Free Fast and Easy by Betty Womack Page A

self-assured in the doorway. “There’s a standoff down at the Saigon Food Mart.”
    Damn. The second basket case that afternoon
.
    Carmen rose and clipped her weapon to the waistband of her slacks. She grabbed her light uniform jacket, shrugging into it while contacting the field Sergeant on the scene.
    The night was going to be hell. While she was getting her equipment, her computer ticked off news of a major crash near the casino. There were several fatalities. She couldn’t be both places at once, no matter how badly she wanted to.
    “I’m on my way, Thomas.” The patrolman described the situation as critical. The doped up guy causing all the hell was armed and wanted for murder. “Shots have been fired, and the kid held hostage is twelve.”
    Twelve. The boy must be terrified
.
    Gentry’s ever present grin vanished. “Let’s roll.”
    “I’ll take my car.” At his look of surprise, she offered a good reason for her decision. “If this is cleaned up quickly, I’m heading out to the emergency on 291.”
    He nodded. “Good call.” He got in his car and took the lead toward the Market district.
    Carmen followed him out of the parking lot, hitting the lights and rehashing in her mind all the training she’d had in hostage situations.
    No all out assault would do in this instance. A boy’s life hung in the balance, and she couldn’t even go in after the bastard holding him. That was left to the patrolman. Damn. This job wasn’t anything more than being a room mother. She didn’t like it.
    The dash computer lit up, and several messages tracked across the monitor. More news on the six car pileup on 291. She was needed there too. Message two described a male in black sagging shorts and a black hockey shirt prowling back alleys in the River Quay area.
    Carmen’s heart turned upside down in her chest.
    That was the area where her mother lived.
    Don’t go down there, Carmen. They won’t let you go in.
    She couldn’t help herself. Using her quick call list on her cell phone, she broke all the rules once again.
“Don.”
“My Carmen?”
    She warmed at his soft greeting. “Are you in the River Quay area?”
    “Just pulled up in front of your momma’s house.”
    Carmen heard the door of his cruiser open and close. “How’s it look around there?” He didn’t respond and she panicked. “Genonese?”
    He answered at last. “The dogs found him, Carm. A ten-year-old picking up beer cans to trade for cash.”
    She could hardly breathe, wanted to tell him how much she loved him right then and there, but that bullshit was over between them.
    “Thanks, Genonese.” She gripped the steering wheel to hold back the sweet sentiment drumming on her tongue. “I’m on my way to the hostage situation downtown. Are there enough officers handling the 291 pile up?”
    His rich voice came back with a soft laugh. “I’m heading there now.”
    Why the hell was she holding the cell phone open? They were through talking. Weren’t they? “Thanks again.”
“Carm.”
“Yes?”
“I miss you.”
    “Same here, Genonese.”
    She heard his cruiser door slam and the siren broke the silence. He was going one direction, and she was going another. That was how it would be from now on.
    Reality smacked her hard in the face. It hurt.
    You wanted it this way. Didn’t you
?
    Flashing lights and barking dogs at the standoff scene snapped Carmen out of her thoughts of Don into a professional desire to resolve the situation with no one getting hurt.
    She jumped out of her car and ran to the group of patrolmen near the market’s entrance. She located Patrolman Thomas.
    “Has anyone talked with the perp? What’s his beef?”
    The young cop pointed to a thin woman wringing her hands and weeping uncontrollably. “That’s his girlfriend. She says she broke it off with him after he choked her this morning.”
    “He wants her back?” Carmen’s back hurt from the tensing of her muscles. She couldn’t stop the ugly memories that