2
Checkpoint
Day Zero - 1155 hours
“Seeing the world during my stint in the Corp definitely put the traveling itch in me. I couldn’t scratch it! Might have done the same to you if you had had the chance to finish out your career. It’s a shame what happened to you. Good thing I had that notepad around, John, ‘cause I suck at Charades.
“I knew a woman who wanted to anchor me down in a relationship. We left on good terms, Marie and me. Whenever I get back to Philly I look her up.”
He threw me a wink.
“I may get down that way on my next run. Exxon has me running the entire northeastern coastline. Not enough operators to go around these days, I guess.”
I listened to the Marine veteran and stared out at the New England countryside. Sebastian downshifted as we topped another hill.
“What’s going on here?”
I looked through the sun glared, road dusted and bug splattered windshield. We started our descent to a longer flattened stretch of road. Three state police cruisers sat along the road’s grassy shoulders, their roof bubbles turning and their engines idling. Flares and cones had been set up in both directions on the two-lane highway. Officers manned the checkpoint armed with sidearms and semi-automatic rifles.
Sebastian added the air brakes to bring the tanker to a stop. Two vehicles idled in the line ahead of us, sitting between the cones. The oncoming lane was empty.
The other cars inched forward while Sebastian left the rig idling.
A trooper with a full thick mustache pointed to the driver of the Crown Vic to stop. A second trooper with a pleasant smile and beaming face, wearing a flat-brimmed Mountie style lid, approached the car. Officer Friendly motioned for the driver to lower the window. For a moment the driver did not comply. The trooper continued the gesture and moved his other hand to his revolver. Officer Magnum, P.I., who had directed the car to stop, pulled his sidearm with the barrel pointed at the asphalt.
“Geez! What the hell?” Sebastian whispered.
The driver finally rolled down the window and Officer Friendly peered through it. He spoke to the driver, nodding several times and looking around the interior. He motioned for the driver to calm down.
Officer Friendly straightened up and waved the driver through the checkpoint. The sedan sped off. Officer Friendly exhaled sharply, adjusting his lid and waving the other car, a VW Beetle, forward. The distance between the Beetle and us lengthened.
Sebastian sat with his right hand on the gear shifter and a toothpick swimming around his mouth. The bill of his cap had dropped a bit over his dull blue eyes.
“We’ll just wait here ‘til we have a clear path. No worries.”
The Beetle stopped in front of Officer Magnum. Officer Friendly approached the driver’s side and pantomimed the same as he had with the first driver.
He leaned down to the window.
Just as quickly, Friendly straightened up.
Friendly nodded to Magnum who pointed the driver to the side of the road with his weapon at the back of his thigh. The driver and the rear seat passenger both threw their hands up in the air, the passenger moving slowly. The driver shook his head, but put his hands back on the steering wheel and eased the Beetle to the soft shoulder. Two blond officers standing at the police cruisers walked over to join Officer Magnum, their fingers pressed on their rifles’ trigger guards.
Officer Friendly waved to us and pointed to the ground in front of him.
Sebastian released the air brake and moved forward. When the trooper stood even with the driver’s door, Sebastian re-engaged the hissing air brakes.
The officer hopped up.
“Sorry for the delay, gentlemen.”
Behind the tinted sunglasses, his eyes darted around the cabin.
“What can we help you with?”
“We have an Amber Alert for a young boy. Just checking all vehicles.”
“No problem, officer.”
“How you gentleman feeling?”
“All good,” Sebastian responded.
The trooper looked at me. I gave him a smile and a thumbs-up.
“He just got Stateside from the Gulf. Got a little pinch in the neck that keeps him from engaging in stimulating conversation. Best passenger ever!” Sebastian grinned.
The trooper gave me a long appraising look over his sunglasses. After a few seconds, Officer Friendly looked back at Sebastian.
“Okay, gentleman. Drive safe.”
He stepped to the pavement and waved us forward.
The occupants in the Beetle opened their doors as we passed. Sebastian double-clutched into a higher gear, exhaust billowing from the double stacks.
