Law Dawgs Unleashed
This story is dedicated to Tom Rhea, Dave Corder, and Michael Hicks; the REAL Law Dawgs who competed on Junkyard Wars and Full Metal Challenge_, and most importantly, kept the streets of Modesto safe for people like you and me. Law Dawgs... Wherever you are now, thank you all... for everything._
The mean streets of Los Angeles. The sun was barely up, but some of the city's lowlife crooks were already up... to no good, that is. Down at the docks, a gang of smugglers were loading an illegal cargo of cocaine powder onto a big box truck. "C'mon guys," said a nervous sounding alligator, "If we botch this load, the boss is gonna take our hides and nail 'em to the walls of his office!" "He might do that to you," said a badger with a huge scar on his cheek, "But if we really mess up, he might even turn us over to the cops." "I'm not really sure he's even that nice." Said the gator. "Quit yer yappin' and get the stuff in the truck already!" snapped a disgruntled hyena, "The boss wants this cargo unharmed and on time!" "Right," said the badger, "So get moving before someone catches us!"
What the crooks didn't realize was that in an alley, only five yards away, someone had spotted them. It was a Labrador on a police motorcycle. He was wearing a bullet-proof jacket over his police clothes and a helmet on his head. His name was Tom. "Hmph," he said to himself, "Thought you boys could sneak that cargo of cocaine past us huh? Well not under my nose." Tom was a courageous officer who had been on the force for a long time. He was skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and always ready to take down a lurking scofflaw. He activated the radio inside his helmet and said, "Calling all dawgs, calling all dawgs, this is Big Bird. I have the target in sight and am prepared to flush them out. You boys ready?"
Three blocks away, a souped up badass looking cop car was parked behind a wall of trash cans. The car's name was Impact Weapon. Inside, a Pit Bull named Mike picked up the radio and answered, "Uh... roger that, Big Bird, this is Robin. Everything's alright on our end." Mike was a hot-shot driver who sometimes drove more like a criminal than a cop. But that only made him a more valuable asset to the team. Mike then passed the radio to an eleven-year-old Dalmatian pup named Liam who was sitting in the shotgun seat. Despite his age, Liam was a full-fledged member of the police department. He was also a fantastic shot with a revolver and Mike's adopted son. He was basically the wild card of the pack; you never knew what to expect from him. "Big Bird," said Liam, "This is Sparrow. Robin and I are ready to jump from the branch on your order."
"Glad to hear it," said Tom, "Be prepared." He then switched the channel of his radio and said, "Come in, Hawkeye; you my eye in the sky?"
Up above the rooftops, a one-man police helicopter was hovering over the bay and had a good view of the harbor. On board was a German Shepard named Dave. He was looking down at the dock and could see the truck with his well-trained eyes. Dave had some killer detective skills, and was also a great helicopter pilot. No crooks could escape his gaze when he was in the air. "Roger that, Big Bird," Dave replied to Tom's message, "This is Hawkeye. I've got a good view of the area; there's no way those jerks are getting away with me up here!"
"Excellent," said Tom, "Hold position and await my signal." He turned his attention back to the crooks by the truck. They were just closing the gate and preparing to start up. Tom watched as they climbed in and started the truck's engine. After pausing for a second, he started his bike's engine and lowered his visor. As the truck pulled out and headed out of the docks, Tom rode out of the alley; saying as he went, "Law Dawgs, Let's go to work!!!" He flipped on his bike's siren and engaged in pursuit. Sure enough he saw the truck pick up speed, trying to outrun him. But he wasn't worried; that was exactly what he wanted them to do. He followed the truck out onto the street and tried to drive them onto the right street. He only hoped that they would drive into the trap. After following the truck for about a minute, he heard Dave's voice in his helmet. "They're nearing the branch!" came the message, "I'll pass the word!" "Ten-four!" answered Tom.
