you.”
Isabel covered her face, and sobbed.
6.
Joe Pike
Pike secured the men belly-down on the street with plasticuffs, and took their wallets and phones. The driver was Donald Bender. The man he pulled off the teller was Christopher Karbo. Bender appeared unconscious, but Karbo watched him with rolling eyes. The right side of Karbo’s face was purple, and his right eye was swelling shut.
Pike said, “Do you understand me?”
The man’s eye rolled again, but he nodded.
“Stay. If you try to get up, I’ll put you down.”
When Pike was satisfied the men were no longer a threat, he helped the teller from the vehicle. She was shaken, but Pike saw no blood or lacerations.
“OhmiGod, OhmiGod, he pushed me into their car! He was on top of me.”
“I saw. I was across the street.”
Isabel closed her eyes, trying to steady herself.
“I feel really weird. I think I’m going to throw up.”
“Breathe. It’ll pass.”
She drew a breath, and pressed her hands to her belly.
“He asked for help. He seemed so nice, and he just attacked me!”
Pike wanted to say something encouraging, but didn’t know what to say. The men were nicely dressed, well kept, and their vehicle was immaculate. They looked like any other two men in the area, yet they had attempted to abduct a woman in broad daylight in front of a bank.
“Customers from the bank? Donald Bender. Christopher Karbo.”
Isabel snuck a glance and shook her head.
“I don’t think so. I’ve never seen them before.”
A siren wailed, but sounded far away. Isabel noticed bystanders snapping pictures and shooting video with their phones. She looked embarrassed.
“I’ve never even gotten a traffic ticket. What do we do, just stand here?”
“They’ll be here soon.”
“I’m sorry you have to wait.”
“Traffic. Traffic’s a bitch even for cops.”
Isabel suddenly giggled.
“Would it be all right if I texted my boss? She’ll be worried.”
Pike retrieved her purse from the SUV, and stood with her as she texted her boss.
The first officers to arrive were Ito and Garcia. Garcia was a P-2 with four service stripes on her sleeve. They eyed Bender and Karbo first, but Garcia’s gaze settled on Pike. Ito walked over to the men on the ground, and Garcia approached Isabel and Pike.
“Someone explain why these gentlemen are proned out and bleeding.”
Isabel burst into tears, and pointed at Karbo.
“He attacked me. That one—him—he pushed me into their car, and held me down. They tried to kidnap me. Mr. Pike saw it. He saved me.”
Garcia studied Pike.
“You the one called emergency services?”
Pike said, “Yes.”
“I know you.”
“We’ve never met.”
She glanced at his arrows.
“I know you anyway.”
Garcia turned to Isabel.
“Why don’t we step over here, and you can tell me what happened. Mr. Pike can wait here, okay, Mr. Pike?”
Pike said, “Sure.”
A second patrol car and an EMS wagon arrived. Ito briefed the officers, and put the paramedics to work on Karbo and Bender. He finally came over to Pike.
“Okay. Let’s hear your version.”
Pike offered his DL without being asked, and described what had happened. He spoke in short, declarative sentences, exactly as he had when he was an officer.
“I followed them until they stopped for the light, then exited my vehicle and approached from the rear. Bender was driving. Karbo was on top of Ms. Roland in the backseat. His hand was over her mouth. She was in obvious distress.”
“Sexual assault?”
“Possible, but I couldn’t say. She was struggling.”
“Then what?”
“I neutralized the driver, pulled Karbo off the woman, and that’s it. I called nine-one-one while in pursuit, and here we are.”
Ito glanced at the men.
“You neutralized them.”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Bender has a concussion.”
“She needed help.”
Ito considered Pike, and eyed the SUV’s shattered window.
“So you dragged two men out of their vehicle, and basically kicked their asses.”
“She needed help.”
“Okay. Wait here some more.”
Pike phoned his gun shop to let his guys know he would be late, then settled against the SUV. Pike was patient. He knew these things took time.
Ito secured Karbo in a patrol car, and the paramedics loaded Bender into their van. An officer asked the crowd for witnesses, but most were drifting away. Pike noticed Karbo watching the crowd, and realized the man was looking at someone. Pike searched for the person looking back, but saw no one suspicious. When he glanced back at Karbo, the man’s head was down.
A gray, unmarked D-ride arrived as the paramedics left. The lead was a large, big-boned male with an oversized head. His partner was a middle-aged woman built like a stork. They huddled with Isabel and Garcia for several minutes, then spoke to Karbo.