Two steps ahead of the police

Two steps ahead of the police

 

By Todd Hicks

 

Copyright by Todd Hicks in August 2019, January 2024

 

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About the book

 

A day of reckoning is in store for law enforcement. The band of criminals they are about to encounter can easily overpower them.

 

More importantly, these bandits are deft at staying at least one step ahead of the police. The longer they’re on the street and antagonized by hostages, the meaner they become and the more the community is in danger.

 

This book is suitable for all age levels. The places you'll read about have names which are made up. Any similarity between the characters and any actual persons is purely coincidental.

 

 

 

 

Character cast

1. Villains

1. Taylor Chin (white man and the ringleader of the underground gang)  

2. Jet Check (white man) 

3. Raj Abdul (black man from the Middle East)

4. Huy Chen (Asian man) 

5. Jeff Orange (black man) 

6. Martina Bride (white woman) 

7. Cody Filling (white man) 

8. Montell Chain (black man) 

9. DeAndre Dray (black man) 

10. Milton Thome (white lookout man)

B. Arlington rangers

1. Maurice Tray (black man and head ranger)

2. Ned Moorer (white deputy)

3. Trey Lingo (black man)

4. Della Reese (white lady)

5. Riley Matthews (white guy)

6. Terrell Snow (black man)

 

Chapter 1

It was designated Happy Hour but the name was truly not a match for the mood. The mood was anything but happy.

 

"Another drink, guys?" asked the bartender.

 

"Yes," replied Taylor somberly.

 

Taylor’s cronies nodded their request for another drink with little enthusiasm. As all these individuals savored the second round of booze, they had a casual conversation that would lead to something drastic.

 

"Here we are having run-of-the-mill alcoholic beverages. It would be more enjoyable to get a taste of food and drinks which are in a higher class, in my opinion," blurted Montell.

 

"Yes; on the contrary, I can't afford it because I work a minimum wage job at the fast-food joint up the road," Huy admitted.

 

Cody added, "I don't make much more than that myself despite being considered a leader and having been on the job for years."

 

The rest of the gang pointed out their economic struggles and displeasure with punching a time clock. A sense of despair hung over them.

 

Determined to break out of the hopelessness, Taylor inputted, "Enough struggling from 9-to-5 jobs. I have an idea."

 

He whispered what would go down as his buddies huddled close.

 

Later at the city's most popular casino...

 

People were having fun playing slot machines and placing wagers in poker and other card games. Winning hundreds from a machine made a man giddy.

 

"Look at all this money! We can buy a few big-ticket items now!" he beamed while holding a large wad of cash.

 

"Exactly; we can now buy a new refrigerator/freezer unit, honey," his wife said.

 

Taylor and his henchmen barged into the room armed and masked. Some members of the gang held a revolver while the rest brandished a rifle.

 

Taylor commanded, "Everyone gets against the closest wall. When we reach you, put your money and jewelry into our bags."

 

The crew began pilfering. Most of the victims had enough sense to cooperate with no lip. Still, there was a white guy among them who should have kept his mouth shut.

 

"I don't care if you take my money but please let me keep my Rolex so I can keep track of the time," he pleaded.

 

"Shut up," ordered DeAndre while backhanding the audacious man's head with his left hand.

 

The dude surrendered his wallet and watch with no more resistance. Neither he nor the other gamblers there could call the police or run out because they were watched so closely and the exit was blocked by Martina. Several minutes later, all patrons were stripped of their money and jewelry.

 

"Carry on," they were instructed by Milt as the bandits walked out.

 

After exiting the premises, they fled in a black van, with Raj doing the driving. As some of his cronies counted the money, they became discontent.

 

"We robbed what must have been about four scores of gamblers but it turns out we barely exceeded 500 dollars," balked Cody.

 

"A lot of those turkeys either carried no cash or didn't have more than 10 bucks in their wallets or purses," squawked Montell.

 

Taylor stated, "Crime is supposed to pay. We'll find more lucrative ways to make our money."

