He fell asleep with her in his arms. Her rhythmic breathing and soft clean scent had lulled him, and before he knew it, he was a goner. It would have been nice to wake with her still in his arms; if Darrell’s hideous tattooed face hadn’t been but an inch from his. He started to say something about personal space, but a head shake and wide eyes from Darrell silenced him.
Darrell held a finger to his lips and gestured toward the front door. Jerrod was on instant alert, gently shaking Riley awake. Her eyes flew open and for a second he was transfixed on how beautiful she looked blinking up at him with dreamy green eyes, and a slight smile curving her soft pink mouth. Her silky blond hair spilled over his chest. The temptation to run his hands through it and feel the soft waves fall through his fingers was nearly overwhelming. Then the moment was shattered by brutal pounding on the front door.
“Vegas PD! Open up!” A gruff male voice sounded. Riley scrambled from Jerrod’s lap looking around wildly, reminding him of a caged animal. He went to her and put his hands on her shoulders. He’d meant to calm Riley’s nerves, but it seemed to enrage her further. With claw tipped fingers she lashed out at him catching him across his bare chest. Blood welled from four jagged gashes and trickled down his stomach as he bit back a curse.
“What the fuck Riley? Calm yourself or you’re going to get us both killed.” He gritted out as quietly as he could. She looked at him cocking her head to one side. The glowing green that dominated her eyes went out instantly. It was like a light switch flipped inside her head. She went from feral to tears in seconds when she looked at his chest. As much as he wanted to be angry, he couldn’t.
“Vegas PD, we have a warrant. Open up or we will break it down!” The threat was followed by another jarring pound on the door.
“Shit, thanks you two, looks like I’m headed to London as well. I fucking hate Europe.” Darrell snarled as he took off for the back of the house. Jerrod didn’t have time to console Riley’s tears. He grabbed her hand and ran after Darrell pulling her along behind him. They just made it to the end of the hallway when the entire house began shaking.
Darrell slid back a rug on the floor that covered a small cellar door. It was barely visible, giving almost nothing away of its presence but a small knot hole to open it with. Giving it a hard yank, Darrell opened the hatch and dropped down into the darkness below. Jerrod was mildly impressed with Darrell’s strength because he knew how heavy that door was. He installed it after his parents bought the house ten years earlier. Too bad it hadn’t saved them when they needed it. He shook away the memory beginning to encroach and pulled Riley up to stand at the edge.
“Jump, there are no stairs.” She looked back like she was going to say something, but the sound of the front door splintering spurred her into action. He watched as she was swallowed up by the darkness. He hooked a finger through the hole and crouched at the edge, then dropped down pulling the hatch shut behind him. Muffling a scream as his fingers caught, he felt the bones give way as they twisted and snapped. Pain shot up his arm, and he fell with a heavy thud to the ground. Sucking in gulps of air, Jerrod laid there on his back breathless for a few seconds before rolling over on his side.
“Get up. Jerrod, get up!” Riley whispered loudly above him. With their arms entwined, she hauled him to his feet. Enough precious time had been wasted, they had to move whether or not he felt nauseous from the pain.
“Let’s go.” He muttered tersely before taking Riley by the hand. As they ran down the narrow tunnel, he cradles his arm in close to his body. The sounds of heavy footsteps and shattering glass followed them even as they made their way to the end of the passage.
Jerrod gritted his teeth trying to control the rage that was boiling up inside. Those bastards were destroying everything his parents had worked their whole lives for. The only things he had left of them.
“About damn time. What, did you decide to stop and smell the roses?” Darrell snarled as he waited impatiently by the exit, with arms crossed, leaning up against the rough stone wall, and tapping his foot.
“One of these days I’m going to kill you, you sorry bastard.” Jerrod gritted out. Using his injured shoulder to shove Darrel out of the way, he almost lost his footing and went down, but Riley swiftly reached out and caught him.
“Can you two please quit acting like children until we get the hell out of here?” She asked with a growl.
