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Joel Blake sat in the corner of Java Joes staring at the blinking cursor on a blank screen. His office now in ruins from the ordeal just a few short hours ago. There were times when fleeting moments during his life entered into view as though his mind was preparing him for death.
He had just come back from lunch and collected his messages before returning to his office upstairs. Sitting at his desk he thought he might have heard the sounds of gunfire below him. What soon followed was screaming and chaos directly underneath. Joel Blake had stayed at his desk the entire time.
When the lone gunman appeared in his doorway Joel Blake had the sinking awful feeling he was the intended target. There was nowhere to go. One way in and out of his office. Joel Blake was pulled up by his collar and pinned against the glass facing the street downtown. The man holding the shotgun smelled like he had ridden in a car for days, void of a shower. Smells of alcohol escaped with every passing breath. The scorching barrel pressed against his cheek burning skin while the other side contrastingly pinned against cool glass two stories off the concrete.
The Larkin girl’s father had fired into the corner and it was over instantly. Roman Lee had pounced on the man from a concealed position with stealth and speed that would have made even the most predatory cat on the planet envious.
Joel touched his cheek again momentarily reflecting on the heat of the barrel that had seared the side of his face from its previous discharge. When he was ordered to sit down and start making calls is when he saw Lee. The city had Snipers and a competent tactical team at their disposal. They send in Lee. The icing on the shit cake for the day being saved by someone he totally despised. Camera crews shoving microphones in his direction asking him what he felt the moment Detective Lee had disarmed the madman. It was humiliating to Joel Blake.
It was true he did piss himself from fear. Just about any reasonable person in similar circumstances would have done the same. He thought it was over. Never getting an opportunity to take the Brick Street to a competitive level with the heavy hitters. But that was the past. He had a second chance and he wasn’t going to waste it.
Sipping on a latte he began to work on two pieces that would return the Brick Street a substantial number of followers. If the bridge story was risky he was going to push the envelope even further.