The Bed You Make
Chapter 27, continued
Undercover cop Craig Munson lay on the ground where his fellow officer had pushed him. He made a mental note to share his experience with the other cop's veteran partner. It was not about squealing on Montgomery. Munson loved his department and what it represented. No, Montgomery needed to learn that such anger and impatience toward any citizen of the town was unacceptable.
Munson staggered to his feet. When he was on the job, he never broke cover. The first rule an undercover cop learned was that there were always eyes watching. Just because you didn't see them didn't mean they weren't there. It was especially important, there so close to a cop hangout, that he be seen as what he appeared to be – a down on his luck bum.
A small knot of veteran officers exited the Waffle Shack. Most of them were from the same precinct as Munson. Two of them operated out of the East Side substation. Still, Munson easily recognized them all. He'd made a point of learning the names of the vets he hoped to pattern his career after. These were the men he would rely on to guide him in becoming an officer worthy of wearing the shield.
"Hey, you! Beat it !" A grizzled vet barked the order at Munson. He placed his container of coffee on a nearby car and mouthed something to one of the other officers walking beside him. The cop, stocky and Asian, readily placed his takeout bag on the trunk of the car beside him. Together they advanced on Munson.
"Okay, 'kay," Munson mumbled. He stumbled a few steps away from the small group of veteran cops. He took a spot behind an enormous Dodge Ram truck and waited until the cops all climbed into their vehicles and left.
Munson eased out of hiding. He shuffled drunkenly through the parking lot. "Thanks, fellas," he murmured. He retrieved the container of hot coffee and the bag of warm biscuits the two older cops had purposely left for him atop the two cars. He tucked the bag of warm food down inside the stained shirt he wore and made his way to the dumpster behind the Waffle Shack.
Sliding down beside it, the young undercover cop took a sip of coffee and prepared to eat his breakfast. It had already been a productive day. He'd gotten a lead on the perps who were stealing license tags from vehicles parked downtown, and he'd managed to get a note to Detective Garcia, warning him about the late-night things going on at Spoon Island.
Munson had done his part. Now all the rookie Montgomery had to do was stick his hand in his pocket and find the note just where the 'drunk' had put it.
