Officer Tucker is a great antagonistic character. His mustache could be a separate character all on its own. Here’s where we first encounter Tucker in Mud, Blood and Motocross:

When the police arrived, Nick, Kat, Finn, Tweety, and thirty or so other people stood around waiting and watching. Nick squinted into the sun as it sank lower in the sky. He punched the redial button and called Billy’s phone for the fifth time.

 

Still no answer.

 

Nick watched the officers get out of their cars. The police started questioning the adults first, but they were pointed over to where the teenagers stood. A short, stocky police officer shifted his belted holster with a tug and strode toward them, keeping his eyes on Kat, and stopped about ten feet away.

 

“Oh no. It’s Tucker,” Kat groaned under her breath.

 

Billy, Nick, and Kat had had a run-in with Officer Tucker a couple years ago. Officer Tucker had acted like riding dirt bikes in the abandoned quarry was a matter of national security. When Billy had pointed out that they weren’t hurting anything (“How could we hurt a pile of rocks?”), Nick thought Tucker was going to lose it.

 

In the end, Tucker got a call on his radio and let them go. But after that, he hated Billy, and found any reason to pull him over and give him a hard time. (“Son, do you know your taillight is out?” and “You do know it’s illegal to have anything hanging from your rearview mirror?”) And Billy gave it right back to him. (“I see why, officer—I can barely see around this pine-scented air freshener! What a hazard! Thanks for stopping me. Thanks for the ticket! You’re a real credit to your profession.”)

 

“Young lady, step forward.”

 

Kat looked at the cop and then at Nick, and then back at the cop. She took a tentative step forward. Tucker motioned impatiently, pointing to the ground in front of him.

 

“Here. Come here.” His command sounded like he was talking to a disobedient dog. Nick, Finn, and Tweety all took a step forward, in an instinctive, protective motion. “Step back, boys. I will have questions for you soon enough.”

 

He turned back to Kat. “I am Officer Tucker. What’s your name?” Tucker had a pen and pad out, and he flared his nostrils over his bristly dark brown mustache while he waited for Kat to answer.

 

“Kathryn Mackenzie.”

 

“Ah yes, you were with your brother, trespassing and vandalizing.”

 

“We didn’t vandalize anything!”

 

“Young lady, I need you to stay calm and answer my questions,” Tucker barked at her.

 

 

 

The graphic novel is based on the book series, Mud, Blood and Motocross. If you can’t wait to find out what happens, check out the novels on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mick-Wade/e/B006R6AJVQ