“Well done, guys. We have a driver out there somewhere. Let Saul show me the back door to this place, John. Everyone stay away from the windows. I’m figuring the driver will allow for five minutes. C’mon Saul, old buddy, take me through your back.”
John lifted the shocked Saul to his feet, guiding him where Saul pointed with a shaking finger. “Straight… out to a side alley.”
“Watch the door,” Nick told John while running through the curtain separating the rear of the shop with the front display section.
Reaching a dead bolted doorway into an alley beyond, Nick kept stride until nearing the sidewalk section of street at Saul’s shop front. He slowed at the alley wall, scanning the street beyond. A white Ford van with sliding side door waited on the street in front with a very nervous driver wearing a black hoodie with ball cap under it. Nick watched carefully. The moment the driver glanced toward the street side traffic, Nick streaked to the front of the van. He then crept along the driver’s side front wheel well to a position under the driver’s window which was open. Nick popped up from under the window. He jammed the barrel of his Beretta into the side of the driver’s head, having decided he would need a live prisoner for the police. Grabbing the driver’s hoodie front in his left hand, Nick pulled the driver’s head closer to the open window with the Beretta barrel against his temple.
“Hi there. Do anything other than open the door and I blow your brains out through the other side of your idiot head!”
“Don’t shoot!” The driver scrambled to work the door handle.
A moment later, Nick opened the door, swinging the driver out with it before switching his left hand grip to the back of the driver’s neck. Roughly forcing his prisoner face first to the street surface, Nick made sure where the driver’s hands were at all times. They were feminine as had been the voice.
“Relax face down. Clasp hands behind your head!” Nick waited for her to follow his command. He then gripped her wrists while doing a thorough body search. When finished, he retained his grip on her wrists, but put away the Beretta for a moment. Nick called Gus. “I have the driver, Gus. Call the cops. There’s been a robbery!”
“Very funny,” Gus replied. “I’m glad we brought along our ID’s. You are most definitely a magnet for this kind of crap.”
“That’s hurtful, Gus.”
*
Hands in plain sight, Nick awaited the arrival of blasting sirens and lighted police cars. He kept the driver on her knees while holding on to her behind the head clasped hands. In his other hand, Nick kept his US Marshal’s badge ID held where the police officers could see easily. The first squad car’s occupants spilled out with weapons in hand. They assumed hostile positions behind their doors while assessing Nick’s grip on a kneeling prisoner.
“I’m US Marshal, Nick McCarty. There are three dead jewelry store robbers inside the jewelry shop and I have the driver prisoner here.”
“Did you say three dead inside?”
“Yes Sir,” Nick answered the squad car driver’s question. The woman he held broke down into angry sobs, complete with epithets and threats.
“You…you killed Lou, Craig, and Terry… in cold blood? You bastard! They weren’t going to hurt anyone!”
Nick increased pressure on the woman driver’s wrists until she cried out in pain. “Stay quiet and let these officers do their job. What’s your name?”
“I’m not saying anything until I get my damn lawyer!”
“Okay by me. I’ll call you Mutt-face.” Nick’s name creation gave the initial two police officers a laugh as they drew near.
After checking Nick’s identification, the first police officer cuffed the female driver. “I’m Sergeant Larry Boniface. My partner’s Cal Drury. Nice meeting you, Marshal. I’ve read of your novel writing and exploits as a sniper on the Kensky bust. Why didn’t you put a bullet in the prick’s head while you had a chance?”
“We had an iron clad case until my prime witness was killed during a home invasion. Besides, I had orders I followed during the negotiations working with the Kensky task force.”
“I’m sorry he got away, pal.” The patrolman called in the robbery and the resulting aftermath as more police officers arrived. “Anyone else hurt in the store?”
“No Sir. The bodies in there arrived shooting and carrying Uzis. My two companions covered the bodies of my wife and the store owner while I returned fire. Would you like my firearm now, Sergeant?”
“Yes.” Boniface took out a crime scene bag to accept Nick’s Beretta after Nick popped the clip and cleared the chamber. “We’ve had a rash of ‘smash and grabs’ with the same M.O. so maybe this is the gang of assholes that’s been doing them.”
“I hope it is,” Nick replied as other officers clustered around with Boniface handing the prisoner over to one of the new arrivals. “That happy coincidence would cut my time down at the precinct to a short stay.”