Merritts of Writing 3

Chapter 15

Angie

I never liked being told what to do.

The canisters had changed everything for me. I was the one now in control. It was time to show Char Twiller exactly who he was messing with.

A DEEP BREATH LATER

Char’s cold voice mad me angry. I felt him press the barrel of the pistol against the soft tissue at the bottom of my skull.

Would he really pull the trigger if I refused?

Stevron’s head turned and I saw the warning in his eyes. He didn’t want me to test the stranger.

As much as I trusted Stevron, and I did with my life, I couldn’t believe that Char would do as he said he would.

Pulling the trigger at this close a range would mean my neck, if not my whole head, would explode and possibly cause the bullet to travel the short distance to embed itself into Stevron. The thought chilled me. Not about my own death. But Stevron. My heart lurched and then came to a full stop. If I died, what would happen to Em…Jam?

I blinked and turned my head away from Stevron. As I did, I shifted my weight so that I could face Char. The end of the pistol rubbed up against my nose. I stared at the man. I forced the sudden fear I felt inside from my eyes.

“You don’t listen too well, do you?”

My stare didn’t waver. Char didn’t know it, but I could be as cold as any man. I wasn’t about to back down. Not ever.

“Or is it that you don’t like someone else being in control?”

Char’s words were meant to get a reaction out of me. He wasn’t the first man I’d come up against who thought just because I was a woman, I should be treated as some sort of sex toy. Or worse, to be dismissed as some stupid bimbo. I didn’t disappoint him.

“Control can be good.”

I saw the slight flare to Char’s eyes. He was surprised that I was challenging him. Then he gave me a self-satisfied grin. “As opposed to submission?”

The man thought he had me. I lifted my right shoulder in a casual shrug. “I don’t do submission.”

Char moved the pistol a little to the left so that he could get a better look at me.

“No, I don’t suppose you do. Not like your boyfriend here, right?” Char’s eyes flickered above my head. “You’ve got his nuts wrapped around his neck so tight, he’d do anything for you. Including emasculating himself.”

Beside me I felt the muscles in Stevron’s right leg spasm. I took that movement to be my cue.

The truck veered suddenly to the left and caught the edge of the asphalt shoulder on the opposite side of the road. I swayed forward toward Char and when I bounced back against Stevron, I made sure that I anchored my back solidly against his side.

“Hey!” Char cried. “Watch where you’re driving.”

Stevron didn’t answer. The truck veered again. I saw the pistol wavering as the truck swayed. My eyes never left the barrel as it swayed erratically.

“You better get this rig under control, man.” Char demanded and steadied the pistol. He aimed it at my head again. “My trigger finger doesn’t like the bouncing.”

Stevron’s voice echoed loudly in the confines of the cab. “Nothing I can do. The fyre egg’s charge is dying.”

I knew that to be a lie. I’d put two fresh fyre eggs into the truck before we left and their energy was capable of lasting a much longer distance than we’d travelled, even at our breakneck speed. Char, however, believed Stevron’s lie. That was a good sign.

“Well, just watch it-”

The truck veered again. This time to the right.

The sharp momentum pressed my back hard against Stevron’s shoulder and I felt the muscles in his body stiffen, offering me a solid foundation in which to attack from.

I didn’t hesitate. I raised my left hand as if to stop myself from bouncing sideways into the windshield. I raised my right as well and made as if I was going to brace myself against Char’s chest. Instead I lurched my weight forward and grabbed the wavering barrel of the pistol. I twisted my hand violently to the right and slammed my left hand into Char’s elbow.

A gush of air escaped his lips. I felt him resisting me. He tried to pull the pistol out of my grip. I reversed the twist of my right hand and brought my left elbow up and caught Char under the chin. I heard the clack of his teeth gnashing together and was satisfied that I’d caused him some damage. I felt the strength in his right hand lessen ever so slightly.

I pushed my full weight against Char as Stevron continued to fishtail the truck across the road. I felt the seatbelt restraint suddenly unlock, propelling me forward into Char’s chest. I still had a hold of the barrel so I pulled the larger man’s hand and arm across his broad chest and shouldered him back hard against the inside panel of the passenger door as hard as I could.

Char whacked his head against the side window. The glass cracked but thankfully didn’t break or shatter. He slumped briefly allowing me to get control of the gun. I ripped it out of his grip. I was tempted to reached for the door handle and shove Char out of the moving vehicle, but paused. He was still strapped into his seat and I couldn’t chance that he wouldn’t pull me out with him if I did manage to get the door opened and his seatbelt unlocked. Instead, I grabbed the rifle.

Stevron slammed on the brakes. My body pitched sideways as Char’s somewhat limp body surged forward against me.

I raised my left shoulder and turned my body in hopes that I wouldn’t go hurling into the dashboard and windshield, but Stevron’s right arm wrapped around me and pulled me hard up against his side.

A rush of air expelled itself from my body as Char’s head bounced off my chest and then whipped back. His head bobbed and again thwacked hard against the side window. The window split further.

I watched Char’s eyes close. I heard him suck in a sharp breath. Without thought I dropped the rifle and righted the pistol in my grip. I held it with two hands.

The truck came to a shaky halt. It rocked for several seconds and I heard myself screaming. “Give me one damn reason why I shouldn’t chuck your sorry ass out that door and keep moving!”

Char didn’t reply. He opened his eyes and I saw that his gaze was dazed.

“I’m talking to you!” I shouted.

Char’s lips pressed into a grimace. I watched him squeeze his eyes shut. “It won’t matter if you did,’ he croaked. He gave his head a hard shake, then he opened his eyes again. They were cold, hard, and surprisingly deadly steady as they stared back at me. “I’m the Tracker.”

Stevron released his arm from around me.

Shock tore through me. Fear for Jam, Em, Carter, and everyone else in our small salvage crew clutched at my heart.

Jake came storming back. ‘Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!’

“Piss off,” I growled back at my brother. I shoved the pistol hard into Char’s cheek. “Get out.”

When Char didn’t budge, my fury flared, at both him and my brother. I rapped the barrel of the pistol sharply against Char’s jaw. “Move it!”