Leon stood with his arms crossed and his back propped on the wall beside the entrance to the gun store. He could already hear the noise coming from the shooting range inside the store.
His eyes fell on the watch on his wrist. Well, considering that Kevin was the most excited for the day, he was very late. 15 minutes, to be exact. Leon arrived there thinking that the man would already be inside, ready to show off his skills.
He sighed. He would wait another five minutes, if he didn't show up, then he would go in there alone, maybe check about those martial arts classes he saw at his gym. That was as good a day as any to start going in a different direction in his training.
His eyes went to a poster on the wall beside him. The image of a combat knife was the main focus. There was a knife kit next to it, and the price just below the blades.
He stared at it for a while. He had never really used a combat knife. Sure, he had learned how to disarm someone with a knife, but not how to use one effectively.
Knives were light, practical, and required a certain level of skill to use one effectively against someone trained... it could be exactly what he was looking for. He could see himself using a knife as his primary form of combat.
Fingers snapped in front of his eyes, and he looked slightly surprised and startled to see Kevin standing right next to him.
"Let's wake up, sleeping beauty. You must have been far away to not have heard me calling you." He said, laughing lightly at his face and putting both hands in his pockets.
Leon shook his head and sighed. He would think about it later.
"I thought you were excited to show me what you know. What took you so long?" Leon asked, and Kevin scratched the back of his head.
"Well... I slept and when I woke up I tried to call Rita for a while. But she didn't answer me." He said, and Leon snorted, a smile being born on his lips.
"Well, well, the big guy has a soft spot. You're wrapped around her finger." Leon scoffed, crossing his arms again and looking at him with a mocking look.
Kevin snorted and waved his hand, laughing as if Leon had just told a good joke.
"What? Me, come on, please. I would never get like that for any woman." He said, putting only one hand in his pocket and running the other through his hair.
"Somehow, I believe that Rita is not just any woman, am I wrong?" Leon asked, and Kevin looked at him in a mixture of anxiousness and discomfort. Apparently, he didn't like others seeing him in love.
Hahaha, he would certainly use that in the future.
"And I believe we are wasting time by standing around here. Let's go inside." He said, not giving Leon time to respond and entering the place.
The blond shook his head and followed him, making sure his matilda was on his belt.
Once inside the shooting range, they were standing next to each other. At Kevin's request, Leon went first.
Using the veteran cop's own words, "I'll give you a chance to surprise me."
Leon raised his gun. That shooting range was part of the police department, so it wasn't just one. There were several training sequences, with moving targets that could be customized at will.
In the place they were, there was no one. So they could enjoy not only the moving targets, but challenges made between them.
Rules were imposed:
1- They had to hit all targets with, at most, fifteen shots or less.
2- They were only allowed to reload after thirty seconds.
3- If they missed a target, they would lose points, which would affect their final score.
4- Both of them only had one minute to eliminate all the targets. If time ran out and one of them couldn't eliminate all the targets within the time limit, he would be eliminated from the friendly competition.
5- They would have to use each other's weapons to do this. According to Kevin, this would increase their experience in terms of variety of weapons.
The last rule Leon didn't like very much and tried to go against it, but Kevin could be somewhat... persuasive.
Not only did the targets vary in long and medium distances, but they were all quite small. 10X10 centimeters.
A duel Leon hoped to learn a thing or two from someone who said he was the best shot in the station.
The clock started. The young cop fired at the first target, concentrating due to the small spot at a considerable distance. The shot hit the side of the target, but didn't miss.
Kevin's gun was different from his matilda. It was a bit heavier, and he felt that it didn't have good accuracy. But, on the other hand, that gun was certainly more powerful.
Two more targets appeared at the same time, one going towards the other, same distance. Leon waited for the right angle and fired, striking down both targets at the same time.
"Good shot." Kevin said, and although he heard it, Leon remained focused.
Five targets appeared, one followed by the other. Two were moving at a slower speed, making them a little easier to hit.
However, the other three were faster. One faster than the other. He had never shot one with that speed. In training it was not like that.
He shot anyway. He hit the first one, just barely.
The second one he took a little longer to shoot, hesitating for a few moments, before firing. Great, another hit.
The third was the fastest, and the most difficult. After a few moments he fired the first shot... and he missed. The second shot happened a few moments later, where another miss occurred.
