1.
January 20th, 2019, the late afternoon. Eagle Pass, Texas. US Highway 57.
Since December 22th 2018, the US Federal Government is in shutdown, the longest shutdown in US history. A conflict between the President and Congress, on an appropriations bill, legislation concerning the funding of departments and agencies forced the Federal Government to close all non-essential services, affecting 800 000 civil servants having to work without pay or being furloughed.
The road to the International Bridge, leading to the Mexican border, was clogged by trucks, occupying two of the three lanes of the highway. Sam Reingold carefully drove his Ford Granada 1981 along the row, since, despite the interdiction, some truckers still boldly dared to take the third lane. Due to the already weeks long US Government shutdown, only one of the two border crossings at Eagle Pass was open, and that one was manned by a minimal staff.
“Careful, Sam!”
Barbarella ‘Bella’ Moss, sitting on the front right seat was worried. She knew, Reingold was exhausted by the long voyage they had made so far. Besides the danger of trucks, unexpectedly changing lane, the queuing cars on the left lane regularly came to a stop. Once more, red brake lights flashed on ahead of them, and this was not the place to have an accident.
“I see it!” Sam answered, as he slowed down, taking care to keep a safe distance.
“Sam! There it is!” Bella said.
“Yep! Nervous?”
“Shouldn’t I?”
The traffic had come to a standstill, then the queue moved again, slowly, at the imposed speed limit of 5 mph.
“As far as I can see from here, most cars may proceed’”
“Sam! Suppose they have discovered our escape!?”
“Little chance, since you only had to appear before the judge tomorrow!”
“Can you trust the guy who ‘fixed’ our passports?”
“As far as I know him, he has no interest in disclosing the clients of his little business! Trust is important in his branch!”
***
Bella and Sam were former members of the Washington DC Police Department. Both had been a long time team in the Detective Squad. When Reingold retired, Moss also had left the force, and both had started a private security business, which was running well in the paranoid world, Washington DC had become. During the recent months, a notorious crime ring, hacking company websites, had been busted, with the help of Bella, using her still unblocked access accounts from the police. The police chief in charge was however not pleased, by Bella’s actions, since her intervention had revealed considerable operational and security flaws the force’s computer system. He even got a reprimand for it, instead of getting a reward for the bust, since he had neglected to block Bella’s credentials when she had left the force. Angered, he had made up a judicial case against Bella. She faced up to four years of prison, since her odds did not seem to look good, according to her lawyer. Reingold had found the lawyer for her, and whose name was :
“Warren Gamaliel Harding!? Yikes, Reingold, do I have to entrust my fate to a lawyer named after America’s worst rated president ever!?”
“Wrong! That honour has now fallen on the incumbent! And that Harding was the best affordable one I could get!”
“I would have had more confidence if his name would have been Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson or Grover Cleveland!”
“There was also one named Richard Milhouse Nixon available! No joking! Would you have preferred him?”
“Well, Reingold, maybe that one would have tricked me out!”
“Strange statement for a blue state girl, whose mom has been busted three times, long ago, during Vietnam protests!”
“Reingold! Don’t you realize, I am facing Habakuk Cruxton Wragg, aka ‘The Inquisitioner’ as public attorney, and Bill Seagram, nicknamed ‘The Hanging Tree’, as a judge!?”
Bella had decided not to take the risk of a trial. She saw only one solution! Escape to Mexico! Reingold seemed reluctant to the idea, but she had pressed him to help her. Then, shutdown struck, offering an opportunity. Meanwhile, time was becoming short – shutdown or not, Wragg & Seagram were so focused on their job, they were determined to speak a verdict, even without pay! Bella had hoped to take advantage of the Federal Government shutdown. But ‘shutdown’ meant they would never get an officially arranged passport in time. Yet, Reingold had managed to ‘fix’ something.
***
Slowly, Reingold approached the US border control. There were a few border guards, scrutinizing the cars along. One guard had a smartphone, ticking data while the cars drove along.
“What’s he doing?” Bella nervously asked.
“I guess he is entering car registration numbers!”
“Oh! Shit!”
“Don’t worry! I never had a ticket in my life! I just hope you paid those you collected when using my car?”
“Very funny, Reingold!”
“Moss! Take it easy, will you!? These border guard guys have an eye for suspicious body language!”
“Suppose they recognize me!?”
“How should they!? I see no posters around here with a bounty on your head! This is Texas, after all! Wanted! Dead or alive! Bella Moss! Follows a list of crimes! I bet your face will be beautiful enough to be worth 3000 dollars! Sure, I would denounce you on the spot then, and collect it!”
“Reingold, you moron! I hate you!”
“Go on, Moss! Quibbling like a married couple may boost our credibility as tourists!”
Bella took a deep sigh, and turned her head away from Reingold, and from the border control. Trying to hide her annoyance and fear, resting her chin on her right hand, her elbow on the arm rest.
The car in front of them slowly passed along the border guards. They signaled he could move on.
“The moment of truth!” Bella whispered.
The guard scrutinized Reingold’s car. Then, he made a step forward and signaled to stop!
“Oh, shit!” Bella exclaimed.
(to be continued)