 Had the gun barrel not became extremely hot and burned Higgins, what would have likely happened during his standoff?
CALL HIM NEMESIS By DONALD E. WESTLAKE Criminals, beware; the Scorpion is on your trail! [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] There was Mr. Featherhall at his desk, refusing to okay a personal check from a perfect stranger. There were Miss English and Miss Philicoff, the girls in the gilded teller cages. There was Mrs. Elizabeth Clayhorn, depositing her husband's pay check in their joint checking account, and with her was her ten-year-old son Edward (Eddie) Clayhorn, Junior. There was Charlie Casale, getting ten dollars dimes, six dollars nickels and four dollars pennies for his father in the grocery store down the street. There was Mrs. Dolly Daniels, withdrawing money from her savings account again. From the ground up, they all wore scuffy black shoes, baggy-kneed and unpressed khaki trousers, brown cracked-leather jackets over flannel shirts, white handkerchiefs over the lower half of their faces and gray-and-white check caps pulled low over their eyes. The man who had spoken withdrew a small but mean-looking thirty-two calibre pistol from his jacket pocket. One of the others took the pistol away from Mister Anderson, the guard, and said to him in a low voice, "Think about retirement, my friend." The third one, who carried a black satchel like a doctor's bag, walked quickly around behind the teller's counter and started filling it with money. The man who had first spoken herded the tellers, Mr. Featherhall and the customers all over against the back wall, while the second man stayed next to Mr. Anderson and the door. Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson went scooting out the front door and running down the street toward the police station in the next block, shouting, "Help! The man with the satchel came running around from behind the counter, and the man by the door tried to keep Miss English from scratching his eyes out.
 The police would have had to force entry into his home and take him into custody.
 Higgins' wife would have eventually been able to convince him to surrender.  The police would have eventually given up on their suspect and left the scene.  The police would have had to force entry into his home and take him into custody.  Higgins' sister would have eventually been able to convince him to surrender.