Her Broken Wings by D.K. Hood
One
Monday afternoon
Heart pounding, Sheriff Jenna Alton edged her way inside the drugstore, keeping a line of shelves between her and the young guy in a ski mask aiming a gun at the pharmacist. The man’s finger was on the trigger and his hands shook so bad, she’d have to use all her powers of negotiation to prevent him from shooting the pharmacist at close range. The voice of her second in command and close friend, Deputy David Kane, came through her earbud.
“Locked on target.”
Jenna tapped her speaker twice, indicating, she’d received his message. Having a six-five, ex-military sniper as backup in situations like these sure made life easier, and if she gave the order, he’d splatter the young man’s brains all over the store. Pulse thumping in her ears, she moved with stealth past the cosmetics. A myriad of perfumes from the products cramming the shelves accosted her. To her right a coffee machine suddenly hummed into action, startling her. Taking a steadying breath, she peeked around the corner and met the pharmacist’s terrified gaze. She lifted her weapon to take aim, edging closer, and then held one finger to her lips, motioning with her Glock for him to move away from the man with the gun.
“Don’t just stand there gawking at me.” The young man lifted the pistol and aimed between the pharmacist’s eyes. “How many times have I got to tell you? Pain meds, the stronger the better. Fill up this bag.” He thrust a backpack across the counter. “Do it now, unless you want to die.”
Jenna gave the pharmacist a curt nod. The gunman had given him an excuse to move away from immediate danger.
“Sure, just take your finger off the trigger, son.” The pharmacist lifted his chin. “I’d rather give you what you want than risk the chance of not seeing my wife and kids one more time.” He took the bag and turned away, moving behind a partition.
Jenna scanned her position; with the pharmacist out of the line of fire, she had to make a move. The flimsy shelving lined with cans of baby formula wouldn’t stop a bullet, but it might slow it down some. Not wanting to startle the man into a gunfight, she aimed her Glock between the cans and kept her voice low. “Sheriff’s department. Lower your weapon and we can talk about this before someone gets hurt.”
“Listen, Sheriff, I don’t want to hurt anyone. Just let me walk out with the drugs.” The man’s eyes locked on hers and he trained his weapon at her.
“Jenna, give me the word.”Kane sounded insistent in her ear.
Her gaze moved over the young man’s trembling body and she decided reasoning with him might work. “Unless you drop your weapon now, you won’t leave here alive.” She held her weapon in both hands and aimed at his chest. “You’re surrounded and I have a sniper outside aiming at your head—and he never misses. Now lower your weapon and we’ll talk. If you need help, this isn’t the way to go about it.”
“You don’t understand.” The gunman dropped his gun to his side and his voice came out in an anguished sob. “I’ve been fired and now I don’t have money for my mom’s pain meds. She’s dying and I stayed home a few days to care for her. She can’t go another night without pills.” He lifted his weapon again and aimed at her. “I walk out with the meds or I’m killing you and the pharmacist.”
Wrong answer. Jenna heard a zing as a bullet embedded in the man’s shoulder. Kane had made the shot, not to kill but to disarm. As the young man cried out, his gun clattered across the tiles and he slid down the counter to sit on the floor. Moaning, he rocked back and forth, gripping his arm. Jenna dashed out from the aisle and kicked his pistol out of reach and then, aiming her Glock at his head, stared down at him. “Remove the ski mask. What’s your name?”
“Dirk Grainger.” He dragged off the mask with a bloody hand and then lifted his pain-filled eyes to her. “If I go to jail, my mom will die alone in agony. Please, Sheriff, do what you want with me but you gotta help her.”
“You threatened to kill me.” Jenna glared at him. “You’re lucky you live in Black Rock Falls or you’d be dead.” She bent to examine his wound. “It’s a through and through. You’ll be fine.”
“Paramedics are on their way.” Kane pushed into the store with Deputy Jake Rowley close behind. His gaze moved over Jenna and then he pulled on a surgical glove and bent to pick up the weapon. “It’s not loaded.”
“I know this boy.” The pharmacist came out from behind the counter, unwrapping a wad of cotton. He bent down and held the dressing against the wound. “Press this against it, son.” He stood and turned to Jenna. “He’s telling you the truth. The nursing home turned out his mother a few weeks ago, and Dirk here stayed home to care for her. He had some vacation time due but the plant let him go.” His brow wrinkled into a frown. “It’s getting late, and if you arrest Dirk, who’ll look after his mom tonight?”
Jenna frowned. She’d heard rumors about conditions at a local nursing home. “Was she out at Glen Park Palliative Care?”
“Yeah.” Dirk’s face was sheet-white. “When they took our money, they said she’d receive the best of care until she died. Three months she was there, and then they called me to go get her, said she wasn’t dying.” He looked up at her. “Doc Brown and two others told me she’s terminal.”
