The Ticket

 

The Ticket

by

Gym Dude

I absolutely love days like this. The sun is shining and I've just finished restoring my classic AC Cobra.  The hills make a perfect place to take her out for a spin and wind it up a little. I enjoy the wind blowing through my hair, what there is of it. My buds at the gym give me a bad time because my buzz cut black hair and deep dark tan damn near make me look like a "brother". Not that I mind a bit.

I'm lost in the moment of the glorious sunshine and the power of my carefully crafted engine and I don't even see the flashing lights until he hits a blast on the siren. I have no idea how long he's been behind me. Oh Shit! Not again!

I know these guys like to have drivers stay in the car with their hands on the wheel, but from the time I was a teenager I always get out and meet them at the back bumper. By the time I got my license I had already been into serious weightlifting for a couple of years and the results of my workouts were showing very nicely. I was already just over six feet and more often than not I had a better build than the cop who would be crawling out of his cruiser to face me. By my 17th birthday I was sporting 17" arms with shoulders and chest to match. I had my shirt off every chance I could get but even on chilly days I would be wearing either a tank or muscle shirt. After earning a respectable set of guns, I never wore sleeves.

Sometimes there'd be two cops in the car and they'd take each side of me. Those guys would often be a lot cockier in pairs. Especially the younger ones would scope out my physique and try to flex their muscles to show me what they had. Even at my age, very few cops had a body to match mine but in pairs the numbers were in their favor. Flexing didn't last long, but one guy would often draw his night stick in hopes that I would try something. I would lean back and put my hands on the trunk lid casually flexing my lats and triceps.  That would catch their attention and before long the dude would put his club away figuring out that it wasn't going to help him much anyway. More often than not we'd end up talking about weightlifting or wrestling, my two favorite topics. I'd usually get off with a warning, a couple of new friends and an invitation to the stationhouse gym.

I always loved it when there was only one cop in the car. The poor dude would climb out trying to look like a big man but even if we matched in height it was rare that I would find a match for my build and conditioning. I admit I was always surprised by that, after all, what are they using that stationhouse gym for, anyway?

But I digress. I've been out of college a few years but still hit the gym hard six days a week. I think I've finally stopped growing taller and stand just a hair under 6'3". I have to work hard to keep my lean bodyweight at my 235-pound target which is just barely enough to still look balanced with my pride and joy 19" guns. It's a beautiful day and I'm decked out as usual in gym shorts and tennis shoes.

The lights flash and I pull over like the good citizen I am, having had lots of practice at this. This is a desolate stretch of road so I slowly open the door as to not alarm the lone officer while he radios in the stop. I realize that I can look imposing so I smile as I lean back on the trunk with my arms folded across my chest and wait, enjoying the sun.

Behind his shades I imagine the junior G-man’s eyes bugging out of his head and I hear a low whistle as he gets out of the cruiser. As he stretches out to full height, I can feel his disappointment that his own height stops when it does.

The young cop squares his shoulders and tries to look tough and steps forward. As he approaches his eyes keep looking skyward as though he's wondering if this tower of muscle is growing bigger before his very eyes. I've seen that expression before, and I have to admit that I LOVE it.

I've heard about the days when police had height and weight requirements. Law enforcement was carried out by big, strong men who looked like they could take care of themselves and any situation that might come up. The word Cop was almost synonymous with Super Hero. In these days of Political Correctness that is a thing of the past. I don't know if that policy is right or wrong but it's still a shock when a cop car passes and it looks like a high school kid is driving it. Today is one of those adventures.

The lone officer is obviously a few years younger than I am and his shiny face and blond hair makes it look like he's not quite old enough to shave. The kid is right around six feet tall but his uniform hides any hint of what kind of shape he is in. Like most people I meet, he can't help scooping out my physique. I dig that. I especially appreciate it when I'm admired by jocks. They have experience in the weight room and can better appreciate my achievement. When we talk about the weights I lift, they KNOW how strong I am compared to their limits. I don't know if this little trooper is a jock or not but most cops are. After we talk about safety and speed the conversation always leads to muscle. Now that the 'official' conversation is behind us I finally let out my surprise about twinks behind the wheel of cop cars, not that this kid is necessarily a twink, but he COULD be.

