Game of the Blues

by Kenn C. Kincaid

  “Yes, Sir,” Hess replied disconcertedly.

  Kirk looked back over his desk at Dan. “You’re dismissed.”

  They stood to leave. The captain waved a scrap of paper at Dan. He stepped back and took it.

  “The other witness,” Kirk said. “Be sure those two fire eaters appear and report the outcome to me. Lieutenant and I are expecting a conviction. Right, Lieutenant?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Dan acknowledged and they turned to leave.

  “Watch your backs out there, men,” Kirk cautioned. “It’s no picnic you know.”

  “Yes, Sir,” they replied leaving. In the parking lot Ben sighed. “Beam me up Scottie! Was that a fun time or what?”

  “I told you he hates the news media.”

  “Who’s this Fabbo guy in the Rec Room?”

  “Not a guy! That’s Star Trek slang. Probably short for fabulous or something.”

  “Think Hess went into it with his ‘macro coil busted shield evaporated’ or whatever he said.”

  “I told you; do your work and he’ll back you,” Dan said.

  “Yeah, but what was that picnic comment?”

  “I’m thinking he’s letting us know he heard, and won’t be put in the middle.”

  “What can I say, Partner? These dogfights stress me out. My family’s counting on a paycheck.”

  “Ben, Ben, Ben—lieutenant just loves brushin’ lint off navy blue flannel.”

  “Sometimes you give him more than lint. But, I loved that ending; ‘expecting a conviction, right lieutenant.’ How sweet was that?”

  Dan retrieved his coffee from the dash and took a sip, “Luke warm.” He poured it out.

  The radio interrupted. “Car 508, 508, Denton Ford on West Mitchell, alarm on the showroom and sales offices.”

  Ben pressed the lid down on the coffee clamping it between his thighs.

  Dan keyed the mike, “508, request a cover, canine if available. The ‘perps’ usually run across Mill Creek to the expressway.”

  “Car 508, closest canine is District Three.”

  “506, I’ll swing down and cover the expressway.”

  Ben handed Dan his coffee, “Cold anyway.” Dan poured it out shoving the empty cup under the seat.

  Denton Ford’s front driveways were blocked when closed. Ben swung through an abandoned warehouse alongside the car lot. They came in from the rear with lights out giving the perpetrators less notice of their arrival. The parking lot’s high intensity fixtures cast a glow upon the surroundings. Parking in the rear they proceeded on foot toward the front. Dan peeked around the front corner surveying the large bowing showroom window.

  He immediately saw what activated the alarm. The rear fender of a new Ford Fairlane stuck through the showcase window. Two men were trying to push another vehicle away from the door. Dan whispered, “Watch these clowns.” Stepping back pointing to his radio, he signaled he would circle the building. Dan updated the dispatcher as he made his way to the other side.

  “Car 506 is in place southbound on the expressway,” she informed. “507 is exiting northbound to approach the front of the dealership. K-three reports a ten minute ETA.”

  From his corner Dan observed 507’s approaching from under the overpass. He keyed his mike, “Go Ben.”

  Ben stepped out and confronted the thieves. “Police! Hands up!”

  They bolted toward the Mill Creek. Dan waited, and pounced on the last to pass him. Ben joined him.

  Castleman and Jansen, of Car 507, slid to a stop at the first drive, and bailed out on the run after the fleeing men. Caslteman’s long legs closed the distance quickly leaving Jansen behind.

  Dan and Ben subdued their man and placed him in their cruiser. Ben keyed his mike, “508, does 507 need any help?”

  “507, we’re good, second suspect apprehended. 506 is with us. We’ll bring him back down shortly.

  Ten minutes passed before 506 and 507 arrived at the dealership. “I expected to see him in your cruiser, B.C. Last I saw, you were crashing through the bushes on his heels. How’d Daley end up with the arrest?”

  “Actually, Daley sprung a stiff arm tackle on him. Best I let him tell it.”

  “I found the ‘get-a-way’ parked on the side of the expressway just as 507 arrived at the dealership. I parked off the shoulder out of sight, and walked to some bushes alongside it. The radio alerted me. BC chased him right to me. Heard him coming up the slope and just waited. When he grabbed the door, I grabbed and yanked him backwards. He hit the pavement fightin’ mad. B.C showed up and jumped in.”

