"So you fired him?" Gerrard said as leaned toward Sammy." Well yeah, uh, I had to man. I caught him stealing product man." Gerrard leaned back in the kitchen chair, took another swig of beer." This aint fuckin Wal-Mart. Theres only two ways you get out of this business and that aint one of em." Sammy fidgeted in his chair a little," well I dont know, I mean, he seemed like too nice a kid to be doing this any way. I figured I was doing him a favor." Gerrard stood up and walked to the kitchen sink. He leaned on the counter and stared out the window into the night. "Your not getting it man, you know whats gonna happen?" Sammy fidgeted some more," nah no...what?" " I"ll Fuckin tell you what" said Gerrard, raising his voice some." Billy will go out and get busted for possession or a gun charge or something. Then to beat the rap hell spill his guts about the operation in exchange for dropping the charges." " No, he wouldnt, I mean, I dont think..." Gerrard cut him off, " we cant chance it man. He knows where we store the stuff, he can I.D. suppliers and dealers, Its way to big a risk." Sammy belted down a swig from his bottle. "Well shit man what should I do? I'll fix it, Just give me a couple a days and..." Gerrard cut him off again, " don't worry about it" he said flatly, I'll handle it, Just go home, I"ll call you tomorrow." Sammy got up and finished off his beer. He walked to the door and turned around. "Are WE Cool man, I mean, Im sorry, I didnt mean to make no trouble." Gerrard looked at Sammy and took a long sip, Then a friendly smile came across his lips." Dont worry man, Ill handle it, just go home until I call you."

Gerrard got another beer from the fridge and walked out back. He sat on a spindly rocking chair. He slowly drank as he planned his next move. After 45 minutes or so, a wisp of a smile came to his face. He knew exactly what to do.

Gerrard grabbed his cell phone and got in his truck. He dialed up Billy and put the wheels in motion.

(Gerrards side of the conversation)

"Hey Billy boy, hows it going," he said in a jovial tone.

"I heard you and Sammy had a little issue earlier. Yeah yeah, Sammy gets a little carried away sometimes but dont worry man. Look, I actually was thinking your due for a promotion.. Yeah you wouldnt mind some more money right? Maybe some more responsibility. Yeah Im serious. Where you at right now? Look, meet me at the shop at midnight. I have a big deal tomorrow and I want you to be my point man. Well, we got a lot of prep work thats why, Jesus dude, This is your big chance here, dont tell me 12 is to late, now get your ass down there. O. K.? Now your talking."

Gerrard rolled up to the shop and went in the door on the right side of the shop toward the rear. It was a three bay shop. In the near bay to the door was a row of work benches covered with tools and boxes. Then the other two bays had lifts for auto repair work. Billy and another mechanic actually spent a few hours a week fiddling with some cars as a cover for the real money machine. Along the rear wall, tool boxes, and work benches with some equipment. Gerrard went to the office just off the near bay and got a 9mm S&W semi auto along with a box of ammo. He put the gun and ammo on the center bench along the rear wall. Then he waited for Billy to show up.

Billy strolled in the shop and Gerrard greeted him," Hey Billy, glad you could make it. Look we got a lot to do so lets get to it. First grab that porta-power and the portable mig welder and put them in your car." " What the hells that for?" Billy asked." I'll explain it then, just do it". Billy lugged the two items out to his car and put them in the back seat. Billy came back in the shop, " now what?" Gerard pointed to the 9mm and asked," so you know much about guns?" " Yeah, a little." " Well grab that 9mm over on the bench. Go out back and do a little target practice on that old Buick. I want you to know what your doing." Billy took the gun and swaggered out the door, flipping on the flood lamps on the way out

. Gerrard sat in the office listing to the pop pop pop and waited. Billy came back in and said, " I emptied it." " O. K. Then load up the clip again, Theres a box of shells right there," Gerrard said pointing at the bench. Billy pressed 10 rounds into the clip and stuck it back in the 9mm." O. K. Billy, lay it down for now and come here." Billy did what he asked and started toward the office. But as he got about half way, Gerrard came out of the office and leveled a 12 gage shot gun at him.  "WHOA,WHOA, what the fuck man!" Billy shouted and stopped dead in his tracks." Sorry Billy boy, But the first and last mistake you made with me was crossing me. Id say better luck next time but ,well..." And with that Gerrard pulled the trigger. Billy flew back against a bench and collapsed to the floor. Gerrard then fired another shot just to the right and the buck shot ricochet off the toolboxes and wall, clattering through the shop. Then he walked over , put on a glove, picked up the S&W and fired off a half dozen shots into the office and the wall to the left of the door. He knelt down beside Billy then put the gun in Billys hand." An open and shut case." he said to himself. "I came in to do some paperwork, Surprised an ex employee in the middle of a robbery. He tried to shoot me so I shot back in self defense, even got his prints on the brasses." He smiled as he congratulate himself on how clever he was

.

Just then, he heard a noise at the door. He looked up to see Jamie, Billys girlfriend, Standing in the door way. Her eyes like cue balls, mouth gapping like a yawning hippo. He went to move toward her but as he tried to step over Billys body his foot caught on Billys shirt and he landed flat on his face. Jamie ran back and jumped into Billys car, where she had been waiting the whole time. She swung around and headed on to the highway just as Gerrard came out of the door, cursing and swearing the whole way.

Gerrard jumped in his truck. He turned the key but the motor just cranked." MOTHER FUCKER" he screamed at the top of his lungs as he banged both hands on the steering wheel. He thought of all the times he said he needed to get that checked. The truck had an intermittent no- start for months. He grabbed at the ignition switch again and cranked on the key. This time it sprang to life. He slammed it into gear and spun around in the lot, almost doing a complete loop before he caught it.

Jamie was having some difficulty as the equipment in the back seat was crashing back and forth through every corner. The weight shift was enough to affect the handling of the car and she almost lost control several times. Gerrard was gaining fast and soon he caught up to Jamie. He decide to try a PIT maneuver on her." Hell, the cops did it to me enough, seems to work pretty good", he said to himself. As he approached the rear corner of Jamies car he just barely perceived a flash of brown.. BOOM... The deer that Jamie clipped rolled right back onto the hood of Gerards truck and slammed through the windshield. The truck slowly veered off to the side of the road and bounced into the ditch. Gerrard was barely conscience, The impact had wedged his legs under the dash while his chest was pinned in the seat by the deer. He could hardly breath as his face was half buried in the back of the deer

. It was 5 minutes until a couple of guys came along and found him." Is he alive?" " Yeah, he keeps muttering something over and over." " What?" " Sounds like, open and shut case, open and shut case."