Greenfields was a sleepy town with a low crime rate until the murder of Lassie. The police department covered the surrounding suburbs and quite a large rural area. Sometimes, they would assist the city police; otherwise, the policing pace in Greenfields was a little slow.
Max was still determined to join. Arriving at the police station, she went to the main doors. Max walked in and went up to the cop at the desk.
"Hi, excuse me. I'm interested in joining the police, and I understand you are recruiting," said Max politely.
The cop at the desk was disinterested and barely managed to look up from his paperwork; he looked Max up and down at Max and noticed her injury.
"You won't get in with that injury. Being a cop is not for injury-prone women. Maybe you should try the typing department", he indicated to a poster on the notice board and looked back at his paperwork.
He might be right about the injury, but his attitude was outdated and rude. This Max and other women were up against. Max was annoyed, and her blood started to boil, but she kept calm. Why weren't all men like her Brother, Eddie & dear Lassie?-bless his soul. She walked over to the poster and noted the hotline telephone number. Whilst doing so, she noticed that the desk cop had walked outside for a cigarette break. Max watched him out of her eye, and her timing was perfect. The cop grabbed the handle to pull the door open, and at the same time, Max grabbed the handle from the inside and held the door. Her strong arm muscles tensed underneath her loose clothing as she pulled against him and kept the door shut. The cop could see Max through the glass. He tried pulling hard with his arm, then with both arms, as hard as he could. The door rattled slightly, but he could not open it; the door would not budge. Max's arm was way too strong for him. He couldn't understand how Max's one arm was overpowering him; someone like him would never accept women could be physically stronger.
"Let go of the door!" Shouted the cop.
Sorry? Max pretended she could not hear the cop's request.
Let go of the door! He said it in a condescending, slow way
"Okay" replied Max
Once Max released her grip, the door flew open, causing the cop to lose his balance and fall over. He quickly got to his feet and dusted himself down. Max gently pushed the door open and walked out.
"What the heck are you playing at?" he angrily questioned.
"Nothing, Sir, I'm just an injury-prone woman, so I can't play about. Which way to the typing department?" replied Max
He was confused. How could a young woman be stronger than a grown man? How could she have only used one arm?
"Have a nice day, officer", she said as she walked past.
As Max walked off, she smiled. People like that annoyed Max. She didn't care too much for people like that.
Max walked in the front door, and no one was at home. She sat down and looked at Rob's photos of the All-Star fitness competition. Max hadn't been able to celebrate and had no desire to continue with fitness-certainly at this stage without Lassie. She reached into her pocket, pulled out the hotline number for the police, and gave it a call. It took a while to get through, but she spoke with someone who took down her basic details and then passed her to a recruitment officer.
"Hi, is that Max?" Said the friendly voice
They went over some questions, and the officer took details.
"Ok, a short interview and medical questionnaire and your application can be processed." Max was informed.
The interview went well, and Max felt she answered the questions well, but you never know in these situations how well you've done. Then, it came to the medical questions. Max explained about her injury, though she didn't mention to the officer on the phone that she had been shot. Max reckoned that in 6 weeks, when the police fitness test would be held, she would be fit and able to participate. The recruitment officer had a much better attitude than the desk cop, and he showed interest, especially when Max mentioned her fitness/bodybuilding.
"We need fresh minds and strong bodies, you can take a lot of physical punishment out there on the streets. That sounds to me like your ideal." Said the officer
Max would have to wait a few days to see if she had passed the interview. It was a much more excellent experience than when she attended the police department.
Max heard her mobile phone buzz. Currently, it was in Rob's draw. And that is where it had been since the shooting. Max didn't want to look at the sponsorship offers or media requests. There was enough bad floating around without her speaking to anyone. They seemed to make up their minds about things without speaking to people. She went to the draw, not to look at the messages but photos, selfies she had taken with Lassie. She missed him so much.
A few days passed, and Max's routine hadn't changed much. Eddie at the hardware store had told Max to take as long as she wanted. Laying on her bed watching mindless TV and channel hopping, she flicked past a channel and immediately returned to it. It was Lassie. He was being interviewed; she didn't know where, and it certainly wasn't his gym, but Scott Barry was also present. Max scrambled to press record so she could keep the clip forever. Lassie was talking about his training techniques and dedication. Then something freaked her out. Lassie did a piece to the camera.
