On the Run by M Zeigler (short story to read TXT) 📖

phone sitting on his left leg. His right hand clutches a pocket knife that has a metal notch used for busting out windows. “Babe, as great of an idea as it is to have that knife on hand. Need I remind you that these windows are bullet proof? I doubt that little metal chunk is going to do you any good.” I say deciding that I might as well have a little fun with the next few hours of E-ticket driving.

“I hate you right now.” Barrette says but his words are mostly muffled by the sound of my cars engine roaring to life. Rocky who is standing out in front of the office smoking looks at the Candy apple red hot rod with an appreciative look. Once I’ve backed out of the parking spot I stop only to fasten my own seat belt, once my belt is properly in place and tightened down I look over to Barrette. “You might want lock those belts down a little more.” I warn but give him no time to move before I’m peeling out of the lot cutting off a lot of traffic to book it onto the freeway on ramp. “Bonnie! You’re a maniac!” Barrette shouts well louder than the engine as he’s yanking the belt straps down tight to his form. “I know!” I squeak back sounding like a very cute Malibu Barbie girl.

As soon as I round the horseshoe bend leading to the freeway I land my foot flush down to the floor with gas pedal somewhere in between. The car lurches forward with a mighty howl, Barrette takes firm of the, oh-no, handle attached to the door as we speed down the freeway reaching the top speed of one seventy five in a matter of mere seconds. People lay on the horn as a rip by them going faster than anything they have seen before, one man even screeches his breaks as I weave in front of his truck. “You’re going to cause an accident!” Barrette shouts as my cell gives a gentle ringing sound alerting us to a text. “Shut up and see who text me.” I reply to Barrette who hatefully opens the phone and reads it. “It’s Rodney, the page is up joint with my webpage and Devon just got the alert.” Barrette says as traffic clears the road allowing me straight to the off ramp where I see the Gas ‘N’ go pit stop, there’s a patrol car openly parked with a uniformed officer leaning against the trunk.

I tear off the freeway slowing down rapidly scaring the wits out of Barrette as I screech to a stop beside a gas pump. “Get the bow, give me your card.” I demand of Barrette who gives me a glaring look in response, he doesn’t really argue with me as he pulls out his wallet and shoves the plastic card at me.

We both run from the car in separate directions, Barrette pulls his phone and badge out as he goes, hopefully using his phone to call Montgomery on our moment of quiet before the fast riding trek into Georgia. “Full tank on two.” I order to the cashier as I show her my badge so she’ll move her pace along, and she does, she runs Barrette’s credit card then hands it back. As I’m running back out the door she is turning the pump on.

“Thank you sir!” Barrette shouts back to the officer who is just now leaving in his patrol car with the window down, the officer gives a waving hand signal back to Barrette before peaceably merging into traffic. Barrette places the barrow and quiver over filled with arrows into the backseat of the mustang leaving me to fill the gas tank on this sixty five classic. As soon as the tank clicks several times telling me the tank is full I deposit the nozzle back to where it belongs and jump back into the driver’s seat.

Barrette once more has his harness on before I even re-claim my spot here in the driver’s seat. “Okay.” I say prompting Barrette to listen and me to start explaining the plan. Before I speak again I dart out of the gas N go heading straight through traffic towards the freeway on ramp.

“Here’s the plan, we’re going to gain as much space between them and us as we can before we get to Georgia. That old barn before Christianson? We need the Montgomery and his minions to meet us there, the idea is to get them set up in separate locations in town before you and I lead the bad guys in, we will get to Christianson exactly five minutes before Devon and the Duke. Everyone’s job is to set up large amounts of the explosives in random areas where we know that Devon will run straight towards. You’re job is to use the arrows or my AR to blow up the explosives; we want Devon to think we’re trying to blow him up. But we are going to actually be chasing him towards the jail house where Montgomery and I will disarm him and get him into the jail cell. Once Devon is in our captivity your job and the rest of the pd’s job is to take down the henchmen, alive if possible, try and kill Hugo, and shoot the Duke in his tracks.” I explain to Barrette as I take to the wide open road with all cylinders as open as the road is.

