March 19th, 1998.
It’s a wonderful day, Lusty thought, A nice spring day and I hope nothing bad happens and hope it’s just a peaceful day and I hope it says like that.
Over the PA system, there was a series of signal tones and soon a dispatcher came over and told every single city firehouse even called in the volunteers in because they were now under “Fire Department of Little Bird Riot Alert Alpha” which meant to gear up and be ready to be called out for any fires or damage caused by any potential civil disorder.
“Alright 141,” said Lieutenant Autumn, “Make sure the medical kits, air bottles, and everything is topped off. We won’t leave the firehouse unless we get called out. Also, I won’t have us go into areas without police protection. If there ain’t no police protection then we’re not going there just to get pelted by bricks, rocks, glass bottles, and whatnot.”
Lusty replied, “The only thing I know is that there are five levels of law enforcement in this city which are the Local Police- Empire Police Department, State/Province/Borough Police- Island Patrol Empire Barracks (think about the State Police), National Police, National Defense Police- A mix of Homeland Security and SWAT-like, Federal Police- Elite Operations Detachment (like the FBI) and each one will be different than the last”.
“Ain’t the National Police,” said Engineer John Rodrigeuze, “And the National Defense Police more or less the same?”
Lieutenant Autumn replied, “National Defense Police they responsible for heavily armed emergency responses to major crimes and major counter-terrorism. The National Police are like Island Patrol but they also provide Game Wardens, Park rangers, and Forest Rangers as well hence ‘National Police’ of course they also perform both what local and Island Patrol police do of course they mostly rely on horseback, helicopters, and boats with only 27% using motorized vehicles.”
“Or mechanized for riot control,” said Lusty, “Also whose bright idea it was to give Korean War era and some Vietnam War era military gear to the police? I mean with APCs just painted blue with a white five-pointed star and with words that say “NAME OF TOWN OR CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT” Like really did the military just either gave them or had them pay to get $85000 per APCs?”
Lieutenant Autumn replied, “It happened back in 1968 during the Waterson- Falcon mafia war Falcon r mafia family that faded into the night I think it was it was never there and it was because some jackass couldn’t stand that he liked a woman but no she liked a mechanic and didn’t want to be with him. But no the Falcon mafia family started a war because a young woman said no to the Don’s son because she loved another guy so the don’s son response was to kill her newlywed husband on the day of their wedding of course he shouldn’t have of course they were against specialists in the Waterson mafia family not adding her brothers just came back from Vietnam… It wasn’t until 1972 that the Falcon Mafia family didn’t have a penny to their name when they finally sued for peace.
Of course, the Falcon Mafia family targeted anyone who was in their way even if they didn’t deserve it. Oh, a lineman fixing a power line? Of the kill that person just for the sake of it. The Waterson Mafia family? They’re professionals and only focused on fighting the enemy not making enemies within every step, unlike the Falcon Mafia family. Also Lusty you’re friends with a Waterson just ask him.”
“That’s just pure stupid and mean,” said Lusty, “I mean I don’t think that jackass has heard the saying ‘There’s plenty of fish in the sea’ just because one woman told you no and to fuck off because she’s happy with someone else just makes you look like a manchild! And starting a war because of it. I mean when I was in high school both male and later female popular students asked me out but I rejected them because the jocks more or less wanted me to be a trophy girlfriend…”
Firefighter Eddie replied, “Trophy girlfriend? Don’t you mean Trophy Wife?”
“Same thing but instead of a wife it’s a girlfriend instead,” said Lusty, “Hell in the Ninth grade a senior student told me that I should get my breasts and butt bigger to get the attention of the male students so I knocked his ass out in two seconds. I’m happy that I got small breasts and a small ass. I’m not making any part of me bigger to get unwanted attention. I’m happy with what my body looks like and I’m not interested in making my body look like the bride of Frankenstine or Frankenstine.”
Firefighter Smith replied, “Well that’s good that you won’t allow others to tell you how you should have your body look. My mama always told me and I quote, ‘Only person who can tell you how you should have your body is yourself. If someone tells you to change your body so others can like you well tell them to fuck off’. That’s what my mama always told me.”
