Page 60 of Blood Bearon
“Police!” she shouted a second later, weapon coming up to point down the length of the armored truck as she and Khove advanced on the sole figure outlined at the exit.
“Shit,” he spat, looking up in alarm and throwing himself to the side in an attempt to get out of her line of fire.
He disappeared to the side and she gave chase. Khove beat her to the exit, and he went right, after the criminal. Trusting her partner to get his man, Rachel called out she was going left, aiming to clear that side of things.
From inside the bank itself, she heard shouts as the rest of her team mobilized after the men who’d gone inside. More shouting came, and then she jerked as gunfire exploded from inside the bank.
Shit! This was not how it was supposed to go down. Cautiously, she crept around the far side of the truck, aware now that these men would resort to lethal violence if she cornered them.
A figure swept in out of the darkness to her right, from the loading dock. A blow to her arm sent her gun spinning off into the night.
Rachel didn’t stay still. Rolling away, she came to her feet in a fighting pose, legs spread, weight evenly balanced, hands staggered in front of her. The man who lunged at her struck wildly, and with a strength she couldn’t match, but it didn’t matter. He was untrained.
She blocked blows and turned aside others as he tried to use his size and strength to win the fight quickly. He hit her hard and she staggered back under the left hook as he bulled right through her defenses.
Unfortunately for him, he paused to gloat, thinking it over, and Rachel’s foot lashed out, bashing his knee in from the side. Something made a disgusting sound as it gave way and his knee suddenly bent out to the side. The unknown thug screamed in pain, only to double down when she delivered a heel to his groin.
Rachel got to her feet, still in a defense posture, but he was done. She swept in close and planted her knee in his jaw. His eyes rolled back and he slumped to the ground.
“You’re under arrest,” she pronounced, reading him his rights as the rest of the team came out of the bank, two more at gunpoint. Dottner and two others fanned out to clear the rest of the area, but all they found were the unconscious guards.
“Everyone all right, Sheriff?” she called urgently. “I heard shots.”
“These idiots couldn’t hit the broad side of an industrial barn,” Dottner replied, but she could hear the relief in his voice. It had been closer than he was letting on. “No injuries to report, two prisoners secured.
“Good,” she snapped, finishing putting cuffs on her victim and looking around the parking lot.
“Khove!” she called, not seeing her partner. “Where are you? Do you need backup?”
There wasn’t a reply, but then she spied movement near the front of the armored truck.
“All clear,” Khove called. “Everything is fine.”
“It isnotfine!” a voice shrieked, and Rachel was forced to muffle a laugh as Khove came back into view, holding the apparent ringleader by the ankle. His casual strength was on display as he walked over to the rest of the police team.
“Let me go!” the thug all but shrieked. “This is inhumane treatment. Cruel and inhumane! I demand you put me down.”
This time, Racheldidlaugh as the thug crossed his arms and stared up at Khove, who shrugged and promptly let go. With his arms the way they were, there was nothing to slow him down and she watched with immense satisfaction as the ringleader dropped onto his head and collapsed into a pile while her officers closed in and cuffed him.
“Nice work, Detective,” the Sheriff said, coming up to her, holding out her sidearm. “Excellent plan.”
She stood and holstered the weapon. “Thank you, sir, but it wasn’t my plan. I’d love to take credit, but this one belongs all to Khove, much as it peeves me to admit it—knowing I’ll have to deal with his inflated ego for the nextever.”
Dottner laughed and held out a hand, shaking first hers and then Khove’s. Behind him, the parking lot out back of the bank lit up as more units and EMS moved in to secure the scene. “Well done indeed. The both of you.”
Rachel was feeling proud. Happy. Dottner gave her another approving nod and then marched his men and their prisoners into the waiting transports.
“Are you okay?” Khove asked, coming up to stand at her side.
“Fine,” she said, shaking her wrist. “I’ve got a few bruises. I’m mostly stiff everywhere, and that asshole’s chop is going to leave a mark on my wrist, but I’m in one piece,” she assured him.
“Good,” he rumbled. “Korred is still out there, and we must deal with him. The sooner we can track him down, or lure him out into the open, the better.”
“Agreed,” she said fiercely, dreaming about putting the mastermind of all this behind bars.
Khove stood tall. “The sooner I can kill him, the better for everyone.”
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