here.”
Helen stood up and pushed Connie away from herself. “Stay by Daddy,” she said. Connie started to object but Helen cut her off sharply. “
You have to stay by Daddy
,” she said.
“
Get over here, lady.
” There was a half-mindless drone in Steve’s voice now.
Helen moved toward him. He swallowed and grunted.
“Take the rod out of his pocket.”
“You’re out of your mind!” Adam shouted at him.
“Take his rod.”
“His—?”
“Gun, gun! Take it!”
“Yes.” Helen edged over slowly until she was standing behind Adam. Carefully, her hand trembling, she reached toward his side coat pocket.
“Hurry up!”
Her hand twitched and bumped against Adam’s side. Swallowing, she pressed her lips together and slid her hand into the pocket. He stirred a little and Steve muttered, “
Watch
it.”
Helen’s fingers touched the cool, oily surface of the revolver. A sudden tension filled her. Did she dare try to shoot at Steve? She inhaled quickly, raggedly. What if she missed? She’d never fired a gun in her life. Was it possible that she could fire it while it was still inside the pocket? Otherwise, in trying to jerk it free, it might catch on the pocket lining.
“Get it out, damn it!”
There was no time, no time! With a faint, hopeless sob, Helen drew the revolver out of the pocket and stepped back. For a moment, Adam’s body stood between her and Steve.
Now!
cried her mind—but her muscles would not obey. Nervously, she moved over to the table and put down the gun. She couldn’t take the chance. If she missed, Connie would be killed in seconds, Chris would be killed.
“You’re gonna get me a doctor,” Steve said.
At first she didn’t realize he was talking to her and she started back toward Connie.
“I said you’re getting me a doctor!”
She stopped and looked back at him. “
Me?
”
“Get in your car and—”
“For Christ’s sake, will you—?” Adam started.
“Shut up!” Steve shrilled. “I’m not dyin’ on the road for you!”
“You won’t die on the road, damn it! We’ll stop as soon as—”
“I said shut up!” The gun shook in his grip as he pointed it at Adam.
“Oh…
Christ
,” said Adam, tightly.
“Go, get a doctor,” Steve said to Helen.
Helen backed off toward Connie. She felt her daughter move up into the shelter of her arm.
“How?” she asked, “I can’t—”
“I don’t care how!” Steve interrupted, “Just get him here!”
As Helen stared at him, his lips flared back abruptly from yellowish teeth and he extended the pistol shakily.
“Go on!” he said.
She nodded jerkily and began leading Connie toward the doorway.
“She stays,” said Steve.
Helen looked at him with unbelieving eyes. “No,” she murmured.
“Let go of her.”
Helen found herself shaking her head fitfully. “No,” she said, “I won’t.”
“Maybe you’d like her killed right now!” he threatened.
Helen pushed Connie behind her. “I won’t leave her,” she said in a low, shaking voice, “If you’re going to kill us you’ll have to do it now.” She drew in a rasping breath. “
I won’t leave her
,” she said.
Steve’s fingers tensed on the trigger, then eased. He stared at Helen with a dull, almost animal-like confusion.
“Kill her!” snapped Adam. “You’re wasting time! She’ll never get you a doctor!”
“By God, then
he
will,” muttered Steve. He pushed up with a groan and stumbled away from the table. Abruptly, he whirled and pulled Adam’s revolver off the table, sliding it into his trouser pocket. He walked erratically across the room, eyes almost slitted from the pain, his lips drawn back, breath hissing from his mouth. He brushed by Helen and staggered over to Chris. He jabbed the tip of his right shoe against Chris’s side.
“Get up,” he said.
“
You’re wasting time
,” said Adam, tensely.
“Then I’ll waste it!” snapped Steve. He rammed his shoe tip against Chris’s side. “Get up!” he said.
Helen stood up and pushed Connie away from herself. “Stay by Daddy,” she said. Connie started to object but Helen cut her off sharply. “
You have to stay by Daddy
,” she said.
“
Get over here, lady.
” There was a half-mindless drone in Steve’s voice now.
Helen moved toward him. He swallowed and grunted.
“Take the rod out of his pocket.”
“You’re out of your mind!” Adam shouted at him.
“Take his rod.”
“His—?”
“Gun, gun! Take it!”
“Yes.” Helen edged over slowly until she was standing behind Adam. Carefully, her hand trembling, she reached toward his side coat pocket.
“Hurry up!”
Her hand twitched and bumped against Adam’s side. Swallowing, she pressed her lips together and slid her hand into the pocket. He stirred a little and Steve muttered, “
Watch
it.”
Helen’s fingers touched the cool, oily surface of the revolver. A sudden tension filled her. Did she dare try to shoot at Steve? She inhaled quickly, raggedly. What if she missed? She’d never fired a gun in her life. Was it possible that she could fire it while it was still inside the pocket? Otherwise, in trying to jerk it free, it might catch on the pocket lining.
“Get it out, damn it!”
There was no time, no time! With a faint, hopeless sob, Helen drew the revolver out of the pocket and stepped back. For a moment, Adam’s body stood between her and Steve.
Now!
cried her mind—but her muscles would not obey. Nervously, she moved over to the table and put down the gun. She couldn’t take the chance. If she missed, Connie would be killed in seconds, Chris would be killed.
“You’re gonna get me a doctor,” Steve said.
At first she didn’t realize he was talking to her and she started back toward Connie.
“I said you’re getting me a doctor!”
She stopped and looked back at him. “
Me?
”
“Get in your car and—”
“For Christ’s sake, will you—?” Adam started.
“Shut up!” Steve shrilled. “I’m not dyin’ on the road for you!”
“You won’t die on the road, damn it! We’ll stop as soon as—”
“I said shut up!” The gun shook in his grip as he pointed it at Adam.
“Oh…
Christ
,” said Adam, tightly.
“Go, get a doctor,” Steve said to Helen.
Helen backed off toward Connie. She felt her daughter move up into the shelter of her arm.
“How?” she asked, “I can’t—”
“I don’t care how!” Steve interrupted, “Just get him here!”
As Helen stared at him, his lips flared back abruptly from yellowish teeth and he extended the pistol shakily.
“Go on!” he said.
She nodded jerkily and began leading Connie toward the doorway.
“She stays,” said Steve.
Helen looked at him with unbelieving eyes. “No,” she murmured.
“Let go of her.”
Helen found herself shaking her head fitfully. “No,” she said, “I won’t.”
“Maybe you’d like her killed right now!” he threatened.
Helen pushed Connie behind her. “I won’t leave her,” she said in a low, shaking voice, “If you’re going to kill us you’ll have to do it now.” She drew in a rasping breath. “
I won’t leave her
,” she said.
Steve’s fingers tensed on the trigger, then eased. He stared at Helen with a dull, almost animal-like confusion.
“Kill her!” snapped Adam. “You’re wasting time! She’ll never get you a doctor!”
“By God, then
he
will,” muttered Steve. He pushed up with a groan and stumbled away from the table. Abruptly, he whirled and pulled Adam’s revolver off the table, sliding it into his trouser pocket. He walked erratically across the room, eyes almost slitted from the pain, his lips drawn back, breath hissing from his mouth. He brushed by Helen and staggered over to Chris. He jabbed the tip of his right shoe against Chris’s side.
“Get up,” he said.
“
You’re wasting time
,” said Adam, tensely.
“Then I’ll waste it!” snapped Steve. He rammed his shoe tip against Chris’s side. “Get up!” he said.
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