He only hit it when the target was about to reach the end of the route.
More targets appeared, each one faster than the other, in great numbers.
In the end, Leon had hit 37 of the 55 targets in 57.39 seconds. Making a total of 9500 points. If he hadn't missed so many shots, he would have scored a total of 18500 points. Boy, twice as many as he had managed. He sighed in mild frustration. He hadn't done too badly, considering the speed and the number of targets present, but he could have done better.
"Not bad... not bad at all. Basic police training doesn't teach you to shoot targets at that speed, so I'm impressed." He said, walking toward Leon.
"Aaah, I guess I could have done better. Maybe if I had my gun..." He said, arching an eyebrow as Kevin began to twirl his pistol on his finger. Almost like some kind of gunslinger.
"That's the intent." He said. "By the way, I'm jealous of the look of your gun." He said, noting the silver barrel.
"My father gave it to me... and her name is Matilda." Leon said, and Kevin looked at him with arched eyebrows and a mocking smile on his face, making the young cop sigh. "That's my sister's name, she... passed away."
"Oh... my condolences then. Now I understand why you didn't like the last rule. Don't worry, I'll take good care of your Matilda... may I call her Hilda?" He asked, and Leon laughed at the question.
"Why not? Suit yourself." He said, and with a victorious smile, Kevin walked forward as Leon propped his back on the wall and watched his veteran.
"You have a good aim, rookie. But you hesitate a lot. Both in training and on duty, you have to use every round to the best of your ability. Make the shots count." Kevin said, and the first target appeared.
However, he didn't fire immediately, which aroused Leon's curiosity, and he arched an eyebrow.
Two more targets appeared, and at the exact moment they were lined up, he fired, hitting all three targets at once.
"Out there, you can't hesitate. Just like you did in that clothing store, the only difference, is that your targets won't always be still, much less at close range." He said, and those same fast targets appeared.
He shot them all with great precision, hitting each shot with an ease that Leon was surprised at.
He moved his arm and pulled that trigger almost as if it was a natural thing for him. As natural as breathing. His face was impassive. It was something so great to watch that Leon even slightly regretted doubting his abilities.
Well, not that he was wrong to doubt, considering the way Kevin acted.
All the targets were hit in an incredible 39 seconds. Leon blinked a few times, really surprised, and Kevin was blowing an imaginary smoke in front of the barrel of his pistol.
He hit a total of 27500 points. Perfect score.
"Geez... Hilda really is great, I broke my own record." He said, nodding his head, proud of himself it seemed.
"Huh... I admit, you really have a good aim." Leon said, and the smile on Kevin's lips widened. He reloaded matilda and handed it to Leon, who did the same.
"Glad I made you see that my dear rookie. Here's a little secret. Those targets at that speed are used in the S.T.A.R.S. entry test." He said, and Leon blinked a few times, surprised.
No wonder the targets were moving so fast, or that they were so numerous.
"Out of curiosity, Chris hit all the targets in 32 seconds." He said, and Leon shook his head. That was impressive.
"So believe me when I say you did well." He said. "Well, round 2?"
Leon smiled at the question. No chance for him to refuse.
"Sure."
Well, the afternoon was worthwhile, that Leon had to admit.
Night came slowly, and at the moment, the rookie was finishing signing some documents that should be handed in to the reception before leaving for his patrol.
He looked at his watch, and then ran his eyes around. Kevin was late, and there was no sign of Rita.
Well, considering the veteran cop's manner, he'd say it was in his character to be late. But there was a strange feeling in his chest.
Well, he tried to ignore it as he continued to sign the documents.
After a while, he finished. He leaned his back against the chair and stretched. Again he looked at his watch. It was almost an hour and a half since his shift had started. Kevin should have arrived by now. But, no sign of him.
Leon blinked in confusion. This was too much, even by Kevin's standards.
There was a little commotion. The officers seemed agitated that night. Something was happening, or had already happened.
The rookie shook his head and stood up, taking the documents from the desk and walking towards the reception.
On the way he met up with Elliot. Marvin had already left for the day. His shift would be night shift next week, as would his own.
The detective looked a bit distressed, worried. It was clear that something was getting to him.
"Ah, hi, rookie." Elliot greeted him, and Leon nodded in his direction.
"Sir. Have you by any chance seen Kevin around?" he asked, and Elliot gave him a strange look for a few moments.
