As Far as Love

Chapter 6

Alex slammed the fist that was on the side that didn't have side pains from the bullet wound. It slammed into the fat pig-like man. His chubby blubber slammed on the concrete.

Then the rat man-thin, wiry, and his nose was always scrunched up-rushed him. Before he got there he looked behind his shoulder. The man had just shoved Miss Mischief into a shed and then went after her. He shut the door with a slam that sounded so final.

Alex thought of his sister. He thought that would fuel his anger to defeat the men almost on top of him. But instead of his sister, it was Miss Bassett that made him angry.

Of course, he wasn't angry at her. But he was angry at what was probably happening right now.

He yelled a battle cry that would have made a Viking proud and rushed toward the group that was rushing him. When he was only a few feet away, he dropped.

As he rolled, he screamed through gritted teeth. That shot was turning out to be a pain in the side. Literally.

When he rolled under two of the men's feet, they tripped and fell to the ground. it was The rat-like man and a man who had brown curly hair and was portly. Le Boufe. That was French for buffalo. Alex had always liked that word. 

The other three looked around, confused. He jumped up to his feet and then turned.

He ran to the one on the far right. It was the overweight pig like man. Alex juked his left foot to the left and the man dove that way. Alex ran to the right, past the five men and to the shack.

He heard running footsteps behind him. He looked over his shoulder, but kept up the same pace. Rat-man, pig-man, and Boufe man were falling behind. Then there was a tanned man with blonde hair and green eyes that was a few steps ahead of them.

But there was one man who was a problem. He was almost as broad as Alex and had great running legs. Long and lean. He had dark red hair and a dozen freckles spread out across the bridge of his nose.

Then Alex realized it wasn't a man at alk. He looked really young. Maybe in his late teens. He was going to outrun Alex. Alex calculated with the brain of his that his old tutor, Mr. Bedland, had said could beat anyones.

The young redhead, who with his big nose, long legs, and red hair kind of reminded him of a rooster, would catch him seven steps in front of the closed shack door.

The blond, who looked kind of like a cat with his eyes and fluffy hair, would get there five steps behind. And the fat man, pig man, and boufe man would get there nine steps behind.

If only he could delay, or stop, the rooster. Alex smiled to himself as he thought about how he had named all the men after animals that were considered odd, mean  weird, and awkward. That fit each of them perfectly.

Alex shook his head to try to shake off the smile. Then he got an idea. While running still, he tilted his head and assessed the angles.

He smiled again. As long as he timed it perfectly...

It would work.

He was almost to the first part of the plan. He looked behind and slowed a little. Rooster slowed down too. That wasn't good.

Alex sped up and slowed at the same time. A trick he had learned from one of the sailors. So rooster sped up.

Alex bunched up his muscles and jumped.

Straight into the bench. Right where he wanted to. Just like he knew he would, rooster didn't miss a beat, just jumped into the bench and pushed Alex off.

Alex smiled.

As he fell, he swung his right arm and his right leg to the left. He turned in his air and landed on his butt. He winced but kicked his foot up.