SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Seven
We went out the front doors to the long row of parked squad vehicles. Our vehicle was marked clearly with a number 23. Tucker handed me the keys and settled in the passenger seat.
“I shattered a knee some years ago. It makes for uncomfortable driving,” he commented on my questioning gaze.
The vehicle was larger than my Commoner and had a lot more engine power. Carefully backing out of the parking, I tested it for performance and handling as much as I could before we entered the city traffic.
“Where to?” I asked Tucker, not having an idea of where our ‘turf’ was.
“All the way to Market Square. That is were I have been placed recently. A nice, quiet neighbourhood until my retirement in six months.”
Was this co-incidence, or destiny that I was to patrol my own neighbourhood?
I did not believe in co-incidence.
My heart missed a beat as Destiny pressed heavy upon my shoulders once more.
Shrugging it off, I drove to the highway, catching all the lights green, as usual.
Tucker turned out not to miss much. “How did you do that?”
“Excuse me?”
“You caught all the lights green.”
“Oh. Luck, I guess,” I answered.
But for the first time I actually thought about how I managed all the lights to stay green. I was not sure exactly how I achieved it. I told them in my mind to stay green. They simply did.
I shrugged again, noticing that Tucker was observing me closely.
I kept my concentration on negotiating the now hectic, four-laned highway. Everyone seemed to be on their way to work all at once. Tucker allowed me to drive without interruptions.
“Which off-ramp do you want me to take?” I asked, nearing my own neighbourhood.
“Take Pier. We patrol from Pier Street all the way to the cove at the end of Dunn Drive.”
It incorporated a huge area of New Haven, the business district around the pier, the whole Market Square residential area and the wilder, less disturbed area around Dunn Cove.
“Are two people enough for this whole area?” I wanted to know.
“At the moment it is mostly free from gangs and considered one of the safest neighbourhoods. We have not had any serious problems here for quite some time. The Captain feels that one vehicle is adequate for the area. We can always request back-up when needed.”
“What are we supposed to be watching out for?” I wanted to know. I had only a vague idea of the actual work we were supposed to do.
“Keeping the peace, by allowing everyone to see we are in the neighbourhood,” Tucker sighed.
“Criminals prefer not to work in randomly patrolled areas. We can be called out to other sectors at any time, so just keep an open mind and eye on everything.”
I brought the vehicle over to the Pier off-ramp. We made good time even with all the traffic. People seemed to move out of our way automatically when they saw a NHSF vehicle coming.
“Take the first street left, we’ll zigzag the streets today. I want to stop at the local grocer. They have the freshest pastries in New Haven.”
“I know. I actually live only two blocks from them. In the Heights Building.”
I did not know why I had volunteered the information. It was as if Tucker knew how to extract it from me.
For a split second, his thoughts became clear to me.
It was quite unexpected.
He was trying to fill in the blanks on the questionnaire. He really seemed interested in me.
“Han, you okay?” Tucker’s voice came through the shock of the unexpected information.
I must have gone blank for a second, noticing that I had driven right over an intersection where I was supposed to have stopped. I continued on as if nothing had happened.
“Yes. Sorry about the stop. Habit. It never used to be a stop.” It was a poor excuse. All the traffic signs showed abuse, even bullet holes.
It was an inadequate start to a new job where lives depended on your undivided attention to detail at all times. I blew it on my first day.
Tucker did not ask me any further questions.
We reached Luke’s and I found an empty parking right in front of the wide double doors. Luke’s was always busy first thing in the morning.
“You’re one lucky man, Han. I never get good parking,” Tucker smiled at me.
I felt more at ease, although I knew he would never forget what had happened five minutes ago.
“Well, are you coming?” he wanted to know as he exited the vehicle.
I switched the vehicle off and climbed out.
“Bring the hand-held in case anybody needs us,” Tucker ordered.
Taking the hand-held communicator that was linked to the vehicle, I joined Tucker at the entrance.
After twelve years of buying at a particular shop, one gets to know the people and I was greeted by the owner and his wife. They seemed genuinely impressed by the uniform.
“Well, Han! Look at you. Our very own Officer. We’ll really sleep better at night now. And who is this?” the aging woman wanted to know from me.
“Sergeant Tucker; Mr and Mrs Luke,” I introduced.
“We’re so pleased to meet Han’s partner,” Mr Luke lisped in his funny accent.
I’ve never quite figured out exactly where they originated from. They were neither from Oriental, nor one of the Equatorial Clans. They had the darker skins of the Mountain Clans, but did not fit in that category either, their skin-tone having a more metallic sheen to it. They always, quite carefully, avoided any questions leading in that direction.
Right now, I hoped they would not embarrass me in front of Tucker.
It was too late.
“It is so interesting that Han chose the path of Security Officer. You know, we met him when he was just so high,” Mr Luke tapped his hip. “I caught him stealing food. His father left him without a thing in the apartment. No food and no money. We took care of him for a while.”
I remembered distinctly that I was a virtual slave for a few weeks, cleaning and packing the store until I had ‘worked’ off my debts.
It was soon after that episode that I had discovered my gift at gambling; and never looked back. I became a model citizen overnight.
“And now we really have to get some pastries and be on our way. Please,” I encouraged Mrs Luke away from Tucker.
“What type do you want?” I asked an amused Tucker.
“Fruit and savoury. An equal mix, about twelve of each, and some juice.”
Well that was an easy order to fill. I hoped he was paying for it.
I came back with Tucker’s order and was relieved when he actually did pay for everything.
I bought some chocolate slabs for myself. I found it helped with the irritability I had been experiencing the last few months.
It was becoming progressively worse and I was thinking of having myself checked out by a proper physician. The medic at the academy had given me an all-clear on my physical, but I was still not feeling my old self.