Connecting Three Pieces - Steve

 Connecting Three Phrases: Gun runner, By the zoo keeper’s office, Over the frozen pond

It was during a particularly severe cold snap in February that the call came in. It was from a reliable informant. A gang called the Northern Alliance was looking for 4 clean-wiped AR-15’s. Normally, this was the calm time of the year because the weather kept most everyone off the streets, including the bad guys. Sargent Green entered the news into the call log database so everyone on his team would be informed of the activity about to take place. 

The sources for this type of weapon were limited to the few known gun runners that frequented East Albany, so Green wasn’t too concerned about something happening without him being aware of it. Still, being this close to the border invited the risk of a new bad actor coming on the scene. Better to be safe than sorry, he thought, so he alerted the feds as well via BSAM (the Bulletin System for Arms Movement). They have a BS for everything, Green thought.

Greens’ next step was to inform his chief of the call, so he left his desk and dropped by the zoo keeper’s office, the moniker affectionately given to the chief by his staff. After all, they were a bunch of animals that collectively couldn’t be more diverse, natively wild, and in constant need of being watched over.

Chief Baker wasn’t in.  Maybe he’s in the john, Green thought. I’ll give him a minute.  

Checking his phone, Green saw a red-text flash that alerted him of a call for backup at the new shirt factory located on the north side of town. It had just been verified this morning that the owner was a mob boss with connections to the big city, so it wasn’t a stretch to assume that this was a cover for money laundering and who knew what else – maybe gun runners. Two officers had a warrant and were getting ready to breach the entry at the shipping dock but needed support to cover the front entrance of the building. Without hesitation, Green grabbed his coat, called for Adams to join him, and left the HQ in a silent run heading to the factory location. 

The 8-minute ride was uneventful, and he checked in with the lead officer saying he and Adams were on site at the entrance and ready. Green got the word that the team was moving and to cover the front. Within a few seconds, three men burst out of the front door. Fortunately, none of them were armed. Each of the perps headed a different direction, one left, one right and one, the dumbest one, straight toward the officers. Green took down the man that had made the mistake of going straight at them and Adams took chase of the one that went right, leaving the other suspect no choice but to try his escape over the frozen pond - his only pathway. Adams caught up with the perp that went right and took him down without much effort. Anyone in a suit and tie was at a disadvantage and in seconds, Adams had him cuffed and shivering on the ground.  

By this point in time, Green had taken up pursuit of the pond perp just as the two breaching officers came out the front door to join in the action. Evidently, no other bad guys were found in the single story building and they were eager to join in the hunt. Because the frozen pond had slowed the escape significantly, and the final perp was handicapped three to one, he was easily caught and detained.

A search of the “factory” yielded 10 AR-15’s and enough ammo for a small army – evidence that would convict the three stooges and send them away for several years. 

Sargent Green intended to mark this as the shortest successful crime cycle in the history of zoo keeper’s tenure in East Albany and apply for a promotion that he knew he wouldn’t get. At least it would be worth an extra donut at the morning call session.