Corey Marmaduke watched as a bullet shot in his direction and passed through a bathroom door.
He had been an Airborne Army Ranger more than 20 years ago, his tight crew cut a remnant of his past. In this instance, however, he wasn't fighting in the Gulf War.
Marmaduke broke through the lock, apprehended the drug addict who shot at him and then took him to jail. Marmaduke doesn't take "no" for an answer when you don't pay your bail bond.
Bad Boyz Bail Bonds, off Frederick Road, blends the hard-nosed attitude necessary with a mom-and-pop atmosphere.
Janet Marmaduke is an Auburn native and the motherly figure to the business. Her dark-rimmed glasses hold her hair back, and her pink fleece vest matches her pink Bad Girlz business cards. The license plate of her white Corvette with two red racing stripes down the middle reads "BADGRLZ." It is obvious that Bad Girlz is as much a part of the business as Bad Boyz.
Janet said the mom-and-pop atmosphere is what sets them apart from other bail bond companies. That, and the catchy name their 23-year-old daughter came up with.
"I've been here all my life," Corey said. "I know a lot of people. I know the judges. We cater to the students, and we are probably the easiest bail bond company for a student to go through because we're mom-and-pop owned. I don't have anybody to answer to."
Janet worked as a psychiatric nurse for East Alabama Mental Health before she started helping with the business. She admitted it is hard to find employees, but with future expansion it is necessary to hire more people.
Corey started his bail bonds business 19 years ago after he was raised in Hillsboro, Mo.
If a person out on bail does not appear at his or her court date, the court gives the bail bond company 30 days to return the person. If that fails, the bail bondsman must pay the full price of the bond.
Corey has been across the United States chasing people who fail to appear. He has made trips to Illinois, Ohio, Virginia and Florida.
Pursuing a college student who failed to appear at court, Corey said he drove his white customized Chevrolet Tahoe to Las Vegas. It isn't hard to spot. An oranged-out rear window displays the company information, and the side is adorned with a blown-up picture of the company logo: a thick-necked, broad shouldered man with a crew cut: a caricature of Corey Marmaduke.
One day before Bad Boyz was going to have to pay the forfeiture of the bond, Corey returned his client to court. He apprehended the student in a casino and returned him in two days. In the past 19 years, Bad Boyz has been able to find all but five people.
"My husband drove out to Las Vegas mostly for general principle," Janet said. "It cost us just about as much to get out there and get him to come back as the $3,000 bond."
The workday for a bail bondsman is not 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. While not in the office, the Marmaduke's answer their phones regardless of the time. It is hard for Janet to remember a Christmas that Corey hasn't had to get up from Christmas dinner to bail someone out of jail.
The only thing the Marmadukes don't do is leave their Sunday service at the Cowboy Church on Highway 280.
Corey carries a gun with him at all times, but has never drawn his weapon on anyone while working at Bad Boyz. Janet is licensed, but has never carried a gun on her.
"I think everybody should be able to carry a concealed weapon," Janet said. "There's no law for criminals that carry the weapons, that are illegal. I'm going to protect myself. I think if you're a registered gun owner, you're in the right. You're on the good side."
The Marmadukes are in business to help their clients. They prefer not to, but Corey said he is not afraid to chase down people when he needs to.
"That's not the way I want to do it," Corey said. "I'm a big boy and I've been doing this a long time, but I have a wife and daughter and I'm going to make sure I come home at night."
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