Free Wrong Town: A Mark Landry Novel by Randall H Miller

number, right now.”
    The sergeant stepped forward to speak but Brown held up a hand and cut him off.
    “Save it, sergeant. I didn’t ask for your input.”
    Brown got within inches from Tarentini’s face and continued.
    “You’re all done. If I have anything to say about it, you’ll have a hard time getting a job as a mall cop. That would have been excessive force by any standard. What the hell is your problem? Why the hell did you decide to use your Taser when you knew you were dealing with an undercover agent? I want an answer!”
    “Because I told him to,” said Frank as he approached Brown from behind. “Good job, kid. You did the right thing. I just wish I didn’t have to tell you so many times. ‘Tase me’ is a pretty straight forward command, right?”
    Frank smiled and shook hands with all three cops. Brown craned his neck and looked at him sideways.
    “You mean to tell me that you told this officer to tase you?”
    “Yeah. It was my fault anyway. I got carried away resisting and we had to make it look good. No time to wait. If they didn’t escalate their use of force quickly, the Russians might have known something was up. Mission accomplished. That was great work, guys. Thanks.”
    Brown shook his head from side to side and folded his arms.
    “You expect me to believe that, Frank? If that’s the case, the audio should have picked it up. It didn’t. So maybe you’re lying to protect this guy.”
    “Technology fails all the time. Believe me, if he tased me on his own we’d be having a different conversation right now. These guys were on the ball and saved the sting. Good work, guys.”
    Frank looked at the sergeant, who knew that was his cue.
    “I heard you, Frank. Sorry you had to say it a few times, but it took me by surprise. Thankfully, Tarentini took the initiative and got it done. Good save, kid.”
    Brown turned his back, took several steps away from the group, and bowed his head with his hands on his hips. Frank winked at the cops like the class clown playing a prank behind the teacher’s back, promptly dropping the smile when Brown turned back toward the group.
    “Get out of here. All of you. Just go.”
    The three cops didn’t need to be told twice. They headed for the exit while Frank started walking toward the evidence truck.
    “Where are you going, Frank? I just said you were all set. Go home.”
    “Just want to take a look at the hardware again.”
    “Not necessary. You’ve already seen it. Now your job is done. Let everyone else do theirs. Go home, Frank.”
    Frank wanted to argue the point but was distracted by thoughts of the vodka bottles and chilled glasses in his refrigerator at home. He decided to leave before he could push Brown too far or say something he might regret.
    Just go home.
    “Whatever you say, Boss.”
    In a few weeks this asshole won’t be my problem anymore.

Nineteen
    The alarm on Mark’s phone started to chirp and vibrate at 4:45 a.m.
    Not today.
    He picked up the phone, killed the alarm, and set it back down on the night table, next to the loaded Sig Sauer P226 9mm that was rarely beyond arm’s reach. Then he rolled over and immediately fell back asleep.
    His eyes didn’t open again until just before 7 a.m., when the room started to get warm. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he checked his phone for messages, although he knew that Doc and the Family would leave him alone as long as he was on leave. It also meant he would be out of the loop—something he was not accustomed to.
    He opened the window and surveyed the backyard and forest that abutted the property—his property. It was mid-May. The grass was green but urgently needed to be cut. Agnes’s multi-colored flowerbeds were in full bloom, and the edge of the forest was a dense wall of browns and greens.
    After splashing cold water on his face and brushing his teeth, Mark turned and gazed into the full-length mirror, wearing only a pair of dark blue boxer shorts.
    Twenty years and still in