by Doug Ball
With a start the Major recognized the face. “You,” he mouthed silently.
The head bobbed.
The finger came away from the face and motioned for him to get up and walk out of the room.
The Major slid from the covers and walked in his stylish men’s pajamas into the next room with a pointy object in the middle of his back and the sight of another man standing next to his wife’s side of the bed.
Tan closed the door behind them as they left the bedroom. A healthy shove or two moved the Major across the room and into the next room. Tan closed the door again and spun the Major around to face him. The gun in Tan’s hand moved up to stop at the end of the Major’s nose.
The Governor’s investigator said, “You put a price on my head. Remove it or I will have my men deal with you and your wife in very unseemly ways. Do you understand?”
The Major’s eyes opened wider, looking cross eyed along the gun barrel. He nodded.
“The killers of your people have been stopped. Most of them permanently out of commission. Others will see justice in American courts. This is for your cousin.” He handed the Major a fat, sealed envelope. “Tell her and the families of all the other victims, Arizona is sincerely sorry for their loss. We will be more vigilant in the future. You will be more vigilant on your side of the border, too. Won’t you?”
Again the Major nodded.
Tan tucked the gun into the holster at his thigh and walked away after adding, “One more attack on me or mine, you die.”
The Major nodded.
A black shadow turned him around and pushed him toward his bed.
There was no one but his wife in the bedroom when he opened the door. The window was closed. His wife was snoring as usual. Cold sweat ran down his spine.
He ran for the toilet, losing everything left in his stomach.
The next Monday
“It’s all over, folks. You’ve had a weekend to rest. I’ve been patched up. Matarese is out of the hospital after her surgery. Last but not least, our romantic duo has joined in Holy Matrimony to be forever enamored with each other.” Tan put his coffee down and munched another bite of the jelly filled in his hand. “The damaged Governor is proud of us and our efforts, and has promised to never pressure us like that again. If you believe that, I’ll sell you some ocean front property in this very state. The lady in the Governor’s office at present sends her thanks.”
“Let’s all hear a rousing cheer for our graduate from cop school and welcome Rachel back to her desk.”
Various comments were shouted, whistled, and mumbled.
“Now it’s time for a presentation.”
Tan reached behind him and opened a box on the table, pulled out a bubble wrapped object. Turning back to the group he said, “It is with great pleasure I present to you, Rachel DeMont Benson, this imitation solid gold donut, with a genuine imitation ruby imbedded simulating the cherry jelly filling as a token of our love to commemorate your graduation and getting Chuck off the singles list at the local Chinese restaurant.”
He held it out as she stepped forward to receive the gift. The bubble wrap came off and the trophy was shown around the table before finally landing in the hands of the recipient.
Yells of, “Speech, speech,” filled the room as Rachel lifted her very serious face to look them all in the eye.
“I want you to know how awed I am by this awesome token of your awesome worthlessness. Chuck has informed me of the dozens you have consumed while I have been working my butt off to become a full-fledged member of this illustrious and historical, or should I say hysterical, group. From the bottom of my soul I will cherish this paper weight as long as there is paper to weigh down.” She bowed.
They all gathered around to view the cherished item as Tan went into his office to make a call. He nodded for Matarese to follow.
On his personal cell, he hit the speed dial.
Matarese heard the buzzes as she stood scratching her right arm in its cast and sling.
“Hello good lookin’.”
“Hello your own self.”
“What’s up with my girl? I’ll be down tomorrow to pick her up from the hospital,” Sheriff Sara said.
“That’s what I called about. Good news and bad news.”
“Okay, tell me the good news first.” Her tone indicated she didn’t want to hear what was coming.
“You don’t have to worry about Deputy Gravit qualifying with the left hand anymore.”
“That’s great. When did you take her to the range?”
“I didn’t. She planted three rounds dead center in our bad guy’s heart from 15 yards or so using a weapon she had never fired before. Matter of fact, it was the bad guy’s gun. She had to use her left hand with the right one out of commission.”
“I’ll buy that for a qualified if you write me a letter stating that. What’s the bad news?”
Tan thought as he heard the tone of her voice shift she knew the bad news. “She is restricted in the use of her right arm for the next three months. The doctors don’t think she will ever regain full use of her right arm. They are hopeful, but that’s about it.”
“Okay, I can use her on the desk and other jobs not requiring a right arm too much.”
“Bottom line, I want to keep her. She said she would agree to make the change only if you put your blessing on it. You have done so much for her and all that. What do you think?”
“I think you got yourself a new girl cop.”
“Say that again as I hold the phone out.”
“I said you got yourself a new girl cop and a danged good one, too, with all my blessings. I knew she wanted out of this area. I knew she was good. She’s all yours with my blessing and I’m still coming up tomorrow to give her a hug and make you buy me lunch at the best steak house in town.”
“You got it. See ya tomorrow and I’ll give Matarese the afternoon off so you two can go shopping or whatever off duty girl cops do in your spare time.”
“Sounds good. Bring your wife.”
“And the kids?”
“Whatever.” She hung up.
Matarese smiled as she walked back to the conference room where the conversation had gotten down to cop stories. “Let me bust into your reminisces of glory days for a moment. Welcome the new girl on the block.”
Cheers filled the room and hands reached out in welcome.
Tan waited for the hubbub to die down before saying, “Okay, troops and troopettes, let’s get back to work on nothing again. Until the Governor finds something that needs mending, that is. Chuck and Rachel, take off. See you next Monday.”
The phone rang.
Without thinking, Rachel checked the caller ID before lifting the receiver, “Yes, Governor?”
Well, Howdy.
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DEACON UNDERGROUND
Second in the Deacon series
Spring of 2017
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