Losers On The Job [Fiction]

The loud noise from the club was a good cover up for whatever the Panthers gang were up to. They were one of the most notorious gangs in the city yet no charges had been filed against them.

Harley overheard one of their lackeys boast while smoking a joint that it was “going down tonight”. He quickly sent his brother, Ethan, a text, requesting him to be his sidekick and backup for the night.

Ethan hid in a dimly lit corner, trembling and watching as seven tall men in black biker jackets and leather trousers formed a circle in a dark blind alley and spoke in low tones. He could have sworn he heard animal-like growls coming from the men. The street light directly above them burst, the glass shattering to the ground, throwing the alley into complete darkness.

These men were dangerous and known for their brutality in the city. Spying on them was a bad idea and he told Harley so. They should have followed proper procedure and informed their immediate superior.

“Ethan, I know what I'm doing,” Harley assured him. “Trust me. If I informed my superior, he would ask for probable cause which I don't have. All I've got is a statement by an idiot high on weed. It could mean anything.”

“What if it all goes to hell?”

“Then we call it in immediately and explain ourselves later. My superior will understand.” Ethan was undecided. Harley patted his shoulder, “I've got your back on this, okay?”

As a rookie in the police force, Ethan was determined to make a commendable mark so he wouldn't be called a loser like his elder brother, Harley. Then they would both be labelled as a pair of losers and once that got into their record, it would tarnish their reputation forever.

His phone vibrated. It was a text from Harley.

Skull is leaving the bar and I'll be right behind him. Status?

Ethan glanced at the Panther men. They were still standing in a circle, hands on each other's shoulders but he had no idea what they were doing. He quickly typed a reply to Harley.

They are doing some weird shit in a circle…

Someone cleared his throat beside Ethan, startling him. His phone clattered to the interlocked ground. He stared at the faces of two members of the gang. “What have we here?” They drawled with toothy smiles. It was a dimly lit street, yet their gold tooth glinted. A symbol of the Panthers gang.

Ethan wished he had his radio. He would speak into it to warn Harley even though it might cost him his life. His brother would get them some help.

“Cat got your tongue?” One of them asked, drawing uncomfortably close and loudly sniffing his neck. “He smells scared.” The other grinned wider.

Ethan was going to announce that he was a cop when the shuffle of feet drew their attention. The men turned to see another gang member, Skull, dragging Harley towards them by the collar of his shirt while holding a knife to his stomach.

The brothers gulped upon seeing each other. This was really bad, Ethan thought. They were a pair of losers for sure.

“You found another eavesdropper,” one of the men with a gold tooth said.

“Yea. I see you got yaselves one too. They look alike, don't they?” Skull observed.

“You’re right. Did Wild Wolf send you?”

“No. No,” Ethan and Harley chorused, shaking their heads. They didn't want to be the cause of a rival gang war that night. “We're…uh….just taking a stroll. We mean no harm.”

Skull chuckled, his voice dark. “They are nosy alright. Let ’em go.”

A blinding light flashed. Ethan and Harley found themselves at the bar counter of the noisy club. They stared at each other in confusion. “How did we get here?” Ethan asked, wincing and massaging his temple. A migraine was looming. Harley did the same too.

“I can't remember anything. My head hurts like hell. Come on, let's go home.”

As the men trudged home, the phrase “a pair of losers” echoed in Ethan's head.

I hope you enjoyed reading this short story inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt word “pair of losers”.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

^{Image credit: Connor Danylenko}