Belly of the Beast
“Officer?” Katie looked up to him with large soft eyes.
“Um, yes?” Andy answered cautiously. Please let this be over soon.
“I want protection. This time, I want a trained person to be certain this won’t happen again. I want an officer to…replace Roger, you.”
“What?” WHAT?
“Everyone else has been killed or ran away. I need someone with skills, and connection. The police have said that they would protect me, and I want them to do their job.”
“J-just one minuet,” he said before taking off towards the older cop. “Dave, Dave, Dave!” He whispered harshly so Katie wouldn’t hear.
“Calm down, what is it Andy?”
“She wants an officer to replace Roger…me.”
“What?”
“She says it’s our job since the police agreed to take care of her.” He said, scratching his back hard. Dave sighed, groaning slightly.
“The problem is that it is our job…” He thought some more, before turning towards him.
Andy took one look at his face. “No! You’re not really…?”
“Andy, it’s our job! We don’t have a choice...I’m sorry.” He was speechless. His mouth was frozen agape. “Listen, you will not be in any danger.”
“Easy for you to say!”
“Shut up and listen to me Andy! She only kills when she sleeps without the straitjacket, and even then she rarely sleeps at all. There is no reason she would kill again now. She is rested, all you have to do, is keep her medicated and make sure she has the straitjacket if she even so much as yawns, though I doubt she will. That medication she’s on is pretty strong. You will be fine, and it’s only for a short time, a week max. Also, unlike Roger, you will be fully equipped; gun, radio, taser, nightstick, everything.”
He took a few deep breaths. Dave’s right, I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine… Composed, he made his way back to Katie. “I will stand-in for Roger.”
She gave him a small, tired smile. It occurred to him just what a day she had had. His heart gave a slight pang of sympathy. “Thank you,” she said softly.
Dave nodded goodbye, hopefully not for good, gathered the rest of the troops, and left him.
Katie led him into the house, her long hair swishing behind her. The doorway opened up into the living room. Further back was the kitchen, and to the right were two bedrooms and a storage room. As she led him around the house, he couldn’t help but look twice at the places he knew men had died. However, there were no traces left behind except for scattered gray stains.
“Why don’t you sit down? Want something to drink?” She asked politely, motioning to the Lay-Z Boys waiting in front of the television.
“Yeah, thanks.” He said, refusing to take his eyes off of her. You can’t be too careful…
“So,” she said coming back with two cold sodas, “You know who I am. May I ask who you are?”
“Andy Jacobs, call me Andy.”
“Nice to meet you.” For a moment, they were both silent. Then, Katie made a small noise, before saying, “I know it can’t be…easy for you to come here.”
“It’s my job.” Short and sweet, keep it simple Andy.
“Roger…he was like family.” A small tear slipped from her eye. “He took me places, he watched over me, made me laugh…” Her voice chocked. “I would do anything to have him back! He was…the father I never had.”
That’s right, he thought. After the Horner incident, the most her parents did was call once a month. She probably doesn’t even remember their faces. Andy briefly flashed back to his own parents, two kind people who had always had loved everyone.
“Andy?”
“Yes?” He looked into her deep eyes, at all the emotion they held. Absently, he wondered how she did it without breaking down in tears.
“I want you to help me find Roger’s killers.” The soda he had been drinking suddenly rushed up his nose.
“What?”
“I’m tired of just sitting here watching people come and go. All I’m asking for is someone to help me look for clues, a professional like you. Will you help me Andy?”
“Katie, we are looking for the killer.” He lied, not looking her in the eyes, praying she wouldn’t see the truth.
“I know, I am just asking for your help to do what the entire police force can’t.” He had to admit, it was a good idea that is if they were looking for a real killer.
“Katie, I can’t. I was assigned to watch you, not throw you into what could be a very deadly situation.” He brought the can to his lips to take another sip, but realized that, in his nervousness, he had drunk it all.
Katie just nodded. “I understand.” She stood, “Do you want me to throw that out?”
“Thank,” he started, but when he looked into her eyes and saw that bittersweet mixture of suffering and a mask of hospitality, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
She took the can without another word. Idiot, you had to go and get her upset! It hasn’t even been a day, he thought bitterly rubbing his face. With a frustrated sigh, he stared out the window to his left, trying to gather some words to say to her when she sat back down.
Suddenly, he felt ten long thin fingers wrap around his neck and squeeze.
