Chapter Twelve
~~~~~*~~~~~
Outside, several police cars surrounded the tiny
convience store. Flashing lights in crimson red
lit up the night reflecting against the cold black
gravel of the parking lot giving the impression of
Rubies that had been scattered across the rain
washed street.
Inside, all eyes were on Slugg-- the oldest
of the two men. Hidden--crouched behind a
large display of canned goods--his brows furrowed
as he wrestled with a decision. A quick jerk of his
head motioned his young accomplice over to him
at the same time giving the man on the floor a stern
warning not to try anything stupid.
Michael moved quickly, ducking behind an
end display of Cap'n Crunch cereal boxes,
then took a place beside Slugg on the floor.
For a moment the two conversed quietly with
each other, at times their conversation rising
in heated whispers as they argued their next move.
Mrs Danado's heart was pounding fiercely in
her chest. She turned her head toward the
the man with the paper who was still clutching
his side. Yet she observed him carefully soon
puzzled by what she saw. Some how, without
being detected, the man had managed to slip
the newspaper he had been reading from his
back pocket and was now secretly engrossed,
peering up from time to time to see if he was
being watched.
Reading a newspaper, and at a time like this!
She thought angrily. Didn't he know that he was
risking not only his life but hers as well!
The man with the paper glanced up again then
over at her. For a second their eyes locked,
her fearful ones pleading silently for him to behave.
But he ignored her silent plea. Folding the
paper carefully, he slipped it back inside of his
coat and out of sight.
"Michael" he called out, flinching in pain as
he struggled to sit up in a more comfortable position.
Slugg raised his head instead, and shot the man
a look. "Hey! I told you to not to try anything
stupid!"
Crouching down behind a display of soft drinks, he
rushed over quickly with his leg drawn back to kick.
Clambering to get out of his way, the man on the floor
scuffled back quickly against the wall, his hands held
up in defense. "I-I'm not....I'm not gonna try anything!"
he sputtered.
"What do you want with Michael?? Huh?!!" Slugg
shouted angrily.
Over in a corner, Mrs. Danado held her breath,
praying feverishly that the man with the paper
would simply be still and not cause any more
trouble. But she could tell by the look in his eyes
that he wasn't through.
"I-I just wanna tell Michael... to remember...th-thats
all," the man said, bracing himself for another blow.
"What!?" Slugg's face went sour. Thinking that he had
been betrayed he spun around to look at Michael.
"What's he talkin bout man? Remember what?"
Puzzled, Michael shook his head slowly then glanced
over at the man on the floor. "I don't know what he talking
bout man! That dude's crazy!"
"Well...we gotta get out of here." Slugg said, looking around.
Silence.
"C'mon, grab the bag of mo-"
"No!" Michael shouted.
Stunned, everyone in the little store grew quiet. All eyes
were on Slugg whose glare was fixed upon Michael.
"We gotta give up man." Michael said, forcing
himself to face his freind.
You gotta be kid'n me." Slugg said. "Give up!?
Are you crazy? I ain't goin back to no jail!"
Scanning the store again, Slugg found Mrs. Danado
huddled behind the counter, shaking her eyes clenched
tight.
"We could use the old lady as a hostage-" he suggested
waving the gun in her direction.
"No!" The man with the paper shouted. " I-I mean..you...
you don't want to do that Slugg."
Mrs. Danado's eyes flew open looking desperately
for the man with the paper. She didn't want to die
this way! She didn't want to die on some dirty cold
floor. She had young children at home who
needed her!
"And what do you know about it!!" Slugg yelled.
"U-Use me as hostage...let the lady go." the man offered.
"Take me...a-and let the lady go."
"No!" the young boy interrupted, "It's over man. You said
this was going to be easy...easy money! But we got
caught! We busted man!"
"You turning on me?" Slugg pointed the gun at Michael.
Michael, threw his hands up in frustration."I'm not turning
on you dog! But I can't go through with this. I thought
it was going to be easy..you said it would be easy man!"
He drew in a tired breath knowing that things had gotten
way out of hand.
"Look Slugg" he said trying to reason. "my old man
was murdered some months ago...som-somebody
killed him and the police still don't know who done it!
My old lady is depending on me now. She needs me
man. I have a little brother to help take care of too.
Um all they got. "
Slugg paused for a moment, his eyes searching
that of his young companion.
"So we ain't down no mo?" he asked suddenly.
