He cursed his radio and computer, which were attached between the bucket seats. After two deafening shots going through the car Russle sat up and returned fire. Then there was a third blast from the shotgun. Russle’s hand went numb the gun fell from his grip. He looked to see the suspect raising himself up to get a better angle to shoot him.
Sergeant Li got off six unanswered shots. The suspect then lowered himself in the driver’s seat and waited. Officer Russle used this time to get out of his vehicle staying behind it for cover.
I was only on the side of the road for two or three minutes, which seemed like years, when I heard, “This is Lincoln one, we have an officer down, roll an ambulance. Lincoln three is down.”
I punched the gas pedal. My car fishtailed out onto the roadway almost striking a tow truck. All bets were off. If I was going to get in trouble, so be it.
I pulled up to approximately fifteen police cars semi-circled around the offender’s vehicle. Numerous shots were striking the Ford Taurus. Then there was quiet.
The Ford started moving north on Route 15. The car had numerous bullet holes all around the car. The two rear wheels had been shot flat. The rear and side windows were missing. Regardless of all this it was moving again. The Chief of Mayfield was the lead car. His was an unmarked car with no police markings except the small red light on top of his car.
Being one of the last cars to arrive, I was now one of the lead vehicles. We reached speeds of sixty mile per hour. Sparks were flying from the rear of the Ford as all the rubber from the tires was gone and the metal rims were screeching on the pavement.
The chase continued for another four miles. We were heading west on County Farm Road back into the town of Mayfield. The Ford started slowing down to turn into a McDonald’s restaurant. The Chief of Mayfield shouted over the radio, “He’s going into McDonalds. There are children inside. I’m going to stop him.”
With that the Chief struck the Ford with his car and just as we learned in driving school, he accelerated which gave him control of the suspect’s car. He then crashed both vehicles into a tree. First the Ford struck the tree, and then the Chief’s car struck the Ford.
The Chief had struck is head on the steering wheel. Blood was running down his face. As he looked up he saw the blast of a shotgun. The suspect had left his car stepping out of the door and fired point blank at the Chief’s windshield. Then he re-entered his car.
The windshield took most of the blast but it sprayed glass at the Chief. Leaving his head and arms cut and embedded with glass.
Two officers ran up to the Chief and helped him to cover behind a squad car. Some officers ran into the restaurant to keep the children and adults from getting hurt. The firing of guns started again, mostly police fire. The suspect then saw an officer coming around a small gift shop. He pointed his shotgun at the officer and fired one shot. The blast struck the officer in his hip, causing him to go down. The shop owner who was watching out of a partially opened door saw the officer fall to the ground. He ran to the officer’s aid .The owner placed the officer’s arm around his neck and carried him to the safety of his shop. I was behind a car with some state police officers. Using the car for support, I pulled the hammer back. I aimed for the driver’s car seat, and then lowered my aim about four inches. I could see the suspect’s hair above the seat. I shot one shot. I saw the suspects head jolt forward.
In view of the fact that the suspect was not returning fire, the police fire stopped. It was at this time I realized everyone had left their sirens on as they exited their cars. I had never heard them during the gun battle.
There was movement in the suspect’s car. The next movement we saw was his shotgun flying out of the driver’s window. He was then told to exit the car and lay face down in the parking lot. A mass of police officers ran toward him. I didn’t go as I still watched the shotgun within his grasp. It was safely kicked away and he was hand cuffed. He was bleeding from a gun wound in the back of his head.
Deputy Chief Sanchez arrived just after the ambulance arrived for the Chief, the officer, and the suspect. Sanchez complained to me how traffic was fucked up on County Farm Road and I should direct traffic, which I was told to handle. While standing out there I thought of what just happened and what could have happened.
I also heard that Russle was all right and being transported to the hospital.
It wasn’t until I arrived home that night that I remembered it was my twenty-fifth anniversary. I had cake and some laughs with Stephanie and my kids. This was all that really mattered.
Chapter 23
The tensions between Stephanie and Jeff had been growing over the last few years. He has been becoming more and more possessive and controlling. She wants me to break off all communication with him.
I knew the boys were also tiring of his antics. They stopped working for him but Jeff could never understand why. They were making good money. But they just wanted to be kids.
We were also battling with Tony over his problem of urinating in bed. He hadn’t done that for many years, when he was a small child. We talked, urged, and yelled at him to just get up and go into the bathroom. Nothing seemed to be working.
But just when it looked as if Jeff was no longer going to be around, he would call the boys with a wonderful trip or present. I would eventually give in to his insistence on their going. He would expound on how much fun the kids would have and how could I deprive them of that.
The final time came when he was going to go to Florida. Jeff wanted to take the boys for two weeks. Stephanie had said no, only one week. Tony had a doctor’s appointment and would have to be back. Jeffrey said okay and they were off.
Stephanie and I spoke without fighting that this would be the last time. I would talk to Jeff when he returned.
When Jeffrey did not return the boys on time we called him numerous times, but the calls were never answered. Finally we received a call the day after they should have been home from Tony.
