Fiction - Part X - Thieves and Miscreants

Peacefully asleep, Natog had been back a couple days when the dogs went ballistic in the middle of the night. Pulling on his boots, he grabbed his shotgun, and a flashlight, silently went up the stairs.

Sure enough, someone was trying to cut the chain securing his generator to the foundation of the house. Listening quietly, he could hear two voices, both male, as they whispered to each other.

"Hurry man! He's going to get up!"

"Fuck him, He's an asshole."

Now there was no way Natog was going to let himself get ripped off. But there was no way he could sneak around the house with the snow crunching underfoot. That left one option. Quickly and quietly he went downstairs and pulled on some pants. Putting his boots back on, he tied a quick knot, no need to lace the hiking boots all the way up. Climbing back up to the stairs, he quickly pulled the door open and the dogs just about went through the storm door. Hitting the pressure pad on the shotgun, the tactical light illuminated the two men, blinding them as the dogs attacked them.

"UP AGAINST THE FUCKING WALL!" Yelling at the top of his lungs Natog leveled the shotgun at the two men. The frightened faces as Thor and Loki growled and barked while nipping at the two figures sprawled out in the snow. Natog could see that one was George's boy, but the other he had no clue who he was.

George’s kid was cowering, as the dogs nipped at his hands and face. "Get your dogs off of me - I'll sue!" His reply was a few octaves higher than any normal male voice should be able to reach comfortably.

"Up against the fucking WALL, NOW!" Natog motioned with the shotgun.

The other boy rolled up and tried to make a run for it. Natog planted a swift short kick into the boy's quadricep, sprawling him on the ground again. Loki grabbed the boy's hat and started to attack it.

Cycling the shotgun, Natog yelled again for them to get up against the wall. Although this sent a shell spinning into the snow, it had the desired effect. George’s boy turned and faced the wall. The other kid was rolling around on the ground in pain, tears streaming down his face.

"On your knees, hands on your head, lace your fingers. Palms up. OK, do NOT FUCKING MOVE."

George's kid's voice cracked, "Don't shoot me!"

"Then don't move." moving so he could watch both teenagers, he motioned to the kid on the ground. "Get up, against the wall."

"It hurts!"

Natog planted a swift kick into the kid's backside, "Up, against the wall, NOW."

Half dragging, half crawling, the boy managed to get up to the wall.

George’s kid was sobbing now. "Please mister, don't kill me."

Natog spoke with what he hoped was a fatherly tone to his voice, "You'll be ok, just do what I say, OK?"

"Yeah"

The other boy chimed in "My father's going to kill you, man."

"He can try. Ok you on the left, lift your jacket, slowly." The boy lifted his jacket, and Natog took a look for a weapon. "Ok take off your belt and drop it in the snow."

Natog heard a door slam from the house behind him, and someone running through the snow. Keeping an eye on the two boys, he put the next boy through the same procedure.

Marty came into Natog's vision in pajamma's and a parka. He held a baseball bat and a flashlight. "Jesus, Natog!"

"Marty, it's alright. I caught these two trying to steal my generator."

"Those little shits, I wonder if they stole the gas from my shed last night!"

The two boys has their faces turned to each other, and were whispering to each other. Loki and Thor had wandered off, to chew on the boy's hat.

Marty looked over at Natog, "What are you going to do with them?"

"I'm not fer-sure yet. Don't even think of moving you little bastards."

Natog took the belts from the snow, and used them to lash the boy's hands behind their backs and quickly searched them. He pulled a pocket knife from George’s boy's pocket. The other boy tried to get up when Natog moved to him, but a heavy shove got the boy back on his knees. Squirming furiously was no help, as Natog pulled a small pocket pistol from the boy's jacket pocket.

"Well, well, well." Natog tsk'd tsk'd as he ejected the magazine and emptied the chamber. "Looks like a little .380 automatic."

"Christ, he had a GUN?"

"Yeah, at least he didn't try anything with it, or I would have shot him dead. That settles it though. This shit is going to the cops. Armed robbery, what are you, 16?"

The kid turned with a defiant look in his eye, "Seventeen. My dad is going to fucking kill you, man." Seems the boy got his courage back.

