Tales Of The Rocket Patrol

Chapter 4

     Roderick and the Sheriff walked towards the part of town where his ship informed him the two intruders would enter. It was easy to notice the two men as they approached the town, as their high tech designer clothes and the space pistols by their sides were dead giveaways.

     "How do you want to handle this, Jerry?" Roderick called out to the Sheriff as they approached the two men.

     "I'll lead on this one." Jerry answered. "I appreciate the back up."

     "That's not a problem." Roderick answered as he stood by his friend's side.

     Jerry was a good Sheriff, but one who was well aware of the kind of trouble that came to town whenever someone off world strolled in unannounced. The town didn't like people introducing new technology to the town folk as they preferred to use a little as possible and many swindlers tried to prey on the people with new gadgets in an attempt to temp them into giving them a good profit for items that are dirt cheap to produce. They had no idea what the two men were coming to town for, but Roderick had a feeling it wasn't for anything legal.

     When they were within twenty feet of the two men, Jerry was the first to speak up. "Put you your hands, no guns in town."

     "I'm not giving up anything." The taller of the two called back. "What gives you the right to ask for anything?"

     "This township is tech free." The Sheriff called out. "No walking in with phasers or disruptors of any kind."

     "We're not here for any trouble." The second man called out.

     "Your unmarked vessel would suggest otherwise." Roderick snapped back at him.

     "And who the hell are you?" the second man then asked.

     Roderick grinned. He forgot that most people were not used to seeing him in his dress uniform, which was much different from the standard patrol garb. "My name is Commander Benjamin Roderick, Rocket Patrol."

     "Commander, their blood pressure is spiking..."

     Whenever Roderick was confronting someone, his vessel would always monitor their heart rates and that allowed him to know when the shit was going to hit the fan. A spike in blood pressure meant only one thing: they were about to draw on him and the Sheriff. Roderick grabbed his laser pistol and drew with lightning quick speed, firing a single shot which blew the shorter man clean off his feet. Roderick's weapon was set to stun, so the short man was still alive and lying on the ground with the wind completely knocked out of him. Roderick pointed the laser at the other man who hadn't been quick enough to draw his own weapon.

     "Use your left hand," Roderick instructed, "And slowly put it on the ground."

     The taller of the two did as he was told, using his left hand to unholster his weapon and slowly place it on the ground.

     Jerry was a little stunned by what had just transpired. "What the hell? Ben, why did you draw on them?"

     "Cause they were about to draw on me." Roderick answered.

     "And you know this how?" Jerry asked. He had been watching them both and couldn't tell and he considered himself a professional.

     "I don't think you really want to know how." Roderick answered as he approached the big man and picked his gun off the ground. "There's a nice cozy cell waiting for you and your friend. Pick him up off the ground and let's get going."

     The taller man did what he was told and they all walked back to the Sheriff's office. Once they returned there, Roderick locked them both up after searching them for more weapons or electronic devices that could help them escape. Roderick then took a small device out of his pocket and placed it on the desk. It was about the size of a baseball and the Sheriff watched as Roderick pressed a button on it and a green light came on and the small device started to buzz.