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HARVEY SHINED HIS HEAVY flashlight through the front window of the pharmacy, but didn’t see any signs of movement. He moved to another window and shined the light in another direction. Still nothing. If he could go inside, he could take a closer look, but dispatch had just asked him to drive by and assess the situation, as usual. He figured it was nothing, but at least he could say he went by and had a look.
He lowered his flashlight and clicked it off, looking around the empty street for anything unusual. The cool night air brushed gently past his cheek but didn’t carry with it the sound of anything out of the ordinary. The city was asleep this time of night and this was generally a quiet part of town.
This was the part he liked about his job. These quiet nights when he patrolled alone, keeping watch over this city and its citizens, standing guard so they could rest easily. So many people were talking about moving away, but he loved this town. This had been his home his entire life, and he was proud of the part he played in keeping it safe. He smiled with satisfaction that all was calm. Melina was a good town, really.
This was the second time this week that he had been called to check on this particular pharmacy. The owner of the shop had reported several incidents of shoplifting, but the culprit had not been caught. They weren’t even sure it was the same person. Things went missing in stores all the time. Then the security alarm had been tripped two days ago, indicating a break in. Since Harvey was on the downtown beat, he was the one who drove by. A bathroom window in the back of the store was open, and further investigation showed that the lock on the window had been broken from the inside. Someone knew his or her way around the store, so this wasn’t a random incident. It was likely that someone had been in the store earlier in the day, and had broken the lock on the bathroom window, planning to come back. It wouldn’t be the first time this had happened.
Harvey walked around behind the store to check on the window that had been the culprit of the previous investigation. The storeowner told them that the lock had been replaced, but he checked anyway. The window was shut tight, so he tested the remaining windows, working his way around to the front of the store. Nothing was amiss. He returned to his patrol car, and once inside, he picked up the receiver and clicked the transmit button.
“This in One-Nine. No movement at the store, no sign of entry. I’d say it was a false alarm.”
“Thanks for checking in One-Nine. I’ll note it on the log.”
“Acknowledged.” He released the button and returned the receiver to its cradle. Starting his car again, he shook his head. People were getting jumpy. Even with a security system, shop owners lived in fear of break-ins. He understood their caution, though. This kind of thing seemed to be happening more and more. As resources dwindled, crime increased. If things continued on the way they were, the police would have to hire a lot more officers. He felt a pang of regret that Mitch didn’t want to be a cop. He understood why, and if he was honest with himself, he agreed with Mitch’s decision. Even so, it would have been nice to have his son follow in his footsteps. What more could a man hope for in a son?
He had barely driven three blocks when his radio crackled to life again.
“One-Nine, come in. Come in One-Nine.”
He picked up the receiver and clicked it on. “One-Nine here. Go ahead.”
“Sorry One-Nine, you need to turn around. We got a call about a skirmish in an alley near where you just were.”
“What kind of skirmish? Gang related?”
“Possibly. Phone call from a young woman, saying someone is threatening her boyfriend with a gun. She said there are several people in an alley off fourteenth east. She didn’t say how many. She was afraid someone is going to get hurt.”
“Got it. I’m on my way.”
Harvey turned at the next intersection and circled back in the direction he came from. Gang violence was on the rise, too, for some reason. His instinct told him it was related to the break-ins at various stores. Stolen goods were valuable on the street. He pulled past the alley that dispatch had indicated and saw several people at the far end, partially hidden by a dumpster. The alley was narrow, and he didn’t want to get trapped, so he parked his cruiser on the street and walked up the alley, staying close to the wall and out of view, behind the dumpster, for as long as possible. The thought crossed his mind that he should have called for backup before he entered the alley. If it was just a heated argument, though, he could manage it. He carefully slid his handgun out of the holster and thumbed the safety off. As he approached the altercation, he could hear raised voices, both male, as far as he could tell.
“I’ve told you before,” said one man calmly, “This is our territory, and you don’t have our permission to steal our business.”
“I’m not stealing anything,” the second voice said. His shrill tone betrayed not only his fear, but also his age.
It was just a kid, Harvey realized.
“Look,” the kid continued, “I can’t get this stuff anywhere else. I wasn’t going to sell it here. I have...I have a buyer somewhere else, I swear!”
“I don’t care if you want to sell it a hundred miles away. You can’t steal from our sources, ‘cause that’s called doing business in our territory. Are you really that stupid?”
“Yes...I mean no,” the kid shrieked. “I swear - here, take this, you can have it. I’ll go away and you’ll never see me again, I swear you’ll never see me again.”
“I guarantee I’ll never see you again. Neither will anyone else.”
At the boy’s next hysterical screech, Harvey stepped out from behind the dumpster, his gun aimed at the group of people. A quick assessment told him there were four young men and two young women on one side of the standoff, and one skinny boy on the other side, both hands in the air. In one hand was a pistol. Most of the people in the larger group held handguns as well, and the tallest youth held his pistol out in front of him, aimed at the younger boy.
“All right, everyone just calm down now. Let me see your hands, and I want your weapons on the ground.” He took a step toward the younger boy, who looked at him in shock.
No one moved for a moment, and then the lead man slowly raised both hands, still holding his gun.
Harvey took a closer look at the younger boy. “Aren’t you Estelle’s boy?” When the boy nodded quickly, Harvey stepped closer to him and held out a hand. “Give me the gun, son, and get behind me. I’ll get you out of here and we’ll sort this out.”
The boy took one step towards the cop he recognized, and Harvey smiled encouragingly, holding his free hand out to the boy.
“Come on, son. It’s going to be okay.”
Kenny glanced at the other group of people and his eyes widened. He reached for Harvey, just as the grizzled cop also glanced at the tall young man holding the gun. In the instant that Kenny had started to hand over his gun, the older boy lowered his weapon and leveled it at Kenny.
“NO!” Harvey grabbed a handful of Kenny’s jacket and dragged him behind him as he raised his service revolver, but it was too late. He heard the explosion of a gun, but wasn’t sure if it was the other man’s weapon or his own. The white hot, searing pain that blossomed in his chest answered his question all too well. Still gripping his revolver, his arm suddenly became too heavy to hold up, and he dropped his arm, not noticing when he let go of his gun. He dimly heard shouts over the roar in his ears. Someone was yelling at the others to get out of there. He could feel Kenny’s skinny arms wrapped around him and lowering him to the ground, and he was grateful that the boy was there. Kenny was screaming something, but he couldn’t understand what he was saying. All he could see was shadows, but he could see the shadows scattering and running away. At least the boy was safe.
“I’m sorry, Mitch,” The whispered words seeped out of his cold lips. “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise. I’m sorry...”
The last thing he heard was Kenny, sobbing.
But at least the pain was gone.