Fear the Darkness by Mitchel Scanlon Page B

good old days." He lied so often now it was second nature. "Sign of encroaching senility, probably." He smiled. "What's the matter, rookie? You starting to think the old dog can't cut it no more?"
    "I've got no worries on that score, Broph." Elvins laughed. "Seriously though, you know there's nobody I'd rather see backing me up when things go perp-shaped. With that in mind, got a tip on a sugar deal going down tonight. Twenty kilos, uncut. You up for a stakeout?"
    "You know I am. Just name the place and time."
    "The Fatty Freddie's Burger franchise on Thompson and Spillane. Stoolie says the buy's supposed to be happening at 22:00. We should probably make sure we're in position an hour earlier, just to be on the safe side."
    "Check. I'll meet you on Spillane at 20:55 and we'll take it from there. You call in any other backup?"
    "You're kidding, right?" Elvins smiled again. "This is Brophy and Elvins we're talking about here. The toughest tag team this side of the Universal World Ultimate Wrestling Alliance Federation. The bust hasn't been made yet that we couldn't handle. Long as I got you covering my back, nothing can go wrong."
     
    Night. The Sector House morgue. The sound of his own footsteps echoing behind him. A sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
    "I thought you might be coming down." Med-Judge Henderson looked up from a body stretched out on the slab. "I was just about to begin the post-mortem. He was your rookie, wasn't he?"
    He could not trust himself to answer. He felt ashamed, weighed down by guilty secrets. Secrets. He had fallen asleep at Melinda's apartment. It was 21.45 when she had thought to wake him. By the time he reached Bob Mitchum Block to change into his uniform, it was too late. The call had already gone out over the airwaves. "Code Ninety-Nine Red. Judge down at Fatty Freddie's Burgers, corner of Thompson and Spillane."
    Judge down. The words were like a dagger in his heart.
    "Bullet in the back of the head." Henderson indicated a gaping wound. "I haven't dug it out yet, but from the size I'm guessing it's a stump slug. One of the perps must have got behind him. Makes you wonder what the hell he thought he was doing, going in there without backup..."
     
    Midday. The hottie stand. Driving in off the meg-way, he saw the parking lot was empty. Melinda was behind the counter. Getting off his bike he pulled out his daystick and walked towards her.
    "Billy?" She looked at him in confusion. "What happened? I haven't heard from you in weeks."
    "You are under arrest." His voice was emotionless. Judge to perp. "Two years for Breaching Penal Code seventeen, Section two."
    "Billy?" Her mouth fell open. "What's the matter with you? Is this some kind of joke?"
    "No joke. That extractor vent is a health and safety violation." He pulled a pair of handcuffs from his belt and threw them on the counter. He didn't want to touch her. "Put those on."
    "Billy? Why are you doing this?" Her face was ashen. She reached out towards him. "It's me... Melinda-"
    He hit her hard, jabbing the end of his daystick into her stomach. The air exploded out of her as she fell to her knees. He jumped the counter and stood over her as she lay sobbing on the floor. His hand was shaking.
    "Don't make this harder than it has to be." He grabbed the cuffs from the counter and dropped them beside her. "Put those on. Now."
    "But you said you loved me." She looked up at him. He saw blue eyes crying.
    "Shut your face!" The sight of the tears spilling down her cheeks fuelled his rage. "You ever breathe a word of that to anyone and you'll be sorry." He felt his own tears burning beneath his helmet. "No one will believe you. They'll put you in a psycho-cube for indefinite observation." Tears of shame. "If you tell anyone, I'll hear about it. I'll come and get you. I'll have to you put in the cubes for life. I'm a Judge. I can do anything to you I want. You understand me, you bitch?"
    "I understand," she said.
     
    Night. Bad dreams. Him and Melinda.