The Broken Window

But during the trial he’d testified to Leticia’s cruelty. The prosecutor believed him and gave the woman’s name to the Department of Social Services. A social worker showed up at her house to investigate the welfare of the children and they were removed and placed in the custody of their father.

Leticia began harassing Williams. It had persisted for a long time but then she’d disappeared, months ago, and Williams was just thinking recently that he was safe…

But now this. He knew she was behind it.

Jesus, our Lord, how much can a man put up with?

He looked again. No! The detectives had their guns out!

A wave of horror zipped through him. Had she actually hurt one of her kids and claimed that he’d done it? He wouldn’t be surprised.

Williams’s hands shook and he cried big tears, which streamed down his broad face. He felt the same panic that had slammed him in the desert war when he’d turned to his buddy just in time to see the grinning Alabaman turned into a red mass of nothing, thanks to an Iraqi’s rocket-propelled grenade. Until that moment Williams had been more or less fine. Been shot at, spattered with sand from bullets, passed out from the heat. But seeing Jason turn into a thing had affected him fundamentally. The post-traumatic stress syndrome he’d wrestled with since was now kicking into high gear.

Utter, helpless fear.

“No, no, no, no.” Gasping, struggling to breathe. He’d stopped taking his meds months ago, believing he was better.

Now, watching the detectives fan out around the house, DeLeon Williams thought blindly: Get the hell out, run!

He had to distance himself. To show that Janeece had no connection to him, to save her and her son-two people he truly loved-he’d vanish. The man slipped the chain on the front door, the deadbolt too, and ran upstairs for a bag, tossed into it whatever he thought of. Nothing made sense: shave cream but no razors, underwear but no shirts, shoes but no socks.

And he took one other thing from the closet.

His military pistol, a Colt.45. The weapon was unloaded-he wouldn’t think of shooting anyone-but he could use it to bluff his way past the police, or hijack a car if he had to.

All he could think was: Run! Go!

Williams took a last look at the picture of Janeece and him together, with her son, on a trip to Six Flags. He started to cry again, then wiped his eyes, slung the bag over his shoulder and, kneading the grip of the heavy pistol, started down the stairs.

Chapter Ten

“The forward sniper’s in position?”

Bo Haumann, former drill sergeant and now head of the city’s Emergency Service Unit-NYPD’s SWAT team-gestured at a building that provided a perfect shooting location, covering the tiny backyard of the detached house where DeLeon Williams was living.

“Yes, sir,” an officer standing nearby said. “And Johnny’s got the back covered.”

“Good.”

A graying man, crew cut and tough as leather, Haumann ordered the two ESU takedown teams into position. “And stay out of sight.”

Haumann had been in his own backyard not far from here, coaxing last year’s charcoal to ignite, when a call came in about a rape/murder and a solid lead to the suspect. He turned over the incendiary mission to his son, donned his gear and sped out, thanking the good Lord that he hadn’t popped that first beer. Haumann would drive after he’d had a couple of brews, but he never fired a weapon within eight hours of imbibing.

And there was now a chance, on this fine Sunday, that they would see some gunplay.

His radio crackled and through the headset earpiece he heard, “S and S One to Base, K.” A Search and Surveillance team was across the street, along with the second sniper.

“Base. Go ahead, K.”

“Getting some thermals. Somebody could be inside. No audible.”

Could be, Haumann thought, irritated. He’d seen the budget for the equipment. It ought to be able to say for sure if somebody was inside-if not report their goddamn shoe size and whether they’d flossed that morning.

“Check again.”

After what seemed like forever, he heard, “S and S One. Okay, we’ve got only one person inside. And a visual through a window. It’s definitely DeLeon Williams, from the DMV pic you passed out, K.”

“Good. Out.”

Haumann called the two tactical teams, which were moving into position around the house now, remaining nearly invisible. “Now, we didn’t have much time for a briefing. But listen up. This perp is a rapist and a killer. We want him alive but he’s too dangerous to let get away. If he makes any hostile gesture, you’re green-lighted.”

“B leader. Roger that. Be advised, we’re in position. Alley and streets to the north are covered and back door, K.”

“A leader to Base. Roger the green light. We’re in position on front door, and covering all streets to the south and east.”

“Snipers,” Haumann radioed. “You copy the green light?”