by Donald Wells
A squeal of brakes sounded, announcing the arrival of the tow truck as the driver skidded to a halt in front of Velma’s rental.
“Well, it looks like your white knight has arrived, so I’ll be on my way.”
“Thank you anyway,” Velma said. “For stopping to help,”
The man sent her a wink and then walked back toward his car.
The tow truck driver turned out to be a middle-aged woman, and Velma asked her a question.
“Would it be possible for you to drop me in the city before you tow this car back to the rental facility?”
“Sorry hon, but we don’t do that.”
“Damn, then tell the rental office that I’ll be in later; right now I have to go.”
Velma ran for the other car, just as the man was preparing to merge into traffic.
“Hey! Can I still get a ride?”
“Absolutely, hop in,”
As they rode along, the man looked her over.
“Aren’t you afraid to take a ride from a stranger?”
Velma smiled.
“I’ve disabled bigger men than you.”
“I believe it; your smile alone nearly dropped me to my knees, so where are you headed?”
“The Caliber building, it’s on—”
“I know where it is, and I’ll have you there in no time.”
“Thank you, Mr...”
“Call me... Jacob, and you are?”
“I’m Velma, Velma Channing,”
“Velma? That’s an unusual name; in fact, I’ve only ever met one other.”
“I was named after my aunt, from what I’m told she was quite a woman.”
“It can be hard living up to a name, it’s probably better to make your own path.”
“And what path are you walking? Judging by that suit, I’d say you’re a stockbroker.”
“A wannabe lawyer actually, but if I do well at my interview today, I’ll be on my way.”
“Please tell me you’re not a defense attorney.”
Jacob laughed.
“There are people in my family that would disown me if I did that.”
‘Why, what are you from, a family of cops?”
“Something like that, so tell me, do you work at Caliber?”
“I just started, and already I’m late.”
“Have you met Jake Caliber?”
“Yes, both of them, the grandfather and the grandson,”
“What’s the old man like?”
Velma shook her head slightly.
“He’s a throwback, but in a good way. Think of every old private eye movie you’ve ever seen and then realize that this man has actually lived that life, and on top of that, he even stopped a presidential assassination. He really is a living legend.”
“The man who never missed,”
“What’s that?”
“That’s what they called the first Jake Caliber, the one that founded the agency, ‘The man who never missed.’”
“Right, and they say that the old man inherited his skill. I envy him. It takes me hours of practice every month to stay proficient. Have you ever gone target shooting, Jacob?”
“Me? No, hell I’ve never even held a gun.”
“It’s a difficult thing to do, to shoot well, and Jake Caliber is supposed to be the best.”
Jacob grinned.
“It’s probably just P.R., you know, to build up the old man’s legend, spin for the agency,”
“No. I’ve researched him; he’s the real deal. Jake Caliber the third stormed Omaha Beach as a sixteen-year-old marine and when he came back home he joined the family business by becoming a private eye. Over the years, he has dismantled six criminal organizations, solved an untold number of closed cases, many of them homicides, and even brought down an international drug cartel. While he was doing all this, he was shot over forty times, stabbed nearly a dozen more and even survived a car bombing. If he’s not the toughest man who ever lived, then I don’t know who is.”
“You almost sound like you’re in love with him?”
“Oh, believe me, if he were much younger I’d be in trouble; I’ve always had a thing for tough guys.”
“And here I sit in a wimpy three-piece suit, damn.” Jacob said, and then he pulled the car to the curb and pointed out the window.
“Here we are, the Caliber building,”
“Thank you for the ride and good luck with your interview.”
“You’re welcome Velma, and thanks,”
The two of them just sat there then, gazing at each other. A moment later, Velma roused herself and got out of the car.
Jacob called to her.
“Could I see you sometime, maybe just for coffee?”
“Jacob... I...”
He smiled. “I understand; I’m not your type.”
“No! It’s not that, it’s just that things are complicated for me right now.”
“Okay, but I’ll see you around.”
“Maybe, but it is a big city.”
“Oh I’ll see you around, count on it.” Jacob said, and then he watched her until she disappeared into the lobby.
After Velma entered the building, Jacob drove into a parking garage a half block away, when he exited on foot, he walked back to the Caliber building and slipped inside.
***
Upstairs in the detective agency, the two Jakes had a visitor.
His name was Thomas Delaney. He was a fourth generation homicide detective and the grandson of Jake Caliber’s oldest friend. Delaney was a big man with short black hair and a trim moustache. He was married and the father of a boy and a girl. He sipped on a glass of whiskey as he shared a bit of news.
“Deke Stoddard gets released today.”
The younger Jake nodded his head.
“Thanks for the tip; I’ll keep an eye out for him.”
“Do that. Deke will come after you; he’s too stupid not to, it’s one of the reasons that he’s spent most of his life in prison.”
“Jakey?”
“Yes granddad?”
“If you see that punk, plant ‘im, otherwise you’ll spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder.”
“I’ll be fine, besides, I’ve got my own personal bodyguard now, remember?”
