Joe Detective: Leap of Fate (Book Two)

Joe Detective:

Leap of Fate

(Book Two)

by

Joel H. Gordon

As of this printing, there are seven Joe Detective books in the series.

Read more about them at the end of this book.

Contact Joel H. Gordon at mailto:joedetective@gmail.com

Visit our website at http://www.joedetective.net

Copyright 2010 by Joel H. Gordon

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Joe Detective:

Leap of Fate

(Book Two)

by

Joel H. Gordon

****

Chapter One

Get out! Get out! Run Joe!

Startled out of a deep slumber, Joe lunges upright before his eyes open. The frantic voice is almost unrecognizable. For a second it sounds like Bruno. Three shots are fired. Joe is on his feet in a crouch, .45 in hand.

Laurie is sitting bolt upright and frightened. In one sweeping move, Joe pushes her off the bed to the floor and leaps toward the bedroom door. He can see Bruno’s body lying on the roof deck. There’s blood. At least two men are outside and moving rapidly toward the sliding glass door. Joe sends two blasts through the glass. One man spins violently and falls from a hit.

Laurie ducks behind Joe holding out his pants as he quickly steps into them. He fires another round. The glass door explodes this time. The two small holes have become one big one.

Two bullets whiz by Joe’s head cracking into the door jam. Fired blind, it’s a very near miss all the same. The shooter is against the exterior wall just outside the shattered glass. Whoever he is, he isn’t taking chances. Another wild shot shatters a picture in the dining area. The guy is stalling. Things are bound to get worse.

Pulling on a jacket, Joe points his finger at the rear window. Laurie knows what to do.

In the bureau drawer, Joe grabs a fist full of .45 clips.

A staccato of shots rake the kitchen just beyond the bedroom and Joe hits the floor. He’s right about things getting worse. It’s a Mac 10 machine pistol, he knows the sound.

Laurie already has the window open and is shoving the fire escape tube through. She hits the floor behind the bed as the plastic chute unrolls toward the ground. The Mac 10 chatters a line of holes through the sheet rock just above both of them. There’s a lot of dust and short pause.

Joe steadies his .45 against the doorjamb and waits. Squeezing, the gun jumps in his hand slapping a slug into one assailant’s thigh and renders a scream most satisfying. The wounded guy’s gun clatters across the deck as he falls writhing with pain.

Again a staccato of holes rip open another chunk of bedroom wall. There must be at least three men. Joe sees another line of bullet holes punch just to his right; Time to go.

Laurie’s a bright girl. She’s jumped into her clothes and a parka. Joe slips loafers on his bare feet and waves Laurie toward the window. She nods and crawls low.

He holds up one finger... Now two... On the third, Laurie leaps through out the window in the wake of Joe’s covering blasts.

Joe squeezes the trigger three more times and thumbs the clip release. He’s replaced it by the time the empty hits the floor. Jacking in another round he fires as the slide hits home; the slide almost cuts his hand as the shell ejects. Joe fires twice more to the left of the former glass door and the slugs burst through the paneling; the blind shots buy a couple of seconds.

Since there’s no choice but to jump, Joe launches himself feet first through the opening. His head glances hard against the window frame, but he’s out the window and sliding down the tubular fire escape.

The diameter of the plastic fabric is just larger than Joe. A cushion of air slows his descent. That’s good and bad. Sliding six floors down from the penthouse takes an eternity when being-solid gone is the primary objective. A shot from above could hardly miss. He manages to keep the .45 trained roughly at the receding sky, but he knows he’s still just a well-armed fish in a barrel.

Above, the circle blackens with the shape of a man. The staccato burst is deafening. Holes in the plastic wink open just above him as he speeds toward the ground. Machine pistols aren’t very accurate luckily. Joe starts to pull the trigger but the figure is gone.

Knees bent, Joe’s feet touch the ground just as the man’s body hits the pavement next to him. It’s a nauseating sound and the man is decidedly dead. The machine pistol is nowhere to be seen even if Joe were really looking.

Laurie has the garage open and it takes Joe but a moment to start the antique Chrysler. It’s been starting on the first turn for over 50 years and happily, today is no exception.

Punching the D for Drive button, the rear tires light up and Joe struggles to keep the big car from going sideways. The rear end skids toward opposite wall. The alley fills with tire smoke as the car lunges toward the far end. Joe pays no attention as tires thump over the corps.

Bursting from between the buildings, the front wheels leave the ground as they leap from the sidewalk curb. With a sickening roll to the right, he cranks the steering wheel hard left and the car sloughs into the street sideways. It seems suspended on two wheels.

Laurie has her head twisted around, her saucer like eyes surveying their smoky wake and the alley behind. Who are those guys?!

Not bill collectors; they would’ve wanted a check.

Joe mashes the accelerator and they’re launched through the intersection. In the lottery of time space continuum, leaping fate smiles; despite the red light, the intersection and crosswalk is empty of everything but the Chrysler’s tire smoke. San Francisco can be funny that way.

***

chapter two

Charley’s, Charley says automatically into the phone. But his voice sounds anxious.

It’s me, what the fuck just happened!?

I can’t really say right now buddy, but the place is lousy with cops. The words are delivered low and calm. Bear’s alright; he took two in the backside; one bounced off his ribs and he’s missing a small chunk of meat off his butt. He won’t miss it. They’re taking him over to SF General surrounded by cops. What happened to you? Is Laurie alright?

We’re ok. She’s a trooper; any idea who those guys are?

Not a clue, I’ll let you know when I know. Use the other phone. I’d say keep low for a while. Something nautical seems in order.

Thanks, good idea. Make sure to pick up my car; it’ll be around 7th and Townsend in that lot. You know the one. I’ll need some cash, see what you can do.

Check under my bunk. Green ammo box, about 10K. You know; fishing tackle. Don’t poke your fingers.

Got it.

Uh huh, Sarge is on his way in so let’s talk later; ta ta.

Charley hangs up the phone and turns to police Captain Sergeant Major. The name always makes Charley smile. He leans on the bar bent toward the big cop.

What’d you find out, Sarge?

Was that Joe on the phone?

Not as far as you know. Who are those guys?

No ID yet; they look pretty squared away. Military types sort of. I’d say we’re in for it.

I thought this shit was over.

No you didn’t. Sarge was shaking his head.

You need to call Jack right away, the FBI better stand up on this one.

I’ll have to handle it for now, Charley. It’s just attempted murder so far, there’s nothing federal about it. But I’ll call Jack and let him know. We’ll play hell making it Federal unless the orders came interstate. And we do want certain doors left shut if you know what I mean.

Charley growled, Sarge, don’t dick around on this, Joe saved your bacon. He could’ve dumped your ass in the garbage disposal. It’s because of him you came out smelling like a hero. He did you a favor and so did I.

No need to remind me, Charley. And don’t think I had a hand in nothin’ dirty because I didn’t. Joe’s a stand-up guy and he saved me a lot of trouble. I won’t forget it and I’m on it. Whoever these guys are, we gotta get to their source. He paused and changed the subject. I’m just glad Bear’s ok. Shit, he took three rounds and they damn near bounced off ‘em.

Joe’ll be glad to hear that.

I think he already knows, Sarge’s smirk was unmistakable. But I think it’s a good idea he keeps low for now. I’ll tell the Dicks to lay off you too. Just tell Joe not to get too far. Or at least not so far that I can’t help if need be.

Thanks Sarge, if I hear from him, I’ll let him know.

Uh huh. Captain Sergeant Major of the San Francisco PD was no