AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My hand stayed ready on my weapon as I moved closer to Chapman’s home. When I reached the gravel just in front of his trailer, the dog barked.
He barked, and he barked until I knew if no one had noticed my truck or me before, they definitely would be checking me out now.
“Shut up, Dahmer.” An older man, wearing dirty faded blue jeans and a ragged Giants sweatshirt, pulled the dog aside.
My hand relaxed, and I dropped it away from my weapon. This wasn’t the man in the video footage from the governor’s office. It wasn’t the delivery guy. This man was a lot older.
He looked to the left first, but then saw me. His eyes narrowed, and he called from inside, “Kid. You better get over here!”
In the next moment, a man appeared from the side of the house, pointing a rifle at my chest. He wore a black trench coat and army boots. “Get off my property!” he shouted.
My fingers inched toward my weapon. Not because he shouted at me. I was used to that. Not because he pointed a weapon at me. That had happened countless times before.
No, I wanted my gun because when I saw his face, I recognized him.
He was our guy. The same guy from the security videos. I knew it with every fiber of my body.
He primed his rifle, and I raised my hands in the air.
“Jake,” a voice shouted from within the truck, and my heart stopped.
No, no, no.
I took a step back to divert his attention, but he paid no notice. I knew instantly that he had recognized her. His eyes grew bigger and he ever so slightly dropped his weapon, only to readjust it a second later.
“I didn’t mean to step on your property,” I said, hoping to get him to focus on me and pray that she stayed far from his shooting range.
“I’ll go and won’t bother you. You can put your gun down.”
He didn’t, but at least his eyes were on me now. His gaze drifted back and forth between me and Nikole, but he didn’t move his weapon in her direction, for which I said a silent prayer of thanks.
As I walked backward slowly, feeling the ground before I took each step, Chapman raised his shoulders. He did not drop his weapon or lower it even an inch.
The feeling in my stomach grew, and I knew that something was about to happen. I didn’t know what, but I knew it wouldn’t be good.
When I was nearly ten feet away from my truck, I heard the engine start and Chapman looked up and pointed his gun towards Nikole.
I spun around, looking for Nikole, but she wasn’t on the street. Instead, she opened the truck’s front door, and I raced toward it. A shot went off, and then another.
A bullet hit my open door, narrowly missing my leg. Pulling myself up to the steering wheel, I put the truck into drive and slammed my foot on the gas. The wheels squealed, dust clouded around the tires, and the door slammed shut as the truck launched forward and barreled down the street.
“Oh, my god! Oh my god! He shot you!” Nikole screamed beside me. “Pull over.”
There was no way in hell I was pulling over. Not until I was at least ten miles away from this place. I turned the corner and headed straight out of the park.
I ignored the speed limit down the dirt road, and passed the farmhouses, all while Nikole smacked my arm, and shouted at me to stop the car.
“You could bleed out. Stop and let me look at it.”
“I’m fine. I just need to get us to a safe spot.”
I should never have brought her with me. I knew better than to bring a civilian into a danger zone. What the fuck was I thinking?
I smacked the steering wheel and swore under my breath. Nikole backed away. At first, I was relieved, but then realized she sat lower in her seat.
“I’m sorry. I’ll get you to safety. I promise.”
She shook her head and bit the skin on the side of her thumb.
