“I’m Special Agent McBride,” said the lead agent as I met him at the entrance to the Office.

“Welcome to Custer County Agent McBride. I’m Matt Beecher. I was the one who called you guys about this case,” I replied as we shook hands.

“I understand you were a former MP?”

“Yessir. Army. Served two tours of Iraq and one in Afghanistan. I was Sheriff here for the past six years until I retired last month, but the new Sheriff has deputised me just to handle this case.”

“Did my two rookies handle themselves ok?”

I smiled.

“Whose bright idea was it to send us them?”

“My superior I’m afraid. He thought it was a hoax.”

“I guess their reports and the photos changed his mind then?”

He shook his head.

“After he sent them here, he went skiing leaving me in charge. Lots of fresh powder at Aspen. He has a cabin up there.”

The tone of his voice said a million words.

“Where are the victims?”

I smiled. He used the word ‘victim’. He went up a good few notches in my estimation.

“Out at my place. I suggested your choppers land here so as to not draw undue attention to their location. They are all safe and well. My Grandmother is looking after them.”

“You said that they were from Thailand?”

“Yes. One of the other Deputies has been to Thailand on holiday. She’s former NYPD by the way.”

“Good. Finding someone who speaks Thai is going to be hard given the weather at the moment.”

I asked,
“Do you know anything about Thai society?”

“Not a thing I’m afraid.”

“Then I’ll fill you in as I take you to see the victims. I have two trucks for your people to use. They can examine the trailer. It is safe in a barn but at the moment, it is going nowhere until the road from my place to the Interstate is cleared for a semi, unless… you have a Chinook at your disposal?”

The Agent grinned back at me as we headed out of the station.

Thankfully, the Agent listened to description of Thai society and my what we found without passing a comment.

“I can see why you didn’t want any publicity on this. The mainstream media would have a field day. The right-wing media would want them to be sent home tomorrow.”

“Thanks for being so understanding. I hope that your rookies will learn from this.”

“Where are they by the way?”

I smiled.

“Helping Ma with looking after them. She tore them off a strip and then got them helping with the food as penance for trying to stomp all over us.”

Agent McBain laughed out loud.

“Fancy a job in Denver? We need people with common sense.”

I smiled back.

“Sorry but I’m of the opinion that going through Quantico gives everyone a frontal lobotomy and removes what little common sense, people have left. Here, we don’t write tickets at the slightest infraction. We have to live amongst the people we protect. Common sense rules hereabouts. That gives us the respect of the locals and also their help when we need it.”

After a chuckle, the Agent said,
“That’s about the best putdown of the FBI I’ve ever heard.”

“Not a putdown as such, but the reality if life out here I’m afraid.”

---

After I’d shown the other agents the trailer, I took Agent McBain into the house.

“Ma, this is Special Agent McBain. His men are processing the trailer.”

“That’s more for dinner then?”

“No Ma’am. My Agents and I will bed down at the Police Station. I understand that Hank’s place is open for business?”

“Hank will do you proud. But you are here now and there will be fresh coffee and muffins in about an hour.”

“Thank you, Ma’am. My guys will appreciate them I’m sure.”

Then he took a deep breath.

“I’d like to see the victims if you don’t mind.”

“Sure, but please just look. They are still very traumatised. We have clothed them so most of what was done to them won’t be visible. We have evidential photos from when we extracted them from the cages.”

To say that the FBI team was shocked by what they saw in the barn and our photos was an understatement, to say the least.

“I’d love to put the people responsible for this into those cages and put them outside in this weather,” said one of the Agents.

There was general support for the comment. That pleased me no end.

I took Agent McBain to one side after Ma had served some refreshments.

“One of the victims speaks a bit of English. I found out that his father is supposed to be a US Navy Sailor.”

“That complicates things. How sure are you about this story?”

I smiled back at the Agent.
“He gave me his Fathers Service Number. I know from my time as an Army cop that it is a Navy Number and it seems genuine. If it turns out to be true then the event with his mother may well have happened on a visit to Thailand by a US Ship or a liaison with someone posted to the Embassy in Bangkok.”

