the lead and made a right turn on to a little side road. James followed close behind. I finally dared to look up when I heard the bikes engine return to a low gurgle and I felt James steady it with his feet.
“Did we get away?” I asked.
“Yeah, I think so.” said James. “They wouldn’t risk comin’ this far, at least not all of ‘em. There’s probably two or three still out there lookin’ around for us, but they won’t find us.”
“Not in this country,” added Vaughn. “It’s too wide open. They won’t know where to look.” He was slumped forward, his elbows resting on the handlebars.
“You okay, man?” asked James.
Vaughn forced a weak smile and glanced behind him. James and I both followed his gaze. There was spreading patch of red on the back of his vest.
“They got me, Icy.”
“Shot? You’re shot?” asked James.
“Felt like a snake jumped up and bit me. I guess it happened right around the time we were tearin’ ass outta there.”
“Alright, buddy. It’s okay. We’re gonna get someone to take a look at you.”
“No. No hospitals. That’s the rule, remember?” he chuckled.
“Fuck that, man. We’ll fix you up. Hayes can get somebody to come look at you. You don’t have to go to the hospital. He’s got friendly doctors all over the place.” said James.
“Too late, brother. They got me good. I could tell right away…”
I was crying again. He was the size of a house and looked mean enough to match. But right now, listening to him talk, he reminded me of a big teddy bear. And it was my fault he was hurt. He was shot trying to rescue me .
“No, no, no,” I said. “We can get you help.”
James jumped off his bike and ran to his friend’s side. “I’m not lettin’ go that easy, brother, c’mon.”
But Vaughn remained still. That small smile stayed on his lips, though you could barely see it under his mass of facial hair. His eyes fell vacant. “Too late,” he said. “Too late…”
And then he was gone.
***
James was silent as we entered his apartment. He had been that way since we left Vaughn. His walls were empty and sad. His furniture consisted of an old mismatched couch and chair, and a turned over milk crate for a table. Everything else he owned seemed to just meet the bare essentials for living.
“Uh...I should probably call someone,” I said. “My mom is probably going crazy looking for me.”
“You don’t need to do anything right now,” he said. His voice was gruff.
“It’s just, she gets really worried when I don’t call. How long did they have me, anyway? I can’t remember.”
“You’re staying here. And you’re gonna lay low.”
“But I need-”
“You need to do what I tell you, and that’s it.” His anger was percolating just below the surface. He walked to his beaten old couch and collapsed in a heap. He rubbed the his temples in a clockwise circle and closed his eyes. “Listen,” he said. “I know you want to contact your family, but you can’t right now. We need to keep a low profile until this thing blows over. If you go running back home, they’re gonna find you. And they won’t care about your mom. If you contact her, she could be in danger.”
“Oh…”
“These are violent people we’re talking about. Just because you got away, doesn’t mean they’re gonna give up and go home. They’re looking for you...and now they’re pissed.”
“Your friend,” I said. “I’m so sorry-”
His eyes blazed. “Don’t bring him up again!”
My lip quivered and I didn’t know what to do. “It’s my fault. He would be okay if-”
“It’s not your fault,” he said. “You didn’t ask for any of this. Vaughn was helping me, and that’s it. It’s my fault if it’s anybody’s.” He shifted in his seat. “Just...please don’t bring it up again.”
I shifted uncomfortably in
“Did we get away?” I asked.
“Yeah, I think so.” said James. “They wouldn’t risk comin’ this far, at least not all of ‘em. There’s probably two or three still out there lookin’ around for us, but they won’t find us.”
“Not in this country,” added Vaughn. “It’s too wide open. They won’t know where to look.” He was slumped forward, his elbows resting on the handlebars.
“You okay, man?” asked James.
Vaughn forced a weak smile and glanced behind him. James and I both followed his gaze. There was spreading patch of red on the back of his vest.
“They got me, Icy.”
“Shot? You’re shot?” asked James.
“Felt like a snake jumped up and bit me. I guess it happened right around the time we were tearin’ ass outta there.”
“Alright, buddy. It’s okay. We’re gonna get someone to take a look at you.”
“No. No hospitals. That’s the rule, remember?” he chuckled.
“Fuck that, man. We’ll fix you up. Hayes can get somebody to come look at you. You don’t have to go to the hospital. He’s got friendly doctors all over the place.” said James.
“Too late, brother. They got me good. I could tell right away…”
I was crying again. He was the size of a house and looked mean enough to match. But right now, listening to him talk, he reminded me of a big teddy bear. And it was my fault he was hurt. He was shot trying to rescue me .
“No, no, no,” I said. “We can get you help.”
James jumped off his bike and ran to his friend’s side. “I’m not lettin’ go that easy, brother, c’mon.”
But Vaughn remained still. That small smile stayed on his lips, though you could barely see it under his mass of facial hair. His eyes fell vacant. “Too late,” he said. “Too late…”
And then he was gone.
***
James was silent as we entered his apartment. He had been that way since we left Vaughn. His walls were empty and sad. His furniture consisted of an old mismatched couch and chair, and a turned over milk crate for a table. Everything else he owned seemed to just meet the bare essentials for living.
“Uh...I should probably call someone,” I said. “My mom is probably going crazy looking for me.”
“You don’t need to do anything right now,” he said. His voice was gruff.
“It’s just, she gets really worried when I don’t call. How long did they have me, anyway? I can’t remember.”
“You’re staying here. And you’re gonna lay low.”
“But I need-”
“You need to do what I tell you, and that’s it.” His anger was percolating just below the surface. He walked to his beaten old couch and collapsed in a heap. He rubbed the his temples in a clockwise circle and closed his eyes. “Listen,” he said. “I know you want to contact your family, but you can’t right now. We need to keep a low profile until this thing blows over. If you go running back home, they’re gonna find you. And they won’t care about your mom. If you contact her, she could be in danger.”
“Oh…”
“These are violent people we’re talking about. Just because you got away, doesn’t mean they’re gonna give up and go home. They’re looking for you...and now they’re pissed.”
“Your friend,” I said. “I’m so sorry-”
His eyes blazed. “Don’t bring him up again!”
My lip quivered and I didn’t know what to do. “It’s my fault. He would be okay if-”
“It’s not your fault,” he said. “You didn’t ask for any of this. Vaughn was helping me, and that’s it. It’s my fault if it’s anybody’s.” He shifted in his seat. “Just...please don’t bring it up again.”
I shifted uncomfortably in
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