Danger In Vices

"Cody, let's go!"

I ran until my heart pounded out of my chest, making sure not to turn back or risk being shot dead by the bounty hunters closing in on me. The bastards would've never discovered my true identity had Cody not blown my cover in the bar. He had one too many cocktails and now he was falling behind, threatening more than just our lives.

I couldn't feel my legs as I slammed against our truck, frantically searching for the door handle. Cody ran up to the passenger side and yelled "Go, go, go!" as I flung open my door and we both threw ourselves in our seats. I turned the key and sent us and our truck flying before I could even close my door.

"We're losing 'em!" Cody cheered as the hunters' silhouettes shrank in our rearview mirror. In an act of desperation, they fired a handful of shots at us, but they all seemed to miss.

"They're not very good shots either, huh, Frank?" Cody laughed.

I looked over to see a huge grin on his face.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Cody?"

He looked back at me blankly, as if to ask what I meant.

"You could've had us both killed!" I yelled. "You risked everything, and I mean everything. And all for a couple of god damn drinks."

Cody squared his shoulders at me defensively.

"You seriously cannot be blaming this on me. It was not my fault that they found us out!" he argued.

I scoffed at his ignorance.

"Cody, listen to me, man. It's always your fault," I said and I hoped that it hurt him the way it hurt me.

"Yeah, whatever," he replied and turned back facing forward. "We're not dead, are we? That's gotta count for something."

I begged God for some relief from the irony as I shook my head. We never died on any of our missions but at the same time we were almost never successful thanks to Cody. I prayed for a new partner as I chugged us along a painstakingly long desert highway.

"Just get some rest," I said to him in hopes of a few moments of silence.

"Sure thing, Dad," he said with a hint of attitude that stung like a snake bite, and he turned over to face away from me.

I thanked God for the moment of peace, for I was sure it wouldn't last all that long.