“For a small town,” Jose mutters to himself as he whips onto a side street going double the posted speed limit “Moon Lake sure has a lot of police officers.”
The flashing red and blues in is rear view mirror made the man panic and start making rash decisions. One of those rash decisions was to make a rapid U-turn on the street; heading away from the police roadblock and blowing pass the cruiser that was coming up on him initially. This unleashed a chain of events that caused the cruiser to also turn around and give chase. The deputies who were at the road block witnessed the event and made sure to radio what they saw to dispatch, as the pursuing deputy was also radioing the description of the white Chrysler K-car.
Peeling around onto another side street, Jose blows past the court house; the place he shot Frederick Parker earlier. Jose swore as he nearly ran over a reporter who dove out of the way at the last possible second. With the police cruiser still on his heels; Jose knew his vehicle was no match to evade the pursuing officer. Realizing that back up would soon be on its way, Jose made another fateful decision.
Turning left a few blocks past the court house he wound up on one of the few rare streets in town that doesn’t turn in on its self. Smiling as he thinks he hit the main drag out of town; Jose floors his economy car as best as he can. Looking through his rear view, he can see the cruiser still keeping up with him.
“Got to shake this guy somehow,” Jose refocusing his attention back onto the road.
*******
Back at the police station Sheriff Cooper was eating a simple egg salad sandwich. Unable to enjoy the sloppy joes Joan made for supper; Sheriff Cooper had to make do with the quick vending machine fare until he got home for the evening. Being called in just as he sat down for dinner; Douglas was not thrilled at finding out that Frederick was shot. While the mobster will survive, the court officer who was escorting him to the awaiting deputy’s vehicle did not. Getting caught in the bullet’s path, the man’s heart exploded, killing the man before he crumpled to the ground.
Douglas was reading the preliminary autopsy report on the man when there was a knock at his door. Looking up to see special agent Brooke Reed entering, Douglas puts down the file just as Brooke sits down.
“The reporters have finally backed down,” Brooke looking at the tired looking sheriff.
“Thank Lance Knight for that,” Sheriff Cooper sighing; “making him and his Gazette the go to for information regarding Frederick Parker and our current would be assassin has made our jobs a bit easier.”
“We still have to do press reports,” Brooke responding; “release information as needed and what not.”
“Yes,” Sheriff Cooper getting up to grab a cup of coffee; choosing to forgo de-café, the were-grizzly goes straight to the caffeinated pot and pours himself a cup. “But we must remember not to release every scrap of information,” Douglas sipping the bitter brew; “until we capture the assassin and investigate the evidence at hand…”
“I know,” Brooke getting up; “it’s like poker. You never show your hand until the final bet has been called.”
“I wouldn’t compare police investigation to poker,” Douglas looking at the FBI agent oddly; “we don’t gamble and make reckless decisions.”
“Sorry,” Brooke yawning; “I’ve been up for nearly twenty hours what with writing reports and dealing with my superiors and this whole Frederick Parker ballyhoo.”
“Coffee then,” Douglas holding up the pot.
********
With a lack of traffic on the road, Jose was unable to shake the pursuing police officer. The local police being effective in keeping the roads cleared as they searched for him; Jose gritted his teeth as he came up on a massive roadblock. Formed as a result of his shooting Frederick and increasing as the police communicated and coordinated his location; Jose felt he had nothing to lose as he decided to another fateful act. Grabbing a small duffle bag on the passenger seat, Jose grabs a metal cylindrical object. Rolling down the window and then pulling a pin; Jose slams his vehicle to a stop just as the smoke grenade started to envelop his vehicle in smoke.
Grabbing the duffel bag, Jose gets out of his car just as the pursuing police vehicle stops before the thick billowing smoke cloud. Unable to see the man as the deputy screams for him to surrender; the deputy and those at the road block are unable to see Jose until the last second as he dashes into the woods.
******
“Sir,” a deputy barging into the sheriff’s office; seeing both the sheriff and special agent Brooke Reed both drinking coffee, the deputy had to pause for a moment as he caught his breath.
“What is it,” Sheriff Cooper looking at the deputy; picking up on his scent, Douglas knew he was a normal.
“Dispatch reports that a person matching the description was just spotted leaving a white Chrysler after stopping just before a road block leaving town.”
“Finally we got him,” Brooke sighing in relief.
“Not quite,” the deputy still breathing hard; “he used a smoke grenade to evade the pursuing deputy and escape into the woods.”
“Smoke grenade,” sheriff cooper putting down his coffee cup; “where did this take place!”
“On the road heading towards Spokane,” the deputy answering.
“Let’s mobilize,” Sheriff Cooper grabbing his hat; “call up the K-9 unit and have them start tracking the area. Pick up the man’s scent. Oh and Deputy Johnson,” Sheriff Cooper turning around; “now is a good time to quit smoking those cigarettes.”
*******
Back at the road block, Jose’s lungs were burning as he ran in the woods a breakneck speed; while he was never overweight or out of shape, Jose was not exactly fit either. A life of eating processed foods and minimal activity outside of his chosen profession; Jose had to stop as he gasped for air. Unsure if the deputy that was pursuing him up and down the streets is also giving chase after running into the woods, Jose started trudging deeper into the woods; unsure where he was heading or if there were any dangerous creatures about. Pulling out a semi auto pistol out from his duffel bag, Jose checks to make sure the pistol is loaded before shoving it in his pants waist. Feeling a little more secured, Jose looks back to see if he can see or hear any signs of pursuit.
********
“How long of a head start has the suspect had,” Sheriff Cooper shouting as he arrived on scene at the roadblock. Seeing the abandoned white Chrysler in the middle of the road; Douglas recognized the vehicle as the same one that was following Joan earlier in the day.
“About twenty minutes,” a deputy responding; giving Sheriff Cooper a rundown as to what happened moments ago, Sheriff Cooper nods as he is fully briefed on what just transpired.
“Agent Reed,” Sheriff Cooper turning to the FBI agent; “can I have your agents assist with keeping the reporters starting to arrive at bay. While a few of them might be like us,” Sheriff Cooper discreetly forming a W with his fingers; “but with the K-9 unit about to track the assassin, the last thing we need is a reporter snapping a picture of a deputy in his fursona.”
“But the were-alert,” Agent Reed looking stunned; “you’re going to order your men to violate it and we don’t know if this criminal is also like us.”
“You were in your fursona when you killed Chelnik,” Sheriff Cooper reminding the FBI agent; “he was a normal.”
“That’s because the man tried to kill me and your deputy Carter,” Agent Reed answering; “I had no choice.”
“I have no choice for this as well,” Douglas answering in a low voice; “however only a few of the K-9 unit will be in their fursona. Their job is to track and catch the suspects scent,” Douglas being serious; “The rest will be in full uniform ready to tackle and arrest the man. If this was a rogue were and no reporters possibly complicating things,” Douglas fishing for a bottle of Aspirin; “then we wouldn’t be having this conversation as every deputy would be combing the entire town in their fursona.”
“Okay,” Agent Reed sighing; “I’ll get my agents to assist in keeping the reporters from getting in the way. But I’m personally assisting with tracking the suspect down. This is technically a federal matter as a member of law enforcement was killed in a municipal courthouse. In fact home land security could also theoretically step in if they so choose.”
“Let’s not involve them,” Douglas bristling at the ideal of a post 9-11 organization running around in a town full of weres. Increasing the risk of the existence of were’s being exposed; “just refrain from slipping into your werewolf fursona when tracking the criminal. I don’t want this guy getting any hint that something is off.”