"I doubt that. Looks like you're going to be tried as an adult. Better start stretching that ass out now, they’re going to love you in prison."

Marty looked concerned, "Shit he's just a kid."

"He made his decision, now he will have to live by it."

"Fuck you man, my dad will get me out of it. He's a cop."

That sent a shiver down Natog's spine. Last thing he needed is a local cop with a thug kid fucking with him. "Alright, get up you two. We will drop this shit off with his dad. And the other's going to the Troopers.

"That's 2 miles away!"

"Yep, so you better get a move on."

"Hey, I'll get my car and we can drive him there. I need to change into something warmer, though." Marty was starting to shiver, you could tell because the beam on his flashlight was wiggling.

"That would be great, Marty, I'm sure our felon appreciates it."

Marty climbed back over the fence to his yard and went into the house. A few minutes later, his car pulled up onto Natog's lawn.

"Ok you fuckers, in you go."

Natog stuffed George's kid behind Marty, and the other boy into the passenger seat. Sitting behind him, he verified the safety was still on. Marty backed off the lawn and pulled into Georges driveway. Marty honked the horn until George's face looked out the window.

Natog got out of the car and slung the shotgun off of his shoulder. Pulling George's kid across the seat, Natog made sure he had a firm grip on the boy.

Geroge opened the door and cried, "What have you done to my son!"

"Your boy tried to steal my generator."

"I did ask you to share, now look what you have done!"

Natog let George grab his son from him, "I did? fuck you, that little shit is an accessory to armed robbery. I'm releasing him into your custody."

"W-w-what!" was all George could stammer out as he untied his son.

"Yeah that's right. The other boy was armed with a handgun."

"Junior, you get inside the house right now. I'll deal with you in a minute." George pushed George Jr. in the house. "Look, I didn't ask him to..."

"Relax. I know. But I have to tell the cops. Just make sure you keep an eye on him, and keep him away from my property."

"Will do."

"Know who that kid is?"

George looked into the car, "I think he lives a couple streets over. He got in trouble for spraying graffiti on the church up on Webster Street. His dad is a cop in Brockton.

"Brockton, huh."

"Yeah, rumor has it he's been on duty since the power went out."

"Ok George, you go have a chat with your boy, I'm taking this one to the cops."

George looked around a little lost, then climbed up the stairs to his kitchen door. With that, Natog got in the car, and Marty pulled out the driveway. About halfway to the Middleboro barracks the boy started crying. Marty tried to console the boy, but Natog's heart was as cold as the January night they drove through.

A few minutes later, they were pulling up to the front entrance of the barracks. A Trooper was there in his car, and he got out as Marty's car pulled up. Leaving the shotgun in the back, he got out with his hands visible.

The trooper shown the light into the car, "Tell your friend to cut the engine."

Marty turned off the car and got out. The trooper kept the flashlight on the boy in the front seat. "What have we here?"

"Trooper, that little shit tried to steal my generator."

"So you're the cops now?"

"Well yeah, it's not like the phones work."

"How did you catch him?"

"I got the drop on him, and convinced him to give up."

At this point the prisoner decided to start yelling how he was kidnapped, so on and so forth. The racket brought out another trooper from the barracks, which moved to cover the other Trooper.

"Hey, Troopers, I'm armed, and I got the pistol this kid had on him on me, and my shotgun is in the back seat. Just don't shoot me, ok?"

The two troopers drew their weapons, which solicited a quiet "Oh, Shit." from Marty. The two troopers looked at each other and the newer trooper moved in, "Just walk towards me slowly. Ok turn around, where is the pistol?"

"Right front jacket pocket. It's unloaded."

The trooper grabbed Natog's laced fingers and rummaged in his pocket. A quick frisk, and Natog was released. "Ok stand over by the door." Marty was quickly searched, and the trooper grabbed the shotgun. The other trooper grabbed the boy by his arm and pulled him from the car.

The troopers had taken the .380 as evidence, and locked the boy up in one of the cells. Two hours later, after Marty and Natog were interviewed, statements taken, so on and so forth they were allowed to head home. Marty dropped Natog off before going back home. Natog unlocked the generator and brought it in the house before collapsing in his cold bed.