Faith aimed her handgun and said, “This is going to happen, Steve.All we’re arguing about right now is the easy way versus the hard way.Trust me, you want the easy way.”
“I didn’t do anything!”Steve protested.“I’m innocent!”
“There are two people who would beg to differ,” Faith replied.“You attacked a woman at a park in Stafford earlier today.We need to talk about that.”
Steve’s lower lip trembled.Turk crept forward with almost imperceptible stillness.Faith needed to keep him talking long enough for Turk to get close and strike.
“If you tell me what happened, we can work something out,” Faith said.“Let’s just put our weapons away and talk like reasonable people.”Steve looked past Faith, and she added, “No, that’s a bad idea.You want to end this chase and come quietly.You don’t want to resist.”
Turk launched himself at Steve.Steve flinched away, flailing with the knife.His reflexes were remarkable.He missed Turk with his blade, but Turk’s teeth closed around air inches from Steve’s arm.
Faith dove for Steve, but once again, he showed remarkable reflexes.He sidestepped her, and when she pivoted and reached for him again, he slammed his fist into her jaw.Faith saw stars and stumbled to her knees.
Turk released and enraged bark, and this time when he leaped for Steve, his teeth found their mark, sinking into Steve’s forearm.Steve screamed, and Turk dropped his weight, dragging his back paws on the ground and twisting his head, trying to pull Steve to the ground.
Steve was a big man, though, and while clearly in anguish from the bite, he found the fortitude to shake Turk off.Turk bounced off the wall with another yelp, but once more righted himself quickly.
Faith shook the cobwebs from her vision.Steve was sprinting toward the front of the alley, outpacing Turk for the moment, although that would change soon.
Or it would have.Instead, Turk stopped suddenly, pulling up short while still six or seven yards from Steve.
“What are you doing?”Faith cried.“Get him, boy!”
The reason for Turk’s halt became evident a moment later.Steve exited the alley and made it two steps before the back of Meyers’s police cruiser slammed into his hip, sending him to the ground.As soon as Turk saw the car, he leaped ahead, jumping on top of the downed suspect and holding him there while Faith and Meyers approached.
“Ow!”Steve cried.“Ow!All right!All right, you’ve got me!God damn it!”
Faith pointed her handgun at his head.“Stay down!You make one move to harm my dog, and I’ll pull this trigger!”
“All right!”Steve shouted, glaring angrily at him.“Fuck!I get it!Let me go, you assholes!”
“Not a chance,” Meyers said, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his belt.
“Let him go,” Faith commanded Turk.“Steve, roll over and put your hands behind your back.”
“Sure, if I can still move them,” Steve growled.“Bitch.”
He complied with Faith’s instruction, though, rolling over and allowing Meyers to cuff him.Blood trickled from the bite wound on his forearm.Meyers pulled him to a sitting position, then called into his radio, “Suspect in custody.I need an ambulance at…” He looked at the building across the street.“Five-fourteen Chesterfield.”
A voice crackled an acknowledgement, and Meyers turned to Steve.“We’re going to get paramedics to check you out before we take you in for questioning.”
“Aw, gee, you’re so fucking kind,” Steve growled.“Thank you.”
“Steve Kent,” Faith said.“You’re under arrest for the murders of—”
“What?”Kent snapped.“Murders?”
“Shut up and let me finish,” Faith snapped.“Yes.You’re under arrest for the murders of—”
“I didn’t kill anyone!Are you kidding me?”
He seemed genuinely alarmed, which made sense considering the penalty he was facing.
He also seemed genuinely confused, which boded very poorly for them.
Then again, criminals lied all the time, and Steve had shown no problem with violence.She would reserve judgment for the moment, but after this chase, she was more hopeful than before that they had finally found their man.
And if they hadn’t, it was still good that they’d gotten Steve Kent off the street.That might turn out to be a thin silver lining, but it was something.
