Phoenix, September 1971
F.B.I. Agents Campbell and Maxwell crouched behind the counter of the dirty desert diner. Ceramic shards and hot drops of coffee rained down on them, as bullets flew over head.
"I've got three more years till retirement," Campbell shouted out to Maxwell. Although they were close together, the sounds of guns firing and the screams of the young waitresses made it difficult to even hear the pounding of their accelerated heartbeats.
"My wife and I came down here for the weather, and nice real estate. Look what we get! Dirtbags and drug runners!"
Bill looked at his partner. He was getting old, and probably appreciated desk duty more and more with every passing day. Still, he was a good shot. As the bullets came to a momentary pause, Bill nudged his partner, silently giving him a signal meaning "Quick, cover me, I'm going in while they're busy reloading."
Campbell quickly stood up, and rested his elbows on the laminated countertop, steadying his aim. He fired several shots across the metal frame diner. Bill, still crouched on the ground, crawled across the floor down the length of the counter until he made it to the door to the kitchen. Checking to make sure his partner still had him covered, he quickly rushed into the kitchen just in time to see a tall long-haired man in jeans and a t-shirt dragging a screaming, frightened waitress through the back service entrance.
"Oh, no you don't, Jackie Baby..."
Racing after them, he stopped in his tracks just as he left the diner. Standing behind a car, the thug held up a pistol at the woman's temple, as he fumbled at opening the door.
"You better let me go, copper, or I'm gonna have to waste this pretty lady!"
Bill, knew a hostage situation was the last thing he wanted. "Let her go, Jack. It'll go down a lot easier on you if you do. You don't wanna add kidnapping to drug running now, do you?"
"You're in no position to negotiate, man!" Jackie yelled back, as he pushed the pistol against her head, making a sharp indentation in her skin. "Drop your gun!"
Bill, without an alternative, dropped his weapon and held up his hands. The waitress was pushed into the front seat while her captor kept an eye on the agent.
"Kick the gun away!" Jackie yelled at Maxwell. "Kick it back towards the diner." Running out of scenarios, the agent kicked the weapon away, as he watched the thug kick at the girl, forcing her over to the other side of the front seat.
"Now over there..." The thug directed Maxwell to move, as he climbed into the car. Jackie fumbled with his keys with his right hand, and held a gun towards Maxwell with the left. He didn't notice the girl reaching for the passenger side door handle. As she opened the door to escape, he turned to fire at her. It was just enough time for Bill to reach for his second sidearm, draw, and fire.
Campbell rushed out to the back parking lot, only to find Maxwell standing over the girl. He could tell his young partner was angry at both the dead assailant, and at himself. Campbell knew Maxwell would feel guilty that he couldn't stop what had just happened.
"Jackie's dead. She's shot, but not serious." Maxwell applied pressure to the girl's arm. "What about his friends inside?"
Campbell almost laughed. "I got the two of them handcuffed in a booth."
"Good, Campbell," Bill said, as if he had suddenly received a field promotion. "Go call for some backup."
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Bill slowly walked out of Klein's office, crossed the hall, and headed for his desk. By the look on his face, he had been severely reprimanded.
"What did he have to say, Bill?"
"Nothing."
Campbell could tell that was far from the truth.
"Bill, don't let Klein get to you. Listen to me. He's a real jerk!"
Bill turned to his partner, and shot him an angry look. Although they had been through a lot together over the past few months, he couldn't understand why Campbell hated Klein so much.
Gaining his composure, Bill straightened his suit jacket and took a deep breath. "He says I should have called in for back up sooner."
"What does he know, Bill? He wasn't there. I was. You did what had to be done! You did it all by the book!"
"He says that there was no need for Jackie to be killed." Bill bit his lower lip, took in another deep breath, and nodded his head. "I messed up, Campbell. I did." He turned his back on Campbell, pulled out a cigarette from his suit pocket, and lit up.
"And you really think that's why he's upset." By the tone of Campbell's voice, it was more of a statement than a question. "Maybe he's upset that we closed the case before he could show up on the scene."
Bill was somewhere between angry and depressed. "What are you talking about? I messed up! That's all. He says I'm lucky he doesn't throw the book at me." Bill looked at his partner, took another puff at his cigarette, rubbed it out. With one last look at his partner, Bill headed for the elevator and left the building.
Campbell stood in the office, looking around at all the other agents seated at their desks. They all stared up at him, having witnessed what had just happened. They knew if someone was going to tell Maxwell what Klein was doing, it should come from Campbell. They all felt disappointed that Bill was unwilling to listen to reason.
The young agent, bound by duty, was unswayed in his loyalty to his commander and boss. And no one, not even his partner, could convince him otherwise.
Continued
