That’s a safe place, I think to myself.
Bullets still popping out car windows above me now, and then the windshield. I manage to get my gun out, but can’t position myself safely to fire or to get to Miriam.
“Stay down, Miriam! Stay down!”
I tuck down and scoot myself back toward the rear of my vehicle. The hooptie’s made its way past my car, so I side crawl around the rear end of it, but by that time the shooting’s stopped. Suddenly. All in a matter of seconds.
I poke my head out and see the car making a left turn on Mozart. It’s gotta be fifty yards, but I still take aim.
Too many buildings beyond the target.
I don’t like the possibility of what a stray bullet can do so I tuck my weapon to a ready position.
I look around the area for any other threats, and then back toward the officer. He’s now splayed beside the front end of his cruiser.
Miriam is still hunched down at the curb.
I run back to her.
She turns, and looks up at me. A shocked expression, like she thinks I’m gonna hurt her.
“You okay?”
She nods several times, obviously terrified.
“They might come back around. You stay here where it’s safe!” I order her.
I make my way to the officer.
His weapon is on the pavement just under the front bumper of his cruiser, arm’s length from his body. The clothing around his chest area is soaked with blood. No head wound. I carefully place my left hand under his head and roll him onto his back.
His eyes are open and he’s breathing, heavy labored wheezing breaths, but he’s still conscious.
“I’m gonna unbutton your shirt,” I tell him.
As I do, I notice his T-shirt is drenched with blood. He’s not wearing a vest.
Looks like two or more rounds hit him center mass. Blood bubbling from the right side of his chest.
He mumbles something I can’t make out.
“I’m gonna need your radio to call for help,” I say.
I grab his radio and key it in. “Officer down. Officer down. Seventeenth and Euclid. Get an ambulance here.”
“Keep focused on me, buddy,” I tell him.
He nods, but with effort; then his bloodied mouth opens and he struggles to speak.
“Help’s on the way,” I assure him again.
Then I hear something behind me, in Miriam’s direction. When I look up I see her running across the street.
“Motherfuck.”
I turn my attention back to the officer but it doesn’t take me more than a second to realize he’s not my concern.
“Help’s on the way,” I say again, and then I bolt.
By that time she’s across the street and near the front entrance of the Ritz. All that adrenaline made her fast. I yell for her to stop, and hope with everything I got the hooptie hasn’t rounded the block to finish the job.
“Miriam!” I shout.
She opens the glass front door with a key, runs inside, and quickly closes it behind her.
I get to the door. I see her run across the lobby area and toward an opening on the right that leads to stairs.
I yank at the door. It’s strong. I yank it harder, but this time with both hands and all my weight.
All that does is make a loud metallic noise and wrench my fingers.
“Fuck it,” I say.
I pull out the Taurus from my backside and think about shooting the lock. I realize how stupid that’d be so instead I smash out the pane of tempered glass with the butt of the gun. I have to jump back to let the large shards fall.
With the gun in a tucked position I run into the lobby and make my way through the opening. It’s early enough in the morning that no one is around.
Stairs ahead of me that lead up to the first floor.
To the left, a narrow hallway and another door.
I got here fast enough that I should be able to hear her running if she’s taking the stairs.
I can’t, so I take a chance that she hit the back door instead.
A metal fire door opens to a furnace room. In the back there’s another metal door with an “Exit” sign above it.
I open it and see Miriam at the top of a tall metal gate with a chain wrapped around the middle securing them together with a padlock on the outside.
She’s straddling the top, lifting her skinny left leg over. I holster my weapon in my backside. It’s not far so I get there quick, but by that time she’s jumped to the other side.
I reach my arm through the gate in time and manage to grab the sleeve of her jacket.
“Let go!” she screams. “Let me go!”
“Why the fuck you running like this?”
“Fucking let me go!” And she starts hitting me on the arm with her other hand while trying to strip herself free of the jacket. Then she bends down, mouth open, and before I can react she’s sunk her teeth into the exposed skin just above my wrist.
I belt out, “Fucking shit, you bitch!”