Grabbing Attention
Cars had slowed down, the drivers watching through their windows as they jogged back and forth. The blinding blue and red lights flashed as they did their job and ensured everyone's safety.
But what had gotten the most attention was the police officer and the EMT having a screaming match, both red in the face.
Not Enough Space
There already wasn’t much space along the road, but with the five police cruisers and one ambulance, plus the redirected traffic, the scene of the accident was extra tight.
While one EMT worked on securing one of the injured, Troy (another EMT) scowled at one of the cop cars. It was blocking their way out.
Not Enough Space
His partner was already getting the stretcher ready, so Troy ran to the Sergeant to ask for the car to be moved. The cop looked at the plate and scowled.
He muttered a few profane words under his breath, then called out to another cop to move his damn car out of the way. The younger cop ignored the order.
Refusing To Move
Troy stared in shock. Was this guy actually refusing to move for an ambulance? The Sergeant stomped over to the cruise and tried to open the door. It was locked.
“We really need to get out now,” Troy said, already seeing his partner wave frantically for him to get in. The Sergeant yelled for the subordinate again – no response.
Tow Truck
At this point, Troy started to feel a twinge of panic. They were supposed to keep calm, but that was when they weren’t being boxed in by the same people that were supposed to help them.
Maybe they could push it? Or just break the windows? But then he noticed a tow truck on the side of the road.
The Driver
The driver sat in his vehicle, sipping from a bottle of water. “What about him?” Troy asked. The Sergeant looked over and then sprinted to the truck.
“You have a second?” “Yeah, there was some confusion, and I got called as an extra. Any way I can help?” “Yeah,” the cop said, pointing to the blocking car. “Move that off the road.”
The Hook
“How much is your drop rate?” he asked. The driver answered, and the Sergeant smiled. Troy couldn’t help but grin, either.
But, there was no time to hang around. He got back into the ambulance, explained what happened to his partner, and waited for the scene to unfold. It started with a hook.
Running In Panic
The tow-truck driver pulled out the long cable, hooked the line around the hard point, and flipped the lever.
The motor squealed, the line went tight, and the front of the cruiser lifted off the ground. All it took then was a quick pull to the grass on the side of the road. Troy saw the young cop run over.
Furious
The rest of the story was patched together through what Troy heard as they passed and what Sergeant had told them.
The young cop was furious. There was more smoke coming from his ears than from the actual accident. He demanded his car be returned. The tow truck driver just shrugged.
Drop Rate
“My drop rate is one hundred dollars.” “Are you crazy?!” The young cop fumed. “Sarg, you’re not going to let him do this, yeah?!”
His boss crossed his arms and reminded him that it was legal to move any vehicles that block emergency services. The anger rose, but the young police officer still wasn't going to give up.
Forty
“I’ll give you forty. That’s it.” The burly driver leaned against the truck and shook his head. “Nope. Drop fee is a hundred.” “Fifty.” “A hundred.
It will be more if I pull it away.” The headstrong man let out an angry but defeated sigh and pulled out his wallet.
Paying
He peeled off four 20s from his fold and shoved them in the driver’s hand. When the tires hit the ground, and the hook came off, the young man jumped in his car and squealed away, still boiling with anger.
The Sergeant finally let go and let out a long, hard laugh. Apparently, this lesson had been long-coming.
Only A Few Weeks
Apparently, the new guy had only been on the job for a couple of weeks. He was like most rookies – an inflated sense of ego and cock-of-the-walk attitude with everyone.
This guy was a bit worse and acted like he ran the place. There was also another hilarious thing that was kept a secret.
The Law
The grounds (and “law”) they had used for moving the car were actually false. There was no law at all.
The young, cocky buck didn’t need to spend a hundred. However, as far as his boss was concerned, it was worth the lesson that cops are not exempt from the rules. As for Troy…
One Team
They were able to get to the hospital, and the injured people in the accident got the care they needed.
He and his partner also got a good, long laugh. It let out the day’s stress and reminded them everyone was one big team, even the people you didn’t expect.
The Sergeant
Troy’s life moved on as usual, but things would only get more interesting for the police sergeant that had helped him show that rookie cop who was boss. It seems that he would pay for his little prank, and it would be at the hands of the person he’d wronged.
