Chapter 14

The more I thought about the bust tonight the more little details came to mind that I hadn't discussed with the men. I decided I would call them all in and have an operations meeting before we started. I knew we all had cars and all but two were unmarked. I had to make sure we all had walkies and that they were charged. Mine was sitting on the charger so I knew it was charged. Since Jim and Jerry were new to this type of detail, I wanted them to be in the least danger if it went south on us.

I got on the phone and asked Pinky to come to my office for a minute. He came in with a smile on his face and whistling as he sat down.

"Ok Pinky, give it up. Why are you so damned happy all of a sudden?"

He gave me a shit eating grin before he answered my question.

"I decided that I am going to attend that little meeting of yours Monday with the reserves and specials."

"Ok, why the sudden change of mind?"

"I got it from a reliable source that if you don't reinstate the reserves and specials that you will have to fight with Hubba Hodson or quit your job here."

"Who or what is a Hubba Hodson?"

"That's the old sheriff's stepson and he is meaner than a rabid wolf. He just called me and when he told me that, I had to laugh and think cheerful thoughts. He is almost seven foot tall and dumber than a hoe handle. I can just picture him being dumb enough to go up against you. I will also make sure there is a PR-24 in the gym for your use. Try not to break it over his thick head."

I groaned out loud, and Pinky started laughing so hard he was turning red.

"I don't see where that's so funny. I am not going to fight some idiot to prove I am tough. If he gives me some shit, I will shoot him in the knee and let you sort it out with his relatives. Didn't you tell me you were distantly related to all of them?"

"Ok Harry, truce. I am sorry but the thought of him fighting with you just tickled my funny bone. Believe me when I say he will try you, and if he does and wins you will be laughed out of town by these rednecks. Just about everyone of that crowd is afraid of him because he is big and was the sheriff's son. He has been arrested about ten times for assault but none of the charges ever stuck because of his daddy. You will know him by the big wad of tobacco in his jaw. He will try to spit it in your eyes before he swings at you."

"I have a cure for that and also for him. If he makes a move he will go to prison for a few years and spend some time in the hospital before he goes. I hate bullies and anyone that helps them. I called you in here to tell you I want the scrambled channel clear for the rest of the night. I don't want the radio room monitoring it. If I need to reach you I will use the private channel. Make sure all your people understand that or they won't have a job come morning."

"No problem Harry. Do you want me to put the state police on alert status until you say otherwise?"

"I will call in and let you know on that one, Pinky. Make sure your lead dispatcher monitors channel three until I clear all units. If any word leaks out it will be from your end, so restrict telephone usage to emergency calls only. I want to make sure they have no early warnings of what we are doing. It won't start till after midnight but the orders go into effect immediately."

"What's going on, Harry?"

"We are helping the state gaming commission raid one of the gulch casinos for drugs and money laundering. I know that we won't move in until after midnight, but better be safe than sorry."

"Ok Harry, can I go back to work now? Remember about Monday and Hubba."

He was laughing at the scowl on my face as he went out. I hated to lie to him but I had this itch about the radio room and couldn't drag it out. I decided if I was wrong, I could always eat crow later. Damn, I had crows on my mind again. I got hold of Shorty, and had him tell all the guys to assemble in my office at six sharp for a pre mission meeting. I also reminded him to call Abrams again and see if he was home yet.

I got up and went to the records room and asked the clerk to give me any files she had on this idiot called Hubba Hodson. There were no records but the clerk told me a lot of history on this ole boy that Pinky failed to mention. I found out that she knew most of the reserve and specials from way back when the sheriff had appointed them. Some were strictly used to guard his deals and property up in the mountains somewhere north of here. The only way the other county would let them be armed was because of their association with this department. This was getting more interesting by the moment.

I went back to my office and closed the door and made a few calls to the county mentioned and informed them about me revoking all their badges and appointments to this department. I got a very respectful thank you very much for the information, before they hung up saying they would see about disarming the whole bunch starting right now. I had to chuckle to myself about the enthusiasm of the sheriff there. He sounded like he was relieved that he had a reason to go after them. I wondered to myself about how many problems he had with them in the past. I happened to think of something, and hit redial and talked to the sheriff again. Now that ought to create a few shake ups within the ranks of the private guards.

I got on the phone to the Attorney Generals office and asked for a complete list of the 9mm rifles that had been sent to this department last year and got some more good news. If any were recovered that belonged to the department that weren't disbursed to full time deputies, then they would be charged with possession of stolen state property. I told the investigator I was talking to about the old sheriff selling them to the private sector, and he said he would put out an alert on NCIC immediately. I told him I would personally fax him a copy of the serial numbers of the ones we had at the department. Now that would maybe recover some of them from being used against someone in the future.

I called down to Shorty and told him to write the numbers down for me and he said he already had them filed. I gave him the fax number, and to whom to send it to, and he said he would get it out right away. Damn, I was starting to cook on all burners. I looked at the clock and it was only two forty five. I needed a cup of coffee so I headed for the radio room to get a cup.

I was stopped at the front desk and asked what they were supposed to do with all these uniforms. I looked and they were in three stacks almost waist high. Most of the stuff I could see looked like they were brand new and had never been worn. There were two boxes of badges and other stuff behind the counter. I told her to call the cage and tell Shorty to move them down there for safe keeping for right now. I told her to make sure the records room destroyed the ID cards after recording the names and how many were turned in.

I went to my unit and got my go cup and went back in to get fresh coffee. I wondered how many sets of uniforms had been charged off to the department by Mrs. Hawkins and what she had made selling them to us. We had fired seven people and it looked like we had fired twenty from the stack of uniforms and badges. I got my coffee and after returning the greetings from several people in the radio room, I went back to my office.

I got on the phone with the prosecutor and filled him in about the uniform problem and all the other information I had about Mrs. Hawkins and asked for an investigation of her business from the Attorney General's office. He said he would make the call and see if he could get the ball rolling right away. I also filled him in on the rifles and what I had done about them, and he said he hoped they could be found or the state might hold the department responsible for their loss. I informed him that I had already reported them sold by the old sheriff before I took control. He said he thought that it might get us off the hook but to keep a watch out for state auditors. I told him that I had all the current records, and Andy had all the records and dealings from the previous years on tape and secured.

He gave a sigh of relief, and said that he was relieved that it was all safe, just in case the state started raising cain about the department. I was also congratulated for the article on the front page, and that I had resolved the department of any responsibility if they used their badges for anything after today. He said I should have been a lawyer the way I worded the article. I quickly told him where he could go and he hung up laughing. As much as I hated crows I figured they were smarter than lawyers.