“Mom, we were having so much fun we ran over our vacation. Jeff says we should be back in two days,” said Tony.
“Let me talk to Jeffrey,” Stephanie said.
“He can’t come to the phone right now.”
“You have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and you will be home for it. Get him on the phone,” Stephanie ordered.
There was a muffling of the phone and after a couple of minutes Tony again said, “He can’t come now. We’ll try to make it home as soon as we can but this will mean we will miss some of the best attractions.”
“I want to talk to him,” Stephanie yelled, only to hear the distinct sound of a disconnected dial tone. Stephanie was furious and helpless at the same time. I had already been heading into the kitchen where she was when I first heard her yelling.
She was in tears, “He’s keeping them.”
“Don’t be goofy now. They are all right. Once he comes back, this is it, I promise.” I held her in my arms and felt her body heave with every breath. Jeffrey would never put us through this again.
***
The next morning Stephanie cancelled the doctor’s appointment. Later in the afternoon, while Stephanie and I were sitting in our back yard, the boys came through the back door. Stephanie ran to them both and hugged them hard. I was not sure if she really thought Jeffrey would have run off with them or what. But all was well now.
Tony started showing us all the gifts Jeff had bought them; Stephanie would have no part of it and went into the kitchen to start dinner. I watched and listened to their stories, they were oblivious to what was going on. Maybe that was the best way to keep it.
***
I stopped by Jeffrey’s office the next day. He was at his desk. He started by acting as if nothing was wrong. I asked why he kept the kids past their time allowed?
“They were having fun. You want to know something, that’s what I give them, fun. You and Steph never take them anywhere. It’s up to me. Then she puts her restrictions on it, well in my book that’s bullshit.??
?
“Where in the hell do you get off thinking you know better than we do how to raise our children?”
“They would rather be with me than either one of you. Who buys them everything they want? I’ll tell you, me. You guys don’t even know how to be a kid anymore.”
“You know, you are right. You are a kid, but what my kids need is a parent, someone to supervise them, not always buy their friendship.” I was so mad I knew I had to leave before anything I would do, I would regret later.
“You are done. Do NOT call Stephanie, Tony, Douglas or me again. If you do, I’ll bring harassment charges against you.” I wanted to spit at him I was so mad. Instead I turned and walked out. I think he was in shock as he was not use to being talked to like this, especially by me. I was always the go between and now that had unquestionably changed.
I arrived home and told Stephanie what had happened. She was exceedingly happy. From that moment on there would be no more Jeffrey in our lives. At least that is what we thought for a while.
Chapter 24
I could hardly believe it, thirty years at the old police department. Some thought I would not leave, others knew I was already out the door. Officer Wasmiak talked a good talk of retiring but after hearing it for three years, no one even considered him to be serious.
After thirty years of changing shifts every twenty-eight days my body was giving out. Many thought it was mostly the bosses or politics that made me decide to retire but the truth of the mater was my body wasn’t able to take what it used to take.
Oh, there were times I liked the seven to three shift, being home with the family every night. But after all the years I would fall asleep by seven-thirty at night. The three to eleven shift, I could go out every night after eleven and party until two, but not any more. Now I would go home watch old Bogart movies, I still enjoyed myself…but now I was alone. Eleven to seven could be the “happening” shift, but now left me a zombie. It wasn’t fun anymore, time to get out.
So I talked it over with Stephanie and put in my letter of intent. I had been talking to some of the guys at the DuPaca County Courthouse about working in security there for insurance and some extra money. I had received a verbal conformation that I had a job.
First there was to be a retirement party. I have been told it was a great party and I had a good time. I received many great gifts. One was a painting of all the historical places in town, this was in place of a watch. Since I had not worn a watch for many years, it was the perfect gift. I was on island time, if someone would ask what time it was, I’d just say, “The time is now.” I was never wrong.
The party lasted till dawn. The best stayed for the last hurrah. Sergeant Li and Sergeant Waters, officers Mansolini, Sommers, Russle, Wasmiak, and my best friend, detective Tonka were all there till the end.
Stephanie, who surprised me, stayed right up with us. After Evan Tonka, the last one standing left, Stephanie and I sat and talked of our future. We had a good basic plan that was within our reach. Things were going good and we were all doing fine.
Stephanie had started a job with American Eagle Airlines and was on stand-by, which is a terrible place to be. At any moment she could be called in and had four hours to get ready and make it to the airport. It sucked, but everyone went through it.
We had talked of going to Key West or Jamaica before I started my job at the courthouse. We ultimately did end up going to Key West for three nights. Key West has always been a place that you can not describe, nor would I want to. It is a place you must go to see yourself to understand it.
So here I sat at the Pier House beach, cocktail in hand, watching the sailboats slide past on the crystal blue/green water, thinking how great life is. I really was looking forward to going to work Monday, which I had not done for a long time.
Chapter 25
When I awoke for my first day of work at the courthouse, I woke up without the use of an alarm. I was ready for this. A picture perfect day came through my bedroom window. The sun was shining, the birds chirping, not a cloud in the sky. My window was open about six inches, the curtains never moved, as there was no breeze, just the calm of the new morning.
