Country Road

By Ron Mueller

The River Front: Introduces Alex as Cincinnati's first Black female detective.

The Girl on the Grill: The murder of a young woman by a local drug distributor.

Missing: Alex

• Language: English
• Publisher: Around the World Publishing LLC
• Release date: May 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9781682233429

Ron Mueller

About the Author Ronald E. Mueller [e-mail] Ron grew up in what is now Flint River State Park in Southeast Iowa. The 170-year-old house Ron lived in is built into a hillside. It faces a 125-foot-high cliff towering over the little Flint River. The house and the land talked to him about; the passing of time, the struggle to conquer the land, the struggles people faced and the wonder of nature. He climbed the cliffs, crawled into the caves, dove from the swimming rock, collected clams from the bottom of the pond, gigged and skinned frogs for their legs. He trapped muskrats for fur, hunted raccoon in the dead of night, and with only a stick hunted rabbits in the dead of winter. His young life was outdoors, and nature tested him. He walked to a one room stone schoolhouse uphill both ways. A stern but warm-hearted teacher, Mrs. Henry was instrumental in shaping his character as she shepherded him from the fourth to the eighth grade. A Montessori before its time. It was a great way to grow up. His experiences inter-twined with snippets of fantasy lend themselves to the adventures he leads the reader through.

Book preview

2

Apple Picking

Alex was enjoying what she considered to be one of the few vacation trips to her parents’ home. Matt had come along, which made it special. The entire family had gone out to their favorite location on the lake fishing and had caught several large bass. Her mother, a globally recognized chef, prepared several of the catch for their evening dinner. They had enjoyed an evening by the pool and had caught up with what was happening. They all commented on the fact that the events of the previous case had been too close to home and of such danger that they hope that future cased would be located in some other location.

Alex’s mother promised that she would never get Alex involved in another case like the one in Chicago.

This day had started with her and Matt having a late breakfast at the Harbor Restaurant. They had then taken a walk along the beach. Now the two of them were going to pick apples at a farm where Alex had gone several times with her parents when she was young. She was driving much slower than normal and enjoying the breeze blowing through her hair.

The next morning after a casual breakfast, Alex had suggested that she and Matt take a journey down her memory lane and go out to the apple farm and pick apples.

She was surprised that she could still recall the way to the farm. The major change was that the road was no longer a gravel road.

The road from the highway back to the Northern Illinois Apple Haven wound through a dense forest on a narrow road. Alex had fond memories riding through the forest to go and pick apples with her parents. She was now looking forward to sharing that experience with Matt. She wanted to create memories that the two of them could look forward to.

Matt had commented that every time he went out on the lake fishing, he remembered the time when they were almost gunned down by the helicopter gun ship and her setting the coal barge on fire when she killed the copter pilot and he crashed into the coal. He said that would be a memory that they shared and that neither of them was likely to forget.

Alex wanted to create more pleasurable memories then having gunships trying to kill them and setting a coal barge on fire.

The road had been paved since the last time she had been on it, but it was still a one lane narrow road. The forest that it ran through had grown thicker. Tall dark green pine and at this time of year, punctuated by brown leafy, large oaks and yellow and red leafed maples, was an awe-inspiring sight just as she remembered it to be.

She was slowly driving her beloved, black twelve-cylinder, convertible Jaguar along the lane toward the farm.

She had just given Matt’s hand a squeeze and was about to share her feelings when, a woman screaming for help in Spanish, ran in front of her car.

She stomped on the brakes was able to stop just short of hitting her.

She took in the four men chasing the young woman, as she took her weapon and Illinois State Police badge from her purse.

She asked Matt to take the gun in the glove compartment and back her up. She made the comment that he was as good a shot as she was and that he should be ready to shoot at her command.

Matt did not say a word, but he knew that she was over stating his capability and underplaying hers.

He had watched her shoot blindfolded when her instructor challenged to her do so. She had positioned herself as the blind fold was put on and had then rapidly fired her revolver seven times. The bullets made a ring around the center of the target, and she had put the seventh-round dead center. It was something that was impossible to forget. He knew that she never missed that for which she aimed.

He was not only slower than she, but he also could not match her ability to place her shots.

He took the weapon and knelt and aimed over the top of the car hood.

He listened as Alex told everyone to stop as she declared her status as an Illinois Marshal. She then told everyone to drop their weapons and get on their knees.

Matt noted that the first person had his hands ziplocked in front of him but did as he was told.

Alex repeated her command and as all three of the other chasers raised their guns, she shot the gun out of the first person’s hand, she shot the second person in the left chest and was about to take the next shot, but the third person dropped his gun and got on his knees.

Matt watched as Alex collected the weapons and brought them to the side of the car.

She then walked over to the person she had shot second and took in the blood oozing out. She called for him to bring the first aid kit and see what he could do for the person on the ground.

The first person she shot was down on his knees moaning and holding his right hand with his left hand.

