The traffic had backed up, and everyone looked through their windows, craning their necks to see what the blue and red lights were all about. Despite the running EMTs, there was more to see.
All eyes were on the EMT and police facing each other. They were face to face and shouting at each other. But the question was why.
A Cramped Accident Scene
The five police cruisers and an ambulance took up much space and the already narrow road. The slow passing traffic that had to squeeze by made for strained work around the accident scene.
Someone had been injured, and an EMT did quick work to secure them. Another EMT, Troy, had other troubles to worry about. There was a cop car blocking their exit.
Talking To The Sergeant
It wasn't long before the injured civilian was on the stretcher. Troy spotted the Sergeant and ran to tell him the car needed to be moved. The cop took a good look at the car, looking displeased.
He lifted his head and scowled before calling out to a young cop. "Move your car!" he shouted, but the order was ignored.
Ignored
Troy was left reeling. How could the man ignore an order like that? The ambulance needed to pass through, so the Sergeant decided to take matters into his own hands. But when he tried climbing into the car, he discovered it was locked.
Troy could see his partner in his peripherals, frantically waving for him to hurry up. "We can't waste any time," he told the Sergeant. But when the Sergeant shouted his order to the subordinate again, the young cop didn't budge.
Trying To Remain Calm
One of the essential things about Troy's job was to remain calm, but he was finding it difficult. The police were sworn to serve and protect, but how were they doing so by boxing an ambulance in with their car?
He needed to find a solution and thought about pushing the car or breaking into it. His mind was reeling, but then he spotted something on the side of the road: a tow truck.
Talking To The Driver
He watched as the driver took a drink from his water bottle and nudged the Sergeant. "Maybe he can help," he said, gesturing to the truck. In the next instant, the Sergeant was running.
The Sergeant ran up to the window, catching the driver's attention. "I was called as part of the backup," he explained. "How can I help you?" The cop showed him the car blocking the road and told him to move it.
An Answer To Grin About
But before the man got down to business, the cop asked him was his drop rate was. The Sergeant smiled at Troy when the driver answered, and Troy couldn't hold back a grin of his own.
Once it was settled, Troy rushed back to the ambulance and explained everything to his partner. All they could do was wait for what happened next.
A Hook And Cable
The tow truck driver worked quickly and pulled the long cable toward to car before hooking it up. Next, he flipped the lever and let the motor do the rest of the work.
The motor whirred as it pulled the cable tight until it started lifting the front end of the cruiser. Before long, the cruiser was off the road and in the grass. The young cop was not happy.
A Fuming Temper
Troy and his partner could only see the young cop running toward his cruiser before they left and had to hear about the rest of what happened from the Sergeant.
He told them about the young cop and his fuming temper. He threw a huge fit, demanding that his car be released, but the driver didn't comply.
An Unwanted Response
"I can only let your car go once you pay the one hundred dollar drop rate," he told the cop. The youngster looked to the Sergeant with an incredulous look. "You've got to help me, Sarg," he said.
His boss's response angered the young cop. The Sergeant simply crossed his arms and explained that they had the right to remove his car if it was blocking the way of emergency services. "It's legal," he said. But the young cop was unwilling 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.