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As scheduled, the black van pulled up. Waving to the truck driver, he opened the door, revealing a state trooper's uniform. Looking at the officer, the driver asked, "Are you the one I called for a pickup?"

"Yes, I am. My name is Officer Thompson, and I'm assuming you are the truck driver that saw what happened at the weigh station?" Thompson asked.

Nodding his head, he said, "Yes sir, I am."

"Good. We have towed your truck to a secure location, and I am here to pick you up and bring you to the outpost. You'll have to give an account of what happened, and produce your camera cards so we can copy them, but this is just a formality. Once we're done, you're free to go," he instructed.

"Understood," the driver said, stepping into the back of the van. Taking the first available seat, he noticed a seat belt. Not taking a chance, he buckled himself in, and Thompson came back around to the driver's seat. Putting the van in drive, they went to the outpost, passing the weigh station on the other side of the freeway. Orange cones, yellow tape, and plastic barriers had been put up since the incident, and there were several police cars there, red and blue lights still flashing. Turning back to Thompson, he asked, "Did they catch the other truck that did this?"

Thompson frowned. "No, they ditched the truck up in Hayti, and got into another one. We found the truck and are processing it, but it'll be some time before we catch them." His face turned to disgust. "What kind of people would do something like this?"

"Well, to me they looked Middle Eastern, based on the olive skin they had. I heard one of them shout in some language, but I didn't understand it," the driver reported.

Thompson's fists clenched tighter on the steering wheel. "If we catch them, I swear I'll ask to push the button myself. There's no excuse for that," he barked. Turning to the driver, he asked, "Why'd they get pulled in anyway?"

"Guy in the back wasn't buckled in. He ducked back when he saw where they were," the driver replied.

"They did this over a seatbelt ticket?!?!" Thompson exclaimed.

"Kendall wasn't even going to ticket them, he was going to give a written warning. Said something about not racially profiling them," the driver added.

"Well, they got bigger problems now. Death penalty still exists here, and I'm certain there won't be a soul alive that won't be ready to flip a switch here," Thompson guffed.

Nodding, the driver said, "Same back home. You do something like that where I'm from, the police will be the only ones keeping you alive. Everybody else will come huntin you down, and if they catch you, forget about a body recovery."

Thompson looked in the mirror. "Where you from, driver?"

"Texas," the driver replied.

Thompson smiled. "Now I understand. Didn't know why you helped out Kendall, but when I heard that come out of your mouth, now it explains a lot. Well, speaking for myself, thank you for helping the way you did. Not many people these days will stick their necks out for anyone else. You guys are a dying breed."

"I was raised to treat others like I wanted to be treated," the driver said.

"I'm glad you were. Otherwise, Kendall's wife would be receiving a worse call than she just got. Poor woman started crying her eyes out. All she asked was if he was still alive. He is going to be okay, isn't he?" Thompson asked with concern.

"I was told he should make it, but they're gonna airlift him to St. Louis," the driver said. "The leg bone got shattered with the bullet hit, and the docs here don't have the skill, according to the nurse."

"He's gonna have a long road ahead," Thompson said.

"Yes, he is," the driver replied. "At least he'll have a family to go home to though."

"Yeah," Thompson muttered. "Not like Joey. Thankfully, he wasn't married, but his mom got the bad news. She's all to pieces already. Officer's had to help her, though she had a stroke." He shook his head.

"Tell her I offer my condolences, and will try to help find these bastards. You can count on that," the driver stated.

Thompson raised his eyebrows. "You got something in that truck I need to know about?" he asked.

"No, sir," the driver replied. "I'm not packing or anything. Although, after this fiasco, it's making me rethink that logic."

"Understandable," Thompson replied. "If you come through this way anytime, we'll look the other way if you decide to. Least we can do," he winked.

The driver chuckled, then turned to the road outside. "We almost there?" he asked.

"Yup, about 2 miles away," Thompson said.

"OK, where's my truck at?" the driver inquired.

"We have a secure lot behind the station," Thompson said. "You can get your camera cards before you come in if you need to."

Giving a thumbs up, the driver agreed. "OK."

As the van came up to the station, he saw his truck parked out back in a gravel lot. Turning into the drive, it forked, and Thompson went to the back to let the driver out next to the truck. As he put the van in park, the driver unbuckled, opened the door, and stepped out. Opening the door, he retrieved his camera cards, then closed the door. Taking a quick walkaround, he returned to the van.

"What was that all about?" Thompson asked.

"Force of habit. I always take a lap around the truck to make sure everything's okay. Has my company been contacted about the situation?" the driver asked.

"Oh crap, I knew we forgot something. Don't worry about it, we'll get it straightened out," Thompson apologized. "Sorry about your log, though. Can't do anything about that."

"Don't worry about it, I changed it before I left. If you towed it, then it should still be on duty not driving," the driver replied.

Thumbs up from Thompson. "Good thinking on your part," he said. "We'll get one of us to call your company while we take your statement. You feeling okay?"

"Yeah, why?" the driver asked.

"You look a little pale," Thompson observed.

"Oh, I gave a couple pints of blood at the hospital," the driver noted. "Since I'm O positive, they needed it for Kendall."

Thompson nodded. "Ok, that makes sense. We'll see what we can scare up for you to help with that." With that, Thompson turned the van around and drove up to the front of the station. "Time to hop out."

"Yes, sir," the driver said.