Runner {Watty Awards 2012}

Chapter 11 Part 2

After a couple hours driving in a comfortable silence, Jack looked over to a sleeping Amelia. Stopping the car he got out and walked around to the passenger side opening the door. “Amelia honey, you need to wake up” Jack whispered in her ear.

Amelia stirred his name on her lips, smiling he gently shook her awake.

He watched those pretty green eyes flutter open and a lazy smile curl across her face. “Mmmmmm Jack? Are we there yet?” Amelia drawled her French accent slurring the English words.

“Almost sweetie. We have to get you back into the trunk for abit.” Jack murmured.

Amelia’s eyes went wide. “Please Jack no, I can’t. Isn’t there any other way?”

“I’m sorry but there isn’t. But I promise it will not be for long” Jack assured.

Jack watched Amelia’s face drop in disappointment and fear but she complied with the grace of a saint, swinging her legs out of the open car door and stepping to the passenger side to wake Eleanor.

Having woke her daughter they both walked to the back of the car, the trunk popped with a soft thud and Amelia eyed the space with trepidation.

“Come mama, we will be ok.” Eleanor soothed.

Eleanor climbed in first squeezing as far back as she could to make space for her mother, Amelia climbed in second and lifted a wary gaze to Jack willing him not to be long as she watched him close the lid and plunge them into darkness. This darkness was broken by a small red light and to keep her mind off of where she was Amelia done the only thing she could think of; she slid the clip out of the .45and started counting bullets as she felt the V8 roar to life once more.

There were 15 left so she reached up to wiggle her hand into the bag containing the bullets, finding them by feel alone she plucked a handful out and begun reloading the clip. Once done she slid the clip into the chamber and cocked it. “Just in case” Amelia thought.

Jack was coming up to the checkpoint; he slid the car nice and easy and hoped that he would get no trouble tonight. It was small and only had two guards manning it. “Fantastic” Jack thought. If there was any trouble he would be able to dispatch it quick and easy.

“Buenas noches, señor. Puedo ver su pasaporte, por favor?” one of the men said.

“Im sorry? In English please.” Jack said coolly.

“Good evening sir. Can I see your passport please?” The man repeated, eyeing him suspiciously.

Cautiously Jack reached into the glove box to retrieve his passport not missing the other guy walking round to the back of the car. The man took the passport and looked at it, everything seemed to be in order and on giving it back to Jack he asked him to pop the trunk.

Dread curled in the pit of Jack’s stomach and he took a few seconds to way up his options, he was currently unarmed and he could take out the guy in front of him but that would leave him open to getting shot by the other. Now he could do it and hope that the guy was a bad shot but either way things didn’t look good.

He knew that Amelia still had the .45 in her possession and he also knew that she knew how to use it. So gritting his teeth he pulled the leaver to the trunk and hoped that either the guy had real bad eyesight or that Amelia was ready.

Amelia heard the trunk pop but instinct told her to keep the gun poised as the trunk lid opened, she was shocked to see a man that wasn’t Jack staring down at her eyes wide.

“Oh Dios mío! Hey hay una señora en el maletero! ”the guy cried. Amelia used the guys surprise to slip herself out of the trunk and onto her feet. Amelia grabbed the guy in front of her round the neck and held him in a choke hold, at the same time she leveled the gun at the other guy who still stood there dumbfounded as to the scene before him “Move and you are a dead man!” Amelia shouted.

The guy closest to Jack just put his hands up in surrender as Amelia took the butt of the gun and slammed it into the side of “choke hold” guys head knocking him sparko. As he dropped to the floor she carefully walked up to the other guy who was still rooted to the spot and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, looking him dead in the eye before bending him before her kneeing him right between the legs before crashing her knee forcefully into his face.

All this in seconds. Jack was impressed.

Grabbing the rope she found in the trunk both Amelia and Jack dragged the unconscious and bleeding men to the booth and tied them up there. Amelia turned to jack and said “see all that and I didn’t even have to squeeze off a round”

“If you could handle yourself like that then why did you need me to get you away from Devon? Looks like you could have quite easily dropped him on his ass with moves like that.” Jack replied as he gave the knot a last good tug for good measure.

“Err you have seen my husband right? Well I did fight him at first but it only served me to get worse beating s so I found that if I let him do what he wanted the beatings would be less severe, it was survival instinct, there’s no way I could have run without you” Amelia replied.

Smiling Jack turned and slammed his palm on the Button that lifted the barrier and led Amelia back out to the car. Amelia went to retrieve Eleanor from the trunk of which she was beating the hell out of the lid by now and after calming her down and placing her in the car they were off again.

Out of Mexico and into Texas.

Devon was pacing, 48 hours and no word from Karlstrom. “What the fuck is this guy doing? He claims to be the best but yet I hear nothing!” Devon seethed in his head, the pain in his face excruciating. The painkillers weren’t even hitting the sides anymore.

Grabbing the phone he dialed Karlstrom, he just had to get information or he was going to personally murder someone.

After 4 rings Karlstrom answered. “What can I do you for Mr. Chartrand?” He said calmly.

“Don’t give me that bullshit! I want to know if you are even close to finding them yet.” Devon grated.

On the other end of the phone Karlstrom rolled his eyes he knew this guy was rich but did he always have to go into things like a bull in a china shop? That’s not how Karlstrom operates “Patience Mr.Chartrand we know where they are all that’s needed is to place the trap and they will be in your hands again soon enough” Karlstrom soothed as if he was speaking to a four year old child and not a forty year old man.

“Well you better because I don’t know what I am paying your for otherwise. I want to see results and soon!” Devon barked.

“Relax Mr. Chartrand I am the best in my field. Trust me.” Karlstrom said before cutting the line.

“Trust you my ass” Devon grumbled as he resumed his pacing getting more and more furious as time passed.

Turning to his team Karlstrom instructed. “We need to close the net people, the villagers are getting restless, and time is money.”

“On it sir” came the reply.