The Pension Plan

He awoke, crossed the floor and looked through the window. They were still there. They had been there all night watching and waiting from the blue sedan. They knew he would make a move sometime and when he did, they were ready.

Nobody ever turned over big Tony and got away with it, yet here he was holed up in a two-bit hotel room on West 51^st sitting on a million dollars. Tony Capello's million dollars. He couldn't stay here much longer. Time was running out; he knew it and they knew it.

Harry Dent was a Chicago cop; a detective first class and for thirty faithful years service his reward had been acrimonious divorce and a mountain of personal debt. He was determined to retire with more than his police pension and even more determined to stay alive. It had been almost too easy; hitting Tony's courier on his way to the drug deal, locking him up on suspicion and signing the briefcase full of dough into the secure evidence room...well some of it at least.

Down on 51^st Street Capello's men had the joint surrounded. Big Tony had given his old adversary twenty-four hours to produce the dough or face the consequences....a pair of concrete galoshes at the bottom of Lake Michigan. Harry had never worn galoshes, even in the notorious Chicago winter storms and didn't intend to start now.

Checking his .38 revolver he snatched up the briefcase and made his move. Taking the service lift down to the basement he collected his battered Ford Galaxy from the rear parking lot and bounced out into the street with his foot to the floor. He knew he would be spotted, but at least it gave him the small head start he needed. The blue sedan gave chase but was never able to get within a couple of hundred yards. They gunned it down West 51^st weaving in and out of slower traffic and forcing on comers over as they battered their ways Eastwards towards the Lake. So far so good. A couple of hundred yards should just be enough.

Through the railway underpass by the Pepsi plant, they hit the ton, which was everything the Galaxy had. Over the Expressway and past the Washington Monument the desperate chase finally led through the iron gates of Washington Park. Innocent strollers scattered in disbelief as the chase continued at suicide tempo. The time was very close now for Harry to make his move. He checked his rearview and they were still far enough behind. His life and his future depended on the next few seconds. The sharp right-hand bend just before the steep fall into the lake loomed into view and Harry released the driver's door catch in readiness. Now, whilst out of sight for several seconds he flicked on the cruise control, slowed to survivable speed and bailed out into the bushes with the case handcuffed to his wrist. The Galaxy hurtled forwards, crashed through the fencing and smacked nose first into Lake Michigan. As if by divine providence, the blue sedan arrived just in time for its occupants to witness the Galaxy's rear end disappearing into the murky depths. They stayed just long enough to make sure Harry didn't surface then took off when the cops arrived. Big Tony wouldn't see his money again, but at least Harry Dent had got what he deserved.