The two men shared a chuckle and Tom looked back and forth at them.
“What’s this about a bodyguard?”
“It’s a long story Tommy; I’ll tell you later over a beer.”
“No can do Jake; it’s parent/teacher night at the school, Jenny would kill me if I missed it.”
“All right, but how about the ball game on Sunday? A client sent me four tickets, so you can even bring Tommy Jr. along.”
Delaney stood and headed for the door.
“It sounds good, but right now I’d better get back to the station.”
Delaney opened the door and Velma rushed in.
“Mr. Caliber, I am so sorry I’m late, but my damn rental got two flats.”
“Don’t worry about it kid; we don’t punch a time clock around here, and besides, it’s been slow lately.”
Delaney held out his hand.
“Since neither one of these savages will introduce us, I’ll do it. My name is Tom Delaney, and I take it that you’re Velma’s niece? I can see a resemblance.”
“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Delaney, I’m Velma Channing.”
“That’s Lieutenant Delaney,” The old man said. “Tommy there comes from a long line of flatfoots.”
“It was nice to meet you too, Velma, and I’ll see you guys on Sunday.”
After Delaney left, Velma took his vacated seat.
“So what’s on the schedule for today?”
Jake stood and grabbed his hat.
“Why don’t you tag along while I pay an old friend a visit; his name is Deke Stoddard.”
“Jakey?”
“Yeah?”
“You sure about that? Why go looking for trouble?”
“Trouble’s coming one way
or another, I might as well get it over with, huh?”
The old man nodded. “Good point.”
The sound of a scream came from the outer office, followed by the words, “Oh my God!” and all three detectives rushed toward the door. Velma reached it first and flung it open to find Jacob with Kelli, her eyes filling with tears.
Velma rushed over and separated the two.
“What the hell’s going on here? Are you following me?”
Before Jacob could answer her, Jake walked over and encompassed Jacob in a massive bear hug that lifted him off his feet.
“Welcome home little brother!”
Velma cocked her head. “Little brother? He’s a Caliber?”
“That’s Chris,” Kelli said. “Do you two know each other?”
“He gave me a ride after my car broke down, but he said his name was Jacob.”
Chris walked over to her with a grin.
“Christopher Jacob Caliber, at your service,”
Two strong hands reached out and spun Chris around by his shoulders and he found himself face to face with his grandfather. The old man looked him over from head to toe.
“Hello granddad, it’s been a long time.”
The old man took him in his arms and whispered in his ear.
“It’s good to have you home boy; I love you.”
Chris whispered back, “I love you, too.” and then the two separated.
Kelli grabbed a compact from her purse and stared into it.
“Oh, my mascara is running, but I was so happy to see you Chris that I cried.”
“You look good Kelli, how’s your mom?”
“She’s great; you should stop by and say hello.”
“I’ll do that, and I really wish I could stay here and catch up, but I’m meeting mom at the coffee shop around the corner and then I’m off to my job interview.”
“I was wondering why you were dressed like a stiff.” Jake said.
“It’s the uniform of the corporate world big brother; they would never let me in the door if I showed up in jeans.”
“Good luck with the interview, and say hello to mother.”
“I’ll be back later.” Chris said, and then he spoke to Velma. “I hope you’ll be around then?”
Velma stared into his eyes. “I’ll be here.”
“Good, now I better get going or I’ll be late, and you know how mom can be.”
Velma watched him leave and then turned around to find everyone looking at her.
“What?”
“My little brother has a thing for you.”
“He was just being friendly.”
Kelli smirked. “Yes, Caliber men are known for their friendliness, particularly when it comes to good-looking women.”
The old man clapped Jake on the back.
“Come back into the office, you girls too; I want to plan some sort of welcome home dinner for Chris; it can also double as a congrats on the new job party.”
“I’ll be in soon Mr. Caliber.” Kelli said. “I just have to fix my face first.”
***
Chris galloped down the stairs two at a time and then rushed through the lobby and out onto the street. He went left, turned at the corner and walked a block over to the Pegasus Coffee House.
As soon as he walked through the door, he was shoved from behind and landed on his backside. When he looked up, he saw the customers and staff bunched together over behind the counter, as two men held guns on them. His mother was standing on the left side of the crowd. Gail Caliber looked more worried than fearful, as she sent her son a weak smile of assurance.
A third man walked up from behind and pointed a gun at him. The man’s face was covered by a ski mask, while the other men simply had bandana’s covering their noses and mouths. All three men bore reptilian eyes that held not a hint of compassion.
“Be cool dude and hand over your phone and wallet.”
After a slight hesitation, Chris did as he was told. The man then grabbed a cloth sack that was tucked into his belt and tossed the wallet and cell phone inside, afterward; he pointed the gun at Chris again.
“Sit right there on your ass and don’t move. If you try to stand, I’ll shoot you, capice?”
Chris nodded his understanding and the man moved over to the counter where he proceeded to fill the bag with the other customer’s belongings. When he got to the man standing beside Chris’s mother, he put the gun to his temple.
