“Crashed” Part 11
“Good morning, Mr. Miller,” the young MP said as Ken brought the pickup to a stop. “We’re going to give your vehicle a quick once-over, and then you’ll be free to go. Sorry for the inconvenience, sir, but my orders are to check anything coming or going.”
Ken nodded, doing his best to keep his expression neutral.
The MPs began their inspection. Mirrors slid beneath the truck. One of them moved slowly along the frame, sweeping an electronic device back and forth, its steady beep filling the air.
Ken watched them in the rearview mirror.
Two MPs. Both focused now on the back of the truck.
They paused. Whispered to one another.
Then the pickup jolted.
Not hard — just enough. A sudden shift, like a gust of wind hitting the side of the vehicle. The truck swayed left, then settled.
Cellima, Ken thought.
Beside him, Patty sat rigid in the passenger seat, fighting every instinct to react. She knew it too. Cellima must have seen or heard something — something that triggered her to move.
She jumped.
God only knows where she went, Patty thought. Thank God she’s still cloaked.
The MPs reacted instantly.
Weapons up. Fingers tight on triggers. They scanned the surrounding tree line and open ground, eyes sharp, bodies tense.
But no shots were fired.
Ken turned to Patty. By now, she was visibly shaken.
“She’ll be okay, honey,” he whispered. “We just need to keep our composure. There are going to be questions.”
Patty nodded, eyes fixed straight ahead.
“Our story is ignorance,” Ken continued quietly. “No matter how many times they ask — we didn’t know. We didn’t see anything. Got it?”
“Yes,” Patty whispered back. “Yes, Ken. I understand.”
They braced themselves.
The young MP approached the driver’s side window.
“Sorry about all the commotion, Mr. Miller,” he said. “I’m not sure if you noticed, sir, but we had a slight incident occur behind your vehicle.”
Ken’s head snapped toward him.
“Incident?” he said. “What incident? What are you talking about?”
The MP hesitated. There was genuine concern on his face.
“Sir, I’m not at liberty to go into details regarding anything that occurs here. Lieutenant Hayes is en route and will explain everything to you shortly.”
Ken gripped the steering wheel but said nothing.
“Please don’t be alarmed,” the MP continued, keeping his voice steady. “I’m going to have to ask you to shut off your engine and remain seated in the vehicle until the Lieutenant arrives.”
He leaned down slightly, angling himself to see Patty through the passenger-side window.
“Good morning, ma’am,” he said. “As I explained to your husband, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience we may be causing. The Lieutenant is just down by the ravine and should be here momentarily. Hopefully, this will be resolved quickly.”
He straightened, adjusted the brim of his cap with two fingers, and nodded once.
Lieutenant Hayes approached with an easy, almost apologetic calm.
“I thought we were done for a while, Mr. Miller,” he said quietly. “Looks like we have a few more minutes together after all.”
Ken offered a polite smile and waited.
“Mrs. Miller,” Hayes said, acknowledging her with a brief nod before scanning the surrounding area. His eyes moved once around the checkpoint, then returned to Ken.
“Mr. Miller,” he continued, apparently satisfied with whatever he saw, “I’m going to ask that you and your wife come back with me to the command center for a short time. I need to explain what just occurred here and ask you a few standard questions. After that, you’ll be free to go.”
Ken glanced at Patty. She gave a small nod.
He turned back to Hayes. “Sure,” Ken said evenly. “I suppose so. We were forced off the property, and now, for some reason, that’s changed.” He paused, then added, “I don’t mind being the ping-pong ball.”
Hayes smiled — thin, polite, unreadable.
“Again, sir, I apologize,” he said. “If you could just follow me back, this shouldn’t take long at all.”
Ken started the engine. Whatever waited back at the command center, only God and Hayes knew.
He glanced at Patty — then eased the truck forward, following Hayes’s jeep down the newly beaten path.