Backwater Publishing LLC

THE STAKE OUT

by

Clem Mason

(age 16+)

(wc 2020)

Raymond McCormick, 6′3″, 163 lbs. known as ‘Cricker’ because Ray lives in an old, dilapidated trailer down by the creek on his grandfather’s farm out on the edge of town. Others call him ‘rancid Ray’ because he never takes a bath. His sister and her family lives in the big house just down the road. When they inherited the farm back in 1952, they agreed on the present living arrangements and have not spoken to each other since. That was over 50 years ago. Ray likes it that way.

Ray lost the lower half of his leg in the big war and gets by on a small monthly pension offered by an ungrateful government. All anyone knows about him is that it happened during the battle of the bulge; whatever that means. He never talks about it because nobody is interested enough to listen. To them, he’s just a bitter, dirty old man with a bum leg and a bad attitude.

He gets around on an electric, battery powered scooter; or on crutches as a last resort. Everyday, rain or shine, hot or cold, Ray motors into town to get a cup of coffee at McDonald’s across the highway. He has almost been hit by a car countless times in crossing the busy highway. The sooner, the better most people say. Ray just shakes his fist at them and swears profusely, yelling that was no way to treat a veteran.

Ray saw the SUV sitting in the parking lot of Mike’s welding shop on the corner. He stopped to study it for a long time. It was road dirty with a Texas license plate. He wheeled over to feel the hood before going on across the highway for his morning coffee. The hood was cold. He went to the drive thru window and ordered. Then he went to the top of the lot to sip the brew and watch the world go by: 7:00

A.M. every day.

The town has three cops: Chief Chambers, ‘Boss Man’, Bennett, the asshole and Garcia, the token minority. Ray liked Garcia because he was the only person in the whole goddamn town who acknowledged him as a human being with a wave and a smile. To Ray, he sacrificed his leg in the war for people just like him. Nobody else. None. The rest could go straight to hell as far as he was concerned.

At about 7:30, when Mike came to work, he too studied the SUV sitting in his lot. He pulled out his cell phone and called someone. He talked a moment then snapped it shut and jammed it back on his belt and went inside. Problem solved.

At 8:00, Bennett pulled up behind the SUV. He opened his door and put one foot on the ground and proceeded to call in the license plate number on his two-way. Ray could tell by his body language that Bennett thought he was somebody really important. As soon as he got the news that the car was hot, he taps his siren and turns on his flashers to show everybody he is in hot pursuit. He grabs his service revolver and crouches behind the car door and pulls down on the SUV. He was really making a big production out of the whole thing.

Ray chuckled to himself. “I’ll bet that SUV is scared shitless right about now,” he muttered under his breath.

Bennett crept closer. He jerked open the door and jumped back, quickly pointing his revolver this way and that. It was quite a show. The vehicle was empty. He straightened up and holstered his gun. In doing so, it discharged with a loud pop and a cloud of dust. Bennett jumped a foot, straight up.

Ray laughed until tears were running down his cheeks.

Slowly, the officer backed to his patrol car and got on the radio again.

At 8:30, Garcia showed up and the officers talked awhile. Garcia places one of the bright red stickers on the rogue car and they all leave.

At 9:00, Marti showd up behind the SUV, got out and walked over to the car in question. She takes her kit with her so she can dust for prints. Marti works part-time for the county and does this sort of thing free lance. He watched her go over the car thoroughly. In the mean time, Ray had to get another cup of coffee so he could continue to watch the unfolding drama. Why, this was just no ordinary day in the life of this jerk water little town.

At 9:30, Melvin shows up, loads the SUV onto his carrier and everybody disappears.

The next day, right at 7:00 o’clock, Raymond motors into town for his coffee and sits at the top of the lot at McDonald’s. In a moment, he hears a car come up behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see the black and white. Thinking it may be Bennett, he doesn’t turn around.

“Mr. McCormick?” the officer asked. It was Alfonso Garcia.

“Mr. McCormick, did you happen to see a car pull into Mile’s parking lot yesterday? An SUV? And did you see the occupant exit the vehicle?

“I wasn’t here when it showed up but I believe the ‘occupants’ exited right about sun rise.”

Garcia frowned, shaking his head; not understanding. “You didn’t see the car arrive yet you can tell me when it arrived and know there was more than one individual?

Ray nodded proudly. “Yes, I think I can.”

“Suppose you enlighten me!” the officer suggested.

“Well, for one thing, the hood was cool. So it has been there awhile. Both driver and passenger visors are down so that tells me there more than one and they come when the sun is shinnin’ in their eyes.

Garcia nodded. “From just what you observed from the scene, I don’t suppose you could tell me where they went, could you?”

Ray smiled.

Garcia was flabbergasted. “You can?”

Ray pointed a finger skyward. “I think I know.”

The officer leaned on the fender of his car and folded hid arms. “Suppose you tell me.”

“Well, I think they holed up in Max Brown’s house on the corner there.”

Garcia stood up to get a better look and Ray warned him. “I wouldn’t be a lookin’ over there jes’ in case they was there; if I was you.”

