car’s engine roared to life.
The faint glow of red tail lights became visible through the thinning trees.
The car jerked forward and sped off. I fired three rounds, managing to shatter
the rear window.
My lungs burned
with each cold breath I took. I placed my shaking hands on my knees and bent
over, catching my breath. I turned and started back through the woods. The path
wasn’t clear but I knew I hadn’t run more than a half-mile, if that. I kept a
quick and steady pace and five minutes in I started calling for Bear.
“Jack,” Bear’s
voice rumbled in the distance.
I turned toward
the sound and picked up my pace. “Keep yelling,” I shouted into the cool
breeze. Bear yelling was a risk, but if I didn’t find him soon he might bleed
out. I still had no idea about the severity of the gunshot wound.
Two minutes
later I found the clearing. Delaney’s lifeless body lay twisted on the ground.
His legs sideways and sort of stacked one on top of the other. His torso belly
down. His face turned to the side, the moon reflecting off his dull and
lifeless eyes.
Bear had
managed to move to a tree and leaned back against it. Best place to be. He
could adjust and take cover from a gunshot at any angle.
“You all
right?” I asked.
He breathed
heavily and clutched at his wounded shoulder.
“Yeah, I’ll
live.”
“Can you walk?”
He grimaced as
he pushed back into the tree and dragged his large legs under him. They pushed
his body up. “Let’s go.”
“I could have
helped.” I started toward the parking lot. “I want to take a look at that when
we get to the car.”
“I’ll be all
right.”
“Like hell,” I
said. “I’m not going to have you bleed out in Abbot’s car.”
The walk back
to the parking lot took longer than the walk out to the clearing. Bear moved in
spurts, stopping to catch his breath every so often. Fifteen minutes after we
set out, we came to the edge of the tree line. Orange street lights lit up the
lot. I took cover behind a tree and scanned the lot. Could they have circled
back and hid out, waiting for us? There would be only one way to find out. The
car was a good hundred feet away. We hid behind the dark veil of the woods.
“I’m going to
jump in and start the car,” I said, “then back up and pull up parallel.”
Bear nodded.
Said nothing.
“I’ll pop open
the back door,” I continued. “As soon as you see that, duck and run. Dive into
the back seat. I’m going to tear out of here like a bat outta hell. OK?”
He nodded
again.
“Here goes,” I
said. “Wish me luck.”
I unlocked the
doors and started the car with the remote then paused. I watched the trees
across the lot for any movement, but didn’t see anyone or anything. I ran to
the car, opened the door and got in. I watched the mirrors for a minute. The
area remained still. I threw the car in reverse, backed out and pulled up
parallel to the trees then leaned back between the driver and passenger seat
and opened the rear passenger door.
Bear emerged
from the woods, huddled as low the ground as he could, his left arm still
clutching his right shoulder. He dove head first, crashing onto the seat and
pulling his legs in.
“Go, Jack.”
I put the Audi
in gear and sped off, making a U-turn in the lot and speeding toward the road
leading out to Georgetown Pike. Half way down the road I saw them.
They parked
along the side of the access road. They stood outside the car, using its heft
to shield them. They drew their weapons and aimed at the Audi.
“Brace
yourself,” I said.
I hit the gas
and swerved to the side, sideswiping their car with the passenger side of the
Audi. If luck was on my side, the driver’s side door would be damaged and
they’d be unable to open it. Luck might just have been on my side. The men dove
away from the car and the road moments before the crash.
Bear grunted
from the backseat. I raised my hand and pounded on the roof, letting out a yell.
I reached the
end of the road and
The faint glow of red tail lights became visible through the thinning trees.
The car jerked forward and sped off. I fired three rounds, managing to shatter
the rear window.
My lungs burned
with each cold breath I took. I placed my shaking hands on my knees and bent
over, catching my breath. I turned and started back through the woods. The path
wasn’t clear but I knew I hadn’t run more than a half-mile, if that. I kept a
quick and steady pace and five minutes in I started calling for Bear.
“Jack,” Bear’s
voice rumbled in the distance.
I turned toward
the sound and picked up my pace. “Keep yelling,” I shouted into the cool
breeze. Bear yelling was a risk, but if I didn’t find him soon he might bleed
out. I still had no idea about the severity of the gunshot wound.
Two minutes
later I found the clearing. Delaney’s lifeless body lay twisted on the ground.
His legs sideways and sort of stacked one on top of the other. His torso belly
down. His face turned to the side, the moon reflecting off his dull and
lifeless eyes.
Bear had
managed to move to a tree and leaned back against it. Best place to be. He
could adjust and take cover from a gunshot at any angle.
“You all
right?” I asked.
He breathed
heavily and clutched at his wounded shoulder.
“Yeah, I’ll
live.”
“Can you walk?”
He grimaced as
he pushed back into the tree and dragged his large legs under him. They pushed
his body up. “Let’s go.”
“I could have
helped.” I started toward the parking lot. “I want to take a look at that when
we get to the car.”
“I’ll be all
right.”
“Like hell,” I
said. “I’m not going to have you bleed out in Abbot’s car.”
The walk back
to the parking lot took longer than the walk out to the clearing. Bear moved in
spurts, stopping to catch his breath every so often. Fifteen minutes after we
set out, we came to the edge of the tree line. Orange street lights lit up the
lot. I took cover behind a tree and scanned the lot. Could they have circled
back and hid out, waiting for us? There would be only one way to find out. The
car was a good hundred feet away. We hid behind the dark veil of the woods.
“I’m going to
jump in and start the car,” I said, “then back up and pull up parallel.”
Bear nodded.
Said nothing.
“I’ll pop open
the back door,” I continued. “As soon as you see that, duck and run. Dive into
the back seat. I’m going to tear out of here like a bat outta hell. OK?”
He nodded
again.
“Here goes,” I
said. “Wish me luck.”
I unlocked the
doors and started the car with the remote then paused. I watched the trees
across the lot for any movement, but didn’t see anyone or anything. I ran to
the car, opened the door and got in. I watched the mirrors for a minute. The
area remained still. I threw the car in reverse, backed out and pulled up
parallel to the trees then leaned back between the driver and passenger seat
and opened the rear passenger door.
Bear emerged
from the woods, huddled as low the ground as he could, his left arm still
clutching his right shoulder. He dove head first, crashing onto the seat and
pulling his legs in.
“Go, Jack.”
I put the Audi
in gear and sped off, making a U-turn in the lot and speeding toward the road
leading out to Georgetown Pike. Half way down the road I saw them.
They parked
along the side of the access road. They stood outside the car, using its heft
to shield them. They drew their weapons and aimed at the Audi.
“Brace
yourself,” I said.
I hit the gas
and swerved to the side, sideswiping their car with the passenger side of the
Audi. If luck was on my side, the driver’s side door would be damaged and
they’d be unable to open it. Luck might just have been on my side. The men dove
away from the car and the road moments before the crash.
Bear grunted
from the backseat. I raised my hand and pounded on the roof, letting out a yell.
I reached the
end of the road and
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