I can hold back no longer, "Shit, man! You're supposed to protect and serve this community but I have to admit it doesn't look to me like you'd be able to protect yourself, let alone someone else."

Goldilocks puts his tablet under his arm and pulls off his cap and shades, "It sounds to me like you want to resist arrest?" the kid's bright blue eyes twinkle as he speaks with a slight smile on his handsome young face.

In all my traffic stops I don't recall a single officer going out of his way to start something and while I'm always up for a good match, it isn't worth going to jail for. "Hey, I'm not into creating any legal hassles, I'm just saying that you don't look tough enough to be a cop."

"So, you just want to see how tough I am? Is that it?" he says with our eyes locked. I can't believe the course of this conversation, but I love it.

"Yeah, basically." I respond, "But I'm not going to fight a cop in uniform. You guys have a decent gym at the station. What say when you're off duty you and I get a little workout in the ring???" I can't imagine how great it would be to beat the crap out of a cop in the middle of his own gym. I've been there many times and sparred around with the guys both wrestling and boxing, but it's always been for fun. I'm thinking this would be fun too, but only fun for one of us. I wasn't ready for his next suggestion.

"Why wait? I'm going off duty now and not expected back at the station for a few hours. There is a clearing just about a mile up the road, follow me if you think you really want to do this." Damn, the kid is serious!

"I'll tell you what. I kick your ass and you tear up the ticket." I grin.

"Sounds fair to me." I catch his smile as he gets in the car.

I have no problem following him and he clicks on his blinker before a small trail a ways down the road. He pulls to a stop about a quarter mile off the road at a clearing surrounded by oak trees. I have to wonder how he ever found this place.

The officer already has my name on his tablet. I approach as he unbuttons his uniform shirt. Reaching his hand forward he solidly grasps mine, "Mike. Mike Lundberg." He says, his steel blue eyes still sparkling.

As peels off his uniform and snug blinding white T-shirt, Mike reveals a sculptured chest and well-developed shoulders. I finally have to admit I have seriously underestimated the young officer as Mike makes sure to flex his abs for my benefit making me think that he might have done this kind of thing before. The kid rids himself of his service belt, weapons, boots and uniform pants then turns toward me, good to go.

Damn, movie star good-looks and a decent build. I am surprised that he's already wearing sky blue wrestling trunks. "You always wear trunks under your police uniform?" I ask.

"I don't like to waste time after my shift before I hit the gym" He responds, "Besides, you never know when ..... they might come in handy." The kid chuckles as he begins to circle to my left in a traditional wrestler's crouch.

We exchange a little conversation as he moves in to lock up, but I just grab his head with both hands and throw the kid off to one side. I want to make sure he is properly intimidated before I introduce him to some real power.

I have to admit some surprise that every time I muscle him around, Mike just keeps coming back for more. The next time he comes in, I grip his left arm and swing the kid around into a hammerlock. The dude has solid muscles in his arms but I have power and leverage so I ram his arm high up his back then drive him off balance until he drops chest-first to the ground with a grunt. I nail his back with a knee drop just for fun then back off to see if he wants up to get some more of me. It's a pleasant surprise to see the young muscle cop stay in the fight.

The kid has a buff body with deeply carved definition and he moves like a fighter but I hold the upper hand in weight, height and thick powerful muscle. I use my advantage to headlock the stud and hip toss him to the ground, my superior weight smashing down on his chest can't feel good. I crank on the boy's head as he twists and turns. I can't believe he hasn't ripped his ears off, but the young stud twists his way out of my headlock. I won't worry about hurting him so much the next time I lock him up.

I expect the cop to slow down but the youngster is full of surprises. Mike spins and scores with a solid kick to my left side just above the hip and it hurts.  I move to my right and take two solid punches to the center of my stomach. Mike is proving that he is both tough and strong. The kid nails me with three powerful shots before I am able to put some distance between us.

