There were over ten thousand people in the hall, and every one had and ID card on him.
They all clapped rhythmically.
- It was the MPD HQ -
And the supposed audience were all cops, attorneys, lawyers and detectives.
We chanted the star-spangled banner and the pledge of allegiance.
Then we were sworn in afterwards.