Page 63 of Danger Close

He finished his last curved stroke when the roar of an engine distracted all three of them, their heads turning at the sound of a large truck rushing too fast down the road. Sirens followed, as a black and white police car pursued them.

I looked too, hoping beyond hope that the police cruiser would turn and see us, but it didn’t. It was too focused on its pursuit.

But in the distraction, Charlotte had moved, disarmed the scarred one, his gun in her hand.

“Leave,” she commanded through her teeth. “You don’t know who I am, but I can put a bullet in all three of your heads and no one will ever find your bodies.”

She stepped forward, the pistol pointed at the scarred one’s forehead. She moved forward, and he stepped back, and I realized what she was doing. She was turning him, shepherding him so that he and his friends were closer together. So that she could kill them in three quick shots, just like she said.

“Can you get up, Teri?” she asked.

I didn’t bother telling her that I had no choice. I pushed off the concrete, moving to my knees. Pain shot through every part of me. At a speed that would have made a sloth impatient, I got to my unsteady feet. I groaned, feeling dizzy and stumbling.

“Get to the car,” Charlotte ordered, and I complied as best as I could.

I stepped, one foot in front of the other, moving slower than a zombie lumbering through a bad B-movie.

“Wait,” I stopped, turning back to the men.

“What?” Charlotte said, frustrated.

“The dresses,” I whimpered, as I bent down to pick up the bag I had dropped. “Cobra…” I grunted as I tried to straighten.

The dress felt heavier than a ton of bricks as the shopping bag’s handles cut into the tender skin of my hand.

“He paid for the dress. I can’t—”

“He’ll buy you a new one! He won’t care! Go!”

Chapter 26

An Emergency

Cobra

“What the fuck?” was all I said as Charlotte’s voice came through the speakers of my phone. “What did you just say?”

“We were attacked. I’m taking her to the hospital.”

“Which one? Middlebrook, Mourningkill, or Albany?” Charlotte was talking, and driving, so I assumed she was okay. But Teri? “How bad is she? Where are you?”

“Middlebrook,” she said curtly. “Pulling into Emergency now.”

“Fuck!” I said, my fist slamming the table. The wait staff, and the people around us gave me dirty looks.

“I’m sorry.” I plopped two hundred dollar bills on the table, way more than either of our meals cost. stood up, my fists clenched, ready to head to my car.

“What’s going on?” Beaufort asked, having not heard Charlotte’s side of the conversation.

“Charlotte and Teri were attacked. I don’t know how bad it is, but Charlotte’s taking Teri to the Emergency Room.”

“Alright then,” Beaufort took another sip of his soda before getting up. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 27

I’m Okay

Teri