My First Short Story

Emma clears her throat as she rolls down the window of her all-black Dodge Charger. "Hi, I'm detective Em..." "License!" Barked back a young man suited in a green camo uniform. Glancing at his uniform she notices his surname is Taylor. Emma notes that he looks identical to the young man behind him. As she reaches down to unclasp her badge, Taylor reaches over an aggressively grabs her badge out of her hand. She can hear clone two wrestling with a clipboard. Breathing deeply to calm down, Emma glances at Taylor and clone number two and studies their every move. Taylor grabs the clipboard out of clone two's hands, as clone two came in a closer view. Emma can see his name patch, Val. "You're not permitted Ma'am," Taylor said in a stern response. 

"Taylor, before you so nicely interrupted me before I was going to explain why I'm here. So now I'll start over." Emma says with confidence and no hesitation. As Taylor shifted his weight on his feet, and his blank stare looks as if he is fighting back an intense eye roll."Now let me introduce myself, I am detective Emma Stalen with the East Side detectives unit. I'm here in regards to a new case that happened in my town involving someone residing in this base, and before you even get the urge to interrupt me again because I can see it in your face coming. This base is in my jurisdiction and as long as a resident in my county is the victim, I'm involved. Now I'll have that." Pointing to her badge.  

Emma opens her car door and confidently gets to her feet. Both men glance at each other. Taylor stutters " Ma'am, ma'am, Ms. Stalen please get back in your car!" Emma glares and grabs her badge and ID back from Taylor. Giving a smirk and a tilting her head in response. "Taylor, Val." Glancing in their respective presence. "Like I stated before I'm investigating a case. You don't want to get in my way, now please excuse me." Turning on her heel, she heads back into her car. "Private Val, guard shack to headquarters, I repeat guard shack to headquarters.” A static response. “ Go ahead guard shack.” Emma puts her car in drive and before she drives into the base she glances over in the direction of the now frantic young soldiers. “You boys have a nice day.”

Emma races off into the direction of the main building that sits in the middle of the gated barracks compound. Glancing around she counts eight buildings that looked as if they were copied and pasted right there. Huffing to herself. “Another thing that is cloned in the great ole’ state of Texas.” As she parks her car, four men emerge from the building nearly racing with the speed of an Olympic sprinter, into her direction. She takes in another big breath. “Here we go.” Showing her badge. “Emma Stalen detectives unit in East Side, I’m looking for someone in charge.” “Ma’am, I am going to say this once, I am not asking you, I’m telling you to leave,” Emma Smirks in the response of Sergeant Sil’s loud demeanor of a remark. “Mister Sil. I’m detective Em.” “I know who you are!” Once again Emma was cut off. As her patience wears thin, she reminds herself to stay calm and polite. Emma clears her throat and takes in the stale Fall air “And you know that I’m investigating a matter that involves someone on this base and if you even think about saying what clone one and two down there said. You can stop yourself right there.” Exhaling to calm the small tremors that occur when Emma gets worked up. She begins to walk past the four of them into the direction they came from. Starring blankly the four men don’t move they just stand there and accept defeat. As Emma enters the building. Sil emerges from behind her. In a quiet and soft tone, "the captain is in that room teaching the rest of the battalion. Please wait here while I get him." Without hesitation, Emma barges into that room. 

The captain was startled and glances in her direction. As she approaches him he turns back to face his battalion and continues his lecture. Emma feels anger and instantly interrupts him. "Excuse me." She says sternly. "Emma Stalen" Reaching up with her badge to introduce herself. The captain turns, he quickly glances at her badge and back to her. "Captain Berns." A quick and confident response. "Ms. Stalen, I'm assuming it is Ms. Because no fool in his right mind would involve himself with an arrogant woman like yourself." The class erupts in laughter.

Feeling defeated, Emma smirks and tilts her head walking as to be almost on top of the Captain's toes. "You see I have a case that’s why I’m here. A man from here raped an innocent 16-year-old girl who was in distress from her car breaking down. A man in YOUR battalion raped her." Emma states, walking around the captain and glancing around the room for a face that might look guilty.

With anger filling his voice, Captain Berns says to Emma "If you could wait in the hallway I’m busy here. I'll be wrapping up soon." Taking one last glance in the room, she struts to the hallway and patiently waits. A loud stern Captain says to the room "I have two rules don't embarrass me and don't embarrass the Army. One of you has fucked up!" The door slams shut and outcomes the Captain. Ms. Stalen what can I help you with. "Well, captain first I need your full cooperation." "No, Ma'am I need evidence first and not just your assumptions."

Opening her notepad, as she reads out loud all five men glance at each other. "Blue Subaru, bald, well-built young guy, caucasian, wore a green shirt and camo pants." As the captain's face turns from a perfect tan to now a pale yellow. Emma continues with her confidence. "Now captain, get all your men down here, every person with that car make and color lined up outside. I’ll wait." Turning on his heels and walking back into the classroom.

Emma's phone chimes. Glancing at the caller ID she rolls her eyes. Before she can greet the caller on the other line. A loud old man screams "why in the hell are you making a big deal down there?" "Sir I have to go I am busy here." Hanging up the same time as eight men stride out of the room followed by the Captain. "Thank you for cooperating," Emma says sarcastically to the Captain.

Standing across from the men accompanied by the Captain, Emm begins her introduction and then her interrogation. "My town butts up to the backside of this base. The town has 2,372 residents. No make that 2,371, Mr. Jones 85 veteran of Korea died of 2 yr battle to lung cancer." Emma slowly paces up and down the line of men. "Like my daddy said, in our small town, we all know everyone. Making this raping not go unnoticed. I have a witness to this rape of Sarah Davis, forward basketball position, only daughter. Her father works nights and her mom was caring for her ill mother three blocks away from when one of you. Drove two miles from where her car broke down. And two blocks away from home. When you pulled into the abandoned mill. Reached over Sarah’s seat declined it. Forced yourself on top of her and raped her so long that her voice is now horse from her pleading you to stop and from her screaming for help."

The Captain chimes in. "I have a set of rules and regulations and whoever raped this young girl better step forward so that this officer can take you away before I hand you in myself." He glances at Emma. As he walks toward a private named Meckes glancing toward him almost to scare him to death. What am I missing thinking Emma and that just then? Captain says "You go turn yourself in before I handle this situation my damn self."

Emma glances as her eyes get large and she doesn't blink. Walking towards the Captain. "Impressive" Emma says sarcastically to the Captain. "Meckes, what's your first name?"

 "Trevor" "Trevor Meckes you're under arrest."  "Meckes, you’ll have a witness go with you."

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