Hollow Point Happiness

Case 10: Precious Gems

Chris clicked a button on his photo and smiled at the picture. He moved over the stand next to the hospital bed and angled his phone to show the picture as he sat down.

"That's a great picture but, we should get one with all 3 of us."
"Just my thoughts exactly."

Chris lifted his phone up and snapped another picture.

"I'll get this framed as soon as I get home."
"That sounds perfect."

He stood up and looked into the woman's emerald green eyes.

He blicked away the blurriness in his eyes as her face faded back into the picture frame on the dresser. He lay on the ground still clutching the pistol. It was night time and near pitch black in his apartment. He fumbled around as a raging headache hammered in his mind. Eventually getting the lights on he stumbled into his kitchen, barely avoiding a pile of glass shards. 

He pulled the fridge open and grabbed a water bottle when something caught his eye. Looking down at the pistol in his hand he noticed that the hammer had fallen. He felt shame and fear wash over him as he realized what he had done the night before but something more powerful fought it down. Curiosity. Why hadn't the gun gone off? Pulling on the slide he peered into the chamber, it was empty.

"That's odd, I feel like a hitman of all people would keep it loaded."

Hitting the mag release the magazine fell into his hand.

"That's even weirder."

The magazine was empty.

"Why even have it with you if it's empty?"

He scratched his head and drank from the water bottle, then placed the pistol on the counter and made his way to his bed.

He awoke in his car. As he looked around he noticed an old building in front of him. Turning to the back seat he looked at Ash, no older than 2. 

"Ready to go see mommy? It's her big day!"

Ash just made random noises and looked out the window. Getting out of the car he went to the back and grabbed her. He walked with her in his arms up to the building and entered the front door.

A woman came running over, "Chris! Ash!"
Chris smiled, "We're here!"

She pulled Chris into a hug and kissed Ash on the forehead.

Chris changed his smile to a grin, "Well, Private Emerald Cartwin, are you ready to be a cop?"
She smiled, "I'm not official yet, I still have to graduate but you already know."
"I know."

They walked into a large auditorium. It was dark inside the room. As Chris's eyes adjusted he found himself outside a new building. A small school. He and Emerald were waving at Ash as she walked into the front doors before turning around and climbed into a car.

"Hard to believe its been 3 years already."
"I know. It felt like only yesterday that we were at the hospital."
Emerald looked down at her lap, "I'm glad you were able to be here Chris. I know its been difficult recently."
"Don't worry about me, I wouldn't miss this for the world."

They drove for a short while before Emerald dropped Chris off at their house. 

Blowing him a kiss, "I'm heading out to see some friends I'll be back around dinner time."
"Have fun!" Chris waved as she left. 

He walked through the house's door but instead found himself standing on a crowded street, it was late and the sky was dark. He sprinted towards the sounds of cop cars and ambulances. Reaching the noise he found a wall of police surrounding a portion of the road.

Trying to push past them, "LET ME THROUGH!"
"Sir stand back, this is a crime scene."
"That's my wife! Please!"
"Sir please calm down and back up."
"Fuck off! Let me through!"

In the background a bodybag was lifted into a truck, Chris screamed but the world wouldn't listen. He tried to jump past the officers to get at it. A baton soared into his vision and hit his forehead the world went black.

He blinked away the smoke as he lowered his shaking hands. A long whistle came from behind him and Chris turned to face it. Looking at him was a younger Chuck.

"Damn private, you're supposed to incapacitate not decapitate."

Chris looked to his target, 16 rounds, 16 headshots.

"I'm sorry Sergeant Prescott, I'll keep that in mind."
He laughed, "If you at all meant that then you wouldn't have done it in the first place."
"I'll be more careful in the future."

Chuck put a hand on his shoulder.

"You know, you seem like the kinda guy that would do more good as an independent agent rather than a patrol type."

Chris looked down at his new uniform and then looked back up. Chuck was sitting in his office chair across from him. Tapping a pencil on the desk.

"Let me get this straight Chris, you want ME to go try and convince YOUR father to let you go work undercover with a space cartel because you think they are being bought up as hired guns to start another Corpo war?"
Chris nodded, "Yep."
Chuck pulled at his chin, "Sure, fuck it."

Chris walked out of the office and found himself standing behind a man at a podium. It was his father giving the notorious "Interstellar announcement". His father would step down as police chief almost exactly 30 minutes after the first words of the speech. The stage lights cut and the room went dark. Flipping on the lights he was back in Chuck's office, but it was different, it was the chief's office.

"Chris... I'm not firing you but you're going on leave. For a long time."
"Chuck please don't"
"2 fucking lifetimes Chris! This is a shitshow!"
"I was undercover!"
"You helped to kill nearly 100 civilians!"
"I tried to stop it!"
"BUT YOU DIDN'T!"

Chris walked out of the office. The halls of the station were dark and slowly morphed into his apartment building's halls. He unlocked his door and walked inside. He peaked in to see Ash asleep in her room before heading to his own. He laid down and looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes.

He woke up, sunlight glaring through the windows, looking at the same ceiling. He sat up and massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Thanks for the reminder that I'm a fuck up. Very helpful brain."