I got ready and after breakfast I still had an hour and a half to make a twenty-minute drive. I was excided to get started. Stephanie, who had made me breakfast, was sitting across from me. She made eggs, bacon, and toast, but the best thing was she made them my way. First you start with five eggs, cut away the whites, and make them over easy. Next you take five pieces of white bread, put a slab of butter about one-half inch thick under each piece of bread as you fry it up in a frying pan. When nicely brown you place another half-inch slab of butter on the pan and flip the bread over. On top of that you just add your bacon and if you listen carefully, you can hear the arteries closing, but it tastes so good.
I was now ready to start my day. As I pulled into the parking garage I noticed all the different people rushing from their cars to the elevators and stairs. I located a parking space on the third floor, which would from that moment on become my space.
I followed the swarm of people to the stairs and walked down the two floors. I over heard one man who was walking next to me, sharply dressed in a black Hugo Boss suit, black Manolos shoes, and neatly trimmed hair, say to the leather clad male walking beside him, “Now remember, you didn’t say any of those things she will be saying you said.”
The leather man replied, “I hope I can remember that.”
I’m thinking this one may be a loser for the sharply dressed attorney. As I walked from the garage to the courthouse there was a soft breeze between the two buildings. Two geese were squawking at everyone passing by them. The American flag ruffled in the breeze.
Some of the people walking past me were almost at a run; they had cards in their hands. I soon found out these were passes to bypass the security area. These cards were issued to employees at the courthouse and attorneys.
I walked in and entered the security line. Slowly I inched my way up to the deputies and civilian security personnel, which I was soon to become.
I asked where I could find Chief Franklin Lunex. I was told to stay right where I was, he would be right here. As I waited I noticed the deputies working, getting the job done, but smiling and having fun too.
I saw Chief Lunex walking towards me from down the hall. He was a short man about five foot seven, one hundred fifty pounds, jet-black hair, a dark mustache that was trimmed to the sides of his lips. He was wearing a gray suit, which all the civilians wore. His however had stars on the lapels. He smiled as he approached me, his hand extended out for a handshake.
“Timmy, I’m glad to see you again. Have any trouble getting in? Any problems driving here?” the Chief asked.
“No, I didn’t have any problems at all. The traffic was light for this time in the morning and it was practically right through the line.” All the time we talked he had on an honest smile and concerned eyes.
We talked for about fifteen minutes standing right by the front desk watching everything going on around us. He then asked me to follow him to his office where he had some paper work for me to fill out. I actually felt this man wanted me in his employ. He seemed very high on me and why not? He was getting a veteran law officer for not much money. The pay was, of course, lower than my police pay but I was also receiving my police pension which with the two combined I was netting more than before.
While I was filling out my forms I heard a loud laugh and the word, “Okay.” Into the room walked a female deputy. She was a woman in her early fifties, short red hair, and wore a smile from ear to ear.
“So young man, you think you’re ready to be an intricate part of a machine that runs so smoothly that if it would want to it could run by itself?” The smile was off her face and she was standing over me with both hands on the desk waiting for an answer.
“Sure, I’m the man.” With thirty years of police work on my side that was the best I could do, I was asking myself. Even I would have called the answ
er lame.
“You’re the man? Don’t you think a woman could do the job? You know the best way to make it here is to get along and not be sexist.” She continued to stand over me but I began to see that smile coming back to her lips. When she could not hold it any longer she bust out laughing, as did the Chief who had now returned to the room.
“Timmy, I want you to meet Deputy Hornsburg, but we all call her Birdie. We call her that cause she flies all over this place and knows all the gossip. She is our official greeter.”
“Hey Birdie, glad to meet you.”
“Birdie, when he’s done with his forms could you take him to Ramirez, he’s going to be his training officer. Then bring his forms to me.”
“Okay Chief,” Birdie replied as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “What did you do before Tim?”
“I was a copper in Lakeville. I retired after thirty years. Just couldn’t take the changing of shifts.”
“Yeah, that would suck. So this will be like a vacation working Monday through Friday on a day shift?”
“It will be at first at least. Everyone here seems to be all right.”
“Everyone is…but watch your back. Especially if you get something someone else wants.”
I didn’t know what she meant by that but since I knew how departments worked I thought I’d enjoy the innocence of it all until that dragon raised its ugly head, if it ever would.
I finished the paper work and Birdie took me to Deputy Jose Ramirez. He was a short guy, but was about as round as he was tall. He had short hair and the typical police mustache. He was standing in the “side room” where I learned held all the goodies, such as cookies, cakes, pizza, etceteras, etceteras. He greeted me with a warm hello and a bone-breaking handshake.
As he took me around one of the first things I was given was my pass card. This was the card that would enable me to bypass security. Ramirez explained how without the passes it would overwhelm the lines of employees and attorneys. He also went on to say cameras and of course guns are not permitted in the courthouse. But he would bet his whole next bag of cookies that almost every employee had a camera phone and at least, five to ten guns go through carried by attorneys.