by Joe Nobody
“Thanks, Cade. Will do,” Terri answered, standing to pick up Hunter from the floor.
She had no sooner strapped her son in when the normally silent security man spoke for the second time. “What’s this?” she heard him utter.
Terri noticed it then. Blue flashing lights were approaching them from behind, the outline of a police car visible in the rearview mirror, the distance between them quickly dissipating.
Cade slowed the RV, hoping to make room for the first responder to pass. Instead of pulling around the lumbering motorhome, the officer remained behind them. “I think he wants us to pull over,” Cade replied.
A minute later, the deluxe coach veered onto the shoulder, Cade now looking nervous. “I wasn’t speeding, Miss Terri. Honest.”
“I know you weren’t, Cade. Let’s see what the officer wants. Might not be anything at all.”
Watching as two uniformed men exited from the cruiser, Cade again sounded troubled. “Those are Dallas uniforms, ma’am. Not Sheriff Watts’s deputies.”
One of the patrolmen approached the bus-like door while the other remained at the rear of the motorhome. Cade met the officer at the door.
“License, please,” the uniform demanded.
Cade provided his recently-issued permit as requested, at the same time asking, “What’s the problem, Officer?”
After examining Cade’s identification, the cop said, “We’ve had reports of narcotics being smuggled into Dallas via motorhomes just like this. Are there any illegal substances inside?”
“No, sir,” replied the beefy security man. “As a matter of fact, this is an official government vehicle, sanctioned by the council in Alpha.”
The officer’s only reaction was a shrug, “What business do you have in Dallas, sir?”
Before Cade could respond, the other officer approached. “Is there an issue, Captain?”
Terri, staying in the shadows behind Cade, became suddenly suspicious. The cop was wearing a sergeant’s uniform, not a captain. “This RV is part of President Diana Brown’s official campaign, gentlemen.”
The two policemen exchanged some unspoken message before one of them glared at Cade and said, “Could you please step outside, sir?”
Cade did as they asked and was immediately shoved against the side of the motorhome by the two cops. Terri now recognized for certain that something was dreadfully wrong. Her first thought was to retrieve the pistol in her nearby purse, but then realized whether they were genuine boys in blue or not, she might take a bullet in the process.
When they found the Alliance security guard’s gun, the two uniforms seemed to be pissed. “Why do you have a weapon, sir? Is this firearm stolen?”
Cade, normally a mellow gent, was getting upset. “I am a member of President Brown’s protective detail, asshole. And even if I wasn’t, it’s not illegal to own or carry a gun. This is Texas. Everybody’s armed.”
The two policemen ignored Cade’s protest, now turning their attention to Terri and the inside of the motorhome. “Ma’am, could you please step outside?”
“I can’t leave my child in here alone,” Terri replied. “He is an infant.”
That seemed to give the two officers pause. “Bring the child out with you,” one of them finally commanded.
“He will get sick. It’s raining out there,” Terri answered, now clutching her purse and the 9MM inside.
Deciding she didn’t want to give them time to think, Terri scooped up Hunter and returned to the door so they could see the child.
“Ma’am, are there any illegal substances inside this vehicle?”
“No.”
“Then you won’t mind if we search the interior?”
Terri was about at the end of her rope. “No, I do not consent to a search. There are sensitive papers and classified documents in here. Unless both of you have appropriate security clearance, I can’t allow that.”
Again, Terri’s response seemed to throw a curve at the two officers. With Cade now handcuffed and against the side of the RV, they stepped away from the door to have an inaudible, private conversation.
A VHF radio was mounted inside, normally used by the security teams to coordinate movements and perform routine checks. Terri eyed the microphone, wondering if any Alliance personnel were within range.
Before she could react, the sergeant/captain returned to the threshold. “Ma’am, either you consent to a search of this unit’s interior, or we will impound this vehicle until such time as a canine unit is available to check for narcotics. It’s your call.”
“How long will that take?”
The cop’s mouth curled in a knowing smirk. “Unknown, ma’am. Could be all night. There are only a few K-9 teams on duty this evening, and Dallas is a very big place.”
Terri believed the guy was trying to psych her out, but she hesitated to call his bluff. On the other hand, if she let the uniforms inside, anything could happen.
“I’ll wait for the K-9 team. I do not consent. You have no probable cause. This is ridiculous.”
The officer shrugged, “Up to you. I’m going to release your driver. I am ordering you to follow us off this major traffic artery for your own safety. We will lead you a safe area and wait there.”
True to their word, Cade was soon back inside – minus his weapon.
“What the heck is going on, Miss Terri?” he asked, wiping the rain from his face.
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure those guys aren’t real Dallas cops. Can you try and raise someone on the VHF?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he responded, lifting the microphone as he climbed behind the wheel. “This is Alpha 1 B, repeat, this is Alpha 1 B. Any Alpha unit, do you read?”
