Jen007 - Early morning chase

Jenna, on the early shift...

Tuesday morning, 3:34am.
Jenna was sitting at the kitchen table, gazing down into her coffee cup.  She was, at best, barely half awake.  She’d never been a morning person, but the ‘early shift’ was another level altogether – starting work at 4am was not her favourite part of the job!
She took a few lethargic sips of coffee then wandered drearily into the bathroom.  Maybe a shower would wake her up, a bit?

Fifteen minutes later she was standing in front of the hallway mirror, dressed in her Police Uniform.  She scowled at the puffy bags under her eyes, and she yawned... a wide, tired yawn.
Her hair was frizzy and untameable, not that she cared particularly – it was far too early to worry about hair!  She scrapped it lazily back into a ponytail and hid it away under her hat.
Semi-conscious, she made a flask of hot coffee to take with her – that could literally be the difference between staying awake and falling asleep in the patrol car.  At 3:55am she locked the apartment door and trudged slowly down the stairs.

It was raining outside.  The night was cold and dark and miserable.  Jenna locked the front door and plodded off in the direction of the police station... it was going to be a long morning.  The only possible consolation was that she was on shift with ‘Big Tone’ – her favourite partner.  Tony was good company; a solid guy, 50 years old, over-weight and not at all bothered about it; happily married with a couple of kids, no axe to grind, nothing to prove.  Plus, his wife usually furnished him with homemade cookies to help him through the long early-morning hours, and he was always happy to share them with his partner.
It was exactly 4am when she arrived at the police station and found Tony already waiting in the patrol car – the BMW.  Nice!
She climbed inside and took her hat off, instantly appreciating the warm comfort.
“Hi Tone” she mumbled, drearily, rubbing her freezing hands together in front of the heaters.
“Morning Jen”
“You ok?”
“Marvellous.  You?”
“Tired.  Irritable.  Ready to knock off already”
Tony laughed and eased the car into motion, “Homemade flapjacks” he said, pointing at a small plastic box on the dashboard, “from Ellen.  Help yourself”
“Ohhh.  Thanks”
Jenna took one and nibbled at it, sleepily.

They did a quick circuit of the town... it was deserted.
They cruised quietly around a couple of the housing estates – also deserted – then made their way out onto the bypass and parked up on a slip road by the roundabout on the north side of town.
They both knew nothing of any great interest was going to happen.  Monmouth is a small town, and at 4am it tends to be – like most of its inhabitants - dead to the world.  There was no point driving round and round... they might as well wait by the roundabout and watch out for vehicles speeding or looking suspicious.
Jenna sighed and glanced at the clock on the dashboard.  4:12am.  Really, why did she bother?  Were the streets any safer because they were parked in a lay-by outside town, eating flapjacks?!
They fell into a casual conversation about Tony’s kids; Jenna took a second piece of flapjack and sipped her coffee, gradually waking up.