Inside the Impact Weapon, the radio crackled and Dave's voice came out of it. "Robin and Sparrow!" came the voice, "Subject is nearing the branch! Jump in t-minus ten!" Liam automatically started the countdown. Mike started the Impact Weapon's mighty engine and prepared to stomp on the gas. "Five..." counted Liam, "Four... Three... Two... One... NOW!!" Mike shifted into gear and pushed the gas pedal to the floor. Impact Weapon gave a powerful roar and burst through the wall of trash cans sending them crashing to the ground. SMASH!!! The mighty cop car t-boned the truck right on the blind side! "OOF!" grunted Liam, "Yeah! Push him, Mike! Push him!!" "I got him!!" Mike shouted back as the Impact Weapon shoved the truck off of its path. A second later, CRUNCH!! The truck plowed straight into an old derelict deli that had been slated for demolition. Almost instantly, the structure of the building began to crumble. "DUCK!!" cried Mike. Sure enough, the majority of the building collapsed and fell right on top of the truck sending bricks, cement, dust, plaster, and glass everywhere.
"Ouch!" said Dave, up in the helicopter, "That looked painful." He then got on the radio and said, "Hawkeye to Big Bird, Hawkeye to Big Bird... It worked. The subject is a buried treasure chest of cocaine treasure."
"Copy that," said Tom, "I'm right there." He pulled his motorcycle behind the truck and shut off the engine. Mike climbed out of the Impact Weapon, which only had a bit of debris and dust on it, and joined his commanding officer. They both brandished their guns and approached the cab of the wrecked truck. "Step out of the vehicle with your hands up, please!" ordered Tom. He reached the cab of the truck and looked in. The occupants were just recovering from their crash when they awoke to find the dreaded policeman looking in. "Uh... Yes sir!" said the alligator as he quickly surrendered and put his hands up. "You spineless traitor!!" growled the hyena, "Don't be such a..." His voice trailed off as he felt his head tapped with the barrel of a gun. He turned around and saw Mike holding his gun up at him. "You were saying?" the Pit Bull asked. "Well... Uh..." said the badger, "Uh... All... Alright, Officers, you've got us. We... We'll behave for you." He had been a crook for a long time and knew from experience that it was better to come quietly than to try to resist. "Good," said Tom, "Like I said, step out of the vehicle with your hands up and we won't have any trouble." The gator, the hyena, and the badger did as they were told and got out of the truck. Mike said, "Liam! Crack the truck open! See what they got in there!" "Yessir!" answered Liam like a professional cop. Mike then joined Tom on the side of the truck and brandished his gun while Tom snapped the handcuffs on the three crooks. Liam used a bolt cutter to undo the lock, and when he opened the lift gate, he discovered a treasure trove of white cocaine. "Holy shit!" he said, "We've caught the mother lode!" Mike joined him and said, "Wow! That certainly is a lot of cocaine! Boy, it's a good thing we stopped this." Two standard issue police cars pulled up next to the crashed truck, and Tom turned the three crooks over to the L.A.P.D. Then he joined Mike and Liam in looking at the cargo. "Hmmm..." said Tom skeptically, "There isn't enough cocaine here to be an entire smuggling operation." "Maybe not," said Mike, "But the numbers speak for themselves, and I think this oughtta be a decent percentage of a full cocaine run." "You're right," said Tom, "We really shouldn't stress over what we can't control." "I think we should be proud of what we did accomplish." said Liam, "We caught some of the bad guys, and now we can be sure that this nasty stuff will be put in solid lockdown where it belongs." "That-a-boy!" said Mike as patted Liam on the head. Tom smiled and said, "Alright, boys, we've done our good deed for the day." He turned on his radio and said, "Big Bird to Hawkeye, Big Bird to Hawkeye, over; we've secured the bad guys and the bad stuff; It's time to head back to base." "Roger that, Big Bird," came Dave's voice, "I'm pulling out of here and en route to the nest." "Ten-four," said Tom, "Over and out." Then he turned to Mike and Liam and said, "Alright, boys, lets head back to the nest! LAW DAWGS!!" "WOOF-WOOF!!" Mike and Liam responded. Tom jumped on his motorcycle and Mike and Liam climbed aboard the Impact Weapon. Then they all pulled out, heading for their base station.
