Senior Year Box Set

Then reality set in. Behind us was the Jeep with two men who wanted to do me and my friends harm. I slowly unbuckled my seat belt and climbed out of the car; my chest was hurting. I pulled both guns out of my waistband and pointed them at the driver and his passenger.

“Get out and get on your stomachs,” I ordered.

The goons looked at each other. When they didn’t comply, I put a round through the windshield. That got their attention. They both exited the car and lay on the ground. Cassidy had joined me and zip-tied their hands and feet together, so they weren’t going anywhere.

The police were still on the other side of the bridge because the wreckage of Bill’s car blocked them.

“We have to get Paul to the hospital now,” Tami said.

“Cassidy, you watch these two. I’ll carry him across the bridge,” I said as I gave her their two guns.

Paul was unconscious. I looked at Tami and could tell she was worried. I would never forgive myself if one of my security died while working for me. Ignoring the pain in my chest, I picked up Paul and began to jog across the bridge. Tami followed behind me with the medical bag.

I will never get the image of Bill’s mangled body out of my head. Tami stopped to check to see if he was alive or not. When she didn’t stay with him, I knew he was no longer a threat.

◊◊◊

Once we’d made it across the river, Sheriff Cochran and a couple of his deputies met us. They had an ambulance waiting for Paul.

“You go with Paul and make sure he gets to the hospital. I’ll go back and make sure Cassidy and Tracy are okay,” I said to Tami.

When I’d told the sheriff we had two of them in custody, he’d sent a couple of deputies over the bridge to secure them.

“Tracy’s going to be a mess. She needs you right now,” Tami said.

“I know,” I said. “And thanks.”

“For what?”

“I can always count on you. I’ll see you at the hospital when I get done here.”

Tami nodded and got in the ambulance with Paul. Sheriff Cochran was waiting for me.

“I need to ask you some questions.”

“First, I want to check to make sure my friends are okay. The guy in the Corvette has terrorized one of the girls for several years. She has a history of depression because of it,” I explained.

“Okay, I’ll walk you over the bridge.”

I did a double-take because it had been my experience that people in his position weren’t usually so understanding. He rose a few notches in my book for listening to what I had to say.

When we got to the Corvette, I noticed they’d thrown a tarp over Bill’s body, which was still in the car. I assumed that was so the press wouldn’t have gruesome pictures to release. I think they used them as clickbait. They usually came with a warning that what you were about to see was disturbing. Of course, people couldn’t pass that up and wanted to view them. Personally, I thought it was the worst kind of journalism.

When I got to the other side, Tracy looked up at me. She was sitting next to the car, looking off into space.

“Is he …?”

“Yes. He’ll never bother you again,” I assured her.

She stood up and hugged me.

“Good.”

Tracy wasn’t letting go as Cassidy came over.

“The SUV is messed up. We’re going to have to get a ride.”

I smiled at her.

“Did Paul really say you should drive it like you stole it?”

That made us all laugh. I reached out an arm, and Cassidy joined us in a group hug.

“Fritz will be proud of you. You did a good job today,” I told Cassidy.

“But you got shot.”

“And I’m fine. Come Monday, I’ll call Devin and get the whole team geared out in that Liquid Armor. Getting shot hurt like a mother, but I was able to walk away.”

“Let me see your chest,” Tracy said.

I rolled my eyes.

“Show us,” Cassidy ordered.

I pulled up my shirt to reveal the beginnings of a massive bruise. Sheriff Cochran saw it and grimaced.

“Son, you need to get that checked.”

Great! My mom was going to be all over this.

◊◊◊

Sheriff Cochran gave us all a ride to the hospital. He took Cassidy and Tracy to the station to get statements from them while I got checked out. Tami found me in an exam room as some idiot prodded my chest. She had her phone out, tapping away.

They ordered X-rays and left us alone.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I keep a journal, and I was writing about today.”

“Am I in it?” I asked.

She read me an entry.

‘He moved like a dancer, all in black, as he slid silently into the forest. His graceful gait belied the notion that this was a dance of joy, as was his norm. His smooth, explosive movements composed a deadly ballet born of his desire to save his protector and his damsel in distress. In the end, vengeance was his, and his adversary was killed by death.’

“That’s a little flowery and over the top, don’t you think?” I asked.