by Mark Nolan
“Oh is that right? Do you ask every woman out on a date that you meet after she catches you breaking and entering?”
“Yes that’s my standard operating procedure, and it works well for me. But only if the woman knows martial arts and we get our first fight out of the way beforehand.”
“So this is just a typical evening for you, huh player?”
“I’m going to take you to Amborgetti’s Italian restaurant. It’s similar to Rao’s in New York. They don’t have a menu, and it is almost impossible to get a reservation.” But the owners are friends of mine, and they’ll give us a table and treat us like family. After dinner we’ll go dancing for a while at a high-class club in the financial district where a buddy of mine works as a DJ. Then we’ll enjoy a nightcap at a rooftop bar with an amazing view of the city lights while we have an intimate conversation and plan our second date.”
“Second date?” Sarah said, raising her eyebrows.
“The second date will be a boat trip to Angel Island State Park where we’ll ride bikes and have a picnic on the beach. On our third date, we’ll go for a hot air balloon ride over the Napa wine country, followed by a champagne brunch at Domaine Chandon. And if you’re into horseback riding we can do that the following weekend.”
“Are you always like this, or only when a woman has held you at gunpoint?”
“I’ll take you places you’ll never forget.”
The two of them looked at each other in silence for a long moment, talking with their eyes. Sarah felt that Jake was a sexy, confident man who knew what he wanted and went after it. He seemed to look right into her heart, and he might be thinking about kissing her. She felt conflicted. Did she want him to kiss her or not? He was a total bad boy and currently in a lot of trouble. Spending time with him would be a walk on the wild side. But he did seem to have a genuinely good heart inside that muscled chest of his. Sarah’s own heart was beating fast, and she felt warm all over. If she simply leaned in a little, tilted her head and half closed her eyes, Jake would probably…
At that moment, they both heard the sound of vehicles screeching to a halt outside of Sarah’s clinic. Car doors slammed, and bright lights shone into the building’s front windows. A commanding voice crackled over a vehicle loudspeaker. “This is the FBI. You are surrounded by armed agents. Come out with your hands over your heads or we will come in shooting.”
Chapter 91
Cody began barking when he heard the shouted threats, and he tried to stand up.
Jake commanded Cody to be still and then he looked at Sarah as if he was going to command her too, but he paused a moment before speaking.
“I’m sorry Sarah, I stayed here too long.”
“What are you going to do?”
Sarah could tell that Jake’s first reflex had been to yell orders at her as if they were in the military, but he’d made an effort to avoid that.
“I’ll wait in this room with Cody. You shut the door and lock it. Tell the FBI you captured me using your pistol. You held me at gunpoint, ordered me to go in here and then locked me inside.”
“But what about…”
Jake took one of her hands in both of his and said, “Please just do it. Trust me, Sarah. There is no way Cody and I could escape from the FBI. They are hella good at capturing fugitives, and we could all get shot by accident.”
Sarah thought that Jake’s strong hands felt good on her skin, and she trusted him now for some reason. “Okay, okay, but this is crazy. I need to take a deep breath.”
“Focus. Use your martial arts training.”
“My training didn’t prepare me for armed federal agents storming my clinic,” Sarah said.
Jake continued holding Sarah’s hand in one of his, and he leaned in and put his other hand on her waist and then pulled her close and kissed her on the lips. Sarah didn’t seem as surprised by the kiss as Jake had thought she might be. She kissed him back and afterward neither of them wanted to let go. But Jake knew that the FBI’s clock was ticking so he held Sarah at arm’s length and gave her a pep talk.
“You can do this. It’s your clinic and you are in charge of it. Go out there and tell them what you want them to believe. Sell it to them.”
There were more shouted demands from outside. Sarah nodded at Jake. “I can do it. I’ve got this.”
She went out of the room, closed the door and turned the deadbolt. Some well-trained dogs like Cody could turn doorknobs and open doors. She’d added an outside lock on this kennel door for that reason. Jake had noticed it on his way into the room.