A few hours later, the Law Dawgs were back at their base station in Modesto. Waldo, the walrus chief of the station, spoke to them. "Well done, Law Dawgs," he said, "That was truly a clockwork operation." "I only wish we could have found out more, Chief." said Tom. "Good man." said Waldo. Then he began to pace over to the window. "This doesn't feel right," he said worriedly, "Although the load of cocaine that you stopped was a very big load, It could only be the start of something bigger." "What do you mean by that, sir?" asked Liam. "Well..." said Waldo, "I fear that there could be someone in the state determined to export the cocaine that's come up the coast to inland cities and towns." He turned around and faced the boys before saying, "If that person doesn't get what he wants... well... I fear he may come after you boys." "That's a risk we'll have to take, sir," said Dave, "We can't let fear get the better of us; not when dealing with illegal drug trafficking." "You boys are very brave," said Waldo, "and I think that after all the hours you've put in lately... I think you boys deserve some time off." "Really, sir?" asked Tom. "Yes," said Waldo, "Take two weeks off. Go swimming, fishing, take a trip if you want to." "Well... Uh... Thank you, sir." said Tom. "You're welcome," said Waldo, "But whatever you boys do... DON'T let your guards down." With that, Waldo sat down in his chair and began shifting papers. Tom, Dave, and Liam headed in to the locker rooms to change out of their uniforms; but Mike stayed behind for a moment. He came up to the desk and said, "Uh... Chief?" "Yes?" asked Waldo. "Well..." said Mike, "It's about Liam. There's gonna be a time when he's left to his own devices... and I think he should have the ability to use those devices." "Well," said Waldo, "He certainly does fine in handling a gun... for someone his age, I mean." "Exactly," said Mike, "I think... that if the situation calls for it..." He paused here. "Go on..." said Waldo, keenly. Mike just smiled.
Inside the locker room, Tom, Dave, and Liam were stripping their uniforms off. "Boy, I'll tell ya," said Dave, "Feels like I was in college last time I got a vacation of any sort!" "It'll be nice to wake up in the morning and not worry about whether I'll get shot for a few days." said Liam as he took off his police shirt and hung it on the hook. Then he unbuttoned his pants and slid them down his legs, leaving him in his black briefs. After folding his pants and putting them at the foot of the locker, Liam went over to look at himself in the mirror. Seeing himself in just his underwear, Liam just couldn't resist striking a pose and smiling. "Oh YEAH!" he said as he flexed his arm muscles. "Lookin' good, Liam!" remarked Dave, "Lookin' REAL good!" "Thanks, Dave," said Liam, "D'ya think I'll find a girlfriend when I get to high school?" "With a body like that?" said Tom, "The girls will be fighting for you!" "I just hope they don't resort to killing each other," said Liam, "I wouldn't want to be responsible for murder." Just then, Mike entered the locker room. "How 'ya doin, guys?" he asked. Then he spotted Liam and said, "Lookin' real nice, son. Have you been working out?" "No more than you guys." Liam answered as he pulled his jeans on over his briefs. "Well," said Mike, "If we decide to go to the beach, you can show off, by all means." "Thanks," said Liam, "But I'm not looking to go chasing after every girl in the vicinity." "Good idea," said Dave, "That's considered womanizing." Tom pulled his civilian shirt on over his bare chest, tucked it into his pants, and buckled his belt up. Then he looked at the others and said, "Uh... Could you guys excuse me for a moment? I need to make an entry in the log." "You do that," said Mike, "But then we need to head out to the obstacle course." "Why?" asked Liam. "Oh... You'll see." Mike said teasingly. In the meantime, Tom pulled a small tape recorder out of his locker and took it into the shower room with him.
