Mad Max Prologue
by Night Rider
 

Published by Night Rider, 2002
Reprinted by the Seattle Washington Autoduel Team, September 24, 2003

Okay . . . now you have it. The first chapter to my MFP book. If you still want to read the preview, just click. Hope you enjoy it. Let me know by signing my guestbook. Enjoy!
 
 

The warm night air caused beads of sweat to collect on his forehead. Waiting was the hardest part for him, waiting for a confrontation that may
not even take place. He had never been good at waiting, not with this, not with his marriage, definately not with his marriage. He had known
Jessie about 4 months before they got married. Then, only half a year after that, their son Sprog arrived. He liked it that way, never enough time
to have second thoughts.

"Here they come!" Charlie's warning snapped him back to the situation at hand.

"Finally, they sure did take their time, eh?"

"Yep, just enough time to give us a chance to get ready."

"Okay boys, this is it. Everyone to their designated position." The voice of Major Gerard "The Dark One" Swaisey echoed through the 40
staggered Pursuit Specials. He had been the instructor to the newest squadron of MFP officers, The Breaker Squad. He was chosen to train
them for one simple reason: he was the best. He had the highest arrest record in the entire region. His protégé had the second highest. The Dark
One had taken Max under his wing and showed him everything he knew. He gave Max the father figure he so desperately needed since his own
father had died after a long bout with the cancer. Swaisey, having been recently divorced from his wife, May, needed a son as much as Max
needed a father. They made quite a pair.

"You ready, Charlie?"

"Ready as I'm gonna get."

"Then let's make a name for ourselves!"

The flat black, unmarked police interceptor slowly rolled off the road. Max and Charlie walked behind the car, crouched down, and flattened their
shotguns on the hood. The plan was to allow the men, the Armalite Gang as they were called, their first "kill" and then move in on them as they
stripped the wrecked tanker.

Finally the time had come. The gang had just brought the tanker to a halt and gotten the driver held up at gunpoint. Suddenly, the entire tanker
was flooded with light. Gasps and several expletives attested to the surprise the Breaker Squad had dealt out.

"Don't anybody even think about moving," The Dark One boomed out over the P.A.

One of the men attempted to run for his truck but was cut down by two quick shots from the barrel of The Dark One's .45. That was enough to
convince the other men to give up peacefully, they could tell that the Breaker Squad was playing well out of their own league.

The men were escorted, forcefully, to the squads and shoved in the back. Max and Charlie were the only two officers without a prisoner in their
car, something neither one of them minded.

The drive back to HQ was long and quiet for the most part in car 4435, except for the occasional complaint that they didn't get to have much
action. The argument was made by Charlie, though, that at least they still were alive and the Breaker Squad had proven their ability to intimidate,
if nothing else.

"Still," Max thought, "I sure would have liked to chase down those guys, prove my ability, and send 'em home in a meat truck."
 
 

"You boys did good out there tonight," Swaisey said."Nobody lost their head, I'm proud of you. You will now be separated into small groups
and sent as special enforcement officers to the small police outposts. Go to the main office to get your new assignments. Good luck…You're
gonna need it."

Walking down the hall, Max was suddenly pulled aside."Jesus, are you trying to scare me to death?"

"Sorry Max, I just wanted to say goodbye to you. You've been a good friend, I hope we'll see each other again."

"Charlie, just don't do anything stupid out on the road and I'm sure we will."

"Okay, see ya around, Rockatansky."

"See ya, Charlie."

Max walked down the sterile hallway to the main office, up to the computer panel, and said his name."Rockatansky, Max. Badge number-4073."

The computerized voice was like nails on a chalkboard."Rockatansky, Max, your new assignment is . . . Acacia Ridge, Sector 4, Zone 1."

"Great, I get to be a babysitter to a bunch of teenagers in the least crime infected sector in the country."

"Max," The Dark One had walked up next to him,"Don't expect to get the best assignment in the whole damned country just 'cuz you can handle yourself in training exercises. If you prove yourself out there, I have it on good authority that your next position will be right on the front lines.
We all know your abilities, we just need to make sure you can keep your head in bad situations."

"Christ, you know I'm the best of the squad, so why do you stick me in a piece a crap assignment?"

"I just told you Max, six months and you'll be put at the front line."

"Fine Darky, see ya around."

"See ya, Max. Remember, I'm always here if you want to talk. And by the way, if you and Jess ever want to get away for a week or two May is at the farm and she'd be glad to let you both stay there."

"Thanks."

"No problem, just be careful out there, okay?"

"Okay. See you around, buddy."

