Enemies Domestic
By Gavin Reese
Download THREE stories featuring Detective Alex Landon.
Copyright © 2017 by Gavin Reese Publications LLC.
Published by Cyanide Publishing 2017
www.cyanidepublishing.com
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Although based on some portions of true events, this is a work of creative fiction. The characters and their names, along with the events, plots, and motives are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Foreword
All cops are not created equal. When I try to define a “cop,” I don’t think of the morbidly obese office rat who’s a liability in a foot pursuit. I think of the workers, the producers, the hustlers. The cops who show up every day to make a difference, love taking the assailant to jail, and are first on–scene at “Man With A Gun” calls. You’re my heroes, and the world is a better and safer place because you exist in it.
The Enemies Series depicts the harsh realities of policing American streets today. Our police officers have always been social workers, negotiators, bare-knuckle fist fighters, marriage and family counselors, and child psychologists; following 9/11, positions such as close-quarters-combat specialists, intel officers, EOD specialists, and Terrorism Liaison Officers have become much more common. We have graciously accepted roles and assignments that had been the exclusive purview of military and national intelligence services. We have stepped to the domestic front lines to protect the American Homeland from global terror campaigns and, more recently, focused additional resources on homegrown terrorists who wish us harm from within.
I hope officers find the Enemies Series an authentic representation of our daily efforts to hold the Thin Blue Line, and that the protagonists' personal struggles and perseverance help inspire them to suit up and fight again tomorrow. The circumstances into which our dispatchers routinely direct us are often stranger than fiction, and I believe our most vocal opponents would benefit from seeing, reading, and feeling our day-to-day lives. What most folks would consider an outrageous, life-altering travesty, we call Tuesday, and unceremoniously move on to the next pending call.
I hope the public we serve and protect finds in these characters a group of everyday heroes to love, admire, and trust. More importantly, I hope they realize these same heroes presently fill the squad cars and precincts in their neighborhoods and hometowns.
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I have to thank my wife. You have proven to me time and again that no one in the world is stronger than a dedicated cop spouse. You’re among a truly special breed of person who gives us the support, the room, and the commitment to live out our purpose. This profession isn’t a job, or even a career. I would, at the barest minimum, call it a lifestyle. Most accurately, it is a calling. Cop work performed simply for a paycheck will never be worthwhile; there are simply too many negative impacts on our personal lives, and on the ones we love. For my part, I couldn’t have done it alone, Darlin’. I owe you more than I can ever repay in time, missed family events and holidays, hopes and dreams (both delayed and crushed), a predictable home life, and financial security that my calling hasn’t yet allowed. You have stood by me through thick and thin, accolades and persecution, and you’ve loved me far more deeply than I deserve. This novel is as much yours as it is mine. You’re the love of my life; my lobster, my quail, my soul mate in this life and beyond. Thanks for playing along. Mo Anam Cara.
I would be excessively remiss if I didn’t specifically thank a few other folks who made this possible. J, you started my writing career, although I had no understanding of where that first essay would lead. A sergeant once called me a “Gen Xer with a Greatest Generation work ethic;” you and L are primarily responsible for my intrinsic values and motivations that brought about that compliment, certainly among the greatest I’ve ever received. You, too, are among my heroes.
L, you brought us up to dream big, pursue our dreams with reckless abandon, and never compromise our integrity along the way. You gave freely of your time, love, support, advice, and expertise; thank you, more than you know. We effectively grew up together, and you remain among my best and closest friends to this day. More than anyone else, you’re most responsible for the successes in my life.
T, you came into this game a bit late, and I genuinely appreciate your buy-in, support, humor, and willingness to be a friend. I love you all, and I owe you all more than I can ever repay.
R&P, you somehow span my Venn diagram of parents, friends, and family. You have had more influence in my life than you know, and I’m a better person and citizen for it. You showed me what a healthy partnership looks like, and I learned how to be a better husband, mentor, and father because of you both.
Abuelo, I can’t put this into words, but I’m willing to try. You’re the longest running, greatest, and best model in my life for how to be a just and righteous father, parent, man, neighbor, and American citizen. Regardless of what advice I’ve needed, I never had to look farther than you. Thank you for setting and maintaining a high example for all of us.
