AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 73
I walked tothe edge of the National Mall, where two of my three new friends with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Special Investigations unit had told me to meet them.
David Swinson and Nancy Gorant were standing with two big, uniformed officers. One of them, a muscular black man about thirty, looked bored. The other uniformed cop, a white guy a few years younger but just as big and muscular, looked excited. If I’d had to choose, I would’ve chosen the bored one. Bored veterans cause fewer problems than enthusiastic rookies. But to be honest, the idea of seeing Jeremy Pugh in handcuffs made me kind of excited as well.
Nancy Gorant said, “I’m going to go with them. Maybe he’ll be less likely to cause problems if there’s a woman talking to him.”
Dave Swinson let out a good laugh. “That’s bullshit. You just want to be there to get a good lick in if this mope tries anything. You’re hoping you can get in your workout during company time.”
Nancy just smiled and shrugged.
I knew I’d do nothing but upset the big asswipe. I stayed put. I was content to stand thirty feet away with Detective Swinson and watch.
There was a fair amount of activity on the mall today. Competing groups protested various issues. Others were on the mall as well: tourists, two groups of schoolchildren, and what looked like residents of a retirement home on a field trip. Even with all the people, I figured we were close enough to see and hear what would happen during the arrest.
Swinson said to Detective Gorant and the two uniformed cops, “You guys don’t want to call in any more help? He’s a pretty big dude.”
The big black cop said, “Shit no. He might not resist if there’s too many of us. We’ve got to give him a chance.”
I liked the cop’s sly smile as he said it. I also liked his confidence.
I watched as the detective, now wearing her badge on the outside of her shirt and showing her pistol on her hip, approached Jeremy Pugh. The two big uniformed cops flanked her.
The first thing she did was pull an old police trick. She said his name in a sweet, sexy voice to confirm it was him. As soon as she said, “Jeremy Pugh,” like Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Pugh turned to look at her. That was his mistake.
I could see the smile spread across Nancy Gorant’s face. Immediately, both the uniformed cops stepped up to either side of Pugh.
The tall black cop said in a professional tone, “Please turn around and place your hands behind your back.”
Pugh didn’t move.
In a slightly louder voice, the cop repeated his command. But he added the dreaded “Do it now.”
Jeremy Pugh looked outraged more than anything else. He stared at the cop, then said in a loud voice, “No, you don’t understand. I’m here for America.” He still didn’t move his arms, and he had to look up slightly at the big cop. “What are you doing? I’m out here helping your people.”
Now it was the cop’s turn to look astonished. “My people?”
“Yeah, black people. Black lives matter, man.”
“You also protest when a black cop is murdered?”
That earned the cop a blank stare from Jeremy Pugh. The other cop forced Pugh’s arms behind his back.
The black cop said, “Time to go to jail, Gandhi. Maybe you’ll be able to help us from inside.”
Pugh yanked his arms away from the cop trying to cuff him. He jumped back a few feet from the cops. He shouted, “This is bullshit! They’re trying to silence me! We live in a Nazi state!” He looked around, trying to gain some support from the crowd. He found little. Even the other Burning Land people looked away or wandered off. Everyone’s a tough guy until the cops show up.
The black cop kept his voice calm. “I’ll give you another chance to comply.”
I’ll admit, there was some part of me that wanted to see this cop punch Jeremy Pugh in the face. The memories of him peeing on my back and confronting me at my hotel kept flashing in my mind.
Instead of seeing a big muscle-bound cop pound Jeremy Pugh, I got a more enjoyable show.
While Pugh focused on the cop talking to him and tried to make his case to the crowd, Detective Gorant quietly slipped around to the rear of Pugh. She gave some kind of signal to the two uniformed cops. They both took a couple of steps back. That made Pugh think he had scared them away. He never even looked behind him.
The attractive detective calmly placed her foot between his legs and then jerked his right arm so that he tripped and fell facedown on the ground quickly. She had his hand cranked behind his back before he could even let out a yelp.
Pugh squirmed in the armlock. The detective leaned in close and said, “Put your other arm behind your back.”
When Pugh didn’t act immediately, she twisted his right arm a little more. That got the reaction she wanted. In a matter of seconds, he was handcuffed and yanked to his feet.
And I was down one suspect in a homicide.
