for humiliating him. We’re doing this my way. Beth, take Bob back to town, take his lady friend too and make sure she’ll keep her mouth shut at the hospital. I don’t care how you do it, but she’s the weak link and she needs shutting up. Make her lie.”
“She will,” Bob stammered, “I swear, I’ll -”
“Shut up!” Ben shouted, turning to him with the gun raised. “Bob, I’m telling you, you’re the most annoying son-of-a-bitch I’ve ever met in my life. If I had to randomly shoot one person here right now, it would most definitely be you.”
“It’d be him , surely,” Bob replied, pointing toward Luke. “Wouldn’t it?”
Ben shook his head.
“Jesus,” Bob muttered, looking down at the ground. “I thought we were family, Ben.”
“Get in your car,” Ben continued, aiming the gun back at Luke. “Like I said, we’re going one town over before I let you head off on your way.”
“This is humiliating,” Luke muttered, making his way to his car. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
“Not really,” Ben replied, “and I don’t care. Just get in the car and drive.”
“What did you do?” Bob asked, turning to Beth. “What the hell is all of this?”
“I…” She paused, before turning and heading over to Candy. Crouching next to her, she took a look at her bloodied ankle before rolling her onto her back. “Can you hear me?” she asked after a moment. “I’m a nurse, we’re going to get you to hospital and make sure you’re just fine.” She smiled as she saw a flicker of movement from Candy’s eyes. “It’s gonna hurt when we move you,” she explained, “but there’s really nothing I can do about that right now, I’m sorry.” Reaching under her, she adjusted her grip and then finally began to lift Candy up.
“Am I…” Candy whispered. “Am I dying?”
“Definitely not. You’re going to have a decent scar, though.”
“That’s cool, I -” She winced with pain. “I don’t mind a scar if it’s got a fun story behind it.”
“Jesus Christ,” Bob said, hurrying over to them as Beth began to carry Candy to the car, “what the hell are we going to do?”
“We’re going to get her to the hospital,” Beth replied. “You’re going to drive.”
“But what do we tell them?” Bob asked. “She’s been shot, for God’s sake!”
“We’ll make something up. We’ll come up with a lie!”
Bob stopped and watched for a moment as his wife carried Candy toward the car. “Did you really hire a hit-man to kill me?” he called after her.
“Not now, Bob. I need you to drive the car!”
“But…” He paused, before turning and watching as the other car drove away, with Ben and Luke inside. Finally, sighing, he ran after Beth.
***
“So how far are we going?” Luke asked, keeping his eyes on the road as they made their way far from Bowley. “How far’s the next town?”
“Not far,” Ben replied, looking straight ahead with the gun resting on his lap.
“But when do we -”
“Don’t ask stupid questions.”
Luke paused, before glancing briefly at the gun.
“And don’t do that,” Ben added.
“Don’t do what?”
“Don’t look at the gun. It makes me nervous.”
“That stupid bitch hired me to -”
“That stupid bitch is my sister,” Ben said firmly, interrupting her. “You might want to think about your language in this situation.”
“I could get her in a lot of trouble, you know,” Luke continued. “She tried to have her husband murdered, she could get a lot of jail time for that.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“Of course it’s not. I won’t actually tell anyone, but I could !” He paused for a moment, as they passed another car headed in the opposite direction. “I think the best thing for all of us will be to put this behind us,” he continued. “I have a business to build up, and I need to get some clients who aren’t completely…” He tried to think of the right word.
“Careful,” Ben said after a
“She will,” Bob stammered, “I swear, I’ll -”
“Shut up!” Ben shouted, turning to him with the gun raised. “Bob, I’m telling you, you’re the most annoying son-of-a-bitch I’ve ever met in my life. If I had to randomly shoot one person here right now, it would most definitely be you.”
“It’d be him , surely,” Bob replied, pointing toward Luke. “Wouldn’t it?”
Ben shook his head.
“Jesus,” Bob muttered, looking down at the ground. “I thought we were family, Ben.”
“Get in your car,” Ben continued, aiming the gun back at Luke. “Like I said, we’re going one town over before I let you head off on your way.”
“This is humiliating,” Luke muttered, making his way to his car. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
“Not really,” Ben replied, “and I don’t care. Just get in the car and drive.”
“What did you do?” Bob asked, turning to Beth. “What the hell is all of this?”
“I…” She paused, before turning and heading over to Candy. Crouching next to her, she took a look at her bloodied ankle before rolling her onto her back. “Can you hear me?” she asked after a moment. “I’m a nurse, we’re going to get you to hospital and make sure you’re just fine.” She smiled as she saw a flicker of movement from Candy’s eyes. “It’s gonna hurt when we move you,” she explained, “but there’s really nothing I can do about that right now, I’m sorry.” Reaching under her, she adjusted her grip and then finally began to lift Candy up.
“Am I…” Candy whispered. “Am I dying?”
“Definitely not. You’re going to have a decent scar, though.”
“That’s cool, I -” She winced with pain. “I don’t mind a scar if it’s got a fun story behind it.”
“Jesus Christ,” Bob said, hurrying over to them as Beth began to carry Candy to the car, “what the hell are we going to do?”
“We’re going to get her to the hospital,” Beth replied. “You’re going to drive.”
“But what do we tell them?” Bob asked. “She’s been shot, for God’s sake!”
“We’ll make something up. We’ll come up with a lie!”
Bob stopped and watched for a moment as his wife carried Candy toward the car. “Did you really hire a hit-man to kill me?” he called after her.
“Not now, Bob. I need you to drive the car!”
“But…” He paused, before turning and watching as the other car drove away, with Ben and Luke inside. Finally, sighing, he ran after Beth.
***
“So how far are we going?” Luke asked, keeping his eyes on the road as they made their way far from Bowley. “How far’s the next town?”
“Not far,” Ben replied, looking straight ahead with the gun resting on his lap.
“But when do we -”
“Don’t ask stupid questions.”
Luke paused, before glancing briefly at the gun.
“And don’t do that,” Ben added.
“Don’t do what?”
“Don’t look at the gun. It makes me nervous.”
“That stupid bitch hired me to -”
“That stupid bitch is my sister,” Ben said firmly, interrupting her. “You might want to think about your language in this situation.”
“I could get her in a lot of trouble, you know,” Luke continued. “She tried to have her husband murdered, she could get a lot of jail time for that.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“Of course it’s not. I won’t actually tell anyone, but I could !” He paused for a moment, as they passed another car headed in the opposite direction. “I think the best thing for all of us will be to put this behind us,” he continued. “I have a business to build up, and I need to get some clients who aren’t completely…” He tried to think of the right word.
“Careful,” Ben said after a
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