"You know you have to carry on. Don't stop whatever the setback, Max..." Max looked like she had seen a ghost. How could Lassie be speaking to her from 20 years ago?
She rewound the clip,
"Don't stop whatever the setback, max...effort is always required if you want to be a champion," said Lassie in the clip.
Max's heart was beating so fast that even if it wasn't Lassie speaking directly to her, she knew he was. This was her catalyst. Her blue touchpaper.
Max finished her last physio appointment and was told she could train light-Max never trained light. And then, in a couple of weeks, she could build things up. She'd be just in time for the police fitness test, which was her goal. Max's mobile rang, it was Rob.
"Max, can you come down to Lassie's gym" requested Rob
"Why?" asked Max
"It's too long to explain on the phone. Just get her in the next twenty minutes"said Rob; he sounded excited.
Max changed and made her way to Lassies. When she arrived, Rob was standing at the front with some guy she didn't know dressed in a suit and had an expensive new car.
"Max, this is Cliff Jones. He is a lawyer." Cliff extended his hand.
"Okay, what's this all about?" Max asked.
Cliff opened his suitcase and took out some paperwork.
"Lassie left the gym to you," said Rob excitedly. His excitement was probably misplaced as Max was still grieving, but he couldn't hide his excitement for Max.
"I don't want it," said Max.
"What? Erm Max? "Rob was confused
The lawyer explained that Lassie had left the gym to Max in full as he had no family. It was worth nothing as a business, but if she sold to a developer, Max could get around seven hundred and fifty thousand due to the prime site and those keen to redevelop Greenfields. Max knew as a gym, it wouldn't work, even with her using the new All-Star winner status. The gym goers wanted the flash and the selfies, the pretend workouts, an Insta gym. Besides, Max was going to go into law enforcement-well that was her plan.
"Sell it! I'll take what I want from the inside and sell it to the highest bidder." Said Max
"If that's your wish, Max, I'll draw up some paperwork, and once you sign it, we will go to market." said the suit.
Rob and Max watched Cliff pull away in his expensive car.
Max, I think you are wasting a good opportunity.
"The gym had no new members in the last eight years. Nmembers apart from me. If I sell it, I can start my own business when I leave the police." Max explained to Rob.
"You haven't got in yet! Look, are you making the right decision? " Questioned Rob
"Yes, I am," said Max quite abruptly.
She turned to Rob.
"I'll pay off your mortgage for you. As a thank you for what you have done for me." Max looked directly into Rob's eyes.
Rob stopped dead in his tracks. He did not say anything but had tears in his eyes, and he walked over to Max and hugged her
"Ow, my shoulder, Rob," flips sake, said Max in pain
The following week was busy for Max. Her shoulder was healing well, the last physio appointment had signed her off, and she was starting to get keepsakes from Lassies gym. Max still had the money found in the old supplement tub, and, for the moment, it would remain hidden in her possession. The instructions had come through to sell the gym. Max made an extra ten thousand selling the old gym equipment. An excited call from Cliff informed her that she had an offer of 950 thousand.
"Let's keep them bidding and fighting amongst themselves", Max instructed.
The day of the police fitness test came. It wasn't a challenge to Max. She came first in every discipline apart from running, where a woman who did cross-fit called Storm just beat her.
The other cadets were in awe of Max's and Storm's strength. The other recruits had never seen such strength and stamina up so close, and after some working out, Max broke every previous record in the history of the assessment.
"We'll call you two super cops. Well done," said one of the female recruits as she high-fived Max & Storm.
"What's your real name?" asked Max.
"Storm" she smiled and said no more.
That evening, a few of them celebrated that the fitness course was over. Max hadn't felt so good in ages. Max had just turned twenty, so she was celebrating that as well. The alcoholic drinks flowed, and Max felt her grief slip away. Closing time came too quickly, and Max, Storm and two others who were gym lovers walked back through the quiet town.