I am not moving quite as well as I did a few minutes ago, but I'm more than capable of taking the fight to this punk cop. We both lunge and lock up collar and elbow. Once again, I prove my muscle superiority, but I have to admit that this guy is a great deal stronger than I suspected. I break away but not quickly enough and Mike takes advantage sliding behind me and locking in a hammerlock of his own. "How about a taste of your own medicine, Big Man?" he grunts.

"Dumb-Ass Kid!" I shout back. I'm too big for him to toss around like I did to him. I lean forward as though I'm trying to relieve the pressure but instead grab his forward leg and pull up while using my weight to push back against his body. Mike drops to the ground on his back and I drop my ass on his chest. I don't break anything, but the explosion of air from the young buck lets me know that I didn't miss by much. I take the opportunity to smash a series of punches into the officer's gut but I can tell I'm going to have my work cut out for me if I'm going to break down those abs. This dude is hard as a freaking rock! Nobody said I have to finish him off fast!!!!

Mike reaches up with a killer grip on my traps and pulls me off balance toward his chest. I expect a body scissors is coming and roll out of range before the kid can set me up. This guy's legs look impressive.  His body is lean and hard. I'm not so sure I want to test those legs today.

While I back away Mike is up and charging toward me.  I prepare to lock up but the kid fakes me out and drops sweeping my legs from under me. I crash solidly to the ground and momentarily lose my breath. Shit!  Where the hell did that move come from? I think it’s time to stop screwing around and just beat the crap out of this young stud.

Mike grips one leg and goes for the other but I'm able to kick out of his grip. The cop twists with my left leg and drops back into a single-leg crab. The tyke knows how to hurt a man but he still hasn't figured out that he's in way over his head. Mike spreads his legs to make sure I don't throw him off then cranks up the pressure. I'm sure with this move he'd take out the guys he normally fights but I simply plant my free leg on the ground and in one mighty flex of muscle I easily throw the shit off of me. All those leg extensions in the gym are paying off!

Before I can get to my feet, I feel an explosion of pain in my lower back. Mike's knee drop takes its toll as he grips both sides of my head, he must be doing some kind of handstand as he forces my face into the dirt before dropping with both knees to my shoulers. I lose a lot of air from my chest but this kid is pissing me off more than anything else. I shout "I am going to hurt you, Kid. Hurt you BAD!"

The cop doesn't seem too worried about my threat and yanks me to my feet. I turn to face him and prepare to take him apart but the kid is already on me with a right cross to my jaw that nearly takes me off my feet. What the hell did he hit me with? It feels like a damn brick, but whatever it is he seems to have one in each fist as the buff young cop pounds my gut with solid lefts and rights driving me back across the clearing. I'm able to block some of his head shots but not nearly enough. I back pedal but the young stud just keeps firing away.

I'm starting to see stars flashing around me when a power left comes from nowhere and nearly takes my head off! The next thing I know I'm on one knee with my elbow on the other gasping for breath. Neither of us are throwing punches .. least of all ME. Over my raspy breath I can hear him breathing, smooth and strong, much like I used to. Looking at the ground I can see his shadow across mine. I normally don't do this but what the hell?

As a strong hand grips my left arm to help me up, I fire with the right using all the power I can muster and then some. I kid myself into believing that my target is those magnificent washboard abs. well, let's say lower abs. OK, then, its where his abs would be if he had a 12-pack, are you happy?

I hear a 'YELP' not unlike the sound of a puppy being paper trained and as I stagger to my feet my iron-muscled foe drops to his knees before me.

Damn. Now would be a good time to see just how tough this young cop really is! Planting my big hands alongside his head I power my knee forward catching Mike right under the jaw. I don't remember nailing anyone like that before. The cop flies through the air a good 8 feet before his head and shoulders smash to Earth. The dude's legs continue forward as far as they can before reversing direction and flopping back down.

Mike makes an instinctive effort to raise his handsome head and those once clear blue eyes are just spinning in circles. I know this son-of-a-bitch is one tough 'mother' and stronger than hell. I would be a fool to let him get back in this fight for real and I don't intend to make that kind of mistake!

