CHAPTER 17


   As Norm looked up at the sign he was starting to get the impression that Jake Barton was taunting him. This place was the next on the list of video’s that Jessica Walsh had broadcast from. Jake had even milled around in the background of the video, right next to the barred front window of the business, almost in the exact spot that Norm was now standing. Norm was halfway surprised the guy didn’t moon the camera, stick his tongue out, or shoot a bird. Now that Norm saw what this place was, an electronics repair shop, he fully understood that Jake did not have too. Given Norm’s disability when it came to gadgets, the entire store was Jake’s middle finger!
“Sorry cocksucker,” Norm mumbled to himself as he hit the button on his phone that dialed the station. “Tell me I can’t use electronics,” he mumbled some more until Leslie picked up on the other side of the call. She did not sound very happy ether but, Norm being Norm, simply told her, “I don’t care. Where’s Cal?”
“Well,” Leslie sounded up beat if just not a bit angry, “he just left to go down to the city jail. It would seem that Amy and Garcia won a lovely get away, for two, in the holding tank. Something about, oh, let me see if I remember it all. Um, we have obstruction of justice, illegal concealment of firearms, vandalism of government property, and of course we can’t forget a felony car theft charge!” Then she sounded almost confused when she said, “and I still haven’t figured out where the contributing to the delinquency of a minor came from. Shannon’s not even here!”
Norm took a very good look at his nearby friends while he listened to Leslie. Something was not quite right about them and it revolved around the fact that Norm recognized at least one of them. What made him even more nervous was the fact that one of the three guys in that car was also on a phone. Norm did not like this. The entire set up stank to high hell. He was going to kill Jake if he ever found the ass hole!
Norm just put it out of his mind and then asked Leslie, “what about Bob?”
“Oh,” Leslie sounded even more perky. “This one I really haven’t figured out. His wife called. She wanted to let us know that she would be dropping him off back here at the station, just as soon as she took him his clothes.” Leslie paused for a second. It was almost like Norm could hear the girl thinking on the end of the phone. Then she said in a more subdued tone, “not that him being here will do a lot of good, seeing as how all of the stations cars are gone now. They vanished right along with Amy and Garcia.”
One of the guys, in the car that Norm was watching, was doing something that Norm was not exactly happy about. Norm was starting to get nervous and he was sizing up everybody that he saw. He was also making a mental note of the stores, alleys, and any place else that might offer shelter should that become necessary. He wanted to wander back over to where he had parked his car but, that was not in the cards for right now.
As Norm took stock of his situation he did manage to tell Leslie, “don’t you go to worrying about all that. I’ll take care of the situation. You just sit your ass right there in ops and do what you’re supposed too.”
“Yeah,” she did not sound convinced and that made Norm wonder if he had been wrong about her this morning. Leslie then put it to him, “like you handled all that bullshit this morning Norm? Come on, why don’t you tell me what this is really all about?”
“I don’t have to tell you nothing girl,” Norm shot back. He then asked, “speaking of which, who did you tell about that little incident from this morning?”
“Not a soul,” Leslie replied with a deep and cutting voice, “and the main reason is, I’m not even sure what happened this morning.”
“You’re doing good kid,” Norm told her in a rushed tone. “Just keep it that way.” He hung up the phone as the car, that he had been watching, pulled out from the curb and began to slowly roll closer. As Norm thought might happen, that vehicle was joined by two others that had appeared to just be driving by until they made radical swerves, all at Norm.
Norm took a quick step towards the nearest door. He had his hand in his windbreaker and on his pistol. Fortunately he did not feel the need to pull it out just yet. None of the passengers, of any of the vehicles, got out. They were deliberately letting him know this was not an attempt to kill him. Norman eased his hand back out and, finally, a single car door opened. One man got out and Norm knew him. It was Hyrum Kingsley’s main body guard, the guy everybody just called Baxter.
The man took his sun glasses off and put them away in his coat. He walked up to Norm as if this was any normal encounter with someone that you knew and happened upon. He stood relaxed with his hands clasped in front of him. Norm recognized a relatively peaceful gesture when he saw it but, at the same time, Norm also knew this guy could afford it. Norm counted seven guys with him and there was very little chance that their unseen hands were empty.
Baxter almost sounded bland as he announced, “Mister Scoggins. My employer wishes to have a few words with you.”
Norm acted surprised but, in truth, he was even more so than he acted, “he does? Let me ask you this Baxter. Did Hyrum ever learn how to use a phone? I only ask cause half the time I can’t figure mine out for shit.”
From Baxter’s body language it was quite obvious that he was not amused. He simply stated in a polite but firm tone, “I’m sorry Mister Scoggins. Did I leave you with the impression that we were asking?”
“Not really,” Norm told him. “Unless of course you are, in which case, the answer is…” Baxter’s quite bland expression did not change a bit. Norm smiled, “I’d love too.” Norm then mumbled under his breath, “Jake if I find you I’m going to kick your ass.” Of all the things that Norm had been expecting from today, this was not one of them.