Belly of the Beast
“Officer?” Katie looked up to him with large soft eyes.
“Um, yes?” Andy answered cautiously. Please let this be over soon.
“I want protection. This time, I want a trained person to be certain this won’t happen again. I want an officer to…replace Roger, you.”
“What?” WHAT?
“Everyone else has been killed or ran away. I need someone with skills, and connection. The police have said that they would protect me, and I want them to do their job.”
“J-just one minuet,” he said before taking off towards the older cop. “Dave, Dave, Dave!” He whispered harshly so Katie wouldn’t hear.
“Calm down, what is it Andy?”
“She wants an officer to replace Roger…me.”
“What?”
“She says it’s our job since the police agreed to take care of her.” He said, scratching his back hard. Dave sighed, groaning slightly.
“The problem is that it is our job…” He thought some more, before turning towards him.
Andy took one look at his face. “No! You’re not really…?”
“Andy, it’s our job! We don’t have a choice...I’m sorry.” He was speechless. His mouth was frozen agape. “Listen, you will not be in any danger.”
“Easy for you to say!”
“Shut up and listen to me Andy! She only kills when she sleeps without the straitjacket, and even then she rarely sleeps at all. There is no reason she would kill again now. She is rested, all you have to do, is keep her medicated and make sure she has the straitjacket if she even so much as yawns, though I doubt she will. That medication she’s on is pretty strong. You will be fine, and it’s only for a short time, a week max. Also, unlike Roger, you will be fully equipped; gun, radio, taser, nightstick, everything.”
He took a few deep breaths. Dave’s right, I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine… Composed, he made his way back to Katie. “I will stand-in for Roger.”
She gave him a small, tired smile. It occurred to him just what a day she had had. His heart gave a slight pang of sympathy. “Thank you,” she said softly.
Dave nodded goodbye, hopefully not for good, gathered the rest of the troops, and left him.
Katie led him into the house, her long hair swishing behind her. The doorway opened up into the living room. Further back was the kitchen, and to the right were two bedrooms and a storage room. As she led him around the house, he couldn’t help but look twice at the places he knew men had died. However, there were no traces left behind except for scattered gray stains.
“Why don’t you sit down? Want something to drink?” She asked politely, motioning to the Lay-Z Boys waiting in front of the television.
“Yeah, thanks.” He said, refusing to take his eyes off of her. You can’t be too careful…
“So,” she said coming back with two cold sodas, “You know who I am. May I ask who you are?”
“Andy Jacobs, call me Andy.”
“Nice to meet you.” For a moment, they were both silent. Then, Katie made a small noise, before saying, “I know it can’t be…easy for you to come here.”
“It’s my job.” Short and sweet, keep it simple Andy.
“Roger…he was like family.” A small tear slipped from her eye. “He took me places, he watched over me, made me laugh…” Her voice chocked. “I would do anything to have him back! He was…the father I never had.”
That’s right, he thought. After the Horner incident, the most her parents did was call once a month. She probably doesn’t even remember their faces. Andy briefly flashed back to his own parents, two kind people who had always had loved everyone.
“Andy?”
“Yes?” He looked into her deep eyes, at all the emotion they held. Absently, he wondered how she did it without breaking down in tears.
“I want you to help me find Roger’s killers.” The soda he had been drinking suddenly rushed up his nose.
“What?”
“I’m tired of just sitting here watching people come and go. All I’m asking for is someone to help me look for clues, a professional like you. Will you help me Andy?”
“Katie, we are looking for the killer.” He lied, not looking her in the eyes, praying she wouldn’t see the truth.
“I know, I am just asking for your help to do what the entire police force can’t.” He had to admit, it was a good idea that is if they were looking for a real killer.
“Katie, I can’t. I was assigned to watch you, not throw you into what could be a very deadly situation.” He brought the can to his lips to take another sip, but realized that, in his nervousness, he had drunk it all.
Katie just nodded. “I understand.” She stood, “Do you want me to throw that out?”
“Thank,” he started, but when he looked into her eyes and saw that bittersweet mixture of suffering and a mask of hospitality, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
She took the can without another word. Idiot, you had to go and get her upset! It hasn’t even been a day, he thought bitterly rubbing his face. With a frustrated sigh, he stared out the window to his left, trying to gather some words to say to her when she sat back down.
Suddenly, he felt ten long thin fingers wrap around his neck and squeeze.
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