"You haven't heard?" He asked, and Leon arched an eyebrow in confusion.
"Heard what?"
"Rita disappeared." The rookie widened both eyes. "She wasn't answering her calls, no one heard from her. Kevin went to her apartment and found the place torn apart. At the moment, he's giving a statement." He said, sighing softly and running his hand through his hair.
"If you'll excuse me, Leon, I have to go. We'll conduct the investigations as quickly as we can." Elliot said, nodding briefly to Leon before walking away.
The rookie stood there for a few moments. Kevin had mentioned that Rita hadn't returned his calls before. The bad feeling in his chest grew stronger.
He hadn't talked much with the woman, but from what little he had talked, she was a responsible officer, serious about her job, and friendly.
It was no secret that the man liked her, and after something like this happened... he could only imagine how his head was.
He knew about the disappearances that happened in the city. Always civilians involved in accidents. But now also officers... things would be in chaos when the media announced this, surely.
After handing in his papers at the reception desk, a man called out to him. The man was tall, maybe a little taller than himself, with short brown hair and eyes of the same color. His skin was a few shades darker than Leon's. He wore glasses.
He had never seen that officer there before.
"You're the rookie, right? I'm Gabe. I'll be your partner from now on." He said, his voice serious, his features neutral.
Leon's eyes opened slightly in understanding. So this was the man who should have taken him on his first patrol.
And what was the idea of being his partner from now on? Well, certainly Kevin wouldn't be in a position to go to work for a few days, so it made sense.
"I'm Leon, sir." He introduced himself, extending his hand towards Gabe, who just looked at it for a few moments, and ignored it completely.
"... Let's get going. I don't want to have to lie to the chief again because of an irresponsible officer." He said, a certain bitterness in his voice, turning and walking out of the police station.
Leon arched an eyebrow. Well, technically he was right to be angry, since Kevin had put him in an awkward position. But that wasn't his fault. And he certainly didn't want to be partners with someone who would only complain.
Shaking his head and sighing deeply, Leon followed him, watching Gabe sit in the driver's seat of the car.
"Come on, or you wanna walk?" Gabe said, and Leon made a point of rolling his eyes quite dramatically.
Oh this is going to be great.
He got into the car and Gabe started it, going in the opposite direction from where Kevin always took him.
In those days, all the patrols he did with Kevin were around places with spikes of robbery or similar. As Kevin had said, he wanted Leon to get as much experience as possible in a short period of time with all kinds of crime.
The more experience, the better off he would be in that city. It was common for some officers to get on some gang list. And if this happened to him, he had to be prepared.
Gabe was driving through the wealthier part of town. Leon had passed through there once or twice during his rounds, but had never really stayed there for very long, since there was not as much crime there as in other parts.
It was amazing how just a few blocks could be different from each other, it was like a completely different city.
Leon settled into his seat. They hadn't said a word since they got in the car, and considering that they would spend a good few hours patrolling the city, he would rather not be in that weird mood.
"You know what Kevin did wasn't my fault, right?" He asked after a while, looking at Gabe, who kept his gaze focused on the road for a while. It even seemed that he hadn't even heard what Leon had said, making the rookie look somewhat frustrated.
"It doesn't matter. You covered him on this. That makes you an accomplice in the lie. And consequently, so am I, for I had no choice but to follow." Gabe replied after what seemed like minutes. "Do you know what the chief would do to me if he knew it wasn't me who accompanied you on your patrol?"
Leon snorted.
"No. Come on, it was just a patrol. Kevin showed me everything he had to show me just the same. And he would be my partner anyway." Leon said, crossing his arms and looking out the window. Sometimes the radio beeped, reporting some calls in certain parts of the city.
It never stopped.
"You say that because it wasn't your neck on the line. Kevin was not, and still is not, suited for this. I guess I'll have to talk to Marvin about that." Gabe said, and Leon, for his part, didn't like the way he mentioned Kevin very much.
Sure, the cop had his faults, but Leon knew that he was a responsible officer who took his job seriously. Not to mention that he considered him a loyal friend. This was apparent in those days he spent by Kevin's side.
"You'd be surprised how responsible Kevin can be if you ignore the arrogant part." Leon said, and Gabe snorted, a smile was born on his lips as if he had just heard some joke.
