Crybaby - Chapter Five

Chapter Five of the blockbuster new novel, Crybaby by best selling, multi-award-winning author Mark Watson...

CRYBABY

©Copyright 2024 by Mark Watson

CHAPTER 5

A Hollywood Movie

Rajesh "Raj" Ranganathan was hooked on Hollywood blockbusters. He’d devoured them all. Tonight, he had The Terminator playing on his phone, providing a comforting distraction as he worked the graveyard shift at the station. There was never much to do except catch up on paperwork, which is why “The Old Man,” Chief Constable Nisheed Kumar assigned the shift to Raj. As the youngest and newest recruit at the station, Raj always got the late-night-until-morning duty. It gave him time to learn the ropes of policing, procedure, administration and paperwork, while the more experienced officers enjoyed their nights at home with family, ready to tackle the busier morning and afternoon shifts.

Raj lounged in the reception area, feet propped on the desk, engrossed in his movie. Exhaustion was etched into his bones; all the police were running on fumes. A recent calamity involving a rogue elephant named Crybaby had wreaked havoc, leavin…