Roe 1

KateRoe

Prof.Peterson

ENG3540

28March2017

HeroesoftheNight

"Trooper113,pleasecheckin."

"Oh,heyChris.That'syouisn'tit?"Isaid.

InoticedChrisdidn'tseemtobelistening.Therehavebeenseveraloccasionspreviously

whereTrooperRigleyforgottoanswerdispatchbecausehewasthinkingtoodeeplyanddidn't

notice,soIthoughtitwouldbebesttomakesurehewouldrespond.

"Yeah,"Chrisansweredandthenpickeduptheradio."dispatchthisisTrooper113."

"What'syourposition?"

"Highway41ma'am."

"Perfect,wehaveareportofasuspiciousabandonedvehiclesightedbythevacant

parkinglotalongHighway52.WouldyouheadovertheretocheckthingsoutwithSergeant

JamesAlder?"

"Yeah,yeah.Onourway,"heanswersgrimly.
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Knowingthelastthinghewantedtodowasgolookatanotherempty,broken

downjunkercarsomeonehadsightedandlabeledassuspicious,Isaytohim,"Comeon,itwon't

takelong.We'lljustdropbyrealquick,runtheplatesthroughthesystemandbedone.Shift's

almostover,buckupbuddy."

Chrisnoddedhisheadinagreementandthenslowlybegantoturnthecararoundtostart

downtheroadtowardsthecarinquestion.Asthecarbeginstogainspeed,Istarttosquirmin

myseatabit.EventhoughIknowthecallisprobablypointless,Ican'thelpbutwrigglewith

anticipation.MyinstinctsforthejobquicklysinkinandIbegintofalleasilyintotheroleofthe

watchfulofficer.Myeyesscantheedgesoftheroadevenbeforewestarttogetanywherenear

theemptylot.IbegintosquinthardtoseeinthefoggyblacknightasIscrutinizethelandscape,

lookingforanythingmovingbytheroad.Thoughitisuncommon,sometimestheownerofthe

carwillbewalkingalongsidetheroad,anditispartofourjobtoquestionthepersonandmake

suretheyareokay.Distracted,Chrisunknowinglyspeedspasttheabandonedparkinglot.

Irealizewhereweare,soIsaytoChris,"Goaheadandgetaholdofdispatch.Wepassed

theparkinglotandnoonewasspotted,sojusttellthemnoonehasbeensightedandwearestill

lookingforthevehicle.

Chrisreachesfortheradioandsays,"Dispatch,thisisTrooper113."

Doyouhavetheplatesonthevehicle?

Chrisanswers,Nomaam,wearestilllookingforthevehicle.
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Keepusupdated,Sherepliessoundingratherannoyedthatwehadntfoundityet.Itis

veryuncommonfordispatcherstocareasmuchasshedid.Iwonderwhysheissoseriousabout

suchasillycall.

Justthenwegetstarttoapproachtheparkinglotagain.Itisalittlewaysoffthehighway.

Asmalldirtroadleadstoit.Thecarshakesandlurchesaswemakeourwaydownthepath,over

potholesandpuddles.Thefogmakesithardtoseepastseveralfeetinfrontofthecar.Aswe

trekdownthetrail,theheadlightscasteerieshadowsthroughthetallgrassandbushes

surroundingtheroad.

Whenwefinallyreachtheabandonedcar,Chrisparksbesideitandshutsoffthe

headlights.DarknessfilledthesurroundingareaandIcouldonlyseeChrissfacenow.The

computeronthedashistheonlylightcastthroughoutthevehicle.ThenIgrabmyflashlightand

walkoutsidetoreadtheplates.JustasIgotoutofthecar,Iheararustlingfromthefarleftside

oftheparkinglot.Mustbeananimal,Ithoughttomyself.AsIroundthebackofthevehicle,I

shinemylightthroughthewindows.Notmuchisinsidebutafewarticlesofclothingstrewn

acrossthebackseatandsomeemptyfastfoodcupsonthefloor.Relievedthatthereisnoone

inside,Igrabmyhandradioandbegintogivedispatchadescriptionofthecarandtheplate

numbers.

DispatchthisisSargentAlder,wefoundthevehicle.Itisa2002SubaruOutback.Navy

blue.PlatenumberGME6078.
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AsIwaitforananswer,Ibegintoshinemylightaroundtheparkinglot.Again,Ihear

somemovementintheleftcornerasmylightreachesthethicketssurroundingthelot.Ifeelmy

pulsestarttoquicken.InstinctivelyImyhandslowlyadvancestowardsmygunonmybelt.

Somethingdoesntfeelright.

Thatvehiclehasbeenreportedasstolenjustthisafternoon.Thenumberonesuspectfor

therobberywasamanbythenameofRichardMortez.