Once inside the shower room, Tom stepped into a shower, closed the curtain and activated the recorder. Then he began his entry. "Law Dawgs Captain's Log: June twenty-first. Time is five o' clock P.M. It's uh... been a long day. But... we've been given some time off from work, and we've stopped a cocaine shipment in L.A. just this morning. I'm really looking forward to our two weeks of relaxation, but uh... I'm really concerned, have to be honest. I think... someone may be out to put more than a ratchet in our works. We're gonna need to keep on our toes, and... not let our guards down. But... we're gonna try to uh... enjoy our time off nonetheless. Ten-four, over and out." He shut off the recorder and slumped back against the shower wall. So many things were running through his mind right now. He was concerned about Mike, Dave, and Liam more than himself. Dave was a husband and father; he had a wonderful family and if he somehow... didn't make it through shutting down a huge cocaine operation, his wife would be a widow and his children would have to grow up without their father. Speaking of which, Liam's blood father had been an alcoholic. Liam told him and the others that he and his mother had both been beaten several times by his dad. Then, when his father had started taking pot, Liam had had no choice but to report him to the police. Mike had actually been the one who had arrested Liam's father and sent him to prison for life. In the aftermath, Liam's mother was unable to get a better house and had to move to a boarding house; but when she found that it wasn't really child friendly, she put Liam up for adoption. Mike, feeling responsible for putting Liam in his tight space, offered to take him in. Liam's mom had signed the pup over to Mike and promised to come back and visit; and she did, she came up twice a year at Christmas and on Liam's birthday. And... it wasn't as though Liam wasn't happy with Mike. He loved living with the big, friendly, Pit Bull, and he loved being a cop. Tom thought a little more, then decided that he should stop worrying about it. He pulled himself up and opened the shower curtain before stepping out with a much more confident look on his face. He reentered the locker room and looked at his fellow dawgs who were now dressed in their street clothes and said, "Well... I suppose we should head over to the obstacle course." "Alright!" said Dave, "If the big dog says so, that's what we're gonna do!" "Don't forget," said Mike, "I'm the one who told him we needed to!" Liam just laughed. Tom smiled, and said, "Law Dawgs... Let's mount up, and roll out!!" The four of them exited the locker room and headed for the parking lot. Mike climbed into the Impact Weapon, sat behind the wheel, and waited for Liam to join him in the shotgun seat. Even though Impact Weapon was an official cop car, it was Tom, Dave, and Mike who actually owned her, since they had built her specifically for dealing with dangerous situations. Tom climbed into his car, and Dave got on his motorcycle. Then they all started their engines and headed out of the station lot.
The obstacle course was a custom made track built by the Law Dawgs so they could practice and hone their driving skills. The course itself consisted of trash cans that were there to be smashed through, numerous sand berms and tabletop jumps, target poles that were designed to test the ramming power of the Impact Weapon, and finally a large shallow trench that was filled with muddy water. It was located behind Tom's house, so they had easy access to it. Soon, all the Law Dawgs arrived at the course. Mike parked the Impact Weapon at the start line of the course and shut off the engine. Then he and Liam got out of the car and waited for Dave and Tom to show up. When they did, Tom said, "Well Mike, I'm really eager to know what this is all about." "I know," said Mike, "I... I'm really excited for this run." "Really?" asked Dave, "Why's that?" "Well," said Mike, "This is very special for me because..." He drew a pause here. "What's going on?" asked Liam, "Am I gonna have a go at bettering my run and gun score?" "Well... Not exactly." Said Mike as he walked up to Liam, knelt down in front of him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Liam was confused; what was Mike talking about? "Liam..." said Mike as he smiled at the Dalmatian pup and shook his head, "Tonight... You're gonna drive the Impact Weapon!" "I am!?!" cried Liam as his face lit up with a huge smile. "Whoa-ho!" said Dave, "I did not see that coming!" "You lucky dog, Liam!" said Tom. "Yeah!" laughed Mike, "I spoke with the chief about it, and he decided to give you a permit that will allow you to drive the Impact Weapon or any other of the police vehicles; but only if the situation absolutely calls for it." Liam just stared at Mike. "I... I don't know what to say!" he stammered. "Well then," said Mike, "Quit yappin', get up there, and do some drivin'!!" "Yessir!!" said Liam. With that, he opened the door, climbed into the driver's seat, and buckled the driver's harness. "By the way," said Mike, "This is probably the only chance you'll get to drive for a while, so... just have fun! Make a mess! Just... start 'er up... and LET 'ER RIP!!" "Okay!" said Liam. He flipped on the battery switch, and pushed the start button.