Lusty and the rest of Squad Company 141 just got ready just in case they got called anywhere for either firefighting or providing medical aid in the areas of the city where the riot is happening.
“I wanna say it’s a sports riot,” said Lusty, “Only thing I know is that the last time this city had a riot when was back in ‘82 the Third Marine Division was deployed to quell the riot and they stood shoulder to shoulder with Semiautomat Service Garands (United States Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M14) and X16s (Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) and their force just showing up scared the rioters off ending the riots. Or back in 1965 during the Bread riots during the 1965 heat wave.”
Firefighter Nygumn replied, “Yes yes we know that on Friday of June 18th, 1965 the soldiers from the Friday afternoon soldiers of the Little Bird Army's 184th Infantry Regiment and a group of unarmed civilians got into a fight after an unknown person smashed the plate glass window of the Food Bank, prompting several people in the line outside to storm into the establishment. Jonathan Corman, spokesman for the Army, insists the troops acted within their authority.”
“Never heard of the 184th Infantry Regiment,” said Lusty.
Lieutenant Autumn replied, “Because they disbanded in 1970 and formed the Empire Militia. All of the infantry regiments that were the Home Guard were disbanded in 1970 to form the Militia because the Home Guard was severely flawed. With the Home Guard if a riot broke out all of the other Home Guard units would go to where the riot was. Or if we were invaded then all of the Home Guard units within the Borough/State/Province of Mountain would go there. When reformed into the Militia, they only had jurisdictional powers within where they were stationed and can only go outside of their town or city if the military high command or if the president ordered them to.
“The Home Guard was supposed to act independently from the War Department and the President but they were supposed to act and only mobilize when the Governor of the Borough of Mountain said so which 9.9 out of 10 times they did not.”
***
In Downtown, Empire.
“So if there are areas without the police,” asked Lusty, “But if the people need our help but if the area is an area under rioters' control but if someone needs our help…”
Lieutenant Autumn interrupted, “We may work in a dangerous job but we’re not going to be put in any danger by someone who’s pissed because either someone lost a sports bet or someone called them a derogatory term.”
“Listen I’ve been called every derogatory term for someone who’s mixed,” said Lusty, “People need thicker skin and stop acting like overgrown manchildren! They need to stop acting like they can have your cake and eat it too! But that’s if someone who got offended by being called a term unless this is a sports riot then I guess someone got their underwear in a bunch for losing a five-dollar bet.”
Lieutenant Autumn replied, “I’ve seen people start a fight at a baseball game or a gridiron football game if someone accidentally bumps into someone and unintentionally spills their ten-cent soda or ten-cent coffee or fifteen-cent beer or fifteen-cent burger, twenty-cent cheeseburger or fifteen-cent hot dog. Hell, I got into a fight with someone for hitting me in the back of the head when I was at a football game. Of course the guy asked for it.”
Lusty just used a firehose to put out a car fire.
Probably gonna be millions of dollars in damage, Lusty thought, Don’t know how much it’ll cost when the riot ends but who knows. I just know a lot of people will get hurt if not killed.
***
Over on the Eastside.
The citizens of Eastside were on patrol with weapons with a few using their carpentry skills to make homemade cheval de frise to keep the rioters out. From what they saw besides Lusty they saw that they were going to defend their dilapidated tenement buildings and their businesses like Bodegas, convenience stores, general store, tailor/clothing stores, liquor stores, and gunsmith stores.
“Aunt Ashley, Aunt Gloria, Aunt Cassandra,” said Lusty, “I can see you three are walking around to help keep arsonists and rioters away. Guess you three will join Uncle Allen, Uncle Decon, and Uncle Walden?”
Aunt Ashley replied, “No Lusty, they're busy defending their stores because we all know that the only way the cops are going to come in here is if half of the buildings are either burnt down or something like that. But you know everyone here got covering fire and can provide overwatch to each other.”
“Ah okay well take care then,” said Lusty. She Squad 141 again. “No they’re not my real Aunts and they’re not going to check on my real Uncles, but here we all see each other as family members.”
They just looked at Lusty as if they weren’t interested.
“I love being around where I grew up and raised,” said Lusty, “But why are we here?”