MortezmyheartskipsabeatwhenIheardthatname.RichardMortezwasontheOhio

StatePatrolstoptenmostwantedlist.Hehasalonghistorywiththepatrol.Thismanisoneof

thelargestknowndrugtraffickersintheareaandforyears,thepatrolhasbeentryingtocatch

him.Anescapeartist,Mortez,hasmadethisaverydifficulttask.Heknowshowtorun,putupa

fight,anddoesntseemtobeafraidofanything.IfChrisandImanagetofindhimtonight,there

isnotellingwhatwillhappen.ChrisisoneoftheguysthatMortezhasescapedfrombefore.

IslowlyandcarefullymakemywaybacktothecartotellChriswhatIhadlearned.My

eyesdartfranticallyaroundtoscanthearea.WhatifthenoiseIheardwashim,Ithought.AsI

getclosertothecar,Ihearthewhirofthewindowrollingdown.

Incasethesuspectisnearby,IwhispertoChris,Thecarisbelievedtohavebeenstolen

byRichardMortez.

AssoonasIsaythename,Chrissfacetwistsintoafrown,hisbrowsfurrow,andhis

facegoespale.Thenheimmediatelyreachesforthedoorandstepsoutofthecar.Anewlookof

sheerdeterminationsettlesonhisface.
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Itellhim,IthinkIsawsomethingjustoverthere.AsIpointtothesmall,overgrown

shrubsurroundedbyafewtuftsoftallgrasstowardstheleftcorner.Webothshineourlights

towardsthebushes,butthefogdistortsourlineofvision.Graduallywewalktowardsthearea.

Asweapproach,Chrisshouts,ThisistheOhioStatePatrol.Pleasecomeoutslowly

withyourhandsintheair.

Abruptly,alargefiguredartsoutfrombehindthebushes.Idesperatelyfumbleformy

handradiotocalldispatch.

AssoonasIgetitinmyhandIbark,Suspectfound.Footpursuit!Footpursuit!

Quickonhisfeet,Chrisdashestowardshim.Hisflashlightbouncesoverthesuspectas

herushesafterhim.Fallingjustbehindthem,Iscanthearea,tryingtopredict

whereMortezwouldruntoforcover.Throughthefog,Idetectaclusteroftreesinthe

distance.Mortezmustthinkhecangetawayifhecangettheretohide,Ithinktomyself.Ifeel

myselffallingfurtherbehind,soIpushharderandconcentrateonmovingmylegsasfastasthey

cango.Thelandscapeisroughandgrassy,whichmakesithardtorun,butIignorethestruggle

andfocusonthesuspect.Rightnow,Ineedtogethisdescriptiontodispatchincasehegets

away.IshinemylightonMortezandsprintforward,closertoChristoseehimthroughthe

fog.

Dispatch,thisisSergeantAlder,inpursuitofMortez.Heiswearingbrownpantsanda

blackhoodiewithredwordsprintedontheback.
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Istruggletokeepupwiththetwo.IamjustafewstepsbehindChris.Mybreathis

becomingmorejaggedandIfeelmyselffallingfurtherbehind,butIcannotgiveup.IfChris

catchesupwithhimthenhecouldbeinseriousdanger.Mortezismuchbiggerthanhim,and

wouldbesuretothrowhisweightaroundwithChris.Chrisisfitandmorethancapableof

winningafight,butMortezfightsdirty;Ineedtobethereforhim.

Justastheyreachmerefeetfromthewoods,ChrissprintsforwardandtacklesMortezto

theground.Thisisit,Ithinktomyself.Ireachthemsecondsafterhebringshimtothe

ground.MorteztriestocrawlhiswayoutfromunderChris.Determined,Chrisholdsontighter

andreachesforhishandcuffs.SweatdripsoffChrisontothesuspectashebeginstotwisthis

armaroundhisbodytogetthecuffson.ItrytoassistChrisincontrollingthesuspect,

butMortezseesmecomingandviolentlywrithesoutfromunderhim.Withoutthinking,Ilunge

atMorteztotrytotacklehimdown.Mortezlurchestothegroundagain.Knowingheislosing

thisfight,heturnstowardsbothofusthrashingandswinginghisfistswhileonhisback.His

handmakescontactwithChris'sfaceandhestumblesback,butquicklyrecoversanddivesback

intothefight.Wetaketheblowsandstruggletokeephimsubdued.Hescootstowardsthewoods

desperatelyasbothofustrytomaintaincontrolofhim.Chrissuddenlytakestheleadandpins

bothofMortez'sarmsdowntotheground.IthenpressmyweightdownontoMortez,asIdig

mykneeintothesmallofhisbackandgrabholdofhisarmsforChris.Chrisgrabshishandcuffs

fromhisbelt,pantingfromnearexhaustion,heshakilymanagestogetthecuffsonMortez.We

bothlookateachotherthen.AsmilebeginstocreeponChrissface.Wedidit,weseemedto

communicatetoeachother.IsmilebackathimovercomewithprideforChris,whofinallygot

hisredemptionstory.
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