When I snapped out of my rage-induced trance, The Bitch lay on the floor before me, her fingers massaging her jaw. It took a few seconds before I understood what I had done. But when I finally realize I had punched her, I felt the blood drain from my face.
I expected The Bitch to be livid, but she simply stood up, a satisfied grid deforming her hideous lips. She had accomplished what she had set out to do; she had tricked me into sealing my own fate. I had assaulted a superior officer and there was only one punishment for that. Immediate discharge from the force.
I remained frozen in shock for a moment before finally becoming aware of my surroundings. My classmates stood nearby, eyes wide with shock and jaws dropped in disbelief. Cindy was the only one smiling, but I could tell many more smiles would soon emerge from the stunned crowd.
I could have apologized, but I knew nothing I said or did would do any good. I hated the fact that she had won, but there was nothing I could do about it, so I grabbed my clothes—as usual, I had spent the past few hours in my underwear—and ran.
It took a while before I finally came down form my adrenaline high. When it finally happened, a sense of disbelief and despair swept across me. I had just ruined my one chance at honoring my mother’s memory. No matter how much regret I felt or how many times I apologized for what I had done, there was no way The Bitch would ever change her mind. I couldn’t believe my career as a police officer had lasted only nine short days.
It took a few hours before the phone rang. I was utterly terrified, but I knew I had no choice; I answered. Sure enough, it was a secretary calling to inform me I was being summoned to a hearing, which was scheduled for the next day. I was surprised by the rapidity of the proceedings, but I guess I should have seen it coming. The Bitch hated me and no doubt had reported the assault as soon as I had left.
I barely slept. I knew the odds of my remaining employed were slim, but I still held out hope. It was silly, but it was the only thing I could do to keep from falling into a deep depression.
First thing next morning, I headed to the training facility where I had spent the last two weeks of my life. On my way there, I got a call from Cindy. I told her the situation and promised to give her a call as soon as the verdict had been handed out. I hung up just as I entered the parking lot.
Ten minutes later, I was entering the captain’s office. I was a little surprised by the chosen local, but I assumed this was merely a formality. Inside the office stood the captain—a balding man in his early fifties—and The Bitch. She was dressed up, though she still looked as hideous as ever. A malicious smile curled her lips. I could tell she would enjoy watching my dreams being torn to shreds.
I stood there for what felt like an eternity, waiting for the captain to speak. It took a while, but he eventually looked up from his computer screen. His expression was impossible to read.
“Your mother would be very disappointed in you,” he said.
Anger shot through me at the mention of my mother. Who was he to tell me what my mother would have thought? Then again, he was right. I bowed my head and waited for him to proceed.
“Striking a superior officer almost always results in immediate termination of employment,” explained the captain.
I sighed, assuming my fate was sealed.
“However,” he soon added, “Sergeant James here insists you are one of the best recruits she ever had.”
I was so surprised I almost choked on my own saliva.
“The…” I started, but stopped myself before I could refer to my training officer as The Bitch. “Sergeant James said that?” I eventually asked, bewildered.
The captain nodded.
“She claims you struck her following a misunderstanding that led you to believe she was mistreating one of your fellow officers,” he explained. “She believes you acted as any other officer would have in your shoes.”
I couldn’t believe it. It sounded so impossible I didn’t know what to say. So I just stood there and waited to see what would happen next.
There was a long silence before The Bitch finally spoke.
“I have dropped the charges against you,” she explained with an oddly kind smile. “If you are still interested in joining the K-9 unit, I would be happy to let you retake the final examination. In fact, I am free tomorrow.”
I didn’t know what to say. It all seemed so out of character, yet the offer was not one I could refuse. I didn’t know if The Bitch had miraculously grown a conscience overnight or if she was planning something, but I couldn’t pass up such an opportunity. It took a while, but my mind was eventually made up.
“All right,” I agreed, glancing at The Bitch. The satisfied grin she wore told me I had just made a mistake. Unfortunately, it was now too late to back down. All I could do was hope I could survive whatever atrocities she had planned for me.
The Trap
I barely slept all night. I kept tossing and turning, wondering what atrocities The Bitch had planned for me. But eventually, fatigue washed over me and I slipped into unconsciousness. My dreams were populated with horrible visions of my instructor. She humiliated and tortured me. Every horrible thing I could think of she did. By the time my alarm clock finally dragged me back to reality, I was covered in sweat. My heart was racing and my adrenaline was pumping.
I thought about not going, about blowing off my one chance at salvation. But deep down, I knew I would forever regret it if I let my fear control me. So, after thoroughly preparing myself for the worst possible scenario, I got dressed and headed off.
It was still quite early when I reached the training facility where I had spent the last two weeks of my life. It was Saturday, so the place was almost completely deserted. Only a few security guards patrolled the outer perimeter. The buildings themselves were completely empty.
When I reached the door leading to the gymnasium, I paused. Fear shot through me, but I pulled the door open before I could talk myself down. Striding inside, I glanced around. The gym was almost completely deserted. Standing as the center of it was The Bitch. Next to her stood one of the police dogs we had been training with for the past few weeks. Like all others, he was a studly German Shepherd.
“It’s about time,” grunted The Bitch as I approached.
I glanced at my watch. I was a grand total of seventeen seconds late. Ignoring the repulsive woman’s remark, I came to a stop a few feet in front of her.
“Here’s the deal,” she said before I could even come to a complete standstill. “If you obey every single one of my commands, I will give you a passing grade and allow you to join the K-9 unit. However, if you disobey so much as one of my orders, you will fail and I will make sure you’re kicked off the force.”
She gave me a few seconds to take it all in.
“Do we have a deal?” she asked, stretching out her hand.
The last thing I wanted to do was give her complete control over me, but I had no choice. I reached out and shook her hand, struggling to keep from gaging at the oiliness of her skin.