Scared

As I pushed my body closer to the car my mind continued its own inner workings. My mind was in fight mode trying to connect all the dots and my body was in flight mode trying to stay to see what was happening but trying to stay hidden at the same time.

Shoots continued to echo in the parking lot and the only sign of them was the sound along with the occasional flashes that I assumed were from the gun.

'I need to get glasses but I can't see sh*t' I made a mental note.

It was dark but Matt was over there having a whole shoot-out while I on the other hand seemed to be suffering from night blindness. I gave on trying to see and made my way back up to the front of the car,

'This wasn't my fight'

'Hell this isn't even my usual scene'

'Spooky parking lots, no thank you, NEXT'

Countless complaints filtered through my head as I made my way back up to the door. When arrived I cautiously eased open the car door, but the moment it creaked open, a wave of panic engulfed me.

'Sh*t, Sh*t,Sh*t' I cursed myself

The sudden flickering of the front reading light startled me, and in my haste, I clumsily stumbled into the car. With a graceless thud, I toppled headfirst into the passenger seat, my balance lost in the chaos of the moment.

I hurriedly repositioned and shut the door, now finally obeying Matt's order I locked the doors. I locked it from my side and then reached over and locked it again from the driver's side just to be safe.

I sat in the seat with my knees gathered to my chest, my arms wrapped around them as I waited.

'Was this a regular thing for him?' I began to question the frequency of these incidents.

'Would people involved with him be safe? Would I be safe?' I thought now concerned about my safety. 

'Being kidnapped was bad but this is a shoot-out'

'I don't want this for me' I concluded.

Matt's Perspective:

The damn Red Honda was tailing us like a relentless hound, refusing to let go. I couldn't afford to let them follow us any longer. With a grim resolve, I steered the car towards a familiar abandoned parking lot, choosing a secluded spot where the darkness of the overarching trees provided cover.

As I parked, I swiftly pulled out my phone, instructing Roxanne to lock the car doors as I prepared to confront our pursuer.

I slipped out of the car, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I positioned myself to intercept the Red Honda. With practiced precision, I waited, my senses heightened, ready to spring into action at the first sign of movement.

Then, I spotted them – the headlights of the Red Honda cutting through the darkness like a beacon of trouble. Without hesitation, I sprang into action, firing several shots to disable the vehicle and neutralize its occupants. They returned the gesture but I used the shadows as covered, retreating further into the darkness and out of the range of their headlights. They continued to fire aimlessly and I returned effectively neutralizing one of the occupants and injuring the other.

As the exchange of gunfire raged on, the injured driver of the Red Honda finally emerged from the safety of their vehicle, a shadowy figure stepping into the dimly lit parking lot. With a determined stride, they walked into the shadow leaving the light that their headlights provided.

My senses heightened as I focused on the new threat, adrenaline surging through my veins as I prepared to face them head-on. The sound of gunfire echoed in the night air, punctuated by the crunch of gravel beneath their boots as they closed the distance between us.

I tightened my grip on my weapon, readying myself for the confrontation. With each step they took, the tension in the air grew thicker, the weight of the moment hanging heavy over us.

But they suddenly changed directions, and that's when I looked over to the car to see Roxanne's head peeking out from behind the car.

'Oh no'

'What is she doing?!'

I fired a warning shot next to his feet, this caused him to jump and refocus his attention on me.

'Good' A sigh of relief left me as a bullet grazed my arm.

'This has gone on long enough' 

I could no longer concentrate knowing that she wasn't in the vehicle. With the target already injured and within a reasonable distance I ended it quickly with a headshot.

'Now isn't the time to play with my prey'

I walked over to the car and tried to open the door but it was now locked.

'At least she listened…eventually'

I crouched down to the window on the driver's side for her to see that it was me and signaled to the door. She was hesitant but eventually opened the door.

Getting in I darted the car and was about to drive off when she said,

"I want to go home" her voice sad but firm.

I nodded, taking out my phone I typed,

[We still need to talk]

"Yeah, we can talk when you take me home", was her only reply.

I conceded.

The drive to her apartment was a quiet one, unlike earlier she didn't butcher… I mean sing any songs. She didn't even talk, she just stared out the window

'Something was definitely wrong' I concluded.

When we arrived at her apartment I parked and she finally turned to look at me.

"What was it that you wanted to talk about?" she started.

"Oh if it's about the kidnapping thing, I figured it wasn't you and I didn't say anything to anyone, only my aunt and she didn't say anything either" she added.

I nodded as I listened to her.

As I observed the woman in front of me, it was obvious that she was scared.

[Are you okay?]

She read the sentence and paused as if processing it as tears began to gather in her eyes. Her aunt must have asked her a thousand times but it seemed to have finally gotten to her. The kidnapping and then tonight must have been too much.

She broke down.

I unbuckled Roxanne's seatbelt and gently pulled her into my lap, careful to avoid aggravating the wound where the bullet had grazed my arm against the seat.

I held her as she cried, gently rubbing her back and internally repeating the words

'I'm sorry'