her head on his shoulder. “Will you play for me sometime?”
“Didn’t we already have this conversation?”
“Yeah, but since then you knocked me into a monster pile of goo,” Veronica said, “You owe me.”
“Fair enough. I’ll play something for you.”
“And sing?”
The light turned red before he answered, halting them at the intersection.
Tap, tap, tap.
Megan’s heart raced as she turned to the sound at her window.
She screamed.
Chapter 38
BALCONY
T he usher pushed through the door and stepped into the section that held the balcony seats. The filth was always worse up here. Mess everywhere. Graffiti, sticky floors, slashed seats. He looked at the red curtains.
The drapes had to be pulled back before the boy could return. The left one hung at a drunken angle, pooling on the carpet and the right one hung high, uneven like a pair of ill-fitted trousers. And the smell, stale popcorn and spilled soda stench blasted his nostrils.
Priorities first.
He went for the bleach.
Chapter 39
FERRARI
T he ugly grey of a handgun pressed into the glass by Megan’s face. She couldn’t breathe, and felt more than saw Chase’s hand drop to the gearshift. The Ferrari was wedged too closely between the car in front of them and the car behind them to maneuver.
Chase made a growl of frustration. “He wants to steal our car.”
“ Our car?” Riley said.
How can he be flippant at a time like this? It was all she could do not to hurl. The guy had a gun.
Chase put the car in neutral and removed the keys. Holding them carefully, he put his hands up and opened his door. Slowly, he lowered one foot to the street.
The thief yanked the passenger door and the smell of cigarettes and hard living overwhelmed the small space as he shoved his weight into Megan. She jerked away, and her hip jammed into the gearshift. The hard metal of the gun pressed into her waist and she froze.
Chase lowered back to the driver’s seat.
“Drive,” the thief said.
Chase said, “Look man, just take the car.”
The thief pointed the gun at the back seat. “Out.”
Veronica and Riley scrambled out and ran around to the sidewalk.
Chase put his foot outside the driver’s side door again.
The car thief stared at the stick shift then out the front window. The light flashed green through the windshield. “You can go or you can drive, but she’s staying.”
Megan covered a sob with her hand. “Chase, get out.”
Chase dropped down, put the car into gear, and the Ferrari moved forward.
***
Riley tugged Veronica behind a taco truck and looked back to the street. “They didn’t get out.” Rage filled him and his instincts screamed at him to kick, punch, destroy.
“He’s got them?” Veronica’s worried voice pulled Riley back to himself. He used the adrenaline coursing through his blood to fuel his body as he ran after the Ferrari.
***
The thief rolled down his window and leaned against the door with his elbow in the opening. He shifted Megan closer so she was forced halfway onto his lap. His calloused hand ran down her arm. Megan stiffened and moved as far away as the small space would allow.
Chase’s hands moved into the ten and two position, not his usual one-handed style. He made a sharp left turn. The tires squealed. He shifted the gears and turned onto bug alley.
“Hey, I didn’t say turn.” The thief tensed and his hand fell from Megan.
Up ahead crouched their battered enemy. The creature wore a partial human carcass strapped to its side.
“What the hell?” The thief straightened his arm, aimed at the bug, and fired off a shot. Megan covered her ears at the loud retort. A burning smell filled the car. He fired again.
The second bullet hit and scales flew into the sky.
“Caw!” The bug roared and charged them. Chase shifted the gears again and the Ferrari sped up. He jerked the wheel sharply left and sent the car into a sidespin in an unrelenting game of chicken. The car slid right up to
“Didn’t we already have this conversation?”
“Yeah, but since then you knocked me into a monster pile of goo,” Veronica said, “You owe me.”
“Fair enough. I’ll play something for you.”
“And sing?”
The light turned red before he answered, halting them at the intersection.
Tap, tap, tap.
Megan’s heart raced as she turned to the sound at her window.
She screamed.
Chapter 38
BALCONY
T he usher pushed through the door and stepped into the section that held the balcony seats. The filth was always worse up here. Mess everywhere. Graffiti, sticky floors, slashed seats. He looked at the red curtains.
The drapes had to be pulled back before the boy could return. The left one hung at a drunken angle, pooling on the carpet and the right one hung high, uneven like a pair of ill-fitted trousers. And the smell, stale popcorn and spilled soda stench blasted his nostrils.
Priorities first.
He went for the bleach.
Chapter 39
FERRARI
T he ugly grey of a handgun pressed into the glass by Megan’s face. She couldn’t breathe, and felt more than saw Chase’s hand drop to the gearshift. The Ferrari was wedged too closely between the car in front of them and the car behind them to maneuver.
Chase made a growl of frustration. “He wants to steal our car.”
“ Our car?” Riley said.
How can he be flippant at a time like this? It was all she could do not to hurl. The guy had a gun.
Chase put the car in neutral and removed the keys. Holding them carefully, he put his hands up and opened his door. Slowly, he lowered one foot to the street.
The thief yanked the passenger door and the smell of cigarettes and hard living overwhelmed the small space as he shoved his weight into Megan. She jerked away, and her hip jammed into the gearshift. The hard metal of the gun pressed into her waist and she froze.
Chase lowered back to the driver’s seat.
“Drive,” the thief said.
Chase said, “Look man, just take the car.”
The thief pointed the gun at the back seat. “Out.”
Veronica and Riley scrambled out and ran around to the sidewalk.
Chase put his foot outside the driver’s side door again.
The car thief stared at the stick shift then out the front window. The light flashed green through the windshield. “You can go or you can drive, but she’s staying.”
Megan covered a sob with her hand. “Chase, get out.”
Chase dropped down, put the car into gear, and the Ferrari moved forward.
***
Riley tugged Veronica behind a taco truck and looked back to the street. “They didn’t get out.” Rage filled him and his instincts screamed at him to kick, punch, destroy.
“He’s got them?” Veronica’s worried voice pulled Riley back to himself. He used the adrenaline coursing through his blood to fuel his body as he ran after the Ferrari.
***
The thief rolled down his window and leaned against the door with his elbow in the opening. He shifted Megan closer so she was forced halfway onto his lap. His calloused hand ran down her arm. Megan stiffened and moved as far away as the small space would allow.
Chase’s hands moved into the ten and two position, not his usual one-handed style. He made a sharp left turn. The tires squealed. He shifted the gears and turned onto bug alley.
“Hey, I didn’t say turn.” The thief tensed and his hand fell from Megan.
Up ahead crouched their battered enemy. The creature wore a partial human carcass strapped to its side.
“What the hell?” The thief straightened his arm, aimed at the bug, and fired off a shot. Megan covered her ears at the loud retort. A burning smell filled the car. He fired again.
The second bullet hit and scales flew into the sky.
“Caw!” The bug roared and charged them. Chase shifted the gears again and the Ferrari sped up. He jerked the wheel sharply left and sent the car into a sidespin in an unrelenting game of chicken. The car slid right up to
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