"Not like this man." Michael said, shaking his
head, "it's over."
"Police!" A voice from the police mega phone
echoed loudly from outside, "Come out with your
hands up!!"
A deathly silence filled the store. Slugg stood glaring
over at his friend, his mind wavering in indecision. He
glance at the plastic bag they had over-stuffed with
money and he grabbed it.
"I'm going for it man.....with you or with out you!" he shouted
sprinting for the back door.
"Slugg!" the man with the paper struggled to stand.
But it was too late. Slugg had already bolted out
the back door and into the night. The bag of money
he held tight in his grip, the gun in the other hand.
"This is the Chicago Police!" the mega phone resonated
loudly from outside. " Stop where you are! Put down
your weapon!.... This is your second warning! Put down
your weapon and raise your hands....NOW!! "
Outside the sound of police sirens wailed noisily.
But inside an eerie silence engulfed the tiny little store
as the next sound that was heard, made everyone's
heart stop.
Pop!
The lone sound of a single gun shot could be heard,
followed quickly by the sound of several rounds of
shots, piercing the air.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! POP!!
Mrs. Danado screamed, covering her head
with arms. She opened her eyes slowly and glanced
over at the young man who had slunk to the floor
with his back against a wall. His knees were drawn
up to his chest and the knife he held was on the floor
at his feet.
Her eyes quickly sought the man with the paper
surprised to find that was reading. He glanced up
and over at her, then turning his attention to the
young boy.
"You-You alright Michael." he asked quietly.
Michael didn't answer.
"You did the right thing---"
"Did I ?!!!" the boy shouted and glanced up to look
at him. "Slugg's gone man...they shot him!"
The man with the paper drew in a deep breath exhaling
it slowly. "I-I think things are going to be okay" he
grimaced in pain as he slid the paper back into his
coat.
Mrs. Danado sighed, feeling a sudden relief wash
over her. She couldn't help but feel that maybe the
man with the paper knew something more. That
maybe everything was going to be all right.
*****************
"So--what were you doing at the Quick Shop Mart
this late at night Hobson?" Brigatti inquired, stirring
a styro foamed cup filled with hot black coffee,"Buying
slushys?"
To be continued........................
~~~~~*~~~~~
Outside, several police cars surrounded the tiny
convience store. Flashing lights in crimson red
lit up the night reflecting against the cold black
gravel of the parking lot giving the impression of
Rubies that had been scattered across the rain
washed street.
Inside, all eyes were on Slugg-- the oldest
of the two men. Hidden--crouched behind a
large display of canned goods--his brows furrowed
as he wrestled with a decision. A quick jerk of his
head motioned his young accomplice over to him
at the same time giving the man on the floor a stern
warning not to try anything stupid.
Michael moved quickly, ducking behind an
end display of Cap'n Crunch cereal boxes,
then took a place beside Slugg on the floor.
For a moment the two conversed quietly with
each other, at times their conversation rising
in heated whispers as they argued their next move.
Mrs Danado's heart was pounding fiercely in
her chest. She turned her head toward the
the man with the paper who was still clutching
his side. Yet she observed him carefully soon
puzzled by what she saw. Some how, without
being detected, the man had managed to slip
the newspaper he had been reading from his
back pocket and was now secretly engrossed,
peering up from time to time to see if he was
being watched.
Reading a newspaper, and at a time like this!
She thought angrily. Didn't he know that he was
risking not only his life but hers as well!
The man with the paper glanced up again then
over at her. For a second their eyes locked,
her fearful ones pleading silently for him to behave.
But he ignored her silent plea. Folding the
paper carefully, he slipped it back inside of his
coat and out of sight.
"Michael" he called out, flinching in pain as
he struggled to sit up in a more comfortable position.
Slugg raised his head instead, and shot the man
a look. "Hey! I told you to not to try anything
stupid!"
Crouching down behind a display of soft drinks, he
rushed over quickly with his leg drawn back to kick.
Clambering to get out of his way, the man on the floor
scuffled back quickly against the wall, his hands held
up in defense. "I-I'm not....I'm not gonna try anything!"
he sputtered.
"What do you want with Michael?? Huh?!!" Slugg
shouted angrily.
Over in a corner, Mrs. Danado held her breath,
praying feverishly that the man with the paper
would simply be still and not cause any more
trouble. But she could tell by the look in his eyes
that he wasn't through.
