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For the first time, the expression on Luke’s smooth face tells me something with clarity.
He’s terrified.
“Marci, what are you doing?! Put the gun down.”
“Stay out of the way. I’m leaving.”
Luke moves both hands in a pacifying gesture. “Please, the gun could go off by accident. This isn’t a game.”
“Who says I’m playing?”
Tauro and Mega Simba perk up and move closer, also looking concerned about my choice of escape plan. Well, will you look at that?! It seems being willing to die has its advantages. They’re finally taking me seriously.
“Tell your hench-creatures to stay out of the way.” My gaze remains locked with Luke’s, trying to make him understand this isn’t a joke. If he’s not getting the message loud and clear, he’s not only too pretty he’s also blind and deaf. In the past, I’ve been willing to die for much less than this.
For a moment, he just stands there, his blue eyes searching my face. Finally, he says, “Tauro, Leo, move back. Marci and I still have things to discuss.”
I wait until they step back before saying, “I have nothing more to discuss with you. You either let me go or I’ll stay right here . . . forever.” I stamp a boot against the pavement and press the gun into my temple a little harder. The end of the barrel digs into the tender area in an all-too-enticing manner. What would be so awful about dying? What is there to live for in this new, terrifying world?
Aydan’s dark, intense eyes come to mind. I blink, surprised, and push the notion away. He’s not a good enough reason to stick around. No one is. People leave, die or get turned into Eklyptors. And when they’re gone, you’re worse off than before, wondering why the hell you bothered to keep on fighting.
“You wouldn’t hurt yourself,” Luke says in a reasonable tone that implies he knows me.
I laugh. “Try me.” I begin to squeeze the trigger. A shiver slides down my spine, enticing me further.
Luke’s face goes pale. “Okay, okay.” He steps back and extends a hand toward the Jetta’s open door. His eyes flick to Tauro in a desperate plea. I have no idea what he expects him to do, but I don’t hesitate. I move toward the Jetta, gun still angled against my head.
“It’s a risk to let you go. You have to realize that,” Luke says.
“I won’t tell anyone where you are.” It’s the fattest lie I’ve ever told, but I make it sound very convincing. Luke seems to believe me.
“We are not gullible, Marci,” Tauro says.
I bet Luke would miss his little plane. Maybe his trust for me is enough to keep him here. He’s the boss, after all. If they leave, it doesn’t matter. This excursion already proved worthwhile.
Wasting no more time, I angle my body to get into the Jetta, but I don’t get far. A strident shot blasts right next to my head. My ears ring. The gun flies from my hand, skids across the hood and clatters to the ground on the other side.
In spite of the jolt, my instincts respond with cold precision. Lighting fast, I jump into the car, slam the door shut and start the engine. The car lurches forward. Luke jumps forward and bangs his fist against the window and yells at me to stop. I ignore him and, instead, concentrate on the barrier ahead as well as the huge, leaping feline with a taste for imported coupes. Through the rearview mirror, I can see that Mega Simba is already on the move, his long strides cutting the intervening distance between us without effort.
Shit!
What made me think this would go any better than the last time?
Same car. Same Mega Simba.
Only crazy people expect different results when the input variables are the same.
As I speed past the exit, foot to the metal, the Jetta crashes through the gate and sends it flying up in the air. I check the rearview mirror again and see that Mega Simba looks twice as big now. I lean more heavily on the accelerator, but it’s useless. I’ve already floored it.
The engine strains. The odometer already reads thirty and climbing. But this is no sports car, and it’s struggling.
“C’mon, c’mon!” I shake the wheel as if the car’s asleep, and I’m trying to wake it up.
Desperately, my gaze flicks back to the rearview mirror. My heart leaps as I see Leo flying through the air in his final leap to stomp me to a halt for once and for all. With a sudden jerk, I twist the wheel to the left. In spite of the maneuver, I still expect to feel a thump against the Jetta, but there isn’t one.
Again, I look for the beast in the rearview. Nothing. I glance back through the side mirrors. Still nothing. I crane my neck, peer over my shoulder, and finally spot him. He’s on the ground, lying on his side, inert. My thoughts bend out of shape, trying to figure out what just happened.
Nothing comes to mind. The loud thumping of my heart, the revving engine, and blurring lampposts at my sides fill my senses—not to mention the darkness in the small rectangle of the rearview where my eyes are glued, expecting to spot pursuers.
I’m not sure why, but they don’t come. Maybe they can’t retrieve their cars fast enough. Maybe they’re too busy helping their pet lion. Maybe Luke ordered them to leave me alone. This last possibility stands out from the rest. I imagine he still thinks I’ll come around after some time processing the news. Good thing he’s so deluded!
It isn’t until I’m a few miles away from SeaTac that I think of a logical explanation for Mega Simba’s collapse.
Aydan!
Aydan and his magic electroshock must have happened. But does that mean he gave himself away to help me? God, I hope he didn’t.