Traffic Stop

To Chris & Conner: The two loves of my life who gave up their time with me in order for my dream to come true. I love you both very much!

To my Mom: You have been the single-most constant in my life. Thank you for being so supportive and for always being there. I love you!

Arlene: Thank you for your faith in me from the beginning.

Linda: I live for the lessons, Master Po! ~Little Grasshopper~

Joley: You always believed. Love you, my friend.

My beta readers: You have my heartfelt thanks!

Candena: Thanks for the help, little sis!

Detective Brent Curtis: For his patience. Thank you!

Officer Diane E. : For all the little details. Thank you!

Lori L. Lake & Radclyffe: For all the advice and encouragement.

Kathy Smith: For opening the door.

Sheri/Robin: My publisher-Thank you for giving me the chance to fulfill a dream. Also for the constant encouragement and open ear when I needed it.

Ruta: My editor, for making my story even better and not killing me in the process.

Last, but not least, I owe more than I can say to Tara Young for going above and beyond on so many levels. Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough, but…Thank you!

yan Thomas leaned against the Jeep, watching the numbers roll as the gas filled her tank. It was an R unseasonably warm day, making her glad that she wore her long, dark hair up in a ponytail. The gentle breeze was barely enough to ruffle the bangs on her forehead. She had removed her shirt, leaving her clad in dark uniform pants and a white T-shirt that clung loosely to her lean body. She walked across the parking lot, dodging the occasional pothole in the cracked pavement, her eyes moving idly across the parked vehicles. Ryan entered the convenience store and smiled at the clerk as she walked back to get something to drink. She opened the cooler door, feeling the rush of moist air on her arms and face, and grabbed a Diet Pepsi. The door closed, bumping the bottle, and knocking it from Ryan’s hand. As she knelt to pick it up, she heard frantic yelling coming from the front of the store.

“Everyone down. Now. Now! Move it, or I’ll blow your fuckin’ heads off!”

“Damn,” Ryan mumbled to herself. “I don’t need this now.”

She remained as still as possible, trying to recall how many other people were in the store when she entered. There were three,
Tara Wentz

maybe four total that she could remember. Ryan cautiously peered around the display in front of her. She could see the back of a man standing in front of the counter. He was maybe five-foot-ten, skinny, and scruffy looking. He was pacing back and forth in front of the counter. When he turned slightly in her direction, she could see the pistol, a .38 that he was waving at the clerk behind the register.

The man tossed a small duffel on the counter and shouted,

“Put all the money in the damn bag! C’mon! Do it!”

The boy behind the counter hesitated for a moment then yelped when the frenzied man fired the gun into the wall behind him. The boy cowered and wrapped his arms protectively over his head.

“Put the fucking money in the bag! I’m not going to say it again!”

“Okay, okay, just please don’t shoot me,” the boy said, half crying. As he started shoving bills into the bag, Ryan pulled her weapon from its holster around her ankle, then looked at the soda bottle in her other hand. Smiling at the plan that came to mind, she looked around the corner again to see the perp’s back still facing her. Staying as close to the floor as possible, Ryan made her way to the next aisle and slowly rounded the corner. She saw a woman lying on the floor looking back at her. She placed a finger over her lips, cautioning her to remain silent. The woman nodded and put her head back down. Ryan reached the end of the aisle and looked up at the mirror above the doors. She saw that the robber was still pointing his gun at the clerk. She knew she would have to make her move soon, or the guy would see her in the mirror, too. Ryan saw that the weapon was in the man’s left hand. She was certain that if her plan worked, and the gun accidentally discharged, no one would be in the line of fire.

Grasping the bottle tightly in her fist, she took a deep breath.

Please let this work
! Ryan rose and hurled the drink toward the man’s gun hand. As the bottle hit its mark and sent the pistol skittering across the floor, she jumped from the aisle with her weapon trained on his chest.

“Freeze! Police!” Ryan yelled. “Put your hands where I can see them!”

Raising his hands, the robber stood there with a look of shock on his face. Ryan approached slowly, without taking her eyes off the would-be thief, and flashed the badge in her wallet.

“I’m Sergeant Ryan Thomas, call 911 now.” As she heard the clerk place the call, Ryan moved closer to the suspect.

“Get down on your knees,” Ryan said, motioning with her gun. The man dropped down, and she continued, “Now, lie face down with your fingers locked behind your head.”

After he did as she asked, Ryan kicked his legs apart and crouched to pat him down. She pulled a switchblade from his back pocket and stood.

“Is everyone all right?” Ryan asked.

The few customers in the store assured her they were all right and talked quietly among themselves while she waited for backup to arrive.

Ryan knew it wouldn’t be too much longer when she heard the sirens. The screeching tires outside the store attested to their arrival. Ryan heard car doors slam, and stepped back to the counter, keeping an eye on the man. She could see the officers approaching cautiously. Ryan waved, letting them know it was safe to proceed.

Officer Estes entered the convenience store grinning and shaking his head. “Sarge, you just can’t stay away from trouble, can you?” Kneeling down, he cuffed the man and pulled him to his feet. As the other officer read him his rights and led him out, Ryan gave Estes her report on the attempted robbery. After getting statements from the other witnesses, Estes walked over to where she was standing.

“Nice job, Sarge. I think we got everything we need.” Leaning closer and lowering his voice, “You really are the proverbial shit magnet, aren’t you?”

Estes watched her smirk. Rumors flew about how trouble followed Ryan, and how she was always getting into some sort of predicament because of it, and now he knew it to be true. “See you tomorrow?”

Nodding her head, Ryan said, “You bet.”

Ryan watched them leave and then looked around for her Diet Pepsi. Spotting it, she walked over, picked it up, and placed it on the counter. She glanced at the boy’s nametag. “Sure you’re going to be okay, Kyle?”

