Sleepy Town Manhunt

“Four men, armed and dangerous, on the loose”… sounds like the opening credit to a Chuck Norris movie right? Right! Except it was also the headline Mr. S read to me last night. And guess where this little thriller was taking place? OUR STREET!! (Well the road our street is off of, which makes it our street’s street.)

Our Town (photo licensed by  Bob Jagendor)

First off let me set the stage, we live in a military town. You cannot go to the store without seeing someone in uniform. Someone who knows how to use serious weapons. Someone who has stared death in the face. Someone who lived to tell about it… if only military people “told about it”. (From what I can tell in my short military experience so far, they don’t do too much tellin’ of tales.) So that’s the kind of town we’re talking about. A place where you can feel pretty darn safe.

Well, four men decided to drive their red Ford Focus to an auto parts store and rob it. Now I’m not too sure why they decided to rob an auto parts store but perhaps these Ford Focus drivers know something about cars and their parts that I don’t. During the robbery they injured two employees and then drove their Ford Focus off with the police in hot pursuit. They jumped on the highway and headed south (towards MY exit). Now I have no criminal experience but these Ford Focus drivers-turned-armed-robbers did something I don’t understand: they pulled over, jumped out of their car and continued their escape on foot while firing their guns at the policemen who were chasing them. (God bless those policemen!)

The police caught one man but the other three are at large. Armed. And Dangerous. And somewhere near my street’s street.

Spring Creek, in our back yard

Now, our house backs up to a Ol’ Man Kennedy’s farm, a beautiful piece of land with a lovely creek dividing our property from his. We learned that these criminals are probably following along some kind of landmark such as our creek. Yes, the one behind our yard that also goes right under our street’s street, where the criminals are currently at large!

This is what I learned around 7 pm at night. In the south when it gets dark at 4:30…

My husband does know his way around a gun so he took some pleasure in getting our arsenal out and making sure we were locked and loaded. I even got my trusty revolver out and confirmed I was ready should those Ford Focus drivers come our way.

Proof we have weapons!

We told the dogs to be extra watchful after which they rolled on their backs for their nightly belly rub and off to bed we all went. The night was uneventful and if those Ford Focus drivers are still hanging around these parts then they are idiots. I am sure they are long gone now.

Not much can shake up your comfort in your sleepy military town like “four men, armed and dangerous, on the loose” on your street’s street heading toward the creek in your very yard... but that sure did.