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Song: "Suffer the Little Children" by Pat Benatar


Sweet Melissa, I often pray for you
I hope your suffering was brief
I hope the angels that watch over all little children
Came for you and took you someplace beautiful and sweet

Officer Judy Hoffs rose from her crouched position in front of the grave of a high school student named Melissa Chapman. She hadn't deserved to die, but she had—the victim of a drive-by shooting. Judy often prayed for her and hoped Melissa's suffering was brief. The young African-American woman also hoped the angels that watched over all little children had come for the sixteen-year-old and taken her someplace beautiful and sweet.

Aahh . . .
Suffer the little children

Dear Melissa, I often think of you
Every time I hold my baby in my arms
I say a prayer for your momma and daddy too
I know they miss you, miss you since you're gone

A few years later, Judy held her baby in her arms, thinking of Melissa. She just couldn't forget about the poor girl.

Hoffs was startled out of her morbid thoughts by a warm hand snaking around her waist. Her head snapped around, and relief flooded her when she found she was looking into Tom Hanson's warm eyes. Silently she sent a quick prayer to the girl's mother and father. Judy knew they missed their daughter—missed her since she was gone forever.

As if sensing her thoughts, Tom—her fellow cop, partner, and, in recent months, lover—nuzzled the side of her neck. "What's wrong, Jude?" he murmured, breath warm on her skin.

Before answering, she carefully set their child down in the crib. "I can't stop thinking about the Chapman case," she confessed.

Aahh
Suffer the little children
At the hands of evil men
No baby dolls, no teddy bears
No lullabies for them
Every mother's nightmare
Will it ever end?
Suffer the little children
At the hands of evil men

"I see," Tom said, but Judy could tell he didn't, not really. She continued, "Tom, Melissa shouldn't have died! There was no point. Worse than that, she was brutally tortured and raped before being shot down! To quote Pat Benatar, 'Suffer the little children at the hands of evil men.' There's nothing for them after they're departed from this life. It's every mother's nightmare, Hanson. When will it ever end?"

"Hey, Jude, calm down," he consoled her, massaging her stiff shoulder and back muscles. "We go undercover to high schools almost every day, catching students who would grow up to be—how do I put this?—evil grown-ups. And those are Jenko's words, not mine."

Despite herself, Judy choked out a laugh. Tom waited for her to calm down before going on, "We always catch them, you know."

"I know," she repeated softly.

You who done the deed better do some praying too
Better hope that God's forgiving like they say
'Cause somewhere, somebody keeps a list
Of the evils that men do
And your name's right up there
I heard 'em say

Still, the female undercover officer with Jump Street seriously hoped that the perps were doing some praying too. You better hope that God's forgiving like they say, Judy thought. 'Cause somewhere, somebody—most likely us law enforcement officers—keep a list of the evils that men do. And your name's right up there, I heard 'em say.

Aahh
Suffer the little children
At the hands of evil men
No baby dolls, no teddy bears
No lullabies for them
Every mother's nightmare
Will it ever end?
Suffer the little children
At the hands of evil men