Runnin' and Gunnin'

 

I was in near the waterfront in Marina del Rey, walking along the bike path next to the bay. It was a fairly busy day, people were walking dogs, biking and playing Frisbee on the grass. Some were reading books, laying on towels in the afternoon sun. I was carrying a backpack on my back and had a folding chair in a bag slung over one shoulder.

I passed some apartment buildings, where I noticed some men crouched down behind some bushes. My spine tingled when I noticed they were aiming guns in my general direction. I kept walking and tried to remain calm. They were engaged in a standoff with some other guys down the beach from me. Shots were being fired, but since the guns had silencers, no one on the beach seemed to notice. 

As I passed by the building, I looked down at my feet and saw a submachine gun stashed in the sand. I picked it up and looked at it. It appeared to be in good condition. No sand had gotten into the barrel. It's bad when sand gets in the barrel, I thought to myself, everyone knows that. It should probably be cleaned before using it, but in a pinch it might do. 

I rearranged the backpack and chair, slinging the firearm over my shoulder by its strap. I tried to conceal it by carrying it next to the folding chair, but it was an uneven load and the gun kept poking out, plainly visible to passersby. Eventually, I stopped in my tracks, put everything on the ground and re-balanced the load. While I was at it, I fiddled with the safety, making certain that it was in the off position.

Just then, a man ran past me, and I got the idea that I should run with him. The men in the bushes were in pursuit. We got to a parking structure and ducked inside, and I examined the gun a little closer. The barrel had come loose from what looked like a plastic stock. Cheap-ass workmanship, I thought. I hadn't dropped it or anything, but the barrel looked completely bent.

"Manuel isn't going to like that," the man told me as I fumbled to straighten out the barrel.

I assumed that this was Manuel's weapon and that Manuel was some kind of gangster, associated with the current shootout/pursuit in progress on the beach. I got the weapon in a semi-workable condition and fired a few test shots in the direction of the pursuers.

"Seems to be ok," I said. "Let's go."

We resumed the chase, circling back around, hoping to ambush our attackers from the rear. After going through a few buildings and narrow alleyways, we were nearly upon them. I looked at the gun and now the barrel had completely broken off. It seems that the barrel was constructed mostly of a wood, with only the smallest metal ring at the tip where the sight was located.

Try as I might, I could not make the pieces of wood go back together. It looked like a broken broomstick. I examined it further and noticed that the firing mechanism, which consisted of a chain with some gears and latches, was completely out of sync. Stupid machine gun, I thought. Who designs a wood and plastic chain-driven machine gun of such low quality, anyway?

Fortunately, I woke up before Manuel showed up to inquire about his firearm. I was glad to be back in the real world, where I don't have such concerns.