Chapter 117
m.u.f.fy answered by lifting her chin and turning her head. I was sure she told me she had nothing to do with the car stealing; she was letting me take all the blame for this one.
In about ten minutes I reached the country road where Weston's Garage was located. I pa.s.sed The Trading Post, my Nova still in the parking lot. If I had my keys, I would have switched cars. I wasn't used to driving an ocean liner between driving lanes.
I didn't have a plan, but I was smart enough to realize I needed the element of surprise. I couldn't just drive the t.i.tanic up to their front door; then again, maybe I could knock the building down with it. Last time I'd seen the old metal building, it looked pretty rickety. It would probably only take two, maybe three, good rams to knock it down. But Joe was inside, and I couldn't risk it.
I parked the car about two hundred yards down the country road, after I turned the car around to face the highway. Common sense told me we needed a getaway plan. So far, this was it.
I expected to see guys with machine guns or at least shotguns outside guarding the place. But the only thing I found were the tractor parts, even rustier than the last time I saw them and more dangerous since I was old enough to recognize the teta.n.u.s risk.
I grabbed the gun out of the car. Woods surrounded the building on two sides. A giant parking lot lay between the back of the building and the woods, scattered with delivery trucks like sprinkles dropped on a cupcake. Several luxury cars sat in the lot in front of the entrance. Crocker's business partners, I guessed.
The woods had worked well for me the last twenty-four hours, so I returned to what I knew. m.u.f.fy insisted on joining me, jumping out of the car when I opened the door. I told her she could come, but she had to be quiet. It seemed like a stupid thing to say, but I felt the need to tell her something. We couldn't very well synchronize watches. I stopped wearing mine when I got my cell phone.
We crept through the brush, between the trees, and I prayed I didn't crawl through poison ivy. I still wasn't sure it was the right place, until I saw Joe's car was parked in back. The lack of guards outside concerned me.
A metal chain-link fence surrounded the property. I considered scaling it but m.u.f.fy would never make it. Besides, I had just mastered climbing out windows, fences were still on my to-do list. I walked along the perimeter looking for any gaps. m.u.f.fy found one toward the rear, big enough at the bottom for both of us to crawl under. I knelt down to face her.
"I'm not sure it's a good idea for you come with me, m.u.f.fy. Maybe you should wait for me here." But I secretly hoped she would come.
I lifted the fence and m.u.f.fy scooted through first. I crawled through but sc.r.a.ped my side on the metal wire. If that was the least of my injuries today, I'd consider myself lucky. We emerged next to a delivery truck and hid behind it while I figured out what to do next. Since I couldn't go waltzing through the front door, sneaking around to the back seemed like the best option.
We dashed across the lot and walked the length of the building to the back corner. Open doors gaped in the middle of the back wall, big enough to drive a truck through. Next to me was a metal door, propped open with a brick. I inched toward it and peeked in. Metal shelves lined the room, stocked with plastic bins. I didn't see anyone so I took a deep breath and opened the door wide enough to slip through. m.u.f.fy followed.
Edging along the shelves, I made my way toward the center of the room. It looked like a parts room with a door on the opposite wall. I knelt by the door and opened it just a crack, peeking through the one-inch gap. It was a large room, like the warehouse I'd seen in Joe's vision. Two delivery trucks were parked in the center and men moved stacks of small packages. Joe stood to the side, watching. I didn't see any sign of Daniel Crocker, which was fine by me.
I wanted to tell m.u.f.fy we were just going to wait, but she sensed it and sat down beside me. I sat with my back to the wall and m.u.f.fy laid her head on my lap. I scratched her neck while I listened to the voices echoing in the warehouse.
Probably a good ten minutes went by without anything happening. I was beginning to think that we'd make it out of the warehouse without any trouble. I wasn't sure why I believed that. I had yet to have anything happen without any trouble.
It started with shouting in the distance, echoing throughout the warehouse. I jerked at the noise and looked through the crack. The stack of bundles in the warehouse was nearly gone, now inside the delivery trucks. Joe was carrying a package. Daniel Crocker descended metal steps with two other men. It looked like they came from an office above the warehouse floor.
"McAllister!" Crocker shouted.
My blood turned to ice. My vision was coming true.
Joe swung his head in Crocker's direction. Rage engulfed Crocker's face and he literally growled as he reached Joe and slammed him against the wall.
"Where is she?" Crocker screamed. His eyes were wild and even from my location, I saw the veins and tendons bulge on his neck.
"How the h.e.l.l would I know?" Joe asked, looking disgusted. "I'm done with her."
"I don't believe you. The information was fake! I want the f.u.c.king flash drive!" Crocker slammed Joe against the wall again to emphasize his point.
Two men stood behind Crocker. I guessed they were important from the suits they wore, their stiff postures, and the bored expressions on their faces. They had to be Crocker's business partners.
Crocker pulled a gun out of the back of his pants and held it up to Joe's head. I had already jumped to my feet and stuffed my gun under my s.h.i.+rt, into the waistband of my jeans. I hoped to high heaven I didn't shoot my toes off.
