Chapter 3 - The Tow Truck and The Trespasser
By noon, the summer heat was sweltering, and the reality of their situation was settling in. Without electricity, the house was stifling. Without money, they couldn't even order food.
A loud, hydraulic hiss echoed from the driveway. David ran to the window and felt his stomach drop to his knees. A heavy-duty tow truck was backing up to his beloved Porsche 911.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" David screamed, sprinting out the front door in his expensive loafers.
The tow truck driver, a burly man with a clipboard, didn't even flinch. "Repossession, buddy. The lease-holder contacted us at 0600 this morning and surrendered the vehicle. Said she wasn't making the payments anymore."
"I am the lease-holder! That's my car!"
"Registration says otherwise," the driver deadpanned, securing the chains. "Name on the title is hers. She gave us the go-ahead. Step back, or I'm calling the cops."
David watched in impotent rage as his status symbol was hauled away down the suburban street. He was stranded.
Desperation makes fools of arrogant men. David called an Uber using an old, linked account he hoped I hadn't found (I had, but I let this one slide; I needed him to make a move). He directed the driver to the Navy Annex. He was going to march into my command, humiliate me in front of my superiors, and demand I fix this.
He marched up to the heavily armed gate, demanding to see Captain [My Name].
The young Marine at the guard shack looked at David, looked at his screen, and raised an eyebrow. "Sir, you are flagged in the system. Your spousal base access privileges were revoked at 0700 this morning by the installation commander."
"Listen to me, you glorified mall cop," David spat, pointing a finger. "My wife works here. I need to see her right now. She is having a mental breakdown!"
May you like
The Marine didn't blink. He pressed a button on his radio. "We have a hostile civilian at Gate 3. Threatening behavior."
Within seconds, two more armed guards flanked David. He was forcefully detained, handcuffed, and seated on the hot pavement while the local police were called for criminal trespassing on a federal installation.