"I-I just wanna tell Michael... to remember...th-thats
all," the man said, bracing himself for another blow.
"What!?" Slugg's face went sour. Thinking that he had
been betrayed he spun around to look at Michael.
"What's he talkin bout man? Remember what?"
Puzzled, Michael shook his head slowly then glanced
over at the man on the floor. "I don't know what he talking
bout man! That dude's crazy!"
"Well...we gotta get out of here." Slugg said, looking around.
Silence.
"C'mon, grab the bag of mo-"
"No!" Michael shouted.
Stunned, everyone in the little store grew quiet. All eyes
were on Slugg whose glare was fixed upon Michael.
"We gotta give up man." Michael said, forcing
himself to face his freind.
You gotta be kid'n me." Slugg said. "Give up!?
Are you crazy? I ain't goin back to no jail!"
Scanning the store again, Slugg found Mrs. Danado
huddled behind the counter, shaking her eyes clenched
tight.
"We could use the old lady as a hostage-" he suggested
waving the gun in her direction.
"No!" The man with the paper shouted. " I-I mean..you...
you don't want to do that Slugg."
Mrs. Danado's eyes flew open looking desperately
for the man with the paper. She didn't want to die
this way! She didn't want to die on some dirty cold
floor. She had young children at home who
needed her!
"And what do you know about it!!" Slugg yelled.
"U-Use me as hostage...let the lady go." the man offered.
"Take me...a-and let the lady go."
"No!" the young boy interrupted, "It's over man. You said
this was going to be easy...easy money! But we got
caught! We busted man!"
"You turning on me?" Slugg pointed the gun at Michael.
Michael, threw his hands up in frustration."I'm not turning
on you dog! But I can't go through with this. I thought
it was going to be easy..you said it would be easy man!"
He drew in a tired breath knowing that things had gotten
way out of hand.
"Look Slugg" he said trying to reason. "my old man
was murdered some months ago...som-somebody
killed him and the police still don't know who done it!
My old lady is depending on me now. She needs me
man. I have a little brother to help take care of too.
Um all they got. "
Slugg paused for a moment, his eyes searching
that of his young companion.
"So we ain't down no mo?" he asked suddenly.
"Not like this man." Michael said, shaking his
head, "it's over."
"Police!" A voice from the police mega phone
echoed loudly from outside, "Come out with your
hands up!!"
A deathly silence filled the store. Slugg stood glaring
over at his friend, his mind wavering in indecision. He
glance at the plastic bag they had over-stuffed with
money and he grabbed it.
"I'm going for it man.....with you or with out you!" he shouted
sprinting for the back door.
"Slugg!" the man with the paper struggled to stand.
But it was too late. Slugg had already bolted out
the back door and into the night. The bag of money
he held tight in his grip, the gun in the other hand.
"This is the Chicago Police!" the mega phone resonated
loudly from outside. " Stop where you are! Put down
your weapon!.... This is your second warning! Put down
your weapon and raise your hands....NOW!! "
Outside the sound of police sirens wailed noisily.
But inside an eerie silence engulfed the tiny little store
as the next sound that was heard, made everyone's
heart stop.
Pop!
The lone sound of a single gun shot could be heard,
followed quickly by the sound of several rounds of
shots, piercing the air.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! POP!!
Mrs. Danado screamed, covering her head
with arms. She opened her eyes slowly and glanced
over at the young man who had slunk to the floor
with his back against a wall. His knees were drawn
up to his chest and the knife he held was on the floor
at his feet.
Her eyes quickly sought the man with the paper
surprised to find that was reading. He glanced up
and over at her, then turning his attention to the
young boy.
"You-You alright Michael." he asked quietly.
Michael didn't answer.
"You did the right thing---"
"Did I ?!!!" the boy shouted and glanced up to look
at him. "Slugg's gone man...they shot him!"
The man with the paper drew in a deep breath exhaling
it slowly. "I-I think things are going to be okay" he
grimaced in pain as he slid the paper back into his
coat.
Mrs. Danado sighed, feeling a sudden relief wash
over her. She couldn't help but feel that maybe the
man with the paper knew something more. That
maybe everything was going to be all right.
*****************
"So--what were you doing at the Quick Shop Mart
this late at night Hobson?" Brigatti inquired, stirring
a styro foamed cup filled with hot black coffee,"Buying
slushys?"
To be continued........................