Garvey's Revenge

Chapter 17

Matt and Williamson were covering the door from the outside. They were able to hear the whole conversation from George's listening device in his belt buckle. Matt couldn't believe it when the gunshot went off. He signaled for Williamson to move in.

Matt heard one of his men in the rafters yell, "Sheriff's department nobody move!"

Williamson cracked the door open. "They're heading for the door." Williamson kicked it the rest of the way open. "Sheriff's department! Stay where you are!"

Matt rushed behind Williamson to back him up. He aimed his shotgun at the Joneses. Williamson had a glock.

The Joneses had their guns drawn, but they weren't pointing them at Matt or Williamson.

"You got no moves, Jones! Put the weapon down!" Matt ordered.

D.J. slowly put his pistol on the ground, but Dex still had his.

"Don't do anything stupid, kid," Williamson said seriously.

Matt glanced around. George was nowhere to be seen. Goldman had turned over a steel table and was taking cover behind it with the shotgun he had hidden under his trench coat.

"We can all walk outta of here - alive," Matt said to Dex.

"Put the gun down, stupid!" D.J. told him. "These redneck cops will cap us and call it a night. They don't give a fuck out here. You know that."

Dex frowned, but he dropped the weapon.

"Kick the guns toward us," Williamson ordered.

They did what they were told.

"Get down flat on the ground and place your hands on your head," Williamson ordered.

"Shit, this is a silk shirt," D.J. complained, but he got down.

Goldman and Williamson rushed behind them and cuffed them.

The deputies in the rafters came down the steps.

"What the fuck happened? Who fired that shot?" Matt asked angrily.

"It was me," Dalton said without fear.

"He did it to save my ass, sir," Lawrence said quickly.

"What the fuck do you mean?" Matt asked.

"A rattlesnake slithered right beside my foot. I didn't know it was there until it started rattling. I looked down, it was corralled up. Ready to strike. Before I could do anything, Dalton fired his rifle and killed it," Lawrence explained.

Matt rubbed his face. "Of all the times for a rattler to make itself known. Williamson, you and Goldman take these two and put them in the office over there," he said as he pointed to the right. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Yes, sir," Williamson said.

They left with the suspects.

"You two secure the perimeter and search the Joneses vehicle. Don't confiscate anything unless it's a firearm. If you find anything of interest, let me know."

"Yes, sir," the men said.

"Oh, Dalton," Matt said.

"Sir?" Dalton said.

"You made the right call. If the rattler bit Lawrence, he would have yelled out and given you away anyway, more importantly, he could have died. Good work."