I opened my eyes to street lights shining above. I stretched, grateful that they had been the ones to wake me, not Cougar. I wonder where we are. I hoped that we were pretty far away from the Capitol. I felt like I could sleep for days.
Falcon eased the car around a corner. The white dome of the Capitol building loomed ahead, glowing lights in the windows. Darn it! I would have to catch up on rest later.
Dread filled me as we got closer, and closer, and closer. I was not looking forward to this.
You have to sneak away and tell the detective agency. That was the only thing running through my head. I needed to expose this gang, put them behind bars.
And not end up behind bars with them.
Based on the number of illegal things that I had done so far, that was highly unlikely. Everytime I thought about it, I just wanted to curl up in a ball and sob. So I didn't think about it. Instead I searched for a window of opportunity to get away.
Falcon turned into an empty parking lot. I don't know why I was surprised that he parked in the back. I mean, what criminal in his right mind would park in the front of a building? It was too conspicuous. Still, I was used to my philosophy of parking as close to the front as possible so I didn't have to walk as far.
I guess it's a good thing that I'm not thinking like a criminal.
"We all know our positions, right?" Cougar said. A chorus of 'yeses' rang in the car. "Good. Let's go."
The four doors of the car opened in sync. For a moment, I didn't move from my seat in the middle of the backseat. I wanted to remain in the comfort of the car.
This is a living nightmare. I can't believe this is happening to me. For the thousandth time, I pinched myself, desperately hoping to wake up.
I didn't.
A hand clamped around my arm. "Come on, Jordan. We don't have all day. We're running short on time as is." Cougar yanked me out of the car. It was like my arm was being torn off.
When will I learn not to pause when going places? I was sick of being pulled to and fro like a piece of tear-and-share bread.
Cougar dashed to catch up with the others. The rubber roles of my shoes caught on the pavement, making me stumble. I stared at the ground, trying to pick up my feet.
A huge square of luscious, green grass lay ahead, encased by a cement curb. Surely he'll stop for that.
Nope. Cougar hopped over the curb and into the virant lawn. My feet smacked the curb, but my body kept going forward. Blood rushed in my ears as my face planted into mud. Ew! This is absolutely disgusting.
I kept moving full-steam ahead. Twigs and the rough ground scraped me. Mud and water droplets from the grass latched onto my arms and face, making my skin crawl. Worse yet, I felt ants, flies, and other critters crawling all over me. That alone made me want to scream.
Don't worry, Claude. There are no critters crawling on you.
An even more terrifying thought struck me. There are no critters, because I'm being pulled through pesticides and weed killers—all sorts of chemicals that can poison a human.
I didn't know which was worse. All I knew was that I was dirty and toxic with chemicals. I wrapped my free elbow over my face to provide some sort of protection.
"Dude, what are you doing?" a faint voice said from above.
I realized that I had stopped moving. I pried my arm from my head to see Cougar, Calico, and Falcon standing over me. My body shook involuntarily to get rid of the muck caked on me.
YOU ARE READING
24 Hours
ActionHe's never been one to break the rules, much less get in trouble with the law. But after receiving a mysterious message at the airport, Claude Wintsor finds himself in an unimaginable situation. He is forced to complete six, high-crime jobs in excha...