DICK DODGERS's blog: "BEAUTIFUL DAYS"

BEAUTIFUL DAYS CHAPTER EIGHT O.K. last we left...I was diving off of a freakin' stage at a opera house. For some odd reason...I was taken back to something Sophie said earlier today... Remember this...? You wanna go to the opera?, I asked Yes., she answered. Sure you do! O.K. right after that "Yes!"... Now how fuckin' weird is this?, I asked. What do you mean?, she asked. Well we almost just got our asses shot off! You been through a lot and so have I. And here I am askin' about some stupid ass opera., I said She looked at me with those eyes. Tears rolled. The look she gave me was that of someone who had been through way to much in their years on this earth. She said to me... You are my only hope now. The only friend I have left. I need you. I need your help. If nothing else. I need your help to expose the truth. And save what's left of human kind. At that moment our eyes locked. I was lost in hers. The both of us caught in the moment..all I could say to her was... You got it! That lost moment in each other's eyes. We get closer. She leans forward. I lean forward. Our lips getting closer together. In what was our finest moment, our most passionate encounter... THE FUCKIN' PHONE RINGS. IT'S SPARKS... "Where the hell you been, man?, he says. Tryin' to stay in one piece!, I said. "Well did you ever find that chick? You fuck her yet?", he asked in usual nosey Sparks fashion. "Well I think you kinda ruined that thought for right now., I said. "Oops!", he replied. "Well you owe me a favor then!" I said. "I need you to do some shopping for me! I can't go get these items myself. Kinda keepin' a low pro if you know what I mean. I need you to swing by and get some cash from me and go pick up these items. It's really important and I need it done before a certain time., I said. "Whoa now I'm playing delivery boy?", Sparks asked. Now knowing Sparks like I know him. He never questioned my methods. Why start now...? "It's important, NOW MOVE YOUR ASS!", I said as I hung up. I walked back over to Sophie... Look I want you to look your best tonight. And every other night for that matter., I said to her. I know your clothes and all are history, so I'm gonna send Sparks shopping for you some clothes. Even a nice dress for tonight. How good are you at doing your own hair?, I asked. I do alright., She replied. Good because I would send you to the salon but you don't wanna risk gettin' your head whacked off by some android stylist. , I said. O.K., she said as she gave me a slight grin. "I miss my father.", she said as the tears weld up in her eyes. All I could do was hold her in my arms. And let her know things would be alright. At that moment she said to me... "What a mess!" And as I find myself back in the here and now, as I see the barrels of Patch's guns aimed at me...that last statement she made...MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY! BEAUTIFUL DAYS CHAPTER 8 ...WHEN THE FAT LADY SINGS... What a night for a opera! One thing Patch and I both learned at this particular point in time...diving and shooting only works in the fuckin' movies. By the time either of us hit the ground we realized...nobody hit jack shit. I'm ducking in the front row. And I hear Patch squirming to reload in the back row. As he reaches in his coat pockets for new clips, he yells out to me... You ready to die, cop? You and that bitch will leave outta here in a fuckin' body bag! "Really? I was gonna ask you for a ride home!!", I said. I hear the rest of his gang dive off the balcony and on to the floor. They are running right to me in the front row. By the time they get there...I'm gone! "Where's that s'ombitch?, Cotton said. I had crawled my way under the seats and back to the middle row. I pop up with both guns drawn. A bullet for Cotton. And one Page. I shoot. They drop. What I didn't count on... The gunman! He never hopped down with the rest of the gang. He gets me in the side. I drop! Never send a boy to do a gunman's job!, said the gunman. Fuck you!, yells Page. Nursing his leg wound. Patch hops up and runs over to the row where I got hit in. The gunman comes down to join him and the other's, one shot in the leg the other in the arm, both hobble over to join in the investigation. They come over and once again...I'm gone. By this time, I'm up in the balcony. Bulletproof vests are a thing of beauty. I go for the gunman. I owe him one. If it weren't for this vest, I'd be dead. I got the beams on the back of each kneecap. I blast those fuckers clean off. He screams. The others aim up at the balcony and open fire. He's still screaming. I dive for safety once again. Seeking refuge between the seats. "Get the fuck up there!", yelled Patch. They head back up to the balcony. They get up there. I hear Patch say... "Tear this shit to pieces!" Page and Cotton draw two semi automatic rifles of a real sci-fi calibur. I mean some serious George Lucas type shit. They begin to spray the seats. Every row. My ass was done for. No where for me to run or crawl to even if I tried. I got debris flyin' at me. I cover my head. "Sophie!" Is what I thought to myself. For some strange reason. I hear drums. It's all in the mind I thought. Bullets fly. I see the seats in front of me become shredded wood. They are getting closer. The row right before me that I'm using as a shield is quickly about to become dust...as I wait for this to happen... I hear...CLICK CLICK CLICK... I hear drums. I'm out!, said Cotton. Sucks for you!, I said popping up out of the seats. Dead locked on his chest...BLAM! I blast him. Sending him flying right off the balcony down to the seats below right next to a still screaming and injured , Toby the gunman. Page ducks behind Patch who quickly opens fire. I shoot back. I dive backwards shooting right at Patch. I hit him twice. One side hit and a hit in the thigh. He drops down. I land...and I drop my guns. They both go tumbling down the balcony stairs. I run for them. Patch shoots. I take one to the arm. I fall down the balcony stairs. I look up..Patch is gone. I hear his footsteps...then... I hear drums... His steps get closer. He walked to the top row. I'm at the bottom. On the ground at the bottom of the steps. I stand up clutching my arm. He's got his gun aimed right at me... I hear drums...and chanting now...I have visions...of the old Indian guy. He's chanting in his little room where I saved his life. Why am I seeing and hearing this...? Then, it all makes sense... "You're a corpse, cop!", said Patch. The only way I can get to my guns which are right at the