Sarah marched toward the front door of the clinic but before she could reach it an FBI Agent used a battering ram against the door. There was a loud crash and the door flew open. A group of FBI agents came running into the clinic. Several were wearing black body armor riot gear. They pointed automatic weapons with red laser sights at Sarah. She stood very still with her hands over her head. An agent shone a spotlight on her face.
“Hands on top of your head, lace your fingers together,” one of the agents yelled.
“My hands are already over my head,” Sarah said. “The person you want is locked in the room to my right. That closed door with a light in the window.”
A female agent walked directly toward Sarah. She was wearing a pants suit with an FBI windbreaker over it. The agent took Sarah by the arm, handcuffed her hands behind her back and then held her credentials up so Sarah could see them.
“FBI Special Agent Reynolds. Who are you? Identify yourself.”
“I’m Doctor Sarah Chance, I run this Veterinary Clinic. My picture is on the wall right there, and my ID is in my purse. You broke down my door, but you don’t know who I am? Do you even know what the hell you are doing?”
Agent Reynolds roughly frisked Sarah and found the small pistol in the back of her pants waistband. “Gun!” Reynolds said, adding to the tension of the situation.
Another agent cursed when he heard that. He began turning on lights and checking the treatment rooms. He found Jake’s pistol and his leather jacket, and he too called out, “Gun!”
FBI agents swarmed all through the clinic. Sarah said, “I was on my way to open the door for you. Why did you have to break it down?”
“That was standard operating procedure when you failed to open the door fast enough,” Reynolds said.
“You didn’t give me any time to open it.”
“Shut up! Where is Jake Wolfe?”
“Make up your mind, do you want me to shut up or answer your question? I told you once already. Jake Wolfe is in that room right there.”
Sarah inclined her head toward the kennel room door. Reynolds grabbed Sarah’s arm in a vice like grip and marched her over there. She looked at the door as if it was a snake coiled to bite her, and then moved her head over the window for a split second and quickly stepped back.
Sarah said, “He’s unarmed, your other agent found his pistol.”
“Keep your mouth shut unless I ask you a direct question,” Reynolds said. Then she called out, “The suspect is in this room. And his shirt has bloodstains on the front of it. He should be considered armed and dangerous.”
Sarah glared at Reynolds, and she didn’t speak, but her eyes blazed and seemed to say, “I’ll bet I could give your ass a smack down even with my hands in these cuffs.”
Reynolds saw the look, pointed at Sarah and said, “Somebody cuff her feet.”
An agent put plasticuffs on Sarah’s ankles. Then a man strutted in through the clinic front door who appeared to be in charge, if body language was any indication. He was wearing a suit with a blue windbreaker over it that matched the one Reynolds had on. The jacket had three large gold letters on the back: FBI.
He spoke to Reynolds. “Nice work Special Agent Reynolds, you did good.”
Reynolds beamed at the words of approval from the agent in charge.
“Really?” Sarah said. “I’m the one who captured the fugitive and locked him in that room. All you did was break down my door an
d act all tough.”
“And who might you be?” The man asked. He was amused at this small-sized female who presumed to question his official authority.
“I’m Doctor Sarah Chance, and this is my clinic. Who are you, why are you trespassing and how soon can you repair my front door that you vandalized?”
“Brad Oxley, FBI Special Agent in Charge. You didn’t call the police so my guess is you are guilty of the crime of aiding and abetting the flight of a wanted fugitive.”
Sarah shook her head. “No, your guess is wrong Brad. And I’d like to see some ID. Otherwise you are trespassing, breaking and entering and committing assault and battery while wearing a spiffy FBI jacket that you might have bought on eBay.”
Oxley scowled. He was not used to having anyone question him or talk back to him. He sucked in a big breath as he was about to vent. “Now you listen to me.”
“No, you listen,” Sarah said. “Here’s what happened. I worked late and then closed up shop. When I got into my car and drove past here on my way home, I saw a light on inside. I got my pistol out of my purse, which I have a legal permit to carry, and I went in through the back door. Once inside, I found that man performing first aid on a dog.”
