“Bullshit, you dragged me into this.I’m running for my life.The least you can tell me is why.”
“I made a deal to sell information to Carlos.I double-crossed him and made another deal with a buyer I’m meeting with in three days.Carlos found out about it and is now after me.”
“Holly,” Andrea stretched her name like she used to do when they were kids and Holly got her into trouble and was being scolded for it.
“It’s not the first time, but I didn’t realize how ruthless Carlos was.He’s been hounding my every step for almost a week.Came all the way from Brazil to track me down.”
Andrea stumbled back as she realized something.She had suspected, but now she knew.The guys from the bar last night.They had been specifically looking for Holly but mistook her for her sister.They had probably followed her home, and she hadn’t realized it.
Andrea had gotten sloppy.Normally she would have been more paranoid and taken a different path home, but she’d just chalked it up as perverts.She had led them straight to her house.It no longer mattered how they’d found out about her.Now all they could do was try to stay one step ahead.Once she and Holly went their separate ways, Andrea would contact her agent.He’d help her disappear.Again.
“His men found me at the bar last night.”
Holly gripped her arms.“Listen to me, you’re going to be fine.I’ll get you out of this.”Holly left her to check the street.“Coast is clear.”Several shots suddenly rang out.Sparks were flying around them.Bullets hit the wall behind Andrea’s head, ricocheting around her.She screamed and ducked down, covering her head.“Let’s move,” Holly yelled, pulling a gun from her back.Where she had hidden that, Andrea didn’t know.Holly dragged Andrea across the street, firing behind them as they went.
Andrea stayed low as she ran across the street.She expected them to stop once they crossed, but Holly kept them running for another block until they stopped at the end of another alley.The sky rumbled, and lightning crashed across the sky, illuminating them for a second before blanketing them once again in darkness.Only a streetlamp nearby gave them light.
Holly was now the one out of breath and leaning against a dumpster.Andrea looked around it but didn’t see or hear anyone.The alley was too narrow for a car, so if they were being followed, they would come out of either end.
“I think the coast is clear.We need a car.There’s a parking garage a block away.Do you know how to hotwire one?”Andrea turned to her sister, noting the pallor to her skin.Sweat dotted her forehead.Her gun held limply in her hand as the other one covered her stomach.“Holly?”Andrea looked her over in concern.She hadn’t looked like that when they’d stopped a minute ago.
Holly didn’t answer her but looked down at her hand covering her stomach, her fingers covered in red.Red ran down the front of her jeans.The gun slipped from her grip, clanking on the ground.
“Holly!”Andrea reached for her as her sister’s legs buckled, and she dropped to the asphalt.Andrea lifted the hoodie and shirt to see how bad it was.She was no doctor, but it didn’t look good.There was blood everywhere and a hole in her sister’s stomach.
She needed to put pressure on the wound.That seemed right.She looked around for something to apply pressure, but there was nothing.“Hang on, Holly.I’m going to call for help.”Andrea patted her pockets only to realize she didn’t have her phone.“Shit,” she whispered, feeling the claws of desperation grip her.How was she going to help her sister?“Where’s your phone?”Andrea patted her pockets and found Holly’s cell phone in her back pocket.
Holly reached up and gripped her arm before she could dial 9-1-1.Her grip wasn’t tight, but it got her attention.“It’s too late for me, Andy.”Andrea was too upset to correct her sister.
“It’s not.I can have an ambulance here in a couple of minutes.There’s a hospital not far.”
Holly shook her head, her eyes closing for a moment as her breathing turned ragged.“Too late.I deserve it, no doubt.”
“Don’t talk like that.You don’t deserve this.”Andrea’s hands shook as she wracked her brain on what to do.Carlos was probably right behind them.She could risk running to the next business and hoping they would call the police, but she hated the idea of leaving her sister vulnerable.
“I do.I’ve done terrible things.”Holly pulled her hand away and tugged a flash drive out of her front jean pocket.“This is everything I got from base attacks.Take it as far away from here as you can.”Holly placed it in her hands with both of hers.Blood smeared Andrea’s arms and clothes, but she didn’t care.“Take the gun to protect yourself.”
She was not taking her sister’s gun.She didn’t like guns.Had never fired one and wasn’t going to start now.“Holly, I can’t leave you.”Andrea felt tears run down her cheeks; she felt so helpless.“Let me help you.”
“You can’t help me now.You need to get up and go, now.”Holly’s grip slackened as her eyes fluttered closed.
As if the skies felt her turmoil, the heavens opened, and the rain started to pelt the back of her neck and soon her whole back was soaked.Her hair hung down around her in rivulets, but she didn’t care.Rain fell on her sister.Her eyes closed as if in sleep, uncaring she was getting wet.Andrea looked down at her hands covered in blood, even though the rain couldn’t wash it away.
She knew she couldn’t help her sister now.She was beyond help, but the danger was still present.She had to move before Carlos found her, but she couldn’t will her body to move.It was as if everything was numb.
“Andrea?”Andrea heard the voice.She pretended they weren’t there; she didn’t want to deal with him.“Andrea, we have to go.Those men aren’t far away.”
Andrea glared at Michael over her shoulder.He was in his car at the end of the alley with the passenger window down.He was watching her, looking frantic as if he were scared of what she knew about him.“And why should I trust you?For all I know, you work with the people that did this.”
“Because right now I am the lesser of the two evils.”Maybe, maybe not.That remained to be seen, but if he had plans to hurt her, he would have done so before now.Carlos’s men wouldn’t have the same dilemma.Andrea didn’t want to go with him, but she didn’t know where else to go.
She balled up her fist, the metal biting into the palm of her hand.Her gaze fell on the gun next to Holly; she didn’t want to take it, but it had been Holly’s request.She picked it up and stood up.She hated leaving her sister like this, but she couldn’t stay.
“I can’t just leave her.”
“I’ll call some people who will remove her.”
With no other reason to stall, Andrea stumbled to the car and got inside.She hadn’t realized she was cold until the blast of heat hit her.Her body started to shiver, but she wasn’t sure if that was from cold or adrenaline.
