The Deliberate Sheriff

The

Deliberate

Sheriff

Michael O’Gara

eBook Edition

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the long hours of hard work by this author.

This is a fictional work coming from the author’s imagination including the persons, events, places, organizations and companies.  Any similarity to actual persons, events, places, organizations, and companies, is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2011 Michael O’Gara

All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher.

Heartland Indie Publishing LLC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

:

Chapter 1 - Meeting of Minds

It was her success, sense of duty, friends, allies, and public opinion that were combining to channel Millie on a course of action that she knew might be politically disastrous and probably dangerous to her health. Millie strode purposefully from her SUV. After the events of the past year, a meeting certainly would not intimidate her. She had been in brawls, shoot outs, and firefights. She had traded gunfire with international criminals, local outlaws, and just plain whackos. She had been threatened, had her hair torn out by the roots, and been shot. She was not intimidated but City Marshal Millie Boyd was a bit apprehensive.

She knew the county sheriff’s department was a mess. In less than one term, Sheriff Buff Wright had single handedly ruined one of the best sheriff’s departments in the state. During the same period, Millie had built the best small local police force in the State. They had been honored at the state and federal level for their achievements. Now, when Millie had finally gotten to a point where she could enjoy the fruits of her labors, there was public and political pressure for her to run for county sheriff.

Millie entered the bank building and went to the board room where the meeting was to be held. Don Posten was bank chairman and owner of the Chevrolet Dealership here in Mountain View as well as several other dealerships elsewhere. He was also county party chairman and a friend of Millie’s. She had been fortunate to make a lot of influential friends, not because they were influential but rather because she just liked them and they her. Millie was not naïve. She knew there were some she could rely on when the chips were down and those she probably couldn’t. She just hoped she could tell the difference.

The thing about it, Millie loved being a law officer. She also loved being in charge. What she didn’t particularly like was politics. At five foot two inches, the only way the physically small Millie had broken into law enforcement was to get elected city marshal of the City of Safe Haven Bay and that had been by chance. Her success now meant she was being channeled by events into ever more dangerous political circumstances.

Millie took a deep breath and walked through the big boardroom doors.

Don got up and came to her, There she is now. Hi, Millie. He gave her a fatherly hug.

Good morning, Don.

She looked around and saw her friend Anna, Mayor of the City of Safe Haven Bay, who came and hugged her. She was surprised to see Mitch here.

Mitch came and gave her a hug, I know I still owe you dinner.

Another woman was present and Don introduced her, Millie, I don’t think you have met Roberta Daniels.

Roberta got up, Sure we know each other. We went to high school together before I moved to the other side of the country. Roberta came and gave Millie the biggest hug. Millie was one of the few friends I had in that school.

Millie smiled, I didn’t know you were living in the county, Roberta. I didn’t recognize the last name. Millie left unsaid that she had never attended a county commission meeting where she would have recognized Roberta.

Roberta laughed that infectious laugh that Millie knew hid the deep thinker underneath. Roberta had always been sharp and could read people. My last name is courtesy of my husband, Roland. We were gone a long time but moved back when Roland got out of the service.

You’ve changed a lot, Roberta.

Roberta nodded, I lost about sixty pounds. You look the same as you did in high school.

Mayor Lane Donovan of Longview greeted Millie, Hello, Millie.

Millie smiled because Lane, like Anna, was one of the good ones. She hugged him, Hi, Lane. How is the resort business?

We’ve had the best year since we opened in eighty six, Lane answered cheerfully. Lane owned an RV resort on the Lake and lived in Longview. He had been Mayor of Longview for eleven years and was serving his fifth consecutive term. He was well respected and known in the county.

Don gave the invitation, Help yourself to the coffee and have a chair. We are waiting on more.

Millie went and poured herself a coffee and was headed for the table when County Commissioners Bobbi Brandon and John Castor came in. Everybody in the room knew the two men, including Millie.

