Long Christmas in Whoville

It was December 24th Christmas Eve on the mean streets of whoville. I was working the night shift out of one whoville police plaza , robbery-burglary division. I was nursing a hangover from the party the night before when the call came over the dispatch. Burglary at the cobblers house, one fish two fish lane.
Crap I thought what kind of sick fuck would commit a robbery on Christmas Eve.
I lit my cigarette and knocked back 6 Advil and threw on my trenchcoat.This was going to be a long fucking night.
The Dr Seuss express way was completely empty as I drove the beat up dodge down towards the cobblers. All I could see was snow and the bright lights of whoville.
I arrived at the cobblers half past 11. There where two black and whites out front. Two rookies stood out front drinking coffee not a care in the world.
I lit another cigarette and walked up towards them.
"What do we got?"
"Some fucker came in through the chimney, stole all the Christmas decorations and all the presents"
Who the hell would do that? I thought to myself.
I went into the cobbler shop, the place was bare as old mother hub bards cuburd.
The cobbler was in the corner, he was visabally shaken by the whole thing.
"What happen?"
" I came home and everything was gone , all the presents for the children, even my underwear! It's all gone!"
The cobbler started crying. I went over to a csi who was dusting for fingerprints.
Anything?
"Nope not for an hour or so"
I finished my interview and went outside.
Right then another call came over the dispatch.
"Robbery at the green eggs and ham cafe"
Fuck here we go I thought.
I got into my unmarked and drove at full speed towards the cafe. The snow was now coming down hard. I got there in 10 minutes.
I jumped out of the car and ran into the cafe with my gun drawn.
I busted in
The cook and waitress were tied up behind the register. The place was completely empty of everything no christmas decorations, no food no tables evenI untied the cook and waitress.
"What happened"?
"I got taken by surprise, I didn't see the guys face, but he was dressed in a shabby Santa outfit", the cook an old Greek guy said.
Right then two black and whites rolled up.
I helled up my badge to show I was pd. the rookies came rolling in.
"Take their report"
"Sir we just came from a burglary"
"What the cobblers?"
" no the entire Lorax houses"
"Wait! An entire housing project got burglarized?"
"Yes sir"
Fuck what the Hell's going on? I lit a cigarette. Went out to my car.
Over the dispatch a call came in.
" theirs a robbery in progress at yertle the turtle orphanage, we also got reports of 6 other burglarys just now."
Immediately I thought about my daughter Zoe. Last time I saw her and her mom Connie was three weeks ago. I wanted back into the marriage, but I just didn't know how. I missed them every moment of everyday. Maybe it was best this way. Connie and I had been separated for almost a year and it had been hell. She had dated and so had I. We never talked about it, she knew I would probably shoot the guy she was seeing.
I got into the unmarked and raced to the orphanage.

Again I was the first onto the scene. With my gun drawn I ran into the orphanage. I walked quietly in , every one was in bed with dreams of sugarplums dancing in their head.
The orphanage was dark.
All of a sudden their arose a clatter. It came from the main hall. The whole place was a gothic wet dream. Someplace for kids.
I came around the corner.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
I couldn't make out the guy too well cause of the darkness. But he was wearing a shabby homemade Santa outfit. He was a big green guy. He was taking everything
The fucker was stealing even the cheese from the littlest mouse.
"Freeze" I yelled
He turn looked at me and let out a creepy laugh. He threw a lamp at my face.
It hit me.
I go down seeing stars.
He runs up the stairs with the loot. I give chase. He throws items back at me.
A Ferbee almost smacks me in the face.
The asshole runs into the main dormitory where all the orphans are asleep. He lets out a cackle that wakes up all of the orphans who scream in terror.
He takes one of the toys and throws it at the nearest window . It shatters he jumps out onto the ledge. I jump out after him.
God I hate heights. He's climbing up the side of the orphanage using the drain pipe and hops up to the roof.
I follow.
Don't look down I say to myself , don't look down.
I get up on the roof. I see the bastard.
Freeze I yell
The bastard turns and starts running across the roof.
I run after him at full speed.
He leaps from the roof of the orphanage to the next tenement over.
I jump after him.
I barely make the eight foot gap between buildings.
I've lost him.
I look around.
Boom he smacks me in the face with his bag.
I go down.
He starts kicking me in the ribs and stomps on my face. I taste blood.
I feel a tooth come loose.
The bastard cackles.
I pull out my switch blade and stabs him in the leg.
He lets out a howl.
Right then the sound of sirens and a helicopter can be heard
He kicks me in the face again and limps away.
Everything goes black for me.