The time - according to the clock on the dashboard - limped along to 4:16am.
There was very little traffic on the road... the occasional lorry on its way north... a truck on its way south... but nothing of any interest.
The night was dark, and rain was spitting down onto the windscreen.  Tony flicked the windscreen wipers occasionally, clearing their view of the deserted road.
Jenna was halfway through her second piece of flapjack when the black Range Rover approached the roundabout.  She watched it closely as it crept around the island and took the third exit, into Dixton Road.
Her eyes narrowed.  Defiantly suspect!
Through the eyes of a police officer, any car out and about on the roads at 4:16am is automatically suspicious.  But the Range Rover was particularly interesting.  Perhaps it was the blacked-out windows, or the way it was being driven almost too carefully...
Tony raised his eyebrows.
“What do you think?” he asked, “Wanna check it out?”
“I think so.  Seems fishy... Let’s tail it”
Tony nodded and eased the patrol car forwards onto the roundabout.
It didn’t take long to catch up with the Range Rover.  Jenna clicked open her radio and read the number plate out to the operator, asking for a routine vehicle check.
“Hold on...” the operator said, “Just looking...”
It was a woman.  Her perkiness annoyed Jenna.  Who was perky at this time of the morning for God’s sake?  She glanced at Tony and shook her head as she listened to the clicking of a keyboard in the background... that annoyed her too.
“That vehicle is wanted in connection with a reported Hit and Run earlier this morning!” the woman chirped, “At King’s Norton Industrial Estate, in Birmingham... a man’s leg was broken and the vehicle fled the scene...”
Jenna exchanged a brief glance with Tony as she threw her half-eaten flapjack back into the box, suddenly fully awake and alert.  Ok, this could be interesting!
The scenery turned electric blue as Tony flicked the lights on.
“No need for the siren, yet” he said, gesturing at the houses on the side of the road, “No need to wake up the good folks in these homes”
But the Range Rover showed no signs of stopping.  It continued at an even 30mph, across the T-junction and into the main street, apparently completely oblivious of their presence.
Tony’s voice was somewhere between edgy and excited, “They aint stoppin’!”
“Maybe they’re gonna pull in at the bottom of town?” Jenna suggested, half turning towards Tony, but not taking her eyes off the Range Rover.
“I doubt it.  They’re not gonna stop.  I think we’re gonna have a chase on our hands in a minute”
Jenna leaned forwards on her seat, buzzing with excitement.  It may be dangerous, but she craved the action.  Bring it on!
Then a thought occurred to her... Could the driver be the mysterious Victor Dvornikov who showed up in town – under equally strange circumstances – a few days ago?  It seemed to fit; maybe he’d come back to finish whatever dodgy business he’d started?
They followed the Range Rover through the main street; Tony kept his cool, adjusting his stocky bulk in the driver’s seat... staying comfortable, staying alert.
“Shall I call for backup?” Jenna asked.
Tony thought for a moment, “Not yet.  Not unless he makes a dash for it”
The Range Rover was in no hurry.  It rolled slowly through the streets... over the river bridge... left... right at the garage... onto the road out of town... Then the brake lights came on and it slowed to a stop.
“He’s slowing down” Tony said triumphantly, “We’ve got him!”
Jenna watched, enthralled, as the Range Rover eased to a halt on the side of the road.
Tony pulled over, a safe distance back.
“OK, approach with caution” he said.  “I’ll take the driver’s side.  Stay alert Jen”
Jenna swallowed nervously.  The thrill of the chase was suddenly no longer that thrilling.  In fact, the black Range Rover seemed dangerous and foreboding.  It was a dark night, and the street lights were sparse near the edge of town.  Jenna mentally assessed the situation... Had that been the driver’s intention?  To get somewhere quiet and dark before pulling over?
She pictured Victor Dvornikov’s hideous face – the snarled mouth and the black empty eyes.  Was it him, waiting for them in the driver’s seat?  She was suddenly very glad she wasn’t on her own.
Tony pushed his door open and bounced himself out of his seat, onto the road.
Jenna perched her hat on top of her head and climbed slowly out of the car.  Nervousness had crept over her, but she was riding an adrenalin high, and she wasn’t about to miss out on the rare chance of some real action.  God only knew when something as exciting as this would happen in Monmouth again!
The Range Rover was poised, waiting for them; doors closed, windows wound up.
It was a miserable night; rain was spitting down from the black skies, adding to the sense of danger.  Jenna was mustering all her confidence, but she was liking the situation less and less by the second.
They approached the vehicle... slowly.
Tony was trying to look confident but Jenna noticed the nervousness in his walk.  There was something weird about the Range Rover, and they both knew it.  It just wasn’t right – the way it had been driven... the way it hadn’t stopped until it got right through town...
