Rock Her(35)

“Annie laughed. “Oh? What’s that?”

“Can you cook?” Kip smiled, then started walking again, taking her hand. “My Mom was such a great cook. Frankly, I haven’t met anyone that can match her. It’s pretty important, you know?”

“Is that what you’re looking for? Your mother?” Annie asked.

“Oh, hell no! I would never fuck my mother!” Kip said.

“Well, good. Because I am the shittiest cook you have ever known. God knows how I keep this figure with the crap I eat from takeout and fast food.”

Kip stopped again and scanned her up and down. “Well, Hell, Annie, whatever you’re eating, let’s get some more of it in you.”

Annie laughed. “I think I saw a PF Chang’s at the far end of the mall. I am famished,” she said.

“If that’s what it takes to maintain your curves, I am ready for some oriental.” Kip said. Then later, some ching chang bada bing bang.

Kip made a scan of the area as they headed toward the restaurant and saw something that caused a double take. Over to the right of them, standing halfway behind the fountain, Kip spied deputy Sparks trying to look inconspicuous. The uniform did not help. Kip smiled at the thought of this guy acting tough in the car, but clearly he was a true softy, and he actually cared. It helped Kip to relax more knowing he was there. And he just smiled again at Annie. He did not intend to tell her they were being watched by the deputy. Frankly, he didn’t want to bring up anything more about the attempt on her life today. It seemed she was truly having fun and he didn’t want to spoil it.

But as he glanced back at deputy Sparks, he saw that his face had taken on a sterner look as he gazed over Kips shoulder, and then he saw him move. Reach for his gun to be more specific.

Kip turned around to look at what caught Spark’s eye. The hobo was there. Walking out of the men’s room and lifting his arm toward them. In his hand he held what appeared at first glance to be an Uzi, or some kind of small fully automatic weapon. Kip’s first reaction was to grab Annie by the neck and throw her to the ground. She fell with a look of outrage on her face, which pained Kip to see, but not as much as it would have pained him to see her shot and bleeding.

Then the gunfire erupted. The mall exploded with screams and automatic weapons fire, and people everywhere scattered for cover. Storefront signs shattered and glass flew over crouched heads. Kiosks blew apart in splinters of wood and showered people on the ground who had taken cover behind them. Kip dove to the concrete floor and as he did he turned to see deputy Sparks, his service weapon fully extended but not yet fired, take a hit in the leg. He buckled and fell to the ground behind the fountain. Annie was curled in the fetus position against an atrium block wall. Kip landed not far from her as the bullets flew over his head.

Kip knew this was not going to be resolved without a weapon, and the only one in sight was in Sparks hand as he writhed on the floor about 30 yards from him. Again, without fully thinking it through, Kip combat crawled toward Sparks, in the opposite direction from hobo assassin. He knew he had a few seconds before being fully exposed, since the atrium was providing cover as long as he stayed low. But he did not know if the hobo had moved since he began his attack.

In seconds Kip was crawling through the fountain. He heard gunfire again and sensed more than saw, the water being splattered above his head. Then between the screams of the mall goers he could hear the assassin’s feet slapping against the floor. He was on the move. It would only take seconds before he had a clear shot on Annie. He started to roll, thinking he could cover more ground toward Sparks since he was slipping on the slick floor of the fountain.

As he rolled toward him, he caught a quick glimpse of Sparks trying to get his attention. Then he saw the nine millimeter flying through the air. Spark’s had tossed it to him. Kip judged the arc of the weapon through the splattering water fountain and determined he had to roll one more time in order to catch it. Kip stopped his ridiculous roll just as the weapon fell into his outstretched hand, and he swung it around and squeezed the trigger as he sighted in the on the hobo assassin in what he knew was a half assed aim, water splashing into his eyes and face.

The hobo had just leaped over the atrium wall and landed at Annie’s feet. He was about to bring his weapon up to fire when his head jerked back and his knees buckled. The man fell into a crumpled hulk at Annie’s feet, Kip’s bullet still hot and embedded in his brain.

Kip stared at the motionless mass to make sure he saw no movement. When he was certain that the shooter was dead, he rolled from under the fountain’s bath and made his way to his feet.