An Interview with Sheriff Will Diaz – Part 11 – Special Assignment

A continuation of the interview with Sheriff Will Diaz. Will Diaz is the central character in the four novels that currently make up The Lawman Series. The fifth book is expected out about Christmas of 2025.

Rich Muniz – So, tell me about your narcotics days.

Sheriff Will Diaz – You working your way up to my talking about Max.

Muniz – I am.

Sheriff Diaz – Fair enough. I was brand new to Ft. Riley, Kansas and had joined 977th MP Company there just the month before.

When I arrived at 977th MPs, we had a lady captain and I wish I could recall her name. As part of my welcome to 977th I had a sit-down meeting with her.

“What do you want to do in the Army,” she asked.

It was a standard question, but I answered it truthfully. “Ma’am, I’m coming into the Army with almost ten years of civilian Law Enforcement experience under my belt. I’m a damn good detective. I think I’ve got that to offer and would love to do that in the Army.”

I thought that was the end of it. My unit was getting ready to go to Honduras on a peace keeping mission. I rather figured that like all things, I’d have to earn my spurs first.

Was I ever wrong.

Muniz – Go on.

Sheriff Diaz – About a month later, we were getting ready for an afternoon formation. The Captain came up to me. “PFC Diaz.”

“Ma’am!”

“You’ve got a thirteen hundred appointment at CID.”

I swear, the first thing out of my mouth was “What have I done that I don’t know about.”

Muniz – Why would you say something like that.

Sheriff Diaz – Being told that CID wants to talk to you is a bit like have federal agents show up on your doorstep. Even if all they want to do is interview you as a witness to something, it can be damn unnerving.

Muniz – That’s a side of you we don’t see very often.

Sheriff Diaz – What side?

Muniz – The calm, cool, collected person the public saw.

Sheriff Diaz – Right. You know from the books I was often times anything but. It’s like those two great thinkers, Calvin and Hobbs said, “Grown up jut act like they know what they are doing.”

Muniz – Well, please go on.

Sheriff Diaz – Ft. Riley CID was in one of the many two-story stone buildings scattered about main post. Large trees surrounded it and a well-tended flower garden bordered the sidewalk.

I went in and met a very intimidating lady who gave me the third degree. She called some and told me to sit down.

A few minutes later, a couple of agents came out and one of them said, “PFC Muniz?”

I stood up. “Sir?” They were in civilian clothes that had no indication of rank at all. I didn’t know if they were civilians, enlisted, or officers. If you don’t know what you’re addressing, “Sir” is the correct response.

“Let me see your ID,” one said.

Muniz – What were you doing?

Sheriff Diaz – I handed the agent my ID card. Now if you’re asking what I wanted to do, it was between running for the door and peeing my pants. It was a very intimidating position to be in.

I fished out my ID for a second time and handed it over. He looked at it, matching the face on the card to mine. He handed the card back and said, “Come with us.”

They led me down a hallway to a first-floor office. I’d expected to go into a regular office or maybe an interview room.

Again, I was wrong.

Muniz – Oh?

Sheriff Diaz – I found myself in a very nice office with carpet, books shelves, comfortable couches to sit on. There was a large oak desk in it. A chair was situated directly in front of that desk. A name plate identified the man sitting behind the desk as Lt. Col West. He was dressed in his Class B uniform.

Muniz – You’ve spoken highly of Colonel West.

Sheriff Diaz – He was a good officer. He wasn’t a big guy, but he had to be one of the most intimidating human beings I’ve ever met. He was gray haired and looked to be one day younger than God. I was pretty sure he’d known George Washington personally.

And he was also a cowboy it appeared. Maybe it was the Russell bronzes or prints on the wall. Maybe it was the Cav Saber on his desk and the map of Texas behind him. Maybe it was the used looking spurs, rope, and Stetson on the coat rack. The man was a cowboy. No doubt about that.

I walked up to the desk, snapped to attention and saluting, said, “PFC William Diaz reporting as ordered, Sir.”

Muniz – There was a shift it seems in your thinking there. What happened.

Sheriff Diaz – The fact I was standing in his office told me what this was. This was a job interview.

He returned the salute and said, “At ease, soldier. Please sit down.”

I did.

He had several pages in front of him. One of them was a photocopy of my Police Certification.

“You’re not the common everyday trooper we get through the door,” he said looking up from the papers. “Tell me about why you came into the Army.”

“It wasn’t exactly by choice, Sir. I was working in a small town in New Mexico. A molybdenum mine ran by Union Oil pretty much kept the place afloat. When they closed the mine, everyone left and the town pretty much died.

“I tried to find another department. Most weren’t hiring or were laying off themselves. The ones that were had a hiring process that was insane and too time consuming. I have a family to support and unemployment and food stamps wasn’t cutting it.

“I had to do something, so I enlisted.”

“Why the MPs?” he asked.

“Easy answer, Sir. Staying with what I know. I’m very good at what I do.”

He leaned back in his chair, nodded and then asked something I hadn’t expected. “Tell me. What do you know about the manufacture and sell of illegal drugs.”

You mean like Cocaine, LSD, the like?

He nodded and I started rattling off a chemical formula and lab procedure. After about thirty seconds, he held up his hand and said, “What is that?”

“That, Sir, is the chemical formula and lab procedure for the making of LSD.”

“Interesting. How do you know it?”

“We made it in chemistry class,” I explained.

“I see. Do you have any questions?”

“I said, “Sir. What’s this about?”

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s a job interview,” I replied.

He smiled. “You’re right. We’ve had our current narcotics team for almost two years now. Their faces are starting to get known and it’s time to replace them. Interested?”

“Hell yes!” I forgot to add a “Sir” in there.

“Good. Go back to your unit. Your captain will tell you what to do next.”

It sounded like I was being dismissed. I stood and saluted.

Col. West returned the salute. “And Diaz. Don’t talk to anyone at your unit about this.”

“Sir,” I acknowledged.

The agents showed me out.

As I walked back to my unit, I wondered what I’d gotten myself into.