Page 4 (1/2)

The drea

I didn’t knohat ti with my keys, my wallet, the cash in my pockets, my cell phone, my belt, and the laces to my Nikes What they didn’t do was book raph; I couldn’t even testify that they ran h CJIS or the NICS to check for wants and warrants, to learn if I had a record This was payback, pure and simple Supposedly, they’re only allowed to i cell for up to four hours before transferring hiured I was in for the entire thirty-six--in Minnesota you can hold a suspect for thirty-six hours before you have to charge or release hi my own as I rested uncomfortably on a one-inch-thick blue ht-by-six concrete roo in and out of sleep

Twelve-fifteen PM I received the call The two-second alert tone preceding the call told o"

"Four forty, possible robbery in progress at the Food & Fuel convenience store"

The dispatcher gave the address at the same time as the infor with RE-MARKS: alarered the button on hty seconds later I slowly drove past the store, lights and siren off, hoping h the store s The parking lot was deserted My os were rolled down, yet I heard nothing I drove another fifty yards and parked where I could see both the store and the lot without being clearly visibleup a position of observance, just like I had been taught at the skills acade" I spoke softly

"Four fourty, copy," the receiver crackled

I slipped out of the car, surprised by how quiet it was The Food & Fuel was located kitty-corner to the cae of St Catherine, yet there was no traffic, no pedestrians, nofros I could hear crickets, and in the distance a dog barked twice and then was silent It was as if they hispering to me

I took a deep breath, let it out slowly Noas just a eant to call the store and deterress or if some clumsy cashier had tripped the alarm with his knee, which happened only once a day and twice on Sundays True, I could have ridden the haun drawn, but then I would have been stupid Probably dead, too Always better to wait Always better to take the bad guys outside instead of forcing a possible hostage situation inside If there were bad guys

"Four forty, the parking lot is empty, I see no movement inside the store"

"Four forty, copy"

I unholstered ht better of it--I was never corip Instead, I opened the door and leaned back inside the squad, hitting the button that released the standard-issue Reun froht rounds of double-aught buck, four in the un, I set it on the trunk lid of the car, the barrel pointing away from me, and waited some more