Wake Me Up

Dreaming on Duty

She could feel the shakes starting already and it wasn't even two in the afternoon yet. "What we got?" Her voice of authority carries across the hustle and bustle of the station. "Well Sarge, the boys did a bust last night, managed to get a hold of their tech before one of them took off..." There's the hesitation. She raises her eyebrow. "One of them?" A nervous silence descends upon all present. "Um, well yeah there was a fatality. The other guy was armed with a gun and when we broke into the apartment he was holding his, um, colleague at gunpoint." He hands her a tan folder, which when opened reveals the aftermath of the raid. Jesus. She sighs. "Great. So you're telling me one guy is dead and the other one got away?" He nods silently. She scans the pictures more closely, then glancing up at the squad anxiously awaiting her verdict. "Everyone listen up. We carry out surveillance across the city to find criminals who are using the dream tech without a licence for a reason. Why? Because every day, we are under attack. Forget the days of robbing people's possessions; we have to protect people from their subconscious being robbed. And to stop this we need to get it from the root, find where people are still getting the tech." She eyes up the nervous officer who handed her the folder. "But we cannot do this if they are all dead." She pauses. "Or evading us..." She sighs. "Everyone back to work. Find us some more dreamers." Everyone moves without hesitation and the hustle once again fills the station. "You!" She signals to the nervous officer. "You said we got their tech right?" "Yes Sarge, but you see it needs to be kept in storage for transport back to the -" "I know, just tell me where it is." He blinks in surprise at being cut off, and points down the corridor to the far door. She nods. "Good, I just need to check it over for evidence issues. Reports require more details when a fatality is involved. Now go grab me a coffee." He lingers, desperate to say something but decides against it, saluting before he leaves. Her fingers tremble and her skin feels as if tiny insects are crawling all over her. She digs her nails into her palm. Calm yourself Beth, you'll be dreaming soon enough.

Phil stops to catch his breath, bending as his lungs burn in his chest, his body trembles, no, shakes with the adrenaline surging through his body. He fumbles with the cog over his thumb, it fits perfectly and after a quick count he realises all twenty protrusions are there. He was pretty confident in his awaken state due to the crippling sensation in his left leg but it was more out of habit than anything else. Damn that was close. God dammit Larry, why was he always so paranoid. Well, his paranoia had saved Phil's life but ended his own. Phil grimaced. Now wasn't the time to appreciate small ironies. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through the contacts, hitting dial when it came to Noah. He leaned against the wall, allowing it to support his weight as he slumped to the ground. Jolts of pain surged up his leg. "Hello?" Phil lifted the phone to his ear, "That you Noah?" "Sure is, what's up Phil?" A pause. "You sound in a bad way man, busted?" "Only my ankle, you know I'd never take you down with me just for a shorter sentence." Seems everyone was getting a bit more paranoid these days. "Glad to hear it. Tell me what you need." Phil paused, mulling over his priorities. "Well I'd probably say some medical attention about now, but I've got a bigger problem. Larry's dead." There was a brief moment of silence. "Son of a bitch. They're getting bolder." Noah sighed. "Larry was never that good anyway. I've got a new guy. Better, smarter, I can hook you up." "I'll be tracked; we need to meet in person after I lose my tail. ERV?" "Sure Phil. Stay safe. If you're not there in 12 hours I'm gone." The line went dead. Phil lowered the phone, groping at the cover, popping the back off. He pulled out the battery, pausing to peer down the alley, before removing the Sim card and snapping it in half. He threw away the two pieces and replaced the phone parts. Phil reached out to the plastic pole sticking out the garbage heap, planting it in the ground and using it to heave himself up onto his feet. Cursing and huffing he stood shakily, observing his surroundings. He would need to find some way to get to their emergency rendezvous, and he only had 11 hours and 53 minutes left to get there.

Sergeant Beth Johnson stood anxiously outside the door, her palms were clammy and her stomach churned in anticipation. She turned the door handle, stepping into a familiar hallway. So warm, inviting, shoes lining the floor along one wall. Hello Kitty stared up at her with big dark eyes, starkly contrasting her pink background on the small shoes. "Honey is that you?" Heavy footsteps sound from the other room as a handsomely rugged face appears, wiping his hands on his apron. He smiles at the sight of his wife, all business like and professional, coat draped over one arm, suitcase in the other. "Here Beth let me take those, come and have a glass of wine. We're celebrating!" Beth watches her husband as he rounds the corner, disappearing with suitcase and jacket, reappearing with wine glass in hand. She smiles, the exhaustion and stress of her day gone as she sips the red liquid. His hand comes up brushing her hair over her ear, leaning in and planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'm glad you could make it tonight" he whispers. "The birthday girl would have been gutted if you couldn't make it." He flashes a grin at her, taking her hand and leading Beth into the kitchen. Why does she feel waves of guilt cascading over her? "Here she is! Big birthday girl!" Excited giggling comes from the high chair, where their daughter Annabelle is sitting kicking her legs in joy. Daddy picks her up, lifting her high in the air as Annabelle squeals. Beth feels a single tear roll down her cheek and plop into her wine glass. She quickly brushes it away, blinking frantically. The squealing stops as Andrew looks over at her. "Everything ok Hun?" His tone changed from the friendly inviting welcome. "Just a sec, think I got something in my eye." She smiles nervously, her fingers trembling as she sets the wine glass down on the table. She notices Andrew putting Annabelle back into her high chair. There are no longer happy cries, but fearful ones. She hurries towards the bathroom, hearing footsteps behind her. Bolting the door behind her she slumps to the bathroom floor, her reflection staring back at her. Mascara runs down her face as the tears flow steady now. A thump sounds from behind the door, followed by another. "You're never here! Where are you?! You're never here!" The anguished cries of anger bellow from the other side as the pounding on the door continues steady. Beth pulls her knees up to her chest, sticking her face into the darkness. The shouting and pounding rises to a crescendo. Then silence. Beth lifts her face up, pushing herself up from the floor. She wipes her face with her hands and unlocks the bathroom door. Opening it she walks into the silent empty kitchen. The high chair is gone, the smell of freshly baked food is non-existent and there is no longer any crying or yelling or anything. The house is empty. No, not entirely empty. Beth's eye is drawn to movement from the other room. Moving slowly, she eases the door open further, peering at the object in the centre of the floor. A small plastic toy, a drinking bird bobs backwards and forwards perpetually, swinging at a steady pace. Beth watches entranced, until she realises it's slowing down, coming to a stop. A full stop.

Beth awakens, the fluorescent lights of the evidence locker stinging her eyes. She sits up, removing the cable from he rarm, gathering it back into the case. She lets out a staggered sigh, reaching for the locket around her neck. She flicks it open, revealing a picture of a handsome rugged face alongside a small giggling baby. "Sarge?" The voice cuts the silence and Beth instinctively folds her locket away. "Yes?" "Um... What are you doing on the floor of the evidence locker?" She breathes in sharp, standing up and dusting off her uniform. "Where's my coffee?" she demands, dismissing the accusation. "Well... Uh... The thing is we've managed to trace the other dreamers phone signal. He made a call recently to a Mr. Noah Wright, but we were unable to get any further." She recognized that name well. "And? What did they speak about?" He shuffled on the spot, seeming rather excited. "They're going to meetup, and we think we know where."