cover the unexpected. I probably needed more than that, but I had to consider the time it would take to toggle through potential responses versus normal conversational back and forth, where there’s little or no lag time between speakers.
I clicked on the cell phone number of the RCIPS officer I’d intercepted. My first line identified his boss as the caller.
“We good here,” said the cop. “Nothing to report.”
I clicked on my next line. “There’s been a change of plans. We need to move her again.”
“What’s that?”
I stuck to my script. “It can’t be helped. I have the place. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“New place?” asked the cop.
I searched my neutral lines. “Can’t discuss that now. We need to move fast.”
“We in trouble over this?” he asked.
I clicked on a good answer, but took a little too long getting there. “I’ll tell you later.”
“We got a delay here,” said the cop. “Maybe somebody listening in.”
“We need to move fast,” was the best I could do.
“okay, okay. Tell us where to go.”
I gave him the address and room number at the motel. I had him repeat it back to me. I told him it would be waiting for them, the door unlocked with the key inside. I asked him when he could get there.
“Twenty minutes, as long as that Jap girl not fight us over every little thing.”
Good luck with that, I thought.
“I’ll see you there,” my inspector robot said, signing off.
U NFORTUNATELY, IT was time to put the gun dropped into the Suzuki to good use. I hate guns. They frighten me. They’re nasty to look at, hard to get without risk and prone to unplanned firings.
I’d never actually shot anyone, at least not directly with my own trigger finger. Didn’t mean they weren’t just as dead. But there were times when only a gun in your own hand will do. And this was one of them.
I dressed up in my black outfit, including a black ski mask. Then I packed the SUV with my remaining belongings and parked it in front of the unoccupied bungalow next door. It was more than a half hour before the white car and the van from the safe house arrived. I slid down in my seat, keeping the vehicles in view. The van backed into the parking space, the rear door only a few feet from the bungalow. The driver of the white car got out and met the man from the van at the rear door. They opened the van and climbed inside. Soon after they brought out Natsumi, handcuffed. Each cop held one of her arms, and they half lifted, half pulled her to the bungalow.
I jumped out of the SUV and followed them through the door, shoving both men into the room before they realized I was there. I flicked on the ceiling light, and with the gun pointed at the startled guy to the left, said, “Get on the floor, face down, hands on the back of your head.”
When they hesitated, I leveled the gun at the other cop’s face. “Get down now, or I start shooting. Easier for me.”
When they complied, I dropped to my knees and shoved the gun into the first cop’s neck. I pulled his service pistol from the holster and stuck it in the rear waist band of my pants. Then I said, “The key to the cuffs.”
He rolled up on his left side and used his right hand to dig the key out of his pocket. He moved his other hand away from his head, with fingers spread as if to signal eagerness to go along. Once I had the key, and both of his hands back on his head, I moved to the other cop and freed him of his gun. For a dangerous moment, I had to take my eyes off them so I could get the cuffs off Natsumi, but they both stayed put on the floor.
As Natsumi rubbed her wrists, I moved her around behind me.
“Here’s what happens next,” I said. “You blokes are going to stand up very slowly, and with your hands back behind your head, walk to the bathroom.”
They did as told and I followed them into the bathroom. I turned on the light and told them to sit on the floor to either side of the toilet. One had to
I clicked on the cell phone number of the RCIPS officer I’d intercepted. My first line identified his boss as the caller.
“We good here,” said the cop. “Nothing to report.”
I clicked on my next line. “There’s been a change of plans. We need to move her again.”
“What’s that?”
I stuck to my script. “It can’t be helped. I have the place. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“New place?” asked the cop.
I searched my neutral lines. “Can’t discuss that now. We need to move fast.”
“We in trouble over this?” he asked.
I clicked on a good answer, but took a little too long getting there. “I’ll tell you later.”
“We got a delay here,” said the cop. “Maybe somebody listening in.”
“We need to move fast,” was the best I could do.
“okay, okay. Tell us where to go.”
I gave him the address and room number at the motel. I had him repeat it back to me. I told him it would be waiting for them, the door unlocked with the key inside. I asked him when he could get there.
“Twenty minutes, as long as that Jap girl not fight us over every little thing.”
Good luck with that, I thought.
“I’ll see you there,” my inspector robot said, signing off.
U NFORTUNATELY, IT was time to put the gun dropped into the Suzuki to good use. I hate guns. They frighten me. They’re nasty to look at, hard to get without risk and prone to unplanned firings.
I’d never actually shot anyone, at least not directly with my own trigger finger. Didn’t mean they weren’t just as dead. But there were times when only a gun in your own hand will do. And this was one of them.
I dressed up in my black outfit, including a black ski mask. Then I packed the SUV with my remaining belongings and parked it in front of the unoccupied bungalow next door. It was more than a half hour before the white car and the van from the safe house arrived. I slid down in my seat, keeping the vehicles in view. The van backed into the parking space, the rear door only a few feet from the bungalow. The driver of the white car got out and met the man from the van at the rear door. They opened the van and climbed inside. Soon after they brought out Natsumi, handcuffed. Each cop held one of her arms, and they half lifted, half pulled her to the bungalow.
I jumped out of the SUV and followed them through the door, shoving both men into the room before they realized I was there. I flicked on the ceiling light, and with the gun pointed at the startled guy to the left, said, “Get on the floor, face down, hands on the back of your head.”
When they hesitated, I leveled the gun at the other cop’s face. “Get down now, or I start shooting. Easier for me.”
When they complied, I dropped to my knees and shoved the gun into the first cop’s neck. I pulled his service pistol from the holster and stuck it in the rear waist band of my pants. Then I said, “The key to the cuffs.”
He rolled up on his left side and used his right hand to dig the key out of his pocket. He moved his other hand away from his head, with fingers spread as if to signal eagerness to go along. Once I had the key, and both of his hands back on his head, I moved to the other cop and freed him of his gun. For a dangerous moment, I had to take my eyes off them so I could get the cuffs off Natsumi, but they both stayed put on the floor.
As Natsumi rubbed her wrists, I moved her around behind me.
“Here’s what happens next,” I said. “You blokes are going to stand up very slowly, and with your hands back behind your head, walk to the bathroom.”
They did as told and I followed them into the bathroom. I turned on the light and told them to sit on the floor to either side of the toilet. One had to
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