"Right. You've barely arrived and already you want to tell me what he's like when I've been around him for years? Okay, newbie." He sneered, and Leon rolled his eyes.
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe he has a reason for that? I've barely spent time around you and I can already see why." He said, ignoring the look Gabe was sending him.
"More respect to your superior, officer." Gabe said seriously, and in response, Leon smiled. Probably not a smart move, but dammit, there was so much wrong there that he didn't even know where to start.
"Oh, of course, my superior. I do apologize, I didn't mean to offend you, sir." He said, not hiding that mocking tone in his voice.
Gabe looked at him again, but remained quiet. Neither of them really wanted to start an argument there, at that moment. The night was still far from over.
A few hours later, the radio beeped, Gabe answered.
"There is a call reporting some drunk men threatening the attendants of a bar near where you are after the attendants asked them to leave. Camden Street, near Rosewood University." The radio beeped again.
"On the way." Gabe said, putting the radio to the side and speeding up the car. They weren't very far away, so they would get there pretty quickly.
"I hope Kevin didn't just waste time and teach you something." Gabe said, and Leon sighed.
"You really are underestimating him as a professional, you know that?" Gabe snorted, shaking his head.
"You know what? Okay, I'll let you handle it then. You're in control, I'll just watch. Try not to embarrass yourself, will you?" Gabe said, and Leon rested his head on his arm.
You betcha, asshole.
When they arrived, they could both hear the argument coming from inside the bar. The place was fancy, the front of the bar making it even more striking that they were in a wealthy neighborhood. Incidents there were somewhat rare compared to the rest of the city, but that didn't mean they didn't happen.
Occasionally they would get a call about someone drunk and messing around, or some petty theft.
They got out of the car and Leon looked at Gabe, who in turn just signaled for him to go ahead.
The young man entered the place when he heard something like a tray fall to the floor.
The place had a comfortable atmosphere. The floor was made of wood, as was the ceiling, and the lighting was dim but plentiful, giving the place a more medieval feel in combination with the style of the chairs and especially the counter in front of the drinks rack. Each table had a decorative LED lantern with dim yellow lighting, making the place a work to be appreciated.
(I'll leave a picture below in case you want to know what it looks like. It is similar to a bar that is near my house, but much nicer).
There were some people sitting at a few tables further away, watching the scene that was taking place in the middle of the bar, just in front of the counter.
Two men were arguing with what appeared to be the owner, and next to him were two women, probably the barmaids.
One of the men was clearly more upset than the other. He had blond hair that went down to the back of his neck. He was wearing a leather jacket and jeans, black shoes. Expensive clothes just by the look of it.
The other had short dark hair, and wore a social shirt with the sleeves folded up to the elbow, navy blue social pants, and black shoes.
There were pieces of glass scattered on the floor, probably from a broken glass, with a tray lying not far away with what appeared to be scattered liquor.
Leon hurried his steps and approached the two men, only to be stopped by Gabe, who held him by the shoulder.
The rookie then looked at him in a mixture of confusion and a faint tone of anger.
"What is it?" he asked, watching Gabe, who couldn't take his eyes off the two men.
"We have to be careful. That man is not just anyone. That's Herik. He's the mayor's aide's son, and he's already helped a lot with donations for the police station and the fire department." Gabe said, and Leon watched the man for a few moments.
Oh, really? Well... so what? At the moment, he was just a drunken bum.
"So what?" Leon asked, pulling his arm away from Gabe and approaching without waiting for an answer.
"Whatever happened, there's absolutely no need for that, sir." Leon said as he approached, drawing the attention of both men, as well as those who worked there. "Can you tell me what's going on?" He asked, looking at the bar owner.
"They tried to throw us out! We didn't do anything special!" One of the men said, interrupting the owner who was about to speak.
"I'm going to give everyone a chance to speak here, sir. I need you to calm down. I'll talk to the owner first." Leon said, his voice was firm and he was not intimidated by the look on the man's face who was already irritated.
Dealing with drunk people, well, at least that kind of drunk person, was never easy. But, well, people in general were not easy to deal with. You couldn't tell when someone would try to attack you or something.
Especially someone who was already under the influence of alcohol.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" He said, almost shouting and taking a step closer to Leon, who gave him a firmer look.