 

A few hours later...

 

The automated teller machine at the bank on Clover Street was a good target; there were no residents on this side of the street. The fact it was now dark with all surrounding stores closed for the night created even more opportunity. Crowbars rained blows on the ATM. Tens of thousands of dollars were now for the taking.

 

"Look what we have here. We hit pay dirt," exalted Jet.

 

Taylor chimed in, "I told you this would be more lucrative than robbing gamblers."

 

All the present crew members began loading their sacks of money into their van. They were undeterred as a white man arrived in an armored truck just a few feet away. Rather, this emboldened them. Jeff stepped in front of the truck.

 

"Step out and you don't get hurt," he ordered.

 

The guard (Christopher Walks) defiantly reached for his holster. Seeing the bulletproof vest he had on, Jeff shot him in the neck. If only he knew the consequences in store for his band.

 

"Shouldn't have tried to be a hero," Jeff told the guard through the broken windshield.

 

"How is he?" asked Martina.

 

"Looks like he died instantly," answered Jeff callously.

 

"What in blazes did you do that for?" interrogated DeAndre.

 

Jeff: "He was going for his gun; so, I had to waste him."

 

DeAndre: "Oh well. Let's finish bagging the money then hightail it out of here."

 

A two-man patrol car arrived a few yards away, with another one right behind. As the bad guys opened fire on them, they were hit center mass. Because the driver wasn't wearing a vest, he was done for. His black partner (Alexander Hamill) was on his own. 

 

He fired his own shot, which missed. As he and two of his colleagues (Officer 1) and (Officer 2) were now on their knees behind their patrol car doors, they were in for a fierce battle with the bad guys who were taking shelter themselves behind their van. Knowing they were armed with heavy artillery, Jeff and Cody stepped from behind the van and rained bullets on the do-gooders.

 

Officer 1 fired a shot as he emerged from taking shelter but missed. Getting shot in the neck by Cody was his downfall. Officer 2 stood up and blasted Cody. Because this cop was wearing a vest only designed to stop small-caliber bullets, his armor couldn't protect him from the slug he took from Jeff. 

 

Jeff walked over to Alex to shoot him in the chest. A few minutes later, the posse fled with their money. The crime scene was grisly.

 

"Are there any casualties?" asked Sgt. David Spades.

 

Mack McKey, head of police detectives in Las Vegas, responded sullenly, "Officer Alexander Hamill was shot twice but will be fine. Unfortunately, an armored guard plus three of your fellow police officers are casualties." 

 

He followed this sad news by naming the slain officers.

 

Beginning to weep, David gasped, "Aw man."

 

Consoling David with his left hand on his right shoulder, Mack said, "This is a sad day for all of us but our profession is dangerous. Each time we don our uniform, we know we might not make it home at the end of our shift."

 

"I understand. The most we can do is protect and serve with valor and professionalism," returned David.

 

"Any other casualties or injuries?" he continued.

 

"On the bright side, one of the robbers died in the shootout," answered Mack.

 

"That means our guys accomplished something in this lost battle," David perked up slightly.

 

"Even if they hadn't managed to kill one of the bad guys, they would have achieved something merely by showing up and doing their job," said Mack with a narrow smile.

 

David: "Are there witnesses?"

 

Mack: "A fellow saw them bagging money out of the vandalized ATM as he walked by."

 

David: "Was he able to provide a good description of the bandits?"

 

Mack: "He didn't see enough of them because it's dark and his fear made him leave the scene in a hurry upon the crooks seeing his face."

 

David: "I understand. Anyhow, I wish to gather all the evidence I can."

 

Mack: "Granted. The crime scene technician on duty is on his way."

 

Seconds later, Jack Jacks (crime scene technician) arrived. Stepping out of his police van, he began looking for evidence.

 

Granting David the okay to autonomously work the scene, Mack told him, “It’s all yours.”

 

“Have you found significant evidence?” David asked Jack upon Mack departing.