In the huge vertical side mirror, I watched the checkpoint get smaller. The blond troopers rushed over to the Beetle as the passenger struggled out. As we turned around a bend, Sebastian shifted again. The truck’s exhaust pipe caps exploded and popped, similar to the sound of rifle fire.
“I knew a woman who wanted to anchor me down in a relationship. We left on good terms, Marie and me. Whenever I get back to Philly I look her up.”
He threw me a wink.
“I may get down that way on my next run. Exxon has me running the entire northeastern coastline. Not enough operators to go around these days, I guess.”
I listened to the Marine veteran and stared out at the New England countryside. Sebastian downshifted as we topped another hill.
“What’s going on here?”
I looked through the sun glared, road dusted and bug splattered windshield. We started our descent to a longer flattened stretch of road. Three state police cruisers sat along the road’s grassy shoulders, their roof bubbles turning and their engines idling. Flares and cones had been set up in both directions on the two-lane highway. Officers manned the checkpoint armed with sidearms and semi-automatic rifles.
Sebastian added the air brakes to bring the tanker to a stop. Two vehicles idled in the line ahead of us, sitting between the cones. The oncoming lane was empty.
The other cars inched forward while Sebastian left the rig idling.
A trooper with a full thick mustache pointed to the driver of the Crown Vic to stop. A second trooper with a pleasant smile and beaming face, wearing a flat-brimmed Mountie style lid, approached the car. Officer Friendly motioned for the driver to lower the window. For a moment the driver did not comply. The trooper continued the gesture and moved his other hand to his revolver. Officer Magnum, P.I., who had directed the car to stop, pulled his sidearm with the barrel pointed at the asphalt.
“Geez! What the hell?” Sebastian whispered.
The driver finally rolled down the window and Officer Friendly peered through it. He spoke to the driver, nodding several times and looking around the interior. He motioned for the driver to calm down.
Officer Friendly straightened up and waved the driver through the checkpoint. The sedan sped off. Officer Friendly exhaled sharply, adjusting his lid and waving the other car, a VW Beetle, forward. The distance between the Beetle and us lengthened.
Sebastian sat with his right hand on the gear shifter and a toothpick swimming around his mouth. The bill of his cap had dropped a bit over his dull blue eyes.
“We’ll just wait here ‘til we have a clear path. No worries.”
The Beetle stopped in front of Officer Magnum. Officer Friendly approached the driver’s side and pantomimed the same as he had with the first driver.
He leaned down to the window.
Just as quickly, Friendly straightened up.
Friendly nodded to Magnum who pointed the driver to the side of the road with his weapon at the back of his thigh. The driver and the rear seat passenger both threw their hands up in the air, the passenger moving slowly. The driver shook his head, but put his hands back on the steering wheel and eased the Beetle to the soft shoulder. Two blond officers standing at the police cruisers walked over to join Officer Magnum, their fingers pressed on their rifles’ trigger guards.
Officer Friendly waved to us and pointed to the ground in front of him.
Sebastian released the air brake and moved forward. When the trooper stood even with the driver’s door, Sebastian re-engaged the hissing air brakes.
The officer hopped up.
“Sorry for the delay, gentlemen.”
Behind the tinted sunglasses, his eyes darted around the cabin.
“What can we help you with?”
“We have an Amber Alert for a young boy. Just checking all vehicles.”
“No problem, officer.”
“How you gentleman feeling?”
“All good,” Sebastian responded.
The trooper looked at me. I gave him a smile and a thumbs-up.
“He just got Stateside from the Gulf. Got a little pinch in the neck that keeps him from engaging in stimulating conversation. Best passenger ever!” Sebastian grinned.
The trooper gave me a long appraising look over his sunglasses. After a few seconds, Officer Friendly looked back at Sebastian.
“Okay, gentleman. Drive safe.”
He stepped to the pavement and waved us forward.
The occupants in the Beetle opened their doors as we passed. Sebastian double-clutched into a higher gear, exhaust billowing from the double stacks.
In the huge vertical side mirror, I watched the checkpoint get smaller. The blond troopers rushed over to the Beetle as the passenger struggled out. As we turned around a bend, Sebastian shifted again. The truck’s exhaust pipe caps exploded and popped, similar to the sound of rifle fire.
