Page 61 of Last Chance Christmas

“I guess I’ll get ready for my shift, then. I’ll leave for work in half an hour.”

“Sure.” Anthony was glad to hear her voice and, for some reason, wanted her to hear his. “We’ll follow you once you leave.”

“Okay, I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

He was ready to see her again now, and to have the protection of the security system at the firehouse. Twenty-nine more minutes to go. He settled back into his seat. Even rested his head for a moment.

“What’s that?” Penny pointed through the windshield.

Anthony sat up straight. “Where?”

“On the other side of Della’s house. I saw movement.”

Anthony removed his service weapon from its holster and bolted from his car.

“Tony, wait!” Penny hissed from somewhere behind him.

He probably should’ve grabbed his hat, but it was too late for that. The movement in the shadows spurred him. He squinted through the thick snow and made his way down the alley.

A figure dressed in black slid around the corner of the next house down. Anthony sprinted after the person. “Stop! Police!”

The person paused and looked back before darting between houses. Definitely male. Average height and weight. But the man’s black beanie and neck warmer hid most of his face. No sign of a weapon in his gloved hands.

Anthony ignored the cold seeping down the collar of his coat and kicked up his speed a notch. The pounding of Penny’s footsteps sounded from behind him.

Just as the man reached the driveway in front of Della’s neighbor’s house, Anthony made his move. He lunged and wrapped his arms around the man’s torso, knocking him down to the ground.

The man flailed. “Get off me!”

Anthony flipped the guy over and whipped the hat off his head.

Not Vaynes. It was just a kid lying there in the snow, barely sixteen by the looks of him.

“Who are you, and what are you doing?” Anthony didn’t have time for this.

“Nothing! I swear!” The kid held up his empty hands in surrender.

Anthony stood and yanked the boy to his feet. “Then why did you run?”

The boy’s shoulders slumped. “I’m grounded. I was sneaking out to see my girlfriend. She lives a couple streets over.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Penny ran up to them. She looked at the kid and chuckled. “What’s going on?”

Before Anthony answered, he heard Jude’s voice on the radio Penny was carrying. “Everything okay?”

“All clear. False alarm,” Penny told him. “Stay where you are.”

“Copy that.”

Penny clipped the radio back onto her belt. “So, what did I miss?”

“Romeo here is sneaking out of his parents’ house.” Anthony let go of the kid and brushed the snow off his pants. “I’ll escort him back home. You should get back to Della.”

“Yes, sir.”

Anthony didn’t have to look up at Penny to hear the smirk in her response. And it didn’t take much convincing for the kid to cough up his address. Anthony walked him home and spoke to the parents. By the time he got back to the squad car, he was soaked to the bone. He shivered in the driver’s seat and didn’t look at Penny.