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“You,” Bruno said between gritted teeth, slowly straightening, taking on a boxer’s stance. “You’re going down.”
Uh-oh.Wazza raised his fists, ready to do whatever it took. They circled each other warily, dancing on the pavement. Bruno lashed out suddenly, and Wazza ducked just in time, receiving a glancing blow to the side of his jaw. More blows rain down on him, and it was all he could do to protect himself from the large fists which felt like blocks of iron landing on his body. He got in a few more punches, giving almost as good as he got. But he needed to end this now. If Lefty called the police—the station was just down the road—they’d be here within two minutes.
Even while he fought, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kee appear at the side of the car, lean in and grab Benni while Bruno was distracted. Then she disappeared. God, please let her get in her car and drive away. But when he chanced a glance across the road, she stood out front of the mechanic shop, Benni on her hip, her face a rictus of fear. Get in the car. Get in the car, he chanted over and over in his head. But she kept standing there. What was she doing? If it was him she was worried about, she needed to forget him and just go.
Bruno seemed to hesitate as he, too, glanced in Kee’s direction. Then he stepped back and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a knife. Wazza stilled, watching him intently. A knife changed things. He’d never been involved in a knife fight, and he didn’t want to start now. Time to get inventive. Time for some more dirty tricks. Sweat ran freely down his back.
A street tree, planted by the town council to give shade to the pathway, stood directly behind Wazza, about ten feet away. Slowly, he backed toward it, and the other man followed. Bruno lunged, Wazza deflected the knife with a desperate swipe of his hand, barely escaping the slice of the blade. Two more steps, and he was beneath the tree. Watching for his chance, he evaded another of Bruno’s attempts to stab him. He grabbed a low branch, bobbing down at the same time as he dragged it back and let it go. It hit Bruno full in the face, propelling him stumbling backward. Wazza took the opportunity, rushing at his opponent straight on, smashing him to the ground. The knife was sent flying into the gutter. Wazza drew back his fist, ready to pummel the man’s face, but he lay completely still, unconscious.
He’d knocked the man out stone cold. Bruno must’ve hit his head on the concrete as he fell.
Wazza didn’t wait to see how badly hurt he was, or if he regained consciousness. He was on his feet and sprinting back to the mechanic shop as fast as he could go.
“Get in the car,” he yelled as he ran toward Kee. She jumped, as if in a trance, and went to buckle Benni into her seat. Lefty was standing at the front of the shop, gawping.
There was no time. Bruno could wake up at any moment. Wazza made a snap decision. He opened the driver’s door and jumped in. She needed his help. She couldn’t do this alone. He couldn’t let her do this alone. “I’m coming with you,” he said, willing her to hurry.
Kee didn’t argue, naked fear still smeared all over her lovely face. She seemed to be in shock, working on autopilot.
“Don’t tell him which direction we’ve gone, if he wakes up. Don’t tell him anything,” Wazza commanded of Lefty, winding down his window to stare at the old man.
“Your secret’s safe with me, son,” Lefty promised. “These out-of-towners get so uppity sometimes, they need to be put in their place. I might say he just tripped and fell from his own stupidity.”
If the situation had been different, Wazza might even have smiled. “Better to say you didn’t see anything,” he advised instead.
“Right.” Lefty nodded sagely. “I never saw a thing.”
“Thank you.” Wazza put the car in gear and checked that Kee had her seat belt on, then began to drive out of the warehouse. Halfway onto the road, he stopped the car. “I’m just going to grab something from the other car,” he said, feet already hitting the pavement. Running to the driver’s side, he reached in and grabbed the satellite phone off the cradle on the dashboard. Then he sprinted around to the rear door and yanked it open, retrieving a hamper of food Skylar had prepared for Kee. It was a surprise; he was supposed to give it to her just before she left. The whole mission took him less than twenty seconds as he headed back to Kee’s car, still idling in the driveway. He suddenly remembered the keys to the Stormcloud vehicle were still in his pocket, and he pulled them out and tossed them to Lefty. “Look after these until Steve can come and collect the car,” he said.
Then he was back in the driver’s seat, shoving the hamper on the floor at Kee’s feet. “Hang on,” he warned. The vehicle roared out of the shop and onto the street. Wazza stared at the scene of carnage as they passed by. Bruno was still lying prostate on the path. No one else was around. At least this wasn’t the main street, which would’ve been crowded with locals and tourists alike. He gunned the motor, and the car leapt down the street, screeching around the corner as he turned left, taking them into the back streets of Dimbulah.
Benni was sobbing in the back seat and perhaps it was this noise that finally drew Kee out of her shocked silence. “It’s okay, my baby. It’s gonna be okay.” She reached between the seats to take hold of her daughter’s hand, the only contact she could manage with her seatbelt on.
“Why was Uncle Bruno so mean?” Benni asked between sobs. “He hurt me when he picked me up. And he said the S word, too.”
“It’s okay,” Kee repeated. “You’re safe now. Bruno didn’t get you. Wazza saved you.” She looked across at Wazza, as if seeing him for the first time.
She didn’t say anything for many long minutes, waiting for her daughter to calm down, while Wazza navigated through the back roads, the houses beginning to dwindle, until they were out on the open road. Kee dabbed at her forehead with the corner of her T-shirt. From what Wazza could see, it wasn’t bad, a scrape from where Bruno had knocked her to the pavement. He’d make sure to check it the next time they stopped.
Benni’s sobs became sniffs, and finally she stopped crying, and Kee turned back to the front of the car. Her gaze zeroed in on him, and as if she finally grasped the situation, she hissed at Wazza, “What are you doing? You can’t come with us. That wasn’t the plan.”
“Well, I’m coming. At least as far as the border.” He set his lips together, hoping she took that as a sign not to argue.
“No, you’re not,” she said, louder this time. “I’m not letting you do this. Pull over. Right now.”