“What do you mean you don’t have a phone? A yuppie like you?”
“I... I left it home by mistake.” The man said. He was white, about forty, and dressed in a sports jacket and designer jeans.
The man with the ski mask pressed the gun harder against the other man’s head. “You’re lying.”
Moments later, a shot rang out.
***
For the second time in less than an hour, Kelli cried out, “Oh my God!”
They rushed into the outer office to find her staring at the TV in the corner. It was an old, projection style set.
“What the hell is going on?” The old man said.
Kelli looked over at them with eyes brimming with tears as she pointed at the screen.
“I received a phone call from downstairs telling me to turn on channel twelve, and when I did I... it’s Chris,”
“This is Diane Gale with a Channel 12 exclusive. Once again, you’re viewing a live feed of a robbery in progress. Our Action News Team cameraman, Doug Kelly, is the man with the gun at his head, while the man sitting on the floor at the left side of the screen was the last unlucky patron to enter the establishment. Again, we do not know where this is taking place and can only surmise that Doug had the presence of mind to activate his camera and phone before the robbers could discover them. Judging by the angle, they must be sitting atop a corner table and—wait! The man is speaking again.
“What do you mean you don’t have a phone? A yuppie like you?”
“I... I left it home by mistake.”
“You’re lying.”
A moment later, the diner’s short order cook reached under the counter and came up with a handgun. The man with the ski mask grabbed his wrist and banged his hand against the counter, causing the gun to go off and fire a shot into the wall, then, he viciously pistol whipped the cook, opening a series of bloody gashes across the man’s head. When he released him, the man’s body fell to the floor with a sickening thud.
“Where the hell did that gun go?” Said ski mask, as he and his companions searched the floor behind the counter.
The whispered words, “Oh God Chris, no,” came from Gail Caliber’s mouth and caused the three robbers to look up. When they did, they found Chris standing, holding the gun, and pointing it at the man in the ski mask.
“There’s three of us dude.” Said ski mask, “Even if you get me; they’ll kill you.”
“Chris,” Gail Caliber said. “Please honey, drop the gun before they hurt you.”
Ski mask reached over and grabbed Gail by the hair, to yank her in front of him as a shield; he then placed his gun to her head.
“Drop the damn gun or I’ll blow her head off!”
A second passed, and then Chris shot ski mask between the eyes and with a blur of motion, killed the other two men. Afterward, he calmly lowered his arm and let the weapon fall to the floor.
“Diane?”
“Diane? We’re live.”
“Right, yes, I apologize ladies and gentlemen, but that was without doubt one of the most shocking things you’ll ever see, but... the robbery is over and everyone is safe thanks to that... incredible marksman. I have never seen shooting like that and I was an army brat. We apologize for losing the feed, but we can only assume that our cameraman, Doug, is repositioning his equipment and—yes, yes, we have Doug back now.
The television studio was replaced by a split second of static and then the coffee shop appeared, with Chris in the foreground, behind him, the other patrons were rushing out the door in a panic, as the sound of
sirens grew closer. Standing beside Chris was his mother and Chris had his left arm draped around her shoulders. Then, the cameraman spoke as he scanned the restaurant.
“Diane I’m here in the Pegasus Coffee House in lower Manhattan, where a wild scene just took place as a brutal robbery came to a sudden and stunning conclusion. Three armed men took me and the other patrons hostage and if not for the bravery and skill of the man in front of me, things might have turned out much different.”
“Doug, can you tell us the condition of the man that was beaten?”
“I’m sorry to report this Diane, but the man died from that vicious beating.”
“And the three robbers?”
“They are all deceased Diane; all three killed by shots fired dead center between their eyes.”
“Incredible, absolutely incredible, but tell us, what’s our hero’s name?”
Chris held his mother and felt her tremble as the camera panned about the scene, then, suddenly, the camera was pointed at his face, as the reporter asked a question.
“What’s your name, sir?”
“My name?”
“Yes.”
Chris stared into the camera with an unblinking gaze.
“My name is Caliber!”
CALIBER DETECTIVE AGENCY – CASE FILE #3
Texas, 1884
Jake Caliber climbed upon his horse as he prepared to leave the home of his cousin, Fergus Steele. Fergus, his wife Robina and his father Braden, stood outside their cabin to bid him farewell. Standing beside Robina was her daughter, Catrina. The little girl had green eyes and long, dark hair, just like her mother.
Jake had meant to only stay with his family overnight, but had now been with them for three days. Being with his uncle and cousin had reawakened memories of his own family and he also enjoyed being in their company. He had spent too much time away from people he loved, a condition he hoped to banish permanently once he got to Dallas.
Fergus reached up to shake his hand. “It was good to see you again cousin.”
“Same here,” Jake said. “It was good to see all of you, and I’ll make sure to get back here someday.”
“I don’t suppose you’ll have much trouble finding work in Dallas, that’s a city on the grow.” Braden said.
“I hope I don’t, but being a soldier is all I really know how to do.”
