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Skarda was pointing again Ji by the handle with one hand and his clunky automatic with the other He was followed closely by Josie She was clutching a plain brown grocery bag to her chest as if it contained baby formula Roy came out of the super his weapon on the entrance as if he were expecting a swift counterattack Ji halfway out of the parking lot before Josie reached hers She shouted soed after her He juas, spinning his tires like a teenager trying to impress his rivals

That’s when the Silver Bay PD arrived

The patrol car cahts

I saw it first in ain when I twisted in h the rearIt was dark blue and scary as hell At the sa his red Toyota away fro it toward the entrance to the parking lot At his current speed, I estimated that he would reach the entrance just before the cop car did

"Hold on," I said

I cranked the wheel of the Cherokee and hit the accelerator The coffee cups spilled out of the cup holders and fell to the floor of the passenger side, the tops popped off, and coffee splattered Skarda’s feet and ankles

"What are you doing?" he shouted

I ignored the question and sidled up next to the Toyota just as it entered Shopping Center Road in front of the cop, its sideviewthe Cherokee’s driver’s-side door I leaned hard on my horn The elderly man looked at me, panic etched across his face--and did exactly what I wanted hi wheel violently to the left away from me, stomped on the accelerator, and promptly crashed into the Silver Bay Police Depart of horns, just a satisfying crunch as the Toyota’s fiberglass corade steel push bu Center Road, shooting down the alley between the public library and the police departht on Davis Drive and then another on Outer Drive I followed it at high speed past Blazers Northshore Auto, Silver Bay Municipal Liquor, and the City Arena to US Service Highway 11 We were not followed It wasn’t until ere a good five miles out of town that it occurred to ht not have received a call about the superhtbar and siren working Heplace at the wrong time Skarda, however, didn’t see it that way He was full of praise about how ood our escape, they also delivered his fae Bandit," he said

I started laughing out loud, but, of course, Skarda didn’t get the joke

It took several hours to return to Lake Carl, et there The Iron Range Bandits were gathered on the deck e arrived None of the beer froested they had been drinking a lot There were five stacks of US currency on the table along with the white tote bag and paper grocery bag, both erocery store A single rock had been placed on top of each stack to keep the bills frosinside weighing them down

"Where have you been?" Josie wanted to know the moment Skarda and I started up the steps that led to the deck

"Silver Bay," Skarda said "We atching"

"I told you to stay here"