When Sarah said “that man,” she looked over at the kennel door with the window in the top half. She saw that Jake was standing close to the door and listening to her story, probably memorizing it. He was smiling cheerfully like an innocent man who didn’t give a damn about this situation. Several red laser dots from weapons were targeting Jake’s chest through the glass window.
“That’s it, that’s your cute little story?” Oxley said.
“I yelled for him to put his hands up and lay on the floor,” Sarah said. “When he did I closed the door and turned the deadbolt to lock him in there.”
“That’s a nice and tidy explanation,” Oxley said. “Do you want to enlighten us as to why you didn’t call the police?”
A woman standing off to the side and out of the way said, “She did call the police, she called me.”
Both FBI agents turned and looked at a woman wearing plain clothes, who had short red hair and a police badge on a lanyard around her neck. She was wearing a windbreaker that said POLICE, along with a baseball cap that said SFPD.
“Identify yourself,” Oxley said. “What are you doing here? This is an FBI bust.”
“As I told your team on my way in, I’m Sergeant Beth Cushman. San Francisco Police Department. Homicide Detail. Dr. Sarah Chance is a friend of mine. She takes care of my pet cat. Approximately fifteen minutes ago Sarah called my mobile phone, and I called her back. Sarah said she had detained an intruder at her clinic, and she asked me to please come over right away. Here I am, but I didn’t expect to see the FBI here too. Do you guys respond to break-ins at pet clinics now or was it just a slow day at the Bureau?”
Oxley’s neck turned red in anger. “That man is a major fugitive, wanted by the FBI.”
“Really, who do you have in there? Somebody who tried to steal a toenail trimmer for a terrier?”
“It’s Jake Wolfe, you idiot. You’re telling me you didn’t know that?”
“Don’t call me an idiot,” Beth said. “That shows a lack of professional decorum, and it’s going into my report. And no, I didn’t know who you had there. Sarah just said that a man broke in, and she had him locked in a dog kennel. I had a good laugh about that, then I drove over here to help her with the situation.”
Sarah was surprised to see her friend, but she realized Beth must have guessed that Jake was here. Now Beth had overheard Sarah’s story and she was lying to the FBI about the details, just as Sarah had lied. Sarah knew it was a crime to lie to a federal agent. She felt very grateful for Beth’s friendship and loyalty.
“Your phone records had better back up your story, Cushman,” Oxley said, and he gave her a contemptuous look, up and down, that made Beth grind her teeth.
“Obviously, both of our phone records will show her call to me and my call back, within the last quarter hour or so,” Beth said. “That means, if I’m not mistaken, that this is my bust, and you should back off and give me jurisdiction.”
“Nice try but no chance Cushman. We’ve been working on this case around the clock, with people watching every dog park and veterinary clinic in the city.”
“But Sarah called it in.”
“Wrong again. One of our citizen snitches caught a glimpse of a man with a dog who might fit the description of the suspect, and who appeared to go to this clinic. That snitch is getting the reward, and there is nothing you can do about it.”
Sarah spoke up then and said, “It doesn’t matter if some snitch called in a possible sighting. You’ve probably had hundreds of those calls. I was the one who captured the man and locked him in that room. Then I called a police officer. All of this happened long before you arrived at the scene. I had no idea he was wanted by the FBI, but if anyone gets a reward, it is going to be me.”
When Sarah mentioned the man in the room, she looked over toward the door again and so did Agent Oxley and Beth Cushman. They all saw Jake calmly taking off his bloodstained shirt and getting ready to put on a clean one. As Jake stood there shirtless for a moment, Sarah noticed that he had a variety of scars on his broad chest and flat stomach. He’d obviously been through some battles.
Jake noticed them all looking at him and before he put on the clean shirt he lifted his right fist and flexed his bicep, striking a pose like he was a bodybuilder. He gave them “the gun show” and made a funny face.