"There's no need for that, sir. We're just going to talk so we can make sure things will work out, that's all. We just want to settle things." Gabe stepped in before Leon or the man could do anything, his voice soft, different from the way he spoke to the rookie a few minutes ago.
Leon, for his part, just shook his head.
"We wouldn't have any problem if they would just stay quiet. But they started bothering my barmaids. I should report them both for harassment!" He said firmly, not at all happy about the situation, and with every reason for such anger.
"Sir, I'm sure you don't-"
"Please do." Leon interrupted Gabe, already knowing what he would say and not liking it one bit. "No matter who the person is or their status, this kind of behavior is unacceptable." He finished his speech, glaring at Gabe with an irritated look.
He understood the veteran cop's fear, of course, but that was no excuse to go easy on that kind of person.
"What? Who do you think you are? Do you know who I am?!" The man said again, and Leon looked at him for a few moments.
"If I remember correctly, sir, I said I would let you two talk. Calm down and wait, please." He said politely, but the words certainly didn't please much.
"Herik, please. This is already crossing the line." The owner said as he saw Herik move a few steps closer. From the way he was acting, this was not the first time this had happened. Not only that, but both he and Gabe could hear the whispering around.
"He always acts like that."
"I don't know why they still call the police, they never do anything."
"This isn't leading anywhere."
Geez, how could he get people to trust the police if they had such a bad image? And with the way Gabe acted around Herik, he didn't blame the population for thinking that way.
That was pathetic.
"You can't do this! What proof do you have?! Huh?! Where's the warrant?!" His friend shouted, opening his arms in defiance.
"It's on camera, asshole!" The owner shouted back, pointing at two cameras that were there, pointed there.
"Well, Herik, right? I guess you're anxious to tell your side. How about we talk outside? You can tell your side of the story at the police station, without disturbing the customers here." Leon said.
He didn't know exactly why Herik was so irritated, maybe it was his friendly little smile, or the way he had spoken. Then again, people were complicated to deal with. Especially under the influence of alcohol.
Herik moved toward Leon. It was all very quick. He pulled his arm back and tried to land a punch on him.
The rookie, unlike Herik had thought, was not taken by surprise. He always followed his father's advice: "A cop must be on his guard at all times." He was a target, that was a fact.
Leon dodged the punch by ducking and taking a step to the side. He then countered with a punch that hit Herik right in the face. Blood spurted out as his fist hit the man's nose.
Leon then grabbed him by the head and threw him against the counter, quickly putting his arms back and spreading his legs apart, holding him tightly so that he didn't move and looking seriously at his friend. His blue eyes stared at him like two rocks of ice. A look that said "I dare you to try something."
After seeing the man raise his hands in surrender after a while, Leon looked at Herik again.
"You... son of a bitch!" He grunted, trying to struggle, but the more he moved, the harder Leon held him down.
"Attacking a cop, poor choice there pal." He said, looking at the owner shortly after as he handcuffed the man. "I apologize for the inconvenience and the mess."
Gabe stood next to him, his arm held Leon's tightly, and the rookie looked at him. The veteran cop had an angry look on his face, even frightened.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" he asked low, and in response, Leon pulled his arm with extreme force, almost like a challenge to Gabe.
His blue eyes stared into the brown ones of his superior. He was so angry at the moment... he understood how the city had gotten to that point now.
"You're not going to handcuff the other one, sir? All I did was my job as a police officer, nothing more." He said, forcing Herik to stand, but without taking his eyes away from Gabe. "You underestimated Kevin so much before, but you proved to me that he is far superior to you as a professional. If you're going to act that way, why do you wear that badge?" The rookie said, glaring at Gabe and walking toward the door shortly thereafter.
The police chief might not be happy about that. There might be consequences, but fuck it, he did his duty, and that was exactly why he moved to Raccoon City, not to be shaking his legs just because the perp is some rich guy's son.
Gabe watched him for a while, a mixture of sensations in his chest. He didn't really know how to react.
Then he sighed. He could already hear Chief Irons in his ear.
But in a way, the rookie was right, he knew that... of course he did, and part of him agreed 100% with Leon, but what could he do? It was the boss's order. He just hoped that Leon would keep going like that, and that he would not suffer the same fate as the others.
Here's a bar similar to the one I described in the story: tQyzC1uywSgOMnwz515Dx_vuafI= og/ed/f/original/2018/11/29/21-melhores-bares-em-new_york_city20181129_