behind him.
“Hey, that's some asshole you're givin' us to babysit,” said Rocky.
“Just remember he's on our side for now, Rock,” said Robin.
“I know, I know,” Rocky replied, smiling at Robin as he stood up. He told Ernie he would be right back and walked out the door. Ernie then launched a soliloquy about how Robin and the Phoenix Police brass were giving him ulcers because he was always in the middle of their disputes. Robin just smiled as he stood up and got ready to leave with Emmett and John. Emmett opened the door just as Rocky returned with an innocuous Cordura case everyone knew contained a Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun.
“Rocky, I thought you and your Sig .45 could handle anything,” kidded Emmett.
“We can handle any amount of assholes up to ten. After that we require only minimal assistance.”
“Heeeey,” said Marv in a hurt voice.
“Excuse me, Marv. I'm, of course, speaking for my associate also.”
“So you and Marv can only handle ten assholes at once?” Robin asked innocently.
“We are simply trying to be modest,” said Rocky with a sweeping bow.
“Gentlemen, your modesty is overwhelming,” said Robin with a return bow.
Everybody broke out in laughter again. Robin gave an informal salute and closed the door behind the leaving officers.
“Do you think that's really necessary, Rocky?” asked Ernie, pointing to the MP5.
Rocky looked at his sergeant with a serious look. “Maybe not today, Sarge, but as pissed off as Rodriguez is gonna be, it won't be long.”
Ernie took a long, deep breath and nodded.
FIVE
Robin fought to stay awake. The engine and the air conditioner droned hypnotically as he drove through sparse traffic on the freeway. He turned up the police radio so the incessant chatter would annoy him. It didn't work very well. Normally, Robin maintained awareness of his surroundings, but not at this moment.
A constant replay of the recent events streamed through his mind, evoking a rainbow of emotion: the excitement and satisfaction of a good bust, the anticipation of the upcoming investigation, the disquiet of Rodriguez's possible revenge. The stream stopped and Robin's mind focused on Rodriguez. He wondered if Rodriguez knew about his brother yet. Robin mulled over his possible reactions and wondered how he would find out. Who would be the unlucky messenger? Robin didn't doubt Rodriguez could throw some serious shit into the game. “Well, Miguel,” Robin said aloud, “you better make it good, because we're going to take your ass down and take it down hard.” A grim smile formed on Robin's lips.
Robin turned the corner onto his street. It worried him slightly that he did not really remember driving the last couple of miles. He parked his van, turned off the engine, and just sat there for a minute. Exhausted, he opened the door and slowly climbed out. As he started for his front door, a loud, young voice yelled “Dad!” from behind him. Robin turned around and saw his ten-year-old son Eddie rocketing towards him on a bike. When Eddie got close to his father, he slammed on his brakes and skidded to a halt with a giant grin. One look at Eddie positively proved his lineage. It made Robin intensely proud.
“Hey Dad, remember you said we were going to play some baseball today?”
“Yes, I remember, Eddie.”
“Well, can Aaron and Bobby play too?”
Robin felt pangs of guilt he'd felt far too many times before. “I can't play right now, son. I've been up all night and I need some sleep.”
“Ahwww, Dad!”
Robin could see tears building in his son's eyes. He put his arms around Eddie, who buried his face into his father's chest. “We were very busy last night. Let me get some sleep and if it's still light out when I wake up, we'll play some ball. It will be cooler then anyway.”
Eddie looked up into Robin's eyes. “Okay, Dad.” He got back on his bike. “Did you catch any bad guys last night?”
“We caught some big time bad guys last
“Hey, that's some asshole you're givin' us to babysit,” said Rocky.
“Just remember he's on our side for now, Rock,” said Robin.
“I know, I know,” Rocky replied, smiling at Robin as he stood up. He told Ernie he would be right back and walked out the door. Ernie then launched a soliloquy about how Robin and the Phoenix Police brass were giving him ulcers because he was always in the middle of their disputes. Robin just smiled as he stood up and got ready to leave with Emmett and John. Emmett opened the door just as Rocky returned with an innocuous Cordura case everyone knew contained a Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun.
“Rocky, I thought you and your Sig .45 could handle anything,” kidded Emmett.
“We can handle any amount of assholes up to ten. After that we require only minimal assistance.”
“Heeeey,” said Marv in a hurt voice.
“Excuse me, Marv. I'm, of course, speaking for my associate also.”
“So you and Marv can only handle ten assholes at once?” Robin asked innocently.
“We are simply trying to be modest,” said Rocky with a sweeping bow.
“Gentlemen, your modesty is overwhelming,” said Robin with a return bow.
Everybody broke out in laughter again. Robin gave an informal salute and closed the door behind the leaving officers.
“Do you think that's really necessary, Rocky?” asked Ernie, pointing to the MP5.
Rocky looked at his sergeant with a serious look. “Maybe not today, Sarge, but as pissed off as Rodriguez is gonna be, it won't be long.”
Ernie took a long, deep breath and nodded.
FIVE
Robin fought to stay awake. The engine and the air conditioner droned hypnotically as he drove through sparse traffic on the freeway. He turned up the police radio so the incessant chatter would annoy him. It didn't work very well. Normally, Robin maintained awareness of his surroundings, but not at this moment.
A constant replay of the recent events streamed through his mind, evoking a rainbow of emotion: the excitement and satisfaction of a good bust, the anticipation of the upcoming investigation, the disquiet of Rodriguez's possible revenge. The stream stopped and Robin's mind focused on Rodriguez. He wondered if Rodriguez knew about his brother yet. Robin mulled over his possible reactions and wondered how he would find out. Who would be the unlucky messenger? Robin didn't doubt Rodriguez could throw some serious shit into the game. “Well, Miguel,” Robin said aloud, “you better make it good, because we're going to take your ass down and take it down hard.” A grim smile formed on Robin's lips.
Robin turned the corner onto his street. It worried him slightly that he did not really remember driving the last couple of miles. He parked his van, turned off the engine, and just sat there for a minute. Exhausted, he opened the door and slowly climbed out. As he started for his front door, a loud, young voice yelled “Dad!” from behind him. Robin turned around and saw his ten-year-old son Eddie rocketing towards him on a bike. When Eddie got close to his father, he slammed on his brakes and skidded to a halt with a giant grin. One look at Eddie positively proved his lineage. It made Robin intensely proud.
“Hey Dad, remember you said we were going to play some baseball today?”
“Yes, I remember, Eddie.”
“Well, can Aaron and Bobby play too?”
Robin felt pangs of guilt he'd felt far too many times before. “I can't play right now, son. I've been up all night and I need some sleep.”
“Ahwww, Dad!”
Robin could see tears building in his son's eyes. He put his arms around Eddie, who buried his face into his father's chest. “We were very busy last night. Let me get some sleep and if it's still light out when I wake up, we'll play some ball. It will be cooler then anyway.”
Eddie looked up into Robin's eyes. “Okay, Dad.” He got back on his bike. “Did you catch any bad guys last night?”
“We caught some big time bad guys last
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