The Last Option
Chapter Eleven: The Former Military

The night seemed to favor Billy "the bully", because after two hours of waiting he saw the Hicks' Bentley arrive at the club again, but due to the large number of attendees at the event, the driver could not get a place in the club parking lot, so he had to park several meters down the road ahead, forcing his targets to walk a long way to get to their car. He would take advantage of it to approaching to them and carry out his work, and by the time the driver realizes what is happening he will no longer be able to do anything.

But Billy did not count on the fact that in a moment of his carelessness, looking at his watch to know the time and setting up a radio station to listen to music in the middle of his vigil, which was already becoming annoying, the driver of the Hicks approached the entrance from the club and met with seven other drivers to chat with them while they waited for their employers. When he turned to see the club again, he did not realize the new addition to the group. And that was the error in the calculation of his plans.

An hour and a half later, many attendees of the event were already beginning to leave, including the Hicks, who began looking around for their driver and car. Seeing them, Billy got out of his car and waited behind it for them to spot theirs and start walking toward it. Immediately one of the remaining men from the group of drivers approached them and pointed to their right, and together they began to walk down the sidewalk. Billy realized it was his driver and muttered a curse. He was not expecting that, however he decided to go ahead with his plan. The driver would also die.

He got out of the back of the car and started walking down the sidewalk waiting for them to get a little further away from the club. After a few meters they spotted their car and Billy thought it was time to act, crossed the street and sneaked up behind them. When they got to the car, he waited for the driver to open the door for his employers, he took his pistol from the back of his pants and rushed at them, holding Norma from behind, who was going to give a cry of surprise but the hand of Billy in her mouth avoided it, and pointing at Nathan and the driver, who were shocked and petrified on the spot.

"Give me everything you have! Jewels! Watches! Phones! Everything! Otherwise I kill her!"

Everything that followed happened so fast that Nathan himself, remembering the event, could not explain how Bernard was able to act as fast as he did.

When Billy "the bully" finished saying that, he immediately went to place the gun on Norma's right temple, but he did not count on the speed of Bernard, who with his experience as a Navy Seal was on top of him, holding and raising his armed arm with his left hand, and punching him hard with his right in the face. Norma felt Bernard's clenched fist brush her ear and ended up crashing into the attacker's face, hearing a cracking sound coming from his nose and, after releasing Norma and staggering a little, he fell back noisily, unconscious.

Bernard approached Norma and verified she was okay, then placed her next to Nathan, who hugged her still without words and surprised by everything that had happened. Bernard removed the gun from Billy's hand and verified he was still breathing. With difficulty, but he was breathing. He turned him on his side so the blood gushing from his nose wouldn't drown him, and went back to the Hicks. The remaining group of drivers and some of the event attendees who had witnessed the scene from afar were already beginning to approach rapidly.

"Are you fine?" Bernard asked his employers.

"That was incredible, Bernard!" Nathan exclaimed, already reacting and a little excited. "Did you mention you were in the navy? Did they teach you to react like this there?"

"They teach you that in dangerous situations you only have a few seconds to react. He did everything right," Bernard pointed at Billy on the floor, "but he waited for our reaction to be normal in these cases: first surprise, then fear and finally negotiation, which gave me a two-second advantage before place the gun to her temple, neglecting himself."

Norma was still recovering from the shock, she could only manage to say thank you to Bernard, while Nathan put her back in the car and they got ready to wait for the police.

"You were very lucky to have your chauffeur there at the time," Captain Todd West of the NYPD told them as one of his detectives finished taking their statements. "The guy who tried to robber you is very dangerous, his name is Bill Swanson, aka "Billy the Bully"; he has an extensive record for robbery, drugs and a homicide. We have been after him for five years and he always somehow slipped away when we were close to apprehending him. Now, thanks to you, boy," he pointed at Bernard, "we've got it."

"I only did what my navy training taught me, sir."

Bernard was a little embarrassed.

"A very good workout," West said as the three of them got up to leave, "I wish we had more people like you in the force. The only thing that doesn't add up to us in all this is why he was trying to rob you with an armed hand, because it is not his style to rob people. Rather it is dedicated to the theft of cars, residences and businesses. It's the first time we've seen him docking."

"There's always a first time for everything," Bernard said, but other thoughts were passing through Nathan's head.

As they were about to take the elevator Captain West stopped them and said, addressing Bernard:

"I forgot to tell you there is a reward on Swanson. Five thousand dollars. Come tomorrow to collect it."

The next day Nathan expressed his concerns to Phil Wilcox, who rushed to his office upon learning what had happened.

"The guy who tried to rob us isn't specifically dedicated to that. The police told us that he is indeed a thief, but he dedicates himself more than anything to the theft of cars and residences, and has a homicide under his belt. I don't know, but something tells me this guy was there for another reason, I don't want to think of something much more serious than a simple robbery."

"Do you think someone hired him to kill you and Norma? It's something difficult to believe, I don't see you as a person who has enemies, much less those who send to kill. It must have been that: just a robbery."

"I don't know, Phil, when the police captain said they were surprised to see that guy as a robber, I immediately thought of that. I also consider I shouldn't have enemies, but I swear to you that at some point Louis crossed my mind and you and I know for a long time he has wanted my place in the company, and I don't think he is capable of going that far."

"Now that you mention it, it doesn't sound so far-fetched. You never know. You shouldn't trust yourself anyway. From where it's least expected, it comes."

"Do you think he is capable of something like that?"

"As you just said, he has always wanted to be in your position, no wonder he thinks he has waited long enough."

"If so, don't you think he'd have tried it before?"

"We may be wrong, but you must still be very cautious from now on. If Louis wants you dead, he won't stop until he does. If that is truly his intention, he has already sent the first one, and thankfully he didn't succeed."

"I don't want to be paranoid, Phil. I prefer to think he isn't trying to kill me, although the occasional precaution doesn't hurt."

Suddenly Nathan realized something.

"What about the baby? Have you thought of anything to protect him from now on?"

"I haven't been able to replace a valid option yet," Phil looking worried. "Everything we do for him will be valid only from birth."

"Then prepare everything for when he is born. Only four months to go. I don't want to think he is trying to kill me, but like I told you, precautions don't hurt. I want to think that nothing bad will happen and I will be able to enjoy my son. It's what I want the most in this life."

Phil nodded, but deep inside he was worried.