  “Looked like two cats, tails tied, and tossed over a clothes line, ’cept it was on the ground,” added Jansen.

  “A real twerp of a perp,” Dailey continued. No ID, but a set of keys in his pocket fit the ignition. No registration on the temporary plate taped in the back window or the VIN. But, BC did a fine job of interrogating the creep.”

  “Ask him, ‘Pretty please’, did you.” Ben said.

  “Grabbed the front of his shirt, got in his face and said, ‘Listen buster, you made me chase you through a stinkin’ cesspool of a creek.’ Told him I ruined a pair of shoes on his account, and dared him to play ‘Cool Hand Luke’.”

  “Dared him, alright,” Daley snickered. “Dragged him by the belt back down to the creek, kickin’ and yellin.”

  “Told him I’d drown him in the sewage.’ BC said. “When his nose got close enough, he turned cooperative.”

  “Just didn’t understand how bad he wanted to talk to us,” Jansen added.

  “So he gave up and laid it out for you,” Dan said. “How nice.”

  “Yep, couldn’t talk fast enough,” BC stated. “They duped the keys on test drives. Showed up to drive the cars off and found them blocked in. Trying to push the car out of the way it got away and crashed into the showroom.”

  “Why’d the fools stick around?”

  “Oh, get this,” Dailey said, “They believed there was plenty of time. Not hearing an alarm, they didn’t realize they’d set it off.”

  “Acting on a false assumption always disappoints,” Ben said as the group chuckled.

  “Tell you what BC,” Dan said. “You want to haul our prisoner while we wait on the owner?”

  “Two assists are better ’an one?”

  “You’d think, but if you don’t have parkers you’ll be on Hess’ hit list.”

  “I’ll get the parkers later,” he chuckled as he helped Dan transfer the prisoner. “Its ‘one in hand..’,” he said pulling away.

  It took another twenty minutes to notify the owner of the dealership, secure the building, and process the paperwork. Leaving the dealership, Dan quipped, “I’d say that’s a good start for a quiet night.”

  “Except, we haven’t had our coffee yet.”

  “We’ll stop at the Daily D on the way in.”

  “Thanks, mighty big of you to offer.”

  “I’ll go one better. I’ll even drive for awhile.”

  Dan pulled away from the Daily D with fresh coffee. In the background the radio chattered as cars conducted business with the dispatcher. One call caught Ben’s attention.

  “505, traffic stop, Henshaw near Hopple, green 61 Valiant, Ohio plate COL 116.”

  “508, we’re on the parkway, we’ll swing by,” Ben informed by radio. Then releasing the key he said to Dan, “Ten to one Gary’s got a hit on the ‘no turn’ sign.”

  “Car 505, copied Henshaw, COL 116, Car 508 in route,” relayed the dispatcher.

  “505, we’re a hundred yards south of Hopple.”

  Turning onto Henshaw, Car 508 saw the cruiser ahead in a dimly lit area. The violator’s vehicle door opened. Immediately the driver swung out and Gary’s hands went up as the man pushed him toward the sidewalk.

  “Gary’s stop’s gone bad!” Ben blurted.

  Dan accelerated watching the figures. The unknown man led Gary toward some bushes.

  “505, ALL CARS BACK OFF—RIGHT NOW!” Gary’s u
rgent voice sounded on the radio.

  Hearing the call Dan stopped fifty yards short of the vehicles staring at the scene.

  “We have a hostage situation with 505,” Ben radioed. “Have a supervisor meet us behind the Shell station, Hopple and Colerain, with alternate ‘coms’ and no sirens.”

  “Attention cars 505, 508, cars responding on Henshaw. Plymouth Valiant registered to Bruce Moore. Signal M, warrant.”

  “508 copied.”

  “I’m going to walk up there and see what’s up,” Dan told Ben.

  “You nuts! We have a hostage situation!”

  “He’s just panicked. Don’t believe he wants to kill anybody, or he’d have done it.”

  “You can’t know for sure.”

  “Gary’s been taken somehow, but he’s got a family. I don’t. I’m gonna swap places.”

  “That’s rookie thinking! You could get killed.”

