MVUTO

chapter 80 - incoming!

"Okay, everyone listen up!... If you're not in the loop yet, I've sent the staff that attended the hostage situation in the next precinct home to self-quarantine for 2 days, and okay to return to work if there are no gastro symptoms like our people over in the next precinct are experiencing. Next... we actually have an image of the female POI allegedly responsible for the sudden outbreaks...!" Chief hands out copies of an enhanced photo of a woman. as well as her back as she exits the doorway where she passes the frame, which had coloured stickers to denote height. "As you can see in the second photo, she is quite tall. As a guide... not quite as tall as Frank..." Chief waited for the hubbub to quieten before continuing, "now that you know what she looks like... dare I ask the bravest amongst us to bring her in for questioning..." the hubbub grew distinctly louder, "... settle down! I have a plan if you will all just calm the fuck down and listen! ... of course, I will expect everyone to ensure they have plenty of PPE in their PV's ... if you come across her, suit up and ever, ever so politely ask her to come in for questioning. Do not under any circumstance trigger her by sudden movement or aggression. Keep your distance of at least one and a half metres. Do not hurry her to respond. Wait patiently. Whatever happens, either way, call it in and give us a chance to suit up in PPE here as well. If you're smart and you play your cards right, you get a free holiday on us for a couple of days as a reward."

"Yeah, but what about the worst-case scenario?"

"We're gonna havta burn our uniform and shoes!"

"...along with our PV too!"

Chief re-iterated, "please ... we all know how to be polite, don't we? The other woman who was held hostage didn't get gastro... probably because she was friendly enough. In the security footage, she and our female POI touched hands when given the keys to the women's loo, yet... she was quarantined without symptoms. Just be polite, and to be ultra-safe, keep your distance. Tell her we just want to ask some questions while she is here for a couple of hours at least, and then she will be free to leave. Just as a reminder, I've printed out the procedure I want patrols to follow if you find her... and do a stocktake of your PPE, refill if you're low on anything BEFORE you leave on patrol."

Due to the low number of staff, only one passenger per PV was rostered for patrol for the time being. Just as a show of vehicle numbers on duty. No one was expected to tackle an incident alone. A call in for backup was standard procedure under these types of circumstances. So when on a sunny weekend afternoon a patrol officer, a little sceptical of being in imminent danger, saw what appeared to him to be the female POI, from the back at least, walking along the footpath. He blipped her just to double-check what she looked like once she turned around. But she didn't. As soon as her prey was alerted to police presence, he scampered. The woman instead halted a moment to recalibrate, then kept walking.

"Ma'am, may I speak with you for a minute?"

The officer had pulled over and was standing in the opening of the driver's door calling out to her when she glanced over her shoulder, subversively not volunteering to turn around. Upon hearing the door slam, she prepared herself for either flight or fight. When the woman did turn to check him out, it was his turn to stop dead in his tracks. Even at a distance of 2m, she could see his legs tremble. Her eyes narrowed as she checked him over, paying particular attention to his PPE, immediately becoming aware the police of this precinct, at least, knew who they were looking for.

"ma.. ma...am, our Chief would like to ask you a fa...few questions..." the anxious officer stuttered, realising who and what he was facing.

"Chief?" she questioned, not expecting such a prominent person would of as yet been alerted.

"ah.. ha! I mean our captain... we call him Chief because he is the Chief of his tribe..."

Her eyebrow arched with interest, "really!" she didn't expect that possibility either.

"yes... w ... would you please come in for questioning? Tops, it should only take a couple of hours" he cringed under her intense gaze, like never before, even during weapons training.

Now that her target was long gone, she had time to kill. Suspecting if she didn't volunteer to go, then the police would next be out searching for her sisters, compromising their agenda. She would need to divert police attention elsewhere, and this moment presented as the most opportune time to do so.

"yes"

"Wha... wh... okay!" being a gentleman, he opened the rear door of his PV for her and stepped back until she was ensconced inside before shutting it.

Grabbing his mobile, the officer fumbled his call-in "Chief, this is officer Nugent speaking... I have in my vehicle a POI for questioning..."

"Male or female?"

subconsciously kicking himself for his gaffe while he replied, "female".

"Okay, follow procedure and bring her in. We'll be ready."

"will do, on our way!"