Lieutenant Autumn replied, “Dispatch and EOC sent us here to respond to any fires that could be started here.”
“EOC?” asked Lusty, “What’s that?”
Lieutenant Autumn replied, “Emergency Operations Center. For disasters and civil disorders where it’s like dispatch but also grants access to the State/Borough/County of Mountain resources and if need be it also grants access to Federal Resources even if sending out help that they need to activate the militia or ask for soldiers or marines to be deployed… Knowing what happened the last time the military was deployed to the city of Empire.”
“Yeah when the Lieutenant Mayor when the dumbass disbanded the Empire Police Department,” said Lusty, “And the Island Patrol barracks for the Empire branch of the Island Patrol. Both the Third Marine Division and Twenty-First Airborne Division occupied the city.”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
James Smith replied, “Yeah we know there wasn’t a time when you couldn’t go down the street without seeing 1/4 ton, 4x4 jeeps, High Mobility Wheeled Vehicles, APCs, IFVs, even Goddamn tanks on the street and with Marines on the southern half of the city and paratroopers on the northern half of the city just either patrolling by foot, by vehicle or standing guard.”
“Yeah that was a fun few years,” said Lusty, “That was sarcastic but from 1988 to 1990 that was ‘fun’ and I don't want to relive those few years.”
They were soon called out for a building fire at a liquor store so they went but they had police protection from some police officers.
The riot cops are in their riot armor which consists of a rounded shell that protects the head from incoming gunfire. At the same time, the lamps on the right side of the helmet including infrared and visible light projectors provide illumination. The mask also incorporates a locking mechanism to properly join it together with the helmet shell, ear covers with membranes that do not inhibit hearing while maintaining its protective qualities, and air filters.
The torso assembly is a flexible vest of rigid impact plates, worn with adjustable straps on the sides and shoulders. One of its most notable additions is a prominent throat protector mounted on the vest and the armor will also typically include some form of bullet-resistant and fire-resistant reinforcement.
It doesn’t surprise me if those officers if every third officer has a shotgun or semi automatic rifle, Lusty thought, And if every fourth or fifth officer has grenade launchers with tear gas canisters.
Unknown to Lusty she didn't know how right she was but that’s not much of her concern though because she ain’t a police officer but a firefighter.
“This ain’t right,” said Lusty, “I know who owns this liquor store. Well, there’s nothing we can do about it where even if we do put it out it’ll still be lost!”
While they were trying to fight the fire Engine Company 52 came and from what they saw was that the driver's windshield was about to break if something hit it, the company officer's windshield was completely shattered. Not to add that its rig was pelted by bricks, rocks, bottles, and whatnot that rioters threw at them.
When they were successful in putting out the fire they had a quick look through the burnt liquor store and they didn’t find a bottle of alcohol. The store was looted and the cash register was opened. The money was gone as well and it showed that it was looted by the time the police got there.
They went to another part of the city to provide medical aid to someone but they had to help the person until an ambulance came but they, including the police, were under sniper fire and the police fired back at the sniper.
When Lusty went to go get a medical bag she got shot in the leg. She ignored the pain but she made the decision not to go to the hospital but she just removed the bullet and just put gauze on it with tape.
“You should go to the hospital,” said Lieutenant Autumn, “So you can get it treated because we don’t need you to bleed out.”
Lusty replied, “Don’t got time to bleed. Also, I want to keep others somewhat safe. If I start to feel woozy and whatnot then I’ll go to the hospital.”
Lusty wasn’t going to argue with Lieutenant Autumn and vice versa.
“Alright well if you feel like you’re going to pass out due to blood loss,” said Lieutenant Autumn, “I’m going to take you out of service and will take you to the hospital. And by that, we’ll radio for an ambulance to take you to the hospital.”
***
Two hours later, at 5:43 PM.
Lusty started to feel light-headed so she sat on a car hood.
“I can just keep going,” said Lusty, “Not going to go and sit on the sideline.”
Lusty got up and started to walk to where Squad 141 was until she fell to the ground.
“Lusty, where are you?” asked Lieutenant Autumn over the walkie-talkie, “Lusty? Lusty? Come in, Claire!”
