Ch. 30 cont.
Ann woke up and came to the front of the Road
Warrior wondering if we were at our destination. She could feel the starts and
stops as I maneuvered my way through the streets seeking our final destination.
I was tired but still pretty awake considering I was driving for that long. The
GPS unit was telling me to turn in a quarter mile as we saw the sign for Phil’s
RV park come into view. It was around one in the morning and a sign at the gate said
find a lot if you are not preregistered and we took our paperwork that Ann received
and that showed us a map and where we were supposed to be , and followed it
having shut down the GPS. In minutes we were sitting at our lot. In the dim
glow of the streetlamps we couldn’t see much but could tell there was water and
a lake out there. I soon had the road warrior in place and with a few flips of
the switches had the slide in rooms out and motorhome leveled. I needed to stretch
my legs’, so I opened the door to the Road
Warrior and stepped outside as the stoop automatically extended as I opened the
door. I flipped the switch for the awning to lower and instantly had the awning
extended out over the door.
I pushed another button and a table
extended out from the side of the road warrior and in a bin underneath I pulled
out our lawn chairs and set them up in the dim glow of the outside camp light. Having
done all I could I told Ann and Lee I was going for a short walk to wind down. They
asked if they could come along and I said of course and soon we set off in the
dark to see or not see where we were at.
We started off in the
darkness with flashlight and we could tell we were at the lakes edge. We were following
a road that apparently followed the water’s edge and as we passed other
motorhomes similar to the Road Warrior. An occasional streetlight would give a
hint of what the area was like but nothing more as now a fog was moving in off
the lake and making finding our way a much harder task. We retraced our steps
and after about an hour we returned to the Road Warrior but something seemed
amiss as the door was standing open.
Not sure what was going on and whether
there was someone still inside . I whispered to Ann and Lee to just wait. Ann
had her phone and I had her call 911, and I ushered them over to a bench as Ann
talked to the 911 dispatcher, they told her the same thing I did, and not to enter
the Road Warrior as he may still be inside and you may confront the intruder. I
thought to myself this is a bunch of shit. We were only here an hour and
already we are broken into. Soon a police car came screeching to a halt in
front of the Road Warrior and a policeman stepped out and asked who we were and
if we saw anything. We told him that we owned the vehicle and had just gone for
a walk and returned to find the door ajar. He told us to wait where we were and
he would be right back. Another cruiser approached and the deputy sheriff
jumped out and soon the two of them were in the Road Warrior rummaging around.
After a few minutes they returned and told us
it was OK to return to the Road Warrior and we were soon at the table beside
the front door exchanging information. They asked us to enter the vehicle and
inform them of what had been taken. It was a humiliating experience for all
three of us as we entered the Road Warrior as drawers were emptied and
ransacked , canned food strewn across the floor and what we thought were
invaluable places to hide personal things like wallets and cameras , were now
laid open as the deputy sheriff took digital pictures of the bare drawers . Ann
so wanted to clean things up and the deputy asked her to wait till he had finished
their investigation.
Ann broke down and cried and Lee took her
back outside to sit at the table. I explained to the deputy we had just pulled
in and sat up and decided to take a walk, simple as that.
The sheriff said that chances are that the
thieves were waiting for them, or someone to come in and do the same as we did.
Chances are they are in one of the RV’s in the park and very well may be next
to them. After maybe thumping the side of the road warrior, with their fist,
they would wait and see if there was a reaction or an alarm, then if nothing they would just simply pry the
door open. The deputy said, these guys are slick knowing exactly how to get in
these campers in a matter of seconds. And they theorize that they target these
parks and unsuspecting patrons as ourselves, for the same action we took. Arrive
in middle of the night in unfamiliar territory, and ransack the RV before they
knew what happened. They probably had a lookout and watched to see when you
were coming back. I see you forgot to set the security system and that is often
the case. The thump on the side of the Warrior would have been enough to trip
the alarm and they knew that. Chances are they worked at a RV repair place and
had insider information as to where all you could hide your valuables. And now
what all did you lose and we need a complete list with serial numbers if
possible.
Ann was the first to say, my laptop is missing,
and all that information about the serial numbers is back in Ohio as well as
for my cameras. Thankfully I had my purse with me and they had none of my credit
cards. Lee said they have my wallet and prescription bottles of pain killers
for his leg as well as some antibiotics.
I said they grabbed my wallet and took it
also as well as my camera.
Ann said.
“This is my fault isn’t it?”
I said. “Why did you ever think that Ann?”
She
said. “I forgot to set the alarm as I was in a hurry knowing you guys were
waiting on me it is my fault.”
I returned with. “Nonsense Ann, these guys
were determined to make someone‘s life miserable. It was these guys pilfering
that caused this. You are an innocent bystander. This can all be replaced.”