“That’s all fine and dandy except my brother’s are refusing to go to the community center, they want to have our backs through this mess.” Barrette explains. “Fine, we don’t have the time to argue, text them and let them know where to meet us.” I reply to Barrette as I engage the action of the two tanks I just hooked up. Barrette tries to remain calm when the Mustang shoots up to two eighty five miles per hour down the now two lane highway leading up to old one twenty nine.

“My brother’s are going to be hard to control in that house.” Barrette says sadly from the passenger’s seat, I look over to him with a raised eye brow. “Why it’s just a really nice old house?” I say, Barrette looks back at me with amused eyes as he shakes his head no. “The man who lives in that house is a man we all consider our granddad and well; when we go over there it’s nothing but trouble.” Barrette explains. “Oh, I didn’t realize someone lived there. I think in this situation they might actually behave.” I mutter apology feeling I somehow offended quite a few people when assuming that house was a forgotten one.

“Yeah? We’ll go with that theory.” Barrette laughs basically telling me I’m entirely wrong with my theory on four western brother’s behaving for at least ten minutes. “Oh lord.” I huff when I really clearly see that I’ve just made a terrible mistake on our meeting place. “The good Lord can’t help you now.” Barrette chuckles as he sends one last text message to someone.

Barrette really must be trying to cause me an emotional breakdown right now, because he says something that really hits me hard. I don’t think his actual plan is to cause me any grief but more like to elusively say that he is proud of me and approves of my otherwise insane family.

“Ya know, I wish I could have met your grandfather.” Barrette says to me, I refuse to look at him right now, I know that whatever look he is giving me will break my calm and my focus. “I wish you could have to, he would’ve approved of you. And that’s a big feat because my grandfather didn’t really approve of many people in this world.” I reply to Barrette, I know saying this to him will only make him want me to stay that much more, truth be told I want to stay. But after the dream back at the barn I really can’t bring myself to betray Heather and everyone else who is standing on her side knowing that Heather has first rights to Barrette. A lot of folks in his home town would hate me if I shattered the promise and agreement set between Heather and I at the court house not so long ago.

Chapter 18

 

On the run chapter 18

The last plan

Barrette’s perspective

 

“Louis! Leo! Would you stop throwing beer cans at each other and get over here!” Bonnie shouts at my two youngest brother’s who are currently using stacked bales of hay as a jungle gym while they throw empty beer can’s at each other trying to hit one another in the face, with the primary goal being to knock one another off the top of the stacks. “Oh come on Bonnie! Barrette’s said you were a gorgeous fireball of a woman but your proving him wrong!” Louis shouts back, with sever irritation that my brother spilled that information to Bonnie I pick up an old boot that is sitting in what used to be a planter bed and pitch it at Louis, the boot smacks him straight in the chest causing him to fall off the hay bale.

“Barrette!” Bonnie shouts at me, as Louis comes running around the hay stack to throw the boot back at me. “Louis!” Bonnie shouts at him seconds after yelling at me. “Ha-ha!” Leo calls out as I grab the boot a second time precisely throwing it at Leo knocking him down as well. “Leo!” Bonnie shrieks clearly aggravated with the three of us. “I’ve got free handcuffs for all Green boys stirring trouble!” Montgomery shouts as him, his team of two, and my third middle brother Gregory come walking up the street from the patrol car with Gregory already in hand cuffs.

“Thank you!” Bonnie shouts to Montgomery when all of my brother minus Gregory come running over to our makeshift table. “What’d you do man? You’re not supposed to let the pigs catch you when you’re on a dangerous mission.” Leo teases with a beaming grin on his face, Bonnie reaches up and smacks Leo upside the head earning a very approving laugh from Montgomery. “officer she hit me!” Leo howls childishly. “Suck it up cowboy or I’m revoking your man card.” Bonnie growls as Montgomery’s partner Richard rolls out the town’s blue prints onto the table.

“What’s the plan Agent Parker.” Montgomery teases Bonnie who glares back at him. “Watch the tone buster.” Bonnie warns as she takes a close look at the town specs. “Okay, so the plan is you guys are going to get a ten minute head start before Barrette and I and mix this together. I want a charge set in the news paper stand outside the diner, another charge will be set by you two air heads in Devon’s car as soon as he is away from the car. Barrette when we get into town your first job is to wait for your brother’s to get the target on the dash board, once they are clear of the car shoot the charge and blow up the car. That will chase Devon and any of his passenger’s out to the middle of the