Waist Deep

56

It was fully dark by the time I pulled up in front of RogerJackson’s place and turned off the car.

“What are we doing here?” Kris asked.“I thought you were taking me home.”

“I am.But I left Roger in a delicate situation.Besides, he needs to know that the deal we’ve made extends to him, too.”

She shrugged and looked up at the house.

“Kris?”

“Huh?”

“You don’t know a girl named Linda, do you?”

She turned to face me.“No.Why?”

I shook my head.“It doesn’t matter.”

“Okay,” she said.“Do you want me to come in with you or wait in the car?”

I considered for a moment, then decided that she was probably not going anywhere.I started to answer her when I heard the pounding of heavy boots. Someone swung my car door violently open.

“Don’t you move, scumbag!” a deep voice brayed at me.“Hands on the steering wheel!Now!”

I moved my hands slowly toward the wheel and grasped it lightly.Beside me, Kris’s eyes grew wide as her door flew open, too.

“Outta the car, missy,” another gruff voice told her.

A single file line of men in black fatigues trotted quickly up RogerJackson’s walkway.All the men were helmeted and wore goggles.The lead man carried a ballistic shield.The second man carried a black battering ram with white lettering on the side that read “Knock, knock.”The rest of the men carried assorted weaponry.

It was a police raid and we were caught right in the middle of it.

I glanced over at Kris, who was staring back at me.Her eyes were wide with surprise but still shrewd beyond her years.

“Let’s go, missy,” the gruff cop’s voice told her.

“Remember our deal,” Kris whispered, and got out of the car.