Read Online Off the Wagon (Users #2) by Stacy, Jennifer Buck - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Stacy, Jennifer Buck
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shotgun was able to get out before Barber’s spikes drove into the man’s chest, tearing through skin, bone, and flesh.
The gun fell from the man’s hands as he brought them up instinctively in a feeble attempt to defend himself. Blood filled the man’s mouth and throat before he could cry out to his companions. A sickening gurgle, as the man choked on his own blood, was the last noise that he would ever make.
Barber stepped on the man’s stomach and yanked back with both arms, dislodging his spikes from the man’s chest. Blood, having been plugged by the spikes, erupted like a fountain all over Barber.
“What are you doing here?” Carter asked.
“Saving your sorry ass life.”
“But how did you get here?”
“I followed you.”
“I told you to stay at the apartment.”
Barber opened his mouth as if he was going to offer a rebuttal, but he was drowned out by the roar of an engine firing up.
“The van!” Carter shouted.
They traversed the uneven terrain, leaping over bushes and slipping through the gaps between trees, but by the time they reached the road, the van’s taillights were like two tiny glowing red eyes in the distance. Then the van turned around the bend and was gone.
“Come on,” Barber said as he started running down the road.
“They’re gone,” Carter said. “It’s over.”
“What do you mean it’s over?”
“That’s it. That was my last lead and they’ve escaped,” Carter said.
“You’re just going to give up? We can go back to the warehouse and wait for the next shipment.”
“And what? They know without a doubt that we’re onto them. They’re going to be even more prepared next time. Do you think these drug smugglers are fools?”
“No, but we can take them together. With my hel-”
“We’re not Batman and fucking Robin!” Carter yelled. “This isn’t some comic book! You just killed a man!”
Barber threw Carter a hateful glare.
“You’re right. We’re not Batman and Robin, and we never will be.” And with that, Barber stormed off down the road, heading back into the city.
“Come on, Barber! I didn’t mean it like that!” Carter hollered after the boy, but he was met with only silence.
Barber didn’t even bother looking back as he marched away into the darkness.
*****
Carter decided to walk back instead of flying, taking the long way home past the waterfront. He needed to blow off some steam before he saw Barber again and figured that he could walk it out. It started to drizzle as he entered the city, but in true Seattleite fashion, he didn’t even pull up his hood. It took some true sideways, slap you in the face, drench you to the bone, type of rain to have a native of this city pulling out a hood or god forbid an umbrella. He arched his neck, letting the cool drops of rain run down his face, cooling his temperature like he was some kind of reptile. Wisps of steam rose off his bald head as the rain quickly evaporated against his hot skin.
He sighed. Things had not exactly gone as planned since he’d left the compound. He wanted to be there for Barber, but he also wanted to stop this new drug from flowing into the city. He had never been one to find balance in life. His addictive personality made sure of that. It was either all or nothing, good or bad. It had been this way for as long as he could remember, even as a child.
Maybe this problem was bigger than he could handle. Maybe he should turn over what information he had found to the cops and let the professionals handle it this time. Then he could focus solely on Barber and his work.
“Shit,” Carter said to himself.
He was supposed to go back to test the bank’s new vault tomorrow, but he had promised Barber he would take him to the meeting and a movie. That was it. When he got back home, he would apologize to Barber, go to work tomorrow, and make it up to Barber by being there for him from now on.
*****
“Barber?” Carter asked as he opened the front
The gun fell from the man’s hands as he brought them up instinctively in a feeble attempt to defend himself. Blood filled the man’s mouth and throat before he could cry out to his companions. A sickening gurgle, as the man choked on his own blood, was the last noise that he would ever make.
Barber stepped on the man’s stomach and yanked back with both arms, dislodging his spikes from the man’s chest. Blood, having been plugged by the spikes, erupted like a fountain all over Barber.
“What are you doing here?” Carter asked.
“Saving your sorry ass life.”
“But how did you get here?”
“I followed you.”
“I told you to stay at the apartment.”
Barber opened his mouth as if he was going to offer a rebuttal, but he was drowned out by the roar of an engine firing up.
“The van!” Carter shouted.
They traversed the uneven terrain, leaping over bushes and slipping through the gaps between trees, but by the time they reached the road, the van’s taillights were like two tiny glowing red eyes in the distance. Then the van turned around the bend and was gone.
“Come on,” Barber said as he started running down the road.
“They’re gone,” Carter said. “It’s over.”
“What do you mean it’s over?”
“That’s it. That was my last lead and they’ve escaped,” Carter said.
“You’re just going to give up? We can go back to the warehouse and wait for the next shipment.”
“And what? They know without a doubt that we’re onto them. They’re going to be even more prepared next time. Do you think these drug smugglers are fools?”
“No, but we can take them together. With my hel-”
“We’re not Batman and fucking Robin!” Carter yelled. “This isn’t some comic book! You just killed a man!”
Barber threw Carter a hateful glare.
“You’re right. We’re not Batman and Robin, and we never will be.” And with that, Barber stormed off down the road, heading back into the city.
“Come on, Barber! I didn’t mean it like that!” Carter hollered after the boy, but he was met with only silence.
Barber didn’t even bother looking back as he marched away into the darkness.
*****
Carter decided to walk back instead of flying, taking the long way home past the waterfront. He needed to blow off some steam before he saw Barber again and figured that he could walk it out. It started to drizzle as he entered the city, but in true Seattleite fashion, he didn’t even pull up his hood. It took some true sideways, slap you in the face, drench you to the bone, type of rain to have a native of this city pulling out a hood or god forbid an umbrella. He arched his neck, letting the cool drops of rain run down his face, cooling his temperature like he was some kind of reptile. Wisps of steam rose off his bald head as the rain quickly evaporated against his hot skin.
He sighed. Things had not exactly gone as planned since he’d left the compound. He wanted to be there for Barber, but he also wanted to stop this new drug from flowing into the city. He had never been one to find balance in life. His addictive personality made sure of that. It was either all or nothing, good or bad. It had been this way for as long as he could remember, even as a child.
Maybe this problem was bigger than he could handle. Maybe he should turn over what information he had found to the cops and let the professionals handle it this time. Then he could focus solely on Barber and his work.
“Shit,” Carter said to himself.
He was supposed to go back to test the bank’s new vault tomorrow, but he had promised Barber he would take him to the meeting and a movie. That was it. When he got back home, he would apologize to Barber, go to work tomorrow, and make it up to Barber by being there for him from now on.
*****
“Barber?” Carter asked as he opened the front
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