Once everyone was seated, Don started. "Today’s little informal gathering is to discuss the upcoming county elections. To summarize, as you all know, right now the county is a mess. The county, in spite of growing revenues is struggling. Instead of putting resources where the development and future revenues are, the current Commission is spending all their money on roads hardly anyone travels and projects that have no economic return. In addition, the incumbent sheriff has taken a pre-eminent department and single handedly destroyed it at a time when the county needs a good department more than any time in its history. The department’s reputation is so bad, it cannot recruit enough qualified deputies to man the shifts.

At the County Commission meetings on nearly every vote, there is a split between Bobbi and John on one side and Jill Stewart, John Richards, and Presiding Commissioner Evan Holloway on the other. The county is going downhill fast. We need to replace Stewart, Richards, Holloway and Sheriff Wright, as well as the county clerk.

In a nutshell, Roberta Daniels has agreed to run against Jill Stewart in District One and her husband State Senator Daniels will bring his organization to work for her and our slate. Bobbi and John have agreed to stand for reelection in districts two and three. Lane has agreed to run in district four against John Richards. Mitch O’Keefe will run in district five against Evan Holloway. Wilma Crater, City Clerk of Safe Haven and former county clerk, will run against the present county clerk. Senator O’Keefe has committed his support to our slate and will apply his considerable organization to our cause. Marshal Millie Boyd is considering running against Wright and as you know has strong grass roots support across party lines.

The people in this room with the most to lose are Lane Donovan and Millie Boyd. They are almost untouchable in their present positions come reelection. Millie was the one that pointed out to me, when I approached her to run for sheriff, that without a change in county council the attempts to revive the sheriff’s department would be a nightmare. I considered the matter and I agree. We must have it all, or at least a solid majority, or reform will be next to impossible. With the resources, name recognition, money, grass roots support, and organization available, I believe we can sweep the next election in the county."

Lane spoke, I know we can do it. The only question is whether Millie is going to join us?

Millie was looking at her coffee and lifted her head and looked around the table. I will be honest that this is something I did not want to do initially. Having said that, I must tell you I had a by invitation town hall meeting last night which approximately ninety percent of the eligible voters in the city attended. It had been more than a town hall meeting it had been a social hosted and paid for by Marshal Millie where coffee, soda, and food was served.

Millie continued, I asked the voters straight up what they thought about my being lobbied to run against Wright. In summary, they said they did not want me to go but the county needed me worse than the city at this point and they would support me. I am whole heartedly willing if everyone else here commits unreservedly.

Don went around the table and everyone committed. Don then said, Ok, that’s settled. Now the real work starts. This will be more like a state than a county election campaign. Don laid out the plans. There would be websites and facebook pages that would be professionally setup for each of the candidates even though this rural area was not heavily into social media. Speaking engagements and fundraisers would be held and the candidates would have many opportunities to be seen together. The preparation of advertising for TV, print, and radio would be started immediately but would not go public until sixty days before the election.

As they left, Mitch approached Millie and politely inquired, How have you been doing, Millie?

Millie smiled, Very well, thank you. Millie thought that Mitch was every bit as attractive and charismatic as he had always been. He was also very dangerous as he oozed sexuality. He was definitely a threat to a woman’s chastity. He was a most eligible bachelor coming from wealth and a political dynasty. Mitch was no slouch but an over achiever who was behind the biggest development in the region.

Mitch flashed his bright smile, How about that dinner I promised you? Say Saturday evening?

Millie laughed, How about we wait until you’ve been around for a couple of weeks so I can be reasonably sure you won’t pull your disappearing act.

Mitch feigned being hurt, That was unkind.

Millie shook her head, You have the nerve to say that to me. You promised me that dinner a year ago and still haven’t delivered.

Mitch was stopped in his tracks and at a loss for words. He was thinking.

Millie stood there waiting. She could tell Mitch was uncomfortable. She thought, Good, he deserves to be embarrassed.

