High Risk by G.K. Parks (books for 10th graders TXT) 📕

“Okay, calm down.”

“Calm down?” he hissed. “You told me this guy killed somebody.”

“Why didn’t you call the police?” I spotted the man, but he wouldn’t turn away from the shelves. He didn’t want anyone to see him or recognize him. Perhaps he was waiting for a lull so he could kill the owner. After all, the liquor store owner might be the only person alive who could ID him.

“How? You think I should make the call right in front of him?”

“Do you have a cell phone?”

He fished it out of his pocket. “This building is cinderblock on three sides. I can’t get a signal out.”

I checked my bars, but he was right. “What about a back door?” I pointed to the illuminated exit sign behind him.

“It has an alarm. The moment I open it, it’ll trigger lockdown. Emergency lights, sirens, the whole shebang. I was afraid to do anything that might set him off. I figured if I waited long enough, he’d just leave. I tried to get someone to go for help, but none of my customers took their receipt. None of them. What is wrong with these people?”

Removing my gun from my holster, I blew out a breath. I couldn’t leave an armed killer inside a store with civilians. I had to stay here to protect them. “Sir, here’s what I need you to do. Clear out the rest of your customers, then go out the back door, and call 9-1-1. Tell them the situation. Tell them the suspect in today’s murder spree is inside your liquor store. Tell them a plainclothes officer is inside and to send immediate backup. Do you understand?”

“Murder spree?” He paled. “What are you going to do?”

“Make sure everyone remains breathing.”

The bell above the door chimed. Dammit. More people had just entered. I had to prevent this psycho from opening fire. But I couldn’t announce, or that’d be the first thing he’d do. I’d have to subdue him quickly and quietly, but that would be easier once we were alone. Making a move on him now would only lead to violence and potential casualties.

“Get rid of them. I need you to stay calm and act like everything is normal. Can you do that for me?” I asked.

He nodded and went back into the store. I stepped out of the storage room, but the shelves around the rear door were too tall for me to see over. The owner must have done that intentionally to conceal the storeroom and keep customers out, but it didn’t provide any tactical advantages. If anything, it was a detriment. I checked my phone again for a signal.

I tried calling dispatch, but the call wouldn’t connect. The owner wasn’t kidding about the cinderblock. Dread filled me as another thought crept into my mind. Brad said the killers used a jammer. Was this their next target?

The liquor store owner handed the brown paper sack to his newest customers, and the two men left in a hurry. I moved toward the cooler doors, hoping to keep an eye on the suspect, but he had moved deeper down the aisle. From here, I could only glimpse his back. Average build and dark hair. He could have been the asshole who shot at me inside the subway station, but I wasn’t positive.

The couple continued to bicker, and the suspect turned down the next aisle and out of my line of sight. “Why don’t you get one of each? My treat. Tell the clerk to put it on my tab,” I said to them.

“Seriously?” the guy asked.

“Yeah.”

“Thanks, lady.” He grabbed two different twelve packs.

His girlfriend smiled at me. “I thought we’d be here all night.”

“Come on, Crista.” He headed to the counter, and she followed after him.

I crossed to the other side of the store, but the man had moved down the next aisle, almost as if he knew to avoid me. Once the couple left, the owner headed toward the back. I moved to intercept the suspect, but the owner grabbed my arm. His eyes showed fear, and I backstepped until we were concealed behind the tall shelves.

“You need to go. Now.” I didn’t have time to ask how much money the liquor store had on the premises or why the killers would target this store. “Call for help as soon as you’re safe. Don’t stop for anyone.” Since the killer had an accomplice, I didn’t know if he had someone else waiting out back, but I hoped not. As it was, we were on a clock. Since the killer had been staking out the store for nearly an hour, we had to be getting close to go-time, and even if we weren’t, the patrol car I called for would spook them. And when these guys spooked, they got trigger happy, or so I’d learned this morning.

“There’s one more thing you should know,” the owner said as he reached the emergency exit. “There’s two of them now. A second guy wandered inside. I saw his reflection in the mirror. He went right to the man with the gun. They’re whispering about something.”

“Shit.” I jerked my chin at the door. “Hurry. Go.”

My heart hammered against my ribs. By now, backup should be close. As soon as the liquor store owner called 9-1-1, this location would become a priority. I just had to hold out until then. It’d be okay. Everything would be okay. I took a deep breath and gripped my gun. These bastards wouldn’t harm anyone else. Not if I could help it.

A part of me thought about going out the front and waiting it out, but the moment the alarm sounded, I knew that was no longer an option. The emergency exit triggered an alarm, causing the regular lights to dim and the emergency flashing lights to turn on, along with the