Lusty started to lose her vision but she saw a few things that are the color azure blue. Something painful hit her in the stomach.
“Come on we got to move her,” said a voice.
Another voice replied, “This is 10-Zebra-10 we need that armored car over here ASAP”.
After a couple of minutes Lusty could feel about four people pick her up and put her into a vehicle and the vehicle took off with sirens blaring while driving she could hear the sounds of bricks, rocks, and glass bottles hitting or shattering on the vehicle.
***
Several hours later. It’s 8:15 PM.
Lusty woke up. She was in the hospital and the TV was on the news channel.
Where am I, Lusty thought, How did I get here?
Lusty decided to watch the news for information.
“While the police are still busy trying to keep law and order,” said a news reporter on tv, “Police detectives quickly solved the case. What caused the riot? Somebody got mad because their favorite arcade game was placed out of order because someone stuck chewed bubblegum in the coin slots and broke the game. Earlier today four firefighters and seven police officers had to be taken to the hospital for injuries ranging from a minor inconvenience to critically severe.”
Someone started a damn riot because their fucking game was out of order, Lusty thought, Are you fucking kidding me! If I ever have children and if they go out to riot I’ll tell them not to come home and that they shouldn’t call me from a police station they’re in because I’m not getting them or as my dad always said ‘Claire if you get arrested by the police because you did something you shouldn’t have then don’t tell the cops where we live because we’re not getting you out. It’s easy to get in there but hard to get out’. Over a game? Seriously?
“Currently the city is under an 8 AM to 7 PM curfew,” said the news reporter on the tv. “Two hours ago a state of emergency was declared, and just half an hour ago the Eleventh Airborne Regiment from the Twenty-First Airborne Division and they were splitting up when they arrived to either go to defend areas at risk or going to areas that have little to no police.
“Behind me are soldiers from the Eleventh Airborne Regiment from the Twenty-First Airborne Division are armed with rifles/w bayonets and currently the military is patrolling the streets with rifles/w bayonets with support by trucks, motorized trucks, and mechanized vehicles and with some with tanks.
“In some areas of the city, both the police and the military are engaged in firefights against snipers which both city officials and police officials believe that most rioters aren’t citizens of the city but people from outside of the city who came in. Currently, both police and the military have 78% of the riot areas under control and believe that they’ll have the rest of the city under control by tomorrow afternoon.”
Lusty watched the news and one was recorded and one was earlier which she fell and what she saw with her blurry vision. It was police officers in riot helmets who got caught up in the riot before they could make it back to their police precinct to gear up for riot. They protected her until a police armored car came so they could take her to the hospital.
The officers that protected her some had rifles, others had shotguns and the few just had their batons and they could’ve left Lusty to bleed out but they protected her and brought her to a hospital.
***
After two days of fighting fires and helping others.
Lusty was back at work even though she was told to take time off to fully heal but she refused.
“It’s sad that people can do this to their own neighborhoods,” said James Smith.
Lusty replied, “They know exactly what they’re doing.”
“She’s right,” said Lieutenant Autumn, “A lot of people know what they’re doing and act like they don’t know what they’re doing. Also while you were in the hospital we fought over fifteen hundred fires and when I said ‘we’ I mean the fire department but that’s how many fires we fought in those two days.”
Lusty replied, “I know that our normal well-standard apparatus is out and we have a reserve apparatus from 1952.”
“At the shop with other apparatus,” said Engineer Rodrieguze, “Because every type of fire apparatus that was in service during the riots got damaged like smashed windows, dents, slashed fire hoses, and whatnot. But the fleet maintenance shop is backlogged with repairs and the Fleet Maintenance supervisor said ‘Squad 141 main apparatus won’t be back in service between November 21st to December 25th but until then you’ll have to make due with a spare rig’ so until sometime between November 21sr and December 25th that out main apparatus won’t be back in service.”
They rode around the city and saw a lot of damage but some streets were closed where construction vehicles were brought in to tear down ruined or smoldering buildings. An estimate of the damage of fourteen million dollars.
When Squad 141 entered Eastside and Westside they saw that the buildings were the same and were unscathed from the riots and it was as Lusty said that they took precaution and more or less made a barrier to keep the rioters out. Other areas of the city weren’t so fortunate because others joined one person who got mad because their favorite arcade game was out of service and removed.
