eMe:Prologue

Yasser Shaikh, a senior majoring in biotechnology, will provide The Spectrum with a fiction story every issue that depicts the life of a college senior law student who happens to get involved in a Mexican mafia drug cartel and soon finds himself running from the cops. This story is called “eMe.”

Prologue
New York City, 22:50.

Bored after sitting for almost four hours, Officer James Monroe decided it was time to end the duty. This was the third time in two weeks his partner had called in sick. James knew all along that Ramon was not sick and had only gone to see his new French girlfriend at her apartment, but he let it pass.

Anyways, the sheriff was on official vacation and his other superiors at the precinct were too busy with their critical investigations to inquire why an officer was off duty so early. He crossed his fingers and checked the scanner one last time before radioing in, “Dispatch, this is Unit-57, I am 10-19, heading back to the station.”

The dispatcher took some time to respond, “Unit-57, what’s your 10-20?”

“Dispatch I’m around the basketball court on E10th Street.”

Another short pause and the dispatcher replied, “A 911 report about a 10-54 on E 13 th Street near St. Emeric’s Church just came in, please investigate.”

That instant James knew this was not going to be good. He started his ignition and stepped on the gas. “Why do dead bodies turn up on New York city streets every time I’m alone on duty and want to go home early,” he wondered aloud.

Upon reaching St. Emeric’s church, he saw a small crowd of people huddled around something. He stepped out of the car and moved toward the crowd. “NYPD, everybody step away from the dead body or whatever there is…” He couldn’t think of anything better to say.

Reluctantly, the crowd dispersed and made way for the young officer. When he finally reached the spot, his head turned dizzy and he wanted to throw up.

He could see a lifeless body wrapped in plastic that lay curled beside some old condemned cars. The body itself was inconspicuous, except for the palm with an “M” tattoed on the back of the victim. James realized this was not just a simple homicide.

He immediately dialled his friend Norris in Narcotics.