Samurai Code. Don Easton

Dog was happy with the scenario that had been negotiated. Julie and Snake’s girlfriend would both wait in a motel. Snake would pick up Looner, who would search Snake and his car, just to keep him honest. Looner would take Snake to meet Mad Dog, who would give him the guns, except for two Desert Eagles that he and Looner carried. He would keep one for his run to Mexico. Looner would keep the other.

      When Snake got the guns, he was to call his girlfriend, who would then call the bikers to bring the money to the motel. Julie would turn over the ammo for the guns and the bikers would take Snake’s girlfriend as a hostage until Snake delivered the guns to them.

      Mad Dog glanced up at the sky as he walked to the rear of the car. There was a full moon, which pleased him. He knew a remote road behind Cultus Lake that would take him close enough to an area where he could walk through the bush and cross the border into the States. It would be better if he didn’t have to use a flashlight. He had used the route before when he had helped his brother import cocaine. With luck, he and Julie would be in the States within the next couple of hours.

      He and Looner were to part company near the U.S. border. Looner would drop him and Julie off and take the car. Looner’s plan was to hide out with a girlfriend in Prince George. Mad Dog knew Looner would be caught sooner or later, but it would help him if the cops didn’t find a stolen car ditched near Cultus Lake and put two and two together.

      Snake wasn’t talkative about his plan to escape. Likely crawl back into the same hole he came out of and wait until the heat died down.

      Mad Dog took a deep breath before popping the trunk as Looner and Snake gathered around to look inside.

      “As promised,” said Mad Dog, fingering the butt of his .44 as Snake bent over to examine the guns.

      A woman’s voice screamed behind him, “Police! You’re not going anywhere this time!”

      Constable Sophie White saw three men spin around to face her. She gasped when she saw two of them were pointing pistols at her. One man straightened his arm to shoulder height, aiming it at her face as his finger started to squeeze the trigger.

      3

      “Wait!” Snake yelled at Mad Dog. “The pig-bitch doesn’t even have her piece out. There could be more of them,” he said, glancing around nervously. “If there’s others, she could be our ticket out of here!”

      Mad Dog stared at the young woman in front of him as she dropped her police identification on the ground and slowly raised her hands. Something sure as hell don’t make sense! How come there ain’t an army of pigs with guns?

      “Why is she here by herself?” asked Mad Dog before looking at Sophie and demanding, “What the fuck are you doing here? How did you know we were here?”

      “I … I don’t know who you are,” she replied, her voice barely audible. “My, my partner and I were on our way home. I left my gun and portable radio in the car with him.”

      “Why are you here?” snarled Mad Dog.

      “I just, I mean, we … there were some kids who were vandalizing some of these buildings earlier tonight. We were checking it again on the way home.”

      Mad Dog stared at her silently for a moment and then said, “I think she’s lying. If she had a partner, why isn’t he with her?” He glanced at Looner and said, “You want to shoot her?” Remembering that Looner’s gun was empty, he added, “Never mind. Fuck it, I’ll do it!”

      “Hang on,” said Snake. “I don’t wanna get busted for killin’ a cop if I don’t need to. Do that and the cops will be huntin’ us down for as long as we live.”

      “We got no choice,” said Mad Dog. “The pigs will figure out who we are. Besides, she’s seen our cars. I don’t have time to rip another one off. Too risky under the circumstances. I gotta get outta here. There’s no fuckin’ way I’m goin’ back inside.”

      “We just got here,” observed Snake. “She’s gotta be parked close. Find her wheels. We’ll tie her up and lock her in the trunk of her car.”

      “Tie her up with what?” asked Mad Dog.

      “If we don’t have somethin’, then I’ll rip some wires out from under the hood of her car. We’ll be long gone before anyone finds her.”

      “We ain’t got time for that,” said Mad Dog.

      “Fuck, what will it take? Five minutes?” Snake looked at Sophie and yelled, “Empty your pockets, pig!”

      Sophie’s keys fell to the ground. “My car is over there,” she pointed. “I’m alone,” she confessed, meekly.

      Mad Dog paused, but looked at Snake and said, “Okay. Five minutes max. Looner, grab the keys and bring her car here.”

      Looner did as instructed and a couple of minutes later, he pulled up in Sophie’s Ford Focus and got out.

      “It’s a fuckin’ hatchback!” said Mad Dog. “I sure as fuck ain’t leavin’ her in no hatchback! At least, not alive!” He was still a short distance away from Sophie, but before he could take proper aim, Looner pulled the pistol out of his belt and stepped between and said, “Want me to do it, Mad Dog?”

      “No, I’ll do it,” replied Mad Dog. “Next time can be your turn. Open up the door to her car and make her get in the back seat. You get out of the way, too, Snake.”

      Looner opened up the car door and clicked the lever on the seat with the barrel of his pistol, allowing the front seat to spring forward, before stepping back.

      Snake moved closer to Sophie and said with a sneer, “Guess it ain’t your lucky day, is it pig? Guess it’s nighty-night time for —” He stopped, his eyes ogling her body. “Holy shit!” he said, running his fingers up the side of her ribcage. “You’re a fine piece of meat, ain’t ya?”

      Sophie stared back. She was shaking and she felt the need to vomit.

      Snake gave an evil grin and added, “Maybe it’s your day to get lucky.” He looked back at Mad Dog and said, “I ain’t never fucked a pig before!”

      “I don’t have time for that,” said Mad Dog. “Get out of the way so I can do what I gotta do.”

      “You don’t have time for that?” said Snake, letting out a short laugh. “Oh, baby, I always got time for that!”

      Before Mad Dog could reply, Snake spun around and buried his fist deep into Sophie’s midriff. She slumped toward the ground as Snake grabbed her.

      “Snake, what the fuck you doing?” asked Mad Dog.

      “Puttin’ her in the back seat,” Snake replied, “like you said,” he added, tossing Sophie into the back of her car. He glanced at her as she was squirming and gasping for breath. “Bet it isn’t your first time in a back seat with a man, is it, my little pork tenderloin?”

      Snake turned to Mad Dog and lowered his voice and said, “Come on, give me a piece. I’ll have a little fun with her. Won’t take me but a minute or two. Then I’ll shoot the bitch and torch her and the car.”

      Mad Dog hesitated. He was about to say no, but it occurred to him that lady luck had handed him an ace he could keep up his sleeve to guarantee his freedom. If he was caught running the border tonight, even with the attempted armed robbery yesterday, being able to hand over a cop-killer would be the best “get out of jail card” he could ever have. The only trouble is I gotta make sure I don’t let Snake shoot me, too, and take the guns or money for himself.

      Mad Dog smiled and said, “Looner, toss him the other .44.” He then ejected one bullet from his gun and said, “Give him that.” He glared at Snake and said, “One bullet only!”

      “That’s all I need for that little pig,” said Snake.

      Sophie watched from the back seat of the car. Any hope she had of grabbing Snake’s gun and gaining her freedom