Day 600: 5 Minute Freewrite: Wednesday - Prompt: 600 bottles of beer on the wall

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(This freewrite continues the Ironwood Hamilton story line begun in my "Nunchucks" freewrite, and continues showing the creative approach to law enforcement used by the captain of police in Tinyville, VA)

Since Lofton County, VA had no SWAT team, police captain Ironwood Hamilton of Tinyville, VA took his long gun along with his standard pistol to the all-county call for backup.

Lieutenant O'Reilly watched his commander with concern. First of all, social media and the press were already being merciless; the story was that Captain Hamilton had imperiled the entire town by firing three of his four lieutenants over a “minor difference of opinion,” (but was it just a minor difference? Read here and decide for yourself) and this was just such an emergency that proved it.

There was also the real chance that if the captain were hurt or killed, Lieutenant O'Reilly would also be the last law man in Tinyville, VA, and would have to rebuild the department on his own.

Captain Hamilton himself was reviewing, in his mind, the details of the case: there was a hostage situation at the High Light Bar, known for its fabulous selection of international beers. It was also known for its attracting troubled men from all walks of life, including a whole bunch of veterans with PTSD they had gotten in America's wars around the world. They liked to taste the best of where they had been ... but that taste could also be a trigger.

Yet it had been the bartender who had flipped out – he had already sprayed the bar with his automatic rifle, and there were people wounded for sure. All law enforcement officers in the county had been called to respond.

“Please be careful, sir – nothing really happens here, but I don't want to be the town's last law man,” Lieutenant O'Reilly said, with a nervous smile.

Captain Hamilton smiled.

“Keep me in prayer, and I'll be back in an hour.”

“An hour?”

“It's the High Light Bar, and its bartender. The man has no tactical sense, doing that from his position behind the bar. These little wannabe warriors and terrorists get on my last nerve!”

Captain Hamilton drove off in his old pickup truck and drove back exactly one hour later, while Lieutenant O'Reilly was out on a local call. But, on his social media, the lieutenant noticed a ton of notifications. Before he stepped into the station, he checked: the whole conversation about Captain Hamilton had changed from “he's a danger to the town” to “Who needs five law men in town when one man can do it all for the whole county: Hamilton for Sheriff”!

Lieutenant O'Reilly rushed into the station to see Captain Hamilton sitting calmly at his desk, writing his report.

“What happened, Captain?”

“I told you – it was the High Light Bar. The bartender is maybe two or three inches over five feet tall. At his shoulder height and going up, there are 600 bottles of beer on the wall. The shelf is held to the wall by exactly two pins. Bad design. Worse tactical sense for the bartender.

“I was fifth in my graduating class at West Point for marksmanship. I took my long gun and shot the pin above the bartender out of the wall. The beer bottles took care of the rest. Situation over.”

“The press and social media have changed their minds about you!”

“Lieutenant, I appreciate your concern for my reputation, but understand: I don't care about public opinion. So long as my reputation is in good order in the opinion of the Almighty, I don't worry about the rest. I'd rather hear about how your call went, Lieutenant.”

Photo Credit: Adam Wilson on Unsplash