Piper parked along the right side of the road and hopped out, heading for the passenger side of SBCSD vehicle and knocked on the window.
"Chavez, right?”
“Yeah. Hey. Cain, right?”
“Yep. So, how's it going?"
His eyes darted between her and out the windshield toward Hammes’s house. “I just got here. I haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Why are you parked in plain sight of the house and not on the other side?” she asked.
His eyes flashed. “Because I need line of sight. That’s why.”
She softened her face, nodding. “Okay. Yeah, sorry, makes sense. But this guy was put in jail three years ago for shooting at a vehicle. I’m not sure how he got out, but I’m not one to believe he’s reformed all that much. We don’t want to start anything. He’s not going to take too kindly to cops staking out his house if he sees us.”
Chavez upturned a hand in response.
“So why don’t you back it up, park behind my vehicle on the other side of the road, out of sight, and we’ll wait for the sheriff there.”
"Okay, yeah." His eyes darted toward the house, then he jolted in his seat. "Shit, there he is."
She looked and saw Rick Hammes marching down his pathway from his front door to his gate. He was shirtless, his tattooed skin rippling with muscles that flexed into striated rocks as he hopped the fence, landed deftly on the other side, and continued toward them at a full speed-walk up the road.
"What the hell is he doing?" Chavez said, popping open his door and getting out.
They walked to the front of Chavez's vehicle and, standing next to one another, put their hands on their weapons.
“Now calm down,” she said, seeing Chavez’s hand flicking open and closed.
Hammes continued up the shoulder of the road, looking left and right into the forest, pointedly ignoring their presence as he closed in fast.
“Okay, stop right there, please,” she said, hearing a bit of a wobble in her voice as it came out.
Hammes put both hands up over his head and skidded to a stop. “Oh! Hello officers! Why, what are you doing here?” He took a step forward, putting his arms out at his sides. His eyes were popped wide. Veins bulged through his inked skin, which was stretched impossibly tight over his rhinoceros muscles.
“I’m just trying to go for a nice nature walk. And it looks like you apparently have a problem with that? Because you both have your hands on your guns, and you’re parked here because you’re watching me. What’s that about?”
“Sir,” she said, searching for the words, but Hammes threw her off as he took another step forward. His pectorals bounced like water balloons before contracting into river rocks.
He was a good twenty paces away, but she felt the heat rising with each step the man took.
“Just stay right where you are,” Chavez said, pulling his gun and holding it pointed at the ground.
“Whoa, pig! The fuck are you doing?” Hammes came to a stop and put his arms at his side again.
The dog began barking down the road, sounding even more vicious than the previous day. Seemingly fueled by concern for its master, the pit bull turned into a monster.
Chavez flicked a glance toward Piper. “What do we do?” he asked under his breath.
Piper stepped forward, keeping one hand gripping her gun and holding up the other. “Sir, we’re here waiting for our sheriff. That’s why we’re parked here.”
“For what? Why are you watching me?”
“We were coming to talk to you.”
“About what? What’s Mary saying I did?”
Cain shook her head, momentarily confused by the question.
“What’s she telling you?” Hammes asked. “Well? Come on, you want to talk, I’m right here. Talk away. Why are you pigs watching me? What’s that bitch saying? You think I’m going back to jail, you got another thing coming.”
"Sir. Please go back to your house and we’ll come talk to you when we’re ready. We’re not here to bring you to jail. We’re just here to talk.” Piper was pretty sure she was lying and it sounded like it to her own ears.
Hammes stared at her, shaking his head slowly.
Wolf had said he was to be considered armed and dangerous, and not to engage him. Too late. They had engaged. So what now? She thought back to her academy training. She needed to talk, make him calm.
Down the road there was a metallic ping and a sharp barking noise as the dog rolled over the top of the fence and landed heavily on its side.
Slowly, looking at first to be stunned, it got to its feet. And then it began running toward them at full speed, saliva-laced growls coming out of its mouth.
“Whoa! Dex! Heel!” Hammes turned around, crouching into intercept position.
The dog kept coming full speed, swerving to the other side of the road for a straight shot at her and Chavez.
Hammes side-stepped to block but it only darted back to the other side.
“He has a gun,” Chavez said.
Piper had seen it—a pistol tucked into the rear of his pants showed against the small of his back. “Drop your weapon!” she yelled, pulling her piece from her holster.
“Drop your weapon now!” Chavez said, aiming his gun at Hammes.
But Hammes ignored them, still concerned with his dog charging at full speed. “Stop, Dex! Come here, boy! Heel!”
“Get your dog under control!” Chavez said with rising panic.
“Heel!”
But the dog ignored his master, juking at the last second and slipping between his legs. Now through the obstacle, Dex, and his saliva-flinging jaws, looked to be coming right at Piper.
Shit.
Chavez fired. The dog spun wildly, a loud squeal coming out of its mouth as it landed in the dirt.
“No!” Hammes screamed.
Piper had no time to be stunned. Hammes was reaching into his waistband.
“You piece of shit!” Hammes pulled the gun into plain sight.
Time slowed to a stop. Piper felt the