  “It’s now or never, Ben. I know how you work. I can count on you to crawl close and be there when the opening comes. It gives me an edge Gary doesn’t have.”

  “You’re assuming there will be an opening! You could escalate the situation. Even worse, end up with two hostages.”

  “I believe he’s panicked, and I believe I can make an opening, and I don’t believe he wants to shot a cop. As for two hostages, there’s no room in the cover for three.”

  “519, I’m Thirty-five at the station where’s 508?”

  “You can’t be sure. Time’s on our side.”

  “Gotta go sometime. If I’ve believed a lie, yellow roses will be just fine,” Dan said as he began walking down the middle of the street.

  “Car 508, 508 forty-four your location for 519,” the radio barked.

  “It’s against procedures!” Ben shouted after Dan.

  “So, what’s new? My conviction trumps their procedure,” Dan yelled back. “I’m counting on my partner.” A chill went through him. You’re acting on pure supposition, what if you’re wrong?

  “Car 508, 508, Signal Forty-Four!”

  “508B, I’m here!” Ben vented his frustration in the radio. “Tell 519, I’ll meet him shortly.”

  Dan sauntering toward possible death whistling as if he had not a care in the world.

  “It’s pure insanity!” Ben shouted at him.

  As Dan approached the bushes he called out, “Bruce Moore, I’m unarmed. I’m coming to negotiate.”

  “Stop where you are or this Copper gets it,” responded a voice from within the shrubs.

  Dan stopped. “You can see I AM UNARMED. I would like to approach close enough to talk. Five more feet?”

  “Go ahead, but I’m watching you.”

  Dan stepped a half dozen paces to the sidewalk. “Far enough!” Moore demanded. “Say what you come for and get.”

  “I want you to swap your officer for me.”

  “Why would I wanna do that? I have both of you now.”

  “Where you gonna put me? You don’t have room for two hostages.”

  “I could just shoot you!”

  “You could, but that’d make your problem worse, and you’re back to one hostage. If you wanted to shoot cops you’d have done it. Officer Follert is married. He has family. I do not. If you have to shoot somebody, wouldn’t you prefer me? Besides I’m the hostage negotiator, and a bigger chip to bargain with.”

  After a brief pause Moore agreed, “Okay, I’ll swap, but I want a car out of here.”

  “I can make it happen. First, you have to swap.”

  “Alright come on in.”

  “No. That’s not the way it works. It’s an exchange. You have your gun on me. I’m not going anywhere. Officer Follert comes out first.”

  A short period of silence followed.

  “Hurry up and decide. Once SWAT snipers get here, neither of us is any good to you.”

  Dan heard rustling, “Okay, I’ll send him out.” Within a minute Gary appeared.

  “Officer Follert, leave your vehicle as is. Walk straight to the middle of the street then up to the Shell Station.”

  “Yes, Sir, Mister Negotiator,” Gary said emphatically as he walked away.

  “Okay, Mister Negotiator, come over here real slow.”

  “As soon as Officer Follert is out of range.”

  After Gary walked halfway down the street Dan approached the cover. At seven feet Moore became visible. He sat Dan in a trampled area and tossed Gary’s handcuffs at his feet. “Put ’em on! Hurry up! No! Around the tree! I want to hear clicks.”

  Dan complied. Moore checked them. They sat close in the clump of trees facing each other three feet apart. He’s going to see backup coming. I need to get him ready for it, or things could go bad in a hurry.“Look Bruce, all you’re wanted for is a misdemeanor. What makes you think you’ll do time on it?”

  “I ain’t for findin’ out. ’sides don’t much matter now?”

  “Hey, so you panicked. Big deal. You haven’t hurt anybody. Keep your head, stay calm, and we can work this out.”

  “If anybody gets hurt,” he said shaking the gun threateningly at Dan. “You’ll be on top of the stack.”

  “519, exactly where is 508?” the radio barked.

  “508B, I’m behind the station. 508A has exchanged places with 505. We’ll meet 519 in front of the station.”

  Hearing the broadcast encouraged Dan. Ben and Gary joined up. Gary would give critical information to command and Ben would be working his way to him. “You have any idea what’s going on out there?” Dan asked Moore.

  “Don’t see nothing!”

  Whooa, that made him nervous. But, I’ve gotta risk it. He’s has to be scared enough to think surrender’s a way out. “ You aren’t supposed to see it. Listen to the radio.”

