So No Solo

Chapter 4

Thanks for reading so far. I don't know much about Houston, this is purely fictional, so forgive me if I get something wrong throughout lol. 

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Police sirens signal me to pull over. It's been less than an hour since we passed the welcome sign. 

"Chiko, Chiko wake up," I nudge him until he's sitting up right, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, "Cop's here." He's awake now, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. I pull over slowly.

Watching the officer approach through my wing mirror, I roll the window down, then place my hands back on the wheel, in the typical ten and two position. My palms are sweating like crazy. I mean, this is the worst time and place to get stopped. Shit. This is gonna me a real fucking hassle.

The officer approaches, tapping on my car door, "Can I have your license and registration please?" Chiko hands my papers to me from the glove compartment. I don't see him bend over, only hear him moving about.

I put on my best friendly face and hand the papers through the window. "Here you are officer."

"Do you know why I've pulled you over ma'am?" She asks, distracted.

"Was I driving over the limit?" I really don't know.

"No, your speed is fine. One of your tail lights are busted and I noticed the crack in your right wing mirror. Ma'am, that's a safety violation. I'm gonna have to write you a ticket."

"Oh," Was that it? You have to be kidding. "I'm sorry officer. I hadn't noticed the light went out. I was planning to drop by the repair shop in town anyway." Please, can she speed this along? And I can help but think luck is on my side, since she hasn't bent down to look inside ye- Spoke too soon.

The officer bends down to peek inside the car. First her gaze focuses on Chiko, then on me; but when she sees me she pauses, pulling off her shades. Chiko is watching the guard like a hawk.

Oh fuck.

I glanced at my reflection in the wing mirror. I'm sporting a black eye and a few more bruises, that had developed on the way from the diner. She looks at the back seat where my duffel bag and the kid's massive Backpack is, (whilst we were at the gas station I bought him another set of clothes and filled his bag with food). But when the officer frowns, I turn also and my focus zeroes in on the bloody rag I had used to wipe my blood off. I had a nose bleed sometime during the ride from the diner, but didn't have the energy to stop and clean up. 

If I had stopped, I would have fallen asleep. 

"Ma'am, I'm going to need you to step out of the vehicle." She says and reaches for her gun, in the holster around her hips. My hands clench the wheel. I know what this looks like, and if I get out of the car she'll arrest me, process me, the car will be towed and once they see my record, the kid will be taken by protective services. Triple shit. 

Before I can reach for the door the kid grabs me again, wrapping his small arm around me in a death grip and- out of nowhere- a gun is aimed in the officer's face. Small finger easing on the trigger. I freeze, she freezes and Chiko just squeezes the trigger a little tighter. 

It takes a few moments but, I get over my shock fast and take that as my cue to floor it. 

I hear, "Stop the car now!" Before gunshots go off. I'm a good distance away before a bullet hits my tyre and I swerve clumsily, struggling to regain control when- Pop! Another bullet hits me in the arm. I cry out and hot tears tumble down my cheeks. It burns!