Second Chance SEAL(36)

He smiled. “Two hundred.”

“I’ll do one hundred, and I won’t fucking break your knees when we’re done.”

“Fine. Get in.”

I nodded at Piper and we jumped around the front of the truck. She threw open the door and climbed inside.

But it was too late. The mafia truck pulled up, not too far away. Randy started the engine and it roared to life as I took aim at the mafia’s car. I squeezed off some shots, hitting their front windshield and cracking it.

One of the doors in the back flung open and a man jumped out. He took aim and fired as I dove back behind Randy’s truck. Piper screamed.

“Get down,” I yelled. I fired back, winging the guy, forcing him back. He yelled in anger and pain. I squeezed off a few more shots and hit one of the tires of their car as I climbed into Randy’s truck.

“Go!” I yelled. “Go, motherfucker!”

Randy hit the gas and we lurched forward. I leaned out the window and squeezed off more shots, pinning them back, as Randy’s truck flew off the gravel path and down a thin dirt track.

The mafia truck receded into the distance as Randy drove. I climbed back inside. “Everyone okay?”

“Yeah,” Randy said.

“Shut up, Randy.” I looked at Piper. “You okay?”

She nodded. “I’m okay.”

“Good.”

She hugged me, pressing herself against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close.

That was too fucking close. If Randy had been a bigger piece of shit, or if those mafia guys had been a little more competent, we’d be caught. Hell, if Randy hadn’t come to warn us and rob us, we’d be fucked.

We drove like that for a while. Randy eventually turned back onto a gravel path, and I could tell we were winding our way down toward town. It took another forty minutes before we saw signs of civilization, and another ten before we finally pulled into the parking lot of a Wal-Mart.

We climbed out of the truck.

“Here’s where I leave you,” Randy said, holding his hand out.

“Actually,” I said, “this is where we leave you.”

He looked at me. “Oh, fuck no.”

“Sorry, Randy,” I said. I stepped toward him and pressed the gun against his gut. “Keys,” I said.

He dropped them in my hand. “Son of a bitch. Just like your daddy.”

I smiled at him then reached into my pocket. I took out the hundred dollars that I had counted out earlier and shoved them into his hand. “Payment, just like we agreed.”

“Asshole.”

“Good luck, Randy. If I ever see you again, I’ll break your knees.”

“Fuck off.”

I smiled and waved, then climbed back into the truck. Piper got in beside me. I rolled the windows up and pulled away.

“Did you have to steal this truck?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “It was the only way we’d get a ride. Safest way, at least.”

“I feel bad.”

“I gave him money. Plus, he tried to fucking kill me.”

“Good point.”

“Those mafia guys aren’t after him. Randy will be fine. And if he’s not, I won’t lose any sleep over it.”

Piper sighed and leaned back, shaking her head. “I can’t believe they found us so fast.”

“I know. I underestimated them.”

“How, though?”

“That cabin is in my father’s name. I’m guessing they’re going around checking records all over the place, making calls, trying to find any hole I might crawl into.”

“Nowhere is safe,” she said softly.

“That’s not true.”

“Where can we go? We’ll run out of cash eventually. We can’t use our cards. We’re screwed.”

“I know somewhere safe.”

“Where?” she asked, breathless.

“The safest place on the planet, actually. The United Stated Military.”

She looked at me as I grinned back at her and she started laughing. I hit the gas harder and let the truck lurch forward as we headed down the highway.

I had a plan, but I didn’t know if it was a good one. It was a long shot, but at this point, any shot was better than nothing.

I just hoped that my old commander was in a good mood.





Chapter 17





Piper





We drove south for most of the afternoon, not stopping for anything. Around two, we had a little bathroom break, but then it was right back on the road.

“Where are we going?” I asked him for what felt like the hundredth time.

“Naval base,” he said.

I perked up. For most of the morning, he was giving me half answers and dodging the question, although I wasn’t sure why.

“Naval base? Why?”