Sarah felt her skin get warm when she saw Jake flexing the muscles of his naked upper body that way, with no fear of anyone or anything.
Oxley cursed at the wiseass fugitive, then turned to Sarah. “I think it would be best if you told your stupid story under oath. You’re going downtown to the FBI building.”
“No thanks Brad, I have other plans for this evening.”
Oxley snorted at her, turned to his crew and said, “Take both suspects down to HQ. Put Chance in the back seat of a Beau-car and put Wolfe in the Paddy wagon.”
Sarah asked, “What could you possibly be charging me with?”
Oxley didn’t reply, he just ignored Sarah as two FBI agents picked her up, one by each arm, and carried her away like she weighed nothing.
Chapter 92
When Beth saw the agents grab Sarah she said, “You’re arresting the person who captured the fugitive for you? I guess you really don’t want to pay that reward.”
As Sarah was being carried toward the door she turned her head and looked back at Jake. She saw him watching her through the kennel window, with a crooked smile on his face. His expression seemed to say that he was impressed by her spunk but was feeling apologetic about the inconvenience he’d caused.
Jake put one finger to the front of his lips to indicate that Sarah should be quiet and not say anything. Sarah nodded to Jake and then she was carried out the door.
The two FBI agents marched Sarah outside to an unmarked FBI four-door sedan and put her in the back seat. Sarah knew that if they took the cuffs off of her hands and feet she could use her martial arts skills to kick their asses. All she had to do was remember to keep her left elbow up, and nobody could stop her. Well maybe nobody except for Jake Wolfe. Sarah was known for her hot temper, but she made a conscious effort to go along peaceably with what she considered a needless act of intimidation by Oxley. If she’d been more submissive, they might not have arrested her. But being submissive was not part of her personality and she couldn’t fake it.
Inside the clinic, Beth spoke to Oxley. “I don’t suppose you’d believe me if I told you that Agent Shannon McKay from the US Secret Service sent out a memo saying Jake Wolfe was innocent. A criminal impersonated Wolfe with a high-tech facial disguise.
Oxley shook his head. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a long time Cushman. Thanks for making me laugh.”
“I’ll be going on record in my police report that I informed you of these
facts in front of witnesses. And that I personally checked the man’s alibi with an agent at the US Secret Service. I also gave you the Agent’s name and phone number. Your supervisor will get a copy of the memo and a copy of my report.”
Beth handed Oxley a paper printout of McKay’s memo. It listed the Secret Service agent’s name and phone number and the brief facts of the situation. Oxley shoved the paper into his jacket’s top left inside pocket, without even taking a glance at it.
“Duly noted. Now get out of the way Cushman, unless you want to be charged with obstruction of justice and interfering with a federal investigation. The same as that smart-mouthed veterinarian.”
Beth slowly stepped aside, but her eyes never left those of Oxley. She wasn’t the least bit intimidated by anyone, and she wanted this guy to be aware of that. Beth also knew that every law enforcement agency thought they were the best, and they would butt heads with other agencies over who should be in charge.
Beth noticed that off to her left, Reynolds and another agent approached the kennel door and pointed their weapons at Jake.
Reynolds said, “Lay face down on the floor with your feet toward us and your hands behind your head. If you move, you’re dead.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “Oh great, I just put on a clean shirt.”
Jake complied with the request, and the agents could hear him giving commands to his dog. Reynolds put on latex gloves and opened the door part way. The other agent kept his pistol trained on the fugitive while Reynolds used a stun baton to give a brief shock to the dog. Cody howled and was stunned senseless for a moment.
Jake cursed at the agents when they shocked his injured dog. He started getting to his feet, but Reynolds used the stun baton to shock him on the back of his calves. Jake shook like a leaf in a storm. He crumpled back down onto the floor, temporarily immobilized.
Reynolds knew that the shock from the baton was less debilitating and shorter-lasting than from a Taser. She had to move fast. She set down the stun baton and grabbed Jake’s feet, slapped metal cuffs on his ankles and dragged his body out of the kennel room. “Cuff his hands.”