Mitch finally said, It has been that long and I didn’t realize. It’s a wonder you are still talking to me. I’m so sorry.

Millie smiled, I am always willing to forgive my friends so your apology is accepted. Millie knew it was a little vindictive. Mitch did not like her referring to him as a friend because he had pretensions of being more or so he let on. Well his actions did not give truth to his words so he could just sweat it.

Millie thought Mitch was really taken aback or he deserved an academy award. She thought he looked somewhat pitiful.

He just said, Thank you. I’ll see you later.

Millie felt a little guilty, but just a little, as she watched him leave. He had been a good friend. His pre-announcement information about the mega development in Safe Haven Bay had allowed her to become wealthy virtually overnight. She owned some very prime land she had bought cheap. She also had healthy bank and investment accounts. In truth, she did not have to work now but did because she loved what she was doing.

Millie just had time to get back to Safe Haven Bay City Hall for the meeting. She went to her office and the four deputies were there as was Mayor Anna. Josh was bringing Millie a cup of coffee.

Millie greeted them all, Good morning.

They all wanted to know what happened. Millie told them, It is official. Plan B goes into operation. Rob, Millie’s senior deputy, had moved into an apartment in the city months ago so he could establish residency. The events of today had been anticipated. Millie reconfirmed, If I am elected sheriff and Rob is not elected marshal, which I don’t see happening, I’ll hire him. If he is elected and I’m not, which I am not anticipating, I will find ways to prepare for the next county election cycle.

Anna spoke, Rob, we on the City Council will work to get your nomination papers signed when we are canvassing for our own. Everyone knows and respects you and as there is no other resident qualified by law, except Ned. If he runs he might get a few family votes but not enough to be significant.

Rob nodded and smiled, I hope the new sheriff doesn’t decide to raid my department for deputies. That brought smiles because everyone present anticipated that both Millie and Rob would be elected and it had been agreed that Josh was going to stay and Terry and Jason would go with Millie.

It didn’t take long for word to get out who was going to be running. The best kept secret up to sixty days before the election was what an overwhelming political machine would be brought to bear weeks before the election. Major donors had been asked to hold off making contributions until the last quarter before the election when money started pouring in. Up until then, it seemed this was just another county election. There had been a couple of debates which the slate candidates had soundly won having been prepared by some of the best campaign strategists in the state. Wright had refused to share the stage with Millie so they had not debated.

Sometimes it just happens that a confluence of events takes place at the most fortunate of times. It is also true that sometimes events that could end badly end up working to one’s advantage. This was one of those times.

After more than a year of confinement and treatment, Mable Horner was declared mentally competent by her doctors. Mable thought it was a fine day when she was released. Marshal Millie Boyd was the furthest thing from her mind as she went to the half way house in Mountain View. This was her opportunity to rebuild her life. She had no idea that Marshal Boyd was running for election as sheriff.

Everyone thought it was just another county election until the political juggernaut came to Mountain County. Unemployment was high in the county and jobs were a top concern of the residents. The campaign played to two themes of job creation and a peaceful environment necessary to attract investment and tourism.

Development was coming to the county and big money was coming with it and some of that came to the campaign. The slate was everywhere. The messages were all positive. Voters were inundated with messages about the importance of this election to jobs and prosperity in the county and how the slate nominees would make things happen.

Roberta’s long history of civic involvement and political activism was emphasized as well as her family’s history of public service at which point her husband Senator Roland Daniels was included. Roland, or Rolly as his friends called him, was a very well liked and respected political figure.

Lane’s years of successful service as Mayor of the City of Longview was played up. Much of his message included his economic leadership in tourism development and job creation as well as his successful business background.

A sample of Bobbi and John’s voting records were used to show how they favored tourism and economic development. Their ads showed voters talking about their efforts to create jobs and economic development.

