Jason Shaw is a police officer in Huntsville, California. A former US Marine, he is a happy father and husband who takes his job seriously and has just been transferred from narcotics and vice to the Huntsville Gang Task Force Unit. A month after the transfer, mysterious attacks begin one night when a criminal sets a trap outside the Shaw home. Although the Shaws escape the clumsy attempt, there are no suspects, and Shaw believes the amateurish trap might have been a juvenile prank. As time passes, however, the attacks escalate. Who is trying to terrorize the cop and his family? Is it an ex-con Shaw put away or gang member with a beef? Someone is desperately trying to put Shaw in the ground, but the police have no leads. As a media frenzy ensues after every attack, a community once thought to be safe falls further into the grip of panic and terror. Meanwhile, Shaw will do what it takes to keep his family safe, even if it means taking matters into his own hands and letting the attackers know that no one messes with a cop on his own beat. TARGET.... COP! By Chuck Johnson iUniverse, Inc. Copyright © 2013 Chuck Johnson All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4759-8841-3 Contents Prologue...................................................................xi1 "The Nightmare Begins"...................................................12 "Viet Nam Style Boobie Traps"............................................53 "Same Old Faces".........................................................94 "Gas, Gas, Gas"..........................................................155 "Game Changer"...........................................................196 "A Crude Scare"..........................................................237 "Point of Attack"........................................................278 "The Feds"...............................................................319 "Get the Wheels Rollin"..................................................3510 "Action"................................................................3911 "Changing Methods"......................................................4312 "Searching high and low"................................................4513 "Back to Square One"....................................................4714 "Working the Streets"...................................................5115 "Familiar Grounds"......................................................5716 "A bazooka? You have got to be kidding!"................................6317 "Is it ever gonna stop".................................................7118 "And the hits just keep on coming"......................................7519 "The rat slithered out".................................................7920 "Green Light"...........................................................8721 "The Trial ... a house of cards!".......................................91 CHAPTER 1 "The Nightmare Begins" Jason Shaw's head snapped off the pillow as he strained to listen. Heglanced quickly at his bedside clock. The glowing digital numbersshowed 4:16 a.m., casting a green shadow across the wall. Concentrating,he tried to focus. Had he heard something? He felt rested but a little distraught at what had awakened him a fullhour before the buzzing alarm was scheduled to erupt. Still straining tofocus, he could hear nothing unusual from inside or outside the house, yetthere was something. He could feel it, deep down, nagging, stirring, likea stomach full of bad food. Stretching first then swinging his legs over the side, he let his toeskneed the soft carpet next to the bed. The cobwebs of sleep began todisappear, and he could hear the soft sounds of rain hitting the backbedroom window. Still puzzled by his early arousal, he wondered if it werea dream that startled him out of a sound slumber. He could not recallanything specific, but what he did not know was that this would be thefirst day of the rest of his life. His third life would be where someone was trying to kill him. His first life was twenty one years in the Marine Corps. His second wasten years as a police officer, and his third, starting that day, would proveto be the biggest nightmare of all. Satisfied, at least for the time being, there was no imminent threat,he slipped back under the covers, clasped his hands behind his head, andstared at the dark ceiling. Listening to his wife Bonnie's gentle breathing,he made a concerted effort to drift back to sleep, but the nagging sensationwould not let that happen. Forty-five minutes later he was headed for thebathroom and a quick shower. Maybe that would make him feel more atease. The hot shower helped a little, so after shaving, Jason headed downstairsto feed their two dogs and munch on a breakfast bar while waiting forthe coffee to perk. Since he was up early, he decided to put in some extratime at the gym. The workouts were something he did daily, or at least tried to doon a daily basis. There were occasions when his sched