Page 37 of Tone Deaf
Just as Callum screams from the doorway for us to get down, a shower of bullets ricochets all around at us.
Chapter Fifteen
Callum
Against Lyric’s wishes for me to stay in bed, I come out to the living room to talk to my friends before they leave. Especially Danny, who is upset about the plan. Now that they are finally out the door, I move to the window to watch the always-comical battle of who-gets-to-sit-where. Danny gets car sick if he rides in the back, so he’s always riding shotgun, and Tobias doesn’t let anyone but him drive the car Danny’s in, so they sort themselves out pretty easily.
I’m distracted for a moment by a glint of metal through the trees, between the house and the road. Once I see that it’s just the postman delivering mail across the street, I return my gaze to the driveway drama.
Bobby pulls the ever-present sucker from his mouth, bops Raef on the forehead with it, and then scoots past our distracted guitarist to claim shotgun in another vehicle. I chuckle. God, I love those guys. And given the tenseness of the last few days, it’s good to see my friends cutting loose a little.
I hope this separation doesn’t stall Danny and Connor as they try to finish the three songs they claim to have started. We want to complete the album well before September, like planned. Then we can settle into the routine of the mini tour Dante has set up to promote the new album and showcase the playlist at Rocktoberfest. I can’t wait.
After another entertaining ten minutes, I watch the caravan finally pull out of the drive, only to see that same glint in the distance. I look closer and it is the postman again.Weird. I would have thought they’d be done with this street by now, since my mail is delivered to my P.O. box in Denver.
I glance at Fig, who remains by the door and ask, “Can you get Dom to come back in? I want to talk to him.”
“Sure,” Fig says and pulls the door open and shouts at Dom. “Are you going to stand out there all day?” Apparently, Dom needs convincing. “Callum’s asking for you.”
Great. Now Dom thinks I’m needy. Thanks, Fig.
Out of my periphery, I see a Suburban pull up, and am confused for a minute assuming it’s one of the vehicles that left with the band, until I see Pen. He gets out, a frown cemented in place, and starts walking toward Dom. Pen doesn’t look happy.
“While you two talk, we’ll make sure Callum has his stuff in order so we can move out by nine tomorrow,” I hear Fig shout and then he comes back in.
Since I can’t hear Pen and Dom, I resign myself to watching the back-and-forth between them through the window. I don’t know what they are saying, but it looks heated.
“Now that the boys are gone, why don’t you go rest,” Lyric says once again.
“Please don’t fuss over me, I’m feeling good,” I assure my nurse, who’s pouting.
“It’s my job to fuss. Besides, I don’t want Dante to fire me.”
“Dante won’t fire you,” I say and return to watching Dom and Pen.
When I see the same postal vehicle turning into my driveway, every alarm in my head goes off. I move to the door and throw it open.
“What are you doing?” Lyric demands, following behind me.
“I don’t get mail here,” I frantically announce over my shoulder, stepping just outside the threshold.
As the postal vehicle speeds up the drive, I see the barrel of a rifle thrust out of the open window.
“Get down,” I scream.
Suddenly I hear rapid gunfire as I’m being tackled from behind. My knees hit the ground first, and pain shoots up my legs. My chest lands in the grass, with my splinted arm is sandwiched between the two. My chin is the last thing to connect with the ground and I see stars.
When the sound of squealing tires fades, Fig growls in my ear, “Don’t move.”
“Callum,” Lyric chokes out my name from my right.
I slowly turn my head and see Jordan on top of him, face to face with Lyric.
“Are you okay?” I reach my hand out to Lyric.
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” he whimpers, then turns his attention to Jordan. “You can get off me now.”
Jordan looks around, then he pushes away from Lyric, leaving the nurse looking as shaky as I feel.