Stefan had been on the run for three days, he was wanted, and it was beginning to tear on him - always being on guard, always keep moving, always trying to stay three moves ahead. When he received a phone call from his companion, Filip, he began to feel hopeful. After a few minutes of talking, Filip asked him; ”do you trust me?”
- “Yes,” Stefan replied tonelessly.
- “Okay, then meet me at the old brickworks tomorrow morning. Until then, keep a low profile.”
- “What do you think I’ve been doing?” Stefan snarled only to discover that Filip already hung up. The old brickworks was located several towns over, but Stefan knew where it was, it closed years ago, the buildings and ground abandoned and falling into disrepair. A good hiding spot, if a tad obvious. Nevertheless he needed to make his way there, unseen.
It was a cold night, but Stefan survived, he just had to wait till daybreak, then hopefully Filip would come to his aid. As dawn broke, Stefan began to scout from his hiding spot every now and then, he just needed Filip to turn up. He wouldn’t risk calling him again, all he could do was wait.
In the distance Stefan heard an engine or possibly two approaching the quiet grounds. Then the noise disappeared, he assumed that was Filip, who had come to his rescue. From his cover Stefan tried to scout to see, who had come to this dump. But it wasn’t Filip.
It was a police officer, and he was looking directly at Stefan. Stefan froze, he couldn’t move, he realised that Filip had betrayed him, handed him over to the police. The police officer approached him, Stefan got up not breaking eye-contact. Now was the ’fight-or-flight’-moment, but before even considering his options, the officer stood only a few meters from him and had taken off his helmet, and with a firm voice he said: “You are under arrest, we have the area surrounded. You might as well come along willingly.” This was the end.
The police officer then burst into laughter, and Stefan was as confused as he was dumbstruck. “Stefan, it’s me, Filip,” the officer laughed at Stefan’s shocked face. “Filip? But how-” before Stefan could finish the sentence, the officer raised his hand to his head. With the hand he pushed his forehead backwards causing the officer’s face to distort as his mouth widened grotesquely as another head emerged from the gaping maw.
”It really is you?!” Stefan exclaimed, he was astonished, seeing him here, in a genuine police uniform and what appeared to be an ultra-realistic mask flopping around his neck.
“Sure is,” Filip grinned, enjoying the look of utter disbelief on Stefan’s face, “but when I’m wearing this, I go by the name of Officer Marcel Kowalski.”
“I have a colleague, who is very eager to meet you, waiting outside,” Filip continued, smirking and winked as they walked towards the road.
“You got a disguise for me too?” Stefan asked, believing he had guessed what Filip meant with that remark.
“Of course, I told you to trust me, I originally thought of giving you Kowalski here, but then I decided to make another for you.”
Make another? Stefan wondered.
“It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later. Right now we got to go back to the station,” Filip said and pulled Kowalski’s face back over his own, bringing the officer back to life.
“The station!?” Stefan exclaimed.
“Calm down, nobody is going to recognise you, not when you’re Officer Tomasz Kubik,” ‘Kowalski’ explained with his authoritative voice. Once outside the brickworks, ‘Kowalski’ pointed towards two police motorcycles parked by the road.
There was another police officer, or at least something, that used to be one. Tomasz Kubik laid across his motorcycle like a deflated balloon, his head seemingly squashed under the weight of the helmet. Stefan looked from Kowalski to the skinned man on the motorcycle with undeniable fascination.
- “So you want me to become a cop?”
- “For the time being... You know you want this.”
Stefan couldn’t deny he was excited, actually very eager.
”I think he’s about your size, he's going to look good on you,” said Filip, pulling off the ex-officer’s helmet and holding up the amorphous head for Stefan to see. It was just a lifeless mask now, with empty eye-sockets and floppy facial features. Together they began to undress the officer, then Stefan dragged him into the bushes and began pulling on the skin. It was warm and squishy inside, but still very tight. Slowly and steadily, Stefan managed to wiggle into Kubik’s body. As Stefan’s body fitted into the officer’s body, he could feel the suit bind to his skin, becoming alive again. “I’m done,” Stefan called out from the bushes, when he had successfully pulled on the entirety of Kubik’s skin, but the head.
Filip/Kowalski nodded satisfyingly; “go on then, put on the face.” Stefan grabbed the edges of Kubik’s mouth around his neck, then with one final stretch, he let Kubik’s face swallow him, pushing the face into place, before opening his eyes, for the first time seeing the world as Officer Tomasz Kubik.
- “I could get used to this,” Stefan said with his new and unfamiliar voice.
- “Good, then it wasn’t a complete waste of time then. Let’s get you back in your uniform, Tomasz.”
‘Kowalski’ threw some of Kubik’s clothes to his friend, then he walked over to the pile of Stefan’s discarded clothes, emptying the pockets, folding them neatly, before igniting them with a lighter. Stefan saw his old clothes and life burn, but he didn’t care, he wanted this more.
With great enthusiasm Stefan began to pull on Kubik’s uniform, he couldn’t believe how much he wanted this. He pulled on Kubik’s leather pants, threw on his thick police leather jacket, and stepped into the officer's heavy motorcycle boots and secured his belt around his waist. It was a perfect fit. Stefan was now Officer Tomasz Kubik and Filip, Officer Marcel Kowalski.
Kowalski disposed of the remains of the burnt clothes, whilst the new Kubik admired his face on his motorcycle’s side-view mirror. He certainly looked good in uniform. Kowalski returned and the two leather-clad ’officers’ mounted their bikes.
”Remember, we are law-abiding citizens for the time being.” said 'officer Kowalski' jokingly.
”Actually we are law-enforcing citizens,” 'officer Kubik' replied with a devilish grin.
Hiding right under the police’s nose might be his best option for now, it might even be fun, but one thing was for sure, Stefan didn’t mind having ’police on his back’ for the time being.
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