I drag the cop up and lift him in my powerful arms then spin and smash the young stud's back around a nearby oak tree. "OOOOFFFF!" is about all Mike gets out before I pull him back. "Damn, I'll bet that hurts!" I chuckle before I nail the cop with another.  While he groans and struggles in my arms, I drop to one knee crushing the blond stud's back across my outstretched knee. The battered cop hangs helpless in my grip while I power a few elbows into his cobble-stone gut for good measure.

Without making much headway pounding on his stomach I roll the cop off my knee and let him crash face-first to the ground, his brawny arms and muscular legs are barely able to move.

"I would say it is about time I teach you a lesson boy. This is for the little working over you tried to give me earlier." I pull his arms across my knees and grip under the cop's chin while sitting securely on the stud's back. The cop squirms in agony but is unable to fight back. As the magnificent body of the handsome young blond weakens, the terrible hold gets tighter and tighter. His back, shoulders and neck are in excruciating pain, but the tough young cop refuses to submit to me.

"I've got to admire your fortitude Muscle Boy, but if you think you can outlast ME, you are painfully mistaken." Leaning forward I take my sweet time wrapping my muscular right arm around the thick neck of the fallen hero. I release the killer hold on the young stud's jaw and lock my right hand securely across my pumped left biceps.

"OK, Muscle Cop. This is your last chance to break free. You've got about a minute to escape or you're done for!"

The powerful young stud flexes his strong muscles every way he can but I have him locked in solid.  There is no way in hell ANY man can take the pounding I've dished out and still escape my grip.

"Go ahead and struggle He-Man while you feel what it’s like for your big muscles to fail you completely.  Here is what real muscle feels like!" I ever-so-slowly begin to flex my mighty guns.

"You'll never .." he groans between gasps.

"Just watch me, young stud. Watch and suffer."

I have to admit that I get a charge out of kicking some guy's ass, but I REALLY enjoy the feeling of a solidly muscled fighter slowly fading away while he struggles against one of my killer holds. Some of the really tough guys just don't know how to give up and they keep fighting with what little they have left all the way to the end. It is cool.

I promised the powerful stud that I'd give him a minute to fight and I live up to my bargain. It takes about 90 seconds after I start flexing my biceps into the side of his thick neck before my well-muscled young officer hangs limply in my grip.

I have to admit that I just don't feel like the job is done without at least a hint of submission. I let the muscular stud flop to the ground while I try to figure out what to do with him. I just can't get over the feeling of incompleteness. The young horse never gave up. Damn! Then it comes to me. On the back seat of his squad car next to his uniform is his service belt. Hummm, night stick? No that wouldn't be fair.  Ahhh-haaaa. Cuffs!!!

I start slapping the cop back to reality and as he comes around, I get a real rush watching him try to figure out what is going on. The shocked look on his face as he looks up to see his powerful arms hanging overhead from a thick oak branch suspended by his own handcuffs clamped on his wrists, his feet just barely touching the ground. His expression is priceless.

"What the fuck!" He exclaims just as my right fist smashes into his stretched-out abdominals. "Good!  I'm glad you're awake. I hope you'll hang around while I enjoy myself. at your expense, of course!"

I have to admit that this young iron-bodied cop has been able to build one hell of a body. Unlike many of his comrades, this guy obviously knows what the gym is for. It is really sad that his uniform doesn't allow him to really show off his hard work.

"What a pussy!" He shouts at me. "You have to chain a man up before you really start punching. Unlock me and I'll teach you how to fist fight!"

I already know how strong and tough this dude is and I'm not about to compromise my advantage now. I smile as I drill punch after punch into his carefully crafted six-pack abs. The stud has been worked-over pretty good, but I'm still amazed at how his washboard gut holds up to my best punches.  It doesn't take long before a good solid uppercut to the solar plexus gains the grunt and groan, I have been waiting to hear. This is the beginning of the end for the officer's stonewall abs. I step in and start drilling my most powerful punches into the young stud's cast iron gut preparing to finally break this boy down once and for all!

