The Sheepdog 40
No matter what, I am going home today. Deputy Beival was en route to a nasty domestic call. He scanned his computer console. It was an ordinary, humid Sunday in mid-July, nothing special had happened. Power lines had been down, so he’d assisted in that. An elderly woman had been stranded on the side of the road, so he’d taken her home. A new incident had been flashing on his screen. Something about this call was different. It was dangerous. His wife had just called him, checking in on him and reminding him how much she loved him. Smiling to himself, he knew just how fortunate he was. I protect and defend. The citizens are my sheep. I am the sheepdog. He accelerated, racing to the unfolding scene. His computer was continuously updating him on the situation. A mother and child had been at the house of her boyfriend when things had turned sour. The woman explained to her boyfriend she was moving away and the man snapped. He pulled a firearm, shooting it inside the trailer before threatening the woman’s life. Shortly after, the woman’s mother had arrived after several calls to her phone had gone unanswered. They’d escaped uninjured, but the boyfriend remained uncooperative in his home.
By Jordan Turner
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3rd Place - Nonfiction