He listened as he cursed her for shooting off the index finger of his right hand.

She nodded and told him to lay on his back and put his right hand in the air and the pain would decrease.

She walked over to where the young woman being chased had knelt down with the first person that had been chasing her.

She listened briefly to the young woman.

Matt realized that the young woman was saying everything in Spanish.

Then somewhat surprised, he heard Alex reply in Spanish that the two of them were safe and that she needed to make several calls to get help.

She dialed 911 and explained the situation and made sure that the operator on the line knew where they were located and that an ambulance was needed as well as transport for three prisoners and two victims.

She then went to the car and took a pair of handcuffs from her purse.

She had the third would be shooter move over to the first shooter and had him lay down beside the first shooter. She handcuffed them together.

Matt had stopped the bleeding of the second shooter who had passed out.

Alex returned to the two that had been chased and asked for an explanation.

She listened as the young woman explained that the two of them had been kidnapped by the four men and brought to the forest. She was to have been used by her abductors. She had decided to run and the three had chased them.

Alex asked about the fourth person. She said that she had only seen the three and that they were on the ground.

Alex stood up and looked at the forest and decided she needed to make certain that the fourth person was no longer around.

She asked Matt whether he could handle the situation at the road.

She felt better about the situation as her ears captured the wailing of the sirens.

She set out on a slow jog into the woods.

Her senses were at full alert. Her path took her straight in. She came to where two pits had been dug. It was clear to her that they were to be graves.

She began jogging a circular pattern looking for a sign of tire tracks. On the second loop she came across the tracks of a truck that had duel wheels on the back. She hoped that the double wheels would provide a way to narrow the number of trucks she might end up looking for.

She stopped and began to slowly walk back toward her car. She was on the phone with her Illinois boss, the attorney general, when a sheriff with his gun drawn came toward her. She held up her badge and let him know that she was a Marshal in the Lieutenant Governor’s staff and that her boss was on the line.

He took the phone and listened as he was informed that he was to listen carefully to and follow the instructions of Special Marshall Alex Evercrest.

He handed back her phone and smiled. He let her know that he had followed the case where she had cleaned up the Chicago Police Department and thanked her for doing it.

Alex asked him to make the whole area a crime scene. She pointed back toward where the truck tire tracks were located and said that she had planted a stick to mark the spot. She took him by what she said she thought were to have been the graves of the young woman and her husband.

The two of them returned to where her car was parked.

Alex saw that the ambulance personnel were talking with Matt.

He walked over to her and said that both the police and the ambulance personnel needed to get the handcuffs removed.

Alex went to her purse and gave Matt the keys.

She asked the Sheriff to take responsibility for the young woman and her husband. She suggested that both of them needed to go to the hospital and they needed to stay in protective custody because the fourth person that had escaped might want to silence them.

She asked that once everything settled down, he should call her and let her know where she could interview the two victims.

She let him know that she was going to go pick a bushel of apples and then go back to the house she was raised in.

The officer got her address and phone number and told her he would keep her informed.

3

Safe House

Alex let the young woman, whose name she had learned was Camila, know that she would first be taken to the hospital and then put into protective custody. She asked her husband’s name and learned it was Diego. She confirmed that two of them would stay together the whole time. They were going go the hospital to be checked out and then the Sheriff would hold them until she would come back and interview her.

Afterwards they would stay at a safe house until it was clear that they would be safe.

She went over to an officer taking pictures and collecting evidence and gave him her weapon.

She then made sure that a deputy in charge know that she was leaving. He started say she had to stay, and she told him to speak to his boss.

She grabbed Matt’s hand and said that they were going to get some apples and then drive home.

Matt commented that he was ready for a cool one by the pool. He looked at Alex and said that she looked tense. He then said that she somehow got into memorable outings that he was sure they would laugh about in the future. He chuckled and said, far enough into the future at a time when they were leading a boring life, they would look back and laugh.

The drive to the farm’s apple handling area was less than a quarter of a mile away. Alex was surprised to see that the farm was swarming with people. Once she was at the parking area, she saw that the farm had a different road that came off a new section of the highway. Had she followed the ad’s instruction she would not have been on the small road through the woods.

She commented to Matt that fate had gotten them involved in a situation that she was yet to understand.

He agreed and said that so far, her fate always provided for more adventure then they expected.

Matt asked whether they were going to ride the wagon out to the field.

Alex thought for a moment and then said that she really shouldn’t but the ride out and picking her own apples was what she had wanted to do with him and so, yes we are going out to the field and pick some apples.

She liked Fuji apples and decided they would pick a bag of them and then a bag of Granny Smiths. After that they would return to the pickup area and go into the store to see what other apples they might want to buy.

She walked through an area where the apples were on display in peck sized baskets.

She picked out two more kinds and then went to the checkout counter.

They weighed all the apples which seemed a little expensive to her, but she took out cash from her wallet and got a five per cent discount that was advertised at the register.

