Andy

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Two vehicles, brown with forest green stripes, gold star in a circle. Crowley County Sheriff.

Shouldn't be out here alone. In the house I could call for help, have some people in behind them before they could react. Too late now. I wanna find the leak when this is over.

Andy activated his Commpad and tapped Erika, watching as two men emerged from each of the vehicles.

"What's up?" Erika asked.

Tap the Mayday button.

"Got my 20?" he quickly typed.

Several seconds passed, they men were about twenty yards away.

"Gotcha," Erika replied.

"Gotta go," he typed and put the Commpad into the pocket of his puffer vest.

"Andrew Clayton."

The forty-something sheriff's deputy held some papers in one hand and had the other on the butt of his pistol. The man beside him casually rested his hand on his weapon as well. The others stood some distance away, each had a Taser in addition to his sidearm.

They want me alive, at least for a while. That's good.

Andy leaned on his cane, using his right hand.

"What do you want?"

The deputy lifted the hand with the papers slightly.

"I have a warrant for your arrest."

"May I see it?" Andrew asked.

"No. You're coming with us. Now take off that vest, carefully. Put your thumbs in the shoulders and lift it carefully and slowly."

Not close enough. Gonna have to be creative.

A handgun, even in a crossdraw holster was likely to be seen but they were being safe.

Guy's a pro. Probably not a sheriff's deputy at all.

Andy leaned the cane against his waist and put his thumbs inside the shoulders of the vest, began to lift, let his right knee bend and fell, kicking the cane away. He didn't try to get up but rolled over on his right side.

"Get up dammit!"

The guy with the warrant and his sidekick were leaning over him. He groaned dramatically and rolled over on his back, the vest open.

OK guys, let's do this.

The sidekick leaned over to grab his shirt. Andy had his left hand behind him and grasped the handle of the kobun. They would be watching his right hand. He freed the knife as the deputy pulled at his shirt, rising slightly. He brought it around in a stab at the side of the man's neck, pulling it towards him.

The man fell forward, warrant man leaned in and Andy came off the ground grasping him in a bear hug. As they rolled over he found the butt of the gun and pulled. It came free and he squeezed the trigger. He wasn't aiming at anything but now knew it was ready to fire again. He got it under the guy's chin and pushed hard. The guy froze.

Andy looked up at the other two men, one pointing his Taser and the other his gun.

"Want to see his head blown off?" he asked. "Just do something stupid."

Erika know where I am. Quickest anybody can get here is ten minutes or so. See if I can keep these dudes calm.

He took a quick glance at the man whose head he had almost cut off - he wasn't going to be a problem.

"Tell your boys to stand down," he ordered. "If you want to stay alive it's your only chance."

Warrant guy's eyes stared into his from a foot away - pure hatred - little if any fear.

"Go ahead, tell me I won't get away with it. You'll never know."

"What do you want?" warrant guy asked.

Just a few minutes to kill.

"Tell your boys to drop their weapons."

Hesitation. Good, another minute or two.

"Don't turn, just tell them."

"Drop your weapons," warrant guy said.

Both men tossed their guns and tasers on the ground.

"Now tell them to go back to the car and stand there."

Warrant guy complied.

"Now sit down," Andy said. "Sit still and don't make any sudden moves."

Warrant guy sat down and Andy fished the Commpad out of his vest pocket. He took the vest off and dropped it on the ground. It had most of the blood on it but his shirt was smeared with it. Keeping the gun on warrant guy he tapped Erika, glad he had mastered one-handed use if the Commpad long ago.

"Six minutes," Erika replied.

"OK," he typed keeping an eye on warrant guy and his backup.

"You all right?"

"So far so good."

"I'm about ten minutes behind them," Erika said. "Stay safe."

"Will do."

He was behind warrant guy - the others could see what he was doing, for all the good it would do them. He watched the gate - the last thing he needed was for the law to have reinforcements on the way. It hadn't been long enough for them to become alarmed.

"Three minutes."

"OK buddy," he said to warrant guy. "In a couple of minutes some people will be arriving. You boys just stay cool and you'll make it out of here alive."