“Absolutely I would!” Cody answered.
“Good. After all this paperwork, I probably would have insisted you take the job whether you wanted it or not.” The chief placed the folder across the desk for Cody to see.
“The mounted patrol’s considered a promotion. Your pay grade increases and your hours will change. During training, you’ll be put on days, but after that initial period, your seniority in the division will start at ground zero. Just like in here, you’ll work nights, weekends, and probably holidays in the beginning,” the chief explained.
“That’s fine. I’ll do whatever. I’m supposed to be going on vacation starting Monday. I can change that too,” Cody offered.
“No, HR requires you use that time for legal liability purposes. It’s in this paperwork. Your official start date is the twenty-seventh. You’ve got solid horsemanship skills, so they’ve decided to train you onsite. Look this over. Check out the pay grade. If you agree with everything, sign the bottom of the form. Let me tell you, though, if you don’t agree, changes will have to be made and that could take some time,” the chief stated.
“Will you continue to be over that department too?” Cody asked, looking over the offer letter in front of him. Dear god, the pay increase would be several hundred dollars more a month. Holy shit! Cody lifted the offer to look over the job description and everything looked in order there too. When he glanced up again, he realized the chief had been talking and he had no idea what about.
“Your goals in the agency are clear. You’ve got a solid education. I think this new position will look good on your resume when you apply to become a Texas Ranger,” the chief finished, smiling at him expectantly.
“Thank you, sir,” Cody said, hoping that covered whatever he’d missed on the front end.
“In the back of the packet, you’ll see your mount’s information. He’s been waiting for his officer. I thought you’d like the name. I think he fits you. Turner, you’re also the youngest trooper to be hired for this position, but I think you’ve got the maturity and sense to take care of you and your animal,” the chief continued. Cody dug through the paperwork until he saw the information on his horse. He read over the specifics and grinned even bigger. His horse, a gelding, was named Ranger.
“He’s in Waco? I’m headed that way right now. Can I stop by and see him?” Cody asked, making sure the stable’s address was listed on the paper.
“I can’t see where that would be a problem. I’ll make a phone call and let them know you’re stopping by. I think there’s some paperwork in there that they need filled out too,” the chief said. “If you’re good with everything, sign where the tabs are located on the first three pages so I can get this processed.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.” Cody’s face started to ache from the grin he couldn’t suppress as he scribbled his name on the official offer.
“Great! Let me get a copy of this for you, and I won’t take any more of your time except to say, reporting procedures will arrive in your email before your start date. Congratulations.” The chief came around the desk and shook his hand again before he left the office, leaving Cody alone. He sat back down, linked his fingers together, and smiled down at his joined hands. After three months without a word, he had actually made the elite division of the mounted patrol. He sighed deeply as he pulled his badge from his back pocket, staring down at the silver metal. It was happening. All the work and time he’d put into making these things happen in his life were paying off.
When he heard the chief at the door, he slid the badge back into his jeans pocket and absently reached up to pat the phone inside his front shirt pocket as he rose. He’d most definitely be calling his big sister Sheila and making her take a break from her always hectic schedule. They needed to celebrate!
~~~
Mitch wiggled around in his airplane seat, trying to make more room. His long legs were cramped, shoved up against the seat in front of him, and no matter how he tried, his big body just didn’t fit well in these compact seats. Thank god he was alone in this row. That was the only thing making this flight bearable.
They were barely in the air with the seat belt lights off before he had the small tray lowered onto his thighs and his laptop out. The conversation with Jace weighed on him, adding pressure to his already burdened heart.
For as long as Mitch could remember, being a deputy US marshal was the only job he ever wanted. He’d always loved the idea of getting the bad guys off the street. It wasn’t until he made the special teams SOG division that he finally felt like he achieved his lifelong goals. And boy, had he done everything he could to represent his badge.
In the last few years, the red tape and the concern for political correctness throughout the country really started to limit his abilities to get his job done efficiently. His seniors never wanted to step on anyone’s toes, creating a Justice Department that was little more than a chess board of moves and countermoves.
Mitch had grown incredibly weary of it all. He’d even considered a career change over the last couple of months after the government’s lack of support in finding the person responsible for the long line of hate crimes he’d identified. Multiple civilian deaths should have been enough to fund a task force to investigate. Instead, an entire group of people were being targeted, and his supervisors tabled his efforts, playing games with these people’s lives.
Mitch closed his eyes, hoping to rein in his irritation. As punishment for his wayward thoughts, Mitch booted up his computer and logged in to the department’s email system to see what else he’d missed today. He stared at the inbox as hundreds of new messages loaded. Most were annoying stupid jokes forwarded from person to person in his office.