The World of Myth Magazine

The moon was not visible as the rain fell when Dean Tidwell heard a woman scream. Unlike everyone else in the area, the old Detective took off toward the commotion.

Bloody hell, Tidwell thought and turned a corner and found a balding, large, heavyset man holding a woman down on the ground by the throat. The man wore a business suit and tied his remaining hair back in a ponytail.

The large man was on his knees attempting to unbutton his pants while he used his girth to keep his would-be victim’s legs spread apart.

Tidwell forgot all the formalities of being a police detective when he planted his knee in the side of the large man's head.

Once the man rolled off the woman, Tidwell grabbed her and yanked her up to her feet.

"Are you all right?" Tidwell asked.

The Woman was unable to speak and only shook her head in response.

"Did he hurt you?" Tidwell followed up

Again, she shook her head.

"All right, you piece of dried monkey, shit," Tidwell said. He reached behind and removed a pair of handcuffs he had in a case. "You're under arrest."

Tidwell reached down and pulled the large, heavyset man up by his long greasy hair. For a moment, they made eye contact, and Tidwell knew he had opened a can of worms.

"Holy shit," Tidwell exclaimed. "You're the Assistant Mayor!"

The large man smiled and then mumbled, "I can't be arrested...You work for me."

Tidwell glanced over at the woman who watched from a safe distance and then said, "That's where you are wrong, I can and will arrest you. Fuckers like you shouldn't be on the streets."

In a last-ditch effort to get away, the large man slugged Tidwell in the groin. Pain surged through the Detective's lower extremities; there was a burning pain that he had never felt before.

Tidwell dropped to his knees with tears in his eyes. Once the large man was up on his feet, he screamed, "I told you! I cannot be arrested!"

The Assistant Mayor turned and rushed away from the scene, pushing the woman into a wall as he passed her. Tidwell was on the ground in a fetal position as the man made his getaway. He reached for his pistol and aimed it at the would-be rapist.

"You're coming to justice, one way or another," Tidwell said and then fired one round. He watched as the large man fell to the ground and splashed into a pool of rain that had collected.

"You shot me in the ass!" The Assistant Mayor cried out. Tidwell pulled himself to his feet, walked over to the man, and chuckled as blood gushed from his left buttock. "Fucker! You shot me in the ass!"

Tidwell cuffed the assistant Mayor and looked over his shoulder at the woman as she walked up to them.

"Thank you," she said softly. "But, why the butt?"

Tidwell cracked a small smile and said, "I was aiming for the head."

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