I was
staying with my cousin David in Washington
DC. Thanksgiving was approaching
and his brother Luke had invited us to visit his new home in Austin Texas. Luke
had recently secured a lecturing role at University of Texas
and was keen for David to see his new home. While my journey would eventually
take me to Austin,
it was an opportunity for a road trip with David.
David had
a restored 1970’s Pontiac Trans Am in black identical to the one from “Smokey
and the Bandit.” So I left my motorcycle at David’s place and we headed for Austin. It was three
days’ drive and it was great to spend some time in a car after months riding my
bike. The Trans Am seemed appropriate transport and attracted much attention. David
also decided we should both wear full black leather to match the car and its
black leather interior and had lent me some gear (bike leathers were a bit of
overkill in a car); so we were both attired in black Schott Perfect leather
jackets, black leather jeans and harness boots.
We stayed
at budget motels and ate at traditional diners. We used a combination of
Interstates and back roads and shared the driving. On crossing into Texas we decided to use back roads to get to Austin. We’d just
finished lunch and were on the final leg to Austin. I was driving and I decided to open
things up a bit. Suddenly I noticed flashing lights in the rear vision mirror.
“Oh shit, a cop.” I said.
David
replied, “Just stay calm, pull over and for heavens sake, DON’T get out of the
car.” (I had told David about being pulled over by a cop back home – I got out
of my car to deny the cop his advantage; his ability to look down on me. I was
told that doing this in the US
would probably have you shot.)
I pulled
over and the cop pulled over behind us. As David advised, I put my hands on top
of the steering wheel. I heard the PA of the cop car. “Driver and passenger;
get out of the car slowly, keep your hands in the air and walk slowly to the back
of the car.”
David and
I opened the doors and did as the voice told us to. The next instruction came
in a very excited voice; “ON THE GROUND, ON THE GROUND!!!” I got down. “FACE
DOWN, SPEAD YOUR ARMS AND LEGS OUT!”
“What
seems to be the problem officer?” I asked as I complied with the instruction. I
received a gentle kick. “Just do as you’re told!” While this seemed a rather
heavy handed way to deal with a speeding offence (OK I was well over the limit)
I figured that this guy no doubt had his gun out and I’ve always been told
never to argue with a loaded gun.
I
received a pat down and saw David getting the same treatment. The officer
standing over me cuffed my right wrist and pulled it behind my back then
grabbed my left wrist and cuffed it. The cuffs were firm but not uncomfortable
and I had been cuffed palms out. I was starting to get hard at being cuffed.
The next move took me a bit surprise, after David and I were cuffed; leg irons
were locked around my ankles. I had flashbacks to the time I was arrested in Wyoming when I’d spent a
week in chains renegade sheriff’s jail.
The cops
helped us to our feet – man these guys were cute! They were both wearing black
leather jackets over khaki pants. Their eyes were hidden by mirrored aviator
style sunglasses. They led us to the back of their patrol car and half
helped/half pushed us into the back behind the security screen. The next moves
also took me by surprise. Our handcuffs were padlocked to short chains coming
out of the join between the seat back and cushion. Our leg irons were locked to
rings welded to the floor of the car and seatbelts buckled holding us in place.
The cops then produced black cloth hoods which they were about to pull over our
heads. “Hey, what’s going on?” David yelled. From nowhere the cops produced
black leather plug gags which were strapped into our mouths reducing our cries
to mmmppphhh. The hoods were then pulled over our heads.
The car
drove off at speed, I struggled against the cuffs and legirons and mmmppphhed
into my gag. I could hear and feel David struggling. I was wondering what was
going on, where we were being taken and what was going to happen to us. While
our captors could have been anyone, I got the feeling we were in for an
adventure not danger.
We would
have driven for a couple of hours and I got the feeling we were now in traffic.
The driver started to use the siren to get through the traffic. After a number
of turns the car stopped. I heard the doors open and the seat belt was removed
and my handcuffs and leg irons were unlocked from the car but left on me. I
could feel a person either side of me lead me inside a building and down some
stairs. I could hear the clank of David’s leg irons behind me. I was pushed to
a sitting position on the floor and felt an iron collar locked around my neck.
It was attached to the wall behind me by a chain. I could hear the sound of
David beside me. We were left like that for some time. From time to time I
would pull against my chains and would hear David do the same. I still had a huge
hard on.
All of a
sudden my hood was pulled off. I blinked for a moment in the light. In front of
me was my cousin Luke, dressed in full black leather. Beside him were the two
Highway Patrol officers.
“James,
David, welcome to Austin.
Happy Thanksgiving. Meet Texas Highway Patrol officers Kyle and Justin.”
Luke had
set the whole thing up with the help of some friends in the Highway Patrol.
Luke had suggested the route we follow in Texas so it hadn’t been hard to set up the
ambush. My first Thanksgiving had been memorable!
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