Believe it or not, I’m still at it. Here we are now up to chapter 15. Thanks to all of you who are still out there reading and giving your input. Here is a little from Chapter 15. Enjoy it. The next post will probably not be until Chapter 17 or 18.
It was an ordinary patrol day. The weather was sunny and clear, the streets were not crowded everyone seemed to be in order and the police radio, aside from the normal dispatcher chitter chatter, was virtually quiet. Darin and Max drove through the streets on the outer boundaries on their beat to make sure that things on the fringes were OK. Everything appeared to be in perfect order.
As they drove, Darin too a glance at his watch. It was just about time for lunch…..
“Almost lunch time, buddy,” Darin said to Max, “You about ready to stop and get something to eat?”
Max barked an affrimative in reply to Darin’s question.
Darin had to stop and think for a second. There were a lot of people who would think that he should be committed for sitting here having a conversation about lunch time with a dog. But that was just it…. Max was not just any dog. Max was his partner. As much as a lot of people would not have been able to comprehend the concept, Max and Darin understood each other. It was the same with most K-9 handlers and their partners. The K-9 had at least a general understanding —but more commonly a complete understanding— of what their partner was trying to communicate to them. They learned to understand without having to say a lot.
Many times it was just the situation that could change the whole context of a command. Darin thought about how many times all he had to say was, “Go Max!” and Max was off and running and knew exactly what he was expected to do. Darin did not always have to tell Max what mode he had to be in. It was clear from the situation whether his task was search and rescue, criminal apprehension, Safety intervention, Protection or something else. It was Darin’s job to make it clear when it wasn’t and it was Max’s job to not act right away when he was unsure of what he was supposed to do.
So far, Max and Darin clicked so well together that there had not been any issues as to what actions were supposed be performed and when. Max always performed as he was supposed to. Both his and Darin’s training had served them well.
As Darin was cruising along the normal dispatcher chitter chatter suddenly changed……
Calling Detective Frost and all units in the Vicinity.
We’re showing a silent alarm at 229 Main Street.
No further information at this time.
Proceed as if we have a 211 in progress
We suggest that you go in advertising.
Detective Frost do you copy?
Darin stopped his car and used his good hand to grab the microphone and depress the talk button….
“Roger Central I copy that. Proceeding to 229 to cover a silent alarm. Proceeding as if there is a 211 in progress. Roll Backups. Advertising all the way!”
“Roger that, Detective,” came the answer, “backups are rolling.
Be advised that GPS shows you’re the only unit in the vicinity.
My map is showing you could be without backup for 2 – 3 minutes.”
“Roger.”
Darin turned on this lights and siren and stepped on the gas. Max barked excitedly. He knew something was going down, but had no idea what. Darin’s first thought was one of complete arrogance. He thought…”how dare somebody try to pull a robbery on MY beat.” But that thought was quickly trumped by the sudden realization of where 229 Main street was. That was Garcia’s Grocery store.
Garcia was the most passive man that Darin had ever know. He wouldn’t hurt anybody or anything. And Darin was sure that Garcia did not have a weapon. It took Darin and Jamie several months to convince Garcia that he needed to install an alarm system in his store. Frankly, Garcia just did not see the need. Now Darin was thinking, he made a good call. How glad he was now that he thought to install an alarm button just under the couner where the register was.
If this was in fact a robbery, Darin knew that Garcia would be very cooperative. Garicia didn’t care about the money. He would probably be witnessing the would be criminal the entire time he was trying to get the money out of the register. Even though he knew it would be aggravating to a criminal who was very likely a sinner destined for hell because he’d rejected God, Garcia knew he was going to heaven and was none too scared of being shot. Hopefully, thought Darin, that was not going to be an issue.
Darin tried to calm himself as he rapidly made the turn onto Main Street and was now 1 block away from Garcia’s store. He traversed the 1 block distance in no time at all at the speed he was going and came to a screeching halt in front of the store. They were the first to arrive. Darin absentmindedly hid the side hatch button that allowed Max to exit and the partners carefully approached the store and went in slowly and quietly. Something was wrong. It was too quiet. Garcia was always ambling about the store. Darin joked with him about having ADD because he could not keep still. When he was in the store, he was always moving.
Darin cautiously called Garcia’s name. In answer, he heard a groan from behind the counter. Darin rushed behind the counter where he found Garcia on the floor with a pool of blood around him and a very obvious gunshot wound to the chest.
Darin immediately depressed the talk button on the microphone…..
“Dispatch I need an ambulance here and I need it yesterday. We have a man down with a gun shot wound to the chest. Doesn’t look good.”
“Garcia?” came the response from the dispatcher.
Darin didn’t know how he knew him or what his ties were. He could only sullenly reply in the affirmative….”Yeah….Garcia”
“Garcia! Garcia! Its Darin Frost. Can you hear me?”
Garcia turned his head in Darin’s direction. He was just able to get out a few words. He said….. “They’re looking for you.”
“Who’s looking for me? Who did this to you?” But even as he asked the questions, Darin knew the answers already.
Garcia spoke again in short and gasping breaths…. “Said….the boss……..the boss wanted…….leave you….. a….messssss……..sage.” With that Garcia’s strength seemed to have left him. Darin was cradling the man’s head and praying that God would help him to hold on if it was His will.
Just then Darin eyes opened as he simultaneously heard the familiar protective growl of Max in action and felt the whiz of a bullet past his ear that had just barely missed him. Darin looked over to see Max in the process of disarming the shooter. Darin knew at that moment that if it were not for Max’s quick action which threw off the shooter’s aim, he would be lying wounded or dead right here next to his friend. Darin praise the Lord for Max and scolded himself for not being more alert and making sure the are was secure.
Darin heard the slamming of a couple of doors. A couple of units he supposed that came in without advertising. He saw the uniformed officers in just seconds and gave Max the command to guard and stand down. The officers took over cuffed the shooter. Just seconds later Darin heard the unmistakable sound of the ambulance pull up and got out of the way as the paramedics did their job.
For all that Darin could do, Garcia was D.O.A. at the hospital. Darin knew that somehow, some way, Garcia was killed because of him. He also knew that Mikey Campinieri was the man who was responsible for his death and he was going to prove it.
