MetshaCollective

Lieutenant Maynard opened another pack of StrikeGum. Caffeine. Sweet, sweet caffeine. The taste was bitter enough for sure, but every neuron in her body cried for caffeine. The mint flavor didn't conceal the bitterness of the caffeine, but it did add a dimension to the experience that rendered the bitterness somewhat agreeable. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. The caffeine should be able to wash away the incoming migraine, but it would need all the help it could get. She kept leaning to the lamppost, as if the lights would suddenly come on. They wouldn't, of course. The entire grid on this side of the 50 kV station was toast. But the sun was creeping over the rolling hills, and a faint purple hue was forming just over the horizon. What the fuck to make of all of this? The mayor was inside the police station, setting things straight with the federal marshals and the state police. The ambulances had hauled Sarge and Vasquez to the nearest functional ER, and the coroner and the CSI team