Agent McBain nodded his head.

“I can make a few calls tomorrow to verify it,” he volunteered.

“That’s a good start. He does look quite a bit different from the others so I’m inclined to believe him at this point in time. Obviously, only a DNA test can resolve it once and for all but we are nowhere near that yet.”

He nodded. Then he sighed.
“This case keeps on getting more complicated by the minute.”

“Life is like that. Most of the time this county is quiet. Sometimes too quiet, but then every so often things happen and it is only then we very much earn our salaries.

---

The FBI people aided by Kelly created files for each of the victims. Ma kept a watchful eye on the proceedings. A few words from her tongue ensured that the children were treated with respect. It seemed that the fact that these were children who needed a whole lot of help seemed to go right over most of the FBI People’s heads. Ma took exception to the use of the word ‘illegals’ right from the start.

“Don’t you people know that these poor boys have been brought here against their will and then fucked about with just to satisfy the perverted dreams of some rich Americans?”

For Ma to swear was almost unheard of but it seemed to work and the agents got the message.

Kelly and the one victim that could speak a little English were invaluable in making sure that the details recorded by the FBI were as accurate as possible.

I kept close company with Agent McBain. Despite his good words, I didn’t fully trust him… yet.

I did take the time to email an old ‘Service’ buddy of mine who worked for the VA (Veterans Administration) in DC. I asked him to quietly check the service number that the boy whom we’d christened ‘Joe’ had given us. I wasn’t expecting a reply before the new year but I could hope.

All the boys were responding to being in a warm place and having lots of good food. We discovered that they’d been travelling for two ‘periods of daylight’ before we discovered them. We confirmed that when we found two small holes in the roof of the trailer.

I guessed that the long time was due to the circuitous route that the truck had taken to avoid the numerous state inspection stations. There had been no attempt to hide the cargo behind other goods, so any agent or Police Officer opening the rear door would see the cages in a flash.

I'd read about the lengths that people smugglers went to to get their cargo's over national borders. There was none of that here which led me to believe that the cargo was expendable. It also explained why the driver or drivers of the rig had simply bolted when confronted by Kelly in her Police SUV.

Late the next day, Doc Evans returned from Denver. Danny SWA stopped him near the truckstop exit and directed him to our place. At first, the FBI people didn't want to let him in to see the children but once again, a dose of Ma's tongue-lashing stopped them from acting.

“He’s what we rely upon for medical help in this county. You are more than welcome to send for reinforcements from Denver but three of these unfortunates are running a fever. The Doc will have the drugs to treat them. If you stop him then I will make it my lives work to send you to Nome for the rest of your time in the service.

Agent McBain and I arrived just to see the end of her haranguing.

“The doctor is to be given unfettered access to the victims. As Ma says, they might be here illegally but that does not stop us from being humans.”

“That is some woman your Ma,” he remarked when the doc had been let in to attend to the victims.

“She’s actually my Grandmother, but she raised my brother and me so we naturally called her Ma.”

“I know what you mean,” he replied with a wry smile on his face.

His accent told me that he was probably from Louisiana or someplace close by. Families stick by their kin in that part of the world. I didn’t pry though.

Doc Evans diagnosed six cases of Urine Tract Infections. An FBI agent was dispatched with him to return with the drugs from his office in town.

At the end of the day, I took him aside for an update.

“What happens next?” I asked.

He thought for a moment before answering.

“My team will as planned bunk down in your Offices tonight. We are just about done collecting information. I’ll write up my report tonight and send it off to Quantico. Who will be there to act upon it, I have no idea. I do know one thing and that Homeland will soon get to hear about this and they’ll come barging in with their size fifteens. For the sake of those poor children, I need to get the right people in the loop on this so that Homeland don’t mess up not only my witnesses but start thinking of sending them back to Thailand. I’ve seen them in action and it is not pretty.”

“Agent, we are on the same side here especially with the one that claims to have a Navy Sailor as a father. He does look quite a bit different to the rest. It would be nice if there is a happy ending to this but somehow, I don’t think so.”

