Race

the only family she had, and she was right.

My mom always wanted me to grow up and get a job where I could wear a tie and people would respect me. She wanted me to be someplace safe. Instead, I joined the force. I’ve already spent a year-and-a half as a PEO and I don’t know how many years I’d spend as a narcotics officer before I could tell… my mind trailed off.

I should quit and do what my mom always wanted me to do. I could get used to wearing a tie. Quitting seemed right.

I picked up something to snack on and drove back to headquarters.

Inside the meeting room I found Garnett standing in the front. “Your forms,” he said.

“Not filling them out,” I said.

He looked at me as if I had just told him off.

“Why not?” he said.

“Personal reasons,” I said. I wasn’t going take his abuse. It no longer mattered what he thought. I was going to quit.

He wasn’t happy with my answer. But I wasn’t going to back down. He smirked, the kind of smirk that said You’ll be sorry.

I went back to my chair and sat down.

A few minutes later Sergeant Aldrich entered the room. Garnett whispered something to him and he turned to me. “Officer Rupert, can I have a word with you?”

We went out into the hall.

“I’ve just been made aware,” he started, “that you haven’t filled out your forms.”

“That’s right,” I said.

Aldrich’s features did not change even slightly. “Why is that?”

“I’m quitting.”

“Operation Anti-RACE, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“You do realize that if you quit you will not be allowed to go back to Parking Enforcement. I assure you of that.”

That was a threat. But I didn’t care.

“I’m quitting the force all together.”

I saw a slight jerk under his eyelid. For a brief second I had taken him off guard. But the next second he was calm and collected again. He raised one eyebrow.

“There isn’t anything I can do to change your mind?”

“No.”

He went silent for a minute and then I saw what looked like a smile. “What would you say if I told you after this operation I could put in a good word for you in the intelligence unit.”

Damn.

I’d always wanted to join that unit: Detective Jon Rupret, Intelligence. I liked the sound.

“You know I want to be part of that unit?” I said.

“Officer Rupert, it’s my job to know everything.”

I felt overwhelmed. There could be a possibility for me to achieve something. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a waste. Plus, I hadn’t seriously thought about what I was going to do next.

I looked at him hard.

“My recommendations are always approved,” he said as if he knew what I was thinking.

“Under one condition,” I said.

“Yes?”

“It’s Rupret. R before E.”

“Fine, Officer Rupret.”

“Thank you, sir.”

I was beginning to like him. Maybe, after all this was done, we could go fishing together. First, I’d have had to learn how to fish.

“Good. You have precisely three minutes to fill those forms and hand them to Detective Garnett.”

No. I was wrong. I really didn’t like him.

I scribbled onto the forms and handed them to Garnett. Garnett gave me an I thought so smile.

Aldrich was back at the front. “Now that we have everyone on board. Your main objective: find where Nex is being produced. There is a clandestine laboratory producing this lethal drug. We need to find and destroy it. Constable Terries, Constable Barnes and Officer Rupret, you’ll be partnered with a senior member of the unit. They have been provided with leads and they will guide you.

“Constable Terries, you’ll be with Detective Nemdharry. Constable Barnes, your partner will be Detective Herrera. Officer Rupret, you will be with Detective Beadsworth.”

Great. Mr. Uptight.

I turned and looked at him. He didn’t look back. He was going over a file.

“You’re dismissed. Keep me posted.”

SEVEN

Everyone immediately stood up and began to leave the room. I got up and went over to my new partner.

“Hi, I’m Jon Rupret, R before E,” I said.

The man did not look up, nor did he respond. He continued going over the file. He was carefully going over each page. I looked around the room and it was empty.

I coughed, hoping to get his attention. I did not.

I looked at the file and on top of it was the name: Jonathon S. Rupret.

He was reading a file on me.

He closed the file, got up, and looked at me.

With an arm extended he said, “Detective Phillip Beadsworth.”

I shook his hand, “Officer Jon Rupret-”

“-R before the E. I heard you the first time,” he replied in an accent I still couldn’t figure out. It was a mixture of British and American.

“Follow me, Officer Rupret,” he said, leaving the room.

“You can call me Jon,” I said, following behind.

“I suppose you’d like to call me Phil,” he said and stopped.

“Yes,” I said. “Just to be informal, y’know.”

“Don’t. It’s Detective Beadsworth.” He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. “Excuse me for a minute.” He went to the end of the hall and spoke for maybe two minutes. He came back and we moved to the elevators.

We went down.

“Where we going?” I asked.

“For a drive,” he said.

Outside we walked to a blue GM station wagon.

“We can take my car,” I said.

“When you drive we take your car.”

We eased out of the parking lot and into the main road. I scanned the interior of the GM. The dashboard was