railing of the balcony and get a shot off is to take that 20 foot dive off the edge and pray I get off enough shots that actually hit him before i fall to my death. I sort of hear a voice in my mind that said... "Do it!" There is a structure of stacked wood. Some abstract piece of art which hangs between the balcony and the floor. I would fall through that if I jumped. It's my only chance. So I look at Patch right in his beady eye, and I say... "Go for it!" He fired but I moved to fast for him to hit me. I grab my guns and as I take the dive. I open fire. Aiming right for Patch. I get off three shots...all to the chest of Patch. He drops and rolls down the steps. I go crashing into the structure. The abstract piece of art hanging between the balcony and floor. A twenty foot drop. I go crashing through these wooden slats. I feel every one. I get to about the ten foot mark and I stop falling. I didn't hit the next slat with enough impact to break it. So here I am. Ten feet from the ground. Covered completely in broken wood. Page comes out of hiding. He's secure in his being the only one moving. He looks around as if he had survived the shoot out. Patch coughs up blood. Page hears it and runs over to him. He picks him up. Holding him as he approaches the railing to look down at me. He says as he chokes on blood. That son of a bitch, "cough", "couch". Got me in the chest! Well he's gone now!, said Page. Nobody survives that fall! No sooner he says that...an infrared beam pokes it's way out of the wreckage. The end of it, lays right on the forehead of Patch. Up out of the debris I rise up with my gun deadlocked on Patch's forehead. Patch and Page are both stunned. Looking me in my eyes. They are stunned. I hear those drums crystal clear now. I understand what they mean. And in that instant, I pull my trigger. I get Patch right between the eyes. The bullet travels through his skull and hits Page, still holding Patch up, right in his forehead. The two fall over the railing and to the floor below. As I stand there...I feel reborn. As if i died one death and resurrected myself. I discovered what that Indian gave me...the tools I needed to fight those who do not die. The gap between human and machine. Man and God. I was their match. As I bask in my revelation, there is still one moving. Toby, on the floor below with a gun. He's ready to fire when I turn around and realize here's down there ready to shoot. BAM! A shot...but not from his gun...or mine. Toby's hit in the back. I look to the stage to see where the shot came from... Sophie. I told you to stay put!, I said. You should never keep a lady waiting that long!, she said. Touche'!, I replied. Sirens. The cops busting in the opera house. Any other time they would be my colleagues, but not tonight. I am now on the other side of the law. I jump down to the floor and tell Sophie to run stage right and meet me out the exit door. We both make our way out to the alley beside the opera house where we find my good friend, the D.A. On the ground. Holding his shot wife. He is in mourning over her. She's been shot. And she has bled to death. Holy shit!, I said out loud. I grab Sophie and I quickly run over to him. On the ground. Holding his dead wife. Shit, Kells!, I said calling him by the nickname I gave him years ago. She's gone!, he said to me with tears streaming down his face. What do I tell my children?, he said crying. What do I tell them? How do I go home and face them knowing that I have to be the one to deliver the message that their mother is gone?!, he said. Turns out, on the way out...Patch got a shot off. It hit her. Whether the shot was intentional or not...she still was hit from his bullet. There was no question about the D.A. at all now. I saw that he was indeed human in so many ways. And so was his wife. And his family. Who will with no doubt act as humans do. Once they hear the news. You get that son of a bitch!, he said to me. YOU FIND HIM!, he yelled. I got him, Kells!, I said. But I don't know for how long!, I told him. What the hell do you mean?, he asked. At that moment, a police car rolls up. Approaching the alleyway. I see it turn the corner. I grab Sophie and I take off. I can't go back to my home now. They are there. I know they are. I go to the one place I figure I'd be safe. I head for the Blue Mackerel. I get there and there's Sparks. He looks as if he had been expecting me all night. He motions for me to get over to his spot at the bar... Why didn't you tell me you were wanted for murder?, said Sparks. I just found out the hard way!, I said to him. Look, Sophie and I need a place to lay low. How's about we duck into the office long enough to come up with a next move., I said. Sure here's the key. Go lock yourself in and I'll be back in a second to check on you and get an update., said Sparks. I take Sophie and I unlock the door. We head in and as I walked in i notice two cops walking in the front door. I look over at Sparks. He gives me the wink. I duck in the office. They approach the bar... Anything I can get you officers?, said, Sparks. Information only., said the first cop. You seen a man. A detective. Black guy, about 5' 9". Trench coat. Tuxedo. More than likely smoking a cigarette., said the second cop. Nope can't say I have. Especially, with the exception of the detective, that description you gave named almost half the guys here., said Sparks. Well we'll have a look around then. Thanks for your cooperation., said the first cop. Anytime!, said Sparks. The cops search around the bar. I witness this through the peep hole in the office door. They search the bathrooms and all. Until they get to the office door. Which is locked. What's in here?, asked the second cop. The office, said Sparks. Nothin' to see in there really., he adds. Then you won't mind if we look around in here, would ya?, cop number one added. My boss has the key. he's the only one with one. , Sparks said. Well i don't hear any activity in the room, so I'll let you slide on the office for now, said cop 1. But we will be watching you, said cop 2. That's illegal!, Sparks said jokingly. They leave. I breathe a sigh of relief. I alert Sophie, who is still shaken, of the cops departure. I knew I would have to comfort her again. But before i do, I rummage through the desk drawers. I tear the room apart almost...until i found...cigarettes. Hadn't had one in hours and my zippo was history. Sparks is back tending the bar. His cell goes off. He answers. Not being able to hear what the other person said, I hear Sparks go... They're here! END CHAPTER 8