“That’s exactly how it happened, Sir,” Jim Amos added.
“I have been assaulted in front of witnesses!” The raging Rashidi tried to brush by Dickerson, but was restrained by another police officer. “That woman attacked me!”
“That’s a lie, Sergeant,” Jim Amos said. “Big mouth was poking Nick in the chest, and Ruth restrained him. He fell on his butt. Boo Hoo! He’s lucky I didn’t adjust him like I wanted to. We wouldn’t be listenin’ to him crying like a two year old with a scuffed knee.”
Laughter rang out, and Rashidi began shouting threats in Farsi. Nick called out tersely to him in the same language. Rashidi screamed and launched at Nick, his hands in claw form. Nick simply met him with a palm strike at diaphragm level, landing Rashidi once more on his back, but this time gasping for air in a fetal position.
Dickerson looked questioningly at Nick. “What did you say to him, Nick?”
“He was shouting threats in Farsi at Jim, and I told him that wasn’t very nice.”
Ruth Gurkovsky started laughing, patting Nick on the shoulder.
“Did you have something to add, Ma’am,” Dickerson asked, reading between the lines.
“No… huh uh… I thought Nick was very restrained.”
“Okay, I believe we’ve all had enough for one day,” Dickerson said.
“Sergeant? Isn’t it illegal to assemble in mob form for the express purpose of damaging private property? This is a private elementary school with children attending under twelve,” Nick pointed out. “I would wager not one of these rent-a-mob people have ever had a child attend school here. I believe what they tried to do here would fall under the category of reckless endangerment, wouldn’t you say. I would like to press charges.”
“Don’t do this, Nick,” Dickerson pleaded, as the other parents added their wishes to press charges.
Seeing Nick smile, but remain silent, Dickerson sighed and turned to the mob, some of whom had already slipped away. “I would like any parent of a child attending this school to step forward.”
The mob remained motionless. “In that case, you will be charged for illegal assembly and child endangerment. None of you move! My officers will write citations for appearance later.”
Dickerson then helped Rashidi to his feet, and hand cuffed the still gasping man, while reading him his rights. “Do you understand your rights as I have explained them?”
“Yes! This is not over!”
“You have the right to remain silent. Use it,” Dickerson advised, turning toward Nick. “I see Gus, Jean, and Deke on the outskirts of the crowd, Nick. Can I have a word with you after you get done with school business?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you. I’ll deposit the instigator in the squad car. I’ll meet you at the school entrance.”
The sentinels remained, exchanging greetings and handshakes, with Ruth staying close to Nick.
“What did you really say to that guy, Nick,” Jim Amos asked.
“Nick told him his mother sucked dicks in hell, and his father was a goat,” Ruth answered for Nick, provoking wild laughter amongst the group.
“I was sort of hoping no one else spoke Farsi,” Nick replied.
“Air Force intelligence.” Ruth smiled. “Nice meeting you all.”
The group said their goodbyes, and Nick joined Gus, Jean, and Deke.
“I’m impressed, Muerto,” Gus said. “That was a relatively peaceful ending. I take it the Sergeant would like to talk with you.”
“As soon as I get Jean into class, I’ll have a word with him. I’m pressing charges against that flake leading this mob mess. Be right back, Payaso. C’mon Jean, we still have two minutes. It’s a good thing we left early.”
“Did those people really want to tear our flag down, Dad?” Jean followed Nick toward the school once again. “That’s weird.”
“The older you get, the more you understand human nature can never be fully understood. People will follow along behind something or someone for the most inane reasons imaginable, against all common sense and logic. I gave up a long time ago trying to figure it out. Aside from some of my known psychopathic tendencies, I do know right from wrong. I’ve been in enough places around the world to know this country and our flag deserve respect. If not respect, then you know me, I’ll settle for fear.”
“I’m going to join the Marines when I get out of school,” Jean stated with conviction. “I’ll need seasoning, and I can get that in the Corps.”
Nick did a double take at the words, and saw Jean stifling laughter. “Good one. If you pull that on your Mom, you’ll be in the Corps before you ever leave the house again.”
“You’d let me join the Marines, wouldn’t you?”