Tony drew level with the car and flashed Jenna a quick glance, silently telling her to ‘stay alert’.  Jenna swallowed slowly.  Her mouth was dry.
Suddenly the Range Rover lurched forwards with a burst of speed, tyres squealing on the wet tarmac.
“STOP!” Tony yelled.
But the Range Rover was already speeding away.
Tony was first to react.  He spun and sprinted back to the patrol car.  Jenna ran after him and jumped into the passenger’s seat.
A moment later they were flying along the road, lights flashing, sirens blaring.
Tony was furious.  Jenna watched him, wide-eyed, as he threw the car into a left-hander, cursing angrily.  She’d never heard him swear before – ok, sure, the occasional “piss” or “shit” when he spilt his coffee, but not proper swearing like this.  He was mad!
Of course, they had the number plate – they’d be able to track the vehicle down.  But they both knew the score; no way were they letting the driver to get away without a chase!  No way he was going to make a fool of them!
Tony sped along, shouting for backup over the radio.
But they hadn’t gone far when they spotted the Range Rover, parked in a lane, just off the main road.  Tony overshot the turn and skidded to a halt.  Hastily, he reversed – wheels spinning on the road – and tuned into the lane.
There were no streetlights out here.  The only light was the headlights of the patrol car, shining on the Range Rover.
Jenna was operating on some kind of auto-pilot; like she was having an out-of-body experience.  Ok, this was getting creepy now... a secluded lane... pitch black... the Range Rover parked, waiting...
And this time the Range Rover had nowhere to go.  Ahead, the lane petered out into a dead-end.  Jenna contemplated the situation... was it a good thing that the driver had no escape route?  Somehow, she didn’t think so.
The Range Rover’s engine was still running, purring like a giant cat in the darkness.  There was no sign of the driver.  He was still inside?  He had to be!
Tony moved cautiously, edging towards the Range Rover, whispering updates into his two-way radio.
Extreme apprehension had consumed Jenna.  Was that evil-looking bastard Victor Dvornikov about to leap out of the driver’s door with a gun and open fire on them?  The thrill of enigma had gone.  Now she was just plain scared.
Tony shouted instructions, “Get out of the car... slowly... turn off the engine”
Nothing happened.
The car idled in the darkness.  Smoke plumed out of the exhaust and drifted away on the freezing night air.
Jenna was vaguely aware of the cold, stinging her cheecks and hands; it was there, in the background, unpleasant but not important.
Tony shouted again; still he got no response from inside the car.
“Hang back” he whispered to Jenna, “I’ll go first”
But Jenna didn’t hang back.  She followed him... on tender-hooks.
Tony rapped on the window, “Open up!  Now!”
Jenna gazed at the blacked-out glass; she saw nothing except her own reflection.  How unnerving!  A horrible feeling had taken root in her stomach.  She was sure someone was inside the car, staring out at her.
Tony rapped on the window again and raised his voice; he was seriously pissed now.
Suddenly he grabbed the door handle and ripped the door open.
Jenna gasped and jumped backwards.
The car was empty!
Panic flashed through her and she instinctively pulled out her truncheon.  It felt totally useless!  In fact it just made her more scared.  She suddenly wished they carried side-arms, not bloody batons!
She spun round, expecting to see a pair of hideous black eyes behind her.  But there was nobody.
They searched the car – front and back; even the boot.
Nothing!
Nobody!
The driver had gone.
“Where the hell did he go?” Tony asked, flashing Jenna an incredulous frown.
“No idea!”
“He’s just freaking vanished... like a...”
“Like a ghost” Jenna whispered, scaring herself with her own words.

Tony secured the car while Jenna called in the forensics team – they arrived an hour later and dusted for fingerprints, promising the results within 24 hours.
Dawn was breaking as Jenna and Tony climbed into their patrol car and cruised back into town.  The daylight comforted Jenna.  She was still buzzing; new theories were running through her head, one after the other... was it Victor Dvornikov?  Where did he go?  Was he still at large, somewhere in the town?
She shared her thoughts with Tony, “Do you think there’s a connection, Tone?  Between the Range Rover and that car the other night – the one that showed up when all the CCTV cameras screwed up?”
Tony wasn’t convinced, “Maybe”
“Bit of a coincidence isn’t it though” Jenna mused, pushing her speculation, “I mean, nothing happens around here for months on end, and then in the space of three days we get two separate unexplained vehicles roaming the streets in the dead of night...”
“Maybe”
Tony was being dismissive.  It wasn’t that he didn’t care; he just didn’t share Jenna’s enthusiasm for conspiracy theories.  Plus, he was still rattled and pissed-off.  In fact, frankly, he just wanted to get home to his comfy lounge and sit around in his boxer shorts watching repeats of Top Gear.