Yoharie (part thirteen)

Yoharie

Jeremiah

(part thirteen)

He clipped on his holster and snugged in the Glock…subcompact, 9mm, street legal. He patted the Taser. He did not take from its holster, because he’d zapped himself early, figuring it out. (“Read. Manual,” Kate would say.) He clipped his walkie-talkie to the breast pocket of his shirt, patted also the zip-ties in his windbreaker pocket, the phone, the gum, the Milky Way.

True, when he thought of detaining suspects it crossed Hibbler’s mind he’d never had a physical fight with anyone. Even Zack, carrying that gene of self-interest Raelyn had inherited, never roughhoused. A little thump on the head, off he lit.

[Mom at the back door. “Where’s your brother?”

“I don’t know.”

“I thought I saw you two kicking the soccer ball.”

“Yeah, but he just booked. Nothing happened.”

“Well, it’s supper time. You better find him.”

(Hey, it was not always the older kid’s fault.)]

Todwillow, on these patrols, might be encountered…unwanted, but tending to be, when Hibbler got to Atlantis. Even cold months, behind the fake vine screen on his porch, waiting to startle his mentee. Squawk!

“Eyes on you, Jer. Come in. I got you something.”

The jangle and weight of Hibbler’s equipment gave an aura, donned and doffed; subordinate to Kate in the house, but strong on the street. He wore a black polo and black slacks, black windbreaker and black cap.

Watch insignia above the bill. He walked with a tick, tick, tick, like a warning.

Giarma Yoharie, bending into the trunk of her car, tensing up. Cathlyn Burris jogging, flipping a hand at him. Roberta Witticombe with her GoPro, deaf to him. Filming what looked like static action, her window boxes.

Well, he knew what the what was there. The beeeees. She got likes for this dumb shit, and other people posted their pics under her pics.

So pretty! I have native pollinating wasps this year! Someone has to tell me what species.

Here’s an old one of monarda and clearwing from 2003. Wow! Can you believe 2003’s such a long time ago now?

Hibbler followed everyone’s social. He was jenniesmom; he was ashley13. From Todwillow he had a picture of a little girl, another of a teenager. Todwillow wanted him to do all this, print the chats and haul them over—

He was not a hundred percent on this assignment.

But Todwillow…ex-CBI, don’t forget…told stories about white slavers, their backers in high places, weird gadgets that could make you sick, make you choke and fart and pee yourself.

“Don’t get in trouble with those guys.”

13

Yoharie

Yoharie (part fourteen)

(2019, Stephanie Foster)