Shotgun Willy, Part II, Short Story

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Chanp

The muggy evening, just after twilight, settled the scent of the bad guy who was running from the crime scene. The smell of his body hovered over the ground where it patiently waited until I was able to summon the police K9 dog to find the bad guy who was on the loose. 

Moments before hand, a young robbery suspect entered a local conveninence store, brandished a shot gun at a startled convenience store clerk. and robbed the store. The sight of staring down the barrel of a shot gun frighten the clerk into a shock which gave the bad guy exactly what he wanted- total cooperation. 

SHOTGUN WILLY: PART II

As the bad guys scent settled on the bottom of the ground activity was all around setting up a net to catch him in case the dog can’t. 

I looked at my map that I always keep in my patrol car to make sure I have all egress covered. And by the looks of it, we should have him trapped. I was so eager to run in the hoodlums direction but I knew the dog would do his job,

The K9 officer arrived with his trusty partner “Bean” after about 15 minutes. The humidity was so thick the scent of the bad guy wasn’t going to dissipate into the night. I knew time was on our side. But I wanted to go right away none the less, without hesitation. 

“Hey Officer Fusaro, how is going?” the K9 officer said to me cool and calm. His partner Bean barking from inside the SUV. He already knew it was time to play.

“A lot better then that store clerk,” I said pointing with my thumb over my left should.

The clerk was sitting on the ground just outside the stores door. He hung his head between his knees. The adrenaline rushing out of his body and the shock setting in as the realization of what just occurred began to settle in.

“Well,” K9 Bill said as he reached in for the dog, “lets get this started.”

He spits out his chewing tobacco on the ground and it splatters just outside of the door where his dog Bean will jump out. 

Bean is a lean German Shepard with a gorgeous body of flowing hair. He had a long black snout that would crinkle with every bark, exposing his pearly white K9 teeth. He was ready to play. As Bean jumped out of the SUV, he allowed his front paws to kneel down, while his hind legs were still in the door way. With his long red tongue he licked up the remaining tobacco that his handler had just discarded from his own mouth, and began to move along the store front wall. Picking up the scent from the shotgun welding bad guy.

“Palms West my self and K9 are beginning our track north bound from the last point of sight.” I said. My adrenaline pumping so hard I was practically out of breath. I could easily have been panting as hard as Bean I was so excited and scared.

The dispatcher repeated what I said word for word as we began to move forward had a hectic pace. Bean had caught his trail and we were on our way to get the shotgun Willy.

“Palms West we’re at a fast pace, running through the field towards the northeast perimeter.”

I give updates on the radio so the officers know where we are and what direction we are moving in. Especially if we are moving towards a particular area where officers are waiting. 

The perimeter was set up about a mile and half in each direction to allow a greater net. The net can be moved larger or smaller or in another direction if the dogs track moves into a different position. This moment is so fluid, so dynamic you never know which way we may go. We rely only on Bean to be our eyes, ears and nose on the ground. Of course the helicopter up above has a birds eye view and he’s protecting us from high in the sky. 

“We are at a fast pace moving in a residential neighborhood. We are about a mile out from the edge of the perimeter. The dog has a great track.”

My voice is labored. I’m not as lean as the K9 Officer Bill or the dog Bean. I keep up though my gun drawn at a low ready position in case shogun Willy springs up out of a secret place.

“K9, K9,” the helicopter pilot says,” I have a bright spot on the Flir system just about 200 yards east of your position.”

Flir is thermography heat imaging, capable of picking up body head in thick brush.

We make are way to the area where the helicopter pilot is picking up the head, however Bean’s track cools so we decide to go back where we left off.

“Palms West we are jumping over the 6’ 52nd Street wall.”

The track was moving fast and we were closing in on the edge of the perimeter. The last thing we want to do is push the perimeter back because that means he set up just outside our hot zone and he could be gone. 

Bean begins to turn north west sharply. Its a great sign it means that shotgun Willy is in the perimeter. He is moving away from it in the other direction. Which is bad for us because now will begin running another mile and half in the other direction. We’d have covered 3 miles in a full run thus far. 

“Palms West place 2 police units south of us off Palms Blvd in case the suspect is back tracking. Hawk how’s my perimeter,” I ask the helicopter pilot.

“Solid.”

Just what I want to hear. Bean stopped for a second to catch a break. It was a relief. Bill was deciding if we needed another K9 in relief but decided he’d let Bean finish.

Bean had slowed down so it could have meant he was tired or shotgun Willy was tired and slowed his pace. We were betting on Willy’s tiredness. That meant he was in the area. Was he laying in the tall grass waiting to ambush us? Is he sleeping? Holed up somewhere? He had to be somewhere near, we felt. 

“K9, we have some movement about 50 yards south of you. There is nothing else in the area but the imaging suggests it may be human.” Our partners high above announced.

We raise our guns and begin to slowly and tactically move towards the hot spot. With the twilight turned to night now. The only sunshine on this night was the candle spotlight from the helicopter. 

We moved slow and methodically, inch by inch, crouched down low in case there is gun fire. Bill stops and kneels to the ground. He turns to me and says, “I’m gonna let Bean go after this announcement be careful of gun fire and cross fire and please, watch for my dog.”

I nodded my head and did my best to pierce through the darkness of night with my vision. 

“This is the sheriffs department, I’m gonna let the dog go. Come out with your hands up!”

Bill shouts over the helicopter high above. The only sound I hear is the wind rushing down form the copter blades as it sways the grass back and forth. Bean is barking manically . And then- he’s released.

Without hesitation Bean runs the last 30 yards of the field like a break away running back. 25 yards - He’s in full stride

20 yards- Beans tongue is hanging out. He is so fast he is partially airborne.

15 yards- The helicopter spot light catches him in full run. The light shines on him like he is on a world stage.

10 yards- Bean cuts through the brush and faces the end game.

5 yards- He is no longer on scent, this act is fully on sight as he sees shotgun willy.

Before shotgun Willy can react Bean leaps in the air and latched on the first piece of flesh he comes in contact with and clamps on tightly! 

TOUCHDOWN- down goes Willy! Down goes Willy!

The game is over. The bad guy is caught. Shotgun Willy is in jail and all is right back in the world. No matter what happens tomorrow, we have won tonight.

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