"Where is she?" Crocker growled.
"Lookin' for me?" I shouted, walking through the door. I tried to not look nervous, like I knew what I was doing.
Crocker turned in disbelief. Joe's eyes widened in horror. I hoped to G.o.d he didn't try anything stupid.
I walked toward them, hands at my sides instead of up in surrender, even though I was scared out of my wits. I didn't see me surviving this.
"Lookin' for me?" I shot Joe a condescending glare. I wanted Crocker to think Joe had nothing to do with me getting away. I stopped a few feet in front of the group, their mouths all dropped open in shock. Even the men in the suits looked a bit surprised, although their Botox-injected, wrinkle-free foreheads
Crocker slapped me across the face. I should have seen it coming, but it caught me by surprise. I almost fell over from the force of the blow, but didn't want to give him the satisfaction. I rose back up, lifting my chin to face him.
"Where the h.e.l.l did you go, b.i.t.c.h?" he shouted, turning the gun toward me.
My cheek hurt and my eyes burned, but I refused to cry. I stood up straight and stared into his menacing eyes. "I was lookin' for a real man. One who knows how to kiss better than you."
I saw the look of pure fear in Joe's eyes before Crocker slapped me again, harder this time. I started to fall to the floor, but Crocker grabbed my arm and jerked me back up before wrapping his hand around my throat. His eyes, wild and feral, reminded me of a rabid racc.o.o.n I had seen on Uncle Earl's farm when I was little.
"Why'd you come back?" he growled.
Inside sanity desperately clawed for control, but on the outside I tried to look indignant. "I decided to give you another chance to impress me, although I don't hold out much hope."
The men behind him laughed. The fury in Crocker's eyes turned murderous and the grip on my throat tightened, cutting off my air. I started to feel lightheaded as I gasped for air.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now," he said through gritted teeth, spittle shooting through a gap in his top teeth.
"I'll give you two," I choked out. "One, you'll never get the real flash drive, and two, you'll never be able to prove you're really a man."
The men laughed again. Crocker growled and gave me a hard shove to the ground and pointed the gun at my head. I stared at him defiantly, waiting for him to shoot, not daring to look at Joe and give him away.
"Crocker," one of the men said. "She's right."
"You mean provin' he's a real man?" the other laughed.
Crocker leaned over and grabbed my hair in a tight grasp. I couldn't help the yelp of pain I let out when he jerked me off the floor.
"That hurt, b.i.t.c.h? 'Cause I haven't even started yet." He pulled me toward the stairs. I looked toward Joe. He looked torn. I shot him a look that I hoped read don't you dare.
We stumbled up the stairs, and I was sure I would have a giant bald spot on the side of my head, not that I would care if I was dead. They could always put a hat on my head although I never looked good in hats.
I was grateful the other two men hadn't followed us. They stood watching the trucks being loaded, glancing up the stairs, and laughing. Joe had come out of his stupor and had begun moving toward the truck. I really needed him to not come upstairs.
Crocker opened the door and shoved me into the office with such force I ran into a desk.
"Where's the flash drive?" He stood in the doorway and I had to admit, he was terrifying. It took everything in me to go through with this.
"Why should I tell you? You'll kill me anyway." I leaned against the edge of the desk, facing him. My cheek throbbed and my throat still felt tight. My heart galloped fast enough to win the Kentucky Derby.
"d.a.m.n straight I will, but I'll make it hurt a h.e.l.l of a lot more if you don't tell me."
"Why don't you prove you're a man first?" I taunted and put my shaking hands on my hips.
He shut the door and slunk closer, stalking his prey. Crocker stopped a foot in front of me and grabbed the hair on the back of my head, his eyes glaring into mine. I still leaned against the edge of the desk, trying not to stand flush against him. If I did, he'd feel the gun in my waistband.
"I like it rough, baby. Think you can handle that?" His breath smelled of onions again. I was beginning to believe Crocker brushed his teeth with them.
"I like it rough, too. Why don't you put that gun down and show me what kind of man you really are."
It was sick the way that excited him, but he slammed the gun down on the desk and pulled me up. I placed my hand between the gun in my waistband and his body. He kissed me, his technique not much better than the night before. It reminded me of a s...o...b..ry Saint Bernard.
I had to get the gun out, and I couldn't do it smashed up against him. I s.h.i.+fted my b.u.t.t back just a bit. Just enough to grab the gun.
At that moment, Crocker pulled away and ripped my s.h.i.+rt open down the middle.
c.r.a.ppy doodles. I hadn't planned on that.
But the side of my s.h.i.+rt still covered the handle of the gun. I narrowed my eyes and lifted the corners of my mouth into a tiny grin. I hoped it looked like I couldn't wait to see what he would do next, when really I couldn't wait to see what I was going to do next.
Fear slunk around inside my head, bursting into my consciousness in spasms. He was going to find my gun any minute and when he did, I'd be dead.
He grabbed my hair again. Apparently, he was a hair guy. He kissed me again. As I fought the urge to gag, I heard a commotion below and decided to use it to my advantage. My teeth clamped down on Crocker's lower lip. I tasted his blood and gagged, releasing my hold. He shoved me away, furious. I pulled the gun out of my pants and pointed it at him.