Mitch’s ads revolved around his being the economic savior of the City of Safe Haven Bay, uncovering previous mismanagement and putting a stop to it. His business involvement as the driving force behind the mega development in Safe Haven, and his long family history of public service, played big. In this part of the country, the O’Keefe name was gold.

Wilma’s ads played up her years of service and professional qualifications. It outlined her work to bring the county’s administrative systems into the twenty first century.

Millie’s ads were excerpts from her press coverage of the awards given her by the governor and the feds for effective law enforcement. The ads also played on the fact she had been named state Police Chief of The Year, and her many headlines local, regional and national. The theme was Prosperity Follows Law and Order.

Millie’s old footage was revived. The photo image of her and her four deputies walking down the Lane after the Kronk and Maloney arrests cradling their automatic rifles in their arms surfaced again. The image was an award winning photograph and people never seemed to get tired of it. A short blurb with the video pronounced, The law officer of the twenty first century. Loved by her constituents and feared by the bad guys. Vote Millie Boyd for Sheriff! It was a simple but effective piece.

There was renewed interest in the international drug and arms smuggling operation Millie’s department had uncovered and how she had been wounded in the firefight when her department, the DEA, ATF, and state police had carried out the raid on Safe Haven Marina. An excerpt from the surveillance video of Marshal Boyd’s shoot out with the mentally deranged Mable Horner was shown on the local station as a part of the history of the series titled The Woman Who Would be Sheriff.

Mable just happened to be watching the TV at the half way house. One of the other residents who was watching the TV turned to Mable and said, Hey, you’re that woman, pointing to the TV. Mable calmly got up and hobbled over on her bad leg and punched the sitting woman so hard the woman slumped unconscious. The doctor’s apparently had been wrong about Mable’s mental stability.

Mable got her jacket, cane, and purse then walked with her severe limp out of the half way house. She didn’t have enough money for what she needed. She searched out a construction dumpster and found an eighteen inch piece of steel pipe and tucked it in her waistband so it was hidden. It was broad daylight when Mable followed the woman she had watched take a goodly sum from the ATM. The woman walked slowly so Mable was able to keep up to her and as the woman was opening her car, Mable hit her over the head with the pipe. The woman crumpled and Mable took the woman’s money and car keys. Mable now had a car.

Mable knew where she could get what she wanted and bought it with the stolen money. Mable decided she would be smarter this time. She would wait until her target was in the open. She had been waiting all night with anticipation believing this time she would get the job done. The man who had sold her the gun had shown her how to use it. It was ten in the morning before it occurred to Mable that she had not seen the marshal go into the diner. Mable was patient and had all the time in the world. The marshal would come here eventually.

Millie was still marshal of Safe Haven and had been patrolling that morning. At lunch time, she went to the diner owned by her good friend Doris. Doris had renamed the Diner the OK Corral Diner after the famous gunfight Millie had there. It was now something of a tourist attraction and the social gathering place for the community. Millie got a kick out of the giant sign with huge painted plywood cut outs depicting a male and a female gunfighter facing off over a sign proclaiming the name of the diner.

Millie found a parking space and got out. She started walking toward the diner when she saw an apparition from her past but the gun coming up put Millie into instant response mode. Millie dived over the hood of the nearest vehicle as Mable fired. The window of a car ten feet away exploded but there was an almost simultaneous report from a rifle and a round penetrated the windshield of the vehicle Millie had taken cover behind.

Millie assessed the situation. The diner was behind Millie and rounds would be going in that direction so she scrambled to the back of the car as Mable approached across the lot. Millie could not let Mable keep shooting so she yelled, POLICE, drop your gun, you’re both under arrest and looked around the car’s rear fender as Mable fired wildly again. Millie had no choice and shot her in her good knee.

Mable went down screaming, "Not again, not again.’

