No Cop Situation | Lawrusso

No Cop Situation Chapter 10 / 11

Daniel drove, keeping his foot on the gas, breaking every speed limit, on the way back to Johnny's house.

He pulled the car up outside the entrance to the driveway, then quietly got out, leaving the door open to lessen the noise. He went to the trunk of his car, then opened his kit bag. When he was on a job Daniel always liked to be prepared for any eventuality. He reached into the bag and pulled out a Kevlar vest and slipped it on, then reached back in and pulled out his sidearm, then he picked up a small revolver that he kept as backup and slipped into the back of his belt.

He closed the trunk quietly, then looked towards the house.

The killer could already be inside, and Daniel knew his best chance was to take him by surprise.

He climbed over the fence at the side of the garden, then crept to the windows.

"Shit," Daniel whispered to himself as he peered inside.

There was a broken photo frame on the living room floor. The picture inside it, of Mr. Miyagi laughing in the garden, lay amongst broken glass, and Daniel knew if Johnny had knocked it over accidentally, he never would have left it there.

Daniel was too late. The killer was already inside.

Johnny had said he was going to take a nap, but Daniel got the impression that he was going to lay on the couch, instead of heading upstairs. The killer must have come in through the back and taken him by surprise.

The room was empty, so Daniel quietly lifted one of the half open windows and climbed inside.

As he looked around the signs of a struggle were more obvious.

Johnny's phone lay on the floor. It was ringing, the light flashing on the front of it, but it was still on silent. Johnny had obviously forgotten to turn it back up after they'd come down the stairs, which explained why no one had been able to get hold of him.

A cushion lay abandoned at the side of the couch where it had fallen, and when he looked closer he could see it was dotted with small specks of blood.

"Oh, Danny boy!" a sing song voice came from the other room. "Why don't you stop creeping around and come join us in the kitchen?"

"Police!" Daniel shouted in response. "I'm armed!"

"Well, I should think you are," the voice came again.

"You need to release Deputy Lawrence and then get on your knees," Daniel shouted, as he edged down the hallway. "If you don't drop any weapons you have, I will be forced to shoot."

The kitchen door was ajar, and Daniel kicked it open, then rushed inside with his gun raised.

Johnny was tied to a kitchen chair, a trickle of blood ran down his temple, but he was awake and alert.

"Stand up, you son of a bitch!" Daniel spat, at the man who was crouching behind Johnny's chair, using his body as a shield.

"So you can shoot me?" the man said, with an amused note in his voice. "I don't think so."

Daniel couldn't get much of a look at him. All he could see was his long grey hair that was tied into a loose ponytail that hung over his shoulder, and the long point of the metal Sai that was aimed at Johnny's jugular vein.

"Drop the weapon!" Daniel shouted.

"Shoot him!" Johnny shouted back.

"Shut up!" Daniel shouted.

The man let out a cackling laugh, then said, "Officer LaRusso, why don't you throw your gun out of the window to your right, then I'll come out and we can talk."