I awake 10 minutes later to a rookie standing over me with a flashlight.
"You okay sir?" He asks
"Do I look it", I grumble
A paramedic badges me up
Another rookie runs up
"Sir they got Connie's place."
An wave of anger comes over me. In no time iam in my car and racing at a dangerous speed to her house.
I pull up theirs a black and white outside.
I run past the rookie and open the door.
Everything's gone. All the pictures, all Zoe's toys all of it, even the couch.
I see Connie holding zoey in the kitchen.
"You okay?"
"Yeah a little shaken up. What happened to you?"
"I met the guy on a roof at the yurtle the turtle orphanage . He got away. He's hit everyone."
I look at Zoey. She's quiet. God she was almost four. I remember the day she was born, she was asleep opened up her eyes looked at me yawned and went back to sleep.
"Hey little girl you okay?"
She shook her head yes.
I took her from Connie and held her tightly to my chest.
"We'll iam here for you kid"
The rookie came running inside.
"Sir they want you downtown, he got everything"
I looked over and sighed . I looked at Zoey.
" I got to go, but I promise I ll be back in the morning . Okay?"
Zoey nodded okay.
I handed her back to Connie. Connie and I looked at each other for a moment.
" Please be careful"
I smiled "I will"
For that moment it's like we forgot about all the bad stuff that had happened and it was as if we had just met and that spark we saw was back. I gave her a hug . Turned and left.

Back at one whoville police plaza, the place was a madhouse. I walked into the briefing room . I hadn't seen the place that packed since the cat in the hat was out terrorizing the city. Guys didn't give a crap about the none smoking sign.
Everyone was here.
Chief Sam Iam walked in followed by Mayor Horton the elephant .
ChiefSam Iams family ran the green eggs and ham cafe. Unlike his dad Sam Iam sr he had become a cop and worked his way up the department ladder. We all respected the guy. He had seen it all.
Mayor Horton had years ago heard a who and used it to build a political career, their had been talks of him becoming governor or even president he was always grabbing headlines . He looked tired and angry .
The chief spook.
" This asshole has struck everywhere guys. He's hit every house , every mouse. He's hit the cobbler, the lodger, and even the dodgers. He's stolen every pee and even joes aunts keys. He even stole the whoville Christmas tree. He's robbed the orphanage and took all the cities porridge. I want this sick bastard found. I am giving you orders to stick him deep in the ground. Maybe all iof our emotions are high, but this asshole stole my hair dye. "
I lite another cigarette, the place was silent, things where about to get tight. The chief dismissed us and I poured myself a cup of coffee.
A uniform came walking up to me,
"The captain wants to see you in his office"
I looked over. The captain, the chief and the mayor all where in the office waiting.
Great bullshit town here I come.
I go into the office.
Close the door Captain Giesal says
So what do you got .
I light a cigarette
"To be honest nothing.still waiting for fingerprints to come back."
"You got nothing "the mayor chimmed in "WHat have you just been smoking? Things are out of control on the street and your just dragging your feet! I want this case solved now! Or I'll serve you to my dogs as chow!"
The mayor got up threw open the door and walks out of the office.
The chief looked at me a moment
"Do what you can. Where you able to I.d. The man?"
I shook my head no.
Right then a uniform comes in.
"We have a witness, she can ID the guy."
The three of us immediately turn our heads.
Twenty minutes later the witness is brought in.
It's Little Cindy Lou who's all but two. She sits down at my desk. I sit down next to her. I pour a cup of coffee for me. She asks for a glass of water. I pour it.
As she talks we have a police sketch artist draw a description of the perp.
Cindy Lou explains how she woke up for a drink of water. Saw Santa taking all of the presents and everything in the house away.
She said she asked Santa why and he said a lightbulb was out and he was going to take it to be repaired. He hadn't laid a hand on her .
I have her look through a book of mugshots as she tells me the story. She stops and points at a picture. I see who she points too. I tense up a moment.
She points at Arthur"The Grinch" Swaggart.
Crap
The Grinch was a religious nut job who had robbed or been a suspect in a dozen bank robberys, a handful of armored car jobs , and was suspected in the murders of six people. He had burned off his fingertips to avoid being checked for fingerprints. He had just been released after a four year stint for parole violation and apparently had disappeared. The last time they had gotten him for a bank job, they found he had set fire to all of the cash. To quote a friend" some people like to see the world burn". The grinch was one of them.
"So what you think we should do?" The captain said to me as he poured himself a glass of whiskey. He offered me one. I looked at the glass a moment.
The booze had always been my escape. It's how I dealt with this job. But it had been one if the reasons for Connie and me separating.
I declined.
" the Grinch knows how to hide. We got to lure him out"
" They're going to have the celebration at 8"
I looked over and saw Chief Sam Iam sitting quietly in the corner.
" No" I said.
" So, we use the celebration as bait"
I thought he was out of his mind, but from the look I saw. He was serous. He was going to use the citizens of whoville as bait to catch this guy.
" excuse me chief but you can't do that. We can't endanger civilians lives"
"Why? This mad man must be stopped. Or this town will pop.
We must do, what we must do"
I sighed, they where going to do it.