"Hey, do you ever want to lift more than weights?" said Sarah in a drunken slur
"Like a strongman competition?" replied Storm, equally slurring her speech.
"I want to lift a car! It's the ultimate thing," said Jess
"Let's do it. Let's lift a car," said a very intoxicated Max.
"This will do!" Max patted the roof of the car, and the alarm went off. They all ran down the road away from sight.
Sarah & Jess couldn't breathe from laughing so much.
Max, however, was facing a small European car weighing around 850 kg. Her hands grabbed the underneath.
"Let's do this!" said Max
Storm and Jess walked over and took up similar vantage positions at the car. Sarah came over as well.
The car's wheels started to lift about an inch, the suspension creaking as the wheels left the ground. In turn, they adjusted their grips, and the four women lifted the car higher. The car's wheels were nearly half a metre off the ground, just dangling in the air, looking helpless. There were more adjustments, and the women soon had the car at a 45-degree angle.
"This is so cool," said Jess
"I've seen guys do it and always wanted to try," said Sarah.
"Let's flip it over", said Storm and pushed, almost turning the car over herself.
Max smiled and also pushed hard. Their powerful physiques and muscles quickly lifted the car, which weighed around 850 kilograms, which was even more impressive as Jess & Sarah had let go. Max felt her strength again. It was the first time since Lassie's death.
The car tilted further over.
"Put it down," said Sarah, sobering up quicker and realising they would be cops soon. Cops don't do shit like this.
Jess was taking loads of photos.
The next part happened in slow motion. The car now was the angle a stunt driver would typically have it. Max and Storm both pushed, and the small car went onto its side with the sound of metal being scratched on the road and breaking glass.
Storm immediately hit a double bicep pose and growled way too loud. Max felt great seeing the helpless car on its side. Sarah had walked off, and Jen was cheering.
"Looks helpless, doesn't it," said Lightning, looking at the car.
"Should we push it back onto its wheels? Asked Max.
"No, just leave it!" replied Storm.
Max looked at the car. The car looked so helpless on its side. She walked around to the other side.
"Oh shit, we've messed up this car!" Max said whilst glancing at the damage.
"This could ruin our careers before they've even started, not to mention criminal damage," said Jess.
The bravado was wearing off a little, and they were all sobering up a little, so rational thinking came back.
Sarah returned.
"Okay, I've called it in," she said
"You've called what in?" said Storm.
"I've said we chased after some lads but lost them" Sarah was the least drunk of the four.
Max sat on the ground; things were going from a massive high and crashing down fast. Then, a squad car turned up.
"Let me do the talking," said Sarah.
"You guys, the cadets? You all been drinking?" asked the officer.
"Yes, we all had our fitness tests today." Sarah was the least drunk but still wobbly on her feet.
"Ah, happy times those student officer days." said the cop as he exited the car. He ran the plate through.
"This car has been abandoned for months, with no traceable owner. Those lads did the town a favour, as the town can scrap it now," explained the cop.
"You'd better keep back. Me and my buddy will flip it back onto its wheels," said the cop, oblivious that the four women in front of him had just flipped the car.
The cops got to the other side of the car and tried to rock the vehicle back onto its wheels but were struggling.
"Need some help?" asked Storm.
"Sure, the more, the merrier," said the cop.
All six of them righted the car.
"They'll collect it tomorrow. Take it easy, and have a safe walk home. Oh, what did you say those kids were wearing? We'll have a look around for them, "Asked the cop.
"It was too dark. There were around six of them, and we didn't get a good look!" Explained Sarah
"Yeah, I reckon there must be at least six. To turn a car over like that, you've got to be reasonably strong. We'll have a look, take care, ladies. Good luck," said the cop as they returned to the patrol car and drove off.
"You hear that, reasonably strong? We're all reasonably strong ladies..." They laughed together, and now they knew they were free of any charges or even being blamed.
Storm waited until the patrol car was out of sight and then booted the side of the door, leaving a massive dent in the panel.
"Well, that was fun." Storm added.
"More like, that was lucky, I don't think we should do that again, ever," said Jess.
All three looked at Jen and reminded her that it was her idea in the first place. They laughed and continued their walk home. Girls will be girls.