For a moment I get lost in the joy of my fists smashing into an unobstructed muscle target but I am jolted back to reality as a pair of granite thighs make purchase around my chest! In a moment of shock and confusion I look up to see the kid smiling back.  He has gripped his hands around the branch above to avoid tearing up his wrists from the additional weight and locked a crushing body scissors around my chest!

"You didn't think I was going to just hang here and let you have all the fun, did you?" The young cop chuckles as the solid muscle of his powerful legs begins to squeeze my ribs like a giant python! In an instant I realize that my punches haven't really been scoring after all. His moaning and groaning were just to tease me in closer and drop my guard, which is exactly what I did. Idiot!!!!

I barely form the thought before I see the muscles tense up and down the young cop's lean physique, then SMASH! SMASH! SMASH! The kid uses his amazing thighs to unleash a series of powerful crushing blows to my chest. AAAAARGGH! AARGGH! UUUUUGGH! I can't believe my ribcage is holding up to this much pressure! I can only breathe in short agonizing gasps, but each time I catch any air at all this mighty stud crushes it back out of me. It seems like forever since I was enjoying myself pounding away on this young hunk as I run my hands up and down his powerful legs searching for a soft spot or weakness to attack. I find none. This young dude's legs are like carved slabs of solid iron.

A jolt of fear flashes up my spine as I realize that this stud could kill me if I don't find some way to escape! We're out in the sticks. This would be a great place to hide a body. I was so stupid to be lured into a trap like this!

The young muscle cop lets out a groan of his own as his muscular legs crush even tighter and I feel my ribs bending and my chest is ready to collapse. I am growing faint, deprived of life-giving oxygen. I have no choice.

"I give. I give up." I mutter softly but the vicious crushing hold only gets tighter. I can no longer focus my eyes and color is draining from my surroundings. I feel as though two iron beams are cutting me in half! I am dyeing! "I .. Give.  Please! I can't take...anymore. I submit! Please .. Stop. You're ... killing .. Me. Please.  I..give..up!"

 Finally, at long last the killing pressure begins to lessen and the young stud speaks, "You freaking wimp!  All those big muscles are great for pounding on some guy hanging helplessly in front of you. One good wrestling hold and you fold up like an origami swan!"

At this point I don't really care what he says as long as those iron muscled thighs release my rib cage and allow me to breathe again. As he releases his killer grip, I collapse to my knees doubling over and gasping for air. I barely know where I am but my opponent knows he is still in a very compromising position.  Before I have a chance to think, those powerful legs go to work again, GRIPPING SOLIDLY ON MY HEAD!

"You stupid SHIT! You don't really think I'm going to let you off that easy? You pull a cheap shot to my balls then chain me up and try to pound me to pulp and you think I'm going to just hang here and let you do it again?"

"No! No! Please!" I can breathe but the pressure on my skull is causing a blinding headache. Damn! This kid is far stronger than I ever gave him credit for!

"What do you think of these wheels, Muscleman? Have you ever seen a man under 220 pounds knock out 600-pound squats? I do it, every week! I can crack coconuts with these babies." He laughs and I have no reason to doubt him.

My head is ringing like a hundred fire bells going off all at once. The stud's words are muffled by the powerful muscles crushing my ears into the side of my head, but I get the message .. perfectly. I try to grip my hands across his legs but it does me no good.  I punch every place I can but my fists just bounce off of solid flexed muscle! Damn! I hurt so bad!

"It hurts! Man, it hurts! I give. I.give!" I have worked out hard for years and hold my own against every man I've fought. I have NEVER faced the kind of power this young cop is delivering on my noggin. No matter what I say, the pressure keeps growing. I squirm and strain but my head remains locked solid in the cop’s muscle prison. He says something but I can no longer make out the words. Total pain has overtaken my existence as his iron-muscled legs crush tighter. Just as the last moments of consciousness drift away I hear and feel a gut-wrenching c-r-r-r-r-a-c-k and everything goes dark.

o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! Oh shit, I hurt. SLAP!  SLAP! My head flops from side to side and it feels like my neck is broken, it hurts so damn BAD! Off to my side I see the tree branch that once held the cop captive, it now lies broken on the ground next to a pair of empty handcuffs. The cracking sound I heard was the branch breaking from our combined weight, at least it wasn't my neck!

