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Authors: Brynna Curry
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“I think so. Why is someone shooting at us?”
“I don’t know. We’ve got to get out of the open.” He didn’t need to look to know there was very little ground cover. Their only chance was to run for it.
“How are we going to do that?”
Jack had a plan, a bad one. He felt helpless, no gun, no badge, not even a cellphone to call 911 and report the shots fired. Of course the damned phone would be in the car. His shoulder burned like hellfire, but he was going to try really hard not to think about it. He didn’t have another choice. Her only chance at survival was his training. He had to stay calm. Running now on pure adrenaline and fear wasn’t making it easy. Even if he didn’t make it, she had to live; right now nothing else was as important to him as that.
“I want you to listen real close, Liv. Do exactly what I say. If we can get through that stand of trees it cuts straight back to the curb. I want you to roll over and crawl real low, until I say. I’ll keep you covered. Go, now.”
Liv took a deep breath.
“Jack, don’t let me die.”
* * * *
Liv did as she was told, crawled and prayed. She was surprised the gunman didn’t take another shot at them. After all, they were sitting ducks. As soon as she took off running, he fired again. Shots pinged off the old lampposts and the old large oak tree beside the library. Ducking, Liv tried to avoid the flying debris. Shattered tree bark struck her face and hands, cutting through tender flesh. Covered in blood, she prayed to God she wasn’t going to bleed to death. She and Jack pounded through the trees, tiny missiles of wood flying everywhere. Finally her feet struck the welcome concrete of the parking lot behind the library, out of sight of their assailant.
She didn’t question him when he tossed her the keys. “You’ll have to drive. I hope you can handle her.”
Screeching tires, she had the pedal to the floor when she heard him groan beside her. “Jack, what is it?” A sideways glance showed her the blood wasn’t coming from her. Her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. He’d been shot trying to protect her. He didn’t make a sound, just handed her a phone out of the glove box with his left hand.
“Call nine-one-one.”
Liv gripped the steering wheel one handed as she spoke to the operator calmly in a pitiful effort to fight off the panic. Jack sat beside her all stoic and macho, bleeding to death. Because of her, but who would want her dead? She knew she was the target. The shooter had plenty of opportunity to kill Jack, but he had waited until she was in sight, then had only fired again to frighten them. Well, it worked. She was plenty frightened.
“You’re hurt, Jack. How bad is it? God.” Terror edged its way back and hysteria wanted to move right in.
“Don’t know. I’ll be okay, Liv, but if you panic I’m only gonna have half as much a chance.” He reached out with his good hand and touched her cheek. “Stay with me and we’ll get through. It’s not the first time I’ve taken a bullet. There will probably be another, though I can’t say that I’ll look forward to it.”
She let it go for now. What else could she do? She focused on the road and tried not to look at him. Liv screeched up to the emergency doors. She jumped out of the car and ran around to his side to help him.
Hospitals. The smells and sounds of those who were fighting to live, those who were begging to die, she hated them. Coffee had gone too stale to energize the tired staff. She gave them points for being able to handle the job day in and day out. The pretty nurse who had taken Jack away asked her have a seat in the waiting area. He had been alive when they had reached the hospital, she held on to that, but he had been unconscious, so much blood lost. That had been three hours ago.
She sat in the plastic salmon colored chair and stared at the door the man she loved had gone into. How could so much happen in barely three days? I love him.
“I don’t know. We’ve got to get out of the open.” He didn’t need to look to know there was very little ground cover. Their only chance was to run for it.
“How are we going to do that?”
Jack had a plan, a bad one. He felt helpless, no gun, no badge, not even a cellphone to call 911 and report the shots fired. Of course the damned phone would be in the car. His shoulder burned like hellfire, but he was going to try really hard not to think about it. He didn’t have another choice. Her only chance at survival was his training. He had to stay calm. Running now on pure adrenaline and fear wasn’t making it easy. Even if he didn’t make it, she had to live; right now nothing else was as important to him as that.
“I want you to listen real close, Liv. Do exactly what I say. If we can get through that stand of trees it cuts straight back to the curb. I want you to roll over and crawl real low, until I say. I’ll keep you covered. Go, now.”
Liv took a deep breath.
“Jack, don’t let me die.”
* * * *
Liv did as she was told, crawled and prayed. She was surprised the gunman didn’t take another shot at them. After all, they were sitting ducks. As soon as she took off running, he fired again. Shots pinged off the old lampposts and the old large oak tree beside the library. Ducking, Liv tried to avoid the flying debris. Shattered tree bark struck her face and hands, cutting through tender flesh. Covered in blood, she prayed to God she wasn’t going to bleed to death. She and Jack pounded through the trees, tiny missiles of wood flying everywhere. Finally her feet struck the welcome concrete of the parking lot behind the library, out of sight of their assailant.
She didn’t question him when he tossed her the keys. “You’ll have to drive. I hope you can handle her.”
Screeching tires, she had the pedal to the floor when she heard him groan beside her. “Jack, what is it?” A sideways glance showed her the blood wasn’t coming from her. Her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. He’d been shot trying to protect her. He didn’t make a sound, just handed her a phone out of the glove box with his left hand.
“Call nine-one-one.”
Liv gripped the steering wheel one handed as she spoke to the operator calmly in a pitiful effort to fight off the panic. Jack sat beside her all stoic and macho, bleeding to death. Because of her, but who would want her dead? She knew she was the target. The shooter had plenty of opportunity to kill Jack, but he had waited until she was in sight, then had only fired again to frighten them. Well, it worked. She was plenty frightened.
“You’re hurt, Jack. How bad is it? God.” Terror edged its way back and hysteria wanted to move right in.
“Don’t know. I’ll be okay, Liv, but if you panic I’m only gonna have half as much a chance.” He reached out with his good hand and touched her cheek. “Stay with me and we’ll get through. It’s not the first time I’ve taken a bullet. There will probably be another, though I can’t say that I’ll look forward to it.”
She let it go for now. What else could she do? She focused on the road and tried not to look at him. Liv screeched up to the emergency doors. She jumped out of the car and ran around to his side to help him.
Hospitals. The smells and sounds of those who were fighting to live, those who were begging to die, she hated them. Coffee had gone too stale to energize the tired staff. She gave them points for being able to handle the job day in and day out. The pretty nurse who had taken Jack away asked her have a seat in the waiting area. He had been alive when they had reached the hospital, she held on to that, but he had been unconscious, so much blood lost. That had been three hours ago.
She sat in the plastic salmon colored chair and stared at the door the man she loved had gone into. How could so much happen in barely three days? I love him.
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