Senior Year Box Set

It’s funny what your mind latches onto in moments like this. I thought the tiny motes of dust that danced within the beams of sunlight through the trees would make a great picture.

That thought left me when I found Paul. He was leaning up against a tree, holding his hip. I crouched down close so we could have a whispered conversation.

“I thought I said …” Paul said.

“Later! Can you move?”

“Not well.”

“I’m going to go get Tracy and then come back for you,” I said as I left him.

I trotted silently through the woods and pulled out my phone. The drones’ infrared view of the area made it easy to find her. Tracy had huddled under a bush. When she saw me, her eyes widened. I put my finger to my lips to signal she should be quiet. She crawled out, all the while shaking with fear.

“Give me your phone,” I whispered.

Tracy looked confused but handed it to me. I turned the volume up high and put her phone beneath the bush she’d been under. We then started back to where Paul was holed up. We moved slowly as I pointed out twigs and the like so Tracy wouldn’t step on them.

Paul about had a heart attack when the two of us appeared as if out of nowhere. Fritz would be happy when I shared that with him. He wasn’t the only stealthy ninja.

We all froze when we heard voices getting closer.

“What happened?” Bill asked.

“Some big kid in a black bodysuit just appeared. Before I could do anything, he took my gun away and knocked me silly. You didn’t tell us she would be protected.”

“I bet it was that David Dawson. At least, I hope so. It’ll save me the trip to find him and put a bullet in his head.”

That didn’t sound ideal.

They had almost found us when I called Tracy’s phone. I spotted the two of them as they began to run to the sound of the phone. I handed the shotgun to Tracy and then helped Paul up. As quickly as we could, we made our way to the car.

I about shit myself when the shotgun boomed. The guy that Paul had shot at wasn’t down and out after all. Tracy had put a round into his chest, and he was gasping for breath. I let go of Paul, took three quick steps, and kicked the man in the side of the head. I grabbed his gun and hurried back to my friends.

We no longer had a need to be stealthy. Paul gritted his teeth through the pain and hobbled to the car.

I’d just gotten Paul into the back when Tami yelled.

“Look out!”

All three men came barreling out of the woods. Bill had his gun raised.

“Drop it!” he ordered Tracy.

She dropped the shotgun, and Bill relaxed his stance but still kept his gun trained on us. I stepped in front of Tracy and Tami and put my hand behind me, and motioned for them to get into the car.

“Freeze,” Bill ordered and then smiled. “Look what we have here. My dream come true. The Hero and the Bitch. I’m going to make you watch as we all take turns with her, and then I’ll kill you. I might sell the other two to some friends of ours. They’re always looking for new whores,” Bill threatened.

“I want to kick the shit out of him first,” the first one I’d disarmed said.

They didn’t realize I had two guns in the back of my waistband. I debated whether I could draw them and fire before Bill got off a shot.

“I think I’d enjoy watching that,” Bill said.

“Come on, old men. I’m more than willing to kick your butts,” I blustered.

His two goons started to come for me when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted three drones crashing down. For a split second, I was elated as all three of our attackers were tased. Then I fell backward. Bill had jerked from the 50,000 volts coursing through his body, and his finger had pulled the trigger and shot me.

“Get him in the car,” Tami ordered.

Tami and Tracy pulled my body into the back seat as I tried to get a breath. I’d been hit square in the chest and was sure I would die soon.

“Cassidy, drive it like you stole it!” Paul called from the back.

SUV lurched forward as we went from zero to sixty in record time. I wanted to tell her she needed to turn around because this road was a dead end, but I couldn’t. Black spots started to appear in my vision as I began to lose consciousness from lack of air.

Tami hovered over me, and I was sure she would be the last thing I ever saw as I closed my eyes. But then my body’s natural defenses kicked in, and I gasped a breath. Frick, that hurt.

“He’s not bleeding. I can’t find where he was shot,” Tami said frantically.

I grabbed Tami’s arm.

“Turn … turn …” I tried to get out.

“What’s he trying to say?” Tracy asked, and then she got it. “Turn around. This road dead-ends. The only way out is behind us.”

I swear to God! Cassidy smoked the tires as she slammed on the brakes. When the car stopped, she jammed it into reverse and began to speed backward. Then she executed a J-turn that would make a stuntman proud. Tracy and Tami both screamed bloody murder, which seemed to please Cassidy.

In the back, Paul groaned as his hip hit the side of the car. Tami crawled over the rear seat to check on him.