Chapter 7: Politically Correct Guide to the Wilderness

(Nome, Alaska, May 20)

The promotions for Captain and Lieutenant came through, and Lt Steve Randall, had made Captain in the Alaska State Troopers. His new duty post was going to be Juneau, the Capitol. Bill Dawson made Lieutenant, but would be assigned to Galena. A young Lieutenant from Anchorage named Jim Conway would be heading up the Nome office.

CIB Captain Clark was the new Deputy Commandant, and Lt Fred Collins was promoted to Captain over the CIB in Anchorage. Longtime Anchorage PD officer Ben Langley was now part of the State Trooper CIB working under new Lt Jerome Green, and Sgt Tim Sealy.

As Lt Dawson packed his gear for the move, he promised to request Sgt Lisa Danby when he could. Sgt Jorgenson was transferred back to Anchorage and he would have a vacancy. With it being a year since the events at the Crazy Moose Saloon, having disrupted their lives catching a serial killer and breaking up a bootlegging operation, Dawson made a vow to stop at the Arctic Fox Lodge on the way, where Mike and Mary Donnelly now worked.

Mike had unfairly been dealt with in his use of excessive force charge that ended his career. It was a clear-cut case of self-defense, but the charge was politically expedient. It caused a good Commandant to retire, and another good officer to leave the force, which Sgt Chris Mullins did over the incident. Bill wondered how much of that was when his German Shepherd Echo, had to be put down that summer.

At least Lt Randall had the good sense to make Mike a VPSO, like Bill's sister Janet. Mike, like Janet, enjoyed being a bush pilot and a hunting and fishing guide. Mary was happy staying home with little Lisa, named after Sgt Danby. Still they were good friends when he worked with them, and the Arctic Fox was on the way to Galena.

One thing that Bill knew about wilderness lodges is they had outstanding food! Thus, when his path took him over the lodge at noontime, it was only proper that he dropped in and joined his friends for lunch. Mike and Mary were happy that he had gotten his promotion, but saddened that Lisa hadn't yet come with him. They had discussed marriage but it would mean Lisa resigning from the ASP to be with him.

Mike and Mary had gotten away with it, but that was under Mark Sellers, and the new Commandant had been a political appointee, instead of a career State Trooper.

Galena was a crossroads of sorts on the Yukon River. The Air Force had built the runway and it was one of the nicest in Alaska. Bill could see much of his casework was going to be Search and Rescue or assisting other Posts with their cases. In many ways that was good. Once he settled into his new residence, he applied for Sgt Lisa Danby to transfer to Galena with him. Two weeks later, he received notice that a cadet Paul Johansen would be stationed at the Galena Post to replace Jorgenson.

The new Lieutenant, Conway wanted her to stay so he would keep some experience there besides Sgt Miller. The news was demoralizing to bill, and he had to finally face how much he and his former partner had become attached.

Later that evening, after Lisa finally got the news, she prepared her letter of resignation from the Alaska State Troopers. As she was packing, the new Commandant who had been the head of the Internal Affairs Division in Juneau came down on Bill like a ton of bricks.

Bill explained, "This is exactly why we have lost five exceptional officers and a Commandant in the last year. It's the politics, Sir. We are a law enforcement agency, not a political extension of the governor's office."

"Lieutenant Dawson," Commandant Gregory barked, "you are being insubordinate. How dare you make an accusation like that about the governor? I'll have you dismissed for that."

"Fine, Sir," Dawson replied, "I will submit my resignation effective today."

Gregory then paused, and said; "Now that won't do. I will not have you quit on me."

"All I know, Sir," Dawson answered, "Is your heavy handedness over Mike Donnelly lost us some excellent police officers. I was there, and it was a clear case of self-defense. You have some good people working for you, and you need to realize they are not deserving of your treating them like they are the bad guys.

"I can't work under those conditions, and neither can my fiancée. It is just better that she be a civilian, or a VPSO than we both try to be troopers in your command. I put up with similar crap in the Army, but Sgt Danby never had to, and she won't. People want to put men and women together in remote deployments and hoping they won't develop a relationship is a totally unrealistic expectation."

Gregory noted, "It got a suspect killed in that Donnelly incident, because they were married. He felt he had to protect his wife, and therefore he felt justified in loosing his attack dog on the woman. We nearly charged him with a Hate Crime because the woman was a lesbian."

"Like he knew that when she was strangling his wife with a rope," countered Dawson. I'm sure the dog can tell someone's sexual orientation. Like I said it was political. You sacrificed good officers for political expediency."

"I don't have to listen to this, Dawson," Gregory retorted.

"You're right," said Dawson, "the next voices you will hear are from the governor's constituents over how you put Political Correctness above the safety of the citizens. You won't be able to dodge that. The TV station and newspaper will want interviews soon. You can practice your 'no comment' speech."

"I will not be threatened," ordered Gregory, "You are removed from your post Dawson."

Bill answered, "That wasn't a threat, it was a heads up on what was coming. I just sent a message to the news outlets in Anchorage, Fairbanks in Juneau that I have been composing for a long time. It just tells what a weenie we have for a commandant now and how you in your ID capacity caused several fine officers to quit the force over your politically expedient policies. I already resigned, Mr. Gregory. My timestamp is earlier than yours."

Gregory's phones began to ring, as the press began to ask what he thought of the Galena officer's statements. He hung up on Bill, who turned to the fresh out of the academy officer, "You're in charge now, son. I'll be in my quarters packing. If anyone wants me after 1730 I will be on my way to Trout Lake to visit Mark Sellers."

(Later that evening, Mark Sellers' Cabin)

Lisa Danby, civilian, had caught a Bering Air Flight to Shaktoolik, where Bill picked her up in his Piper Pacer, and brought her to the lake where the retired commandant now spent the summers with his wife, Helen.

"Dawson, Danby," greeted Sellers, "welcome to my hideout. Son you just created quite a stir with your expose on my successor. I figured you actually resigned before that, since that was also part of your letter. They just had the governor standing beside his buddy saying how you were fired last week."

"I see," replied Bill, "just before the promotions went through, they fired me."

"Well the reporter questioned why you were promoted to Lieutenant after you were terminated," recalled Sellers, "and they lied and said that the list was wrong, and that it was another Dawson that was promoted. I wonder where they will dig him up?"

"Knowing them it won't be a 'him' will it?" Bill suggested.

"Politics!" Mark spat the word in disgust, "glad to be away from it. I did miss you guys though. We had some good people quit over Gregory's dealings. So, what do we do now that you are civilians again?"

Dawson teased, "I thought I would get all of our former troopers together and form an elite covert group to take down the criminals without the constraints of the PC regulations getting in the way."

"I'm in," Mark laughed. "I'd come out of retirement for that!"

"Bill, you are kidding, right?" Lisa Danby asked.

"Yeah, I'm kidding," replied Bill. "I am just going to wait and see if Gregory doesn't quickly become too much baggage for the governor. If they boot him and Clark moves up, he will get us all reinstated."

"And leave all of this?" Mark laughed. "Helen and I are enjoying our retirement here. It's peaceful, the only company we get are the flyouts from the Aurora View, and they are no trouble. The fishing is good, and we can do what we like, and no special interest group gets offended!"

"That's close to what Mike said when I talked to him a couple weeks back," admitted Bill. "Now and then we did make a difference in peoples' lives and actually prevented some crimes. I am sure that you remember back when we actually were a deterrent to crime."