Page 10 of The Lost Kings
“Me? What am I supposed to do?”
He kept his eyes on the road in front of us. I realized we were following the ambulance, but there were a few cars in front of us.
“You’re going to do something that will scare you, and I know you’re afraid, but I promise you that nothing will happen to you. You’re going to help me keep your mom and dad safe, okay?”
I nodded, trying not to be scared.
“This car is protected with armor. They can’t shoot us in here, but I need to stop them before they get to the hospital.”
“Okay.” My voice was shaky, and so were my hands, but there wasn’t anything I could do but be brave like he’d said because I didn’t want anything to happen to my parents.
“You need to do exactly as I say.” He opened the moon roof until the cold air began blowing inside.
“Unbuckle, Presley.”
I quickly did as he said and unlatched the metal.
“Do you remember when we rode down that road that had the trees you loved so much and your dad and mom asked if you wanted to fly?”
I had placed my feet on the leather compartment in the middle and poked my head through the moon roof, flinging my arms wide.
“Yes.” My stomach tilted as understanding dawned.
“You’re going to do that but instead of flying, you’re going to protect your mom and dad.”
His eyes remained on the road as he trailed them close. “You’re going to pull the trigger on this gun I’m about to hand you, and you’re going to make their car stop. Do you understand me?”
Panic surged. I shook my head as a few tears fell from my eyes. “I can’t do that. I can’t shoot a gun, Scotty. I can’t?—”
He kept his eyes on the black car in front of us but quickly glanced at me. “You can, Presley. You can do this, because if you don’t, then that car is going to arrive at the hospital at the same time as your parents, and they’re going to kill everyone inside. Your mom, dad, and all the people who helped them. We have to stop them.”
A tiny fire lit up my chest as I swallowed my fear and agreed.Scotty placed a black gun in my lap. It was metal and too big for my hands. It felt weird and heavy.
“You’ll pull this as tight as you can.” His hand directed my finger over the trigger, lightly showing me how to pull it. “Never point it anywhere but at what you intend to shoot. Keep your arms straight, don’t drop it.”
“Okay.” My voice shuddered.
Scotty showed me exactly how to grip it and then ordered me to get up. The car suddenly sped faster and we veered to the side of the black car, right by their back tire.
“Now, Presley! You have to do it now. Stand up, and then shoot, don’t stop shooting until the gun stops.”
I placed my feet on the leather console and with the gun in my hand, the weight of it was distracting. The wind rushed through my hair, tugging it behind me as if the sky wanted to lift me from the car and carry me off. I watched the ambulance’s lights flash and counted to three.
I thought of my mom.
I thought of my dad.
Then I brought my hands up and did exactly what Scotty told me to do. I squeezed as hard as I could and felt the gun lightly kick, but it was more of a jolt up my arm. From here I could see through the window, there was a driver and someone next to him. Then the back window rolled down.
“Hold it steady, Presley. Shoot that window!”
I closed my eyes but did as he said and just kept squeezing, and with every jerk of my hand and every window that shattered, I screamed. I screamed so loud that I pushed out the noise of tires squealing, of glass breaking, and of metal crunching.
I was yanked down hard enough to fall into my seat seconds later, and Scotty maneuvered the car around the black SUV that had just run off the road and slammed into a cement barrier. It burst into flames seconds later and I watched the fire lick at the sky from my side mirror. It felt like I was dreaming.
I’d done that.
I had?—