Jenna exchanged a look with Kane and he shrugged. She looked down at Dirk. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Dirk looked panic-stricken. “I can’t leave my mom alone for long. It will be dark soon and someone needs to be with her.”
Jenna nodded. “Okay. Give me your address, and I’ll need your house key.” She took down the details and they waited for the paramedics to take him to the free clinic. “Go with him, Rowley. I’ll call you.”
As the paramedics wheeled Dirk out on a gurney, she turned to Kane. “We’ll need to get help for his mom and then try and sort out this mess.”
“I won’t press charges against him.” The pharmacist adjusted his spectacles. “I’ve known that boy since he was a baby. He must’ve been pushed to the limit to commit a crime.”
Jenna straightened. “Obviously.” She turned to Kane. “Outside.”
She stepped outside, inhaling the fresh pine scent wafting on a cool breeze from Stanton Forest, and watched as the ambulance merged into the traffic. She had a responsibility as sheriff to bring criminals to justice, but she also had the discretion to charge someone or not. She’d been staring into space for some moments when Kane’s voice broke through her thoughts.
“So, what are you planning on doing, Jenna?” Kane walked to his truck and leaned against the door. “He was playing with fire aiming a gun at you. How could I possibly have known it wasn’t loaded?”
Jenna looked out to the snowcapped mountains and shrugged. “I trusted your judgment. You usually disable rather than kill.” She moved her attention back to him.
“I figured he was shaking so much, he wouldn’t have been able to hit the side of a barn, and you’d taken cover, but if you’d given the word, I would’ve killed him.” Kane shook his head.
“But you didn’t. You used sound judgment and disarmed him.” She considered the situation and made the call. “If he comes up clean, I’m not charging him. It was extenuating circumstances and his weapon wasn’t loaded. I don’t believe he intended to hurt anyone and was obviously out of his mind with worry. I’ll give him a warning and let him go. The gunshot wound to his shoulder is enough punishment.” She sighed. “If it goes to court, without the pharmacist pressing charges, he’ll only get a fine. He doesn’t have money or a job and will end up turning to a life of crime.”
“I’ll check him out.” Kane used his phone to run Grainger’s name through the records. “Nope, not so much as a parking ticket.”
“Okay, call Rowley. Tell him when the doctors are through with Grainger to give him a warning and a ride home. We’re done here.” Jenna thought for a few seconds and held up a finger to Kane. “Just give me a minute.” She pulled out her cellphone and called Doc Brown’s surgery. After a few minutes’ wait, the old doctor’s voice came through the speaker.
“What can I do for you, Sheriff?”
“I have a situation.” Jenna glanced at Kane. “I’m not asking you to divulge information about a patient, but I need immediate care for Mrs. Grainger. The nursing home discharged her some weeks ago and her son tried to hold up the drugstore to get her meds. I need a place to care for her this afternoon; she’s alone.”
“I’ll make some calls. I’m happy to treat her, and the free clinic will take care of her meds. I’ll see if Sunnybrook will take her. They have a few places for uninsured patients. I’ll pull a few strings and get back to you without delay.”
Jenna heaved a sigh of relief. “Thanks. It’s urgent. We’re heading over there now but we can’t care for her overnight.”
“Dirk should have come to me for help.” Doc Brown sighed. “I’ll find her a place.”
“Thank you. I’ll look forward to hearing from you soon.” She disconnected. “I guess we’d better get over to the house and wait with her until her ride arrives. Problem is, we don’t have any pain meds to offer her.”
“Maybe Wolfe can help.” Kane opened the door of his truck and slid behind the wheel.
Jenna climbed into the passenger seat and stared at him in disbelief. Shane Wolfe, ex-marine turned local medical examiner, was the last person she would’ve called. “Don’t you think calling in the ME before the poor woman has died is a bit premature?”
“Nope.” Kane started the engine and headed down Main Street. “He’s licensed to administer drugs. He became a medical doctor well before he studied forensics. Before that, he was a field medic. As we don’t have anyone on hand and it’s an emergency, he’s the best choice we have.” He entered Grainger’s address into the GPS.
Since arriving in Black Rock Falls in the witness protection program, with a new name and face, Jenna hadn’t been involved with the elderly or infirm. Her previous life, as DEA Agent Avril Parker, hadn’t offered her any useful insight into the running of nursing homes either. She shrugged. “Okay, I’ll call him. I hope he’s not busy.”
“Unlikely—no one has died around here lately.” He glanced at the GPS and then headed through town.
A number of murders had occurred since she’d become sheriff, and she’d been enjoying a normal life for a change. Jenna shot him a glance. “Did you have to tempt fate?”
“Well, apart from today’s adrenalin rush, my last case was chasing down a crate of dog food stolen from out back of the 7-Eleven.” He grinned at her. “Don’t worry. I figure the serial killers have holed up for winter.”
Jenna laughed. “Don’t be so sure. With our luck, they’ll come out for Halloween.”