Chapter Ten
Zane
Immediately,I rein Batman in and shift our path to run against the buildings. As soon as we reach the corner, I position my back against the wall and peer around the edge.
There is a sixteen-foot chain link fence cutting off the teens escape. He is trying to scale it. He has his fingers latched on, but he dangles less than halfway up unable to get a foot hold.
I step around the corner with Batman heeling, take aim, and shout again, “DROP YOUR WEAPON! GET ON THE GROUND OR I WILL RELEASE THE DOG AND YOU WILL BE BIT."
The teen looks over his shoulder.
The sound of police sirens in the distance fills the silence.
I repeat my command as we walk forward. “DROP YOUR WEAPON! GET ON THE GROUND OR I WILL RELEASE THE DOG AND YOU WILL BE BIT!”
Batman begins to bark, pulling against the leash, wanting to apprehend the bad guy.
The teen panics and begins climbing the fence.
Batman and I run forward. “DROP YOUR WEAPON! GET ON THE GROUND OR I WILL RELEASE THE DOG AND YOU WILL BE BIT!”
The teen reaches the top and manages to find enough footing to hook his arm over the top bar. He looks back down at me and starts to laugh, thinking he has escaped.
I unhook Batman’s leash and command, “ATTACK!”
The teen panics again when he sees Batman leap, landing halfway up the fence, then runs up it, scaling the distance. Just as he hoists his torso over the top bar, Batman bites his leg.
The teen doubles over the rail and screams with pain. Batman is latched on and he will not let go.
Knowing the teen can’t reach for his gun, I hoist mine back in my waist band, then roll the lease up as I run to the fence. I hook it over my shoulder as I look up at the teen.
He looks down on me and screams, “GET HIM OFF! GET HIM OFF ME!”
With Batman’s weight pulling on his leg, the fence is sunk into the teens stomach. Wedged between his hips and his ribcage. He is stuck. He can’t pull himself over, nor can he push himself back off.
“Don’t move. I’m coming up.” I latch onto the fence and climb. I approach him from the opposite side of Batman, and hook my arm over the fence, then pull his gun out from his waist band and unload it. The bullet from the clip drops to the ground, and I eject the clip, letting it fall too. Then I throw the gun out into the parking lot and hoist myself to straddle the fence.
I talk to the young man. “What’s your name?”
“Tyrone.”
“Okay, Tyrone. We can do this one of two ways. The easy way or the hard way. The easy way is the dog releases your leg, and everyone climbs back down where you will immediately spread eagle, face down on the ground, and surrender. Understanding that if you flee again, the dog will apprehend you again. Or I can let the two of hang here until backup arrives. What’s it going to be?”
“Please! Get the dog off! I’m sorry! I’m sorry.”
“Do you have any other weapons on you?”
“There’s a pocket knife in my front pocket.”
“Anything else in your pockets?”
“A meth pipe.”
“Okay. I’m going to get the knife. Which pocket?” I lean over, stick my hand into his left pocket and remove the knife, then toss it with the gun. “Anything other weapons?”
“No, sir.”
“Sit tight. I’m going to release the dog.” I throw my legs back over and lower myself to Batman. His teeth are sunk deep into the teen’s calf and his paws rest on the fence.
