Security officer Alberta was talking to Mike Malone the owner of Big Mike's, trucks,
bikes and boats "If it has wheels or floats see Big Mike."
Mike was the dealership's
owner, but not for very much longer. Mike had sold the business "Lock stock and Barrel" as the saying goes. Today was the last day for Mike. Tomorrow someone else would own it.
The dealership had shut down for the night the employees had left. The new owner had agreed to keep them on.
Alberta was the head of security there but she wasn't staying. Where Mike went she went. They had been together for ten years and she kind of thought of herself as his personnel bodyguard. A beat up car drove up to the locked gates of the dealship and blew it's horn.
"Ignore it," Alberta said, "we are shut for the night. I'm sure whoever it is will leave if no one goes out." They were standing by the open door to the security office. The other doors to the building were shut and locked.
But just as she said that the horn blew again.
"I better check it out." Mike said, "go inside and hit the switch for the automatic gates to open. You can keep an eye on things from the security console."
So Alberta went inside, shutting the door.
She walked over to the security console. The switch for the gates was there. She switched it as she sat down at the console. From a video screen at the monitor she could see the gates opening and the car driving in. The car parked and three men got out. One was Emmett Maxwell. Emmett had two men with him. Because they were standing back behind Emmet and Mike where it was darker. She couldn't get a good look at them (besides one had on a hooded sweat shirt). Alberta had tried to get get Mike to install better lighting by the gate.
She also couldn't get a good look at them as Mike unlocked another door in the building she was in. That was the door to Mike's office.
Alberta turned on the camera in Mike's office.
It was hidden so the three men with Mike didn't know it was there.
Alberta had a good view on a video screen built into the security console.
Although she had a good view, one of the men was hard to see since he had his back to the camera.
Something just didn't seem right to Alberta.
Emmet kept calling Mike "Colonel," in a disparaging way.
Mike had been a colonel. He didn't like talking about it (even to a friend and confidante such as Alberta). But Colonel Malone (for indeed that had been his military rank)
had served with Emmett. Mike had left in the usual way, Emmett not so much. Emmett blamed Mike for his - let's just say - less than honorable departure.
Alberta saw the gun in Emmett's hand . . .
Alberta charged through the door between the security office and Mike's office.
