The Writers Guild Presents: 4/4/2014

Chapter 3

Out in the Rain

A slow country song plays over the radio while rain beats against the windshield. If Sandy didn't know any better she would have thought she was in a sad '80s movie.

Taking a quick glance at the back seat, she sees her daughter Shannon moping; head held down and hands fumbling with a juice box. Her soccer jersey is just now starting to dry.

"Don't worry, kid," Sandy calls back. "There's another game next week."

"Everyone hates me," Shannon retorts, not even bothering to look up.

"Oh, honey. You know that's not true," Sandy says. She understands what her daughter's talking about though. During the last few minutes of the game Shannon was playing goalie. The other team got two goals past her and ended up winning the game because of it. Everyone on Shannon's team gave her the cold shoulder.

"There are going to be plenty of games after this, Shannon." Sandy calls back, taking her outs from the road. "And trust me, your friends won't even rememb-"

"MOM LOOK OUT!"

Sandy snaps back to the front of the car just in time to see the man standing in the middle of the road. Faster than she thought she ever could, she slams on breaks and turns the car just enough so that they barely stop from hitting each other. The man barely even moves.

Both girls breathe heavily from the sudden excitement. Sandy tells Shannon to stay in the car and grabs her umbrella from the passenger's seat.

The rain's pouring now, making it darker than midnight. Sandy does her best to see through the rain and just makes out the silhouette of the man, still standing in the middle of the road.

"Excuse me!?" Shannon calls out through the rain. "Are you ok!?"

The man still remains motionless.

"I said are you ok?!"

The man doesn't turn around, but instead he raises his head to the sky, spreading his arms outward as if he's accepting some kind of gift from the rain.

Sandy becomes alarmed; maybe the man's drugged or has some kind of concussion. She takes another step toward the man and calls out again, "What's your name?!"

Slowly, the man lowers his arms and turns to Sandy. Through the darkness, surprisingly, Sandy can easily see the man's eyes, an almost glowing blue. Sandy steps back, ready to break for the car, but repeats herself, "I said 'what's your name'?!"

The man's face, calm, suddenly goes blank. "I don't know."

Lightning crackles across the sky and suddenly the man crumbles to the ground. Sandy rushes over to him and tries to wake him up, but he's completely unconscious.

"What's wrong with him!?" Shannon calls from the car, ready to go over to the unmoving body.

"Shannon, stay in the car sweetie, ok!?" Sandy yells, fumbling for her cell phone.

"Please don't be dead, please don't be dead," Sandy keeps on repeating, trying desperately to wake the man up.

"911, what's your emergency?"

To be continued.

The driver of the armoured Ford F-550 stopped as the lights went red and looked over to the security guard sitting beside him, her hand resting on the tactical tonfa clipped to her belt. “Hey relax, we have two intersections to go and then we reach the bank.” He told her. “Nothing is going to happen Maggie, nobody is stupid enough to attack this van.” He added as he rubbed the armoured breastplate he wore, the front emblazoned with a red eagle clutching a spear and the words ‘Redman Security’ arranged around the image.

“It’s nothing Mike, just a bad experience a few nights ago.” Maggie answered as she pulled the visor down across her helmet. “Why are the lights taking so long to change?” She asked as a lorry stalled at the junction in-front of them. “And does that seem a little off to you?” She asked as the driver leapt out and ran off.

“Oh c**p, they’re targeting us!” Mike whispered before reaching the radio. “Dispatch this is car 0721 at the intersection of Mesa and Kerbey, we have a potential situation occurring. Will update you if and when events unfold.”

“There--over there, is that!...” Maggie yelled as two men bushed a SPG-9 launcher into view.

“Get down!!” Mike bellowed as he ducked down as the attackers fired a rocket at the car, the round hitting the rear and chewing a hole in the side. Before the dust had even cleared gunfire rang out as the side door of the truck was slid open and at least eight men wearing stylised dragon masks rushed towards the armoured car. Ducking down Maggie looked at Mike and saw him draw a slim M9 pistol with one hand and a taser with the other as rounds slammed into the bullet resistant windscreen.

“Do they know who there stealing from?” Maggie asked as she pulled both tonfas free from there sheathes. “Bocanegra will kill them and their families if he catches them.”

“Guys like this are already dead anyway Siwang.” ‘Mike’ answered. “Just typical, our first armoured car op together and we get ambushed. Now remember reasonable force, Bochanegra may own Redman Security but their agents still have to play by the law so reasonable force only.

“Got it Romeo.” Siwang answered. “Call it in or have some fun?”

“Police will be on their way that rocket strike will draw attention.” Romeo answered as the driver’s side door was wrenched open and a thug armed with a MAC-10 appeared swinging his weapon around and screaming. Counting down on his fingers Romeo reached three before flipping round and firing a round into the mans leg sending him collapsing to the floor screaming. Taking advantage he sprung out and ducked behind the door as Siwang kicked her own open, the force smacking a thug armed with a shotgun to the floor.

“Keep behind cover!!” Romeo roared as a thug emerged from the hole in the passenger side carrying a security box of cash, an MP5k slung across his shoulder. Catching sight of Siwang his eyes widened as she charged him before slapping a tonfa in his face and ducking under a clumsy swipe with the box. Off balance the thug had no time to recover as his opponent slammed the second tonfa into his groin, the blow sending him toppling to the floor as a second thug armed with a P90 emerged from the hole only to be quickly disarmed with a quick swipe to the hand.

