"Cover the back, Steve, in case Henderson decides to try and make a break, but be careful, Buddy Boy, we don't know if he's armed or not." Mike ordered softly, nodding towards the small alleyway that wound around the side and led to the back of the building.
Steve nodded, "You be careful too, Mike," he warned before heading towards the alleyway, unholstering his gun as he ran.
Mike hesitated a moment as he waited for his young partner to reach the alley's entrance before he turned and entered the old dilapidated apartment building, carefully making his way up the old wooden stairs.
Staying close to the shadow of the wall of the building, Steve moved cautiously into the alley. He hated this part of the job, entering a dark, deserted area alone, uncertain if anyone waited in the shadows, watching his every move.
A fleeting movement in the darkened recesses of the alley caught his eye. Steve tightened the grip on his gun, his finger resting lightly on the trigger as he got a cautious step forward and called, "Police! Freeze!"
Steve felt his heart miss several beats at the sight of the two frightened young boys staring wide-eyed at him. His hand trembled as he lowered his gun, reholstering it. "What are you two boys doing here?" he demanded a little more gruffly then he meant to, feeling physically ill at how close he had been to pulling the trigger. Drawing a deep breath to settle his nerves, he nervously ran his hand over his head, leaving it resting on the back of his neck as he asked more quietly, "God, do either of you two know how close I came to shooting both of you?"
Both boys traded guilty glances before the oldest boy turned back to Steve and answered, "We're just hangin' out, Officer Keller, honest! We ain't doin' nothin'."
"Yeah, Officer Keller, we were just hangin' out." Echoed the smaller child, quickly hiding something behind his back.
Steve eyed the two young boys suspiciously, he knew Mike was not going to be happy that he was not covering the back in case Henderson made a break for it but the two boys' odd behavior alerted him to something was more amiss than just the two boys being somewhere where both were fully aware they were not allowed to be. He stepped forward towards the two boys as his voice took on the no nonsense tone he had heard their parents use on them when they were together and being rambunctious. "Sammy, what are you hiding behind your back?"
The young boy's bottom lip quivered as he slowly and reluctantly brought his hand around to the front, Steve stared in disbelief at the .45 police special revolver he had clutched in his hands. "Please Officer Keller, don't tell me dad. He doesn't know I sneaked it out of the house. I'm not allowed to touch his police gun, but I just wanted to show Tommy." The small boy's eyes filled with tears and his hands shook as he held the heavy weapon." I know I shoudn't have taken it, but I was gunna put it straight back, honest!"
Licking his dry lips and forcing himself to remain calm, Steve stepped closer as he slowly reached for the gun. "You're not in trouble Sammy, I just need you to give me the gun." Steve commanded gently, not wanting to frighten the frightened child more than he already was.
"Give Officer Keller the gun, Sammy!" Tommy ordered, grabbing at the weapon in his friend's hands.
"Leave me alone! I'm doin' it!" Sammy yelled, jerking the gun away from his friend's reach.
A deafening bang startled the young boys as the gun discharged and they looked up, eyes wide with shock as Steve clutched the side of his head, blood seeping through his fingers before his legs suddenly buckled beneath him and he collapsed silently to the ground.
"You killed him!" Tommy whispered as he stared at the growing red puddle forming around Steve's head. "You killed Officer Keller!"
"I…I didn't mean to. It was an accident." Sammy whimpered as he stared at one of his father's best friends' motionless body lying on the ground. "What am I gunna do, Tommy, my dad will arrest me if he finds out! Then he will skin me alive for touching his gun!"
"We're gotta get out of here! We're gotta put your dad's gun back where it belongs so no one will ever know what ya did!" Tommy said, tugging on his friend's sleeve, "Come on, we gotta get out of here before someone sees us and tells."
Backing away, with the gun still clutched tightly in his hand, Sammy nodded and turned, following his friend as they ran out of the alley.