 

Jack: “I haven’t found anything to implicate the thugs. The surveillance camera inside the ATM is damaged and no fingerprints were left behind. These guys must have worn gloves.”

 

David: “It looks like they got away with it. Dag.”

 

Jack: “I can’t argue with you on that.”

 

The robbers’ hideout…

 

Seeing his cohorts who were in on the heist return with a lot of money while standing alongside the rest of the gang, Jet said, “It looks like you guys did well. You made sure you weren't followed, right?”

 

“I’ll say,” confirmed Taylor.

 

"To answer your question, nobody followed us here," he continued.

 

“Our hit would have been completely smooth if this dude hadn’t exacerbated things by smoking the armored guard who showed up,” blasted DeAndre while pointing at Jeff.

 

"I had to prevent him from shooting me when I saw him go for his gun," defended Jeff.

 

Noticing who hadn't returned from the heist, Huy asked, "Where is Cody?"

 

"He got wasted by the cops in our shootout," answered DeAndre.

 

Martina punched him hard with a right hook.

 

"What did you do that for?" he asked while on his knees, clutching his stomach.

 

Martina returned, "That's for not doing more. You were standing the closest to Cody and Jeff when they emerged from cover to take on the police. If you had stepped out to add more firepower, Cody might still be alive."

 

"Maybe so, but he knew the risks he was taking just like the rest of us," reminded DeAndre while getting back on his feet.

 

"Let's stop the bickering. Instead, we should be celebrating together for all of us having a lot more dough now," suggested Taylor.

 

"Yes!" agreed his comrades.

 

The next day, David was at home taking the day off. As he was sitting back on the sofa in the den, his wife (Gabrielle Spades) noticed he was despondent.

 

"What's wrong, honey?" she asked.

 

David replied, "Three of my fellow officers were just killed in the line of duty. I was close with two of them. I wish I had been there to offer more manpower."

 

David then went into a lot more detail.

 

Gabrielle: "Don't blame yourself. Even if you knew what was happening and had arrived in time as backup, you could have been killed yourself. Your colleagues were outnumbered by dudes with assault rifles. On top of that, those officers would want you to stay strong and not doubt yourself."

 

"Thank you. You're right and you just brightened my day," related David as he rose and kissed Gabrielle.

 

He then went into the study room to check on the kids. Seeing them take their homework seriously made him proud.

 

Relaying his pride, he said, "You're getting ahead by going to school every day and doing well in your courses.”

 

"How are you coming along with your homework this morning?" he continued.

 

Having no problems, his sixth-grade daughter (Trell) replied, "Great. Having comprehended all the material, I'm done with my work and ready for school."

 

Getting up from the long table, she soon headed out the door to catch the school bus. However, David's fifth-grade son (Gabriel) wasn't having such an easy time with his studies, particularly those involving arithmetic.

 

"What's wrong? You look stumped," David pointed out.

 

Gabriel: "I am, Dad.  These fractions are too difficult to solve and I'll be late for school if I miss the bus which is supposed to arrive in front of the yard in a minute."

 

David: "You don't need to worry about that because I'll drive you to school not too long from now and will thus get you there quicker. The most important thing is to help you comprehend your homework."

 

As Gabriel relaxed, David scanned what his son had already written down: 4/7 + 2/7.

 

David: "You came up with 6/14. Why did you do it this way?"

 

Gabriel: "I thought I was supposed to add both the numerators and the denominators."

 

David: "No. You add the numerators but keep the denominator the same. Try again."

 

Gabriel merely added the 4 and 2 together and ultimately came up with 6/7.

 

"Excellent. Now let's be on our way and you can resume studying as much of your material for any of your classes as you want," said David.

 

Gabriel spent a few minutes catching up on studying his notes for all six courses. Close to the end of the ride, he expressed his desire to follow in Papa's footsteps.

 

"I want to be a police sergeant just like you. I bet it's a cool job," he stated.

