Professions Amongst Us

The Police Officer

A crowd gathered in front of the Central Town Bank, jostling and elbowing one another, trying to get a good look of the situation. Policemen guarded around the cordoned area, trying to keep the crowd under control and away from the crime scene. The notorious criminal, the Dark Fox, has struck again. True to his name, the criminal was as quick-footed as a fox; he had managed over thirty consecutive robberies in the town without getting caught. Of course he wasn't all brawns only. The Dark Fox managed to escape from the police countless of times; he was famous for his sly and quick-witted getaway strategies.

The sound of sirens pierced through the air before numerous police cars screeched to a halt in front of the Central Town Bank. Officer Tay got off his car, summoning his team to get into position swiftly. Officer Tay was definitely as renowned as the Dark Fox amongst the townspeople, but in a good way of course; his very name struck fear into the hearts of many criminals. The stories of him apprehending even the slyest and most vicious of criminals spread far and wide; even the most seasoned and hardcore criminals didn't dare to operate in areas that were under Officer Tay.

Appalled by the steadily climbing crime rates in Teavine Town as of late, the town mayor had requested for the Police Headquarters to appoint Officer Tay to the quaint city to ease the spreading fear and anxiety amongst the townspeople. Officer Tay knew that he had to apprehend the Dark Fox and bring him to justice. It was his duty, it had always been his calling.

Readying his pistol, he led his team into the bank, treading steadily but softly with each and every of his steps to ensure that any detection of their presence would be kept to a minimal level. Soon enough, a door came into sight along the extreme end of the corridor. A sign hung from it, it read, "The Vault". The Dark Fox would definitely be in there. Officer Tay couldn't afford to lose any time. He gave the door a slight kick, swinging it open with his masterful stroke. With a signal of his hand, the whole team was in the room, readying their pistols to fire off at the Dark Fox any time now.

True to his name, the Dark Fox did not disappoint. Clad in dark clothing and a fox mask, his face was obscured, hiding his identity while his clothing allowed him to speed across the room, nicely camouflaged in the dark. The Dark Fox was fast, but not fast enough to avoid Officer Tay. Officer Tay had spotted him the criminal from the corner of his eye and had given chase immediately, signaling for his team to provide him with back up.

"Freeze! Stop running or I'll shoot!" taunted Officer Tay, trying to get a good aim on the Dark Fox.

A series of gunshots followed. But it was futile. It was difficult to pin down the Dark Fox while running at such speed and it was tricky to spot the criminal in the pitch black darkness. After a good two minutes of chase, Officer Tay knew that the Dark Fox was tiring out; he was losing speed by the second. Just a couple of seconds and he would be able to apprehend the criminal. However, the Dark Fox made a tight unexpected swerve suddenly, scampering quickly down a narrow corridor which caught the Officer off-guard. With new-found rage, Officer Tay darted after the Dark Fox, more determined than ever to catch the sly criminal.

Upon arrival in the room, Officer Tay only had enough time to witness the Dark Fox smashing through a glass panel, making his escape by plunging into the levels below. He heard a cracking sound from below, but he was sure that he Dark Fox survived, for his accomplices had already helped him set up a landing area at the bottom. In no time, the Dark Fox had limped into a vehicle and had vanished from the scene. Slamming his fist into the wall, Officer Tay let out an exasperated sigh. He had failed, he had let a criminal slip.

~~~

"Welcome home," the aged man greeted, glancing up from his newspaper, revealing the deep scar across his left eye as Officer Tay removed his shoes before entering the house.