The police cruiser pulled alongside, motioning for Cade to follow. “Should we, ma’am?”
“Yes. For now, play along,” she answered, her voice dripping with worry. “Last thing we need is a fight with the Dallas authorities.”
As they drove, Cade tried to raise any friendly voice on the radio. No one, it seemed, was in range. Next, he tried the frequency normally used by Sheriff Watts’ department, but there was still no answer. The military frequency was dead as well.
As Terri paced up and down the aisle with Hunter in her arms, Cade followed the policemen off the main road and into a parking lot of what had once been a movie theater. There were no lights in the lot – not another soul visible anywhere.
“I don’t like this, ma’am. I’m going to retrieve my reserve weapon. I suggest you have your firearm handy as well.”
“Too late. It's already tucked in my belt,” Terri replied, now watching the police car in the mirror.
Ward opened the glove box and pulled out his secondary, checking the chamber to verify the weapon was loaded.
They waited at least five minutes, neither willing to take their eyes off the police cruiser parked behind them. The two officers seemed content just to sit with their motor idling, windshield wipers occasionally sweeping away the rain.
At 30 minutes, Terri began to doubt her suspicions had been warranted. Other than the second officer calling his superior “Captain,” she really had no other reason to suspect they weren’t actual Dallas lawmen. That, and the obnoxious justification they had claimed for stopping the coach. She said as much to Cade.
“Maybe they served together in the military, and the older cop was a captain,” he reasoned. “Sometimes you get in the habit of calling someone by their rank.”
“Could be,” Terri speculated, rubbing her chin. “Why do they want to search our motorhome?”
“Maybe Dallas really is having an issue with narcotics smuggling? Or maybe the police are just nosey?”
Still, Terri didn’t buy it. “Real cops would have verified our story. They didn’t even try. Real cops wouldn’t want to offend the president of the Alliance. They didn’t seem to care. No, I don’t know who they are, but I don’t think they are Dallas patrolmen.”
Her reasoning troubled Cade, whose primary job
was to protect Terri at all costs. “Then maybe we should just drive away and head back toward the convoy or the nearest military base. Now, I’m concerned they are sitting back there, waiting for additional firepower to arrive.”
Glancing in the mirror again, Terri grunted. “If they’re getting ready to shoot it out with us, then why is one of them sleeping?”
Cade followed her gaze, his eyebrows knotting in puzzlement when he realized she was right. Sure enough, the rainy skies provided just enough illumination to make out the cruiser’s interior. There, the passenger-side cop sat, his head back, eyes closed, and mouth opened in what was surely a “Do not disturb,” position.
“Doesn’t seem like normal behavior for assassins or highwaymen, that’s for sure,” Cade chuckled.
After an hour of sitting, Terri had ceased staring at the mirror and began pacing.
At two hours, she was beginning to fume.
At three, she began to worry not only about her immediate future but Diana’s mega-event as well. “We’ve got to get to Pete’s new place,” she informed Cade. “We’re about out of daylight, and I’ve got a full day’s worth of preparations to finish.”
“I serve at your pleasure, Miss Terri. What do you want me to do?”
She didn’t have a good answer for the question, choosing instead to stare at the grey clouds that dominated the sky and comparing them to her overcast mood. “At least it stopped raining,” she mumbled, trying to find her silver lining.
Finally, she had enough. After verifying Hunter was enjoying his normal nap, Terri pulled on her jacket and headed for the door. “I’m going to go talk to them. This is just silly.”
Before Cade could protest, she was out the door, storming toward the cruiser.
The driver spied her instantly, jamming an elbow into his sleeping companion. Both officers were exiting their car as she approached. “Gentlemen, what is taking so long?” she asked politely. “I have official Alliance business to attend to.”
“We’re still waiting for a K-9 unit,” grumbled the older badge. “I warned you it might take some time.”
“Surely, we can reach a compromise,” Terri countered. “How about you follow us to our destination, and I can conduct my business while we wait on the doggy?”
The ‘sergeant’ shook his head, “That is a negative, ma’am. If you do have contraband on board that land yacht, you could easily discard it on the road.”
Terri studied the two men for a minute, trying to find any hint or clue that might reveal their true identities. She had no idea what a Dallas police uniform was supposed to look like, but all the patches and pins looked bona fide, their badges appearing slightly worn but well-constructed and legit.
Their shirts were neat and pressed, along with slacks that appeared to have a crease. Every button was clasped, their shoes looking old, but polished. Even their utility belts showed a bit of wear. All of the ‘cop things’ were there, including sidearms, handcuffs, extra magazines, and what appeared to be canisters of pepper spray.
“Okay,” Terri replied, crossing her arms in annoyance. “If I let you search the interior, can we agree that any paperwork or documents are off limits? Like I said, there are classified materials inside.”
The older lawman seemed a bit taken aback by her offer, exchanging glances with his partner. After pondering it for a bit, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “I will agree to that. We won’t inspect any papers during the search. However, if we do confiscate any illegal substances, then everything inside that motorhome is fair game.”
