Nick hurried through the entrance, but slowed his steps once he passed the doorway. He came abreast of Gus and Deke, as they maintained their positions. “Ready, Gus?”
“I’m on my last nerve here, so yeah, I’m ready. Deke was ready two seconds after you went inside the school. I don’t speak these guys’ language, so I have no idea what they said, but I would wager it wasn’t anything good hearted, or nice. A few of the reporters left, so your buddy has been working himself up into a frenzy. What are you going to do?”
“Walk home.” Nick turned away from the crowd, beginning his trek. Deke pulled Gus along to follow. Nick called Sergeant Dickerson while striding with Gus and Deke at a leisurely pace, gathering an enraged following with every step.
“Nick?”
“Yeah, it’s me. I have a stalker. Remember the nitwit from yesterday, Habib Rashidi?”
Dickerson sighed. “Yes.”
“He came to the school again, blasting away at everyone with news crews in attendance. He has a couple big guys with him that look like his brothers, and a few others chummy with him following along for the ride. I dropped Jean off. Gus and I, along with Deke the dog are trying to make good our escape without finding our way onto the evening news.”
“On my way. Can you outpace them?”
Nick glanced toward his unwanted retinue, speeding their pursuit, because Nick wasn’t slowing down to engage them. “Nope. I’m not running either. I’ll keep the line open. Gus, can you get your iPad out ready to film?”
“Way ahead of you. I’ve been taking clips of us moving away from them. Would you like to let Deke get involved.”
“No. Sergeant Dickerson is on his way. If we keep moving, maybe he’ll be in time to keep me from doing something violently incorrect. There’s five of them, and you’re filming it, including our attempt to leave the area without violence.”
Gus did a video panning of the scene again with an added note. “The big guy who was with Rashidi is jogging forward toward you, Nick.”
“Thanks. Keep Deke tightly to you.”
A few seconds later, a huge hand gripped Nick’s left shoulder with an order to stop. Nick spun, wrapping his left arm around the big man’s extended arms, clutching them in an unbreakable grip. He then punched the helpless man in the groin, following the devastating blow with a knee to the man’s face. Nick allowed him to drop to the sidewalk, continuing on without breaking stride. Gus kept filming, while controlling Deke with the leash and calming words. Sirens sounded on the squad car approaching from the opposite direction with Dickerson at the wheel. He steered to the curb near Nick, Gus, and Deke. The small gang had been slowed while checking their companion, left writhing on the sidewalk.
“Did you do something, Nick?” Dickerson hurried around the hood of his squad car to the sidewalk. His partner, a tall athletically shaped brown haired woman stayed at her passenger side door, one hand on the butt of her weapon
“Yep. You were a few seconds late to keep one of them from trying to yank me to a stop. Gus has it on video.”
Dickerson watched the pursuit, and painful ending. “Ouch! That had to hurt. Nice speech before the action.”
“It bought us enough time for the valiant Pacific Grove police to arrive in the nick of time to save Nick.”
“Very funny. Here they come, but the one you put down isn’t doing too well.”
“Good, I want to press charges, so officer, do your duty.”
“Oh boy… I was afraid you’d say that.” Dickerson turned to his partner. “Call it in, Trina. We’re going to need backup.”
Because the group moved toward them, Dickerson and his partner stayed where they were. By the time Rashidi and his companions reached the squad car because of their limping comrade, two other squad cars arrived behind them. Four more officers exited those vehicles to surround the oncoming men.
“Arrest him! He assaulted my brother for no reason! I want him in handcuffs immediately!”
“Calm down, Sir, right now,” Dickerson warned. “First off, I ordered you to stay away from that elementary school. You not only disobeyed my lawful order, you brought others along, and proceeded to stalk after a Pacific Grove citizen who actually has a daughter attending classes at the school. His friend filmed your pursuit of him as he walked home, including an attempted assault by your brother. Mr. McCarty is pressing charges. You, and your friends, are going to jail. Turn around and put your hands behind your back!”
“This…this is outrageous!” When Rashidi didn’t follow Dickerson’s order, Dickerson forced him around, and handcuffed the squirming Rashidi. He then read the men their rights.
“Do you understand these rights as I have explained them?” Dickerson kept repeating the phrase while his other police comrades watched each other’s back while restraining the men with Rashidi. After the third repeat of the question, all but Rashidi had indicated they understood.
“I will say nothing!”