It was 10 to eight. The sun had risen on this cold Christmas Day.
Their was no tree or Christmas lights in the center square of Whoville. The snow had blanketed the city. Everything was peaceful.
We had made precautions not to have children attend the event. We had two snipers ready up in two of the bell towers .
We had thirty undercovers in the crowd.
We had twenty patrolmen ready.
I was in plain clothes near the center square as the citizens of whoville gathered. I looked around. No one knew what was going to happen.
I lite a cigarette .
Mayor Horton showed up.
We waited.
The citizens held hands in a giant circle and started singing the Christmas song.
Nothing happened. No one came down or appeared not even a mouse. The citizens continued singing. The singing grew louder and louder. More intense. As they sang louder I grew more tense waiting for anything to happen.
Come on asshole come out, I thought.
Suddenly everyone heard the sound of a horn.
We all stopped.
We could see a figure coming down from the mountains on a Santa sled being dragged by a poor looking dog.
Christ it was him.
I felt my stomach tighten.
Everyone looked mesmerized by the sight of the grinch coming down mount crumpit with all of their stolen items
Me I just told the other cops to get in place and be ready for anything.
The grinchs sled stopped in the middle of the city square.
Everyone in whoville looked shocked.
The grinch had a creepy grin on his face.
I give the order.
Cops move in.
We yell freeze.
The grinch sees that it's a trap.
He pulls out an M60 machine gun and a mini cannon and fires on the crowd .
Civilians scream. Cops duck for cover.
People are hit by bullits
Blood spatters everywhere
Mayor Horton is tackled by his security detail.
The grinch fires up at the two sniper posts with the mini cannon
The snipers are blown away.
Cops are trying to fire in the chaos
The bullets do nothing
He's wearing body armor.
Fuck
Our guns are shit compared to his.
The grinch runs for cover as we fire
More cops and civilians are hit
More screams
More blood
All you can hear is gunfire, explosions and screams.
The two rookies I saw at the cobblers house get ripped to shreds by the bullits.
Fucking cheap vests.
Grinch pulls out a flash grenade and throws it at the police command center.
He opens fire at the command center.
Chief Sam Iam ducks for cover.
More civilians flee.
More cops are hit
I fire my piece at the grinch
He sees me smiles and fires
I duck behind a car.
Grinch riddles the car with bullits.
I see a dead cop clutching a shot gun.
I dive and pry it away from his cold dead hands.
Grinchs m60 runs out of bullits.
He pulls out a Uzi and continues firing .
He's like a fucking armory.
One of our copters hovers above him.
He smiles
Fires his mini canon at the copter
Boom
The copter explodes.
The grinch runs away from the square.
I give chase
The fucker can run
Every muscle and blood vessel is moving at full capacity
The grinch sees two cops at the Green Eggs and Ham Cafe.
He fires his mini cannon at the cafe
It explodes like a firecracker during Chinese New Year
Two black and whites block off the street.
The grinch fires his mini canon.
Boom
The two black and whites exsplode in a fireball.
He turns and fires the Uzi back towards me.
I duck.
Two plainclothesmen behind me get chopped to pieces.
The grinch runs and leaps over the burning cars.
I continue running.
The grinch runs out of bullits with the Uzi.
He tosses the gun.
He runs out of amo in the mini cannon and tosses it.
The grinch pulls out an Ak-47s
What the hell else does he have?
He turns and shoots at us.
He runs towards the Whoville Central Park.
He sees a women of about 23.
She's just a kid.
He tosses the Ak and pulls out a beretta.
He has the women as his hostage.
He sees me and fires the Beretta at me.
The bullit grazes my head but I go down bleeding
I lay there in pain.
The grinch screams for everyone to get away or else the women gets it.
I can hear the women cry.
I am on the ground.
His back is to me.
I grab my .45
I stand up
Right then the grinch turns around and we see each other.
I don't hesitate.
I aim and pull the trigger.
Boom
The grinchs head explodes like a watermelon at a gallighar show.
His body goes limp and falls to the ground.
I rush towards the women and hold her as she screams and crys.
Other cops run up and hold her.
I let her go and walk and star at the lifeless body of The Grinch

I walk back to the city square
Chaos reigns supreme.
I light a cigarette.
I walk over to the sled.
It's filled with everything he stole.
Fuck ,I think ,he was going to give it all back.
I look over and see a scared dog, it's shaking and looks to be abused.
He's scared.
His collar says Max.
This was the Grinches dog.
I lean down and look at him.
He's scared.
I smile at him.
He looks at me with sad dog eyes. But lets out a smile
I look over and see the media circus that's downtown.
Mayor Horton praising chief Sam Iam.
I pull out my badge and look at it.
" I don't know shit"
I stand and toss the badge at a garbage can.
I look back at Max.

It's noon as I knock on the door of Connie's house. She answers the door and sees me. We look at each other. It's as if all of the bullshit is gone. Almost like the first time we met. She walks up to me.
"Iam quitting the force"
" you sure"?
I shake my head yes.
I walk up to her grab her and kiss her passionately.
It's a kiss we both haven't felt in forever.
We look each other in the eye.
Right then Zoey walks up. I kneel down to her.
" I got you a present"
I turn and whistle and max the dog walks up slowly to Zoey.
He looks at her. She smiles and gives Max a great big hug. He almost on the verge of tears gives a great big doggie smile and licks Zoe's face.
Zoe starts to laugh.
Connie looks at me.
"He needed a home"
She smiles and shakes her head. She starts to laugh.
"Lets go inside I got doughnuts for you",Connie says.
The four of us, a family again walk inside and celebrate our own Christmas.