By The Badass Geek


I was excited to get to work on my guest post for Tony. Just as soon as he asked me this idea popped in my head, but I let it simmer for a couple of days before I started writing it out. It took me another couple of days to get it just right, and I’ll let you be the judge of that. I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think.

For those who don’t know me or the kind of things I do on my blog, I tend to write a couple posts a month showcasing excerpts or new developments in short fiction stories that I write. The idea I had for my guest post turned into something more than I expected, so I’m going to share with you the first part of a new fiction story. Enjoy!
 
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The call came in just before I was going to clock out for the evening. It always seems to happen that way, especially on the nights when everything in this town goes haywire. I know I shouldn’t expect anything different from a town like Las Vegas, but after 17 years on the police force one does start to hope.

They call me a desk jockey because I don’t spend my 40 hours out on patrol. Some of the guys on the force don’t think too much of me, but I know better than to let it get to me. I put in my fair share of time on the streets, and I’ve seen my fair share of violence. Instead of chasing down hoodlums, I chase down reports and witness statements. And you know something? After 17 years, that is enough for me.

Today was different, though. Today I was filling in for my buddy Hal, who was out taking a sick day. Allergies or something. It had been one heck of a day, too, having dealt with three purse-snatchings and a couple of armed robberies, all before lunchtime. It was rough going there for a while, considering the toughest thing I usually encounter is a jammed copier. Pounding the pavement made me wish for my cramped desk and the stale air of my office. It got uncomfortable, sure, but at least it didn’t make my feet hurt.

But now, at ten of five, I sat in my office with my feet up on the desk. I wasn’t used to spending so much time on my feet, and they were on fire. The phone rang, and I automatically reached for it, but stopped. I considered all the work I had done earlier, and how sore my feet were, and contemplated letting it go to voicemail. The phone jangled a second time as I eyed the stack of the day’s paperwork that had accumulated while I was out on patrol. I picked up the phone on the third ring.

"This is Mack," I said, trying to hide my fatigue. My real name is McLeary, an odd last name for a guy who’s lived in Vegas his whole life. I don’t bother explaining what led my parents to move here anymore. My first partner gave me the nickname, and its stayed with me ever since. To tell you the truth, I always hoped for a more interesting nickname, but nothing else has ever stuck.

"Mack! It’s John." He sounded out of breath, and there was a chorus of sirens going off near by. I winced at the volume, and pulled the phone away from my ears. "Mack, you’ve gotta come down to the Strip, and I mean now. There is some serious stuff going down here."

"John, what’s going on? What happened?" I sat forward and put my feet on the floor once I heard the anxiety in John’s voice. He’s an old-timer, like me, and nothing shakes him up anymore. If you’d seen the stuff we’ve seen, you’d be the same way. I didn’t earn my sleepless nights for nothing.

There was no response from John for a couple seconds while pure chaos filtered through the phone. Gunshots, explosions, and people yelling... I thought I recognized some of the voices, but it was hard to tell. They were yelling to be heard over the war zone around them.

I heard other sounds, too. People crying and screaming in pain, the stuff I normally only hear in my worst of dreams. My heart was racing now, and suddenly I noticed the chaos going on outside my office. The switchboard was lit up, calls going to every available line, most of them unanswered. A cluster of officers ran by with tactical gear, clutching automatic weapons.

"Mack, you still there?" asked John. His voice trembled with unadulterated fear.

"Yeah, John. I’m here," I said, confused. "What’s going on?"

"Just get down here, Mack. I… I can’t describe it. You need to see it yourself."

"Damnit, John! I just saw a bunch of guys in full tactical running by my office. The phones are going crazy over here, I’ve heard explosions and gunfire, and a whole lot of hurt people screaming for help. What the heck is going on down there?"

There was another pause, and an explosion brought static on the line. The lights in my office dimmed and flickered.

"John? John!"

Automatic gunfire drifted on the line in harsh staccato.

"Mack, you’re not going to believe me until you see it, but the Bellagio, the Venetian, and the MGM Grand… They’re…" John’s voice trailed off, as if saying it out loud was too horrible.

"They’re what, John? Just tell me!"

"They’re gone."

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I hope you enjoyed this excerpt as much as I enjoyed writing it. I give my thanks to Tony for giving me the opportunity to share this. Hope you’ve had a good vacation, man, and I expect to hear all about it when you get back!

Please check out The Badass Geek for more great blogs and more of this story. The Badass Geek is one of my favorite bloggers and I'm honored and grateful that he agreed to do this guest blog. When I first started reading The Badass Geek I felt as if I found a long lost blogging brother or at least a long lost blogging cousin - he writes about the things I like and a lot of his posts have me laughing out loud. I admit that sometimes I write about things that are a little out there, but The Badass Geek writes about things that even I wouldn't touch - such as getting a paper cut on his balls and the fact that he's a grow-er and not a show-er. I guess he can get away with it because he's just Badass.

For my next guest blogger all I can say is that her Rants are always good.