The Tense Drive

Part seven of a short story series, based on writing prompts. Written while trying to learn to fight brain fog and perfectionism... and my ADHD. By this point my ADHD brain was screaming “I WILL CONCENTRATE ON LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE! AN ESSAY ON WATCHING PAINT DRY WOULD BE LESS MIND NUMBINGLY BORING.”)

It was always interesting to see how people responded when they were arrested. Kendra liked to stand back and watch, take note of the criminal’s body language, their facial expressions... Were they holding back the urge to run? Were they frozen in fear? Did they have an air of defeat hanging over them, as though their fight had run out? Very few ever spoke. They knew it would almost certainly increase their prison time.

But today was different. Kendra had been part of many raids before, but on the sidelines. She’d never carried out an arrest herself. Being the president’s daughter had made her journey here a little different to the norm. She had only been 16 when she started tagging along. It was against protocol to allow minors to train to be agents, which was understandable given how much force they were expected to use. But being the president’s daughter had its perks. She had only needed to tell her father she thought it looked exciting, and he quickly made sure the agency found a place for her.

As they drove towards a farm house, Kendra wondered if her colleague, Evan, knew she hadn’t officially been trained. Sometimes she wondered if the unit coordinator, or the agency director even knew. She’d been lurking in the sidelines for two years now; had she been part of the scene for so long that they forgot she’d pulled the daddy card to get in? Whatever the case, she couldn’t help wonder what the man beside her thought of her.

They pulled up outside the farm house and got out of the truck. “You ready for your First?” Evan asked, handing her a pair of cuffs. She wasn’t sure what her face showed as she accepted the powerful tool. Could he see her excitement? Did he know she wanted more power? Could he sense the danger she posed?

Evan pounded on the door, stepping aside as it opened, giving her full view of her First. Dhana Gable. Kendra had requested this case specifically. Dhana’s body language told a story she’d seen many times before... no hint that she wanted to run, just a look that said “I had no choice”. They did have choice, of course. The majority of people who disagreed with the governments policies had stopped rebelling. These people chose to defy her father. They chose this fate.

Kendra expected to feel in control as she faced her First, but when the door opened, her confidence wavered. “About damn time.” Dhana said. Kendra hesitated for a split second before entering the premises. Did she know? She thought if anything were different about this arrest, it would be the arrestee’s surprise at being arrested by the presidents daughter. But maybe Dhana didn’t recognize her... or didn’t care. Or maybe she knew.

The cuffs went on and the three of them headed to the truck. Kendra gave Dhana a slight shove on the way into the back of the truck. It wasn’t necessary, there was no resistance... but she needed Evan to see that she was as tough as any other agent. In fact, if this was going to work, he needed to feel that she had authority not only over citizens but also over him. As they secured the back of the truck and got back into the front, Kendra steeled herself for what was ahead.

“Take the back road” Kendra ordered as they approached a fork in the road. Even said nothing, but obliged. It was hard to know what that meant. It was a slight break in protocol to change route without radioing in first, but insignificant. Was he going along with it because he respected her, or because of her father? They drove past a lake, and Kendra’s mind flitted back to photos she had seen of her mother skating on a frozen pond. Ponds and lakes had stopped freezing over so long ago that Kendra had never skated on one. Her father had made deals and decisions that were partly to blame, and she needed to know where Evan stood.

Kendra tried to keep her voice steady, casual. “I sometimes wonder if we’d still get snow here if my father had made a different call.” She didn’t need to give context, her father’s political decisions had sent shockwaves around the world. She kept her eyes ahead as she waited for a response. “Not many would have been strong enough to take a route that made them so unpopular. He made the right call.” Evans voice was clinical, emotionless as he responded. A lump rose in Kendra’s throat. Her day just got a lot harder. Whether he actually agreed with her father’s policies, or was too blind to question them, or even just too afraid to voice objection, he was useless to her.

They spent the rest of the drive in silence. Back at the facility, a guard winked at her as they led their prisoner to the holding cell. Kendra asked Evan to step inside to ensure the room was ready, and he obliged. The look of confusion on his face as she closed the door with him inside confirmed that she’d played her part well. He hadn’t known what was coming. She just hoped her father was as oblivious of her intentions.