A rifle shot went through the fender above her head and Millie started moving under cover away from the diner. Another shot rang out as she ran between cars putting distance between her and the diner. She took cover behind the wheel of a large truck. She heard sirens and the squealing of tires and she popped up as a pick up went by not thirty feet away. She recognized the driver and he had a rifle propped up beside him as he drove. She fired two shots and both the driver’s side tires blew. The truck veered off into the field next to the diner and snapped to a stop, stuck in the soft ground.

Willy Malone was trying to climb out of the truck when a shot rang out from behind Millie and Willy collapsed. Mable said it out loud, Oops, wrong one.

Millie swung around in a fluid movement her weapon stretched out in front of her an extension of her consciousness. Mable was lying at the edge of the parking lot where she had dragged herself. She was trying to get in a position to steady her gun for another shot at Millie when she passed out.

Millie turned back to the truck just as Willy Maloney was trying to climb up with his left arm using the truck door for support and a pistol in his right hand with blood flowing down his side. Millie had him squarely in her sights. Drop the gun Willy.

Willy glared at Millie and she was thinking she would have to kill him. He was swaying and she was close enough she reached out with her left hand and slammed the door on him. It caught him square in the face and Willy passed out and fell on the grass. Millie cuffed him and then went to Mable and bound her as she woke and kept mumbling Not again, not again.

Millie’s Deputy, Jason, was the first to arrive followed shortly thereafter by an ambulance and then two state troopers. It had all taken less than two minutes with a lot of the action seen by the customers in the diner.

When the others arrived, Millie found that she had been lightly wounded by glass and metal fragments in her neck and shoulder. She was taken to the clinic for treatment. When Millie came out of the clinic, her blouse stained with blood and wearing a neck bandage, the press was waiting and took pictures.

Millie motioned for silence. Y’all know how this works. I’ll make a statement then I’ll take questions. Millie paused before making her statement, Today on my way to lunch, I was attacked by two shooters. One was a wanted Federal Fugitive Willy Maloney. You may remember it was his and the Kronk family we arrested on drug charges after they attempted to resist with force of arms. Mr. Maloney has been a fugitive for the last year. I suspect his motivation for trying, sorry, allegedly trying to murder me, was revenge. I arrested Willy Maloney and he was transported for medical treatment of a gunshot wound. The other alleged assailant was one Mable Horner who had previously made an attempt on my life. I also arrested her and she was also taken for medical treatment for a gunshot wound to the leg. I will now take questions.

Millie pointed to a reporter who asked, How was it that both shooters attacked you at the same time and do you believe it was a conspiracy?

I suspect it was just a coincidence. You don’t make as many arrests as my department has without my having made enemies of some nasty criminals and some unstable personalities.

Millie pointed to another reporter, How is it that neither shooter is deceased?

I just thank God I was fortunate enough to be able to apprehend them without using deadly force.

A reporter spoke out of turn, Milton Remy, Chanel eleven news. How do you think this will affect the election?

Millie smiled, I don’t think it will have any effect on the election. The people of the county already know my record and that of my team.

Millie said, One more question. She pointed to another reporter who asked, How is it that there were no county deputies responding to the call for back up?

Millie got serious and paused, You will have to ask the sheriff for the answer to that question. Millie had said a lot without making a negative comment about Sheriff Wright.

Millie smiled, Thank you but now I have a ton of paperwork to do related to these arrests so I had best be about the taxpayers’ business.

The coverage was excellent for the campaign. The local news media blared headlines like Marshal Bags Federal Fugitive and Marshal Millie Outguns Alleged Assassins or Marshal Wounded in Take Down. The quote being about the taxpayers’ business was played several times. It was a publicists dream just before an election.

The candidate ads and the coverage of Millie were all extremely effective at influencing voters but nothing like what happened when three weeks before the election the slate started being advertised together. The impact was phenomenal because people started thinking what all this talent might achieve working together. The reality was that Don had put together an outstanding slate of candidates.

The county election garnered state wide attention, not