Kelly
Istare at Owen intently for a solid moment before taking my hand from his arm. He settles back and whispers, “Why?” While Elizabeth removes the wooden top rail from its place in the post and slips through the fence, I shake my head at him, putting a finger to my lips.
Trent looks at me and quietly begins to say something and again, I shake my head ‘no,’ and this time I place a finger on his mouth. “Shh,” I quietly sound out without trying to be too loud.
Waiting for the old woman to creep down the pasture with her bag of tricks and out of earshot, I have both men remain silent before I speak. In as low of a whisper as I can manage, “We have to wait until she actuallydoessomething besides cutting a fence line. While that is enough for trespassing, it isn’t proof of her taking cattle.”
Which is exactly what’s happening right now. Elizabeth is treading back up the hill. She’s got a smaller cow from the upper pasture and is slowly leading the beast, having it follow her through the fence. It didn’t want to go, given its steadfast stance.
It took her a few minutes to actually maneuver the cow to the front of her and begin the process of getting it out through the cut in the fence. The animal makes soft lowing sounds as she pushes it out of the gaping hole.
When she has the cow out from the fence and is walking away with it, I pull my gun and handcuffs from my waist and stand, shouting, “Elizabeth McNally, stop and turn around with your hands up!” I train my gun on the woman turning before me as she sneers at me. “Hands up! You are under arrest for theft, and more charges will likely follow.”
She puts her hands up, dropping the lead from the cow to the ground. Laughing maniacally, she spits out in a menacing voice, “You ain’t got shit on me, missy!” Her eyes are cold and anger is blazing a fire in them as she walks closer to me.
Ducking through the fence, I move closer as she heckles, “You best be able to prove those accusations, because I know my rights.” She squints her eyes, still with her hands up.
“Oh, I can,” I tell the old biddy. “And I will.” I walk toward her with my gun aiming at her shoulder. Spinning her around, I cuff her hands behind her back as she twists and writhes under my grip, “I guess these cuffs seem a little snug, huh?”
Peering quickly over her shoulder, I call to the guys, “Trent, Owen, can you come out here and get your animal back where it belongs?”
Trent stands first and glares at Elizabeth. “How could you do this? You could’ve hurt or even killed someone or an animal!” He stomps next to her and goes through the fence to chase down the cow that had made its way to the ravine.
“Ah, well fuck you too, you thief!” she yells at him, spittle spews from her mouth as she speaks. “This is my land and I want it back!”
“That’ll be enough out of you, Mrs. McNally!”
“Fuck you! And your little toads. Like I said, you have not one shred of proof that I did anything!” She looks evilly at me. “I hope you rot in hell.”
“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t,” I snidely say, “Either way, I hope you rot in prison.”
“I second what she said. We trusted you and you betrayed us,” Owen says. “I’m very disappointed and disgusted by your actions.” He leaves her presence to help Trent with the now loose animal.
Elizabeth sucks snot up her nose and spits at Owen, barely missing him as he passes by. “You oughta be glad that you’re a semblance of some type of woman, or else you’d be hogtied with an apple in your fat, lying mouth!”
“Suck my dick, asshole!” she shouts at him, while I tug at her to comply with me. She wrestles against me as I read her rights and call for backup from the station. “And you, you fucking cunt, I know you’re sleeping around with these two, fucktards.”
“So?” I say. “It appears that I’m not the one in the cuffs. This time anyway.” I chuckle at my sarcasm and she tries to bolt in front of me. I dodge what I know would’ve been a shot to my shoulder, knocking me over. Instead, she lands a face plant on the ground before me.
I get her to her feet and spin her hatefully, gripping the clothes on her shoulder tightly, “Next thing you try, I’ll put a gag on you and tie your feet!”
“You can’t do that! I know my rights!” she spews in anger.
“Say something again and see if I don’t do it!”
Trent and Owen have finally brought the cow under their control again, making its way to the pasture to rejoin the others. Trent has my scope and follows the rest of us down into the homestead where we are met by two more squad cars.
As we walk down, I point out the cameras along the way. “That one there?” I shove a finger to the right at the top of the eave of the temporary stable. “Has everything you did tonight recorded, to include your fit and your escape attempt.”
Inside the house, I jarringly set the old bitch in a chair. “So, you asked me for proof. Does this paint a picture for you?” I lay before her images of her cutting the fence and I open my laptop to show the video of her taking the cow just a bit ago. “All of this besides witnesses.”
Another officer pulls another tape from his coat and lays it on the table. “This has you taking the sign to the dump.” He looks up at me.
“I checked there twice!” I say.
The cop looks at her and says, “You wouldn’t have found it. The owner confessed about her paying him to bury it under some junk.”
Elizabeth’s wrath finally came out full barreled. “This land’s mine!” She stands abruptly causing the chair to fall backward into a wall. “You damned cunt! This is my land!” an officer takes her by the arm, leading her out the door, telling her to shut up or he’ll stuff a rag down her throat.
I chuckle at him saying that to her as her mouth drops and her eyes widen. “You..”
“What? So, you want the gag?” he drags her out of the homestead to the car as she shakes her head angrily from side to side.