“Deal,” Terri replied, waving her arm toward the coach with a ‘be my guest,’ gesture.
The two cops entered the RV, the younger man whistling at the opulent interior. “How does a government worker afford this?” he asked with a snarky tone. Terri didn’t bother answering, guessing the comment was rhetorical, and wanting the two meddlesome cops out of her domain as soon as possible.
The first sign that something was awry came when the two officers ignored Cade. Shouldn’t they search him again? she wondered. Ignoring the driver, dash, and glove box area, they headed immediately for the galley, where they took their time, opening every drawer and cabinet.
The younger officer then stepped toward the sleeping Hunter, acting as if he were about to frisk the small child. Terri moved to intercept.
“What are you doing?” she whispered. “He is impossible to get to sleep. Please don’t wake him.”
The cop never got the chance to reply, the sergeant letting out with a loud, “Now what do we have here?” as he pulled a small bag of white powder from a drawer.
Terri, stunned, simply stared at the substance dangling from the cop’s fingertips with her mouth open in amazement. Her eyes then zeroed in on the officer’s shirt pocket – the flap was unbuttoned.
She had just scanned every detail of their uniforms. She was positive that shirt pocket had been properly secured before. This asshole was trying to frame her.
It all became suddenly clear. They were on Cyrus’s home turf. He was the governor here – a very, very powerful position. The Dallas police reported to her archrival. This was a political stunt.
“Arrest them both,” the older cop growled. “The driver first.”
“Cade, they’re not real cops,” she barked as the younger man pushed past in a rush to get to the driver. Ignoring Terri was a mistake.
Jumping instantly from the driver’s seat, Cade moved to draw his backup sidearm, but was too slow. The bodyguard found himself staring into the muzzles of two .40-caliber service automatics before his iron managed to clear the holster.
“Put the cuffs on this guy. Now!” snapped the older cop, his weapon less than a foot from Cade’s nose.
The younger “lawman” holstered his pistol, and as he reached for the metal bracelets, Terri attacked.
Her pistol slammed into the back of the sergeant’s head with enough force to drive the brawny man to his knees. Cade dove for the other imposter.
Before Terri’s victim could recover, she kicked away his weapon and then pressed her barrel against his ear. “Stay down,” she hissed, “or I will kill you.”
Cade was surprised at the skill his opponent displayed. Normally, despite being almost 60 years old, the former Recon Marine wouldn’t have had any problem subduing the average cop. The man now fighting the bodyguard proved surprisingly difficult to best.
Both men exchanged desperate blows, Cade’s ample fist slamming into the pseudo-cop’s jaw with head-jerking force just as the pretend lawman’s foot shot out in a knee-snapping kick.
With his leverage and balance now absent, Cade and his antagonist tumbled in a heap of cursing, grappling, striking flesh, accented by flying elbows and throbbing blows.
Cade appeared to be getting the upper hand when an ear-splitting shot roared through the coach’s interior, Terri, recovering from her automatic flinch at the blast, watched in horror as her champion jerked from the bullet’s impact. Somehow, the man beneath her driver had managed to engage his weapon.
Blood was now spreading on Cade’s white shirt, the veteran Marine grasping the cop’s wrist, desperately trying to keep the muzzle pointed away.
Taking a chance with the sergeant still at her feet, Terri took one whopping step and kicked with all her might, aiming her foot at the still-fighting imposter’s temple. Her aim was true.
Pain shot up Terri’s leg, her toes screaming in protest. She ignored the white-hot sensation, cocking her knee for a second strike, despite being positive she had broken every bone in her foot.
Cade, growing weaker, finally managed to wrestle away the gun. Reversing the weapon on his opponent, the wounded bodyguard rose from the RV’s floor on shaky legs. Now, both of the cops were helpless, wild eyes darting back and forth, wondering what was going to happen next.
“Watch them,” Terri barked, moving for the door. “I’ll be right back.”
She darted to the police car and found it wasn’t equipped with a radio of
any sort. “That’s weird,” she whispered, reaching through the door for the keys. “How were they supposed to call for a K-9 without a radio?”
In fact, the cruiser looked to be a relic. Even the light bar on the roof was attached with makeshift clamps.
Walking back to the RV, Terri was unsure of what exactly to do. She didn’t want the two fake cops inside with her and a wounded Cade. She had to find her man medical care. She still wasn’t a 100 percent sure the imposters didn’t have official support.
Pocketing the keys, she hurried back to the coach’s door. “Get up, and get out,” she ordered. “I took your keys, so I hope you are wearing good walking shoes.”
Eyeing their captors warily, the two men rose and headed for the door. Once they were outside, Terri closed and locked the entrance and turned to Cade. “Get us out of here. Head back toward Diana’s caravan….” She stopped mid-sentence, realizing her driver was barely conscious.