Jarkko Sipila - Vengeance

At first, the explosion had made for interesting work, but slowly, it had become a mind-numbing chore. Partio and Nieminen had secured a corner near the Velodrome. It had been uneventful-one man had stopped at the corner to let his dog urinate. Not a single reporter or cameraman to provide a little variety.

Later in the afternoon, their lieutenant had convinced the army to lend some conscripts for guard duty, so Partio and Nieminen had been able to return to their normal duties.

Tero Partio could feel the weight of his eyelids, but he tried to concentrate on driving. He passed a large mural on Runeberg Street and turned onto Töölö Street. In the back seat sat a mugging victim, whose hand was in need of stitches. A mugger had tried to take the forty-year-old man’s wallet at the ATM, but the victim hadn’t given it up. For that, his palm was slashed with a knife.

“Last call of the night,” said Officer Nieminen.

“Yeah. I suppose we’ve done enough serving and protecting for one day,” Partio remarked. This was a routine call. The medics had stitched the victim’s wound, but had had to respond to another call. As they were nearing the end of their shift, the officers had agreed to bring the victim to the emergency room.

The cruiser approached the ER and Partio spotted a car at the entrance and a man fumbling around. What the hell, he thought. Not this again. It looked like a drunk driver had brought his buddy to the hospital with a self-inflicted knife wound. If the driver blew over.005 on the breathalyzer, it would mean at least another hour on duty.

The situation looked suspicious, and Partio let off the gas. He saw a bald, tattooed man circling from the passenger side of the car to the driver’s seat. Where were the nurses, he thought. Something was wrong.

“This doesn’t look right,” said Partio. “Heads up.”

Nieminen was half-sleeping and bolted upright.

The squad car’s engine roared as Partio stepped on the gas, and the car swerved into the emergency room drop-off. The Audi, idling in front of the door, was five yards off, perpendicular to the police car. Partio slammed on the brakes and heard a bump from the back seat. That didn’t concern him. He yanked up the emergency brake and swung out of the car.

The bald tattooed man was opening the door of the Audi as Partio raised his gun and shouted, “Stop! Police!”

The baldy hesitated a moment, but apparently judged the situation hopeless.

“Put your hands up!”

“Fucking pig. You’ll regret this,” he said, then turned and put his hands on the roof of the car.

Nieminen had already gotten out and was kneeling next to the man on the ground. “Bad leg wound here. Looks like he’s been shot.”

Partio kept his gun trained on the driver of the Audi. He was about to tell his partner to alert the hospital staff about the wounded man, but just then, a stout male nurse in a white coat came out of the entrance.

The glass doors opened outward. “What’s going on here?” the man asked, looking at Partio’s drawn gun.

“This man has been shot,” said Nieminen. “At least for now he’s more your client than ours.”

Partio felt there was something familiar about the men, but he couldn’t put his finger on what. They both looked like criminals, in any case. “Check him before they take him in.”

As the nurse went to get a gurney and some help, Nieminen patted the man down for weapons.

“Nothing,” said the younger officer.

Larsson was standing with his hands on the roof of the car. Nieminen walked over and scanned the interior of the Audi. “Partio, there’s a gun in there… And another one in the back seat with a knife.”

Partio kept his gun sight locked on Larsson. ”Okay, that makes three weapons then.”

Larsson said nothing. The nurses wheeled a gurney to where Steiner lay and muttered something about a possible gunshot wound.

“Sorry,” said Partio to Larsson. “You guys look familiar. Why don’t you tell us your friend’s name so they can patch him up.”

Larsson didn’t respond. With Nieminen’s help, the nurses counted to three and hoisted Steiner onto the gurney. A dark red blot remained on the concrete.

“If you don’t tell us his name, they can’t treat him,” Partio bluffed. He had to get the bald man to talk.

“Rolf Steiner,” Larsson mumbled.

“What’s that? I didn’t hear.”

“Rolf Steiner!” Larsson bellowed loud enough for both Partio and the nurses to hear.

Now Partio remembered. That was the Skulls’ resident maniac and this other must be Tapani Larsson, the gang’s second-in-command. I’ll be damned, he thought. He’d been hearing about these guys over the radio all evening, but fatigue had numbed his brain.

The gurney was wheeled inside and Partio told Nieminen to go along with the patient.

“Alright,” said Nieminen. At the entrance, he turned and glanced toward the Audi. “You’ll manage?”

Partio nodded and the nurses disappeared inside.

Larsson turned to look at Partio. “So you think you can manage me,” he sneered. It occurred to Partio that the guns were still inside the car.

“Stay where you are, please,” said Partio, his gun fixed firmly on the target.

“Please, please, please. What the hell are you squealing about, pig. I don’t please anyone.”

Partio wondered if Larsson was psyching himself up for an attack. Perhaps sending Nieminen away had been a mistake. Suddenly, he realized he had made another. He hadn’t told Nieminen to call for backup. The next screw-up could be fatal.

“Get on your knees, please,” Partio commanded.

Larsson turned away from the car and took half a step toward Partio, who was rooted in a wide firing stance next to the squad car. The span was about ten feet, an adequate distance. Larsson wouldn’t be able to surprise him with one motion, but he shouldn’t be allowed to slink in any closer.

“You’re afraid of me,” Larsson said, and remained standing. “There was a time when you would’ve bashed me in the back of the knee with a nightstick and then choked me with it. Now you just wave that piece of Austrian plastic at me. What’s gotten into you guys?”

“On your knees. Now. Please.”

“Jesus Christ, didn’t I already tell you to quit that please shit?” Larsson took another half-step forward.

Partio backed up a couple of feet. “On the ground now, or I’ll put you in there next to Steiner.”

Larsson was amazed. He had thought the cop would just continue with the warnings. That’s what they were taught to do. Verbal judo and the like, but now the cop had clearly threatened to shoot. Maybe taking off wasn’t such a good idea after all. You never knew about these types. Still, they’d never shoot a fleeing man in the back.

“Yeah, right. If you shoot an unarmed man, you’ll be charged and lose your badge,” Larsson shouted. If he only had his gun, he could test his speed. But it was inside the car.

Partio pulled the trigger. The bullet struck the back door of the Audi and made Larsson flinch. The shot echoed down the street. A small hole surrounded by chipped paint had appeared in the car door.

“On your knees. Now. Please. The next one won’t miss.”

Larsson stalled for another moment; at least this guy wasn’t afraid to shoot. “No,” he said.

Officer Nieminen dashed outside with his gun drawn. He saw Partio holding his gun and Larsson still standing by the car. “Everything okay?”

“Pretty much. Call for backup first and then put the cuffs on this piece of shit.”

Nieminen marveled at his partner’s choice of words. He certainly understood who the piece of shit was, but Partio had always, even in the most difficult situations, been calm and overly courteous. Nieminen took out his radio and notified dispatch that there had been a threatening situation at the Töölö emergency room. Shots had been fired, but the situation was under control. He then asked for additional units. “10-4” said the dispatcher, and the first sirens were audible before Nieminen could make it over to Larsson.