Page 79 of JoyRide

Smollett’s lip curled in a snarl as he hissed at his son, “Didn’t I tell you not to get caught?”

Smollett is part of the pickpocket ring.

“Couldn’t help it, Dad. Never saw the cops. They weren’t wearing uniforms. Not my fault.”

The kid is lying to his father.

While the father focused on his kid, Billy pulled the taser out of his pocket he’d grabbed in the office and jolted Smollett in the side of his neck.

Smollett hit the deck and while he was out, Billy did some quick cell shifting. He doubled up the drug pushers and rolled Kyle’s father into the empty cell.

Billy let out a breath when the cell door slammed shut and the lock clicked. He leaned on the wall and called Harlan.

“What’s up, Billy?”

“Trouble at the station, son. Need you right away.”

“Coming now.”

I took Billy’s call and rounded up Tammy real quick. When Travis heard Billy had a problem, he insisted on coming with us.

With the siren screaming, we got to the station inside of nine minutes. A new record. I ran in ahead while Tammy helped Travis out of the squad.

Billy was slumped down in his office chair bleeding from under his mop of dark hair. Blood had run down the side of his face and his neck and made a mess of him.

“Okay, Billy. Let’s get you to the hospital. Did you fall? What happened?”

“Guy in the run came to break out his kid.”

“No fuckin way,” said Travis.

One look at Billy and Tammy couldn’t hold back the tears.

I said, “Take Billy to the hospital, Tammy. I’ll deal with whoever Billy locked up in the run and catch up with you and Dad.”

“Okay,” said Tammy. “Help me get Billy to the squad.”

We got Billy outside and he flopped down in the back seat of the Bronco. Travis got into the passenger seat and Tammy took the wheel and headed for the hospital in Cut Bank.

Billy’s truck was parked outside the door. I could drive it to the hospital after I checked out the guy Billy locked up.

I went back inside and unlocked the run to see the surprise guest. There he was in the cell at the end. A bald-headed dude who had hold of the bars and was shouting and cursing at me.

I needed his ID to start the booking process. Figured I’d start with attempted murder of a police officer and work my way down from that. Planning a jail break was one of the charges I’d have to look up. Only Billy knew the rest of the shit this mutt had done.

In a swift move I pulled the taser off my belt and jolted the asshole through the bars. When he dropped to the concrete, I unlocked the cell, checked his pockets, and pulled his wallet and his car keys.

Billy had already relieved him of his gun. I saw the Glock sitting on Billy’s desk in the office.

“There you go, Mister. You’ll be awake in time for lunch.”

“What did you do to my dad, pig?” hollered one of the pickpockets.

“Same thing I’m gonna do to you, you thieving little fucker. So shut up or I’ll taser you right between your beady little eyes and make you squirm on the floor like your daddy did.”

No way I could take Smollett out of his cell to print him until I had help. I’d do it tomorrow when Ted was there to give me a hand.

Cut Bank Hospital.

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