Chapter 28
Somehow she managed to keep the tires on the
asphalt. The trembling weakness in her hands hadn’t helped.
It’d only reminded her of just how truly terrified she was.
And torn.
How could she be making a run for it, driving at a
speed that was inadvisible toward the darkened park entrance,
when her brother and the man that she loved was back there
somewhere in danger?
Steven’s words had spurred her on at first,
urging her to get out of the line of danger so that he could do
his work. But now . . . Could she lose them both?
She pressed her foot on to the brake, bringing the
car to an abrupt halt. Heart pounding, she glanced into her
rear-view mirror. Dark and stillness were all that reflected back
at her. Turning in her seat did little other than to provide a
wider range of vision. Still it was dark and she could see and
hear nothing of what might be going on deep in the park.
She was so confused. What should she do? What could
she do? Turning back to face forward, she looked at the park
entrance, just yards away. Half between her position and official
exit was a broadened section of pavement. In that moment, it
seemed meant for her. She drove forward into the pull off and cut
the engine and her lights. Here she would wait for whatever came.
--
Jerry registered sound and motion, though both were
faint beneath the weight of the surrounding darkness. He’d
barely drawn breath to call out when a hand settled on his
shoulder.
“Shhh. Don’t move.” The words were
spoken barely above a breath, but still Jerry recognized the
speaker’s voice. Ray. A different Ray than the one that had
hung around the soccer field for the past few months. This
Ray’s voice held a no nonsense tone of authority.
The situation rushed back with stunning clarity. They’d
obviously made it into the maintenance shed, but it was too dark
to make out little more than shadows. Ray was on the floor beside
him, and they were both up against the wall to one side of the
door opening. Along with the smell of mildew and old paint
another aroma lingered in the air, one that Jerry’s
subconscious struggled to identify. “Somebody was shooting
at us.” The words were out as soon as his mind made the
connection.
“Quiet!” Ray’s words were much more
forceful, and Jerry caught a glance at something in the shadows.
Ray had a gun.
“What are you doing?” Jerry demanded.
“Shhh!” Ray’s voice sounded again,
but there was another sound floating in the night air. It was the
undulating sound of approaching sirens. Police sirens. The
calvary was coming. It was then that Jerry realized, he had
no idea what sort of person he was trapped with.
-- --
“Ma’am, I need you to step out of the
vehicle. Slowly.”
Kim had shuddered with releif as soon as she’d
seen the welcome blue of sirens reflecting against the night. The
first two cars had pulled on beyond her, while the third had
veered in front of her and up onto the grass blocking her exit.
It wasn’t until the uniformed officer had
climbed out of his car, on hand on his holster that she realized
her position. The realization had frozen her to the spot. On the
tail of the night’s tensions, she couldn’t convince her
mind to move into gear.
“Ma’am! Do you understand? I need you to
get out of the vehicle.”
Another officer got out of the car on the other
side. He was tall and lean, and for just a moment in the shadows
cast by the night, he looked like Jerry. Kim blinked.
“I understand,” she called, her voice
shaky and insubstantial. She felt like she couldn’t catch
her breath. “I’m going to open the door,” she
said, then reached downward with a trembling hands to pull the
latch and swing it outward.
“Nice and easy,” the officer instructed.
“Okay. I understand.” She stood and
stepped around the door, surprised that her legs bothered to
support her, they felt so weak. “My name is Kimbra Davies.
My brother Detective Steven Storm is the one who called you.
He’s back there trying to find a friend of ours whose name
is Jeremy Dumas. I think something may have happened to
him.” She spoke slowly and as clearly as she could hoping
the details came out the right way.
“Do you have any weapons or illegal substances
on you, Ma’am?” the officer asked.
“No, no I don’t.” Kim answered his
question. “What are you going to do with me?”
“We’re going to put you in the back of our
cruiser and officer Carmichael here is going to remain with
you.”
“Okay.” She nodded and sniffed, appalled
when tears came unbidden and began to spill down her checks.
“Thank you.” She allowed herself to be lead toward the
car. “Can you tell what’s going on? Do you know if
they’re okay?”
Officer Carmichael’s expression gave nothing
away. “There’s nothing I can tell you at this point,
Ms. Davies.”
“Thank you.” Kim settled in the rear seat
of the cruiser as the tears continued to fall.