One of the men broke away and sprinted toward Newton's building. In this area of town, the buildings were close together. It was an easy jump for a man who knew what he was doing. This one did. Before the police could stop him, he leaped across, landing with professional agility. Rolling on his shoulder, he got to his feet, running along the graveled roof of Newton's perch. He was getting away from the other officers.
"Cover me," Newton said and took off, leaving his weapon with Prince.
"What are you doing, Newbie?" Harvey yelled over coms.
"Trust me."
Newton sprinted to intercept. The young man spotted him, changing course.
"Runs like a gazelle," Cage said. "Damn!"
Newton followed, his long legs eating up the distance. The criminal went over the side of the roof, hit the fire escape, and launched himself at the building opposite, bouncing across the narrow space as he fell. Without hesitating, Newton followed.
The yelling in his ear was distracting. When he landed, he yanked out the earpiece, letting it dangle from the cord. On the ground, he caught up easily. He'd worked on his stride over the years, and could cover nearly his own height with one leap. With a flying tackle, he caught the fleeing person in the small of the back, rolling to protect them both in the fall. The criminal lay still, panting.
"Not my fault," he gasped. "I want a lawyer."
"You ran."
"Well—yeah! Bunch of guys with guns show up?"
"Explain to my boss." He cuffed the runner, reading his rights as he frisked him. "You're fast, kid."
"You're faster. Jesus! Like your feet don't touch the ground!"
Newton refused to accept the compliment from a criminal.
A patrol car screeched to a halt. Canon leaped out, already yelling. "What were you doing?"
"Catching the runner, sir." Newton said, somewhat breathless.
"You jumped over the side of a building!"
"There was a fire escape."
"Which you didn't use! What was that crazy, ninja shit?"
"Parkour. Urban acrobatics. Also called free running."
"You Mirandized this—free runner?"
"Yes, sir. But watch him. He's slick and limber. And he can outrun a deer."
"Didn't outrun you," Canon said, sounding impressed.
"Cause he can run like Superman, dude," the kid said. "Like he didn't even hit the ground!"
"You have to show me that," Harvey said as the young man was loaded into the car.
"Happy to. I'm riding with this one, Boss. I don't trust him." He slid into the front passenger side. "The others like you?" he cast over his shoulder.
"No. You learn fast when you're the shortest kid around."
Newton nodded. "How old are you?" He settled back as the car started rolling.
"Seventeen."
"Really."
"Okay, sixteen and a half."
"You'll grow. I was your height until I was almost seventeen. Then I grew six inches in the summer. Another two the first three months of school. Started swim team, filled out. U.S. Army did the rest."
"Army, huh? Think I could join?"
"Maybe. They love a punk ass. Sergeants would break you fast."
"How do you know?"
"I'm a Staff Sergeant, twelve years experience."
"Why'd you get out?"
"I was tired of getting shot at."
"You're a cop. You get shot at daily."
"You'd be surprised at how wrong you are. This, or a war zone? I'll take this."
"Cops call this the War Zone," the kid persisted.
Newton snorted. "This is a walk in the park."
At the station, Newton accompanied the teenage free runner while he was searched and booked.
"Run a wand over him," he told the officer conducting the search.
"He's clean."
"Humor me."
The wand beeped when it got near the boy's fly.
"That's his zipper," Sergeant Griffith said.
"Zippers are brass. Hand it over, kid." Newton held out his hand.
The boy fiddled with his fly and pulled out a slender piece of metal. Newton put the metal into an evidence bag, marked and pocketed it.
"Can I get that back?"
"Not on your life. A criminal with a lockpick?"
"I'm not—"
"Save it. Only thugs pull shit like that."
©2021 Dellani Oakes
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