 "Here, let me show you how a real man uses his fists." The young cop boasts as he lifts my head with one hand gripping behind my neck and powers in a powerful right fist. I can feel my brain rattle around inside my skull just an instant before my face erupts in pain as I feel the cop's fist smash my nose flat, cartilage crushing and blood spurting. My world is spinning as I try to force logical thoughts through the trauma induced fog that has taken over my brain. I feel myself stumble for footing as the young stud pulls my once powerful body from the ground by one arm and flings me solidly into the thick trunk of the oak tree. Pressing his left hand against my chest I am helplessly pinned to the unyielding tree while the powerful young officer fires countless punches into my defenseless body.

I faintly remember my abs standing up to the battering of every man in my gym who dared trade punches with me. No matter how big or tough they thought they were, everyone would end up doubled-over at my feet.  It seems like ancient history now as I feel fist after fist smash deeper and deeper into my broken-down abdominals.

"See? This is how you do it, Big Man. Don't depend just on arm power! Put your shoulder and your whole body into it! That's how you deliver a punch that means something!" My head is swimming, I can't think, my big body is not responding except for involuntary spasms following each vicious punch.

I can't breathe! I know I won't last much longer in fact I can't believe I've held up THIS long! Suddenly the punches stop and slowly my eyes begin to focus on the face of the handsome blond stud before me. I hurt. Shit, I hurt from head to toe. The buff young stud before me looks like he's ready to go another 50 rounds!

"You Ass-Hole! You big muscle-bound Ass-Hole! You

pull a cheap shot on me then hang me out to dry so you can use this body for your own personal punching bag!  Not that you don't need the practice, but NOBODY does that to me! I haven't spent my time in the gym just to create a target for pussy muscle boys like YOU!" I can tell the cop is understandably pissed but I'm hoping that any more abuse will be verbal! The young cop takes half a step back, his muscular legs about shoulder width apart. It is all I can do to keep my big body upright using the oak tree as my only real support. The heaving chest of the youthful stud before me is his only sign of physical exertion.

Officer Mike begins to smile and shake his head back and forth at the pitiful sight before him, "PUNK! You should have taken me out when you had the chance." 

What little air I had been able to gather left my body in one giant explosion as the cop powers his right fist deep into my upper abs. I have no time to recover before his left drives in even deeper. My eyes are bugging out of my head as the cop's fists smash needlessly away. RIGHT! LEFT! RIGHT! LEFT! RIGHT! LEFT! The pure power of his fists alone keeps me pinned to the tree.

When the punching finally stops my big body helplessly doubles over and I would easily crash to the ground were it not for his bodyweight pressing me back against the tree. I have no room to collapse. The back of my head is pressing into the young stud's rippling abs and they feel as though they are crafted from the same granite muscle of the young powerhouse's thighs. I'm not surprised that my punches have had no effect on this iron-muscled physique!

My big guns hang limply at my sides and offer no resistance as the cop drives his muscular arms under mine and pulling my wasted body forward, he grips solidly behind my lower back! My brain is too dazed to even comprehend what is going on. It is as though the kid is going for a Bear Hug but the back of my head is still buried deep in his rock-solid abs! As outrageous pain erupts from my neck and spine the method to his madness become agonizingly clear!

"I always wanted to try this, but could never find a volunteer. That is UNTIL NOW!" The blond stud shouts as his muscular arms flex hard as stone.  "AAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!" is all I can scream before the next surge of muscle nearly knocks me out! My neck is nearly broken and my spine feels like it is ready to snap. I swear I can feel every vertebra grinding painfully against the next!