“You might be right there, Sheriff.”

“I have one favour to ask you Agent.”

“If I can I’ll help. What is it?”

“In your report, please don’t mention Kelly by name. There are some in her family that want to cause her harm. If her name gets into the media I really don’t want them coming out here to settle old scores. There is a very big reason why she left New York and that reason is her family.”

Agent McBride smiled back at me.

“I spent ten years at the New York Field Office until this time last year. I thought I recognised her face from the gutter press about five or six years ago. From what I have seen with my own eyes, she is a very professional and competent officer. I won’t mention her by name in my report. I just wish that more of my people were like the team you have here.

“They aren’t my team now but thanks for the compliment,” said Matt.

“They all look up to you. Even if you aren’t wearing the Sheriff’s badge, you are the boss in a situation like this. A wise head and all that…”

We both smiled. I decided that I could trust him after all.

---

Agent McBride was good on his promise to make some calls and more calls and more calls. I tuned out after about the fifth call where he went through the whole story yet again. What I did note was that he was going up the command chain in the FBI. From some of the initial interactions more than a few of those on the end of the calls were not best pleased to be called away from their holidays.

Eventually, he reached a deputy director at the DOJ. I was impressed by his doggedness. I would not want to be in the shoes of his immediate boss when the repercussions came back down the command chain. I hoped that the snow in Aspen was the best that it had been since the millennium and that his clear dereliction of duty would come back to bite him badly. Agent McBride didn’t hide the dereliction of duty that his boss had shown on this case. More than once did I wonder if he was after his bosses job.

After the last call, Agent McBride breathed a sigh of relief.

“That was an education,” I commented.
“In how persistency can open all sorts of doors.”

He smiled back at me.
“It helps to have a father who is a Senator and who also sits on the Justice Committee.”

“As I found out. What is the DOJ going to do?”

“Hopefully, they will instruct Homeland to take a hike. We have a clear criminal conspiracy going on here. People trafficking, abuse of minors and murder are just the ones I can think up off the top of my head. I will try to make sure that Homeland keep their hands off our witnesses.”

I looked at my watch,
“Time for some coffee?”

“And muffins?”

I grinned.
“Spiced ones if the smells coming from the kitchen are anything to go by.”

---

“We walked into the kitchen to find a scene of organised chaos. Ma was grinning from ear to ear as a veritable horde of children ran riot around her kitchen.

Normally, Ma would raise hell if anything was out of place but for once, she was letting children be children.

“Coffee is in the pot and the muffins are about ready… If I could get to the oven… There is also tea in the big brown pot. That is all that our visitors will drink. One of them showed me how to make it their way. I let them take charge of that.”

I nodded back at her and moved forward and cleared a space in front of the oven. Within seconds, there was a sea of faces waiting excitedly for what was in the oven.

For half an hour a serene calm settled over the kitchen. The muffins went down well with everyone. All too soon, normality resumed especially the phone of Agent McBride.

He went out into the cold to take one call. I guessed that it was important.

---

Agent McBride stuck his head around the door and motioned to me to follow him outside.

“Some news and not all of it good.”

“I’m all ears.”

“We need to get everyone out of here.”

“That’s pretty obvious. The Interstate should be clear by now.”

“That’s part of the problem. What can get out, can get in.”

“Homeland?”

“Yes, and they are not responding to orders to stop from the Assistant AG no less. It seems that the current head of Homeland wants to become the next AG and cozying up to the views of POTUS is his ticket upwards.”

“And the good news?”

"We as in the FBI have arranged to house the children at an Air Force base near Colorado Springs. That will keep Homeland away for the time being. At least there, they can get proper medical assessment and treatment. Denver field office has opened a formal child trafficking case and we will make sure that each of the children is identified and listed as a material witness in the case.

“There is only one thing wrong with that plan.”

The agent looked puzzled.
“Why?”

“Living at the back end of the state and with the Colorado state line less than 10 miles away, we are all very aware of the legal implications of going over that invisible line in the sand. Taking a group of children into Colorado could be seen as child abduction or worse, child trafficking.”

