Badge Of Honor. Carol Steward

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      “It’s Officer Roberts’s belief that they have some attachment to it. They seem hesitant to take any risk of causing damage.”

      He heard a chuckle on the other end. “Welcome back, Matthews. See you soon.” The cell phone went dead.

      “Come out of the car, one at a time, and put your hands on your heads,” he heard his trainee’s authoritative voice bellow from the bullhorn under the hood of the car. “Driver first, Mr. Turrow.”

      Guns pointed at the car from every direction.

      The orange Chevelle’s engine revved and its tires squealed, sending smoke into the air again; obviously, the driver was racing the motor with his foot on the brake.

      “You’re not sitting in a very good position, Roberts,” Nick warned. “Get out here.”

      “If they see a five-foot-one officer get out of the cruiser, they’ll lose all fear, and you know it. Besides, someone needs to be ready in case they try to charge the barricade.”

      “No, you don’t. Tell them we’re going to shoot if they don’t give up. I’ll take out the tires, then the radiator, then the gas tank, in that order.”

      “What?”

      “You heard me. Talk them out.”

      She cleared her throat, then got back on the bullhorn, speaking into the mike. “Give up, before someone else gets hurt.”

      The driver revved the engine again.

      “Officers, prepare to open fire. On the three count, shoot out the tires!” she ordered over the mike.

      The passenger waved his hand out the window. “Don’t shoot the car! We give up!” He swore at his partner, obviously trying to convince him to surrender.

      “Roberts, get out of the car,” Nick said, as he inched around the cruiser and opened her door. “Hurry, while they’re distracted.” He kept his rifle aimed at the Chevelle’s radiator. Someone was going to cry if he shot it, but it wouldn’t be him. Roberts was his responsibility; he wasn’t about to let her get hurt.

      “Cut the engine and get out. I’m not calling them off until you’re both out of the car and on the ground,” she bellowed as Nick tugged on her shirtsleeve.

      They could hear yelling from inside the car. Thirty seconds later, the driver turned off the Chevelle and gave himself up, followed by the passenger. Sarah burst out of the car, keeping her gun on the latter, Turrow, as Nick went to cuff and search the driver.

      One of the sheriff’s deputies nodded to her. “I think this is your arrest, Officer.” He stood nearby as Sarah moved the suspect to the car to pat him down.

      Nick wondered if he should turn his guy over to another deputy so he could help her. Nope, she’s just one of the guys; she’s gotta do the job like all of us. He glanced over, surprised that she didn’t hesitate with any of her duties, even though the arrested party was a good foot taller than her.

      “Get that cut on your forehead when you dived into the car?” she asked Turrow. “Take pictures,” she said, motioning for another officer to snap some photos before she cuffed the man. “You’re lucky that’s all that happened to you, with your friend’s driving habits, not to mention your bad choices,” she added. “Keep your hands on the roof of the car.”

      Instead of obeying, the suspect threw an elbow into her chest, and again Nick fought the urge to intervene. The sheriff’s deputy was there immediately to assist as needed. He kicked the suspect’s legs farther apart.

      “Is getting charged for resisting arrest and assaulting an officer part of your game plan?” Nick bellowed. He tightened his grip on his own suspect.

      “C’mon, Turrow, you’re not going anywhere, so how about acting like a gentleman?” Sarah said, trying to sweet-talk the guy into cuffs.

      The man spit.

      Stoically, Sarah pushed him against the car, finishing her search, removing a knife and two guns from the cargo pocket of his pants in the process. “You have the right to remain silent….”

      He fidgeted, making it difficult to get the steel bracelets on him.

      “These cuffs are too tight.” The suspect jerked his arm from Sarah’s grasp, then knocked her to the ground and started running.

      FOUR

      Nick shoved his prisoner into another officer’s hands and headed toward Sarah.

      She spun, kicking her suspect’s legs out from under him. Then she jumped to her feet and put her knee between his shoulder blades. “Anything else you’d like to try?” she asked the guy laying with his face on the concrete. He had not only hers, but three other guns aimed at him.

      Nick stopped on the other side of the prone figure, holding back a laugh. He waited as Sarah cuffed him, then helped her to pull the guy to his feet.

      “Look what you did to me!” the bank robber said, blood dripping from his nose.

      Sarah holstered her weapon and grabbed his arm. “I’d start exercising that right to remain silent if I were you.” She escorted him to the backseat of their patrol car. “If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law….” she said, then finished reading him his rights. She closed the door and looked at the prisoner sitting in a second cruiser. “Did you read your party his rights?” she asked Nick.

      “Done. Unless you object, I’d like to send him ahead to the jail, put some space between these two so they can’t collaborate on any details.”

      Officer Roberts jotted notes on a small pad. “Fine. We shouldn’t be too long here, should we?”

      “A tow truck has already been called to deliver the Chevelle to the police lot for investigation,” Nick confirmed. “The officer who responded at the bank will meet us at the jail to help with questioning. The shift supervisor is contacting the Nebraska department to let them know we have their suspects.”

      “So we need to finish writing up our reports before they can be extradited to Omaha on their warrants.”

      “That’s right. How’s your report writing?” he asked.

      “They’re done differently than I’m used to, but I think I’m catching on.” She looked up and smiled.

      After the scene was cleaned up, they transported the prisoner to the jail and waited while the guards searched him and offered first aid. Since both suspects lawyered up, Nick and Sarah had to wait for legal counsel to arrive before they could question them.

      “Good job out there, Officer Roberts,” Nick said as they left the jail afterward.

      “Thanks,” she said, wondering if he was always so formal. She wanted to tell him to call her Sarah, but since he was her field training officer, she opted against saying anything. “I think it went amazingly well, considering no innocent victims were hurt and not one vehicle suffered any damage. I’m sure you have a СКАЧАТЬ