Page 38 of Duke
“How do they keep finding us?” she asked, her voice muffled and shrill with hysteria.
“Fuck if I know. These guys probably knew we were on foot somewhere near the apartment and just went in widening circles until they found us.” I hoped that was the case, because this was becoming intensely distressing, the way they kept showing up. It was twice now. Twice could be luck, or coincidence…but my gut instinct was suggesting otherwise.
I saw a pair of feet underneath the overhanging back end of the SUV, wearing black sneakers, creeping toward us, crouched to take advantage of the body of the truck. I heard voices muttering low, heard thesnick-clickof slides being pulled and released. At least two more, maybe three or four. I glanced around quickly, hoping to find somewhere for Temple to take better cover, but there wasn’t much except doorways. Which, I supposed, were better than being in the open.
I tapped Temple on the shoulder. “You’re gonna run for cover,” I said, pointing at the doorway of an office building twenty feet behind us; at the first bark of gunfire, the few people there’d been on this side street had vanished, but it wouldn’t be long before black-and-whites started showing up here, too—time was at a premium once again. “When I say three, you’re gonna run fast as you can for that doorway and you’re gonna hunker there till I finish this shit off. Ready?”
Temple’s gaze went to the dead body half in and half out the driver’s door, the shattered rear window, the blood splattered on the black leather interior, and then she glanced back at me and nodded.
“Ready,” she said.
I cut a look at her feet. “Shoes?” I said, ejecting the partially used magazine.
She wiggled her toes in her wedge heels, and then slipped them off and held one in each hand. “Okay, I’m ready for real this time.”
I slid a fresh magazine into the Beretta and pulled the slide. “One…two…” I fired two rounds at the rear of the vehicle, and then shouted “THREE!”
Temple took off running, and I was impressed. She was faster than I thought she’d be—the doorway was twenty some feet away, and she was halfway there before I’d finished the shout. I brought the Beretta to bear on the front of the SUV as I moved to put my shoulder against the wall, caught a bit of black hair and the top of an ear. Sent two rounds at the head, aiming a little high for the first one and lower for the second. Red sprayed, and I bolted forward to lean against the hood of the Tahoe, paused, and then rolled out to the other side. Two bodies. Made that four down, and at least one more to go.
I straightened into a Weaver stance. “Hey, asshole. Over here.”
Stupid bag of dicks fell for it, too. He popped from behind the Tahoe, but at least he came out firing. He missed, but points for the effort. Four banging concussions, yet none of his shots came close enough for me to even notice, and then my pistol bucked in my hands and he fell backward. No tricks or waiting, this time. I swung sideways all the way around the back of the SUV, and then peeked in the back window.
That was all of them, then. I jerked open the rear driver’s side door and let the dead body fall to the ground; thank god I’d popped this asshole first, since he’d been packing an AR-15. The trunk of the Tahoe was filled with firepower—two more AR-15s, two small rectangular cases which I assumed contained more handguns, several boxes of assorted bullets, a Mossberg 500…these boys had been packing the right firepower to take me on, they’d just made the stupid mistake of not using it the second they saw me.
I yanked the corpse out of the driver’s door and kicked him aside, noted with relief that most of the mess from my round hitting him had been contained to the side of the driver’s seat and the metal of the A-pillar between front seat and rear. Meaning, the seat wasn’t all nasty. I tossed the duffel bag behind the driver’s seat, kicked the back door shut, then hopped behind the wheel, keyed the ignition, and hauled the driver’s door closed.
I pulled even with Temple and grinned at her from behind the wheel. “Good news is, we got us a ride.”
“But there’s—there was—”
“Yeah, well beggars can’t be choosers. No mess on your seat, so just don’t look back if it bugs you.” I reached across and shoved open the passenger door. “Now let’s go, sweetcheeks!” I heard sirens close.
She hopped in, and looked back. “Oh my god. There’s blood everywhere! And the windows are gone!”
“I told you not to look. At least the dead guys aren’t in here with us, right?”
She shuddered. “Yeah, I guess that’s a bonus.”
I gunned the gas pedal and we took off. “Need you do to me a favor.”
She eyed me warily. “I’m not giving you road-head.”
I snickered. “Well damn, how’d you know what I was gonna say?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re a typical guy, so all you think about is getting your dick sucked.”
I shrugged and pulled awell yeahface. “I mean, it is pretty much the best thing ever.” I jerked my thumb at the rear of the truck. “But actually I was gonna ask you to climb back there and grab the shotgun for me.”
She glanced back. “Shotgun?”
“In the trunk. Big fuck-off black thing, like an assault rifle only bigger. It’s got red shells stuffed into these little loops on the side.”
Temple sighed and climbed over the console into the backseat. Which…unfortunately,wasa little messy. “OH MY GOD that’s sogross!” She toppled sideways into the footwell. “I’ve got blood all over my hands and skirt.”
“Um. Ooops? Forgot about that, sorry.”
She popped up between the seats. “Youforgotabout a giant pool of blood?”