Agent McBride shook his head.
“Are you sure that you don’t want to come and work for the Feds?”

I chuckled.
“I’ve done my time with a Federal organization… as in the US Army. No, once this is done, I’m retiring to Northern California.”

“I’d better get my folder of evidence prepared to put in front of a Judge and get them put into protective custody.”

“Better make it a Federal one… as we are intending on crossing state lines.”

“I know just the one. He owes me a favor.”

---

The subject of how to get a bunch of children out of the area undetected began to weigh heavily on my mind for several hours. Then, I remembered a small bus that had been sitting on the back lot at Danny SWA's workshop for a month. He’d towed it from a dirt road a long way on the other side of the Interstate. It had blown a head gasket which Danny had repaired and was just waiting for the owner to come and claim it. Danny wasn’t worried as he’d been paid in advance for the repair.

The USP for this bus was that it had been modified to go off-road. The owner was intending on entering it in the next running of the Baja 500. It would be perfect for the very snowy roads.

I wandered into the barn to make a phone call. The semi-trailer was still parked. At least the doors were closed making the smell a little more bearable.

“Danny? Matt.”

“Yes, they are doing well. Running Ma ragged.”

“Yes, the feds are here but more are on their way in the shape of Homeland.”

“You got it in one. The feds had arranged to get the children onto a USAF base in Colorado Springs. To cut a long story short, I need to borrow that off road bus that is sitting on your lot.”

I chuckled as I listened to what Danny was saying.
“Something like that. We don’t want to be headed off at the pass.”

“Great. How are things in town?”

“That’s good to know. I’ll come by and get the bus. We have to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.”

“Thanks Danny. I knew that I could count on you.”

I hung up and smiled. That man was a one-off. It was a pity that the Sioux nation didn't see it that way. He had crossed swords… or should that be tomahawks with the Tribal Elders many years before. Even the award of a Silver Star that was given to him by the Chief of the Army no less was not enough to mend those bridges.

---

Ma was busy packing a hamper for the journey. As fast as she put one of her ‘delicacies’ into it, one of the children removed it and started to eat them. At that moment, I wished that I had the nerve to take a photo of the scene that could have been straight out of a 1920s silent movie. Instead of doing that, I went and found Agent McBride.

He was briefing one of his co-workers. I guessed that he was ready to leave so I waited for him to finish with the briefing.

“I’m ready to go. Any chance of a lift into town? I’ll take one of the choppers into Denver.”

I smiled.
“As it happens, I’m going into town. I have a solution for getting our guests over the state line without running into Homeland on the way.”

My statement took him a little by surprise.
“How will you do that? Everything but the road to the Interstate and the Interstate itself are probably still blocked by snow?”

I grinned.
“True but I have access to a bus that was built to take part in the Baja 500. Sand… snow much the same really.”

“A bus?”

“Yeah, one of those small school busses but with raised suspension, big tyres and a Supercharged Chevy big block V8 under the hood. My mechanic recons that it puts out over 800hp and all-wheel-drive. If I know Danny, he will have already put some heavy duty chains on the tires.”

“How did you just happen to have access to it? I mean this place is not the center of the off-road vehicle development?”

“The owner is a guy from Omaha and was testing it on some federal lands to the south of here when it blew a head gasket. Our local mechanic fixed it and was waiting for him to collect it in the new year.”

“Can you just borrow it like that?”

I grinned again.
“Our esteemed governor declared a state of emergency for this part of the state when the power went out. As far as I know, it is still in force. Part of the conditions allows law enforcement to commandeer any vehicle it deems necessary to alleviate any problems caused by the weather.”

He shook his head.
“I’ll say it again, are you sure that you don’t want to join us? We need people who are as resourceful as you are.”

“Lets’ hit the road,” I replied trying to change the subject.”

“I won’t let you get away that easy…” promised the FBI agent as he put on his outdoor jacket.

---

There was an uneasy silence in my SUV as I drove carefully towards town. Eventually, I said,
“The reason I don’t want to join the FBI is Quantico. I’ve seen what it does to people. It literally takes any individuality out of a person and makes them a clone of what the bosses thinks makes a good FBI agent. I am who I am and I don’t want that to change. I’m too old for that. I went through it once with the Army and that’s more than enough.”