"Oh come 'ere."

 The Dark One and Max embraced and then went their separate ways, both holding back tears.
 
 

 Later that night, Max told Jessie about the assignment.

"It's what you wanted, I guess. It's nice and safe, no danger, no crazies, no excitement at all."

"Oh Max, it's not that bad. And besides it's only for six months. Think of it as six months of relaxation after all that training you had to go
through. Don't you like the idea of relaxing before patrolling the Transcon?"

"You're right Jess, but how do you feel about having to move twice in a year?"

"It's okay, Max. I don't mind as long as I don't get left behind or forgotten about," she said with a chuckle."You won't do that now, will ya?!?"

"I really think you know that answer. I would never think of doing that to you…" now he began to laugh."Unless I got a shot at a blond!"

"Oh, go to hell. Tonight you get to sleep on the couch."

"Okay, but then you don't get the present I got for you!"

"A present . . . really? Alright! Just tell me what you got me!"

"Okay, okay, go out in the driveway"

"What did you do?"

"Just go out and look."

 She ran out of the room and out into the driveway where she saw a vintage Holden HJ Sandman. She had wanted one for years.

"Oh Max!"

"Thought you'd like it."

"I love it, thank you so much."

"Do I still have to sleep on the couch?"

"I don't think so!"

The next day Max and Jessie packed the few modest possessions they had into a small trailer and drove in their new car to Acacia Ridge. When
they finally get there, they find the house provided to them by the Main Force Patrol.

"It's not much, but for the next six months I guess it's home."

"I think it's cute."
 
 

Max arose early today, his first day at his new assignment. He rolled out of bed and dressed in his uniform, a pair of black leather pants, a sky
blue T-shirt, and black leather MFP issue jacket. Though the attire was quite warm, it did provide protection during high-speed pursuits. I'm not
gonna need all this stuff on this assignment, I bet they hand out standard issue pillows at the HQ, Max thought to himself.

He walked back into the bedroom and found Jessie still sleeping. He did not wake her . . . Sprog did. With a loud thud and then a shrill scream
the child Jessie was startled back to consciousness. She got up quickly and followed Max into their son's room. The small boy was sitting in his
crib crying. He was reaching towards the ground, reaching for the toy revolver that had been given to him by The Dark One. Max chuckled.

"I guess he wanted to do some target practice, ay Jess?

"God, I really hate him playing with that thing."

"Oh, come on Jessie, it's just a toy."

"I know, I just don't want him growing up with guns right at his fingertips, you know?"

"I think it's great you worry about him like that . . . But I have to go to sleep, umm, I mean work."

"Get outta here Max, before I kick ya out."

"Ha Ha very funny. See ya later."

"See ya later, Max."
 
 

He walked to work the first day. He would have his new pursuit car after today so he would no longer have to walk. That's good because a
walking MFP officer doesn't exactly stir up the fear and respect that we deserve, Max thought. Not that there are many criminals out here
anyway.

Max walked slowly up the steps into the main office. When he reached the door to the chief's office, he knocked twice on the side of the
doorframe. The small but muscular man sat at a battered, messy desk, papers thrown around the room, with his feet up on the stack of what
looked like progress reports.  His eyes were closed and suddenly he snored loudly.

"Ahem," Max cleared his throat.

The man at the desk snapped back to reality. He sighed and then said, "I assume you are our new patrol man."

"Actually, I'm a pursuit specialist. I was trained under Major Gerard Swaisey and was a member of the Breaker Squad."

"Oh yes, I remember hearing about you. You're Max Rockatansky, right? You did a hell of a job in training."

"Thank you sir. I am under the assumption that this is only temporary. Am I correct or completely off the mark?"

"You aren't one to beat around the bush, are you?"

"No sir, I'm not."

"In that case," he paused for a moment."Yes, this is only temporary, as long as you do a good job. Now, that doesn't mean that you can just
blow it off. It is a real position and will be treated as such. I am a good friend of a man by the name of MacAffee. He is the commander right at the front lines. Hell, out there it's just you and the Transcon, and whatever psychopath goes glory roading along. Not a civilized town for 120
kilometers. You prove your ability here, and it's yours . . . all yours."

"What do I have to do to prove myself here?"

"Stick to the rules. No petrol dealing, no illegal activity of any kind, and most important . . . No waking me up while I'm trying to sleep. I work 15
hours every damned day; I need my beauty sleep."

"You sure do. Maybe I'll just go on my way, I don't think you've had enough sleep yet."

"Get outta here, smart ass."

"Yes sir."