Over the radio, the radio announcer said that the National Police have arrested the guy who started the riot over something that’s trivial. A lot of people thought that what caused the riot was either a sports riot or another type of riot but it was caused by someone over something stupid and whatnot but what happened it happened.
When they stopped to get lunch in Lusty’s old neighborhood.
“Hey, how much do they pay all of you?” asked a tourist.
Lusty replied, “A hundred and twenty dollars per week.”
“That’s low it should be higher for a livable wage,” said the tourist, “With that, it isn’t a livable wage.”
Lusty replied, “It’s a livable wage for us. On Little Bird, a hundred and twenty dollars is enough to live off of. One hundred and twenty dollars a week? A majority of people here can pay their rent after getting their first check and use the remaining money to pay bills and still have money to be considered pocket change. This ain’t a country where you need three people in a house to pay the bills. No, in this country you just need one person to have a job and if the other person has a job then that money is pocket change or save up for emergencies.
“A lot of countries where the higher ups of companies would rather pocket money and not pay their employees a livable wage but rather pay them low enough wage that’s hardly enough to get by. But on Little Bird? Even the poor people get a low enough wage on Little Bird they still have a few bucks to be called ‘pocket change’ but everywhere else ‘a few bucks’ is nothing but here three dollars is enough to get enough groceries for a few days.”
“Yeah but one hundred and twenty dollars doesn’t sound like it’s enough money though,” said the tourist, “You should get paid more like how your male counterparts get paid more?”
Lusty replied, “The men firefighters here on Little Bird get paid the same as a female. While other places have glass ceilings and wage gaps. On Little Bird? We had female presidents, female mayors, female governors, female police officers, female firefighters, female frontline soldiers, and other jobs that women worked even had and still can get into high places that other places in the world couldn’t. In this country, a female gets paid equal to their male counterpart.”
The tourist got a quick history lesson from Lusty but the tourist decided to leave and Lusty went to go back to eat her cheese steak footlong and slice of sausage pizza with the rest of Squad 141. Of course when they went to pay after ordering it the cashier told them that first responders don’t pay but Lusty just put the money she was going to use to pay the eight bucks and she put a twenty dollar bill into the tip jar.
“You didn’t have to do that, Lusty,” said the cashier.
Lusty replied, “Yeah I know but to me, I would rather leave a tip though. This place always made delicious cheesesteak subs and good pizza. I remember when I came here once with my parents they didn’t have one penny but the owner had a motto or a saying ‘Treat others like they’re your own family’ and anything under a dollar just more or less give away.”
That’s when they sat at a table and Lusty soon after gave a tourist how much she gets paid and whatnot. But during that, their order got done and while it was quick but it was delicious not adding before they walked in they were already making those foods so others could come and take out like a fast-food place.
To them, they liked the food and thanked Lusty for the recommendation to come to the nice place and for how delicious the thick pizza was and their chicken sub, meatball sub, spicy Italian sub, grilled chicken sub, turkey sub, and roast beef sub.
“You know what I like about this city?” said Lusty, “It’s because there are a lot of jobs, economic success, opportunities, education, and the most important thing is public safety. While yes the police and fire departments are overstretched and understaffed but we never turn down from helping out the public. I remember when firehouse forty-seven was understaffed and instead of having fourteen members per shift they only had seven in total, one shift that didn’t stop them. Even while the police are overstretched and understaffed that doesn’t stop them from doing their problem-oriented policing and community policing. Even though the police aren’t entirely liked in Westside or Eastside, the people respect the badge not the person behind it. My dad always told me ‘Claire while some cops are jerks there are a lot who are people who do a very demanding job and a lot of people see them as the enemy but a lot of them are people who are just stressed and overworked but a lot of people just see the few bad ones as if they’re all bad’. Of course, I don’t care for them showing the sign of force but if it brings back order then I’m not going to complain. I think it’s funny that one time when I worked as a cashier someone wanted a cheeseburger with no cheese but I told that person that a hamburger is a cheeseburger with no cheese but that guy got his panties in a punch.”