“Are you sure?” Hiromi’s voice had softened, yet held a lethal edge. She extended her arms to squarely aim the Jericho at the base of the man’s neck, just out of arms reach. She continued. “Set the gun down and slide it to me. Then take two steps back and lay flat on your stomach.”

      The man shot death glares but complied. Calvin kept the Sig trained on him as the surrendered weapon slid to Hiromi’s foot. Calvin checked the glass entry door and wondered when the sirens had stopped. SWAT should be swarming the place now that police vehicle lights were very clearly coming from somewhere on the street outside.

     “Now spread your arms and cross your legs. Turn your palms up.” Hiromi commanded as she secured both pistols in her waistband and knelt behind Calvin to pop the handcuffs from his belt carrier. She allowed herself a small smile as she caught a glimpse of his badge.

      “FBI, huh? I owe you an apology.”

     Calvin didn’t respond, just turned his weapon toward the kitchen door as Hiromi stepped over him and twisted the prone man’s fingertips up into a painful wrist-lock to cuff him.

     “Any nasty surprises for me?” She asked, patting down the man’s waistband and ratcheting the second cuff closed. The man grunted no.

     Calvin saw the kitchen door crack open and blasted three holes through the table in front of it. A man yelped. “ENOUGH, ENOUGH ALREADY!” Two handguns flew over the table, clattering to the ground. One discharged a round through the glass of the restaurant’s street facing window.

     Hiromi stood up and away from the cuffed man, drawing both weapons from her skirt and training them on the Lewis and his Goateed associate. A team of men in full black tactical carriers burst through the door, streaming in and fanning around Hiromi and Calvin. Satisfied that the carnage had subsided, a chorus of “Clear!” went through the ranks of black clad men. The Sergeant leading the charge disarmed Hiromi. “Thank you ma’am, we’ll take it from here.”

     Three more men set about zip tying the wrists of the other criminals. The remaining two pushed on into the kitchen and confirmed the danger had subsided.

     Calvin groaned, laying his head and Hiromi’s gun back on the tile. 

    “What… in THE HELL took you guys so long?” He grumbled. The sergeant knelt beside Calvin, tugging the balaclava from his face. “We were waiting for your go ahead, Sir. You okay?” Calvin’s eyes tightened as he dropped the gun and gripped the Sergeant’s collar. “I had to have a KID call in and you waited for ME to give the go ahead?” He hissed. “Are you an idiot, Stevens?”

     Hiromi batted away the hand of one of the other SWAT members. “Hey!” She said, pulling back from his cuffs. “What do you think you’re doing?”

     Calvin raised his head.

     “Stevens, have your man stand down.” Sgt. Stevens nodded, turning back and waving off the offending officer.

     The man stepped back, but sallied forth a question. “Sir, the civilian was armed. Shouldn’t we be taking her in for questioning?”

     Hiromi turned to the man and glared at him. “I’m not a civilian! I’m with the Marshals service. My credentials are in my purse. Calvin, do you mind?”

     Calvin hurled Hiromi’s purse at the officer, who caught it and stood uncertain what to do as Hiromi plunged her hand into the front pocket and retrieved a leather carrier. She flipped open the wallet to show him her ID and the Silver Circle-Star-and-Eagle badge of a Deputy Marshal.

“United States Deputy Marshal H-“

      “Hiromi Nakamura.” Calvin chimed in. “Leader of the US Marshals Special Operations Group Virginia. Assigned to the capture of Anderson Lewis and all his known associates pursuant to joint operation Tiger Tail.” His eyes closed in a grimace. “Personally led the raid on the Roosevelt Private Airstrip three weeks ago, during which she received a shallow bullet wound to her right thigh and had her medic hospitalized for critical injuries.” Hiromi’s hand wrapped over her leg, pressing the skirt firmly on the hidden bandage. Her lips parted. Calvin wasn’t finished.

     “I’m hurt, so as of now, Deputy Nakamura is Incident Commander. You will address her as ‘Sir,” ‘Ma’am’ or ‘Deputy.’ Is that understood, officer?” The overwhelmed officer nodded and choked out a “Yessir!”

     Calvin winced and mumbled “Good, ‘cause I’ve got a headache like none other.” His breath hissed away as once more he sank into unconsciousness. The last thought to enter his mind was the sight of a foreign inscription running down the grip of Hiromi’s little Sig.