This article was originally published in the May 8 issue of the Wareham Courier.
EAST WAREHAM - The stairwell leading down to Gateway Comics looks a little bit like a comic book hall of fame, plastered as it is with posters for dozens of comics and heroes. A glowing neon “S” decorates the store’s window facing Cranberry Highway.
In spite of the beacon, the store below is empty. It’s Wednesday, and the latest comics are out on the racks. Despite that, shop-owner Eric Jordan is waiting restlessly behind the counter while the clock ticks off the hours.
“Back a year-and-a-half ago, if you were here on Wednesday when the new comics came in, you’d find 10 or 15 people browsing the shelf,” Jordan said.
This article originally appeared in the May 7 issue of the Old Colony Memorial, it is the third in a series by several authors.
All around the duplex, the area is flooded with light and sound. Yellow tape and sawhorses stand between police vehicles holding back neighbors clutching cups from Dunkin’ Donuts.
Police officers draped in black grab gas masks and assault weapons. Commanders bark orders. Sirens blare. Snipers are stationed at high points looking into windows at the barricaded suspect.
Away from all of the commotion, Isabel Eonas and other members of the Metro Crisis Negotiating Team wait by the phone.
“All of the training in the world really doesn’t prepare you for the crises that always tend to happen just after midnight,” Eonas said.