Kyle was shaking, but nodded.

“How much?” Ryan asked, gesturing toward the bottle of soda.

Kyle stammered, “T-take it; it’s the least I can d-do.”

Ryan smiled, understanding his nervousness. “Thanks, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather pay.”

Kyle rang up the gas and soda, and Ryan placed the money on the counter. Walking toward the door, she glanced back at him and, with a wink, pushed the door open and walked to her Jeep.

Ryan was supposed to meet Jake, her partner on the force for the past three years, at one of the bars that had recently opened downtown. Jake was impatiently pacing in the parking lot when she arrived.

“Where the hell have you been?” Jake asked, pulling her door open.

Ryan slid from the Jeep and waited for him to close the door before answering. “You aren’t going to believe it…” she trailed off, seeing Jake raise a single eyebrow at her.

“Okay, maybe you will,” Ryan laughed.

As they entered the bar and sat down, Ryan described what had happened with the attempted robbery at the convenience store.

After giving her some ribbing about trouble following her, Jake patted her on the back for her quick thinking.

“If it were anybody else I wouldn’t have believed it, but you… I believe,” Jake chuckled.

Ryan grinned sheepishly.

Ryan bent her head close to Jake’s as she tried to block out the beat of the music and the glare of the countless beer signs illuminating the walls. Not much of a dancer herself, she was more content to watch others gyrate and sway, but usually to a tune that she was at least able to enjoy.

A tap on Ryan’s shoulder brought her head around. She looked up into dark eyes framed by long, fiery red hair. Lipstick-caked lips twisted into a cocky smirk as the woman leaned closer, practically shoving her breasts into Ryan’s face.

“Hi, Ryan.”

“Hello, Lisa.”

“I haven’t seen you around lately.”

Ryan glanced at Jake before returning her gaze to Lisa. “I’ve been busy with work.”

“You know what they say about all work and no play,” Lisa said, running a long, painted fingernail down Ryan’s upper arm.

Ryan leaned away from her touch and clasped her hands tightly on the table. She sat quietly until Lisa spoke again.

“Would you like to dance?”

“No, thank you. You have a great night though,” Ryan replied, dismissing her by turning back to Jake. She really didn’t want to be rude, but Lisa never knew when to take no for an answer. She was a regular at many of the bars in town and made a habit of taking a different girl home each night. Ryan had never been one of them but not because of Lisa’s lack of effort. She had no desire to be anyone’s one night stand, and especially not Lisa’s.

When Jake called Ryan’s name to get her attention, she jerked from her silent musings to respond, “What?”

“When was the last time you went out on an actual date?”

Jake was relentless where the subject of her private life was concerned. He seemed to think he knew Ryan better than she knew herself. While on the verge of believing he was right, there was no way in hell she would ever admit that to him. Ryan worked a lot of overtime since her breakup with Stacey because it was easier than thinking of what to do with her time off.

“Are you ever gonna let this drop?” Ryan asked as she leaned back in her chair and sighed.

“You know the only reason I say anything is because I care. I don’t like seeing you work so hard. You’re way too young to do this to yourself. Tim and I worry about you.”

“Jake…” Ryan paused briefly. “What exactly do you think I’m doing?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about, Ryan.”

Jake rested both arms on the table and looked into her eyes for a moment before continuing. “You know…you’re right,” he said, throwing his hands out. They had had this conversation more times than Jake could remember and always with the same results.

“Why do I even bother? You don’t seem to care, so why should I?” Leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest, he stared at her as if begging for some kind of response.

Ryan lowered her eyes to her hands; she knew she needed to make things right with him. After all, he
was
right, and she knew he was only looking out for her.

“Look, I appreciate what you’re doing. I know that you and Tim care about me, but I’m fine, really.”

Jake gazed at her pensively before answering. “We just want you to have what we have; you deserve to be happy.”

“Yeah, I want what you have, too. Well…not exactly, but you know what I mean,” Ryan said with a laugh.

“Just think of yourself once in awhile, will ya?”

Ryan rolled her eyes and responded, “Okay, okay! Now, can we get out of here? This music is horrible.” Standing at his nod, she added, “Oh, by the way, you’re buying.”

Jake laughed as he threw some bills on the table and wrapped his arm around her shoulders before heading out of the bar.

“You’re right; that music is horrible,” Jake said.

With a raised eyebrow, Ryan asked pointedly, “Then why on earth did we come here in the first place?”

Jake dropped his arm from her shoulder to hold the door open, and she stepped out and waited for him to respond. As the door closed, cutting off the music, he turned to Ryan with a sheepish smile.

“Well, um, Tim sort of mentioned this place the other night, so I thought I’d check it out before we came here.”

“I should have known you had an ulterior motive when you asked me here,” she said with a groan and a shake of her head.

“How is Tim anyhow?”

“Tim is good, real good,” he said, grinning. “When are you coming over for dinner?” Jake entwined his arm with Ryan’s and grasped her hand before crossing the street to the parking lot.

“Soon, Jakey, as soon as I have some time off. Tell Tim I said hello and send my love.”

“It had better be soon,” he chastised.

Stopping beside their cars, Jake wrapped his long arms around Ryan and hugged her gently. He kissed her temple and pulled back to look at her. “Please be careful driving home, and I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, and Jake, thanks for caring.”

Smiling, he cupped her chin and said, “Anytime, kiddo.”

Jake turned to make his way to his car and Ryan hollered,

“You be careful, too! Later, gator.”

Ryan climbed into her Jeep and paused for a moment, watching as Jake pulled into traffic. She buckled her seat belt and pulled out behind him. Jake was a good friend and a great guy.