Aurora Sky: Blackout (Completed)

Chapter 22

The running blue and white police cruiser was empty and its driver side door was open. The gas gauge read a quarter of a tank left. There was a fully packed black P.P.D. labeled bag stashed in the front passenger seat with the black helmet from the police stations missing swat gear resting on top of it. Paul got in driver seat, flipped off the lights, and popped the trunk to find a hidden cache of shotguns, rifles, and pistols with hundreds of ammo rounds for each, which obviously were the rest of the missing items from the Police Station.

"We should walk around the property and then check the house," Isaac suggested. "He could be hurt."

"Maybe he's on his way out of here. I mean, the car's running."

"Yeah... either way."

They patrolled around the property first but found nothing out of the ordinary. The two then approached the mahogany front door with guns in hand. Instead of bursting in, Isaac knocked on the door three times, but no one answered. He knocked again, and still nothing. He glanced at Paul and shrugged his shoulders, then turned the knob to the unlocked front door and walked inside.

They stepped into a fairly clean and homey living room. A nice black and flush sofa sat back against the wall facing a mounted flat screen television over a brick fireplace. A two layered glass coffee table sat in between the couch and television, holding stacks of magazines and newspapers and a few dirty dishes. The only things out of place were paintings and pictures that used to hang out the wall that had fallen face first onto the soft royal blue carpet.

"Hello?" yelled Isaac. "Anyone here?"

The lack of response inclined the two to search further. On they moved through an open door frame that led into the kitchen and dining rooms. Debris from the storm wasn't so bad, only a few pieces of broken glassware and a knocked over shelf had fallen to the floor. Next to the fallen shelf was an open door with a stairway leading down into a dark basement, they agreed to check that last. It was hard to tell if anyone was in the house, but they assured each other that the unknown police officer had to be inside somewhere. Why else would the cruiser be still running?

Back through the living room led to another hallway. Each side of the hall had two doors to it. One at a time they worked their way down. The first door on the right revealed a full and nicely decorated bathroom. The first door on the left was an empty children's bedroom with broken window glass all throughout the gray carpet. The second room to the right was nothing but a storage and towel closet.

Something stopped Isaac before he could check the last room. His gut spoke to him and he literally felt his stomach drop. I'm going to find a body in here. He didn't know why the thought came to him, but sure enough after opening the door he found the body of the missing police officer reclining back on the blood spattered king sized bed.

His head was leaning over to the left flashing a single but large bullet hole in his right temple. The pistol used to do the deed had fallen onto the floor beside the bedside dresser next to the rest of the missing swat gear. Hundreds of stray shell casings and boxes of ammunition were on the floor next to the pistol, along with an M-4 carbine that was stashed upright in the corner of the room next to a partially opened window. A cold breeze blew through the room as they approached the body.

They crept in closely and only put their guns down when they knew the room was safe. Isaac recognized him. It was the young officer directing traffic into the nursing home back on the fourth. He wore a golden badge on his chest that read the name, "Officer Gavin". Next to the badge, held by a lifeless left hand was a framed photograph of the officer, his fit and attractive blonde wife, and his young, maybe three year old son. The boy was a clone of his father: brown curly thick hair, chiseled jaw, light brown eyes. They even wore the same half laughing half smiling facial expression in the photo.