Ann came back with. “I had a ton of information on my computer and
even though they didn’t get my credit cards they still have all my account numbers
and passwords already stored on my laptop. Wow I need to get those changed quickly.”
She then explained to the deputy that she had a considerable amount of money in
several bank accounts all around the country. And what could she do to protect
them now since she was robbed.
He asked if she knew of the accounts they
could readily access. And that they would see about putting a hold on them and would
also monitor them to see if the robbers were brazen enough to try and access
the accounts, which might give them a lead into who the robbers were. Also they
would search around the area and suggested we stay put till morning as in the
day light we might recover wallets etc. but had little chance of getting our cameras,
video recorders or laptop back in any real time.
The deputy filled out the report in detail
and then produced a copy for us, then went out and searched around the Road Warrior
with flashlight and then one sheriff drove up and down the road searching for anything
that might be a clue as to who the perpetrators were. The night became alive as
the cruisers silent when entering now had their intercom systems and radio blaring,
lights flashing, had now drawn a crowd to their RV, as they surrounded the Road
Warrior wondering what kind of trouble these strangers were in. The park manager
was awakened and soon he showed up assuring us that this had never happened
before and that we must have brought it upon ourselves. Lee tired of hearing
his story and of the whole situation took Ann inside and tried to calm her down.
The deputies interviewed a couple of the closest campers to see if they had
heard anything and of course they were sleeping. The lead deputy told me he
would himself return in the morning before going off his shift and would search
for any clues. I thanked him and went inside to see how Ann and Lee were
getting along. After I went in I noticed the strobes of the sheriff cruiser go
dark and soon heard the vehicle leave followed by the other car.
It seemed as if there was a million eyes
in the darkness prying their way inside our Road Warrior that was trying to see
how really miserable and violated we
were. It was as if we had a stock car and piled it up on the fence in turn
three as others delighted in how exciting the wreck was too bad we had died.
We didn’t go to sleep instead we made plans
to exit this place as fast as we can in the daylight. Ann and Lee after a while
tried to sleep but even I along with them could only lay and think as to how
really vulnerable one can be despite all the technology.
Morning came and the deputy returned and
sure enough found Lee and my wallets’, minus the credit cards and money. But at
least I had my driver’s license, and a few other cards and phone numbers I needed.
Lee also lost his credit cards but really had no cash opting to use his debit
card all the time. No sign of Ann’s laptop or the cameras were to be found. Again
the deputy was apologetic and said the robbery would be thoroughly investigated
and inquired as to what our plans were. Ann said find a new laptop and change
all her access codes as soon as possible. The deputy said she may have to work
with the sheriff’s department to do all of this. And then he asked her since
she had all this money, could she think of anyone that would want her laptop so
bad to follow her on her trip and stage a robbery just to get her access
numbers.
This made Ann think, but at the time and
with all going on, couldn’t think of anyone that would go to that extent. The deputy
produced a business card and said anytime she thought of something no matter how
unimportant it was that she should get in touch with them and let them sort it
out. They would let her know if it was important. They said this robbery seemed
to have not followed the pattern of other robberies in the area. And it seemed
as if they targeted us for some reason as if they were following us.
This gave us reason to pause and think.
We thanked the officer and told him we
would be extra vigilant and that we were planning on getting the hell out of Dodge
quick if he didn’t mind. He told us to be careful and keep in touch and that he
would contact Ann or one of us as soon as he had any information.
We had decided the night before to forget
the Arch and to put Phil’s’ RV park in the rear view mirror as well the state
of Missouri and head for our next destination the wheat fields of Kansas,
except for a quick stop at Wal-Mart to pick up a new computer for Ann to use to
start switching and protecting her accounts as we drove along. We set the GPS
and as fast as I set up, I tore down and soon after a stop at the front desk to
lodge a complaint by Ann about the theft and the callous insensitivity of the
park manager we see her return as she stormed into Road Warrior and we soon
were hearing about what an ass he was and that Ann if she was able to hold on
to what she has, may just come back and buy the damn place just to fire him.
Lee didn’t say much but knew Ann was one
that may actually do that, because when she gets fired up over something she
never forgets. The manager still insisted it was our fault and that his park
was safe. As we headed out the drive I noticed a brown Jeep Wrangler without
any camping equipment following us out the drive. We turned right and it left. I
thought to myself now I am imagining and suspecting every vehicle around. I hate
it when things like this happen. It just makes you more aware of nothing in
reality. As you suspect all and have no proof of anything. A brief stop at Wal-Mart
and soon were on the road again, armed with fresh bait for the robbers, and a
pack of tarp straps to hold the door closed on the Road Warrior.
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