“Yeah sure, but only until we’re outta here, then it’s on rich boy.” Darrell shoved his finger in Jerrod’s face. Using his good hand, Jerrod slapped it away and cautiously edged open the door. Studying the room for a minute and letting the musty air seep through the crack, he noted it was dark and undisturbed; no one lurking in the shadows as expected. The tunnel led to the garage next door; a property that was his as well, courtesy of his father. He had long since abandoned it in favor of living in his parent's home.
“Come on, but be quiet.” Jerrod grabbed Riley’s hand and pulled her through the doorway into the dark dusty room. Two transports occupied the space draped in yellowing cloth. They were old, his first transport and a gas-guzzling antique that wouldn’t move even if you begged it. At least, one would serve them if they could manage to get out of the garage undetected. He hauled Riley behind him not caring in the least if Darrell followed. In fact, he would be happy to leave him there.
“Do these heaps even run?” Darrell’s harsh whisper came from directly behind him. Well, so much for leaving him.
“The Lotus does.” Jerrod hid the grin trying to emerge.
“How in the hell are we all going to fit in a Lotus?” Darrell gritted out.
“It has a back seat. Now shut up and help me get it ready to go.” Jerrod let go of Riley’s hand and reached up peeling back the cloth cover. Running his fingers down the cool silver painted fiberglass, Jerrod remembered a time when it was used for partying and roaming the strip. His mind slid back to the way women would stare lustfully, and men would glare in envy. All the money in the world hadn’t saved his parents though. Not after his father turned, and his coven left him to hang at the hands of PIC.
“Jerrod? You okay?” Riley’s small hand stroked his back, and he repressed a shudder.
“Yeah I’m fine. Let’s get moving.” He shrugged away from her and rounded the transport. There was no time for Riley’s sympathy. He never should’ve let even the slightest hint of memories in, because the past would do nothing but get them killed. With a touch of his thumb to the driver’s side door panel, it opened.
Flicking the thumb-locks to open the other doors, he pushed aside the memories trying to swamp him as the smell of his old cologne and stale French fries wafted out of the transport. It may not seem like much to anyone else, but those smells reminded him of happier days.
“Get in Riley. Darrell, open the garage door as quietly as possible. Try not to draw any unwanted attention. This baby starts up silent; if we can get out of the drive, we’re home-free. They’ll never catch my Lotus.” This time he let the grin slid into place. He’d outrun the PD so many times in this thing; it was the only reason his record was still clean.
“You better not leave me here Richie Rich. I have friends other than Happy. If he doesn’t get to you first.” Darrell mumbled the last bit under his breath, but it was still loud enough hear. Jerrod felt like being petty and giving him the bird, but he could feel Riley’s eyes boring into him from the back seat. Jerrod heaved a sigh and slid into the driver’s seat, and holding his breath, pressed his thumb to the ignition switch.
Just like old times, the Lotus purred to life with barely a sound. He closed his door as quietly as he could and left the passenger side open as he let off the brake. The lotus slowly rolled backward toward the exit. Darrell pulled on the garage door, but it hesitated for a second and then gave way with a loud ear piercing squeal.
The three of them cringed. The slow, quiet escape they had been hoping for was out the window as shouts from the next door lawn reached their ears. Jerrod slammed the Lotus in reverse, and Darrell jumped in as he rolled by. As soon as Darrell closed his door Jerrod mashed down the accelerator. They sped backwards down the drive, hitting the street just as PIC came sprinting across the lawn. VEGAS PD my ass, Jerrod thought as he braked quickly. The silver Lotus spun around, and he threw it into drive. The sound of screeching tires and gunfire echoed down the empty street.
Jerrod shouted out another curse each time a bullet pinged off the transport's exterior. One of them caught a lucky shot, and the rear glass shattered spraying the three of them with shards. Riley let out a gut-wrenching scream and Jerrod couldn’t help but shift his attention back to her. She was sprawled out across the narrow back seat. Her skin was pale, and he would have thought she was asleep if it hadn’t been for the dark-red blood that covered her face and matted her hair.
