The Witness

royally fucked.”
    Brooks shook his head when Doyle tried to scramble to his feet. “You run, Doyle, I’ll add on fleeing and resisting. I know where you live, you idiot, so stay down, stay put. Justin, you’re going to want to let me see your hands.”
    “You want to see my hands?”
    Justin punched the knife he held into the rear tire, then surged to his feet. “Gonna let the air out of you next, asshole.”
    “Let me get this straight. You’ve got a knife. I’ve got a gun. See this?” Brooks drew it almost casually. “And I’m the asshole? Justin, you are deeply, deeply stupid. Now, toss that knife down, then take a look at your marginally brighter friend. See how he’s facedown with his hands linked behind his head? Do that.”
    In the security lights, Brooks noted Justin’s pupils were the size of pinpricks.
    “You’re not going to shoot me. You haven’t got the stomach for it.”
    “I think he does.” With her favored Glock in her hand, Abigailstepped out from the side of the house. “But if he doesn’t shoot you, I will.”
    “Hiding behind a woman now, Gleason?”
    Brooks shifted, just a little. Not only to block Abigail if Justin was stupid enough to come for them with the knife, but because he wasn’t sure, at all, she wouldn’t shoot the moron.
    “Do I look like I’m hiding?”
    “I’d like to shoot him,” Abigail said, conversationally. “He’s trespassing, and he’s armed, so I believe I’m within my rights. I could shoot him in the leg. I’m a very good shot, as you know.”
    “Abigail.” Torn between amusement and concern, Brooks stepped forward. “Drop that knife now, Justin, before this gets ugly.”
    “You’re not putting me in jail.”
    “How many ways can you be wrong tonight?” Brooks wondered.
    Justin lunged forward.
    “Don’t shoot him, for Christ’s sake,” Brooks shouted. He blocked the knife hand with his left arm, swung up his right elbow and jabbed it into Justin’s nose. He heard the satisfying crunch an instant before blood spurted. As the knife dropped, he simply gripped Justin by the collar, propelled him forward so he stumbled to his knees.
    Out of patience, he shoved Justin down on his face, put a boot on his neck. “Abigail, do me a favor and go up and get my cuffs, will you?”
    “I have them.”
    Brooks lifted his brows when she pulled them out of her back pocket. “You’re a planner. Toss them over.”
    He caught them, knelt down to yank Justin’s arms behind his back. “Doyle, you keep still now, or Ms. Lowery might shoot you in the leg.”
    “Yes, sir. I didn’t know he was going to do that, I swear. We were just going to mess around with the cruiser. I swear to God.”
    “Keep quiet, Doyle, you’re too stupid to talk.” Brooks glanced up as he heard the siren. “Jesus, what’s he doing coming in hot?”
    “I saw the knife when I was relating the situation. Your deputy became very concerned.”
    “All right. Hell. Justin, you just came at a cop with a knife. That’s assault with a deadly on a police officer. The prosecutor might even bump that to attempted murder when we add in the trash talk. You’re done, boy, and it didn’t have to go like this. You’re under arrest for trespassing, vandalism, defacing police property and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer. You have the right to remain silent.”
    “You broke my fucking nose. I’ll kill you for that.”
    “Do yourself a favor, take that right to silence to heart.” He finished the Miranda as he spotted the lights from Ash’s cruiser zipping down the road. “Doyle? Where’s Chad Cartwright?”
    “He wouldn’t come. Said he was in enough trouble, and his daddy’s likely to kick his ass he gets in more.”
    “A glimmer of sanity.” He got to his feet as Ash slammed out of his car.
    “Chief! You all right? Jesus. You’re bleeding.”
    “What? Where? Shit.” Brooks looked down, hissed in disgust. “That’s Justin’s nose blood. God damn it, I liked this shirt.”
    “You should soak it in cold water and salt.”
    Both Brooks and his deputy looked over to where Abigail stood, the dog at full alert at her side.
    “Ma’am,” Ash said.
    Sirens screamed out again.
    “What the hell, Ash?”
    “It’ll be Boyd. When Ms. Lowery reported she saw a knife, and only had a visual on two when this bunch usually runs in three, I thought I should call Boyd in for backup. Are you sure he didn’t cut you?”
    “Yeah, I’m sure. He was stupid