Abuela, you’ve given us all unconditional love from our first moments on this Earth, and we felt that even when we earned righteous discipline. You taught us about the importance of Family, and the reality that we can always count on each other. Family first, all the time, every time. I doubt either of us imagined how far my definition of “family” would eventually stretch.
I also want to thank my squadmates. My Brothers and Sisters In Blue. We’ve kept each other safe, fought and bled together, cried together, rejoiced together, and, somehow, managed to complain through it all (usually about change or the way things are). More than once, we’ve lived through mistakes that could’ve killed us, but Murphy smiled on us more than we deserved and allowed us to live to see the debrief. We’ve saved lives together, hunted and found the Bad Man, and brought relief to innumerable victims. It’s been a helluvuh ride, and I’m grateful to have served alongside you. I’m honored to wear our badge and patches, and I’m humbled that we get to serve our community and nation in this manner. Thanks for tolerating my rants, tirades, and bitching, as well as the constant self-assigned tasks. Your love and support mean almost everything to me. She wins out over all of you, if it ever really came down to it, but all you assholes are a very close second.
To my lifelong friends, I simply want to thank you. You all knew me before the badge’s siren song lured me in, and you managed to accept this cal
ling and purpose, probably because you were tired of loaning me beer money. This life and my calling have proved difficult for all of us at times, and, for my part, I could’ve made several better decisions when adversity came between yours, mine, and ours. Thanks for sticking it out and seeing it through to the other side. The next round’s on me. Seriously, I swear.
To the rest of my family, my actual, red-blooded kin: you are, collectively, both the nature and nurture that led me to this calling, and allowed me to live such a life as to pass the background. Your religious dedication to abstract ideas like the Rule of Law, Faith, Justice, Morality, Community, Nationalism, and Service all made me who I am, and I firmly believe these cornerstones have made me successful. Sorry about all the missed holidays, I’m pretty sure Thanksgiving and Christmas fall on my RDOs this year. I’ll let you know what the boss says, but we may already be down to shift minimums…just for something different.
I owe a special debt of gratitude to my friends and family who made time to provide guidance, constructive criticism, and support during this project. This would’ve been a far inferior product without you, and I hope you’re willing to continue on.
For anyone considering a career in law enforcement, please ponder this: if you don’t wake up in the morning with a deep, burning desire to be a cop; if you aren’t willing to fight for those unable to defend themselves, even if they hate you; if you aren’t willing to walk alone in dark places and hunt Bad Men who don’t want to be found; if you can’t imagine yourself harming, shooting, or killing another human being in defense of your life or that of another…please, I urge you, go sell insurance. Unless God has called you to defend His people from Evil, go do something else that won’t get you, your partner, or the public beaten, maimed, or killed. This isn’t all fun and games; life behind the badge is far less glamorous, and far more psychologically and emotionally dangerous than Hollywood has led you to believe. Opportunities to serve your communities abound outside cop work, and you should relentlessly pursue them. However, if you have the requisite, intrinsic courage and moral compass, have been blessed with a heart of service, and aren’t a closet sociopath, we welcome your application.
In God We Trust; all others we Clear-and-List.
Gratum in obsequium,
Gavin
Cast of Characters
Dry Creek Police Department Officials
Detective Alex Landon: Neighborhood Enforcement Unit (NEU) investigator
Detective Ronald Berkshire: Terrorism Liaison Officer
Detective Wall: Property & Persons investigator
Detective Mike Hansen: Property & Persons investigator
Detective Michele Lindsey: NEU investigator
Detective Douglas Melner: NEU investigator
Detective Sergeant Rudiger: Supervises Property & Persons and Sex Crimes units
Detective Sergeant Jones: NEU supervisor
Detective Lieutenant Dobbins: Supervises Criminal Investigations Division
Patrol Officer Bradley Johnson
Patrol Officer Dennis Talbert
Patrol Officer Scott James
Sergeant David Templeton: Patrol supervisor and SWAT Team Leader
Chief McNulty
Lieutenant Herrmann: Patrol and SWAT Commander
Additional Police Officers and Federal Agents
Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Donnie Williams
Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Nick Xyphos
Federal Bureau of Investigation Assistant Special Agent In-Charge White: JTTF Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent In-Charge Franklin Tubbs
Montana Highway Patrol Trooper William J. Raheps
Montana Highway Patrol Captain James Willoughby
Beaverhead County Deputy Sheriff Wilford Nichols
Buckeye (AZ) Police Department Sergeant Bradley Schultz
Civilians
Jonathan Michael Patrick McDougal: resigned US Army Captain
Colleen McDougal: wife of Jonathan and mother to Michael
Michael Patrick McDougal: son of Jonathan and Colleen
Genevieve “Gen” Landon: wife of Alex Landon
Marjorie McDougal: mother to Jonathan and Billy
William “Billy” McDougal: brother to Jonathan
Ned “Cleveland” Foster: known leader of The Chosen Few
Mikey: member of The Chosen Few
Paul: member of The Chosen Few
William “Duke” Augustus Bennett
Joe “Rocky” Degliani: SSH Security Officer
Tom McNealy: SSH Security Officer
David Martinez: SSH Security’s Dayshift Watch Commander
Dominic Divorjac: Dry Creek resident and low-level criminal
Oaths of Office
Arizona Peace Officers
“I, Alexander David Landon, do solemnly swear, that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution and laws of the State of Arizona, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and defend them against enemies, foreign and domestic, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge, the duties of a Peace Officer, to the best of my ability, so help me God.”