“Besides, my wife is taking up the position of Chief of Police for a coastal town in Northern California and I’m becoming a small business owner and Ma is not getting any younger.”

He didn’t respond straight away.
“Those two dummies that were sent here at first are prime examples of that.”

“Ok, Matt. You got me there. I’ll shut the hell up about it from now on.”

I just grinned back at him.
“We are very much alike you and me... People who can do in a sea of people who are afraid to make a decision even if their life depended upon it.”
He chuckled.
“I guess that I should get a T-shirt printed with ‘I graduated Quantico but I’m, better now’.

“That would not go down well with some of those stuffed shirts that you have been talking to on the phone but it would sell like hotcakes,” I replied.

“If I do make them, then I’ll send you one. You earned it on this case.”

I dropped Agent McNeil off at the park where the two FBI choppers were parked. He'd hardly gotten on board before the rotor blades on one of them started to turn. Less than a minute later, I watched the aircraft disappear towards the setting sun.

I stood in the cold for a few minutes. I hoped that he would be successful in his mission with this judge who owed him a favor.

As the sun started to set, I headed towards Danny SWA’s garage hoping that the vehicle would live up to expectations. If it didn’t then we’d be in trouble.

To my surprise, the ‘bus’ was inside his workshop when I arrived. I hoped that it wasn’t broken down but Danny had anticipated what I needed the beast for and was busy bolting a snow plow to the front. The man was a genius and I’d miss him when we moved away.

“Hi Boss!” said Danny from underneath the front of the bus.

“That is some modification.”

“I thought that if you are going over the state line using Spring Road then you might need some extra pushing power. The plows have not been out that way yet.”

“Danny, you can read my mind.”

“That’s why we make a great team. Always have and always will.”

I bit my lip before I said anything about us moving.

“Boss, I know that you and Kelly are heading west. She deserves to get the chance to run her own PD.”

“Are you cool about that?”

“Yeah, I’m cool.”
The sound of wrenches hitting the floor told me that he was done. He slid out from under the bus and wiped his hands on a rag.

“I filled her up. I have no idea what the consumption of that motor is like but it won’t be frugal. There should be enough to get you to Denver.”

“Thanks Danny. I don’t know if we are even going yet. The FBI are trying to get a federal court to make them material witnesses in their case against the people traffickers. That way, we can’t be charged with child trafficking by Homeland who will be out for vengeance when they find that their prizes have been whipped away from out under their noses.”

“Just let me know when you are loaded up and heading this way, I’ll ride shotgun if you have no objections.”

“Danny, you know me too well. I’d love to have you along for the ride.”

Danny hesitated for a second. I knew that there was something else.

“Boss, there is something else.”

I smiled.
“That plow is pretty heavy… so I made a modification to balance it out. As it is cold… I put a stove in the back, over the rear axle.”

I grinned.
“You mean just like the other ranks mess in the forward operating base in Kandahar?”

“You remembered?”

“Danny, there was a reason that you were the ‘go to guy’ for literally everyone. No one could ever work out where that stove came from. I hope this one is a bit more legit?”

“It is totally legit. I borrowed it from Chip Peterson and before you ask, he knows that I have it. I was a bit circumspect about why I wanted but as long as he gets it back, he’s happy with a bottle of Bourbon as payment.”

“What was I saying about the ‘go to guy’?”

---

I drove the bus around town a bit just to get used to it. I knew pretty quickly that Danny would have to be the driver for the journey over the state line. The supercharged engine coupled with a manual eight-speed box was just too much for me to handle.

My phone remained quiet so I checked it for a signal. The display showed two bars. That told me that the mast close to town was still down. The bit of wet string that doubled for the power supply to the town was a constant PITA and long overdue for an upgrade but the power company always seemed to find more important projects near the residences of our representatives in DC and of course, there was always an election campaign going on and money talks when it is spent near the seat of power.