The muscle cop chuckles at my defenseless position, "How about it, Muscle Man? You had enough? Or do you still think I'm not tough enough to Protect and Serve?" Before I can even form an answer, I feel his iron muscles begin to flex again.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRGHHHHHH!" I scream as I feel every nerve in my spine explode as if struck by a hundred lightning bolts. I have lost all feeling in my legs and my arms hang uselessly at my side. I cannot form words. I try desperately to breathe but with each flex of the cop’s killer hold all I can do is scream... "AAAAAARRRRGHHHHHHH!"

"Just say the word, Big Man, and I'll let you go. All you have to do to admit that I'm more than tough enough to take care of you is say 'I GIVE'. Say anything else and I'll be more than happy to share some more."

I panic as I feel the cop's thick biceps begin to flex. I know my back is about to disintegrate from the force, "I...AAAAAAARRRRGGHHHH"

"It sounds like you still want to test your big bad muscles against this little defenseless cop. Be my guest!" I can't believe that this young stud could

deliver any more force without killing me, but once again his mighty muscles crank up more pressure.

"NO! ....... AAAAAARRRRGGGHHH" I scream just as my brain begins to go completely numb. Somewhere deep inside my head these few thoughts are bouncing around but it is like my soul is surrounded by a basketball filled with dark cotton. I no longer have voluntary control of my muscles and subconscious control seems to be fading. I cannot fight. I cannot submit. In a few moments I will not have the ability to LIVE. I realize that THIS is what it means to DIE!

WAIT. From somewhere in the darkness a signal makes its way through the fog enveloping my being. It is a message from the nerves in my legs saying that my knees have made contact with the cool damp ground. It seems to take forever for what little of my brain is left working to process what that means, but it begins to sink in that my big body is no longer being crushed!

My eyes open but all I can see is a gray fog then the SNAP of an open hand slapping me back and forth across the face. "Come back to the real world, Scooter.  It's time to come home!"

Slowly I can make out a sky-blue form before me and as I focus, I can make out the young officer's wrestling trunks and above them row after row of deeply cut abdominal muscles. Most of my once buff body is numb and the rest hurts like HELL!  I feel a strong hand gripping the back of my neck, his thumb digging under my jaw forcing my face up. I still cannot form words but can faintly see a motion just before my head explodes in pain. The muscle

cop's fist feels like an iron mace as his bare knuckles smash repeatedly to my nose, cheek, jaw, temple and forehead. I no longer know what is happening and have long ago lost track of the number of punches. My view is once again clouded, this time in red as my own blood drains into my eyes and down what is left of my face. By the time the punching stops I have no idea how many bones in my face have been splintered or broken.

Sharp slaps to my face nearly break my neck if that hasn't already been done. I try to speak but can barely mumble. I can no longer move under my own power. Even though I can hear muffled sounds as the young stud speaks, I can't make out the words. There is no way for me to even respond.

Two powerful hands grip each side of what is left of my head and hold me up as unknown muffled words are spoken. I feel a knee smash into my jaw. If it wasn't broken before, it is now. The black curtain that has rimmed my existence for the past many minutes suddenly slams shut, so quickly that I don't even feel myself hit the ground.

- - - - - - - prologue - - - - - - -

I have no idea where I am or even, I am still alive!  It seems to take forever but very slowly parts of my damaged brain begin to awaken. It is as though an arm or leg had gone to sleep and has no feeling until it begins to tingle then ever so slowly start to function again only as my brain starts to re-awaken I realize that every part of my body is suffering outrageous agony.

It must be hours before I can actually move and become aware that I am sitting behind the wheel of my car.  Until this realization, I am not really sure if my situation is a very bad dream or reality. In fact, I still have no idea what reality IS.

As my arms slowly begin to function, I begin to move but every motion just causes more pain. I try to move my head but it feels like a bag of broken china. It takes a major effort to readjust the mirror and see just how bad the damage is.

The shock of seeing what is left of my face nearly knocks me out again. Blood is everywhere! One eye is swollen shut and the other barely works. My nose is smashed to one side and a number of teeth are loose or possibly missing for all I know. There is a paper sticking to the dried blood on my forehead. It hurts like hell but I slowly peel it off and eventually focus on the writing: "75 in a 55 - Warning" and right under that: "Resisting arrest - No Charge".