United States Army Officer
“I, Jonathan McDougal, having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of Captain, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.”
Blood Oath of The Chosen Few Militia
“I, William Edward McDougal, do solemnly swear as a free man, that I will support and defend the original Constitution of the true United States of America, and I will do so against enemies foreign, domestic, and within its own tyrannical government. I understand that following in my Founding Fathers’ footsteps risks my treasure, my life, and my liberty, should we fail. I swear to guard my Brethren and Commanders with my life, to protect our Godly and righteous work, and that I will never betray my oath, upon penalty of my willful Death.”
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Cast of Characters
Oaths of Office
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Eight
Thirty-Nine
Forty
Forty-One
Forty-Two
Forty-Three
Forty-Four
Forty-Five
Forty-Six
Forty-Seven
Forty-Eight
Forty-Nine
Fifty
Fifty-One
Fifty-Two
Fifty-Three
Fifty-Four
Fifty-Five
Fifty-Six
Fifty-Seven
F
ifty-Eight
Fifty-Nine
Sixty
Sixty-One
Sixty-Two
Sixty-Three
Sixty-Five
Sixty-Six
Sixty-Seven
Sixty-Eight
Sixty-Nine
Seventy
Seventy-One
Seventy-Two
Seventy-Three
Seventy-Four
Seventy-Five
Seventy-Six
Seventy-Seven
Seventy-Eight
Seventy-Nine
Eighty
Eighty-One
Eighty-Two
Eighty-Three
Eighty-Four
Eighty-Five
Eighty-Six
Eighty-Seven
Eighty-Eight
Eighty-Nine
Ninety
Ninety-One
Ninety-Two
Ninety-Three
Ninety-Four
Ninety-Five
Ninety-Six
Ninety-Seven
Ninety-Eight
Ninety-Nine
One-Hundred
One-Hundred-One
One-Hundred-Two
One-Hundred-Three
One-Hundred-Four
One-Hundred-Five
One-Hundred-Six
Epilogue
Gavin Reese
One
Maricopa County island. North Buckeye, Arizona.
A bare, red lightbulb intended for photography dark-rooms hung from the rough ceiling inside a small rotting plywood shed, expelled the nighttime darkness immediately beyond the open doorway, and cast Duke and his malicious undertaking in its eerie glow. Seated on an aging, rickety metal stool before a shoddy plywood-and-two-by-four workbench, he carefully placed a soldering iron upon a porcelain tile to avoid burning himself and the rough, splintery surface. At least I won’t hear the boom, he thought. Wiping his sweaty hands atop his faded, six-color-desert fatigue pant legs, Duke took a deep, calming breath, shut his eyes, and gently opened and closed his hands to relax his unsteady fingers. After several unsuccessful seconds, he decided to break from his deadly efforts to better calm himself; opening his eyes, he carefully scooted the stool back away from the workbench and slowly stood on the unsteady wood floor. The beams strained and creaked beneath his weight as Duke first stretched his lower back, and then removed a small metal case that contained a stash of hand-rolled cigarettes and an American flag-engraved Zippo lighter from his right cargo pants pocket before turning to his right and approaching the shed’s only doorway.