  “507, Thirty-five, Colerain post.”

  “Notice the silence and spacing of the calls, Bruce.”

  “503, at Rachel and Henshaw.”

  “It’s started,” Dan said, “and you’re smart enough to know neither of us can stop it.”

  “501, Thirty-five on Sidney post.”

  “The net’s closing. Bruce, we’re boxed.”

  “Don’t matter. I put this gun in your ear,” he said sticking the barrel against the side of Dan’s head. “They’ll let me walk out.”

  His stress is focusing on the gun. That feeling of desperate power growing! But if I don’t build his stress, he won’t surrender!

  The radio continued to cut in, “519, request 514 to close Henshaw at Hopple, and the SWAT Team’s ETA is ten minutes. Have all other cars remain out of the area.”

  “You heard that didn’t you?” Dan asked. “Now they wait, but not for you to negotiate. They’re waiting for the snipers.”

  “520, I’m pulling in the Shell station. Where is 519?”

  “I’d like us to settle this before they get here. They’ll set up with a green light. First opportunity they’ll fire.”

  “Maybe I just end it,” Moore’s voice quivered.

  He’s edgy…Gun equals big power. Dan experienced this before at a market robbery gone bad. That abductor fed off the gun’s power growing bolder and bolder. He became reckless and a hostage died. Maintain balance. Keep an out visible.

  “Bruce, we still have time to work this out. But it’s ticking away.”

  His eyes narrowed. Moore shoved the revolver in Dan’s face again. His voice fluttered. “Yeah there’s time. You and me right now.”

  Okay, he’s as nervous as I dare let him get. Sure hope Ben’s close enough to see what’s going on.

  “519, I’m in the rear. I’ll come around.” the radio crackled.

  “What’s he doin’?” Moore shouted daring to crawl out a few feet to look.

  “Get back in here! You’ll get yourself shot! I got an idea might keep us both alive. Want to hear it?”

  Moore crawled back and sat pressing closer into the bushes than before.

  He knows he’s trapped. Ben, I’m counting on you to be close.

  “I ain’t gon
na wait around no more! Get up…”

  “Look Bruce, I’ve known you a couple years. You’ve been in stuff, but nothing bad. Why all this over a misdemeanor? Go in with me, it gets you out of here alive.”

  “As long as I got you, I’m alive.”

  “Okay, you don’t want to surrender. Your call, but you have to get out of here. Take my hat and shirt. Make a dash for the car. They’ll think you’re me. By the time they figure it out, you’ll be gone. Ditch the car, and disappear.”Hope Ben’s close enough to hear. Grab him when he makes his move.

  “It could work. If’n you don’t try something.”

  “Try something?” Dan forced a chuckle, “Bruce, I’m cuffed to a tree! What can I do? You’ve got Gary’s gun, plus the radio. What am I gonna do? Who am I gonna tell? Sure it’ll work. It’ll take time before they give chase, and look—the cruiser’s still running. You’ve got emergency lights. The switch is on the clipboard console.”

  “Where’s the siren? How you turn it on?”

  “Blue box, center, bottom of dash. It’s your best out. C’mon, you’re desperate enough. Bite!“Real soon now, snipers will be sighting in on us. You’ll lose your chance to escape.”

  “They best not, or you’re dead!” Moore cocked the pistol.

  “Oops, too much pressure. Focus him on the getaway. “I’m not trying to scare you. I’m the one scared. Ease that hammer down. An accidental discharge and they’ll rush us. We’ll both be dead.”

  He took a moment to think it over, and then carefully lowered the hammer.

  “Okay, we both know they’re closing in. It’s procedure. You need to make your move NOW, or you’ll lose the opportunity. Bruce, your hostage is a cop. They’ll set up under a green light. That’s procedure. First open shot – bang! They take you out. This is not enough cover. Take the car.”

  “I think I’ll take you with me.”

  “Up to you, but I’m handcuffed. Be clumsy. Slow you down. You need speed. Besides, they see both of us and they’ll chase, just a white shirt they won’t.”

  Moore did not reply immediately. His fidgeting increased as time crept by. “Okay, give me the shirt.”

  “I’m handcuffed around a tree.”