The Impact Weapon started with a smooth rumble, and the other Law Dawgs retreated to a safe spot. Liam revved the engine, hearing all ten cylinders growling under the hood. Then he popped a CD into the CD player, and hit the play button. "Let's hit it!!" he said strongly as he threw Impact Weapon into gear and pressed on the gas. Impact Weapon's tires spun in the dirt, kicking up dust as she tore off the start line with a roar from her mighty engine. Liam could actually feel the machine in his hands as he took control for the first time. First gear... Second gear... YES! Third gear! Impact Weapon hit the first tabletop and powered right over it, catching two seconds of air as she went. THUNK!! She hit the ground and kept on going. "Nice!" shouted Tom. "Go, Liam!" cheered Dave. Liam entered the first berm turn like a pro, and skillfully used the brakes to skid round the bend and CRASH! Into a huge stack of trash cans! The cans fell over, some landing on top of the Impact Weapon; but Liam wasn't going to let a little detail like that stop him. "STRIKE!" he cried as he left the cans for dead and powered onto the next tabletop. He eased off the throttle a bit as he came to the top of it. Then, as the front wheels dipped down a bit, he floored the gas; making the tires kick up dirt as he drove into the dip and up onto the next tabletop. "Whoa-HO!!" shouted Tom, "That was great!" Liam hit the next berm and made a much smoother turn. Then he looked forward to face the target poles. These poles were shaped like masked criminals and were a lot harder to take down than they looked because they were fixed into the ground. Still, no match for the Impact Weapon! As Liam eyed them, his thoughts raced. "All of 'em... one pass..." He thought. Without hesitation, he pushed the gas pedal to the floor and charged at the poles. "EAT BUMPER, SCOFFLAWS!!!" he yelled, trying to sound like Mike. BAM!! THWACK!! CRUNCH!! The target poles fell before the Impact Weapon like blades of grass before a lawnmower. "Yeah!!" Mike cheered as he threw up his arms, "Go Liam! Knock 'em down!!" Liam hit another berm turn and slid cleanly round, throwing up more dirt as he went. For him, this was pure ecstasy; he had over three hundred horsepower underneath him, and he was in control. Meanwhile, the other dawgs were shouting and cheering him on. "WOO-HOO!!" shouted Dave, "Look at that boy go!" "This can't be far off the course record!" said Tom. "Alright!!" yelled Mike, "Go, little buddy, GO!!" By this time, Liam had taken out even more trash cans, and only one obstacle remained in his way, the water trench. With eyes only for the finish line, Liam opened the taps. Impact Weapon roared like a rabid Rottweiler and plunged into the trench, making mud and water spray everywhere. "YEAH!!!" Mike yelled, "ROCK 'N ROLL!!!" As the Impact Weapon rounded the final turn, water was spraying into Liam's face, making it hard to see. But Liam didn't hold back, he kept his foot down and his eyes forward. Tom quickly said, "Here he comes!! Let's get outta the way!!" "WHOA NELLY!!!" cried Dave as he and the others ran away from the finish line. With mud and water flooding off her wheels, the Impact Weapon charged out of the trench and through the finish flags. In that instant, Liam cranked the wheel left, hit the fiddle brake, and floored the gas. Impact Weapon gave another roar as she did a three-sixty spin just before coming to a stop. The other dawgs whooped and cheered for their youngest member. Liam shut off the engine, then got out of the Impact Weapon and gave a victory roar. "RAAAAAAAAHHH!!" he shouted. Mike rushed over and enveloped the Dalmatian pup in a huge hug. "Way to go, little buddy!!" the Pit Bull cried as he lifted his adopted son up to eye level, "How was that?" "That was AWESOME!!" said Liam, "I can see why you like driving her so much!" "Yeah!" Mike agreed. "Look at you!" said Tom, "You're completely soaked!" "I know," said Liam, "I guess I took a mud bath!" Mike put Liam down and said, "Liam... words cannot possibly express how proud you have just made me. I am so proud to have you with us, and to be your adoptive father." "Don't say it like that," said Liam, "You are my father, and I couldn't be happier to be with you." "Please stop," said Mike, "You'll have me in tears." "Okay," said Liam, "Boy... I wish my mom could have seen me do that!" Dave shook his head and said, "Somehow... I don't think she should!" Then all four of them broke out into laughter.