“You’re dead piggy.” He growled in Asian accented English as he recovered and removed a cattle prod from his boot. Lunging forward the thug managed to partially penetrate Siwang’s defence, the prod slipping through the cross guard of her tonfas and jamming into the visor to leave a black scorch mark on the plastic. Retaliating Siwang swung her right elbow forward and broke the attacker’s nose before releasing the stun stick causing him to topple over. Taking the initiative Siwang grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the armoured security car, the force causing the mask to slip off and reveal an orange and black eel tattooed around his left eye.

“These men work for the Dragon Eel!!” Siwang yelled across the car as Romeo shot a man carrying an assault rifle in the foot as sirens sounded. “Do you have eyes on the SPG?”

“No, whoever fired it has gone!!” Siwang yelled as the remaining three thugs threw a set of grenades at the armoured car, the explosives detonating in a flash of light and ear crushing sound. As the two defenders' vision readjusted they saw the first car squeeze past the truck and come to a stop, two plainclothes officers hopping out guns at the ready. Siwang’s heart sunk; the man was her brother James and the red headed woman was his partner Gillian West, both where members of the Anti-Patron Saint of Crime Taskforce.

“Area cleared.” West stated as Romeo put his gun on the ground. “Five suspects all in various stages of unconsciousness, whoever was driving the can put up a fight.”

“You take the man I’ve got the second security guard; we’ll get witness statements and keep the area secure until Bransen and CSI finally arrive.” James stated as he slipped over to where Siwang was hunkered down on the other side of the van. “It’s okay Ma’am you’re safe now.”

“Ma’am?” Siwang asked. “James it’s me.” She added, taking off the helmet she wore to reveal a haunted looking pale face, bags under her eyes from nights of missed sleep. “I’ve been trying to call you.”

“And I don’t accept calls from murderers.” James whispered. “Jesus, I knew Bochanegra was involved as soon as we heard the explosion.”

“Oh wake up, these men don’t work for him.” Siwang hissed. “At least one has a tattoo of the Dragon Eel’s mark and you know what that means.”

“I don’t want to deal with this now.” James snarled. “I thought dad dealt with them and their claim. But now Maya screws up and attracts the man who wants our entire family dead.”

“Me! They didn’t know I was in the truck.” Siwang snapped before lowering her voice. “And I didn’t kill Svareck, his father is just as guilty for his murder.”

“Yeah, well sins of the father have a way of coming back and hurting people.” James hissed. “Maybe I should arrest you right now, wouldn’t be a stretch if the Asian guard was the inside man for the Dragon Eel.” He snarled as Siwang glared at him.

“You used to believe in me.” She whispered. “Why did that die alongside that murderous little basted? Why do you want to make me the reason for everything bad in your life?”

“Hey Grady.” West called. “We may have a third witness. While most of the drivers and pedestrians fled as soon as the truck blocked the road but I think there is someone standing on the building to the right of the blockade?” James stepped out and looked up to see a figure wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt crouched down on the ledge.

“That’s where the SPG was fired from.” Romeo stated causing West and Grady to look at him before glancing up at the mystery spotter. “Listen, I know you need the truck for evidence but can we at least have your assurance that all the money will be returned as soon as possible or our boss is not going to be happy.”

“Sure as soon as evidence has been processed the money will be returned to Redman security.” James answered. “We will have more questions for you at a later date so don’t leave town.” He added as the CSI truck pulled up behind the road-block. “Now if you would kindly leave the scene of the crime we can begin collecting evidence, we will also require you to surrender your weapons to the forensics team before you leave.”

“Sure, no problem detective.” Romeo answered. “Hey Maggie don’t worry too much, Ms Choyce understands that these things happen. My partner is a ‘rook’,” He told West, “she’s worried about loosing her job.”

“Weaver.” Siwang mumbled as she looked at where James was talking to the lead CSI before turning to look up at the person on over-watch before shuddering and sliding to the floor, an arrow embedded in her chest, the shaft decorated with a golden silk noose holding a feather.

“Maggie!!” Romeo yelled as he rushed over and went to pull the arrow out. “Help my partner’s been shot.”

“Leave the arrow in!” James ordered. “We need paramedics here stat and somebody move that truck out the way so the ambulances have clear access.”

“Who could have done this?” Romeo asked as West pulled him away as Grady bent down and put his hands on the wound.

“I know exactly who’s responsible.” James hissed coolly as he looked up to see the hooded archer walk slowly away. “Your partner is a victim of an underworld hit woman known as the Patron Saint of Crime. Goes by the name Siwang, she’s virtually inhuman, a serial killer who targets law enforcement agents for a crime lord called Bochanegra.”

“Inhuman, she’s a monster!” West snapped. “Half the cops in the city can’t sleep in fear of getting an arrow in the back. How long will it take for the FBI to come down and throw some support our way?”

“No idea until then she’s our responsibility.” James answered as an ambulance pulled up and the paramedics jumped out lugging a stretcher behind them. “I’m ending this once and for all.”