welcome, inspector

The Employment

  I settled down into my desk, paperwork flooding my workspace.

  "So much of a proper welcome," I said as I stapled a few pieces of paper together, regarding some event.

  A hand rested a few inches from my right elbow, "So. Wassup, Chapper?" He checked my name tag sewed on the top right of my uniform.

  "Yeah. It's Chapper," I responded, smiling sheepishly as I held some papers in my hands.

  "You've got a big stash of paperwork on your table, you should clear it before lunch break."

  I nodded, continuing my work.

  The man did not move, "You joined the force because..?"

  I looked at him, "I'm broke. I needed some cash, I shot a pistol too in the military I worked in the force for a few months."

  "You come from California yeah?" He asked, I noticed the edge in his voice.

  "Yeah,"

  "My men died there, during a training."

  "Oh, sorry to hear that, sir," I responded.

  "Call me Carlson, I'm the Senior Officer here."

  I nodded, continuing with the clearing of my table.

  "I'll catch you around, see you soon."

  I nodded again, hoping he would go away after then.

  Upon hearing the softened footsteps, I rested my back on the backrest of the chair.

Fabric had always bothered me, in a way.

Not until—

The bell rang, and all the officers cheered softly, just enough for Carlson to hear them.

"Hold your horses, did the police academy train you to react to the lunch bell like this?"

The room was silent, except for the creaking of chairs.

"Alright, y'all can set off on your voyage for Minnie's now."

Minnie's was the restaurant just by the street, I thought.

"Chapper, we need to talk."

I stumbled up, looking at the female officer gripping my shoulder firmly.

Behind her was Carlson, his arms akimbo whilst his facial expressions were tense.

"We see so much potential in you, you're fit," she nodded at my triceps, "and you have experience in shooting too."

Carlson nodded, "Which is why we're giving you a chance to join the Task Armed-Force."

"You mean, I have to shoot baddies?" I questioned, fiddling with my index fingers.

"Pretty much, and you don't have to do paperwork, you get to cruise around in the car with my men. Only selected individuals get to join us, such as you, and this lady who is in charge of the force."

  She smiled, "Call me Brie."

  "We'll have lunch, and then we talk," Carlson suggested, grinning.

  We made our way to Minnie's, the winter winds harshly contacting our faces like blunted knives.

  "One cheeseburger meal, change the drink to Soda, and two pancakes for the lady and the lad," Carlson ordered the barista standing by the counter.

  The barista nodded, her uniform was noticeably dirtied by ketchup, possibly bloo-

  "Hands up, y'all!" She ordered, unholstering a pistol. She loaded it, swinging it at us.

  It was only the four of us in the restaurant, the other officers already back at the station.

  "Take it easy," Carlson was not intimidated, I noticed him reaching for his revolver.

  I kept silent, my eyes trailing back and forth from his back pocket to the mad barista.

  "I know y'alls work there," she swung her pistol to the station, "the men there killed my SISTER!"

  She shot it, closely missing Brie's ear.

  She was startled, but did not move.

  "There's only one possible reason for that-" Carlson "accidentally" dropped his revolver .

  "Whasat'?" She aimed the pistol at Carlson, her finger on the trigger.
(             <barista
chapper | brie | carlson> stood in this manner)
  "It's just my wallet, no need to worry," He bent down, the barista's vision blocked by the counter.

  She was tricked, she bent over the counter to look, and Brie knocked the wind out of her with the barrel of her pistol.

  She fell onto the counter, about to drop onto Carlson.

  Carlson ducked out, rolling the chamber in his revolver. "Mine was not even loaded, that was like playing russian roulette but not actually-"

  "Enough, let's take her to the station for some questions," Brie broke his train of thought.

  I was still standing there, stunned.

  Brie turned to me, as if forgetting I was still there, "Don't worry, Carlson and I have been reading each other for around 5 years, we're like the unstoppable duo." She chuckled, "You'll get there soon."

  I giggled, maybe to an extent, that I was not laughing to what she just remarked; but maybe I was just impressed by what they just pulled off.

  "I'll join the Task Armed-Force," I finally made out, as we made our way out of Minnie's, dragging the unconscious barista with us.

  The two of them were in front, but they stopped and turned around almost in sync.

  "Perfect," Brie said, laughing weakly.

  "We got eyes on the delta, respond, over," the man aimed his scope at the barista."

  "Exterminate delta, she cannot rat us out, not now, over," The static voice on the radio responded.

  "Roger that, over."

  The bullet whizzed last Brie and Carlson's bodies and almost hit my hand that was holding onto the barista's head.

  "What the hell-" the both of them exclaimed in unison, turning around to see me holding a corpse.

  "Sniper!" Brie exclaimed, looking at the thick trees covered in snow.

  "Chapper, run!" Carlson ordered in a panicked tone.

  I ran, turning back a few times, just to make out a car driving past Brie and Carlson, a pair of arms grabbing Brie into the car and a Carlson who was knocked out.