Bad Day in Queen's Landing - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cal groaned.  He had heard the next door neighbor’s rooster “cock-a-doodle-do” for more mornings than he cared to remember.  He opened his eyes and saw the sunlight starting to light the room; despite his best efforts to block out the sun coming through the window.  Cal sat up and looked at the clock.  The red numbers glared back at him.  It was already past 6:30.  Cal knew he had to get moving.  He began his morning procedures.  After he had finished his morning rituals and was dressed, he poured his morning energy drink from the big pitcher he kept in his fridge.  He looked around the old house.  He had bought the place from his parents when they decided the winters were just too cold and the summers were just too hot in Kentucky.  His parents were now living in San Diego, where the temperature seemed to never change, regardless of the season.

Cal had spent his entire life in LaCompt County.  He graduated from LaCompt County High School and took some classes at the local community college.  The county was small, and the main town, Queen’s Landing was even smaller.  It was located next to a lake, and tourism helped keep the county afloat.  After Chris was elected Sheriff, he had approached Cal about being his deputy.  Cal had quickly agreed.  That had been 10 years ago, and little had changed for Cal.  He checked on his folks in California about once a week, checked on his best friend Terrance, or T as he was known, every couple of days, and had breakfast with his sisters a couple of times a week.

This morning was one of those mornings.  He was supposed to me Ann and Carol in town for breakfast in the next five minutes.  He was going to be late, unless he turned on the sirens and did 90 all the way there.  He knew his sisters wouldn’t approve of that, but there was a lot Cal did that he was quite sure they wouldn’t approve of. 

He didn’t get to see Ann near as much as Carol.  Ann was a school teacher, and had three children.  She had married one of the local boys, Craig, and was happy as could be.  Cal was happy for them.  Carol, on the other hand, was still single, but working as an EMT.  Cal saw her constantly on the job.  Usually if one of them got a call, so did the other. 

Carol had been inspired by their aunt Charlotte to go into medicine.  Charlotte had been one of the best nurses in the state.  They had lost her a few years earlier.  Cal found it interesting that was about the time started to change in his life. 

“Changes for the better,” he thought to himself.  Cal smiled and looked out at his black SUV.  He was quite proud of himself.  He had been by himself ever since high school and he was proud of his “investments.”  He chuckled at his conversation with one of the local bankers yesterday.  The banker had wanted to know Cal’s secret in investing.  Cal had his line ready.

“Buy low, sell high,” Cal had said to the banker.  The banker gave a friendly laugh, but Cal knew it wasn’t the answer the banker wanted.  Cal knew he had to get going or he was going to be really late.  He walked outside, and had just locked the door, when an ambulance pulled up in the driveway.  Carol was driving, and looked mad.  Cal reached in his pocket, and pulled out his cellphone.  It was off.  Cal chuckled.  The only way to get service where he lived was to put the phone on a windowsill, put the phone on speaker, and yell at it.  Cal normally just turned it off.  What could happen it this little town that would be so bad someone needed him 24/7?  He was about to find out.

Bad Day in Queen's Landing - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Chris turned off the TV and shook his head; another Sunday night movie about another cop with issues.  Where were the stories about the cops or law enforcement agents that did their job without having some kind of personal demon that they had overcome?  Where were the stories of the good men that did their job because they were supposed to?  Where were the stories about the men that felt they were supposed to make a difference where they lived, so that’s where, and why, they served?

Chris got up and walked across the living room to his kitchen.  He looked in the fridge for something cold to drink.  He settled on a glass of ice tea.  LaCompt County had only become wet a few weeks ago, but Chris had no intention of going wet with it.  He didn’t like the new law, but his job was to uphold the law, not enforce what he wanted, or what he thought was right.  Not like his deputy, Cal.  Chris shook his head.  There were days he wondered why he made Cal his deputy.  Chris and Cal Shelby had gone to high school together.  Cal had been a couple of grades in front of Chris.  They had been friends in high school, and Chris thought he knew Cal, but he had been more wrong than he ever thought possible. 

Chris looked down at the file on his kitchen table.  He had spent weeks gathering information.  He had begun suspecting things months ago, but he never dreamed what he had found.  The only question was to take care of things publicly, or privately.  

Chris thought he heard something and lifted his head.  He was sure he heard tires on the gravel outside.  He walked to the large living room window and lifted the curtain to peer out.  It was dark outside, but he thought he saw the silhouette of a SUV.  Chris dropped the curtain and retreated back to the kitchen.  He kept his service weapon on top of the fridge, but he was heading toward the gun cabinet that held rifles and his shotgun.  He opened the case and grabbed the shotgun.  The SUV resembled Cal’s, but Cal hadn’t been out to Chris’s in months.  He grabbed the rifle and shotgun and headed back into the living room.  He laid the rifle down and slowly lifted the curtain.  Chris felt his heart leap into his chest.  He was seeing shapes everywhere on his land.  There had to be at least 20 men outside, all armed.  Chris saw the first muzzle flash and shot the shotgun in response.  He felt something rip into his shoulder, thigh, and his side.  He fell to the ground.  He tried to reach for his rifle and found he couldn’t.  The front door kicked open, and the last thing Chris saw was the muzzle fire of the weapon the man was holding. 

The man stepped over Chris’s body, walked into the kitchen and found the file lying on the kitchen table.  He flipped through it for a second.  Satisfied, he took the file and headed back outside.  He stopped before he headed out the door, turned, and fired one more shot into the body of the local sheriff.  The men all got into their SUVs and drove off into the night.