Special agent John Washington looked at the four men standing across him. “We are going to get Devious Dan this time,” The FBI man growled. “Dead or alive.”
The men nodded and jumped on to their vehicle and drove off amid the thunderous rain. The tip had come from an old man who had seen a man holed up in a shack at the Great Canyon. He had identified him as Devious Dan from the FBI’s most wanted posters he had been shown.
All four men sat in silence as Washington drove the car through the heavy rain. Devious Dan had robbed 10 banks and killed almost half a dozen security guards in his five-month crime spree.
Joe Morris dug around in his pockets, his hand brushing his .32 revolver. He found his pack of cigarettes and offered it to Chester Harrison, who was sitting next to him.
Chester shook his head. “Don’t smoke.” Joe remarked that these young men are all into clean living, and then thrust the pack back into his pocket.
Then, George Franklin asked him, “How long have you been into law enforcement”?
Joe snorted, “I am retiring at the end of the year. My wife and I brought a nice old cottage in the countryside. We are set for an easy life.”
Matt Jameson, shoving his .32, commented, “Not bad, old guy. As for me, I got some things to take care of before I turn in my badge. I have a few debts to take care of, but who doesn’t these days.”
George grunted, “I have 4 kids to raise with my meager salary,” he said, balancing a Thompson sub-machine gun.
Young Chester was in his first man hunt and was visibly nervous keeping his shotgun close to him.
An hour later, they had reached the place. Washington commanded George to go around and cover the back in case Dan tried to jump out of the window. John then cocked his .45 automatic revolver at the door of a shack.
“Put your hands up, Dan. It’s the end!” he roared. At first Dan couldn’t believe his eyes.
Then, in the fire, the lantern hanging overhead shattered on the floor. Darkness engulfed the shack. Heavy gunfire erupted. Chester lit the lantern that he had been told to bring illuminating the shack. The silence was now deafening. The men looked at the bullet-ridden body of Devious Dan and at the crisp green money of the banks lying on the floor.
Joe had a slug in the gut, Washington got one on the shoulder. George had been hit in his left ear. He was still outside the shack in the back, but his gun lay inside, while Matt Jameson said he got hit on the thigh.
The Chief remarked, “You can now come in, Chester.” The young man was standing outside the shack, clearly frightened by the ensuing carnage.
John Washington then remarked, “We got a lot of men shot at considering that Devious Dan never fired a single shot!”
Clearly, someone else was after the bank loot beside Devious Dan.
Can you find out who it was?