The officer quickly slumped down. “Right. Don’t want to spook the rabbit.”

“You see,” Ray said, leaning forward to be more discrete. “Max comes out and gets his paper in his P.J.’s every morning ‘bout the same time; a little before 7:00. I see him every once in awhile. How many papers do you see in his driveway?”

Garcia dares to look. “Two.”

“Yesterday and today. That tells me the fugitives are either illiterate or they don’t speak American. So Max is either real sick or he ain’t felt like readin’ the paper since that SUV showed up.”

Garcia was shaking his head. “You know, Mr. McCormack, you aren’t as stupid as most folks say you are.”

Ray dismissed the remark with a grunt.

The officer was watching the house again.

Ray cleared his throat. “If the rabbit is still there…but I’m surprised he is after what ole dumb ass pulled yesterday.”

“Dumb ass?”

“Bennett,” Ray said.

Garcia’s eyebrows raised. “Oh?”

“Yeah! I’m guessin’ he learns the car is stolen so he turns on his lights and siren and draws his weapon.” Garcia is shaking his head.

“He did”, Ray continued. He pulls down on an empty car and squeezes off a round.”

“He fired his gun?” Garcia blurted.

Ray waved him off. “No. It accidently discharges when he’s puttin’ it back in his holster.”

“That’s funny,” the officer said. “The discharge of a weapon was not mentioned in the report.”

“I’ll bet it wasn’t. That was probably his only bullet,” Ray said. “Like Barny Fife?”

Garcia nodded understanding and went back to talk on his two-way. He then got in his squad car and drove in behind Mcdonald’s to be out of sight of the Brown house. It wasn’t long before Chief Chambers and Bennett joined him in hiding in the other patrol car.

Ray set his scooter in motion and went down between the police cars. “I was jes’ wonderin’ if you gentlemen wouldn’t mind springin’ for a cup of coffee for an old veteran?”

Bennett snorted in disgust.

Garcia leaned back and fished a dollar from his pocket. “Is that enough?”

“Not for a large,” Ray said, downheartedly as he took the money.

Bennett exploded. “You stupid stinking old man. What the hell do you know about police business anyway? You don’t even know enough to come in outa the goddam rain.” He pointed his finger at him. “And you don’t know who you’re messin’ with lying about weapons being fired.”

“I don’t have to apologize for the way I live, especially to an asshole like you.”

Bennett threw open the door and lunged from the car in a fit of rage. But before he reached the hapless man on the scooter, Garcia was blocking his way. It all happened in a blink of an eye.

Garcia pushed him back. “What are you gonna do? Beat up an old man?”

Bennett threw his arms up. “You heard him. He insulted an officer of the law.”

“Let him go, Garcia. I can learn him some manners,” Ray warned.

They heard Chief Chambers laugh. “Settle down, boys. Let’s try to work as a team here.”

Bennett snorted again.

The chief looked at his watch. “Back up should be rollin’ in any time now.”

Ray cleared his throat. “Aaa, chief…about my coffee?”

“Bennett, give this man a few bucks so he can get some coffee,” the chief said.

“I’m not givin’ the goddam time of day,” he shouted.

The chief looked at him where Bennett could measure his meaning. “It’s either a few dollars now or a re-write of a police report involving the unauthorized discharge of a weapon later.”

Bennett shoved his fist down into his pocket and threw a hand full of wadded bills at Ray. The officer got back into the police car and slammed the door. He pouted, refusing to look at anyone.

Ray stooped and gathered the bills before they blew away. He went to get more coffee so he could sit and watch the show.

They surrounded the house; two police and three sheriff cars, front and back. Garcia called out on the bull horn in Spanish for the fugitives to come out. There was no response. He called again and the front door opened a crack and somebody was waving a white cloth. Then a young Mexican came out. And then another; then another. Three in all. They were quickly cuffed and ushered away.

The Brow n’s were not the worst for wear. They were tired but glad it was over. Although they never feared for their lives as it were, the fugitives had no weapons. The Browns described the fugitives as being polite, kind and considerate. They’d just ran out of gas. All they wanted to do was to find work. Doris feels sorry for them.

The fugitives: they were illegal aliens on the run from the border patrol. They commandeered the SUV at a station in Laredo when the owner went inside to pay for his gas.

The write up in the local newspaper told a different story. ‘After superior investigative police work, three desperate fugitives were apprehended by law enforcement personnel and two local kidnaped victims were set free. Officer Todd Bennett simply shrugged it off as being just another ordinary day in the life of a law enforcement officer.’

Ray couldn’t help but laugh.

Ray? Well, he still motors to town for coffee and two people wave at him now. Max Brown and as always, Garcia. Alfonso Garcia even stops to visit now and then with the old veteran. Most of the time he springs for coffee but always makes sure he is sitting up wind from the old veteran.

The end.

If you liked this story and you feel the poor, old author deserves compensation in his retirement for this creation, then please feel free to send $1.00 to Clem Mason, c/o Backwater Publushing. 66021-0213.

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Questions and comments are welcome. Thank you for you fairness and honesty.

Thank you very much and may God bless you.