Before heading home, I stopped off at the sports center.
Kelly was clearly in charge of things. The absence of both the Sheriff and Tom told me that they were off on a mission.

She soon saw me standing at the door. A long kiss later, she asked,
“What are you doing here?”

“Preparing to skip the state with our guests. Homeland are on their way from Denver by road now that one lane on the Interstate is open over the state line.”

“How long?”
“An hour, two at most.”

“Then get the hell out of my town!”

“Yes Chief!”

She grinned at me and gave me a parting kiss.
“Take care of yourself out there. The Sheriff has gone out to the O’Hara place. There were no signs of life when Jack Coleman came back from getting his wife’s medication.”

“That does not sound good. I’ll take care… Danny will be with me.”

“Batman and Robin flies again!” she said grinning.
“Not flying but driving a bus.”

I kissed her again before leaving to drive home.

---

I'd been back at the scene of organised chaos that doubled for our home for less than ten minutes when my phone rang. Being closer to the mast at the Interstate we got better reception than those in town.
The Caller Id said that it was Agent McBride.
“I hope you have good news Agent McBride?”

“You do! That’s great. Can you send it to my phone?”

“Good. Where can we meet… on the other side of the Colorado state line?”

“Ok. I know where it is. We sometimes…. We used to sometimes meet up with the Colorado State Police in the underpass. Out of sight… out of mind.”

“On my way now. I’ll get Ma to let us know when they get here.”

---

Less than ten minutes later the children plus FBI agent Collins were on board the bus. Agent Collins was tasked with getting the stove going and keeping it fed with wood. Danny had the foresight to put a load of wood and some firelighters on board before I left his workshop. While Ma and Agent Collins were loading the slightly reluctant children onto the bus, I called Danny on the CB to let him know that we were on our way.

The good old CB radio comes into its own in times like this. More than once in recent years, I have wondered if we as a race had become far too reliant upon modern technology.

My pondering was interrupted by a kiss on the cheek from Ma. This was most unlike her but it did the trick.
“Get the hell out of dodge before the injuns arrive. I have loaded my shotguns with buckshot just in case they get uppity.”

By ‘injuns’, she meant Homeland Security.
“I will Ma.”

---

An hour and a half later, we slowly made our way over the state line and into Colorado. Half an hour after that, we met up with Agent McBride.

“Ma called me an hour ago. Homeland is very pissed off with you.”
That made sense as Danny and I had switched our phones off and wrapped them in kitchen fol.

“Tough. Federal Judge Tomlinson said pretty well the same thing once I’d showed him the photos of the victims of the traffickers. He signed off the order in less than a minute.”

“Good for him. Are we ready to head to Colorado Springs?”

“Once I take those show chains off the tires, we will be good to go.”

“Great and we will have an FBI escort to keep those ‘injuns’ away,” said Agent McBride.
I did a double-take.
“You Ma is a fine woman. She told me about how she called ICE and Homeland ‘injuns’. I find it a very apt description.”

“Ma is a one off allright,” I responded as I boarded the bus.

---

Thankfully, most of the children dropped off to sleep before we skirted the city of Denver and headed south. The heat from the stove worked wonders.

The sky to the east was just starting to brighten when we arrived at the USAF base. Unsurprisingly, the guards at the main gate were reluctant to let a vehicle with a real fire stove onto the base. We came to a compromise when the guards saw what had been done to our passengers. They let us into the base, but insisted that we park well away from any building and that we were guarded. Both FBI agents had to surrender their firearms at the gate. It wasn’t a big price to pay if these poor children were to be kept safe. The Military Police had armed guards posted outside the building where the children were being kept.

Six hours later, Danny and I headed home. All the children had been given beds of their own and clean clothes that actually fit courtesy of the base PX store. I could not recall ever seeing a group of children with bigger smiles on their faces.

Danny and I watched them starting to become children again. While I was happy at what I saw, I could not help but feel rather uneasy at what might happen to them in the future. A future that was way outside any control I might have wanted but that was the system we have and importantly have to live by. It is a shame that far too many people want to dismantle it without offering a viable alternative.

[to be continued]