“Should be there, Colt,” Jo replied.
“Darryl’s in the back, the alley,” Colt told her, looked over Darryl’s injuries and continued, “been hacked, also, what I can see, been shot.”
“Got it, Colt,” Jo said but Colt was already flipping his phone shut.
He skirted Morrie, went around Darryl’s legs and crouched at Darryl’s other side.
“I need to know which way they went. You see that?” he asked Darryl.
“Right, out the alley,” Darryl answered, his head tipping to the left, telling Colt where he’d last seen the car, his voice as pinched as his face.
“What was he drivin’?” Colt went on.
“White Ford Taurus. Didn’t get a number but it was an Oklahoma plate,” Darryl answered.
Colt put his hand to Darryl’s shoulder as the paramedics came running out the backdoor carrying their kit but he ignored them and said softly to Darryl, “Good.”
“Came in the front but was parked in the back. He got Joe-Bob first,” Darryl continued. “Crazy Joe-Bob went right at him, even though that guy came in swingin’. Then he started shootin’, didn’t hesitate, took down the cop before he even got his gun outta his holster,” Darryl finished as Morrie moved away and the paramedics moved in.
“Just relax, Darryl,” Colt urged.
“I told Feb to run, she did but he ran after her. He shot at me, hit me but I tried –”
“Relax.”
“Lieutenant, move away,” the paramedic ordered and Colt didn’t hesitate, he moved.
By that time Warren and Rodman were in the alley as was Sully and Colt moved to them.
“White Taurus, Oklahoma plates, north out the alley,” Colt said, pointing in the direction Darryl indicated and Warren opened his phone as did Sully.
“I was at Mimi’s,” Morrie whispered. “Feb wanted a latte. I was at Mimi’s gettin’ her a latte.”
“Morrie, hold it together, man,” Colt said.
“I was gettin’ her a fuckin’ latte.”
“Morrie, keep it together.”
Morrie twisted his neck, his hand coming to the collar of his t-shirt and he pulled himself together but his eyes went to Colt’s and he said, “That asshole’s got my sister.”
Colt knew that. He knew it. He felt that knowledge weighing heavy in his gut.
“Melanie,” Darryl said and everyone’s eyes turned to him.
“What?” Colt asked, but it felt like something lethal had hold of his heart.
Darryl blinked then lifted his chin and said, “Feb went with him because he’s also got Melanie.”
Then Darryl slid to the side and lost consciousness.
*
“No, this isn’t right, Alec,” I said as Denny pushed Melanie onto Susie Shepherd’s couch.
He had hold of Susie who was trembling from the top of her blonde head to the tips of her blood red painted toenails. She was trembling because, now that Melanie was on the couch, Denny wasn’t just holding her bicep in his hand, he was also now holding his gun to her head.
“February, do as I said, sweetheart, tie her up,” Denny commanded.
I shook my head. “Please, Alec, let’s just go. You and me, let’s just go.”
Denny leaned forward and shouted, “Tie her, the fuck, up!”
I decided not to push it, moved forward, my eyes locking on Susie’s before I walked around her. I used the rope Denny gave me and pulled her wrists behind her back.
“I don’t know how to tie someone up,” I said, winding the rope around her wrists. “Maybe you can hand me the gun and do it yourself.”
“Quit fuckin’ around, Feb.”
“No really –”
“Quit fuckin’ around!” Denny shouted again, Susie jumped under my hands and Melanie made a terrified noise from the couch. “I wanna get this done and get the fuck outta here.”
“Okay, Alec,” I whispered, scared, clueless, wondering if Colt or Sully or the Feds would ever think in a million years that Denny would take Melanie and me to Susie Shepherd’s house.
I tied Susie up but I didn’t do a good job with it mainly because I wasn’t lying, I didn’t know how to tie someone up. Also, I didn’t want to do a good job.
“Done,” I said, my hand going to Susie’s forearm. I gave her a squeeze there, not knowing what I was saying, just wanting her to have something, to tell her we were all in this together, to tell her I would do what I could.
Denny yanked Susie forward and shoved her to sit on the couch next to Melanie.
I stood there, my mind going a million miles a minute. Should I lunge for the gun? Should I go for the axe he made me carry into the house? If I did, would he shoot me, or Melanie, or Susie?
Time.
I needed time.
“Why?” I asked Denny as he stared at the two terrified women on the couch.
“Gag her,” Denny replied.
“What?” I asked.
“Gag her, Susie, the fuckin’ bitch. Don’t want her talkin’. Don’t want her runnin’ that sick mouth of hers.”
I looked at Susie. She was scared stiff, she didn’t have it in her to speak.
“She won’t talk,” I told him.
Denny looked at me and said calmly, “I don’t want to repeat myself again, sweetheart.”
I shook my head, still trying to buy time for Melanie and Susie and for me. “I don’t have anything to gag her with.”
“Find something. I’m sure she has some fancy-ass scarves somewhere.”
Was he serious? He was going to let me wander the house looking for a scarf?
I shot Susie and Melanie a look then muttered, “Be right back.”
Then I ran from the room.
*
Colt’s phone rang in his hand, he didn’t even look at the display before he flipped it open and put it to his ear.
“Colton,” he said, his eyes on the gurney with Darryl strapped to it that was being wheeled into the bar, his mind on Feb and Melanie, his gut twisted in knots.
“Alec?”
It was his mother.
Fucking shit.
“Ma, I can’t –”