Later, after hosing down Impact Weapon, the Law Dawgs went up onto Tom's balcony where he kept his hot tub. "Well, boys..." said Tom, "I think that after a day like that, it is time to... relax." The other dawgs nodded their heads; and following that, they took off their shoes and socks, emptied their pockets. "Ready?" asked Tom. "Ready!" Mike, Dave, and Liam answered. With that, they all just slipped into the hot tub with their clothes on. "Oh Yeah..." said Dave, "That really hits the spot!" "Boy... I'll say!" agreed Mike. Liam just sighed with pleasure and said, "Well... I think that this is a perfect way to start our vacation." "I agree." said Tom as he just leaned back and put his hands behind his head. For the first time all day, Tom was relaxing. It was hard to let anything ruin this moment... even his concern about the cocaine smuggling. After a few minutes of just letting the water soak his clothes and fur, Tom said, "Y'know what, boys? I think this calls for a real celebration!" He reached over to a mini-fridge that was by his spot and entered the code on the lock. The fridge opened to reveal a tall bottle of a light red liquid. It was... cherry ice; the sweetest and rarest nonalcoholic drink in all of the western hemisphere. A few months ago, they had escorted a large tanker convoy filled with the stuff from the border of Mexico to Los Angeles. The mission had been a success, and as a reward, they had each been given a bottle of cherry ice for themselves. Tom pulled out the bottle and filled four plastic cups with the sweet, sweet drink before placing it back in the fridge and locking the door. "Law Dawgs..." he began, "Here's to a great partnership, and a great team! LAW DAWGS!!" "WOOF-WOOF!!" the other dawgs agreed. Then they each took a sip of their cherry ice and sighed with ecstasy as the sweetness spread all over their tongues and slid down their throats. Then they all just relaxed, enjoying the soothing sensation of the hot tub. No one said anything, but then... there really wasn't anything to say. Suddenly, they all heard a ringtone. "What's that?" asked Dave. "Sorry, guys," said Liam, "That's my phone." "Go ahead, Liam," said Mike, "We don't mind." Liam grabbed his cellphone and said, "Hello... Oh! Hi! Yeah! As a matter of fact I just got two weeks off from my job! Yeah, I know; crazy, right? Really? Sure! I'd love to!" Dave, Mike, and Tom were all looking at their young friend, wondering what he was talking about. Liam put his hand over the mouthpiece for a second and said, "It's my cousin! She wants to know if I can visit her in Nashville Tennessee for a few days." The other dawgs looked at each other, then Mike said, "Sure! Why not?" "Sweet!" said Liam. He got back on the phone and said, "It's a go! By the way... I've got a few friends who are also off the job, and I was wondering if they could come with me. Oh don't worry about that, they can take care of themselves. Really? Alright! It's a deal! See you in two days!!" Liam hung up the phone and said, "Looks like we're all going to Nashville for part of our vacation!" "That sounds like great fun!" said Dave. "Yeah," said Mike, "I'd really like a chance to meet your cousin, Liam; from what I've heard about her, she sounds like a really good kid!" Tom said, "I can go on the internet and book us tickets on an early morning train for tomorrow." "Sounds great!" said Dave, "And let's make sure to hire some kind of flatbed so we can take the Impact Weapon with us!" "Even better!" said Mike. The Law Dawgs clinked their plastic cups and drank the rest of their cherry ice. Then they just settled back and relaxed; looking forward to the fun times that lay ahead.