 

David returned, "You have a noble dream. Police work is an honorable profession plus it enables you to serve the community, ensure safety and save lives. Just keep in mind this line of work is dangerous and we officers are sometimes unpopular. Finally, if you ever enter this profession, aspire to go all the way up the ranks instead of merely settling to become a sergeant."

 

"Got it," agreed Gabriel.

 

Realizing how fortunate he was to have a child who had the ambition to do well in school plus the desire to follow in his footsteps, David beamed with pride.

 

“That’s my boy,” he said with a radiant look on his face. 

 

He maintained it as Gabriel walked toward the front door. Having completed the duty of dropping off his son, David drove away. Gabriel’s entrance into the building marked that of nervousness. Taurean Chalmers, his close friend of color, couldn't help but notice.

 

"You appear to have the jitters," he mentioned.

 

Gabriel: "I do. I have a math quiz today; math isn't one of my stronger courses."

 

Taurean: "Having faith in yourself will do more for you than panicking. You have prepared well, haven't you?"

 

Gabriel: "Yes. In fact, I just studied hard and had sufficient help from Papa."

 

Taurean: "Then you should do well."

 

"Yes," agreed Gabriel before hugging Taurean.

 

Gabe's first five classes for the day went by without a hiccup. His 6th and final class for the day began with the anticipated quiz. He was nervous then overcame the uneasiness. After tackling the questions he was most comfortable with, he worked on the other questions.

 

With six minutes to spare in the class period, he was finished. Having his test handed back to him the next day, he discovered he got an "A" on it. He went home all smiles and his parents were proud of him. 

 

Chapter 2

The following morning...

 

2nd Bank was one of the prime banks in the area. Successful, it regularly had bustling traffic and more importantly, shared some of their enormous profits with their customers through interest rates of 4 percent on savings accounts.

 

As Joyce "Joy" Talker walked up to the customer counter, the teller greeted her, "Hi, Ms. Talker. What can we do for you today?"

 

Sliding forth her latest paycheck, Joy responded, "I'm here to deposit some of the money from my paycheck into my savings account and deposit another portion into my checking account."

 

As this transaction was in the initial phase, bandits wearing sunglasses or cloths covering their mouths and noses covered the security cameras then began canvassing the floor below. The doors were locked within minutes.

 

Back to Joy and her teller...

 

Teller: "How do you want your $420 back?"

 

Joy: "Please give me a 100, four fifties and the rest twenties."

 

Doling out the money, the teller counted, "100, 50, 50..."

 

"This is a stickup," announced Taylor as he and most of his crew came up to the main floor.

 

As he motioned for Jeff, Huy, Martina and Montell to secure the lower floor, a lady screamed. 

 

"If you all cooperate with and don't try to thwart us, you have nothing to worry about," assured Huy.

 

"What do you want?" asked the female bank manager.

 

"Empty all cash registers and no funny business - that includes no security button pushing and no dyed money," declared Taylor.

 

Under close supervision, the tellers opened their registers and thus inserted several wads of dollar bills and numerous rolls of coins into a large bag made of cloth material they were given. Walking behind the teller counter, the bandits could tell all of the money was free of dye. 

 

On the lower level, the personal bankers who had offices or desks in front of those offices were instructed to bring out their money. The one sitting at the front desk wasted no time following directions; dawdling from some of the others aroused ire.

 

"Get a move on it. We didn't mean for you to take all day to show us the money," Montell told them.

 

They grudgingly started putting pep into their step. Many minutes later, a male patron walked toward the door.

 

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Jeff.

 

"I'm on my way home," answered the customer.

 

"I don't believe so," intervened Jeff.

 

"But I must pick up my five-year old from his elementary school," pleaded the customer.

 

Jeff had a look on his face that gave the impression he was swayed but Martina wasn't having it.

 

"That's too bad. You'll just have to wait to leave like everyone else," she countered.

 

Customer: "May I call him to notify him of the delay?"

 

Martina: "No."

 

Turning to address all customers and bank officials on the floor, "Huy

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 25.05.2021
ISBN: 978-3-7487-8391-6

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