Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 128702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 644(@200wpm)___ 515(@250wpm)___ 429(@300wpm)
“Funny,” Steele snapped, got in the driver’s side and started it up.
Tech already had the laptop open and powered up on the passenger side. He tapped on the keyboard and had an address up on the large screen in the dash. Red and blue lights flashed around them in the dark – Steele had no clue where the emergency vehicle lights were hidden on the outside of the truck – when Tech ordered him to “Go!”
Steele got a feel for the vehicle pretty quickly and it wasn’t long before he was speeding down the main street towards the safe house. “What are you doing over there?” Steele asked without taking his eyes off the road. It was midnight so there wasn’t a ton of traffic, but enough to remain extra vigilant.
“Have you had to stop at a red light yet?” Tech asked calmly.
“Nope. Wide open.”
“That’s what I’m doing.”
“You’re controlling the traffic signals?” Steele gasped.
“For us, and God and Ruxs, too. I told you I could do anything in this truck that I can do in the office. I can see them. We’ll get there before they do, though. We’re not that far away. God’s about five minutes behind us.”
“Okay. We need a—”
Tech put up a finger, cutting Steele off. “Yeah, Syn. How many...? How many officers are inside? I’m going to see if I can get a visual… Ten-four.”
Tech turned back to Steele. “There’re three officers inside, holding them off. Two down outside. God said to make some noise to scare them off.” Tech reached over to the dash and pushed two levers, a loud siren began piercing the air as they sped through green lights. They could hear other sirens in the distance, probably 911 responders. “Make sure your earpiece is in.”
Steele’s eyes widened. “I left it home.”
“Oh shit. You are going to get bitched out by God for that.” Tech shook his head, his eyes still on the computer screen. “I don’t have enough time to get into the surrounding buildings’ surveillance cameras but I can get street cameras to see if I spot them running away.” Tech’s fingers kept flying over the keyboard and he yelled out, “I found them. They’re on the run, God. Two of them, I lost the street cam when they turned southbound on 12th Street NE. We’re coming in the north end. If you’re coming in south we should be able to block them in.”
Steele jerked to a stop, honking the horn like crazy. There were people all over and a traffic jam at the intersection of 12th and Piedmont. Some type of concert letting out at a bar. “Shit! Move! Move!” Steele yelled, laying on the horn. It was just too much commotion.
“They should be coming up that alley over there at any point.” Tech pointed. “We can’t lose them, God’s two to three minutes off.”
Tech spoke into the earpiece again, telling God their situation while Steele tried to get through the crowd. Next thing Steele knew, Tech jumped out of the truck and took off through the crowd, his long legs eating up the concrete. He ran like a goddamn gazelle. Jesus. Steele couldn’t get through, but he couldn’t let Tech run up on two armed suspects alone.
Steele jumped out and took off in the direction Tech had run, his heart beating a mile a minute while he pushed startled people out of his way. He remembered 12th, so he looked up at the next block, wondering if Tech cut through the buildings or if he went around the back. Shit. Now he understood why they had to keep the earpieces in. If he called Tech’s cell, he certainly wouldn’t answer, and there was no time to call God, he had to keep running. The sirens got louder and he knew the others were avoiding the crowd Tech had alerted them to, instead approaching from 10th Street.
Tech
God was bellowing in Tech’s ear to hold off, but he ignored it and kept moving. Why, he had no clue, maybe because he was finally in the field and this was his chance. He knew where the perpetrators were, and if they waited for backup, they could lose them.
He jumped a low fence, ran through some bushes, and saw them running behind the fitness center at 11th and Piedmont. A wave of nerves hit Tech over being completely alone with two full-grown men running towards him. Shit, shit, shit. “Behind the fitness center,” he blurted his location and kept running towards the guys. They couldn’t know he was police, especially dressed as he was – in a long-sleeve gray t-shirt and a blue and black Argyle sweater vest. Lights lit up the alley as a vehicle came up behind him, giving him the light he needed and blinding the shooters. He hoped it was God or Steele and not an accomplice. Either way, he couldn’t look back and couldn’t second-guess. He’d been training for this, he knew what to do with any sized opponent, he needed to trust himself and his abilities.