"Drop it!" Ray Kowalski ordered, pointing his gun at the suspect
emerging from the robbery scene. Seeking to avoid being caught, he
ran, firing a couple of shots over his shoulder. Ray called for
backup and he and Ben gave chase.
.They had been back in Chicago for only about a week, and it felt
good to be back in action. The suspect they were chasing was Richard
Bower, who was wanted in connection with a string of robberies. Ray
and Fraser had arrested him once before, several years ago, only to
have him let go due to lack of evidence. Now, all the evidence was
there, but the Chicago PD had been unable to catch him again.
Bower fled down a side street and the cop and Mountie followed.
Bower turned into an alley. The two men gave chase. They rounded the
corner and saw...no one. Ray hurried to reload, his gaze flicking
between his gun and the alley, as he and Fraser scanned the trash
cans and piles of boxes for any sign of movement.
"Look out!" Fraser shouted, just as two shots rang out in quick
sucession.
"Fraser, what the hell are you trying toâ€"" He stopped in mid-sentence
as he realized that the Mountie had been shot.
He shoved the chamber of his gun shut, even though he handn't fully
reloaded it, and fired. One of the shots hit its mark, knocking the
gun from Bower's hand. The suspect fled, but Ray couldn't follow. He
turned back to the fallen Mountie.
Fraser was alive, but barely. Ray unfastened the buttons of the
scarlet tunic. The once white shirt underneath now bore a large
splotch of crimson. He pulled the shirt to see a bullet wound near
the center of the Mountie's chest. Ray pulled off his own shirt and
pressed it over the wound, applying pressure to try and stop the
bleeding.
Behind him, the Riv pulled up to the entrance of the alley and Ray
Vecchio got out. He'd heard Ray's call on the radio and responded as
quickly as he could.
"What happened?"
Ray looked over his shoulder and noticed Vecchio
"Get on the line and get an ambulance now!" he answered.
He lifted the Mountie's head with his free hand. Fraser's gaze was
fixed on him, but he didn't speak. His breath came in ragged gasps.
"They're on their way," Vecchio said. "How is he?"
"Pretty bad", Ray answered. "It should have been me that got hit,"
Ray said. "I was reloading and the guy fired at me. Fraser got me out
of the way, but got hit himself. "
Fraser gave a moan...it sounded vaguely to Ray like, "Mum...mum..."
and gasped hard, his head and chest raising up a bit. As he sank back
down, there was no rising of the chest, no more breaths, only the
hiss of escaping air.
emerging from the robbery scene. Seeking to avoid being caught, he
ran, firing a couple of shots over his shoulder. Ray called for
backup and he and Ben gave chase.
.They had been back in Chicago for only about a week, and it felt
good to be back in action. The suspect they were chasing was Richard
Bower, who was wanted in connection with a string of robberies. Ray
and Fraser had arrested him once before, several years ago, only to
have him let go due to lack of evidence. Now, all the evidence was
there, but the Chicago PD had been unable to catch him again.
Bower fled down a side street and the cop and Mountie followed.
Bower turned into an alley. The two men gave chase. They rounded the
corner and saw...no one. Ray hurried to reload, his gaze flicking
between his gun and the alley, as he and Fraser scanned the trash
cans and piles of boxes for any sign of movement.
"Look out!" Fraser shouted, just as two shots rang out in quick
sucession.
"Fraser, what the hell are you trying toâ€"" He stopped in mid-sentence
as he realized that the Mountie had been shot.
He shoved the chamber of his gun shut, even though he handn't fully
reloaded it, and fired. One of the shots hit its mark, knocking the
gun from Bower's hand. The suspect fled, but Ray couldn't follow. He
turned back to the fallen Mountie.
Fraser was alive, but barely. Ray unfastened the buttons of the
scarlet tunic. The once white shirt underneath now bore a large
splotch of crimson. He pulled the shirt to see a bullet wound near
the center of the Mountie's chest. Ray pulled off his own shirt and
pressed it over the wound, applying pressure to try and stop the
bleeding.
Behind him, the Riv pulled up to the entrance of the alley and Ray
Vecchio got out. He'd heard Ray's call on the radio and responded as
quickly as he could.
"What happened?"
Ray looked over his shoulder and noticed Vecchio
"Get on the line and get an ambulance now!" he answered.
He lifted the Mountie's head with his free hand. Fraser's gaze was
fixed on him, but he didn't speak. His breath came in ragged gasps.
"They're on their way," Vecchio said. "How is he?"
"Pretty bad", Ray answered. "It should have been me that got hit,"
Ray said. "I was reloading and the guy fired at me. Fraser got me out
of the way, but got hit himself. "
Fraser gave a moan...it sounded vaguely to Ray like, "Mum...mum..."
and gasped hard, his head and chest raising up a bit. As he sank back
down, there was no rising of the chest, no more breaths, only the
hiss of escaping air.