“Did you just take him down?” The disbelief in his eyes is pretty strong.
“It was reflex.” I stare down at the body on the floor. “I…I used to do karate, remember?”
“That’s right.” He smiles as another round of gunshots fires through the walls.
Why does Park smile so much when we’re being shot at? That seems like the opposite response he should be having.
“You’re doing great.” He nods at me. “Now, we’re just going to make a run for the car.” Park peeks his head through the door's opening, and immediately guns shoot at him. He pulls a weapon out and fires back.
“You have a gun?” My eyes widen. Where the heck has that been hiding every time our bodies have been pressed against each other?
He leans back behind the wall, resting against it. “Would you prefer that I didn’t?”
“I don’t know what I prefer.”
“Very natural response. Do some deep breathing to stay calm. When I saygo, we’re going to run to the car. Go!”
“What, like now?” I yell.
Park pushes the door open, firing shots as he moves. I watch in frozen panic. He opens the passenger door and turns back to help me in, but I’m not there. He ducks behind the car door and whips his head to me. But I’m still ten feet away inside the restaurant.
“I saidgo!”
“I wasn’t ready! I’m still deep breathing.”
“But I saidgo.”
“I thought you would give me aone,two,three. Even afive, six, seven, eightwould’ve told me that I should go.”
“Go,didn’t tell you to go?”
“No.”
“Okay, then.” He sighs. “One, two, three, GO!”
I hesitate, and Park rolls his eyes in exasperation.
“Fine.” I crawl across the sidewalk, chanting, “I’m going to die. I’m going to die.” I climb into the car, keeping myself in the fetal position as if that will somehow save me from the bullets. Park slams my door and fires his gun at the shooters as he runs around the vehicle to the driver’s side. I don’t even know where the shooters are. There’s just gunfire…everywhere. It’s surprising neither of us has gotten hit.
He climbs in and starts the car. The tires skid as he pulls out of the parking lot and onto the road.
“What is happening?” I grab onto theOh, Craphandle, squeezing it tight. If there was ever a time to use that handle, it’s now. “We just fled the scene of the crime. We’re definitely going to jail.”
“You think?” Park flashes a big grin, and I want nothing more than to smack him, but I’m hanging on for dear life as the car zooms down the road.
“Is that smile supposed to make me feel better?” My chest moves up and down, pumping air in and out of my lungs.
“Is it working?”
“No!” I purse my lips together. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“If you’re going to throw up, try throwing up out the window. This is a small car, and I don’t think either of us wants to deal with that smell right now. Plus, that vomit might breach the rental car agreement.”
“And bullet holes don’t?” I close my eyes, trying to control the queasiness in my stomach.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m going to get dinged for those.” Park turns the radio on. Now I’ve gotCarol of the Bellsblaring, adding to the thumping in my heart. “Sit back and relax. Everything’s under control.”
But I’ve never felt moreout of controlin my entire life.