"I thought you liked it rough," I said, hands shaking. He'd backed up when he shoved me away. He stood in front of the door, about three feet from me. Sounds of the apocalypse rose from below, but Crocker didn't seem to notice. He hunched over, his arms ready to pounce. His eyes bugged out and blood covered his lower lip. Daniel Crocker was the scariest predator I had ever faced.
"You're not gonna shoot me," he sneered, moving a foot toward me.
"Wanna bet?" I lowered the gun and shot into his leg, nearly dropping the gun from the shock of what I had just done.
"Son of a b.i.t.c.h!" he screamed and lunged for me. I backed out of the way and he fell to the floor, grasping for my feet. He grabbed my legs, and pulled me down. I landed hard on my side. Crocker pulled himself along the length of my body, none too gently, reaching for the gun. I couldn't figure out how to keep it out of his reach and shoot him at the same time. I tossed it into the corner of the room.
Crocker tried to get up to get it but I clawed his face. Falling on top of me, he reached back to punch me in the face when the door flung open.
"I swear to G.o.d, Crocker, you hit her and I'll kill you." Joe shouted from the doorway.
We both turned to look, but Joe didn't have a gun to back up his statement. Crocker turned back to hit me. m.u.f.fy bolted past Joe's legs and jumped on Crocker, biting the arm he held up.
Crocker rolled off me, batting at m.u.f.fy, who refused to let go and made wild snarling noises.
Joe rushed over and pulled me up, then grabbed the gun off the desk. He pointed it toward Crocker.
"m.u.f.fy, come here," I said calmly, in spite of the shock of what just happened.
m.u.f.fy stopped and came to sit beside me.
"It's over, Crocker," Joe said.
Crocker threw a floor lamp at Joe. Joe stumbled backward as Crocker rolled over onto his stomach. He reached for my gun and flipped over. "Not yet," he grunted.
I heard a gunshot and screamed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX.
I'd heard of time standing still, but until that moment, I always thought it was a figure of speech. When Crocker turned over with the gun, a million things happened at once, yet I was aware of every single one of them. Shouting and cras.h.i.+ng downstairs. Crocker pointing the gun. Joe throwing me to the floor. m.u.f.fy rus.h.i.+ng for Crocker's arm. The sound of the gunshot. My scream. Even with all that knowledge in the moment, I didn't know what I'd find on the other side.
When I looked up, Joe still stood where I last saw him, so I took that as a good sign. m.u.f.fy was growling and Crocker shouted and cursed, the gun still in his hand, pointed to the ceiling. Another shot. I jumped up to my feet, trying to get out of the way of any stray bullets.
m.u.f.fy had a death grip on Crocker's arm, shaking as she snarled. Joe kept his gun pointed at the man rolling on the floor but couldn't get a good shot with m.u.f.fy in the way. I looked on the desk for something to use as a weapon and found a crystal geode bookend. I picked it up, surprised to find it so heavy.
Crocker tried to shake m.u.f.fy off but when that didn't work he started hitting her with his free hand. m.u.f.fy held on.
Seeing him hit m.u.f.fy p.i.s.sed me off. And once I let that feeling wash through my head, fury followed right behind it. How dare he hit my dog? And tear up my house, not to mention my new blouse? Who did he think he was, beating people up and killing them? He'd messed with the wrong woman.
"Get your grimy hands off my dog!" I flung the rock at Crocker's head.
The geode hit him square in the temple, and his arms crumpled into a heap on his chest, the gun tumbling to the floor with a clatter. Joe ran over and picked up the gun as m.u.f.fy hopped off Crocker's body. Joe turned to me, disbelief on his face and just a hint of anger.
"He was messin' with my dog," I said in my defense.
Joe rolled Crocker onto his stomach and pulled his hands behind his back.
"Did I kill him?" I asked, scared I'd broken another of the Ten Commandments. I was really on a roll.
"No, but he'll have one h.e.l.l of headache when he wakes up." Joe jerked the electrical cord of a floor lamp out of the wall. He pulled a pocketknife out of his pocket and cut the cord from the base, then wrapped it around Crocker's wrists.
He walked over to me and tugged me into his arms. I let myself relax into his chest. "Is it over?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's over." He sighed with relief, blowing hairs on top of my head.
We clung to each other for a minute, thankful we could, then Joe grabbed my arms and pulled me away to face him, anger burning in his eyes.
"What the h.e.l.l did you think you were doin' comin' here? You could have gotten yourself killed!"
"I was savin' you, thank you very much!"
"I told you to stay in the house. I gave you a direct order." He gritted his teeth, making his words m.u.f.fled.
"You are not the boss of me, Joe McAllister! And besides, m.u.f.fy came back and was whinin' and barkin' at the back of my house. I couldn't just leave her out there!"
"I told you to stay in the house!"
"If I had, they would have found me! Right after I got to m.u.f.fy, four men showed up and busted into your house lookin' for me and found my shoes. So there!"
That caught him by surprise.