“Oh God! Riley!” His heart thundered in his chest, and he had to resist the urge to pull over and climb into the seat with her.
“What the fuck, damn, Jerrod, Riley’s hit!” Darrell shouted from the passenger seat. More bullets sprayed the car, and Jerrod could hear the sound of a copter in the distance. They had to get gone, and now. He could beat the transports; he couldn’t out run the copter.
“Get back there and see if she’s still breathing you worthless ass!” He shouted at Darrell, who for once didn’t argue. Jerrod stomped on the accelerator, taking it all the way to the floor. The Lotus lurched forward and pressed Jerrod against the seat.
“She’s breathing, but I don’t know for how long. I don’t know what kind of bullet that was. It looks like it only grazed her, but if it was silver….” Darrell trailed off leaving the worst-case scenario unspoken. Jerrod gritted his teeth and gripped the steering wheel so hard his broken fingers screamed with pain.
“I just, we’ve got to get some place safe and then we’ll worry about it.” He mumbled more to himself than Darrell. Still the words didn’t stop the sickening feeling in his gut or the pain that seared his chest. He continued to speed down the residential street for another few blocks. The gun fire finally ceased, but he could still hear the copter gaining on them.
“Darrell can you see that copter?” He yelled out not taking his eyes off the road for even a second. At this speed if they crashed it would all be over. The needle on the gage was bottomed out, redlining at over one-twenty.
“No, but it sounds like it’s getting closer.” Darrell said a moment before another round of bullets pelted the Lotus. This time they came from above, punching through the roof.
“Gah, damn it!” Jerrod looked back to see Darrell covering Riley with his body. Blood streamed down his arm from a wound that turned the blue material of his shirt purple just over his right shoulder. Great, two down one to go.
“Could you move this pansy ass car faster?” Darrell gnashed out, pain lacing his words.
“I’ve got it floored you tattooed freak!” Jerrod slung out the insult simply because it was second nature. He was too terrified that this would be their last moments to feel any kind of hate for the man.
Jerrod let off the gas and mashed the brakes in a desperate attempt to make a turn into traffic. The tires squealed, and blue-grey smoke rose up behind the car. PIC would be less likely to shoot if they were weaving in and out of transports. Civilian casualties were not tolerated. The rear end of the Lotus skidded across the asphalt. Burning rubber assaulted Jerrod’s nose, and he prayed they didn’t blow a tire. When the car pitched to the right, Jerrod had only a second to correct the wheel and lay on the accelerator.
The transport bounced down and they shot out on to the main street, barely missing an oncoming transport. The game of leap lanes began as he tried to outrun the copter while dodging slow moving transports. Jerrod could hear Darrell’s foul curses from the back seat but blocked them out. One slip up and they would be dead. He couldn’t afford any distractions.
Weaving through traffic worked for a few miles. Jerrod almost lost the sound of the copter overhead when a sharp sting bit him in the chest. It felt as if someone stuck a burning match to his flesh. He reached up with his broken hand and wiped at the spot nestled between the scabbed gashes from Riley’s claws. His hand came away covered in red sticky liquid.
“Oh no. Darrell, you still alive back there?” He managed to push out through numbing lips.
“They won't kill me that easy Richie Rich.” He heard Darrell’s slurred response like it was garbled and underwater.
“Good, you better get up here and take the wheel then, or it’s going to be bad.”
“What the hell are you talking about you pansy waist… oh fuck.” Darrell’s voice was right beside him yet so distant. Jerrod felt Darrell take hold of the wheel while shoving him out of the way into the passenger seat. He wasn’t fast enough on the uptake though, because only seconds later Jerrod was thrown to the floor, his head knocking against the dash on the way down. The sound of crunching metal and breaking glass enveloped what was left of his hearing just before darkness took him under.