The officer went on his life, as usual, all while the rookie cop was plotting something. And the key to it all would be the sergeant’s car.
Sergeant Spencer Oswell
Sergeant Spencer Oswell had been a part of the police force for over 20 years. He rose to the rank of sergeant quickly and stayed there. But looking back, he was nostalgic about his glory days.
He remembered all of his firsts while he was a rookie cop. His first patrol car was particularly special. But he had no idea what was in store for him.
His First Car
You’d think that most officers would love a new car. An upgrade was always appreciated, but if Oswell could choose, he’d give up his shiny cruiser for his first patrol car.
There was a special bond he made with “her.”
A Lot Of Memories
Oswell remembered a lot about his old car. He knew that most officers wouldn’t remember the old models. They were before their time. But he saw it in his dreams and thought about it more often than he ever let on.
But as he was daydreaming about his old car, there was a plot against him. The rookie cop was busy scheming, and it all had to do with that old patrol car.
A Good Mentor
Oswell was always seen as a kind of mentor for the other officers. He was always hard on them, but it was normally for a good reason. If some young hothead had to be put in his place, Oswell normally did it.
But even though most people admired him for that. One rookie cop in particular who’d been scorned one too many times decided that he would take action.
Getting A Phone Call
Just a week after the incident with the EMTs, Oswell was notified by his colleagues that an important call had just come in. There was apparently a suspicious car that had been parked in front of the police station.
He would take the helm and investigate this. What was going on? Unfortunately, he had no idea that the entire precinct was in on the prank.
Checking It Out
Oswell walked out of his office and took the elevator down to the ground fall. It was a hot day, and he didn’t like leaving the comfort of his office, but it was his job. He had to figure out what was going on.
He left the police station and walked through the parking lot to where the mysterious vehicle was left unattended. His mind raced with possibilities. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to call in the bomb squad.
A Ghost From The Past
Oswell couldn’t believe what he saw when he rounded the corner. It was like he was staring at a ghost from the past. He saw his old cruiser, the very first one he had ever owned. But that was impossible, wasn’t it?
He approached the car with morbid curiosity and examined it closely. That’s when he noticed something very strange.
Who Set Him Up?
Oswell was extremely suspicious. Something was very wrong, and someone was responsible for it. He thought of all the people that would want to do this to him. Then his mind flashed to what he had done to the rookie cop from the other day.
It had to have been him as he turned around. He saw the same man standing behind him, with a wide grin on his face.
Looking Into The Cruiser
What kind of joke was this? He looked back at the cruiser and peered inside. It matched everything from his old vehicle. But that’s what stumped him the most when he scrutinized every inch of the vehicle.
The interior was the same. The paint job was the same. By all rights, this could have been his car, but he knew that was impossible.
There Was A Slip-Up
There was one glaring detail that didn’t sit quite well with Oswell. It was the paint job. He could tell it was a recently touched-up. This wasn’t his original car. That was impossible. So who decided to recreate it one-to-one?
What kind of angle was the rookie cop getting at? But he’d find out just a second later.
The Rookie Cop
Oswell turned back to the rookie cop who was standing behind in with a smug look on his face. “What’s this about? How and why would you go through all of this effort just to get back at me?” He stammered.
The rookie cop slowly closed the distance between them. His smile was as broad as ever. He then put a hand on his shoulder and opened his mouth.
The Truth
“Well, I pitched the idea to all of the other officers. We all see you as a mentor and want to do something extra special for you. One of the older officers informed me that you missed your old patrol car.” The rookie cop explained to Oswell with pride in his voice.
Oswell was touched by this. He couldn’t believe what the precinct had done for him. He felt guilty being so suspicious.
His Breaking Point
Oswell had reached his breaking point. He was known for never showing emotion, especially in the face of danger. But he couldn’t hide the cocktail of emotions he was feeling at that moment. His eyes glistened with wet tears, and his voice broke.
“Thank you, thank you so much. I know I can be hard on you guys, but it’s only because I care so much.” He said as he hugged the rookie cop.
Taking Her For A Spin
Just a few minutes later, Oswell found himself behind the wheel of the cruiser. It was like he was back as a rookie cop on his first patrol. He couldn’t help himself as he revved the engine. This was a special car for a special man.
He’d never forget what they had done for him. The precinct was his second family, and they would always look out for each other. In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.