“Let’s roll, men,” Duke said, coming out of his office, in his full-on leather and bulletproof vest. He took his watch from Ford as well, telling all of them that it was now a permanent part of their uniform and must be worn at all times. As business boomed, they found themselves taking more bonds and accepting contracts from other bond agents who didn’t do their own retrievals. If any of them got in a jam, this gadget could be extremely beneficial.
Quick noticed Duke was implementing a lot more security measures. First the earpieces and now this. He could only imagine how much these watches set them back. Whether purchased legally or not. Even for the lower risk seizes, Duke was triple careful. Quick wasn’t mad about it. His best friend had something special to live for. Quick hoped he did too. He tightened the straps on his own vest and fell in line behind Duke as they filed into the vehicles. Brian and Ford in the middle, and Dana drove the truck that was designed for transporting their detainees.
Duke pulled into the McDonald’s parking lot off of Queen Street. The other Suburban, driven by Brian crept past them, circling around the block, getting in position to take up the rear. Dana was the last to pull in. He parked the truck behind the dumpster, since it was the only vehicle that said Bail Bonds on the side. Quick noticed the warehouse across the street had too much activity going on in the parking lot for Dana to get on the roof unnoticed. They watched as Dana hurriedly scanned the area before he walked quickly towards the McDonalds.
“Is he really about to get on the McDonald’s roof?” Duke laughed.
Quick laughed a low rumble. “Looks that way. Luckily, there are hardly any customers. Should be fine if we’re fast.”
They waited until Dana was ready, his rifle assembled and aimed in the direction of their skip’s last known address. It was the defendant’s girlfriend’s house. Brian had been scoping out the house for weeks, when he finally confirmed that RayBud – as he was known on the streets – was back there again.
The intel these brothers provided was the best. Quick was sure it was all due to their military background, about which was little known, but their methods weren’t a topic the brothers liked to discuss, so they typically didn’t.
“We’re in position.” Brian’s voice came through their earpieces.
Duke and Quick were out of the truck and jogging up to the front door just as Brian and Ford came around the rear, keeping watch on the back door. Trash littered the yard, everything from old car parts, to beer cans, random trash, and a shit load of cigarette butts overflowed out of an old flowerpot. Duke had been informed that no children, elderly or other relatives lived there. Across the street, he ignored a couple of old men looking on from their porch as they got into position.
“Dana?” Duke inquired quickly, mindful to keep his voice down.
“All set, Boss. Looks good from up top. Perimeter is clear.”
“Copy that.” Duke turned to Quick and got his nod, confirming he was ready. He flicked his head in the direction of the door, asking if Quick wanted to do the honors. Without missing a beat, Quick banged on the door, simultaneously yelling, “BOUNTY HUNTERS! OPEN THE DOOR OR WE WILL BUST IT OPEN!”
Technically, they didn’t have to knock or announce themselves, but why destroy someone’s door if they were willing to open it? Quick knocked hard once more and stepped back, ready to kick it down, when a woman cracked open the door, just enough for them to see her mouth.
“Open the door, ma’am. We’re here for RayBud,” Duke said, flashing his identification. His bounty hunter star on one side and his bonds license on the other. He pulled the revoked bond order from his back pocket and waved it in the woman’s line of sight. “We have a right to enter without your consent, ma’am.”
“He’s not here. He’s at work,” she lied, still keeping the front door open only a couple of inches.
“He’s out the back, Duke!” Dana yelled in their ears. With the woman completely forgotten, Duke and Quick both busted through the front door, careful to watch for any hidden threats as they vaulted through the dark living room. Quick pushed on the sliding glass door, but it was locked. Not caring about preserving the doors anymore, he picked up one of the wood dining room chairs and slung it with all his might. He and Duke both put their leather-clad forearms in front of their faces to block the majority of the shattering glass.
“You assholes! You broke my door! I’m calling the police!” the woman yelled, throwing cups and anything else she could find at their backs as Quick and Duke raced through the backyard. They already knew there was no fence or gate, so they doubled their speed.