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10/17/08 Night Switch 07.05

By Flak | Comments: 13

The dog shows his true colors …! Or are they true?

“You’re really going, Frog?” asked Pablo.

“Yeah.”

“It’s pitch-black out there! You’ll need some kind of light—”

“Chill, I’ve got it,” answered Frog, producing an iThink from his pocket and switching the screen on. Jason recognized that iThink. “Anything else?”

“Inspector won’t be happy.”

“She’ll be plenty happy,” answered Frog, flashing a victory sign at his colleague. “I’ll bring Jason back, and I’ll have Dorito George and that talking dog in tow, as well.”

“The dog’s out there, too?” asked Pablo. “Heh. Alright, Frog, do your thing. We have LAW3 on speed dial in case shit happens.” With that, he retreated into the van and the crew door slid shut.

Using his glowing cell phone as a flashlight, Frog looked around.

“Pretty dark, huh,” he observed, stretching.

“Yeah,” answered Jason, perturbed by the site of his mentor anywhere other than sitting at his monitor in the van.

“It’s been a long time since these feet have felt pavement,” chuckled Frog. “Well, shall we get a move on? Pizza Hut’s still three blocks away, and your friend is already waiting.”

“Right,” Jason said, turning back to walk down the street.

“What’s that, if I might ask?”

Jason looked over his shoulder. First he noticed Frog’s confused expression. Then he noticed that Frog was pointing at his back. Then he remembered the glowing tome in his hands.

“It’s a flashlight!” he declared, instantly. Then he remembered that he had promised to explain things to his colleagues, and he didn’t want to look like a liar down the road. “Er, that’s the short answer, for now.”

“I see,” answered Frog sagely. The two walked a couple blocks and then turned the corner onto Grant. “Why did you leave your Macbook Air in your apartment, Jason? That’s equivalent to a team leaving their point guard in the locker room.”

“It was out of juice,” shrugged Jason.

“I’d expect you treat your only weapon better,” mused Frog. “I told you, right? Your Macbook Air—”

“Yeah, yeah, pierce the obfuscation, all that nonsense,” muttered Jason. “Well, we’re here. I’m going in.” With that, he entered the chain, deserted save for a disgruntled-looking worker standing zombie-like behind a trashed counter and a cheerful-looking guy with a camera on a strap around his neck seated by grease-stained window.

The overhead lighting flickered intermittently and garbage was strewn across empty tables. The entire room smelled of three-day-old food. Jason pictured the scene playing out in his head: the lights go out, the sky disappears, the pizza-eating masses stampede outside in terror. The image was perfect for that original work he’d been meaning to start publishing on his blog.

“Jason Meow?” asked the camera guy, standing up and offering a handshake that Jason passed up on with a curt nod. Dorito George looked hurt, but quickly recovered and asked, “and your friend is?”

“I’m P.T.H. with LAW1, Department of Homeland Security,” Frog said.

“And your other friend?” Dorito George asked, indicating the dachshund that had followed the two men into Pizza Hut.

“I go by Dax these days,” smiled the dog. “I’m with LAW4, Department of Homeland Security.”

NS | Previous: Night Switch 07.04
Next: Night Switch 07.06

NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and addresses are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and have no relation to any actual persons, organizations, or locales.

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  1. Okay, I would have to say the dog is lying. It makes sense, knowing that another agent of LAW1 would be there that he’d try to cover up his real identity. That, or he just plays to people around him to fit the situation. MOAR PLZ.

    Alar — 10/17/08 @ 8:21 am | #Link | Reply

  2. We don’t know enough about his “real identity” to know whether or not he has any motivation to “cover it up.”

    Flak — 10/17/08 @ 8:24 am | #Link | Reply

  3. Darn these damn endings; I need more every time :3

    IcyStorm — 10/17/08 @ 1:54 pm | #Link | Reply

  4. I’m making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS!

    Flak — 10/17/08 @ 2:40 pm | #Link | Reply

  5. That was a great chapter man, I think the dog needs to die though.

    I hope Marin and Jason get together, lololololol

    Since I’m obviously not IcyStorm, I assume we’ll be getting a bonus chapter?

    Oh, and ignore the IPs please. Since I’m not IcyStorm, and a unique person after all.

    Not IcyStorm — 10/19/08 @ 12:15 am | #Link | Reply

  6. @Not IcyStorm: I don’t need to check the IP used—the whole “hope Marin and Jason get together” thing gives it away nicely.

    Flak — 10/19/08 @ 5:20 am | #Link | Reply

  7. Flak doesn’t need to check the IPs. He watched the whole thing on surveillance cameras.

    NIS deserves a bonus chapter for effort though.

    spambot — 10/19/08 @ 12:59 pm | #Link | Reply

  8. I believe in two things: free speech and spambot. If spambot says it, it’s true. Bonus chapter coming right up.

    Flak — 10/19/08 @ 4:00 pm | #Link | Reply

  9. Hurray! I expect MarinxJason in it.

    IcyStorm — 10/20/08 @ 12:15 am | #Link | Reply

  10. Hmph, in your dreams man, they’re a country apart right now and neither has a teleportation device.

    Flak — 10/20/08 @ 6:48 am | #Link | Reply

  11. No portaldemons in Marin’s arsenal? That’s maybe kind of mildly weak sauce.

    spambot — 10/20/08 @ 6:44 pm | #Link | Reply

  12. Maybe there are, but you can’t expect her to be a total master of the hiruko after so little time!

    Flak — 10/20/08 @ 6:47 pm | #Link | Reply

  13. Hey, spambot! I just committed my first act of editing old Night Switch installments ;). I added a line to this one, toward the top. It doesn’t change the plot or affect the setting, it just makes a little detail a little bit funnier.

    HATE ME!!

    Flak — 10/22/08 @ 7:36 am | #Link | Reply

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