I walked out of the station having checked in. "Wednesday, Wednesday", I muttered over and over to myself.

This entire morning I had thought it was Thursday. But nope, it was Wednesday. Maria inside at the front desk had scowled at me telling me to drink my morning coffee before getting to work. Even going as far as to make one for me. A bit too dark for my taste but I didn't want to waste it.

"Time to get to it", I huffed opening the car door and getting into the patrol car.

I put on my round sunglasses cap on backwards as usual and hair tied in a fish tail braid. Louis swore if I didn't let her she would feel terrible. She always did when she had her day off and I didn't. But she had her church and I had the Rio Grand. She had given me the usual two kisses on the cheek which was a common Spanish tradition of greeting or saying goodbye.

My phone buzzed, the sun was coming up and peaking over the horizon about halfway now. Six in the morning it was about time to start working. I checked my phone seeing that it was Cassidy and Louisa sending a selfie, "Stay safe!", it quoted.

I smiled rolling my eyes at the selfie, and set the phone in the other cup holder going in reverse and driving out of the parking lot to head down to the Rio Grand to be on time for shift rotation.

I drove turning right to head down the gravel road along the Rio Grand river which I could see a ways away. Then across on the other side was Mexico. I slowed in order to get a good view and not to miss anything. There was a woman washing her clothes on the other ride. Her clothes wet as she scrubbed with the basket on the bank.

"Morning Officer Klein", said a voice.

I turned breaking my gaze as another patrol car pulled up on the opposite side. I smiled, "Right on time as usual", said the officer. Juan was his name. A rounder officer of Mexican descent. His hair was buzzed and his partner was in the back sleeping and sprawled across the seats.

"Long night?", I asked smiling at him.

"Tell me about it, it was not fun", he sighed shaking his head exhausted and rubbed his cheek.

"Go home, I'll take it from here", I said.

"I'm telling you Klein those Zetas they are getting bolder and even harder to get", he groaned.

I nodded, he was right, "Well, I'm going to get this big one home, he had a heck of a night. Stay safe alright Klein?", he sort of posed it as a question.

I smiled saluting casually, "Go home and relax Juan, thanks and will do", I replied.

He smiled driving off giving a small wave knowing that if we chatted any longer I might get in trouble. So we parted. How we did every morning. I was left with my day light patrol buddies and the Rio Grand. I sipped the coffee finishing it. Cold. Darn. Too dark. Too dark for me.

I drove following the route going up into a small parking lot. This was how I started. With a hike along the Rio Grand. I wasn't one of the officers placed every hundred yards. I walked around patrolling. Normally nothing happened. It's not that we wanted bad things to happen. We just looked for them. And every few minuets the sound of a mega phone would go off,

"This is the American Border, return to your side", I'd turn my head looking to see if there was anyone in the way behind me, but they were much farther down the river and other officers were already ready and prepped. If anything happened I'd be radioed or I'd....

I  sighed walking along the water edge. I pulled a piece gum out and tucked the rest in my pocket beginning to chew. I raised my head about to continue when something in the water caught my eye drifting down. I turned my gaze looking at what was floating in the water. Are those.....

Stashes of drugs?

I went down to the edge grabbing the two wet wrapped loads hoisting them out. I gripped the straps, "Man that's a lot of dope", I huffed.

Most likely was lost as someone was trying to cross the river. "¡Oye! La caída de la droga idiota! Esa es mi droga!", yelled a voice from over the river (Hey! Drop the dope you idiot! That's my dope! )

There was a man standing there in the water with his gun raised. I jolted tossing the bags back as he was walking forward into the water knee deep now. I pulled my gun backing up to higher ground. But he raised it following me. He was far away by heck he seemed pretty pissed off that I had his stuff. Definitely  part of the Zetas.

"Esa es mi droga! Se es mi droga! Lo dejó que culo ! ¡Regresa aquí!", he yelled angrily. (That's my dope! That is my dope! Drop it! Get back here!)

I took out my radio backing up covered by brush, "I've got a man with a gun! I've got a man with a gun in the water!", I snapped.

A moments pause as there was nothing but static

"What's your status?", asked a voice.

"Oye!", yelled the man in the grey shirt with a pistol now with the water up to his waist line. I eyed him my gun raised. I grabbed the luggage tossing it back onto the road. He still wasn't even half way but heck even from that distance this guy could still shoot me. Damn it!

He's in the water. I couldn't shoot or apprehend him in the water, that was neutral territory. He waved his gun shouting again but I responded, "He's waist deep, waist deep", I said through the radio.

He kept coming.

"Chest deep! Chest deep now!", I snapped.

I clenched my teeth, I had two options, run and risk him coming over because he seemed pretty damn determined. Or stay and risk getting shot.