Walking out of This World

Twenty Nine

The scripted images of words and mug shots appear to be exercising an overwhelming claim on his attention. He doesn't look up when I slip into his office.

"Hmm...captain."

His head bobs up and his eyes search my face for some recollection of a person he should know.

"Danny? What happened to Jenkins?" The words come twisting out of Captain Jeff's face, working their way into the space between us.

"No more Jenkins. It's officer Daniel Moore. He's come to wash your dirty laundry!" I put my hands on the front of his desk, leaning forward, eyes shooting light arrows into his.

A visible shiver jumps through his body. His legs reach out and push the chair back, eyes flashing back and forth...looking for some reasonable explanation.

"What happened to you? The long hair is gone...and...no beard...and...and...no tweed coat...officer's uniform!"

Silence captures the room like a movie paused for the purpose of taking care of some momentary interruption. The back story quickly plays in my brain.

John and I taking one last look at the dismantled medicine chest.

The new mirror waiting for a face...A patched wall, complete with matching paint.

The box of plastic bags held tightly held on my lap... waiting for the local FBI office to open.

It was time to deliver the goods rather than spinning their wheels and sending them down blind alleys while the whole dirty business was working its will behind their backs.

"Officer Daniel Moore reporting."

"Where's Jenkins?"

"John and I put him away."

Mr. FBI—Tom—took a look in John's direction. "Oh come on you're Jenkins...just a cleaned up version...Why?"

"That's another story."

I slide the box onto his desk. "Just take a look at what we've brought you!"

He carefully opened the box like one of those bomb specialists. "Okay. A bag of weed."

"Yeah! This is the last bag of weed that's coming out of the upper room. All you guys have to do is follow our lead to their distribution center, make some arrests and give the offshore guys a good reason to leave."

I pulled my cell phone out of its belt pouch, flicked it on and gave Mr. FBI a look see at the screen. "That's the back room where the boxes are unloaded from the truck that claims to be Cindy's Flower Wagon."

Mr. FBI zooms his eyes in for a closer look. "Some guy with muscles popping out of his shirt is pulling flowers out of a vase.There's weed packed in plastic bags."

"How'd you get in there to plant the eye?"

"I used to be Jenkins. And...well...Jenkins was the guy everyone depended on to pull all the strings and weave the web."

"Is this real time?" He's already standing and putting on his flack jacket with FBI written in white across the back. "Let's get a couple more guys and head out there!"

We scrambled into a black van. "Wait just one little moment! The civilian can't come!"

"He's with me. Undercover, you know."

Mr. FBI takes a sideways glance at John and nods his head. "Alright. But if he gets hurt its on you!"

My brain flips back to present time.

"I have a little video clip to show you, Captain Jeff." His arms squish into his chest and his eyes start popping in response to the movie unfolding for the viewing pleasure of his startled brain.

Two guys with white FBI letters stamped on their backs are crashing through the front door of the S And S Delivery company. "FBI!" is yelled into the room. Two shots are fired and FBI moves into the back room, where they meet up with two more guys waving guns and shouting the same message.

The driver of the van is hanging off the grip of some tall FBI guy who joined the first two from the back door. Mr. Muscles and a little squeaky geek are laying flat on the floor, being handcuffed.

John holds up one of the bags of weed for the camera's viewing pleasure.

The screen goes black. Before Jeff can get one word out of his tumbling brain he hears, "Stand up and turn around!"

Officer Daniel lifts Captain Jeff to his feet, gives his body a quick twist and clamps a set of hand cuffs around his wrists. "You have the right to remain silent. If you so desire a lawyer will be appointed for you. And, anything you say can and will be used against you...Or...something to that effect." Officer Daniel stuffs a card into Captain Jeff's front pocket. "It's all explained on the card."

"You can't get away with this! I'll tell about your cut of the money...and all the rest of it..to the FBI!"

"Your way to late. I already told them. Bringing you in is the first step toward my redemption! It's going to be a long and painful road. But, I'm walking it! And, by the way I have a new friend helping me...Maybe John will show you how to meet him."

Officer Daniel helps Captain Jeff to the open door of his office where two more officers are waiting to take him away.

Officer Daniel''s fingers fly across the face of his phone.

"Jenkins?" Warren answers.

"Yeah. We've got to meet in the upper room! Things are turning sideways!"

"What do you mean?"

"Jeff just got arrested. We have to meet in the upper room tonight!"

"Tonight?"

"Yeah. That'll do. And bring the girls. I'll call Stacey!" The sound of Warren's gasping voice disappears with a tap of my finger on the red hangup circle.