Page 45 of A Wrench in the Plan
“Okay, now what?” I said coming back to him.
“Feel around until you find the little plastic piece that locks it in place. Just follow the loose end until you get to the base.” I did as he said, telling him when I found it. “Jam one of the broken ends in there to see if you can pull that piece back, then you should be able to slip it back and loosen it.”
I tried, but the broken piece was too big, it wouldn’t slide between the two. With a frustrated huff, I gave up. Then I figured my nails should have been long enough and slim enough to do the job. I wish I’d known this before. Not that I could have done it to myself the way my hands were before. It took me seconds to get him free. Then I did the same to his ankles.
“Now what?” I asked as I knelt beside him.
“We have to get out of here.”
“Don’t move,” I told him, grabbing his arm and placing it over the cardigan on his side. “Hold that.” Awkwardly, I wrapped the sleeves of the cardigan around his body and tied them together as tight as I could. I checked the front again, bunching it up where it had been pulled taught to create as much pressure as possible against the wound. It was going to have to do. “I’ll check to see if we can get out.”
I tried to lift the door from the bottom, but it must have been latched from the outside. No amount of straining or strength was going to get that thing up. We had no choice but to wait it out and make a plan of attack.
Which I did not see going well at all.
There were at least five of them, probably more if the sound of the motorcycles following behind was any indication.
Chry was in no shape to fight or run.
I wasn’t good with the fighting thing at all.
We might have been free, but the hope was quickly fading again.
“Chry,” I said, hearing something in the distance that prickled my skin.
“I hear it,” he said, tilting his head like he was trying to tune into the sound better. “Evan’s bike. And my dad’s. There are more.”
I wasn’t surprised that he could tell that by simply the sound of the roars that were growing louder with every second.
The truck swerved, sending Chry and me tumbling into the side. Chry’s arms wrapped around me and he tried to hold me still as the truck swerved in the opposite direction. It didn’t work. We both tumbled over one another until I couldn’t tell who was on top. I cried out as my elbow collided with the side of the truck.
“Stay low,” he said, though I wasn’t sure why. We were already sprawled out on the floor, we couldn’t get any lower.
His arms tightened around me as shots rang out. They sounded like they were coming from every direction.
There was so much noise that I couldn’t tell what was going on. Who was firing? Who was getting hit? If any of them died saving us, I’d never forgive myself. Logically, I knew it wasn’t my fault, but I couldn’t help but take the blame. Feel the guilt.
If I’d just gone home…
If I’d just stuck with my plans and worked on that paper…
“Sounds like they hit a tire,” Chry said. “Hold on.”
Tires screeched. Morepopsfilled the air. Hearing the commotion but not being able to see what was happening only caused the panic to grow inside of me.
The truck turned and spun and tilted. I didn’t even know which way was up. Chry held me the entire time, taking the brunt of the tumbles until the truck ended up lifeless on its side. The shrieking of metal sliding along the pavement seemed to reverberate in the small box we were in, bouncing off of the walls and filling my ears like screams in a nightmare. It rang in my ears even after we’d stopped moving. My heart was beating so fast in my chest that I was worried it might explode. I had no clue what had happened outside. No idea if we were safe now.
The door rolled up. Well, more like sideways. Evan’s face was there, eyes wide with panic.
“They’re here!” he yelled out.
Fresh air rushed in, but its smell choked me. Was that what it smelled like after a gun was fired? It wasn’t something I knew. Not something I was used to. I didn’t think I wanted to know that smell, but then again, we were saved, so I didn’t think I much cared.
“Chry,” I said, hoping Ev would understand what I meant. I couldn’t speak.
Evan rushed in, sending me a worried look as he passed me. A few shadows followed him, and it took me too long to realize one of them was my dad.
“Dad,” I said, sounding like a scared kid.
