Chapter 3

It was Alex who finally spoke. "Is that how you really deal with it? Write stories about it? I should think that would only make it worse."
"No," Francine answered, "Fictionalizing it makes it seem less real, makes it easier. I have to provide twenty t.v. scripts a season. I don't find it difficult at all. My husband's files are so full it's just unbelievable. I've sat by that man's hospital bed four times wondering if he was going to live or die. The second time I told him I wasn't going to do it any more unless I had a reason to stay. We were married three months later. The children live on the Apache reservation. We have a very nice house there. It's the only way I can survive. Don't you throw yourself into your work when your husband's out there?"
Alex stared at her companion for several seconds, then nodded. "We've got a lot in common, lady," she remarked, "An awful lot in common! We'd better get rolling. The men might not be too happy if we haven't got their operations center set up. Do you ever have any regrets?"
"Only one," Francine answered. "I just wish sometimes my husband could have a little bit more compassion for those he deals with, just a little bit more understand that they're human beings, they've got mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers who had hopes and dreams for them."
Alex nodded again. "Most definitely!" she repeated. "We've got an awful lot in common!"
The two women gathered their things and hurried off. Alex was surprised when Francine picked up a weapon at the desk. Francine looked at her curiously. "You don't go armed?" she asked. Alex shook her head. Her companion only nodded and they hurried off.
On the street the two Walkers were making their way across town. "I'm going to feel like I'm talking to myself," Cordell put in "if I call you Walker. Mind if I use William?"
"Not at all, Cordell!" his companion answered. "I heard you're into the martial arts." "Know a little," Cordell answered. "You a practitioner?"
"A little!" his companion answered. "Pull over!" he suddenly cried, "Pull over!"
Cordell instantly obeyed. "What?" he asked.
"Smash and grab in the jewelry store we just passed. Five inside, one in the car. Get back up!"
Cordell quickly called in on the radio as he pulled over in the first available place he could find. His companion was out of the truck and running back up the street almost before it stopped, changing the clip in his pistol as he ran.
Cordell was hard pressed to overtake him but he did so as they neared the jewelry store. The man in the waiting car, seeing them coming, produced an automatic pistol and pointed it towards him. This was a mistake! Marshal Walker's pistol came up, fired, there was a bright red streak that hit the windshield, kept on going and ended up between the man's eyes. He jerked backwards in the seat, and smoke, fluid began to bubble from the hole in his head.
The five men burst from the store. Two raised their weapons toward the marshal . Twice more his pistol fired, the red streaks hit the men, went clean through them, lifting them off the ground. They twisted through the air and came down on the pavement with loud thuds. The rest of the men threw away their weapons, threw themselves on the sidewalk, and began screaming "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! In the name of God don't shoot!"
The marshal edged around them, kicked their weapons away, then nodded to Cordell who came in and began handcuffing the survivors.
"Jesus Christ!" one of the men screamed, "We were wearing body armor! What in the hell was that man firing, some kind of laser?"
Cordell looked at his companion when the prisoners were secure. "I'm disappearing," the marshal announced. "Make a left turn, go two blocks, make a right turn. I'll meet you on the third corner." Cordell nodded. The marshal holstered his weapon and casually walked off down the street.
A few minutes later squad cars arrived and took over the prisoners.
"Where's the other officer?" a sergeant asked.
"Federal agent," Cordell explained, "working under cover. A full report will be made when the operation he's on is completed. So tell internal affairs to file this one for a while."
"They're not gonna like it!" the officer moaned.
"Like it or not," Cordell answered, "this officer's cover will not be blown! All necessary reports will be made at the proper time."
The officer nodded. A woman came up. "I saw this whole thing!" she screamed. "They never gave those poor men a chance, never warned them, just shot them. They never had a chance to surrender. This was police brutality at its worst!"
A uniformed officer looked at her somewhat disgusted. "They were armed with automatic weapons, ma'am," he snapped, "and pointed them towards the officers. The officers had every right to defend themselves. They're not going to wait for them to open fire."

Page 4

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