side.
Dee fell and the rough gravel bit into her palms. She pulled herself into a kneeling position and tried to think. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and she felt sick. How could she have been so careless? She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she hadn't even looked to see if anyone else was around. She’d been so busy feeling sorry for herself she wouldn't have noticed if he'd dropped out of the sky.
There was no way she could let him take the truck. How could she stop him though? A fifteen-year-old girl against a man with a gun? Those were bad odds. She looked over at him and saw he was already untwisting the lid to the gas tank, paying attention to something on the other side of the truck and not looking at her at all.
Dee reached into her pocket and carefully took the keys out. If she could just get the key to the cargo box off the ring, maybe he wouldn't try to get into it. There was no reason anyone should suspect the box was full of groceries.
Her palms were sweaty and they hurt from the fall, but she tried to hurry. Which key was it? There was the key to the Chevrolet and one to the house. There were a lot of other keys too and she had no idea which one it was. Maybe the one with DiamondBack stamped on it? She had to be sure.
The man lifted the heavy gas tank like it weighed nothing and began filling the tank. It took longer than she expected and she was grateful for the extra minutes. Dee sidled closer to the truck, trying to get a look at the box.
“Stay back, girl,” the man called over his shoulder. Dee froze.
He paused and then changed his mind, “Actually, I'm gonna need the truck key. Go put it on the driver's seat and then get out of here.”
Key , repeated Dee to herself. He said key, not... Keys! That was it. How could she be so oblivious? She took the truck key off the ring and slid the rest into her pocket. Her mind raced, trying to figure out how to get away safely and not let him take the truck. She approached the driver’s side and thought maybe she could start it up and get away before he could shoot her. It had gas now, after all.
She knew it was hopeless though. In the unlikely event she actually started the truck on her first try, she’d stall it for sure when she tried to leave. Then he’d shoot her. Maybe she could make a run for it.
Dee carefully mimed dropping the key on the seat and stepped around the front of the truck, putting the vehicle between her and the man. She tensed her muscles to run.
As she came around the other side of the truck, she almost cried out in surprise when she found herself face to face with a woman. She was heavily pregnant and stood with one hand braced against the truck. Dee could see she was in labor, and so involved in her pain that she didn't notice Dee at first, giving her a moment to study the woman. She was wearing a knit tracksuit, and her hair was pulled back in a scrunchie holder. Her bangs were wet with perspiration and stuck to the woman's forehead as she panted a quick rhythm.
Then she gave a low moan and the shallow breathing stopped. Her entire body tensed and Dee held her breath without thinking about it. She gave an audible sigh of relief when the woman relaxed, her contraction over.
The sound alerted the woman to her presence and she looked up quickly.
Dee held her hands out, skinned palms up, “No, it's okay, it's okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”
The woman clutched the side of the truck and wiped a trickle of sweat from her cheek with the back of one hand. “My pains started yesterday. Tried to get to the clinic but the car’s dead. Can’t work the phone either.”
Dee considered. “I was at the clinic yesterday,” she said, remembering the horrible scene in the lobby. “You might be better off at home. They don't have power and there were a lot of people waiting.”
“It's gotta be the clinic,” the woman said in a strained voice. “The baby's early and he's turned the wrong way. I
Dee fell and the rough gravel bit into her palms. She pulled herself into a kneeling position and tried to think. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and she felt sick. How could she have been so careless? She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she hadn't even looked to see if anyone else was around. She’d been so busy feeling sorry for herself she wouldn't have noticed if he'd dropped out of the sky.
There was no way she could let him take the truck. How could she stop him though? A fifteen-year-old girl against a man with a gun? Those were bad odds. She looked over at him and saw he was already untwisting the lid to the gas tank, paying attention to something on the other side of the truck and not looking at her at all.
Dee reached into her pocket and carefully took the keys out. If she could just get the key to the cargo box off the ring, maybe he wouldn't try to get into it. There was no reason anyone should suspect the box was full of groceries.
Her palms were sweaty and they hurt from the fall, but she tried to hurry. Which key was it? There was the key to the Chevrolet and one to the house. There were a lot of other keys too and she had no idea which one it was. Maybe the one with DiamondBack stamped on it? She had to be sure.
The man lifted the heavy gas tank like it weighed nothing and began filling the tank. It took longer than she expected and she was grateful for the extra minutes. Dee sidled closer to the truck, trying to get a look at the box.
“Stay back, girl,” the man called over his shoulder. Dee froze.
He paused and then changed his mind, “Actually, I'm gonna need the truck key. Go put it on the driver's seat and then get out of here.”
Key , repeated Dee to herself. He said key, not... Keys! That was it. How could she be so oblivious? She took the truck key off the ring and slid the rest into her pocket. Her mind raced, trying to figure out how to get away safely and not let him take the truck. She approached the driver’s side and thought maybe she could start it up and get away before he could shoot her. It had gas now, after all.
She knew it was hopeless though. In the unlikely event she actually started the truck on her first try, she’d stall it for sure when she tried to leave. Then he’d shoot her. Maybe she could make a run for it.
Dee carefully mimed dropping the key on the seat and stepped around the front of the truck, putting the vehicle between her and the man. She tensed her muscles to run.
As she came around the other side of the truck, she almost cried out in surprise when she found herself face to face with a woman. She was heavily pregnant and stood with one hand braced against the truck. Dee could see she was in labor, and so involved in her pain that she didn't notice Dee at first, giving her a moment to study the woman. She was wearing a knit tracksuit, and her hair was pulled back in a scrunchie holder. Her bangs were wet with perspiration and stuck to the woman's forehead as she panted a quick rhythm.
Then she gave a low moan and the shallow breathing stopped. Her entire body tensed and Dee held her breath without thinking about it. She gave an audible sigh of relief when the woman relaxed, her contraction over.
The sound alerted the woman to her presence and she looked up quickly.
Dee held her hands out, skinned palms up, “No, it's okay, it's okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”
The woman clutched the side of the truck and wiped a trickle of sweat from her cheek with the back of one hand. “My pains started yesterday. Tried to get to the clinic but the car’s dead. Can’t work the phone either.”
Dee considered. “I was at the clinic yesterday,” she said, remembering the horrible scene in the lobby. “You might be better off at home. They don't have power and there were a lot of people waiting.”
“It's gotta be the clinic,” the woman said in a strained voice. “The baby's early and he's turned the wrong way. I
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