After paying, she led the way back to the car. She carried two bags and Matt carried two bags. She was disappointed that the peck baskets were not part of the deal.

Matt commented that they had enough apples to share with a small army.

Alex plugged in her phone and put in her home address. She looked at the display and saw that the GPS showed the way she had come as a secondary slower way to the farm.

She commented to Matt that technology was more efficient, but it took the charm out of the outing of picking apples.

Matt said that this time the charm had resulted in the two of them saving a young woman and her husband from being abused and killed.

Before leaving the parking lot, Alex leaned over and gave Matt a kiss and said that all the charm she needed was sitting next to her and she said that a cool one by the pool sounded good to her too.

Her mother greeted them and remarked that she had not expected them home so early.

Alex inquired about a cup of tea and said she would share a story that was sure to be of interest.

Her mother looked at her and asked if it involved shooting at bad guys.

Alex sliced up one of each type of apple and sat down for a quick cup of tea.

Alex nodded and said, yes it does.

Her mother gave out a groan and asked if it had anything at all to do with her last assignment.

Matt replied that it did not.

Alex shared what had happened on the way to pick apples and that she was going to the hospital to interview Camila and her husband before they were taken to a safe house.

She listened as her mother volunteered to be Camila’s lawyer and that she would do so pro-bono.

Alex thanked her mother and said she would let Camila know that the best lawyer in the country had volunteered to represent her for free.

Her mother gave her a hug, looked over at Matt, and said that she had such a beautiful daughter.

Matt smiled and nodded; he did not say a thing about Rose Anne’s more common complaint about her daughter, who forgot to call her mother or who seldom came home to visit her parents.

Sometimes he would have to tell Rose Anne that he and Alex had spent more time at her house than at any other location.

On the drive to the hospital Matt commented on the fact that the experience had been the first time that he had aimed a gun at a person since his tour of duty in Iraq and that he had almost pulled the trigger, but Alex shot first and had taken down two of the three before he could pull the trigger.

He said that if she had been in his unit, she would have been the heroine and gotten multiple metals for her actions.

Alex patted him on the knee and let him know that she was glad that he had not shot anyone since he would then still be at the scene of the crime or filling in a police report about the shooting. She let him know that she had covered for both of them but that they would both be filling in a report the following day.

It took a few minutes for the person at the hospital reception desk to locate what room Camila was in. It turned out that the reason was that she and her husband, Diego, were located in a waiting area that had been appropriated by the Sheriff.

Alex went to the area where the Sheriff handed her his report about the two people in his custody.

He also let her know that the person she had shot in the chest had been admitted to the hospital and was getting the bullet removed and would recover. The doctor said that the bullet had missed the lung which was fortunate because the recovery would be quicker.

He thanked her for having turned in her weapon before leaving scene. He commented that the person who was now lacking a trigger finger had been treated and released into his custody and was now in a holding cell at the station and that he continually cursed her for blowing off his finger.

The sheriff asked whether Alex had been aiming at the shooters trigger finger.

Alex replied that her target was the gun he held and blowing off his finger had not been in her mind. She said the bullet placement in the second person was intentional because she was not shooting to kill.

The sheriff nodded and mumbled about the fact that he had not thought she would aim at the shooters finger. He handed her a second sheet that gave her the information about the two persons sitting quietly in the waiting area. He pointed out that both of them were on a waiting list to go in front of a judge to see if they would be granted entry visas.

They were from Guatemala and were seeking legal entry into the US and were living with a sister, a US citizen, who was going to be their sponsor.

He let her know that he was ready to take them to the safe house and asked if the interview could be conducted there. He explained that there would be two police officers staying in the house and in the morning, there would be two police officers parked in front in their car.

Alex thanked him and said that doing the interview there would be best. She asked whether a meal would be provided.

When the Sheriff said that meals would be provided but the first one would have to be carryout since it was too late to arrange an in-home meal preparation.

Alex volunteered to order and pick up a Mexican meal for all of them and asked what he might want.

The Sheriff chuckled and said he wanted his wife’s cooking but that he would check with the two officers that were at the house what they wanted. He said that one was of Mexican descent and his partner was a young woman just starting her career in law enforcement.

Once at the safe house and the meal was over Alex interviewed the couple.

The interview drove home the irony that the young couple had fled from Guatemala because one of the gangs kept threatening to rape Camila. They had come to the US seeking safety and then this group of men tried to do the same thing. They asked Alex why?

Alex said that she was shocked by the actions of the group and had no answer for them, but she said that she was going to see if she could learn more about the group of men.

She wrapped up the interview and said that she would contact them in the near future to see how she could help.

4

Connections

Johnnie was surprised to get a call from Alex. As she explained what had happened, he knew immediately that he was being asked for one of what she called, his miracles. She saved his life, and he was in her service for the rest of it. She had literally fought several gun battles, had her apartment blown up and ended up taking a bullet because she accepted his case. She had also hired him as her analyst and had